Hi Joe V,

There are *many* ways to use your guitar synth.

Not only can you use whatever sounds come inside the synth you have, but it can also be used as a MIDI path into your computer, firing DXi and VSTi software patches.

Guitar players who aren't all that keyboard savvy should take full advantage of having the MIDI pickup/synth setup, for here is a way to emulate keyboards without having to do like yours truly and learn to play both instruments.

**Try playing in a single-note blues organ solo. The blues patterns on the guitar, without the bends, mind you, firing a good sounding Hammond organ patch, can be used to turn in a very nice and realistic sounding organ solo in the right situation. And its easy.

**PADS -- "Pads" is the term we use to describe tracks where the instrument used has long sustain capabilities. String tracks, certain synthesizer sounds, organ, well, any sound that is not percussive in nature. A set of tracks that contains all "choppy" sounds, such as real guitars chording and bass plucking, can be smoothed over by adding, say, a String or Organ sustained held notes track. Again, the guitar player can emulate things that keyboard players do without having to become a keyboardist. Two and three note chords rather than full grand barres typically work better here. Or recording single notes one track at a time, stacking the harmony desired when the two to several tracks play back at once.

**Pianos. Whether acoustic grand piano or Rhodes pianos, Wurlitzer pianos, let's include also Clavinet, Harpsichord or even Vibes, use your guitar to play in a solo or accompaniment track that would normally call for a piano playing session player. Nice.
**Guitar Teaching -- Being able to quickly record a MIDI guitar to the computer, using BB or PT, RB or any number of available recording softwares, is a dynamite way to come up with customized study materials for students. With Band in a Box, you can generate TAB under scored notes ready to print out. The MIDI synth saves a LOT of time that those without one have to spend in single-note entry of such, plus the fact that the MIDI synth already sends the data as to which string you are playing at the time. No confusing that C note on the 5th fret G string for the C on the first fret of the B string, for example. Not only can you get the printed sheet for the student (or even your own practice sessions) you can also have the audio soundfile of it as an example, rather easily.


Here is a youtube of a video that Skunk Baxter made in the 90s as regards use of the Guitar synth in studio work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8pr7P-1jsI


(The original underscore for the hit TV series, "Law and Order" -- the Rhodes piano part was played in using a Guitar Synth... -- And the guy made double the money because of it!)


--Mac

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