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So out of curiosity I've been searching around for midi synths or whatever is available to transfer the sound of a guitar into different instrument sounds ie, cello, flute, violin, sax etc...didn't have much luck. Either not much available or my search terms were not correctly input into search. I would think in this modern age that a daw would have these functions. AI my guitar and simply click on instrument sounds like flute, violin, woodwinds etc and magically my guitar would sound like selected sound. If so I'd like to know. Anyway I ran across this that was quite interesting.
https://sites.research.google/tonetransfer
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07-31-2021 09:29 AM
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The way I know that is done is with a synthesizer and it requires a special pickup to convert what you are playing into midi information. It's actually 6 pickups, one for each string, and hardware/software to convert audio to midi.
Maybe technology has moved on from that, not sure.
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This is new to me but looks like only 15 seconds allowed now? but I suppose you could loop a cool repeating violin or sax riff and add it as a track in your daw. There may be much better ways but I'm not well informed on todays musical technology ha
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Looks like you can do it in Reaper (I had no idea it could do this!)
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That is pretty awesome.
Originally Posted by grahambop
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That is a cool Reaper function. I'm just a beginner using GB, I've only had it about a week. Having little to no knowledge I'll need to spend quite a bit of time learning my way around and how and what can be done. All this is just for my enjoyment at home. I definitely need to get into the string section in GB and see what I can accomplish with the violin/cello.
I just discovered that I could import iReal Pro midi tracks into GB to get individual tracks instead of one track. I made a few imports with just bass and drum tracks that I really like. The ability to select keys and tempos are really nice. Would love to be able to get authentic string sounds playing guitar as for my post about Tone Transfer but it looks like work has stopped on this project since I don't see any updates since 2020. For my little home recording projects I don't want to have to spend any money for some kind of high dollar program that'll do this even if one exist.
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Ableton’s Audio to MIDI feature works well, too.
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I highly recommend the Roland guitar synthesizers - I've used them for almost 30 years. I bought the first good one they made back in the early '90s - a one space rack mount two piece unit consisting of a GI20 interface and an XV2020 MIDI synth module. When they came out with the GR20 pedal, I switched to that so I wouldn't have to carry a mini rack case, and I still use the rack unit in my studio. Some of the sounds are stellar, e.g. Harmon mute ("Hey guys - it's Miles!"), trombone, keys (multiple acoustic and electric pianos with decent emulation of Rhodes & Wurly), baritone and alto saxes. The vibraphone is truly amazing, and the B3 is better than many real ones when played in stereo through serious amplification and speakers. The sounds are equally fine run directly into a board or DAW, so it's as useful in the studio as it is for live performance.
Even after so many years on the market, they're still a bit pricey ($800+ without pickup, $1k+ with). Some of the emulations in the latest one (GR55) are even better than mine, e.g. the open trumpet in mine sounds like a huge kazoo. I don't suffer from GAS, but I'm addicted to these synthesizers - my first two are up for sale so I can buy a new one
Both the older GK2 and the newer GK3 pup fasten to the guitar with no alterations at all. They come with a bracket that slips over the end pin and has a padded extension to secure it against the back. Below is a pic of the GK2a pickup on my Carvin 7 (which is for sale in the JGO classifieds without this P/U - I no longer need multiple guitars with synth pups on them since the club in which I play bought me a new Hammond!). I used a low tack 2 sided adhesive strip to hold the sensor strip to the top, Velcro for the control unit, and dental floss to route the cable. Next to it is the GK3 on my Les Paul 7. The pickup came with mounting shims of various sizes to elevate the sensor strip so it's close to the strings. But I made a simple mounting plate that slips over the bridge studs and is held in place by the saddle. With a little ingenuity, you can mount these pups on any guitar including archtops - I also made a mounting plate to go under the bridge saddle on my Ibanez AF207.
Here's what it can do. Every instrument on these is me. All parts except clean guitar were done on the Carvin through the synth. I recorded all these at least 20 years ago with Audacity on a Celeron laptop, so please ignore the minor latencies among tracks. The first one is a clip medley that morphs through multiple styles - I used to use it as a demo for local studios and potential commercial employers. The intro is solo guitar, and the band starts at 54 seconds.
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You might try googling "guitar synth stomp box". I can't recommend any particular boxes, as I really am mostly a "one guitar - one cord - one amp" kinda guy these days, but converting to midi is not strictly necessary to alter your tone radically. Signal processing hardware has gotten a lot more capable than it was decades back, and there are boxes that will do quite a bit without converting to midi. Now, if you want to trigger a sample of a grand piano, then, yes, you will still need to do some sort of conversion to midi. But if you just want to sound like something that is not a guitar, there is quite a bit available in the stomp-box world...
