Guitar Synth & MIDI (Guitar Player Magazine Basic Library) [Paperback]

Hal Leonard Corp. (Creator)

Book Description

Series: Guitar Player Magazine Basic Library | Publication Date: September 1, 1988

Until recently, guitar players had reason to feel left out of the great electronic revolution in music today. After a few false starts and several years of development, however, the new technology has become an accessible and relatively inexpensive tool for the vast expansion of every guitar player's musical creativity. The development of both improved guitar synthesizers and of guitars as 'triggering' devices for MIDI setups, means players can now use their axe to play other instruments with an entire new vocabulary or preset or programmed sounds, rhythms, and special effects. Guitar Synth and MIDI is the first book to explain the new guitar revolution in both theory and practice. Included are basic information and technique on the history and development of guitar synthesizers, basic synthesis, MIDI sampling, triggering, and how particular artists like Andy Summers, Frank Zappa, Al DiMeola, Robert Fripp, Lee Ritenour and others are currently using synthesis and MIDI in their own guitar playing. From choosing equipment to using it, recording or on-stage performance, here is essential information and inspiration for every modern guitarist.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Founded in 1947, Hal Leonard Corporation has become the worlds largest print music publisher, representing some of the greatest songwriters and artists of all time. We are proud to publish titles of interest to all musicians as well as music lovers, from songbooks and instructional titles to artist biographies and instrument price guides to books about the music industry and all the performing arts.

Product Details

• Paperback: 134 pages
• Publisher: GPI Publications (September 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881885932
• ISBN-13: 978-0881885934
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,470,237 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A decent intro to combining guitar into electronic music, May 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Guitar Synth & MIDI (Guitar Player Magazine Basic Library) (Paperback)

this book is very interesting in the fact that it discribes techniques used to integrate guitar into electronic music, kinda like some of the various NIN pieces we know and love... I recommend it, although it could go into more depth with a slightly easier to understand sentece structure

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Early Guitar Synth Treasure, June 4, 2009

By 

Scott T. Arnold "Rev. Dr. Scott T. Arnold" (Quincy, Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Guitar Synth & MIDI (Guitar Player Magazine Basic Library) (Paperback)

This is a great resource, even now almost 20 years later. I play 2 different MIDI Guitars from the 80's and it helped me appreciate what I have and what other options there are out there still. Midi Synth guitar has some of the unique and rare guitars highlighted and reviewed in detail.
This will help you if you have thought about buying an old synth ax on Ebay. Also very helpful are the detailed explanations of the technical aspects of midi synthesizer sounds, and interesting profiles on musicians. By the way I play a Jackson Charvel Electric Guitar with a Roland GK2 midi pickup through a Roland Midi Synth linked up to a Korg i40m midi unit. The sounds are awesome and great with our church praise band. I also play a Casio MG510 and it too is great with the Korg unit directly. With the late 80's midi guitars they are reasonable and still quite the cool thing. My son has a Casio DG10, and is hoping to upgrade to a DG20 (Flight of the Concords uses this).
In case anyone hadn't figured out the reason for using midi guitars, it is the concept of having a guitar make about any sound imaginable or play about any instrument sound. People are blown away when I play an orchestra, panflute, church organ, banjo,.... on my six string electric. They keep looking around wondering where that sound is coming from.