MIDI guitar with Helix

[amsdenj]

We needed horns and a clavinet on Superstition, so I decided to see if I could come up with a reasonable MIDI guitar setup that I could use live. This way I can play the horn parts and they keyboard player can handle the clavinet. I've been tempted to do this for a while, but haven't had enough need to motivate the work to set it up, and I thought it might be too complicated for practical live use. 

 

I have a Fishman Triple Play on my Variax Standard, but I don't generally use that guitar on gigs, and don't want to have to deal with keeping it charged and connected. So I use JamOrigin MIDI Guitar 2 instead. This is an amazing piece of software that can convert analog guitar to MIDI right off your pickups - no hardware required, use it on any guitar. There's a little latency, but not bad, and the tracking is actually quite good, even for full, complex chords. So that simplifies things. Our band uses an X32-Core, so we already have an older 2011 MacBook Pro 13" that we use to run the PA, so the computer's already there. I already own Logic and MainStage, so that gives me all the instruments I needed. 

 

The only change from my typical live rig (JTV-69S, Helix, 2xEON610s for 1/4 out, and XLR direct to two channels in the PA) is the addition of a USB cable from Helix to the computer and starting up MainStage along with X32 Edit. This is a couple more things to deal with in setup and teardown, but not difficult at all.

 

The Helix patch is my normal guitar patch with two simple changes. First I add an Instant command to Command Center to send a PC message to MainStage to select the desired song patch. I turn off global PC send so that the patches in Helix don't have to line up with the patches in MainStage, each can have its own specific PC message. The other thing is I use FootSwitch 1 to toggle between guitar and MIDI. I do this by having the foot switch control the MainStage master volume and the Helix Amp channel volume. But setting the min/max and max/min values for each one, I can configure a blend of MIDI instrument and/or guitar as needed. One thing that you'll probably want to do is edit the MIDI settings at the Concert level to send all unmapped MIDI messages to all software tracks, this will ensure the pitch bends created by MIDI Guitar 2 will be sent to the instrument tracks. Then each track can filter these out if they're not appropriate for the instrument.

 

This makes using MIDI guitar at a gig really no different than just using Helix. I select a patch on Helix, and then use a foot switch to turn the MIDI instrument on/off just like any other effect. Different patches can have different instruments blended with the guitar if needed. That's pretty flexible and functional for just adding one app on the computer and a USB cable. 

 

I haven't tried it at a gig yet, but I'm thinking this might be pretty useful.

[CraigGT]

That sounds interesting, I might try the demo of midi guitar. Back in the 80's I had a Roland GR system which worked ok but was prone to throwing the odd clanger in every now and again! 

 

Craig 

[bradlake]

Midi Guitar 2  a great thing , I also prefer it to Tripleplay at times,  and it is definitely a superior amp plugin host as well, and plays nicely with  Native..the only major  drawbacks are inability to do polyphonic pitch bends (solo bends are fine if you’ve matched bend ranges properly)

and the  lack of true monophonic channel assignments,  but as used @amsdenj ‘ s style,  can be an inspiration to play 

 

www.jamorigin.com

[bishopbob]

Thanks for the post @amsdenj.

 

I also have a Fishman Triple Play along with Roland VG and GR gear that mostly sit in a closet unused now.

 

I have dabbled with Jam Origin off and on over the years and  your post got me to thinking about doing something similar with an iPhone or iPad.

 

Connect iPhone via Helix USB to Apple camera connection kit to iPhone and trigger Sampletank with Jam Origin.

 

Thanks.

 

Bob

[bobthedog]

Playing midi guitar live is always an experience!

 

Over the years I have tried many systems, I still have most of them sitting around. I have a couple of triple play setups which probably I guess is about as good as you get at the moment but around a year ago I got a Linnstrument, no need for midi guitar now!

[davidonn]

I wanted to revisit this thread.  I have an HX Effects and I'm trying to figure out how to change patches in midi guitar 2 via the HX using an instant command (PC message) as described by amsdenj above.  The HX effects is not an audio interface, so therefore I need to run a usb audio interface in the chain.  So I plug my guitar into the HX, then use an effects block to send the signal to the USB interface, when then sends to my laptop running midi guitar.  The usb interface connects to the laptop via usb.  Ultimately what I want to be able to do is use this for live use, where I can change presets in the midi guitar standalone app or in a vst that midi guitar is hosting using the HX effects.  Similar to what amsdenj described above. 

 

I'd like to determine if this is possible before I drop $100 and buy the software. If I can't use this live and change presets via the HX, then I really don't have a need for this software.

[macnevine]

I have an Ipad via connection kit hooked to my helix.  I use the routing app named AUM on my ipad.  I set up a path in AUM that goes to sample tank as the input and output to a looper app named quantlioop. I turn on Jam Origin Midi Guitar.   I then output that track in AUM to quantiloop.   I set up quantiloop to then record from the helix and I output the signal to the helix outputs.   I assign expression pedal 3 on helix to control the volume of the synth in AUM.  This then mixes the synth output with my guitar.  If I want more guitar I lower the volume if I want more synth I raise the volume via the pedal.  All of that is captured in my looper - my synth channel and guitar channel.  I have an external midi drum machine (Beat Buddy) connect to my helix.  That is also in my midi chain.  It sends the tempo to my helix for all my BPM settings for delays etc...  I set midi through on the helix to on and the BPM also syncs with my quantiloop app looper. Finally Onsong on my IPAD connects to my beat buddy and I use onsong to auto load the songs on my beat buddy and play them (kinda like a backing track- just bass and drums).  It is a common thing for me to record a 4 bar loop during an intro.  I solo over that.  I then turn the loop off and play live and sing live for the song.  During a solo I turn the lopper back on and solo over the loop that I recorded during the into. So glad to hear others using creative apps to supplement their guitar rigs.

[shanecgriffo]

just wanted to pitch in.. i’ve had midi guitar on my iphone for quite a few years and it is an amazing bit of software, when paired with thumbjam app for sounds it is a quick easy midi guitar set up