Electric Violin - MIDI Violin

MIDI Violin

In the mid 1980s, Zeta Music developed a prototype violin for Laurie Anderson that, through the employment of a custom pickup and a conversion module, sent MIDI data, allowing the violinist to control synthesizers. This design was later refined and turned into a commercial product. Unlike most pickup designs, the Zeta pickup has the ability to output the signal from each string on a separate audio channel. Using a multi-pin cable to their pitch to midi interface, this allows for polyphonic MIDI control with each string set to an independent MIDI channel.

Most recently, Keith McMillen of Keith McMillen Instruments, a founder of Zeta Music, announced the 'StringPort' polyphonic string-to-USB 2.0 converter which will connect with the Zeta polyphonic pickup and other modern polyphonic violin systems.

Whilst no other dedicated violin-to-MIDI systems have been manufactured, more generic pitch-to-MIDI systems like those from Roland, and Yamaha can be adapted to use standard electric violin output. Most systems allow only monophonic operation — only one pitch can be detected and digitised at a time — but through the use of proprietary pickups, some limited MIDI polyphony can be achieved. Some pitch to MIDI interfaces from Axon/TerraTec will give full per string polyphony, interfacing with the multi-pin output from the Zeta MIDI pickup.

Notable artists who have performed using a MIDI violin include Jean-Luc Ponty, Charles Bisharat, Drew Tretick, Gregory Docenko, Dorothy Martirano and Boyd Tinsley from Dave Matthews Band.