Armchair Guitarist is a VST plugin for providing MIDI input from one of the numerous console guitar controllers currently on the market. It is a pure-MIDI plugin- MIDI messages, not audio data is sent to the host- in essence, the plugin allows the user to use a guitar controller the way they would a standard MIDI keyboard.

Unlike more general use VST game controller plugins, Armchair Guitarist is strongly oriented around guitar playing. Rather than emulating a linear keyboard, the plugin emulates a Finger Board, with a floating cursor representing the position of the five note buttons on the guitar controller- and therefore the user's hand- on the neck of a virtual guitar. When combined with one of the numerous guitar sampler plugins on the market it provides a more natural "feel" when playing guitar than when using a MIDI keyboard.

What Does It Do?

Armchair Guitarist lets you plug your Rock Band or Guitar Hero guitar controller into your computer and use it as a MIDI input for a wide variety of audio recording programs. It emulates a guitar, and allows you to play twenty four frets worth of notes with only five buttons.

What Do You Need?

To use Armchair Guitarist you need an Intel or compatible PC running Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 and audio recording software such as Reaper, Ableton Live, FL Studio, Orion or Cubase.

You will also need a DirectInput compatible Guitar Controller (for the PC, PS3 or XBox360), and a way to connect it to your PC.

How Do You Use It?

Armchair Guitarist is played using the same buttons you use to play Guitar Hero or Rock Band - you play notes by holding down Fret Buttons and playing them with the Strum Bar. When you're not playing, the Strum Bar and D-Pad let you change where the Fret Buttons are on the Guitar Neck, giving you access to the whole guitar.

Use the Whammy Bar to bend the notes you play.