Split keyboard in a slot to recieve on two midi channels?

BobTheDog

Hi There,

I am trying to get my midi guitar to work with my G2 and need 6 channels of midi into the G2, one for each string.

Wildbill posted the following in another thread I had:

ian-s · Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 4:14 am Post subject:

Dang, I saw that post and meant to reply at the time. I’m sure this cannot be done. Each slot can only receive on one channel. You can use the Note Zone to receive extra midi channels and route them to any of the 4 slots but that doesn’t do what you want I think. Also, the current lack of a pitch bend receive module excludes making custom multi-voice/single slot type patches. You can’t even translate pitch bend to poly aftertouch because the G2 does not yet respond to poly aftertouch. Basically you need two more slots or two less strings.
Actually, I think Clavia could come up with a solution for Guitarists. Maybe a mode which turns a given slot into a n voice, multi channel note/pb receiver. I guess most guitarists would just want to play the same patch on each string?

BobTheDog · Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 4:33 am Post subject:

Hi There,

Thanks for the reply.

Its a bit of a pain, either buy an extra G2 engine or start playing the bass!

I did have another idea which was to write some application that runs on the PC that converts each channels pitch bend information in two CC messages, one for the high byte and one for the low byte. So the app would rip out the pitchbend info and send note and two CC's for each string.

This could then be combined in a patch and used to midify the pitch of the Oscs.

I still think this will not work as the G2 can only receive on 4 channels as far as I can see, apart from the NoteRcv module which you can set the channel for. I think it would be going to far to have a noteRecv module for each note on the guitar!

Thanks for your help

Andy

Kassen · Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 6:28 am Post subject:

If you are going to translate pitchbend into two CC's anyway you could do some more translating and make it fit. Guitars generally don't need all 128 notes, I think 64 notes is quite nice already. What if you'd take the lowest note you can play on the guitar, transpose that one to note 1 on channel one, then you take the lowest note you can play on string number two and translate that to note 65 on channel 1. You'd go on like that and put two strings on channel two too. At the G2 side you'd translate it all in reverse with a keyboard split and some add value modules to transpose it all back.

Even better might be using CC's for notes too because that would mean there would be no need to get frustrated with polyphony. You'd need to have a extra CC for each string to indicate when it gets trigered and muted. Basixcally that would mean 4CC's per string so 8 per patch, at a normal 6 string guitar that means three patches meaning you have one to spare to hook up as a "fx" section through busses and emulate the body, the amp and the cabinet (or whatever substitutes for these your model needs). Of cource if you just use CC's you could conceivably try to fit it all in a single patch; six small synthesisers managed by 24 CC's sounds quite possible to me.

BobTheDog · Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 6:43 am Post subject:

Hi Kassen,

Thanks for your ideas, I like your thinking.

Basically I only need 22 notes per string so 132 in total, so two midi channels would do. Or I could just drop of the highest fret and only need 126, I could fit it all down on midi channel then.

I am a little confused about useing CC's for note on/note off messages. How would that help me with polyphony?

Cheers

Andy

Kassen · Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 7:26 am Post subject:

BobTheDog · Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 7:44 am Post subject:

[quote="Kassen"]

Kassen · Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 8:01 am Post subject:

BobTheDog · Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2005 2:46 am Post subject:

Most 'synth' stuff I own is definately keyboard based which is a shame as there is quite a large community of people that play the guitar and like the sounds that synths can provide.

Guitar based synths like the Roland GR33 are years behind the G2, but they do work (the patches are very very bad though).

I have started work on knocking up a synth based totally on CC's, I see your point about the polyphony now I have started doing it. Once I have a basic setup I will write the code to map the midi from the guitar into the CC's, at the moment I am just controlling it from the knobs on a microKontrol!

I have never played with Tassman, maybe I should have a look. DO you know if they do a demo.

I cannot play with Super Collider as I am a windows user, it is mac only isn't it?

Alll the best

Andy

Kassen · Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2005 3:23 am Post subject:

Yes, I do believe there's a Tassman demo. Tassman, BTW cheerfully accepts six "keyboard" modules in a patch, all set to different MIDI channels.

There is a S.C. port for Windows, but it's in beta and has been there for quite a while now. Sadly one of the limitations is that the Windows version doesn't output MIDI. You could try Pure Data which is a lot like MAX/MSP except that it's free (and less well documented, to be fair).

I have S.C. on Linux and this kind of translation stuff is one of the things it's supposed to do once I get it under controll. One of the joys of running multiple computers.