guitar synth

[Ingo Debus]

Hi,

I think it's time to introduce myself (being on the list for 3 years
now ;-)): I started with acoustic guitar (besides recorder I played when
I was a child), play keyboard, djembe (west african hand drum), flute
and an Yamaha WX5 MIDI Wind Controller. I play this WX5 for 1 1/2 years
now, and it's fun! I like it much more than playing keyboard, which I do
for about 25 years now.

Martin Czech wrote:
> You'll have to imitate the bending, the vibrato and the prefered scales
> and licks as well.
> 
> Get home and exercicse instead looking for not working technical
> solutions ;->

I never played a guitar synth, but for the Wind Controller I'm sure even
a non-skilled player like me can do things with it a keyboarder never can
do, no matter how hard he/she exercises. The Wind Controller is by far
not as expressive as an acoustic wind instrument like the flute, but it's
way more expressive than playing a synth with a keyboard. And I think to
some degree this could be true for a guitar-type synth "input-device"
too. Why exercise on a synth input device which is lacking expressivity
when there are technical solutions? ;->

farky wrote:
> I can't imagine the nuances being electronically converted.

Even if only some of the nuances could be converted, a guitar-type synth
controller would be superior to a keyboard. Let's say, pluck strength,
pluck position and bend strength (force sensors at the strings?) could
be converted into separate control voltages/MIDI information?
Having separate control voltages/MIDI information for the position where
the string is fretted (is that the correct term?) and for bend
strength would be a good thing because bend sensitivity would be
adjustable for the user. Bends could even control other parameters than
pitch, like filter cutoff or whatever.

Harry, is it ok to call this thing a "guitar-type synth controller"? I
think it's obvious that this is not a guitar. No-one thinks the Wind
Controller is an electronic sax, although the sax fingerings are similar.

Ingo (building a xylophone-type synth controller at the moment - this is
what I needed the touch switches for)