Jam Origin's Guitar Midi 2

[tdq]

I just downloaded the trial version of Jam Origin's Guitar Midi 2 and am using my acoustic guitar plugged in into my computer via an ancient maudio usb adapter.

The trial version is extremely limited but I'm having so much fun making my guitar sound like a piano, let alone all the other stuff, and if it works how I think it does the possibilities are endless.

Has anyone actually got the full version of this and does it live up to the hype? I'm seriously considering purchasing this and hooking it into Reaper.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by tdq

I just downloaded the trial version of Jam Origin's Guitar Midi 2 and am using my acoustic guitar plugged in into my computer via an ancient maudio usb adapter.

The trial version is extremely limited but I'm having so much fun making my guitar sound like a piano, let alone all the other stuff, and if it works how I think it does the possibilities are endless.

Has anyone actually got the full version of this and does it live up to the hype? I'm seriously considering purchasing this and hooking it into Reaper.

I have no experience with this product . And hopefully it will produce as advertised
I did try a Guitar to midi product a number of years ago and while I could get it to convert audio to midi file. I did not find the the general concept to be as useful as I had anticipated.

For the simple reason that a lot of instruments I was trying to emulate do not particularly lend themselves well to my guitar technique ( note I do not play finger style, I flat pick and strum )
Perhaps it is just me, but I eventually found that a midi Keyboard had more overall usefulness ( even though I am not a keyboardist)

[tdq]

Well I couldn't wait and bought it anyway...after an hour or so of fiddling here's my initial take.
It comes with a bunch of coolish, funky and far out settings but for me I can get those with more control and finesse using Reaper and plugins. But what is really great, which is why I wanted it, is the guitar to midi aspect. It can be a bit messy so you have to play cleanly but I think some tweaks on the input and an awareness when you play keeps that manageable. As you mentioned, I don't think it would work too well with heavy strumming but I wouldn't use it for that, anyway. I've had heaps of fun using the Rhodes piano patch and have plugged in a few sound banks of my own and this is where it is of real use to me as I can't play keys at all. For me, I think it'll be worth it.
If you can play keys and are comfortable setting up midi in your daw, perhaps not.

[FrankHudson]

KevWind's experience is similar to mine, but my judgement on the experience is that guitar MIDI is still worthwhile.

I'm not a keyboard player by most any definition. I play one handed on them, sometimes one fingered. You can still do a lot that way, particularly with DAWs like Apple Logic.

You do have to think differently when playing different instruments, and I find wind instruments particularly hard to play keyboard or guitar MIDI. However some instruments (strings for example) can work well with guitar. A great many mono synth patches and pads work well with either input.

I'm getting better with my one handed keyboard playing, but I'm still more familiar with creating solo melodies on my guitar's fretboard, it's just a matter of time I've spent on that vs. the keyboard. A few years back I was 70/30 using the guitar as my input device. Now I'm more like 60/40 in favor of the keyboards instead of guitar MIDI, but I still like the option.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by tdq

Well I couldn't wait and bought it anyway...after an hour or so of fiddling here's my initial take.
It comes with a bunch of coolish, funky and far out settings but for me I can get those with more control and finesse using Reaper and plugins. But what is really great, which is why I wanted it, is the guitar to midi aspect. It can be a bit messy so you have to play cleanly but I think some tweaks on the input and an awareness when you play keeps that manageable. As you mentioned, I don't think it would work too well with heavy strumming but I wouldn't use it for that, anyway. I've had heaps of fun using the Rhodes piano patch and have plugged in a few sound banks of my own and this is where it is of real use to me as I can't play keys at all. For me, I think it'll be worth it.
If you can play keys and are comfortable setting up midi in your daw, perhaps not.

I checked out the web site and You will no doubt have fun.
Something not mentioned on the site is if it actually converts the audio file to a midi file with midi notes, that will show up on a Midi track in Reaper and can be edited ? Or does it simply change the audio to sound like the preset instrument and remain as an audio file ?

Like Frank I am also one handed type keyboard player work in progress, and I'm fairly clunky and I do some one finger hunting and pecking. And only learned that after getting a midi keyboard ( enough so that I can play a few chords with out too much editing to get back on timing ) , I have the keys for some usual chords color coded and labeled on the keyboard with little rectangle sticky notes.

[tdq]

As I understand it - I haven't actually tried it in Reaper yet - It seems like it's actually two-in-one - for the processed effects it will give you a wav (much like guitar rig 5 etc) but it also gives you a midi output which you can use however you like. It will sit in your DAW as a plugin and you can use it to drive the midi channels as if it were a midi keyboard, using the supplied fx/sounds, or drive whatever you like.

Thanks for your input. I guess that's a pun

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by tdq

As I understand it - I haven't actually tried it in Reaper yet - It seems like it's actually two-in-one - for the processed effects it will give you a wav (much like guitar rig 5 etc) but it also gives you a midi output which you can use however you like. It will sit in your DAW as a plugin and you can use it to drive the midi channels as if it were a midi keyboard, using the supplied fx/sounds, or drive whatever you like.

