Ibanez X-ing IMG-2010 24 pin Guitar / Controller

Started by Virtual Tone, February 12, 2008, 06:07:44 PM

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Virtual Tone

I know they are discontinued... but is it worth picking one up?

Here's a link!  http://www.joness.com/gr300/img2010.htm



VT


s0c9


Elantric

#2
The link explains all you need to know.
http://www.joness.com/gr300/img2010.htm

(Side note: back in 1986 I was offered a job at Hoshino / Ibanez to be artist relations , but wife at time put the kibosh on that job.
Basically pre 1987 Roland's first Guitar synths used a multi- pin interface using a bulky rectangular 24 pin cable with Japanese connectors from Hosiden.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosiden
.

All the early 1981 era Roland GR-100, GR-300 floor synth modules used this 24 pin cable from the Guitar. Roland made several guitars with the 24 pin connector G-303, G-505, G-707. The GK-1 was Roland's first user installable hex PU, with 24 pin cable.
http://www.joness.com/gr300/gk1_kit.htm

In 1985 Ibanez jumped into the act, and offered the IMG2010, which connected to their Ibanez MC1 rack MIDI processor using this same 24 pin interface cable.
http://www.joness.com/gr300/MC1.htm

The IMG2010 could also work with the 24 pin Roland gear like the GR-300,
http://www.joness.com/gr300/GR-300.htm


or the Roland GM-70 Rack MIDI convertor.
http://www.joness.com/gr300/GM-70.htm

Or the Korg Z-3
http://www.joness.com/gr300/korgz3.htm


But in 1988, Roland changed the interface from 24 pin to round 13 pin. Thus the GK-2 was born, to connect to the new "GK13" gear.

And offered a 24 pin to 13 pin adapter box - the BC-13 to adapt the older 24 pin guitars to the new 13pin stuff.

http://www.joness.com/gr300/bc13_S.htm

- today improved 24pin to 13 pin adapter boxes can be obtained from DrJones here
http://www.joness.com/gr300/BX13.htm

You will need a 24 pin to 13 pin adapter interface box to use the IMG-2010 with the VG-99 - thus adding to the expense. Also IMG-2010 Bridge hardware is near impossible to obtain, and the center of gravity was a bit off - it rather resembles one of those American Showster guitars that look like the tailfin of a '57 chevy.

http://www.vintaxe.com/catalogs_american_americanshowster.htm

The most comprehensive info about Ibanez MIDI guitars is here:

http://www.mmattera.com/html/ibanez_img2010.html

http://www.joness.com/gr300/img2010.htm

http://www.joness.com/gr300/IMG-2010-PRODUCT.htm

http://www.mmattera.com/IMG2010_Midi_guitar_OM.pdf

Virtual Tone

Thanks Sustainiac for the info!

Even though it looks cool, it's always best to stay current and with replacement parts. THAT's for sure!

Like my blues buddy would say "What??? Does it make your music sound better than a cheap guitar with the Roland pickup?"  ;D

I always go there in my head when making these types of decisions.  :D

VT

Kostas Greece

#4
Hello VG-99 users! I just discovered the Ibanez img 2010... I just have some questions. First of all, did it came out now? I searched thomann which didn't had it, and I searched e-bay, where I found two sellers who sell them about 1000 euros. This guitar seems perfect for me, but it's too expensive. One more question... Can I find other guitars doing this business? Any further info would be appreciated... Thanks a lot!
Fender American Lone Star Strat (HSS+floyd rose), Roland VG-99, FC-300, Roland GR-20

Elantric

#5
They were made 1986-1987

and are relatively rare, and they work on the older 24 pin interface

All details are here:
http://www.joness.com/gr300/img2010.htm

Today, use the Fender Roland Ready Strat

Kostas Greece

Thanks a lot Elantric! Well, I know about roland ready strats. The reason I asked, is because I am looking for a light, compact and absolutely MIDI guitar. I am not interested for real guitar stuff, but just the MIDI things that Ibanez img2010 does. A "toy" guitar if you get me  ;)
Fender American Lone Star Strat (HSS+floyd rose), Roland VG-99, FC-300, Roland GR-20

MaxTwang

#7
The IMG2010 is a cool guitar but uses a 24 pin cable.  It uses a magnetic hexaphonic pickup like a Roland GK-1 but I believe the output is hotter than a GK-1.  It's a great playing guitar and works well with a GR-300 and an AXON AX-100.  It's not as light as it looks!  It's also a GK guitar that needs a MIDI interface (Ibanez made a matching MIDI converter).

