Vox V845

CONTACT: Overloud PHONE: [phone] WEB: www.overloud.com
CONTACT: Et Cetera PHONE: [phone] WEB: www.etcetera.co.uk
134 Guitarist March 2010
QUICKTEST
MISCELLANEOUS
The usual route if you want to
play a synth, sampler or drum
machine from your g uitar is to
equip it with a hexaphonic
pickup linked to a box that
converts the pitch and
dynamics information to MIDI.
The Sonuus G2M, however,
dispenses with that, taking the
signal straight from the guitar’s
jack socket and converting it
directly to MIDI.
Unlike a hex pickup system,
which separates the info from
all six strings and can be used to
play chords, the G2M is
designed for monophonic
operation and can only be used
to create single-note lines.
In Use
Connecting via MIDI to a
synth, sampler or DAW allows
you to play all manner
of interesting sounds
monophonically –
playing a chord or
doublestop will
confuse the system as
to which note to play.
Using guitar-to-MIDI
conversion, it’s always good
to pick cleanly and accurately to
minimise triggering false notes,
but the G2M’s note detection is
really solid and any time delay
is negligible. Consequently, the
G2M works fine for playing
MIDI notes into your DAW,
perhaps for creating a bassline,
and it’s also great live for
playing synth sounds on their
own or blended with your
conventional guitar sound sent
to your usual rig from the
G2M’s ‘thru’ jack.
The Bottom Line
We like: Easy user interface;
sounds; amp morphing
We dislike: iLok licensing
The Bottom Line
We like: Easy MIDIfication
with no hassle; good note
detection; accurately tracks
string bending
We dislike: Battery-only
GUITARIST RATING
GUITARIST RATING
Verdict
If you’re on the lookout for
pitch-to-MIDI conversion and
aren’t that bothered about
playing chords, or you’re really
not keen on the idea of sticking
a hexaphonic pickup on your
guitar, then the G2M is the
perfect cost-effective plug-in-
and-play solution. [TC]
Overloud TH1 is right at
home on your Apple Mac
Overloud TH1 £222
Amp and effects in the virtual world
Affordable high-trickery!
Overloud’s interesting new
TH1 amp and effects simulation
software can work in plug-in
and standalone versions and
uses a modular method to
create its amp and effects rigs –
known here as ‘sounds’. There
are five module types to choose
from (stompboxes, expression
pedals, amplifiers, cabinets and
rack effects) and these can be
put in either a serial or parallel
signal chain in any number, any
order and at any position that
takes your fancy. A wide range
of models can be chosen for
each module, including a
whopping 65 stompboxes,
pedals and rack effects, 10
amplifiers and 21 cabinets,
alongside 18 microphones to
hook them up to. A maximum of
13 sounds can be stored in a
bank and each sound can have
up to eight variations – all in all,
TH1 comes with 12 factory
banks, featuring 93 sounds and
462 different variations!
Sounds
The TH1 user-interface appears
as six stacked horizontal
panels, each one dedicated to a
particular function, and is very
easy to navigate. A dedicated
‘sound’ panel makes quick work
of choosing a preset, and editing
is quick and easy with an
overview of the signal chain in
one panel while the panel below
can display individual modules.
The sounds available here are
really very good and effortlessly
playable. There’s plenty of
potential to get creative, with
loads of variation in cab mic’ing
and the ability to morph
between two amplifiers.
Verdict
With a bunch of authentic-
sounding and playable amp and
effects rigs on offer, TH-1 holds
its own next to the established
players. You can download TH1
for a free trial period, so check it
out for yourselves. [TC]
Sonuus G2M Guitar-to-MIDI
converter
£79
GIT326.rev_quick 134 29/1/10 10:39:58 am