How can I ‘play’ Samples with my Guitar?

Gear Acquisition Syndrome: A tendency to purchase more equipment than justified by usage and/or price.

Moderator: Modulators

Post Reply
User avatar
Glass_Season
Noise Person
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2021 8:24 pm
Has thanked: 5 times
Been thanked: 5 times

How can I ‘play’ Samples with my Guitar?

Post by Glass_Season »

Anyone here know of any way (Devices, Pedals, Synthesizers, Computer Software or Programs) that I could download an audio sample to, and be able to use that sample as my guitar tone (as in every note I play is a variation of the sample, like I was using an effects pedal)), and I’d be able to use that ‘sample tone’ with other effects pedals in an effects loop?
Think of the keyboard scene in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off ( ).
Preferably something that's easy enough to use and cheaper (under $1000).



* Maybe it’s just me, but I’m having a really hard time believing that 35 years after that movie came out we’ve got nothing that would let me do that with a guitar….
User avatar
¾ dead
Merzwow
Posts: 467
Joined: Mon Dec 23, 2019 7:37 am
Has thanked: 16 times
Been thanked: 166 times

Re: How can I ‘play’ Samples with my Guitar?

Post by ¾ dead »

Guitar MIDI/hex pickup (Roland GR series, for example) or CV control. Using a guitar's audio signal for pitch tracking via the v/oct input on sample player modules is very messy, but it technically works. The former is your best option.
User avatar
Indeterminacy
Merzwowow
Posts: 843
Joined: Mon Jan 06, 2020 8:45 am
Location: B-52D Tail Gunner
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 270 times

Re: How can I ‘play’ Samples with my Guitar?

Post by Indeterminacy »

Roland G-303 and a Synclavier.
G-303_synclav-01.jpg
Volume is a fantastic thing,
Power and volume - Pete Townshend
User avatar
NoiseWiki
Wiki Bastard
Posts: 3811
Joined: Thu Apr 04, 2019 3:38 pm
Location: Los Angeles
Has thanked: 1084 times
Been thanked: 1249 times
Contact:

Re: How can I ‘play’ Samples with my Guitar?

Post by NoiseWiki »

Never used this but it's software that will convert your audio (from whatever source I guess including guitar) to midi

https://www.jamorigin.com/
User avatar
crochambeau
Merzwow
Posts: 599
Joined: Fri Nov 22, 2019 11:21 am
Location: Cascadia
Has thanked: 241 times
Been thanked: 184 times
Contact:

Re: How can I ‘play’ Samples with my Guitar?

Post by crochambeau »

Yeah, my advice would be to build a key-group from the sample you want, then trigger that sample from MIDI (guitar synth would be the most straight forward controller).

You want something (hardware or software) that will allow you to build a key-group, which essentially assigns a pitched versions of a sample to corresponding MIDI notes - phrase samplers or loopers are probably going to fall short in this regard.

Keep in mind that any technology that handles domain changes (like sensing a signal on input, calculating a frequency, and outputting a digital note address) is going to take time, so certain playing styles are more forgiven than others. Anyway, I guess where I am going with this is that it's healthy to preload some disappointment into your expectations to keep things real.
When in doubt, add resistance.

http://www.rochambeau.net/
User avatar
Indeterminacy
Merzwowow
Posts: 843
Joined: Mon Jan 06, 2020 8:45 am
Location: B-52D Tail Gunner
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 270 times

Re: How can I ‘play’ Samples with my Guitar?

Post by Indeterminacy »

crochambeau wrote: Fri Jul 23, 2021 6:13 pm Yeah, my advice would be to build a key-group from the sample you want, then trigger that sample from MIDI (guitar synth would be the most straight forward controller).

You want something (hardware or software) that will allow you to build a key-group, which essentially assigns a pitched versions of a sample to corresponding MIDI notes - phrase samplers or loopers are probably going to fall short in this regard.

Keep in mind that any technology that handles domain changes (like sensing a signal on input, calculating a frequency, and outputting a digital note address) is going to take time, so certain playing styles are more forgiven than others. Anyway, I guess where I am going with this is that it's healthy to preload some disappointment into your expectations to keep things real.
FTFY with the highlight.

Do not expect to play like you normally do.

Lagtime with triggering has always been the bane of the guitar as a synth driver. I saw Pat Metheny way back when and he was using the Synclavier/GR-303 combo ( as pictured above ) to play a horn sample. The guy is a monster musician and guitar player but it still bothers me to this day that he had a $150,000+ system to sound like a horn player with VERY bad tone.

As a guitar player my battles with guitars as triggering devices go back to 360 Systems Slavedriver.
I was Potato Stupid to sell it. I still feel like it was the best for guitar based triggering.
slavedriver.JPG
Then there was the Synthaxe.
synthaxe.jpg
Viewed 856 times
Volume is a fantastic thing,
Power and volume - Pete Townshend
Post Reply