To use it with a 13-pin device like the VG-99, GR-55, AXON, etc. you'll need a Roland BC-13 (if you can find one) or the BX-13-V3 or BX-13-VX made by Wayne Joness. These are occasionally available on eBay or from Wayne directly (I didn't find the BX-13-VX on Wayne's site but I've bought one from him in the past).  The 24-pin interface supports more controllers (knobs & virtual whammy bar) than a 13-pin, so it takes a combination of the BX-13-V5 and a FC-300 to use all the controllers on the IMG2010.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BX-13-VX-Roland-BC-13-GR-300-G-303-GR-55-Guitar-Synth-X-/140505053459?pt=Guitar_Accessories

http://www.joness.com/gr300/BX13.htm

here's some info on the IMG2010

http://www.joness.com/gr300/img2010.htm

paults

If you want a self-contained MIDI guitar, look for a Casio MG-510.  It has a MIDI output, without resorting to rubber strings or ribbon controller necks.


http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Casio-Midi-Guitar-Model-MG-510

Elantric

Lets see, MIDI, light, toylike guitar

Yep- you need a You Rock Guitar


MCK

#10
QuoteYou Rock Guitar

I have one gathering dust... Even the kiddies don't like it to play on Nintendo Wii. Very occasional use.

Elantric

#11
Plug You Rock Guitar into Mac running GarageBand. Listen to Only GarageBand instruments. Skip YRG internal sounds they are really bad.

MCK

For me I think the deal breaker is the feel. I play finger-picking perhaps 95% of the time and I just can't get the feel with the steel string emulators. When I flat-pick then the actual picking noise & feel annoy me. Guess I'm not cut for it. I like the feel of strings under my fingers. Mind you I don't also like most Alt-Tune setups either for similar feel reasons. For me a drop tuning needs to feel mush under my hand. Don't really care if it sounds good but the string physics and feel is different. Just my humble opinion of course.

loopman

Hi guys and Happy new Year to everyone!
I'm planning to buy a midi guitar, but (after some prevoius experiences), I don't like the modern guitars equipped with GK,they are too much limited for me,
so, I've decided to take a look to the past and I've discovered two possible choice:
1) Casio PG 380
2) Ibanez IMG 2010
I like these two ones, but maybe I'm choosing for the Ibanez IMG 2010 (with included MC 1 rack module) because I see that this guitar can sends up to four CC# midi messagges.
But, my main worry is : how does it behave with Midi tracking? also,compared to the Casio PG 380, which is better in the midi tracking rules ?
Does anyone experienced with one of these 2 guitar models? Which are the Cons and the Pros?
I need of your suggestions,

Thank you very Much to everybody

drjoness2001

#14
The MIDI track of the IMG2010's IMC1 24pin Guitar to MIDI processor  is, by today's standards, fairly poor.

It is slow, and prone to errors.

I made a converter that allows the IMG2010 to play both a 13-pin synth and send MIDI cc at the same time, I'm hoping to come up with a new version:

http://www.joness.com/gr300/GX-13.htm

loopman

I see, so the IMG2010,compared to a modern Fender Starotcaster GK Ready or to any other guitar Gk equipped, is slower,right?
I'd need to know if the four controllers on the Ibanez IMG2010 (the 3 knobs called Sensitivity- CTL Change-Velocity-Virtual Whammy Bar) can freely send out 4 different CC# midi message, through the MIDI OUT of the Ibanez MC-1 module .
For instance, I'd want to use those 4 IMG2010 controllers to take a control over 4 different synt parameter, could I do it? can they send out a number of Control Change or are they fixed?

Let me know


Brak(E)man

A favorite guitar of mine , I remember playing one in the mid 80ths with a midi converter.
And for a few years now after I got a G707 I have been trying to find one.
swimming with a hole in my body

I play Country music too, I'm just not sure which country it's from...

"The only thing worse than a guitar is a guitarist!"
- Lydia Lunch

admin

Quote from: Brak(E)man on October 06, 2017, 12:19:06 PM
A favorite guitar of mine , I remember playing one in the mid 80ths with a midi converter.
And for a few years now after I got a G707 I have been trying to find one.

Still has the best "Virtual Jeff" like whammy bar as arrived stock in 1985

https://reverb.com/marketplace?query=img2010

admin

#19
Quote from:  sec6
Do you remember the latency?

