Can anyone recommend a unit which

[Geek99]

Turns instrument input into genuine midi ? I have a pc teach yourself course which reads midi

Looking for cheap but workable

[paul_5]

what about some software like "Digital Ear" - about $90US. There might be something similar on the market that's a bit cheaper though.

Fort hardware the cheapest I've seen is the Sonuus G2M, you might get lucky and pick one up off the 'Bay for not very much.

Edited September 3, 2012 by paul_5

[Geek99]

Thanks - its what I asked for but It's not what I wanted
I should have added that I want a USB out that can feed midi from mono input - don't want to buy a midi card
Thabks

[paul torch]

I use the B2M. It's a stand alone unit, but isn't 100% accurate.

[BigRedX]

Your OP isn't very clear but I assume you are looking for a audio to MIDI converter?

There's a fair few devices from the [url=http://www.sonuus.com/products_g2m.html]Sonus G2M[/url] via the Roland MIDI pickups and interfaces all the way up to the [url=http://www.industrialradio.com.au/index.php]Industrial Radio MIDI Bass[/url].

Which one is the right one for you depends on what you want to do. The Sonus is monophonic only (will only track one note at a time so it won't convert chords) and all of them up to the Industrial Radio MIDI Bass will require you to modify your playing style to get clean tracking of the notes. The MIDI Bass itself is a full instrument so you need to be comfortable with their design to get the best out of it.

The other thing you need to watch with pitch-to-MIDI is that the devices require at least one and a half wave cycles to detect the pitch of the note (and that's the best ones). That means the lower the note the longer the time it takes to detect the pitch and generate MIDI data. There's a reason why Tony James of Sigue Sigue Sputnik uses a MIDI guitar and then transposes the MIDI output down an octave - and apparently he still has to play slightly ahead of the beat to be in time.

I've still not come across a pitch to MIDI solution that I was happy with using for anything other than getting basic ideas into a sequencer for fine editing. The Peavey Cyberbass (forerunner of the IR MIDI Bass) was by far the best at tracking the notes, but that required you to use the Peavey bass.

MIDI was originally designed to allow keyboard instruments to communicate with each other and send performance data to sequencers for playback. These are the instruments that it works best with. I found it quicker to learn some rudimentary keyboard skills then it was to modify my guitar playing to get anything usable out of a pitch to MIDI system. My advice would be to get a keyboard with a USB output and use that.

[paul_5]

If it's just for transcription then I use a pair of these:

[attachment=117440:the-human-ear.gif]

Again, the tracking isn't 100% accurate, but I find the more I use them the better they are.

[Dood]

Sonuus also do the I2m 'instrument to midi' USB interface. It even works with the iPad. Mono in, MIDI oit via USB and also acts as a high quality audio recording interface and is physically very small!

[Geek99]

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1346745831' post='1792509']
If it's just for transcription then I use a pair of these:

[attachment=117440:the-human-ear.gif]

Again, the tracking isn't 100% accurate, but I find the more I use them the better they are.
[/quote]
Thanks - I did say tho I wanted it to work with a teaching package

[Geek99]

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1346746912' post='1792516']
Sonuus also do the I2m 'instrument to midi' USB interface. It even works with the iPad. Mono in, MIDI oit via USB and also acts as a high quality audio recording interface and is physically very small!
[/quote]
I'll take a more detailed look at that one - anyone rate the behringer midi converter ?

[BigRedX]

Geek99, can you explain exactly what you want to do. What instrument(s) you want to input to this device and what program you are using on your computer and what the program does with the MIDI data that it receives. That will help get you a more accurate answer.

[Geek99]

Bass to <box> to pc (USB)

Software is "interactiv bass course" which needs midi input to rate user's note choice, timing, dynamics for tuition and feedback purposes

[BigRedX]

Does the application not recommend an interface?

The problem with using pitch to MIDI for this is that there will be latency that will change depending on the note played as I explained in my first post which will play havoc with the timing rating unless there is some compensation built into the software to allow for this.

You might think that one and half cycles (which is generally the best these units can manage) is fairly insignificant but in real terms it means a 38 millisecond delay on open E which IMO is enough to affect the feel of a piece.

[ikay]

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1346704930' post='1792260']
Looking for cheap but workable
[/quote]

'Cheap' and 'workable' don't go together in the world of midi bass. As BRX says, note recognition and latency is a huge problem for audio/midi conversion at low frequencies. I've tried the Sonuus B2M which is cheap and cheerful but IMO it's not accurate or quick enough to do what you have in mind. The Industrial Radio Midi bass is probably the closest you'll get to a properly workable solution (not that I've tried one - that will have to wait until I win the lottery). It gets round the problem of audio/midi conversion by having a contact matrix beneath the fretboard to determine note values rather than analysing string vibrations. It then uses piezo sensors in the bridge to extract playing dynamics.

There's one for sale here - [url="http://www.thebassgallery.com/product_details.cfm?ID=1960&type=Bass%20Guitar"]http://www.thebassga...e=Bass%20Guitar[/url]

But you'll need to up your budget a bit!

Edited September 4, 2012 by ikay

[BigRedX]

[quote name='ikay' timestamp='1346774877' post='1793047']
There's one for sale here - [url="http://www.thebassgallery.com/product_details.cfm?ID=1960&type=Bass%20Guitar"]http://www.thebassga...e=Bass%20Guitar[/url]
[/quote]

That's very expensive for a second hand model. Just looked at the Industrial Radio price list and a new one would be about £2,500 plus shipping and import taxes.

I'd also be wondering why someone like Tom Jenkinson would be selling it.

[ikay]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1346780221' post='1793158']
I'd also be wondering why someone like Tom Jenkinson would be selling it.
[/quote]

Yes I wondered about that!! This one has been at the gallery for quite a long time

[Geek99]

No, it doesnt recommend a unit - it just expects midi input - I assume it wants a MIDI sound card.

[BigRedX]

Is the software [url=http://www.avanquest.com/UK/software/musicalis-interactive-bass-guitar-course-51768#desc]this application[/url]?

The system requirements don't say anything about requiring a MIDI interface - just a normal sound card.

If this isn't the application can you provide a link to it showing the system requirements?

[Geek99]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1346844630' post='1793887']
Is the software [url=http://www.avanquest.com/UK/software/musicalis-interactive-bass-guitar-course-51768#desc]this application[/url]?

The system requirements don't say anything about requiring a MIDI interface - just a normal sound card.

If this isn't the application can you provide a link to it showing the system requirements?
[/quote]
That's the one BUT
1) it constantly nags about the lack of a midi input
2) old 16 bit sound cards used to have a midi in
3) avanquest themselves told me it needs mid
4) the packaging doesn't clearly say that , I agree
5) if you check the review on amazon you'll see I added this information to assist unwary purchasers
6) id still need a conversion unit

Edited September 6, 2012 by Geek99