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Variax to control MIDI instruments


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I'm a Helix owner and recently purchased a JTV-69.  I am fairly new to JTV and Variax HD, but I was wondering if it would be possible to have Variax generate/transmit MIDI notes to say Helix for use with hardware or software MIDI instruments.  Maybe this could be set as one of the Variax Custom models.

 

This is a major feature of Roland GK, Fishman Triple Play, the Graphtech Ghost system and maybe others as well.

 

Checking technical feasibility here before considering posting to Ideascale.  I'm not too optomistic though since from what I read, it looks like only mag signal, model signal and Variax control back is transmitted over VDI.

 

If this is the case, I will probably just get the Fishman Triple Play system for my JTV-69.

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I'm a Helix owner and recently purchased a JTV-69.  I am fairly new to JTV and Variax HD, but I was wondering if it would be possible to have Variax generate/transmit MIDI notes to say Helix for use with hardware or software MIDI instruments.  Maybe this could be set as one of the Variax Custom models.

 

This is a major feature of Roland GK, Fishman Triple Play, the Graphtech Ghost system and maybe others as well.

 

Checking technical feasibility here before considering posting to Ideascale.  I'm not too optomistic though since from what I read, it looks like only mag signal, model signal and Variax control back is transmitted over VDI.

 

If this is the case, I will probably just get the Fishman Triple Play system for my JTV-69.

 

Hi Roscoe5,

 

None of the Variax models, Standard, HD, JTV or whatever is capable of doing "Guitar to Midi" conversion that you're after. It's an interesting notion though - it has been posted on Ideascale quite a few times, but some of that was more than a year back so don't hold your breath.

 

Anyhow as your Variax does not have MIDI capable pickups maybe the next best option is to investigate the Fishman Triple Play system. I have no experience with the Fishman but I used to use a Roland GR33 synth and GK 2A divided pickup - (I was not very impressed with the sounds).

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I was wondering if it would be possible to have Variax generate/transmit MIDI notes to say Helix for use with hardware or software MIDI instruments. 

 Check this out - it's free:

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/midi-guitar/id523095780?mt=8

 

As an alternative there is Jam Origin MIDI Guitar application that can convert normal electric guitar (no hex PU required) into polyphonic MIDI Note on/off messages to drive synthesizers

http://www.jamorigin.com/

 

I'm going to give this one a shot.

 

EDIT: What an idiot - I just spotted that the app for the iPad/iPhone is the freebie version of the Jam Origin thing -Doh!

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Jam Origin App is free to try but has a built in interrupt that will make it useless for anything other than testing. You will be prompted for an in-app purchase to activate the App properly. I tested it on a PC using an HD500 as an interface and it worked fairly well, but I couldn't suppress the guitar sound and get the synth output out from the HD500 - a Helix can do that though

 

You could add you vote to this idea, but I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for it to happen - it basically suggested a mode on JTV where it swaps modelling for MIDI conversion (string by string) with output via an HD500 or these days a Helix:

 

http://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Variax-midi-guitar-capability/497215-23508

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  • 8 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...

I do not believe this will happen at all in the short term.

 

As far as I understand the Variax does not even detect pitch, it only assumes you are in the standard tuning for applying alternate tuning. Without detecting pitch, note to midi notes would be impossible.

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  • 3 months later...

A way around is adding a Roland GK hex mic. I experimented with mounting a Roland GK2A to my Variax JTV69F - a bit tight with space - to control a VG99. However I'm allergic to the steam punk looks of it  :lol:  I'm thinking about fitting the Roland GK-Kit-GT3 inside the guitar. The real problem would be to drill for the GK connector...

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