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(More customer reviews)First, my background with midi guitars: I've owned a Godin midi guitar along with the Axon midi guitar unit. I also use midi synths/interfaces such as Reason.
Pros/Cons
Pros: Lowest action possible on a guitar (there are no neck strings, the neck is virtually a keyboard with very sensitive 'string inlays' on the neck). The pitch bend and modulation switches work very well. The outputs are impressive: one 5pin midi out, a 1/4" out, headphones out, and usb. It interfaces flawlessly with Reason, the main sequencer I use, using either usb or midi connection. The onboard samples are actually much better than I thought they would be, especially some of the synths. I will address the latency as a separate topic from pros and cons. The software control panel is also very nice, similar to the Axon control panel for their unit. Virtually every variable is adjustable on this device and the developers seem to plan to keep opening up new bios features in future updates. Customer support is the best I've ever talked with. They sent me three different guitars to try (the first one I got had a dead panel). They paid for all the shipping and even called me once or twice. The customer support system online is also very nice, it keeps a running dialog between you and service reps via a forum post type of system. You can't say this company isn't dedicated to their patrons; they stand behind their work.
Cons: As some have noted, the instrument is plastic and light. I'm a bit circumspect on its robustness so I treat it cautiously. I doubt it would survive if dropped on a hard floor more than once but that is pure speculation. I do believe it will withstand lots of use though. I do not use this device as a videogame controller but as an interfacing tool for midi sequencers for composing. It can do alot of things other midi guitars will struggle with (rigorous chord strumming, tapping, etc) but like any midi guitar, it is NOT for replacing a real guitar. To that end, it is hard to nail down specific negatives about this kind of design because so many will have different expectations and needs. If anything goes wrong with the device, I will update this review in the future.
Comments:
Now, for the latency questions. If you use the guitar by itself with no external sequencers, there will be no latency. Interfacing with externals is good but it needs to be explained: basically, by using the 5 pin midi out you will have almost no latency. Specifically, it depends on what mode you use. If you use the picking strings then you can expect in the range of 4-6ms maybe, perhaps lower if you have a zero latency monitoring card. If you use TAP mode (just using the neck alone as an interface) then the latency is virtually eliminated. By using the usb connection, the latency is also very good. However, with usb, the string picking mode latency will be noticeably higher - but the TAP mode is still extremely low latency (I use usb and tap mode by default with no problems). The neck really is a nice piece of engineering and tap mode is really great. With string picking you can strum chords without glitching, unlike other midi guitars that rely on the original guitar design with strings running the full length of the guitar - which typically results in much more unpredictability when playing.
Last/random thoughts: As noted in the beginning, I've used quite expensive/elaborate midi guitar setups (~1500-2k usd). If what you want is a device to interface with midi sequencers without having to learn keyboard/piano then this is the ultimate device in my opinion. The latency is minimal and virtually non-existent at best and there is very little glitching to worry about due to the isolation of the neck and picking strings. For 10x less then an ideal midi guitar setup, it's hard to go wrong. It is a really amazing piece of hardware. Hopefully, they will stop with the videogame aspect altogether and just make this a pure midi guitar project. This review may seem full of adulations but there is no such thing as a perfect device - and this one is far from perfect. However, in the context of the midi guitar market, it is my most preferred option and, in my opinion, the best performing, best featured, and luckily most affordable, option on the market.
If I have missed anything, leave a comment.
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You Rock Guitar YRG-1000 MIDI Controller Electric Guitar, BlackThe You Rock DigitalTM is a full-fledged digital and MIDI guitar! It's fast, accurate and feels good to play due to the unique patented fretboard technology.
99 internal presets allow you to choose from any of the internal 25 professionally sampled real guitar sounds, 50 general Midi synth sounds, 25 song & 50 drum loops.
Because it's digital the YRG-1000 Never Needs TuningTM. Select any one of the 65 internal tunings or design 9 custom tunings of your own.
The unique You Rock ModeTM allows you to play along with the internal songs and never play a wrong! Learn to play quickly and easily.
The You Rock Guitar features a built in recorder and even provides an input jack so you can play along with your favorite mp3 player or other audio devices.
USB and MIDI ports allow you to connect the YRG-1000 to your favorite computer music software applications on Mac and PC and other MIDI instruments for recording and learning. USB allows for new downloadable content and upgradable firmware always keeps you up to date.
With the optional GameFlexTM cartridges you can connect to your favorite video games like Guitar HeroTM and Rock BandTM or use a MIDI Pro Adapter for advanced play on WiiTM, PS3TM and Xbox 360TM platforms.
The You Rock Guitar requires USB power or 4 AA batteries (not included).
Includes: You Rock Guitar, user manual, 1/4-inch guitar and USB cables, guitar strap and picks and quick start / guitar chord poster.
Click here for more information about You Rock Guitar YRG-1000 MIDI Controller Electric Guitar, Black
