Rackmount-able synth modules for guitar?

[SlipKid]

So I was thinking about this a little this morning, and the range of sounds that would be possible for me using a guitar synth pickup.

 

See, I play an electric mandolin a lot, and (as primarily a lead instrument) there are places where it just doesn't fit with the rhythm guitar. It's not a bad fit most of the time, but sometimes...

 

Anyway, it occurred to me that I could add some "sonic layers" (so to speak) if I could also dial in a variety of other tones when I wasn't doing lead work.

 

I don't know what you guys know about midi synths for guitar, and rackmountable synth modules, but I figured that somebody had to have at least a little experience with this, or at least know something about it.

 

Any thoughts?

[JMPMarshall]

There are none for guitar but any synth will work if you have a synth pickup and its receiver.

[SlipKid]

Thanks, man!

 

Guess I'll go talk with the keyboard folks.

[slight-return]

hmm, it's kinda funny how many Roland guitar synth rigs went to the floor

Roland did make the GI-10 and th GR-50 in half-rackable and rack respectively

 

but, as mentioned above, it's common to abstract the system to the convertor and then hook that in, via midi to whatever sound module you want

 

Axon's format tends to be rack

 

Ibanez had the old MC-1, but that was the 24-pin gK-1" format

IVL had the pitchriders back in the day, but that's kind of ancient tech

 

One thing you could always do is run one of the oland floor units as your convertor AND program footswitch, then route back up-via midi, to your rack (which you'd have to do anyway if you are doing MIDI program changes, etc with a foot controller)

 

CAVEAT - I fear the coursed strings on your mando will cause tracking/triggering problems

[Zachman]

 

So I was thinking about this a little this morning, and the range of sounds that would be possible for me using a guitar synth pickup. See, I play an electric mandolin a lot, and (as primarily a lead instrument) there are places where it just doesn't fit with the rhythm guitar. It's not a bad fit most of the time, but sometimes... Anyway, it occurred to me that I could add some "sonic layers" (so to speak) if I could also dial in a variety of other tones when I wasn't doing lead work. I don't know what you guys know about midi synths for guitar, and rackmountable synth modules, but I figured that somebody had to have at least a little experience with this, or at least know something about it. Any thoughts?

 

 

The guitarist here uses a Kutzweil synth module for his organ tones with this Egnater rig:

 

[YOUTUBE]zMWD50M-Bas[/YOUTUBE]

[Sixtonoize]

I've got a Roland GR-50 for sale with 2 GK2 pickups, a 13-pin cable, and the manual. I'd like to get $350 for all of it.

 

PM me if you're interested.

[El Grinder]

Yamaha had a rig.. The DY-50 or something like that as a 1u Pitch to MIDI converter. It could be used with a MIDI hex pickup or with a 1/4" input (of course, that would disallow assigning of strings to specific sounds).

 

I seem to think some of the TC Helicon stuff released recently has pitch to MIDI capabilities...I'll have to recheck that & comment after I find out more.