This Sweetwater page has a comparison video that shows a Roland pitch-to-midi box vs a subtractive synthesis box
Boss SY-300 Advanced Guitar Synth Pedal | Sweetwater
I remember seeing this pedal in a vid posted on JGO some months back - it's also a no-tracking stomp box that does quite a bit:
Same guy, more pedals:
Last edited by starjasmine; 07-31-2021 at 02:39 PM. Reason: add some vids
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yeah I can’t wait to have a play with this! Originally Posted by fep
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yes do check out what is possible in garageband, I remember when I first got my iPad I was impressed by the string pads etc. that were available in GB, I managed to create some quite good string backings etc. just by using the touch screen and the instruments available. Originally Posted by BFrench
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I run my instrument cable from guitar to a Sonus G2M, which converts guitar to midi (one note only at a time), then MIDI cable from that to a Roland Sound Expansion Orchestra M-OC1, then output from that into my amp for listening.
Good way to learn to pick very cleanly. I find that I discover a lot of nice ideas (vocabulary) I would not have approached on the straight guitar, which suggest themselves when the sound is changed to a different instrument.
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Now for GB dummie question of the day. I've looked and looked for string instruments in GB and can find nothing. Do I have to download a plugin(s) for string instruments for GB? I've seen vids showing them in ios but not Mac Originally Posted by grahambop
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The OP's quest is "..to transfer the sound of a guitar into different instrument sounds ie, cello, flute, violin, sax etc". Unfortunately, I'm not aware of any device or software that will do this convincingly except for true synthesizers and samplers (all of which require a MIDI or other proprietary signal). Even the latest Boss SY300 doesn't go beyond the guitar envelope - it just expands that envelope to new dimensions. The latest effect boxes are truly cool, and you can do a lot with them. But they won't let you sound convincingly like another instrument. There's a new generation of synth technology that may someday let us plug directly into a box and wail like Maceo - but it's not here yet. Originally Posted by starjasmine
The other aspect of synthesized or sampled instruments that's often overlooked is that everything from phrasing and articulation to parameters controlled purely by your chops differs greatly from instrument to instrument. Keyboards can't bend notes, horn players have to breathe, piano notes decay unless a sustain pedal is used, etc. In order to synthesize a convincing part, you have to be familiar with the instrument you're cloning and have the chops to do on your guitar what players of that instrument do, if you want to be believable. It's a wonderful world and an amazing education - but I'm afraid you can't just plug into a stomp box and become Paul Desmond.
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I know nothing about Macs, I just have an iPad and they are all available there in garageband. Originally Posted by BFrench
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like this:
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There's no such thing on mine, at least if it is they've buried it so deep it's unfindable. Maybe someone with a MacBook can tell me where it's hidden or rather buried.
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ok, if I understand this correctly, it sounds as if the ‘smart instruments’ (e.g. strings) are only available on GB for ‘idevices’ (which I assume means iPads and iphones), but not on Macs:
A Tale of Two GarageBands - The Mac Observer
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never mind, I read why
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I recently got an M-Audio Keystation49 MK3 for $100 which came with three instrument plugins, a grand piano module, an electric piano module, and AIR Xpand!2 sound module. M-Audio Keystation 49 MK3 49-key Keyboard Controller | Sweetwater
The Xpand!2 module has some 2,500 presets based on samples, FM synthesis, and wavetables, and you can create your own sounds also. You don't have to use these sounds with just a keyboard, any midi instrument (or the way Reaper did it from guitar in that previous video could drive the sounds). AIR sells it for $99 but I just now found it for sale for $14.99 Xpand!2, Xpand!2 plugin, buy Xpand!2, download Xpand!2 trial, AIR
I'd would recommend getting the keyboard though, plug and play, none of the headaches or issues or costs associated with guitar to midi. And of course with a keyboard there is no issues playing chords. You don't have to be much of a keyboard player to be able to successfully use keyboard with a DAW.
Since you are after strings... Xpand!2 has 77 different string presets. Here is a sound sample of one of them played by said "not much of a keyboard player", that would be me. (Played thru Reaper but should work with any DAW).
Last edited by fep; 07-31-2021 at 08:36 PM.
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All the GB ‘virtual instruments’ rely on a touchscreen so I guess that is why. E.g. to play the strings you touch the fingerboard, as shown here. It does sound incredibly realistic, you can wiggle your finger to get vibrato, also by tapping the brass plate on the left you can switch to pizzicato. Originally Posted by BFrench
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What version of Garageband are you using? The current version for Mac comes with a big assortment of software (MIDI) instruments. You just have to find hardware to convert your guitar signal to MIDI in. There are companies that offer this, although from what I know its not error-free,
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Jam Origin has an app called MIDI Guitar 2, which will convert the audio signal from your guitar to MIDI. It tracks polyphonic signals (chords etc.) pretty well.
Another option is to use the computer keyboard (Musical Typing) to play your parts.
If you have an iPhone or iPad, you can download Apple’s free Logic Remote app. That will allow you to play strings, keys, and other instruments using the smart instrument interface that GB for iOS offers, but play the instruments on the Mac.
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Raney and Abersold, great interview.
Yesterday, 11:21 PM in Improvisation