Step entry with MIDI guitar

[Kungsgeten]

Hi!

I have a YouRock MIDI guitar connected to my computer. I've setup the guitar to send MIDI notes on separate channels and I managed to get it all to work when entering notes in real time (when I play 7th fret on the A-string, this is what the tablature says). So far everything is fine.

The problem: When I'm using step entry the inserted tablature isn't placed on the strings I'm playing. When I play 7th fret on the A-string, 2nd fret on the D-string is inserted instead. In the manual (1.19 under "Setup a MIDI Keyboard") it says that one can choose MIDI input type - keyboard or guitar - but this option is not available for me.

I'm using Notion 4.0.329 64-bit on Windows 7.

[Surfwhammy]

Hi!

I have a YouRock MIDI guitar connected to my computer. I've setup the guitar to send MIDI notes on separate channels and I managed to get it all to work when entering notes in real time (when I play 7th fret on the A-string, this is what the tablature says). So far everything is fine.

The problem: When I'm using step entry the inserted tablature isn't placed on the strings I'm playing. When I play 7th fret on the A-string, 2nd fret on the D-string is inserted instead. In the manual (1.19 under "Setup a MIDI Keyboard") it says that one can choose MIDI input type - keyboard or guitar - but this option is not available for me.

I'm using Notion 4.0.329 64-bit on Windows 7.

[NOTE: I noticed that you have "setup the guitar to send MIDI notes on separate channels", and although I am not familiar with the YouRock MIDI guitar, this could be another aspect of the problem. Specifically, I think that you want the MIDI for the instrument assigned to one channel, typically Channel 1, so in addition to using the "Guitar" preset as described below, try configuring the guitar so that it sends all the MIDI notes on one channel rather than spreading it over several channels. In other words, if you have all the notes played on the virtual low-pitch "E" string going to Channel 1; all the notes played on the virtual low-pitch "A" string going to Channel 2; and so forth, then I think this might lead to a bit of confusion for the algorithms that NOTION 4 uses to map MIDI to music notation and guitar tab notation. As I read it, sending MIDI notes on separate channels intuitively appears to be potentially problematic. I play lead guitar, but at present I do MIDI with a KORG Triton Music Workstation (88 Keys), and everything comes in on whatever the default happens to be, which I think is Channel 1 of MIDI Port A. For NOTION 4 MIDI Input I specify the MOTU 828mk3 Hybrid MIDI Port, which sends it everything, but I think that MIDI notes are sent from the Triton on one channel, so do some experiments to determine the configuration that works best for your MIDI instrument and playing style. However, there is yet another aspect to this, and it involves the way mapping MIDI to music notation and guitar tab notation is done, which as explained below is more of an art than a science. Technically the 7th fret on the low-pitch "A" string is an E3, as is the 2nd fret of the "D" string, and this will happen and in some respects is not unexpected. Using the "Guitar" preset might help, but in some instances if you want a note played on a specific string, you will need to edit the guitar tab notation when NOTION 4 places the note on a different string, which is a matter of "voicing" and is not something which I think is specified in the MIDI input in a standard way. In other words, NOTION 4 sees a specific note in the MIDI Input stream, and the note is identified in scientific pitch notation, where the note at the 7th fret of the virtual low-pitch "A" string is E3 as is the note at the 2nd fret of the virtual "D" string, and NOTION arbitrarily selects the string and fret that it determines is the best fit, which typically will be open position notes until you start playing higher position notes. If the MIDI instrument is sending string identifying MIDI messages, then assigning each string to a different MIDI channel can make a bit of sense, but my best guess is that it is unlikely that NOTION 4 at present is programmed to work with the string-specific MIDI messages when recording real-time MIDI input. You can edit the guitar tab notation after the fact to move notes to different strings, and this might be the only way to do what you want to do in this particular scenario, hence I think that you need to do some experiments to determine the optimal configuration that produces the best mapping from MIDI to music notation and guitar tab notation, since even with the "Guitar" preset selected for real-time MIDI recording, I think that the MIDI will be the same but the mapping will be a bit different, although since I do not have a MIDI guitar at present, I have no way to determine what actually happen, and guessing about it as a thought exercise will make me crazy. So when you discover the rules, do a follow-up post and let me know. For reference, the music notation will be the same, since the music notation basically is done with a piano mapping, and on piano there is only one E3. On a guitar, there are three of them, but the problem is that I am not certain that NOTION 4 has a way to determine which of the three you are playing . . . ]

Scientific Pitch Notation (wikipedia)

The NOTION 4 User Guide is not so clear on where the "Guitar" preset is selected, which is the reason for the confusion . . .

The "Guitar" preset for MIDI input is specified on the Real Time MIDI Record panel, as shown in the following screen capture done on the Mac Pro here in the sound isolation studio . . .


