Originally Posted By: PgFantastic
I have been wanting to create a lead guitar part using midi and the piano roll on Band in a Box. How can I create a hammer on and pull off sound, and also a slide from one note to another, that sounds realistic? I want to insert the chords and then insert the lead guitar part using midi notes. I can enter notes easily but do not know how to create the above mentioned licks on midi. I have heard some of you guys do amazing things with midi, help appreciated!


As far as geekery in GM, you kinda need to think like a Martian. First, there are some sounds that few people know about--like fret noise--which can add realism to otherwise static sounds. Be sure to look through the entire 128-voice sound set to see what is available. You probably know this, but, unless you render the sound to audio, the results are going to vary for each person, depending on their GM sound set.

Another GM approach is to use sounds other than what you would expect in certain cases. For instance, for the hammer-on I would use the picked electric bass sound in the appropriate octave for guitar. I recommended experimentation for the pull-off, but it would be different than the hammer. Try upright bass and fingered bass.

I once heard a very convincing simulation of Beatle Paul's Hofner bass which consisted of 60% upright bass and 40% acoustic guitar in the same octave as the bass, which gave it both depth and that round-wound sound. I just mention it as an example of thinking outside of the box.

Best I've been able to do for a single-note slide was to draw in a pitch curve when I was creating a fretless bass sound. (I did it both with an original piece, and with a transcription of Jaco's rendition of "Donna Lee," which nearly brought me to tears of frustration). It sort of works, depending on the resolution of your mouse and how steady your hand is. You need a MIDI editor in which you can do that--not sure if you can in BIAB/RB. IIRC, I was using Cubase LE at the time. Chords are another matter; I think that would be very difficult to simulate, but hey. You may surprise yourself and us.

Hope this gives you a starting point.

Richard

Last edited by Ryszard; 02/19/14 01:51 AM.
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