Standalone use (VSTi plugin use was covered above)
If you truly want to use the “standalone” only MIDI Guitar 2 (MG2) with the end result of recording its output as MIDI you technically can’t because you need other tools as well (I’m splitting hairs on term “standalone”). You will need an additional MINIMUM of: 1) internal or EXTERNAL DAW or sequencer application capable of actually recording MG2’s MIDI output, and 2) a way to route that MIDI from MG2 to that DAW or sequencer.
If you further want to use pre-recorded audio to trigger MG2 and record that resultant MG2 output MIDI you need the above minimum plus an audio application (e.g., Audacity, Transcribe!, Mixcraft, RB, PTPA, …) that can play back pre-recorded audio files that uses MME NOT ASIO as its audio device and ASIO4ALL for use in MG2 as its audio device (there are other ways and you can use multi-client ASIO but you are on your own if you want to venture there.)
If you simply want to use MG2 in “standalone” mode to play your guitar live and trigger MIDI synths & sounds – see MG2 instructions and if you further want to also record THAT MIDI read item 1 below:
If you want to use the MG2 VSTi (i.e., non-“standalone”) see the EXCELLENT post by David in previously this thread as well as sinbad's post.
1). For just “standalone” MG2 to MIDI recording (independent of incoming audio to trigger MG2):
You need a way to route that MIDI to some MIDI recording device or app. IF you are sending he MIDI out to some external HW then you need a hardware MIDI port of some kind (.e.g., like a USB to MIDI cable) but suspect you’d already know that if you were already sending other MIDI from your PC to external HW synths, sampler (ROMpler) playback devices, and sequencers.
To send MIDI from MG2 to an internal DAW or sequencer recorder you will need something like MIDI-OX (free and yes it works in Win 10 as well as Win 7) or LoopBe 1 (the 2 port one is free the 30 port one is not free, but for this all you need is the free 2 port LoopBe).
Using Loopbe 1 ports you simply select one of the Loopbe 1 ports as MG2 MIDI-out and that SAME port as your DAW/sequencer MIDI-in port.
Using MIDI-OX you have to connect whatever MIDI output port/device you have selected in MG2 to the MIDI input port you have selected in your DAW/sequencer.
Loopbe 1 is the least confusing of these two options especially if you have never used MIDI OX. But suggest you get MIDI-OX anyway, it is VERY useful for all kinds of MIDI routing and MIDI data monitoring/troubleshooting especially in a multi- or complex MIDI setup.
2.) To use pre-recorded audio into “standalone” MG2 to generate MIDI for MIDI recording:
You need item 1 above (for getting MIDI from MG2 to DAW or sequencer) and as already mentioned earlier an audio application (e.g., Audacity, Transcribe!, Mixcraft, RB, PTPA, …) that can play back pre-recorded audio files (again within a reasonable guitar frequency band) that uses MME NOT ASIO as its audio device. You will also need ASIO4ALL and an audio card (beyond the internal chip set audio device) for use in MG2 as its audio device. Note, this is NOT the only way to do this but beyond this method it becomes dependent on your audio card, its ability to mix and resend audio back into PC on different lines, etc. You can also use a multi-client ASIO but you are on your own if you want to venture there.
The simplest way to explain is see pic as sample, or see following explanation:
a. Audacity is playing a FLAC file using MME as its audio device;
b. MG2 is then “hearing “ that audio using ASIO4ALL and generating pitch to MIDI data that is sent out to MIDI output port “internal 2” (which is the second Loopbe 1 MIDI port);
c. Finally Powertrack’s has recorded that MIDI data by listening for it on MIDI input port “internal 2” (again the second LoopBe 1)
3. Of course if all you want to do is use the standalone MG2 to record your live guitars’ MG2 generated MIDI follow the instructions in item 1.
Good Luck Larry
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