How do Ztar / Midi Guitars work?

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Of course there are numerous designs but how does one like this used by Rob Swire (Pendulum) work? Does each key just represent a different tone of the artist choosing or does it go through different ranges like a real guitar would?

[Rob’s Ztar ](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ufr1wVQ3hnU/TcCcE4MucqI/AAAAAAACaKQ/kssA4TfF2-Y/s1600/robs%2Bxpa%2Bangled%2Blit.jpg)

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Anonymous 0 Comments

I would imagine that the buttons on the fret board are the notes and the strings are used as the triggers.

Essentially this would create what is required for Midi : Pitch and Velocity (note and volume).

The other knobs/buttons would probably be for other CC (control change) commands. Eg changing synth patches, or individual parameters.

As far as I can see, this is simply a fancy midi controller.

Disclaimer : I don’t own one, but did tinker with an old bolt on Midi pickup (Roland GK-3) back in the day.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Ztar and MIDI guitars are musical instruments that use computer technology to create sound. These guitars typically have a built-in MIDI interface, which allows them to be connected to a computer or other electronic device. Once connected, the guitar can be used to control various sound parameters, such as pitch, volume, and timbre.

MIDI is an industry-standard protocol that defines how electronic musical instruments communicate with each other. When two devices are connected via MIDI, they can exchange information about the music they are playing in real time. This means that a MIDI guitar can send information about the notes being played to a computer or another device, which can then use this data to generate sounds.

While traditional guitars rely on strings vibrating against metal frets to produce sound, Ztar and MIDI guitars often use infrared sensors or piezoelectric pickups instead. These sensors convert the string vibrations into electrical signals, which are then processed by the guitar’s onboard electronics and converted into digital audio data. This data can be stored on a computer or transmitted over a network for further processing (such as synthesis).