Misa Digital Kitara ... don't like

[Migs]

And at $USD2,899 for the limited edition 


http://www.misadigital.com/index.php?target=news&lang=en

[Ferryman_1957]

I love it and I want one!!! This is my next GAS acquisition, definitely not the limited edition though.....

[64Guitars]

I don't know. It looks like a lot of fun but I have several reservations. Judging from the pictures, it looks more like an advanced Guitar Hero controller than a proper musical instrument. It looks very plastic and toy-like. But pictures can be deceiving. I'd have to see it up close before I'd part with $849 US for one. If it is plastic and toy-like, then I think $200 would be a more reasonable price. For $849, I'd want solid construction and the feel of a quality musical instrument, not a toy.

There are a lot of buttons on the fretboard. What do you do when one fails? I'd want to make sure that the fretboard switches are user-replaceable, reasonably inexpensive, and easy to find. If you have to ship it back to the manufacturer every time a switch fails, that would be a deal breaker for me. And that may well be the case, judging from the photos, as it doesn't look easy to disassemble that neck.

I've never been a fan of headless guitars. They look too weird. I realise that the Kitara doesn't need a head because it doesn't have strings, but I think it should have one anyway just for looks. And maybe they could find some inventive way to make the head useful, like making it hinged and spring-loaded so that it acts as a pitch bender when you pull it back.

[Greeny]

I've never been a fan of headless guitars. They look too weird.

Me too. They actually freak me out. I've seen Status Quo live a few times, and their bass player always plays with a headless (not sure what brand). It spoils the gig a bit for me. And there's something about his stagewear and on-stage antics that always annoys me. Perhaps it's just because he's not Alan Lancaster.

On second thoughts, maybe it's just me that's weird and not the guitar, lol....

[Bluesberry]

I want one!!!!!

[Migs]

I've never been a fan of headless guitars.

... or beer.  I sent one back at lunch time just yesterday.

I just don't like the whole concept of things like keyboard axes I guess.  I always thought it was all borne from the frustration of some keyboard player who was sick of never getting the chicks after a gig.

[Ferryman_1957]

I really really want one!! At last as a guitarist I can play proper notes on a synth! And it's got a Kaoss pad type controller built into it, which is heaven for a Kaossilatorist/finger waggler like me. I was going to save up for a new bass guitar but this is the GAS for me. I want to be like Rob Swire from Pendulum!

Cheers,

Nigel

[64Guitars]

I just don't like the whole concept of things like keyboard axes I guess.  I always thought it was all borne from the frustration of some keyboard player who was sick of never getting the chicks after a gig.

That may be true of instruments like the Roland AX-Synth which are played like a conventional keyboard instrument. But I think that instruments like the MISA Kitara are aimed at guitar players who are jealous of the unlimited range of sounds available to keyboard players. By using a guitar-like MIDI controller like the Kitara, a guitarist can control any synthesiser or MIDI sound generator without needing any keyboard skills. That's something I've been interested in for a long time. I already have a Yamaha keyboard, but my keyboard skills are rubbish. If I could control its sounds with something like the Kitara instead, that would be wonderful.

[64Guitars]

Here's another digital guitar that might be more up my alley. It's probably even more toy-like than the Kitara and its name sucks (the You Rock guitar ) but it's only $199 US.

It has a regular 1/4" output jack so you can plug it straight into a guitar amp and play the built-in sounds. But it also has MIDI Out and USB so you can control synthesisers, sound generators, and sequencers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5OWKBscut4

http://www.yourockguitar.com/

http://www.inspiredinstrumentsinc.com/

[alfstone]

Hi 64chitarre,

I own a YouRockGuitar (probably I'm one of the first ones here in Italy) since a couple of months. The final synth solo on Hey Jude with GianniC it's me on the YRG, driving a VST instrument-synth (Arturia ARP 2600) on my Mac.

My sensations:

surely it's plastic, and it's headless, and I don't care at all about its internal sounds (for this I have my  "good" guitars, apart from the VG-99, the GT-Pro etc.
I use it ONLY connected via USB to the Mac, to drive VST instruments, and by this point of view,
- with the most recent firmware,
- giving less tension to the "strings",
- setting up the right sensitivity to the 6 strings, and, most important
- using it in a particular "TAP" mode

it gives great results: no latence at all, very good if we think about the price.

I don't regret the 200 Euros I've spent for the YRG. Of course  I will never buy a limited edition kitara, but for this kind of things we have to wait for the new Squier Fender with MIDI output

http://admin.fender.com/features/rockband3/theguitar.php

that should be out next months for something like 300 $

...and for the same range of the "normal" Kitara there is already the less expensive of the Ztars

http://www.starrlabs.com/products/ztars/baby-z

Bye
Alfredo

Now, for