I just picked up one of these.....the
You Rock Guitar ........LOL!!! ?
It is really NOT a guitar....but I will post it here anyway, given it's name.
(
Those are not my pictures, taken off the web.)
It is pretty cool.
So it has all these features.......it is a PS3 and Wii controller for Rock Band, it is a learning device as it has a mode that "teaches" you scales, it is a jam along device with included backing tracks, it has built in (crappy lol ) guitar sounds and synth sounds......runs off batteries and USB, breaks down by removing the neck so it is a portable travel guitar and practice solution for while you are work or school etc...away from your guitars. It is pretty damn cool.
I did not mention one other feature which is
the ONLY reason I bought it.......... it has a MIDI out and also MIDI over USB and you can
use it as a MIDI controller to trigger soft synth's and write into notation software.
Well I am pleasantly surprised. It tracks very fast and is in some ways better than my current MIDI rig which cost 10X what the YRG cost, not to mention a previous MIDI guitar rig that cost beaucoup bucks also.
It has no strings across the fretboard .......it has raised fake strings made of sort of silicone and fret of the same material. Each fret is a touch sensor......the fake strings are for feel. The frets spacing/scale length is a tad odd and the neck is a little wide...classical guitar type width....like a student classical....but I found I got used to it quite fast. The picking strings are replaceable should you ever break one, and you can set the tension on them.
I was very impressed with how it triggered soft synths like Omnisphere, Trilian, Velvet, Sonik Synth II, String Studio etc etc and all my PLAY libraries.
Very cool is that it has TAP mode where you can two handed tap the notes...works great although I am not a two handed tapper. Tapping AND using picking while TAP is selected is a latency disaster....so you cannot do that...one or the other.
I've had a great deal of fun with it over the last couple days.
It has some con's......
You cannot bend the strings or apply vibrato.....have to use the modulation joystick or whammy bar
It has no sustain pedal jack- I spoke to a developer on the phone yesterday and was told they are developing a BlueTooth sustain pedal.
There are a few other missing features that make this less than a very serious instrument.....but then look at the price. It actually has more than you would expect I tell ya! I can only imagine this initial offering will lead to a more professional model.
I won't go into the flaws at the moment other than to say that for electric and acoustic bass patches using Trilian or other, as the software, the Godin Synth Access guitar I have and the Axon Ax100MkII is a much better way of doing it. Being able to bend strings adds realism....... plus the way the note decays on the YRG is not great for simulating real stringed instruments. With the YRG, when you lift your finger off a "fret" the note dies instantaneously. Good for synth basses but notes on real fretted or fretless stringed instruments don't decay that fast.
I have not tried inputting notation into Sibelius 6 yet nor do I have any Rock Band games.
This thing is kinda like a toy that works extremely well and is fun to play. It has a lot of development potential and what remains to be seen is the reliability and how it holds up as far as being able to handle normal use and abuse.
http://www.yourockguitar.com/