IMG2010's MC-1 controller was faster than GM-70, slower than GR-30
Ibanez IMG-2010 had a true MIDI pitch bend whammy bar, and was fully compatible with Roland 24pin gear at the time(GR100/300/700/GM-70)
Ibanez even marketed a rack mount MIDI interface for it - designed by Maxon of Japan. 
read all about them here:
http://www.joness.com/gr300/img2010.htm



Virtual Whammy Bar    
Again, Pitch-to-MIDI conversion requires accurate pitch. The better a guitar can hold its pitch, the better a pitch-to-MIDI converter can works its magic. While the G-505 and G-707 have reasonable tremolos, they fall far short of the standard required for computer pitch tracking. After the whammy bar returns to its home position, the slightest deviation in pitch means more computations and subsequent MIDI pitch messages, and thus more MIDI delay. Ibanez solved this problem by creating a super-stable guitar with a virtual whammy bar. Used with an Ibanez MC1 or Roland GM-70, you can bend MIDI notes as far as you want, and the guitar never goes out of tune, and chords maintain their sound. Add a Roland VG-88 and a SBC+ and you have the best pitch bend system ever devised with virtual modeled guitar tones.







Explore more at Dr Wayne Joness excellent MIDI Guitar resource page


http://www.joness.com/gr300/index.htm

http://www.joness.com/gr300/Gtr-Elec.htm

Brak(E)man

Quote from:  sec6
Do you remember the latency?
At that time it was fast and not very glitchy
but my memory might be

swimming with a hole in my body

I play Country music too, I'm just not sure which country it's from...

"The only thing worse than a guitar is a guitarist!"
- Lydia Lunch

Tony Raven

Makes me wish that Ibanez had evolved this a few more generations.  :(

The main reason I've wanted to get my hands on an IMG is to look into the "virtual whammy bar" to determine whether it can be replicated as an add-on unit for keyboards. As a guitarist, the bend lever has always defied me, & I hoped to create something that would give me the same sort of left-hand nuance that comes so easily with a guitar.

gearhound22

Just found out about this guitar :D

Would the virtual whammy work with the 24 to 13 pin convertor!??!?

Angry Possum

#23
Hi guys,  i just recently purchased an Ibanez IMG2010. Not knowingly I needed other peripherals to make it actually work. (Cable and Synth Midi Box)  So Basically I'd like to know if there's a way  I can break away from the 24 pin interface (modify it) and if so what midi synth controller do you recommend to interface it with.  I'm looking for a budget setup w good synthesizer sounds.  I'm new at this instrument,  so please be patient.
"The closer you get to the meaning,  the sooner you know that your dreaming" Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell

admin

#24
Quote from: Angry Possum on February 26, 2020, 10:34:17 AM
Hi guys,  i just recently purchased an Ibanez IMG2010. Not knowingly I needed other peripherals to make it actually work. (Cable and Synth Midi Box)  So Basically I'd like to know if there's a way  I can break away from the 24 pin interface (modify it) and if so what midi synth controller do you recommend to interface it with.  I'm looking for a budget setup w good synthesizer sounds.  I'm new at this instrument,  so please be patient.

FWIW -  24 pin and budget setup are  rarely used in the same sentence !


Might be able take a few years and to locate a gently used and working companion
Ibanez MC1 24 pin Input Rack Synth 
- originally part of the IMG2010 "SYSTEM

https://www.ebay.com/i/352695275699

The IMG2010 is a MIDI Controller - makes no Synth sounds on its own

It employs the now hard to find 24 pin cable as used on 1981 Roland GR-300

on Ebay for $99 each
  https://www.ebay.com/itm/Clone-Roland-16-feet-24-Pin-MIDI-Guitar-Synth-Cable-GR-300-GK1-GR-500-GR-700/333467209170?hash=item4da431cdd2:g:x9sAAOSwiJhbq8T1

Many used the now rare Roland BC13 24 pin to Gk 13 adapter

https://reverb.com/item/4280749-roland-bc-13-old-style-to-new-13pin-roland-guitar-synthesizer-cable-converter

- to use the IMG2010 with current Gk 13 pin gear ( GR-30, VG-8, VG-99, GR-55, GP-10, SY-1000
https://www.joness.com/gr300/service/BC-13_SERVICE_NOTES.pdf


24 Pin Resources
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?board=271.0


https://reverb.com/shop/guitar-sound-shop