You can use the Roland GK-3B with pretty much any MIDI module, but connecting it to dedicated bass synth modules and processors will enable you to get the most out of its bass guitar-focused design. This gives you a wide range of sounds at your fingertips, from raw bass tones to lush synthesized voices and everything in between. Like the GK-3, the GK-3B can be switched to send out only the original sound of your instrument, only the sound of the synth module, or a blend of both. It also has a standard ¼” output and a generously-sized sooth-action volume knob. The GK-3B shares many of the features of the GK-3, down to the slim profile and unobtrusive transmitter module. Even four-stringers can get on the MIDI bandwagon with the Roland GK-3B, a MIDI pickup designed specifically for bass players. But the new design makes it a lot more forgiving than its predecessor, so you have a lot more leeway with regard to playing like a guitarist with this version. As with all MIDI pickups, you still have to play cleanly with the Roland GK-3. Roland has reduced the GK-3’s output slightly as compared to the Roland GK-2, which reduces string bleed and false triggering. It has an adjustable curve so you can set it to get the optimum response for your playing style. The GK-3 has been designed from the ground up for excellent tracking and playability. It now features a standard ¼” input jack, which should be welcome news for guitarists that are just getting their feet wet with MIDI tech.
This is the easiest to install Roland MIDI pickup yet, being 30% thinner than the previous model. The Roland GK-3 Divided Pickup is only one in a long line of MIDI solutions from a company that has been at the forefront of MIDI and MIDI guitar since the protocol was developed.
The system also comes with dedicated software that lets you set up splits on your fretboard, so you could comp on a piano or organ patch on the lower strings, then jump to the higher strings to play a melody line on a guitar or violin patch. You can also compose motifs and songs via standard notation or the more guitarist-friendly tab notation. Like most MIDI guitar systems, the TriplePlay Wireless allows you to play software instruments from a standard electric guitar. Connect it to a laptop, and the TriplePlay Wireless could be an integral component of a flexible and versatile live performance system. It allows you to send MIDI data to your computer via a USB dongle, and compose and record into a DAW as you normally would with any MIDI instrument. Marketed as the “Ultimate Wireless Guitar Controller”, the TriplePlay Wireless frees MIDI-savvy guitarists from having to be tethered to a MIDI module.
You can also share any songs you record with other TriplePlay Connect users via a downloadable iOS app.Īlso from Fishman, the TriplePlay Wireless MIDI Pickup neatly addresses an issue that has tied down–quite literally–MIDI guitarists since the dawn of the technology. The TriplePlay Connect even cranks out chords and arpeggios from single notes and lets you play in different keys without having to shift positions on the fretboard. The TriplePlay Connect also allows you to create loops from any sound and trigger loops and audio files from any fret. After attaching the pickup to the face of your guitar, you simply connect the cable to your iPad, and you can begin playing and recording immediately. The TriplePlay Connect installs non-invasively, so you don’t need to make extensive modifications to your cherished axe. It’s one of the simplest and easiest MIDI systems to install, making it ideally suited for guitarists that are just beginning to explore the vast, wonderful world of MIDI, as well as those that are fully committed to becoming a MIDI guitarist. It effectively connects your guitar to your iPad, allowing you to control a host of iOS virtual instruments from your favorite guitar. The Fishman TriplePlay Connect Guitar MIDI Controller is billed as a “Guitar MIDI Pickup System for Your iPad”.