This MIDI guitar is my new favorite way to make music

For years, my Stratocaster has been a memento hanging on my wall, representing my time earlier than I owned a MacBook. When my profession transitioned into podcasting, I traded in my electrical guitar for a 25-key keyboard controller and a library of digital devices. In Logic Professional or Ableton, a Stratocaster can solely sound like a Stratocaster, however a MIDI keyboard might be no matter I want for my music or sound design work.

However just lately, I purchased a brand new guitar that gives the identical advantages: Jamstik’s Traditional MIDI Guitar, which brings my unused fretboard expertise again to a DAW and is nearly as versatile as a musical keyboard.

The Jamstik Traditional is a very conventional electrical guitar – six strings, quarter-inch jacks and all – however by including an analog MIDI converter, you’ll be able to plug it instantly into your laptop by way of USB or Bluetooth for immediate management of the digital instrument. Does your music require a trumpet or violin? Simply play on this USB-C guitar.

I am most likely one of many extra splendid candidates for utilizing Jamstik. I am a guitarist and do not have nice piano expertise to take full benefit of a MIDI keyboard, however I like making music within the digital house. Whereas there are some third-party MIDI pickups and guitar pedals that combine with customary electrical guitars, Jamstik is the primary firm I’ve seen in a very long time to completely combine a MIDI converter into a daily guitar. It additionally has the additional benefit of trying like the normal Strat I have been used to taking part in for years.

As a result of Jamstik can convert the notes on the guitar into MIDI information, it permits me to make music differently than utilizing a desktop keyboard. On account of my familiarity with electrical guitar, I’ve spent loads of time over the previous few weeks recording modular synth sounds, piano chords, bass rhythms, orchestral strings, saxophone solos, and even percussion tracks sooner than I can report them ,Extra advanced. Already in a position to program or play the keys. It is also simply an endlessly enjoyable novelty. I can simply digitally transpose my guitar reside and play it in a unique key than the strings are tuned, or transfer up a couple of octaves to higher swimsuit the instrument I am simulating.

I’ve discovered that one of the best state of affairs for utilizing this guitar is taking part in some synth riffs and melodies, after which rapidly switching the enter within the DAW to an audio interface to report the analog output of the particular guitar. Twin MIDI and quarter-inch outputs supply quite a lot of potentialities for recording periods.

Jamstik presents its personal library of digital devices in its app Jamstik Creator, which incorporates all of those synthesizers, guitars, classical devices and rhythm sounds. As a standalone utility or as a plug-in in any DAW, you should use the software program to view a digital fretboard that updates primarily based on the notes you play in actual time, permitting you to alter devices, tune your guitar, and alter results and settings .

Whereas many aftermarket analog-to-MIDI converters might help you emulate these sounds, what units Jamstik’s personal software program aside is how sensible it’s at detecting guitar-specific nuances and changing them into MIDI maps. String pulls, percussions, and mutes translate effectively to digital devices. The funky, flexible synth solos, coming via the guitarist’s articulation, sounded cooler and extra human than something I would ever made with a keyboard. Though these particular subtleties are finest achieved with Jamstik plug-ins and samples, the guitar can nonetheless be used as a controller for any MIDI duties you carry out in an utility like Ableton or Logic Professional. In fact, you may as well plug into the Jamstik’s quarter-inch jack and report like every electrical guitar.

As an electrical guitar, the Jamstick Traditional is nice sufficient to switch most single-coil fashions, though I am unsure guitarists will take pleasure in taking part in it greater than shopping for a $999 guitar from an organization like Fender. The neck does not really feel as quick or clean because the higher-end mannequin Strat, however the guitar appeared to remain in tune fairly effectively throughout my time with it. I used to be in a position to get some fairly good Stratocaster sounds out of the analog output with some amplifier modulation software program, and I began counting on it to trace quick riffs round my desk.

The Jamstick does have some limitations as a MIDI controller. I discover it really works finest at slower tempos, or a minimum of performed slower on the fretboard. Musicians are positive to listen to even the slightest delay of their taking part in, so it is laborious to hit a chord with out pondering you are slightly idle. More often than not it was in a position to sustain with Van Halen-esque finger tapping, however sometimes it will fail to register a observe if I went too quick on the fretboard, particularly with open strings. For instance, when taking part in Buckethead’s “Jordan” on guitar utilizing digital devices, the MIDI pickup could not sustain with the riff, inflicting it to sound uneven. Whilst you can clearly repair digital notes in a DAW after recording, reside performances can typically sound slightly robotic or barely off-tempo.

USB-C is fairly forgiving, however the included USB-C cable has a USB-A plug on the opposite finish. Because of the manner it is constructed internally, it’s a must to use a USB-C to USB-A cable for the Jamstik Traditional mannequin to work correctly. Utilizing a USB hub (even one with a DC enter) does not work effectively – when plugging the Jamstik into my Anker 575 docking station, the guitar sometimes stops working and makes a loud, lengthy glitchy sound that will not go away Till I restart the audio interface. One of the best outcomes are going on to the pc. This generally is a bit irritating for customers who cover their laptop’s ports or already use a lot of ports on their bodily laptop. Jamstik will launch new Deluxe and Commonplace editions in February with upgraded circuit boards and true USB-C cables which might be anticipated to deal with this problem.

Even with these points, utilizing an electrical guitar with a MIDI converter moved past novelty and have become extra sensible sooner than I first thought. I can rapidly plug the Jamstik instantly into Logic Professional for iPad utilizing a USB cable to report a lot of tracks with out having to make use of an exterior audio interface and a number of cables. It made guitar taking part in a each day interest for me once more. Finally, I simply took the keyboard off the desk to tidy it up and stored utilizing the Jamstik as my primary controller. In reality, I can report jams into GarageBand by merely plugging my Jamstik guitar into the USB-C port of my iPhone 15 Professional. Whereas I am unable to place this guitar on my desk like a MIDI keyboard, it is going to sit subsequent to it as one in all my instruments for creating music and sound design.

Images: Andrew Marino/The Verge