Thanks for your input. I guess that's a pun

Sorry but I am still not completely clear on your answer and the exact meaning of "use however you like" (which sounds like you are saying it can record a to midi file) But to clarify and be more specific , when you record the output from Jams presets or "drive " other virtual instruments in Reaper, can you have it record to and show up as midi notes on the piano grid (midi file) . ? Because I did already understand from the website it can also be used to " play" other virtual instruments sounds through a DAW ( like a plugin) , BUT the web sight does not specify if it can be used to "record" to a midi file. I suppose I could download the demo version and check but was wondering if you knew ? It's not big deal I was just curious , Kev

[tdq]

Well I've literally just got off it, running it in Reaper - I have got to be able to get up for work tomorrow! I'm having too much fun pretending I'm a hammond organ.

I'm a bit of a newb with all this midi stuff but you can definitely get a midi track from it. Basically you record your raw audio file - add Guitar Midi to the FX and it will process this signal and generate Midi to drive it, like any other plugin. Usually you would have this turned on while recording but you don't have to. You can send the midi output to another track, which will give you pure midi,to do whatever you want with it. I haven't quite figure out how to save that midi without something driving it but I'm sure it can be done - probably copy/paste to another track. As I said, I'm a bit new at all this.
If you turn OFF the FX, you will just hear your clean guitar.

For fun I loaded an old project and sent the bass guitar track to the FX and it worked just as well.

I hope that made it clearer, and not worse! I don't think you can do this with the demo.

[runamuck]

Yes, it will record to MIDI.
Here's a quick video to show how to set it up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVYQjrRb590

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by tdq

Well I've literally just got off it, running it in Reaper - I have got to be able to get up for work tomorrow! I'm having too much fun pretending I'm a hammond organ.

I'm a bit of a newb with all this midi stuff but you can definitely get a midi track from it. Basically you record your raw audio file - add Guitar Midi to the FX and it will process this signal and generate Midi to drive it, like any other plugin. Usually you would have this turned on while recording but you don't have to. You can send the midi output to another track, which will give you pure midi,to do whatever you want with it. I haven't quite figure out how to save that midi without something driving it but I'm sure it can be done - probably copy/paste to another track. As I said, I'm a bit new at all this.
If you turn OFF the FX, you will just hear your clean guitar.

For fun I loaded an old project and sent the bass guitar track to the FX and it worked just as well.

I hope that made it clearer, and not worse! I don't think you can do this with the demo.

Humm yes the terminology is still not quite clear and is often a bit difficult on a forum , lets see if I can make my question more clear.
So far you have bee talking about the playback aspects and the various options of that

First a quick 101 on midi
There 2 aspects to midi :

One is the playback of sounds using virtual instruments, (which we have established that the Jam can do) And is basically what you have been talking about.

And the second aspect is the actual recording midi notes (Called a midi file) .

Which will look something like like this and this is what I am asking about ( is this what shows up in Reaper) If you select the Jam as the virtual instrument and then engage record and play your guitar through the Jam ?

[runamuck]

Originally Posted by KevWind

Humm yes the terminology is still not quite clear and is often a bit difficult on a forum , lets see if I can make my question more clear.
So far you have bee talking about the playback aspects and the various options of that

First a quick 101 on midi
There 2 aspects to midi :

One is the playback of sounds using virtual instruments, (which we have established that the Jam can do) And is basically what you have been talking about.

And the second aspect is the actual recording midi notes (Called a midi file) .

Which will look something like like this and this is what I am asking about ( is this what shows up in Reaper) If you select the Jam as the virtual instrument and then engage record and play your guitar through the Jam ?

Hi Kev,

I've been messing around with it since downloading the demo last night.
Yes, it takes audio from a guitar and converts it to a MIDI track if you set it up like the guy did in the video I posted.

Or you can insert it on the audio track you're recording guitar to, and it triggers whatever sound that comes with the app you chose. The samples that come with the app are not of a high quality in my opinion.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by runamuck

Hi Kev,

I've been messing around with it since downloading the demo last night.
Yes, it takes audio from a guitar and converts it to a MIDI track if you set it up like the guy did in the video I posted.

Or you can insert it on the audio track you're recording guitar to, and it triggers whatever sound that comes with the app you chose. The samples that come with the app are not of a high quality in my opinion.

Ah Ok thanks ... I guess I missed that you posted video .

[tdq]

Thanks Runamuck, that helps, and it lead me to a video of a reaper setup that was specifically related to my setup.

Originally Posted by runamuck

The samples that come with the app are not of a high quality in my opinion.

I'd have to agree with you there....

[trion12]

Any thoughts on how this compares to a h/w guitar synth?
I have a Roland Gr-33.
Thanks,

Aaron

[runamuck]

Originally Posted by trion12

Any thoughts on how this compares to a h/w guitar synth?
I have a Roland Gr-33.
Thanks,

Aaron

I've never used a hardware guitar synth. But so far, I haven't been able to make this software usable. Missed notes, timing glitches, etc. I'll spend a little more time with it before drawing a conclusion.