Greetings from Ireland.

[axeman]

Hi all,
Greetings from Ireland.
I've just bought a Fusion 8HD as my first ever keyboard, though I have meddled with synthesis on my guitar synths.
It should arrive by next weekend, and I'm pretty excited about it, but does anyone know why so many guitar players are becoming interested in Synthesisers??

[Jesse]

Welcome axeman, you will find lots of information and support for you & your Fusion (affectionately called the Beast) here

[Tonemaker1]

welcome.
I became interested in synths, for 2 reasons.
1. To be able to record multi tracks using other sounds.
2. I loved the piano tones, and wanted to play some piano.
I don't know about others. But these were the main reasons. At first I wanted more tones. And got into midi guitar. Then tracking was an issue, and back then it was 4 oscillators, and only 8 polyphony. Had the Yamaha tx81z. Which flew off a car roof at 55 MPH, rolled end over end, and got very banged up. Landed in a watery ditch, and rolled out. Found it the next morning in the light. We heard something hit the trunk, and didn't know what it was. Till I got home, and unloading, it was missing! See, I put it up there til the big stuff was loaded, and was going to put it inside on top of other gear, but forgot to. And the cord wrapped around it must have prevented it from sliding off till 55 mph! I cleaned out the dirt, and dried it out. Reshaped the casing, and put it together, and it worked! Unreal man! We couldn't believe it. I lent it to a friend, a week later, and it fried on her. She wasn't to bright though, and might have hooked it up wrong to her keyboard. Who knows. But this thing showed one heck of a beating, and worked after cleaning etc...
Too funny.

[parametric]

does anyone know why so many guitar players are becoming interested in Synthesisers??

In fairness, the Piano has always been a kind of universal instrument . . . . these days, it probably means synthesiser.

You have greater scope to create with 88 keys and ten "digits". I can do a reasonable guitar solo on a synth, but I don't think a midied guitar would be nearly so convincing the other way round . . .

I guess its just a natural progression - wanting to do MORE as you grow musically.

The Synth is great way to have many sounds easily available, and you can either do-it-all on a workstation OR move midi/audio to the computer and use a DAW - whichever you find best for you . . . .

Welcome to the forums . . - BTW

parametric

[axeman]

Thanks for the stories and info Guys,
I've got A gr33 and a Gr55 guitar synth, and have been interested in guitar synthesis for years. Strange thing is that as time has gone by, I have been less prone to Widdling on guitar when playing live, and my soloing has slowed right down and got more expressive (I was never a really fast player in the first place), and I've always fancied that lush backing to my guitar playing that only a synth can provide.
The strange thing is that a lot of guitarists seem to secretly have a desire to control synths from their guitar, hence the interest in the various guitar type midi controllers and the increasing numbers of synth access guitars on the market. I have a strange feeling that my Fusion will spend as much time connected to my guitar synth in my home studio as it will be being used as a keyboard (at least until I become reasonably competent on the keys )
I was wondering if anyone has experience of using the fusion sound engine with a guitar synth?
My fusion still hasn't arrived, I'm going to pick it up tomorrow.... PLAYTIME!!

[parametric]

I did have a former "life" as a guitarist many years ago - doing mostly Cream covers, but suffered the problem of being self-taught. I found that I reached a stage where I could not improve - having fundamentally "learned it wrong" from the start, so it all fell away.

Then a motorcycle accident smashed the fourth finger top knuckle of my left hand about 10 years ago - which makes any attempts at soloing, pitiful. Even chords ain't as easy as they were So I largely leave it alone - and try to "finger-style" and flat-pick on the Fusion, when required . . . .

Never got close to a guitar-synth, but I do remember way back - didn't Casio produce a "Midi Guitar"? Looked like an SG if I remember?

Two sets of strings. One for the pick and one for fretting . . . . both sets disappeared into the body under the finger guard between the PUPS?

Or am I wrong?

No matter. I think your findings/observations, using the Fusion as a guitarsynth will certainly add a new dimension in here . . .

There are some quite interesting guitar programs in the presets, as well as a raft of ARP guitar-strums too.

I look forward to hear what you think/find . . . .

Best Regards

parametric

[axeman]

A bit of a coincidence that!!
I am also self taught on the guitar, which can be both limiting and liberating, I have played with some quite skilled guitarists that wonder how I play certain things, though in general, I am not a great player, just an imaginative one. Playing by ear has its advantages!! also I smashed the little and ring fingers+ the carpals on my right hand in a head on on a motorcycle but used guitar playing to get them mobile again, a lot of time and pain but it was worth it in the end (full use restored after a few years). I still ride, and play..
The casio dg20 (they made a couple of very sexy PG midi guitars too) actually only had one set of strings but they passed under a bridge that had something akin to a muting bar there (the pitch sensors being the frets), and has now become something of a cult controller. It looked something like a lovechild of a flying vee and concord, but playing that through a Roland D50 in a music shop, got me hooked on guitar synthesis and synths in general. My fusion should be here this evening, and I hope to have it hooked up to my guitar synths over the weekend..
Will post how I get on with it..

All the best,

axeman

[Jesse]

Sounds like you will be having lot's of fun with the Fusion, on another note I have had a few motorcycle accidents in my youth also, but I still ride. Interesting, I wonder how many others of us ride or rode motorcycles

[axeman]

An interesting question, that one!! How many of us are riders or dormant riders.. (they only need another ride and they will be addicted again)!!
I am pretty impressed with even the standard sounds on the fusion, nice and powerful with not too many effects on the ones that I have tried. I prefer a good basic sound and to add my own effects and processing to taste!!
I should have it connected up to the guitar synth this evening, then I can really see what it can do..

[Jesse]

Sounds Great We are looking forward to hear about your Fusion endeavors