"Butchering the Beatles" - The Hidden Track

[Blooby]

Launched, now I miss your avatar.

Thank you, all, once again for all your nice comments.  I almost didn't post it because of the way-too-stiff programmed drums and wanky solo (Can you 'wank" with a clean tone?).  It makes me want to have a real go at this tune some day (with somebody else singing of course).  I sense the sitar patch on the guitar synth calling...

Blooby

[Greeny]

Launched, now I miss you avatar! 

Thank you, all, once again for all your nice comments.  I almost didn't post it because of the way-too-stiff programmed drums and wanky solo (Can you 'wank" with a clean tone?).  It makes me want to have a real go at this tune some day (with somebody else singing of course).  I sense the sitar patch on the guitar synth calling...

Blooby

I'd sing this one with pleasure!!!!

[Glenn Mitchell]

Ooo !!, This is all a guitar synth? gotta get me one of those. Nicely played BTW.
Can you give us some detail on what is needed for a setup?

[Blooby]

To answer your question, you need a controller with a 13 pin set-up like a Roland-ready Strat or like this one:

http://www.godinguitars.com/godinxtsap.htm


You need a guitar synth like the GR-20 or like this:

http://www.bosscorp.co.jp/products/en/GR-33/

Peace.

Blooby

[64Guitars]

Ooo !!, This is all a guitar synth? gotta get me one of those. Nicely played BTW.
Can you give us some detail on what is needed for a setup?

I very much want to get into this technology too! I've been reading about it for a few years but haven't yet sprung for the gear, which can be expensive.

Blooby gave you several options. I'd just like to expand on that to give a more complete picture.

First, you need a guitar with a hexaphonic pickup. This is a pickup with six separate sensors (one for each string) that is wired to a Roland "GK" 13-pin connector. There are several options here. As Blooby said, you could get a Roland Ready Strat. These come factory-equipped with a Roland GK-2A hexaphonic pickup. You can also buy the hexaphonic pickup separately and install it on your own guitar, although the current model is GK-3 rather than the older GK-2A that comes with the Roland Ready Strat. They are available for external mounting (GK-3) or internal installation (GK-KIT-GT3). They are also available for bass guitars (GK-3B). Another company offering a hexaphonic pickup is AXON (more on them later). They offer the PU-100 which is built in cooperation with Seymour Duncan.

So far, all of the pickups I've mentioned use conventional magnetic technology. Another type of hexaphonic pickup is the piezo bridge transducer system which is available in many modern guitars (Godin, Brian Moore, Parker, etc). These pickups are made by RMC, LR Baggs, Fishman, Graph Tech, etc. and can be purchased separately (although I suspect that they should be installed by a professional).

Once you've got a guitar with a hexaphonic pickup, you need something to plug it into. There are several options.

1) GK-compatible guitar synth like the Roland GR-20 or GR-33 (discontinued). See the GR-20 demos here:

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=RolandChannel&view=videos&query=gr-20

2) Pitch-to-MIDI converter such as the Roland GI-20, AXON AX 50 USB, or the AXON AX 100 MKII. These translate the audio signals from each of the six strings into MIDI commands so you can control any MIDI synthesizer. This is great if you already own a good keyboard synth or sound module. From what I've read, the AXONs track much faster than the Roland and they have a lot more features. Plus the AX 100 comes with a synthesizer module built-in (the AX 50 comes with 128 sounds on a DVD instead, which can be used with a software synth). I'd like to get an AX 100 MKII. Check out the video demos of it here:

http://www.axon-technologies.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=69&menu=10102

The Roland GR-20 and GR33 guitar synths also have pitch-to-MIDI capabilities built-in. But, from what I've read, they're not very good in that department (though great as guitar synths). The problem is that they don't track very well, so you have to play more slowly and carefully when controlling an external synth via MIDI, and bass notes can be glitchy. But the AXON doesn't seem to have these problems and can play an external synth just as fast and accurately as the GR-20 or GR-33 can play their internal synths.

3) Roland VG-99 V-Guitar System. This is a really cool system that allows your hex-pickup-equipped guitar to model many popular guitars such as the Strat, Tele, Les Paul, ES-335, Rickenbacker, Martin and Gibson acoustics, 12-string, resonator, bass, sitar, banjo, and more. It also models Roland's classic GR-300 guitar synth. On top all that, it has dual COSM effects processors with more effects and amp models than any of the BRs. I would love to get one of these too. Unfortunately, they're about $1,300 US. Check out the demo videos here:

http://www.roland.co.uk/vg99/

and here:

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=RolandChannel&view=videos&query=vg-99

From what I've read, piezo transducers work better than magnetic hex pickups for pitch-to-MIDI systems and synths, but magnetic hex pickups work better with V-Guitar systems. The piezo transducers have the added advantage of producing a fairly good acoustic guitar sound from a solidbody guitar, straight out the standard 1/4" output (no synth or v-guitar system needed for this).

Finally, a much cheaper (though limited) Pitch-to-MIDI converter is the Sonuus G2M. This $99 device works with any ordinary electric guitar (no hex pickup needed). However, you can only play single-note melodies with it; not chords. It might be okay for experimenting and just having some fun, but I don't think it would be suitable for serious playing. I don't think its tracking would be very good, but you could save the output in a standard midi file, then correct the glitches and mistakes using midi sequencer software.

[Bosko Schwartz]

Holy shit!

Those horns came out of nowhere!  The beat is hypnotic!  The guitar solo in the middle is vintage Blooby!  So are you saying that the horns and the crazy organ in the background were all done on guitar synth???  Amazing!

I must give you credit, as it's very difficult to pull off covering any mid- or later-Beatles song, but especially one so psychedelic and one as coveted by true Beatles fans (such as myself) as this song is.

"Blown away" about sums it up.

I cannot tell a lie, though, I kept waiting for the vocals to come in.  The vox really make that song, and I know you think you can't sing, but I'd have loved to have heard the vocal melody sung by you.  But it still has a ton going on, and plenty enough to keep you interested and hitting repeat, which I did multiple times.

Another example of Blooby brilliance!

[Bluesberry]

Thanks 64G and Blooby, thanks a lot.  Damn you guys!!!!  I have a major attack of GAS now.  I also have been drooling over a guitar synth set-up for a while now.  This post is sending me over the top.  From what I have read, I would like a Godin guitar with the synth access built in, some very nice models to choose from, and one of those VG99s.  I would be very happy with that combo.  Thanks a lot!!!

[jackofall]

Really great.....it seems to me that everyone on this forum is just getting better and better. I'm inspired by so much of what I hear. this was brilliant...I wish I could listen to loads more but boring reality keeps me away from the computer too much.

[AndyR]

Really enjoyed this.

Like Greeny and others, when I read your post and realised what song you were about to take on, I was a little worried... but no "butchering" involved there

[BAG]

Wow!!!!!

That about sums it up.