NOTION 4: Real Time MIDI Record panel

You can experiment with the other parameters to determine the configuration that works best with your MIDI guitar, where as general rule lower values for most of the parameters map to more precision, which for some types of playing is good, but if rhythm guitar chords are appearing as very rapid individual notes, then you can control this via the Chord Looseness parameter and perhaps a few of the other parameters . . .

In this respect, it is important to understand that MIDI does not record or specify music notation, so the conversion from MIDI to music notation and guitar tabs is based on a set of algorithms that examine the MIDI input and then make intelligent decisions regarding the best way to represent the MIDI input in music notation, which is the reason for the various configuration parameters on the Real Time MIDI Record panel, where if you are playing rapid lead guitar, then you want to configure real-time MIDI record for the fastest response and probably no Chord Looseness at all, but it depends on your playing style and how everything works when you do some experiments, since mapping MIDI input to music notation is more of an art than a science in many respects . . .

On a related note, NOTION 4 has a very nice set of articulations, dynamics, and embellishments for electric guitar when you use the NOTION 4 Bundled Electric Guitar or Acoustic Guitar, which also is the case for the Expansion Sounds "Guitar/Bass" libraries, which features the Acoustic Bundle (Acoustic Guitar w/Fingers, Banjo, and Mandolin) and Classical Guitar where these are two separate products . . .

You can use FREE version of AmpliTube CS (IK Multimedia) as a VST effects plug-in to enhance the electric guitar, as is the case when you add modules or get on of the collections, where the key is to select the NOTION 4 Bundled Electric Guitar as the instrument for the NOTION 4 grand staff (music notation and guitar tab) to which you will do the MIDI input, where once the MIDI input from your MIDI guitar is recorded and converted to music notation, you can have a bit of FUN, which includes doing string bends and whammying (a personal favorite) . . .

[NOTE: AmpliTube CS runs in 32-bit mode and 64-bit mode, and it works very nicely as an effects plug-in with 64-bit NOTION 4 on a peppy computer. The FREE version is the engine and a few modules, and you can expand it by purchasing more stuff, which is done with Custom Shop credits. For a few more hours, you can get some FREE modules, which also is the case for T-RackS CS, but the FREE stuff promotion ends at midnight on September 30, 2013, so the clock is ticking . . . ]

AmpliTube CS (IK Multimedia)

T-RackS CS (IK Multimedia)

This YouTube music video demonstrates a few of the guitar techniques you can specify in NOTION 4 using guitar tab articulations, embellishments, and so forth, which is fabulous . . .

[NOTE: Everything is done with music notation in NOTION 4, and the tone of the lead guitar is tailored for a Scottish bagpipe type of texture, since the song in some respects is a bit like a riverdance type of thing. The drumming is done by Pretend MIDI Daniel Erlandsson via the Diabolic MIDI Pak for Addictive Drums (XLN Audio) and happens automagically, where for reference among other activities Daniel Erlandsson is the drummer for Melodic Death Metal group Arch Enemy and is my favorite drummer . . . ]

Diabolic MIDI Pak for Addictive Drums (XLN Audio)

"Abyss" (The Surf Whammys) -- YouTube music video

Fabulous!

P. S. Another thing you probably want to do is to set the reference tuning pitch in NOTION 4 Preferences to 440-Hz, which is standard "Concert A" in the US. This is not the default reference tuning pitch that NOTION 4 uses, so it needs to be set in NOTION 4 Preferences on the "Audio" tab. NOTION 4 uses a European definition for "Concert A", which is fine, but all the DAW applications use standard US "Concert A" as their default reference tuning pitch . . .

This is very important, because if you are playing and recording any real instruments that are tuned to standard "Concert A", then the notes in NOTION 4 will be off by a few cents unless you specifically change the NOTION 4 reference tuning pitch to 440-Hz . . .

[Kungsgeten]

Thank you for the reply, but it seems like you did not get the problem. Step entry recording works (it doesn't matter if I send MIDI on one channel or a channel for every string). What does not work is step entry recording putting all notes played on a specific string on that string in the tablature. Just like you wrote this is possible to edit after the notation has been entered, but I rather make this process automatic if possible.

In your screenshot we can see a "multi-channel guitar" option, which does this. All notes sent from channel X will be put on a specific string, notes from channel Y will be put on another string etc. So this works. However this is only for real time entering, not step entry.

[Admin]

Kungsgeten,

When you use MIDI Record, you will see in the Record Dialogue box that appears in the mode, that there is an option to use multi-channel guitar. However, in Step-Time entry, there is no such option to date. I am going to submit a feature request for this option.

Essentially, what this will accomplish is the ability for Step-Time Entry to recognize a multi-channel guitar. Multi-channel is how the realtime entry is recognizing the string changes while you record in real-time. Each string is sending MIDI over a different channel and the channel and notes are sent and translated to the appropriate TAB placement.

Thank you for your input.

-Admin