Wouldn’t it be cool if you could use your guitar as a MIDI device to control playing virtually any software instrument in real time?
In fact that’s exactly what you can do with a DAW plugin called MiGiC, and you can even download the software and use it free of charge.
The plugin is still in the testing phase, beta 4 to be exact.
While it’s still in beta testing you can download the VST/AU plugin for Windows or Mac and use it for free.
If you notice any bugs or issues with MiGiC, just report the problem to the developer and you’ll get setup to receive a serial key to the full release of MiGiC and all future updates upon final release.
According to the MiGiC website, beta 5 is currently under development. It will activate the MIDI FX panel in MiGiC where you will be able to chose a custom MIDI port to send data to, transpose notes, change pitch bend range, add chords, and more to be revealed upon release.
I’ve been testing this plugin and it’s really cool and has all kinds useful applications. You can use it with any kind of software instruments, such as pianos, synths, stringed instruments, loops, and even drums. Some work better than others. The plugin works surprisingly well with Xpand2.
How to Use MiGiC
Here are a few quick steps explaining how you can test MiGiC yourself.
1. Download MiGiC and install the plugin into your DAW of choice.
2. Create an audio track, connect your guitar to it, and add the MiGiC plugin to the track.
3. Create a MIDI track and set the MIDI from input as the audio track that you are running MiGiC on.
4. Add a software instrument of choice to the MIDI track.
5. Activate/record-enable both tracks and start jamming.
There’s a channel on YouTube with in-depth video tutorials explaining how to setup and use MiGiC, and how to fine tune settings to fit your playing style.
Below is a video demo uploaded by Philip Karlsson, the creator of MiGiC, showing how MIDI instruments can be played in real time using a guitar.
MiGiC Guitar To MIDI Demo
via: Ableton Live Expert
wow…..i want to do dusting to my guitar again.
Hi can this play chords or only single notes
It is polyphonic but I don’t know how well it works for that because I uninstalled it like a year ago when I got sick of the beta plugin always expiring and having to download a newer version. Plus it was too sensitive and was always picking up ghost notes that had to be manually deleted. It might be better now but it’s been in beta forever so who knows.
Actually full (and paid) version of MiGiC is already available.
Indeed, but it wasn’t available yet at the time of the comment and quite frankly I would caution anyone about doing business with this company after they lied about giving away free licenses of the full version to early beta testers that helped report problems.