Frequently Asked Questions

Because the Guitarmaster concept may be new to you, we have attempted to answer some of the most frequently asked questions regarding our music software on this page. You may wish to visit our Examples page first to see what our Guitarmaster wav-to-midi conversion and notation software can do.

Windows Vista: Guitarmaster is fully compatible with Windows Vista, and works well under that operating system. However, when you first install the program you should change the installation directory to "C:\Guitarmaster2" (where C is the local hard drive) rather than accepting the default of "C:\Program Files\Guitarmaster2". This is because directory permissions may cause read/write issues if you install to the Program Files directory.

Q1. Can I see the User Manual?
A1. Yes. Please visit the User Guide page to view the full user manual for Guitarmaster V2.0 in PDF format. This will provide detailed information on all of our product's functionality. It also contains a useful Troubleshooting section which you should consult if you encounter difficulties with either the demo or the full version of the program.

Q2. Can I use Guitarmaster to transcribe pre-recorded music?
A2. Guitarmaster is configured to transcribe the sound of a single electric guitar, played clearly. The software is intended as a notation aid, to allow you to use your guitar as an alternative to a keyboard for inputting notes and chords into your PC for conversion to music notation. We have included an "import" function to enable you to import existing waveaudio (".wav") files into Guitarmaster, but this will only work well with good quality recordings of a single guitar played clearly. The waveaudio file must be in the format 22,050 Hz, Mono, 16 bit. Waveaudio files in other formats may be converted to this format using the Windows Sound Recorder application.

Q3. How do I physically connect my guitar to my PC?
A3. In order to use Guitarmaster you have to plug the output from your electric guitar into the "mic" or "line-in" socket on your PC's soundcard. Please see our Plugging In page for full details of all the various options available to you. Please note that RoboSens Ltd. accepts no responsibility for consequential loss or damage caused by connecting the output of your guitar to your PC's sound card. Do not use effects! Do not use guitars with active circuitry!

Q4. Does Guitarmaster produce standard music notation?
A4. Because there are so many programs on the market (at little or no cost) which will convert MIDI files to standard notation, we decided not to re-invent the wheel. Guitarmaster produces guitar tablature in a standard text file, along with a standard MIDI (music) file. Our application then lets you associate Guitarmaster with any MIDI-compatible notation application, so your selected standard notation package can be launched automatically from Guitarmaster. (This association is handled under the Preferences screen on the Guitarmaster main screen). Please see our Links page for suggested standard notation packages. Guitarmaster works best in conjunction with applications such as Cubase, Sibelius or Noteworthy. Note: You do not need a third-party notation package to view the tablature and chord names produced by Guitarmaster, as these can be viewed in any standard text editor, such as Windows Notepad.

Q5. Will Guitarmaster work with an acoustic guitar?
A5. Possibly. You can plug a microphone into the "mic" socket in your sound card and record your acoustic guitar ambiently. Alternatively, you can fit a pickup to your acoustic guitar and use it as you would an electric. The results you obtain from Guitarmaster will, of course, depend on the quality of your microphone or pickup. The sharper the "attack" characteristic of your instrument the better the results are likely to be.

Q6. How good is Guitarmaster? Will it literally transcribe anything I play?
A6. Guitarmaster is very good at transcribing chord sequences (any chords) at a rate of up to one or two changes per bar. It is also very good at transcribing single note melodies, played cleanly, up to about 16th notes (semiquavers) at 120 quarter notes (crotchets) per minute. Guitarmaster applies an intelligent tablature rulebase to provide the most likely fingering for a given set of notes. It is best to think of Guitarmaster in the similar way to a voice recognition package: if you speak very fast in a strong dialect then such a program will not work well. Similarly, if you play very fast and idiomatically, Guitarmaster is unlikely to produce as good results as it will if you play more clearly and/or slowly.

Q7. Is there a version of Guitarmaster for bass guitar?
A7. There are currently no firm plans to produce a version of Guitarmaster for bass, though we would certainly consider this if future demand indicated a sufficient market for this. We shall keep this issue under review.

Q8. Is there a version of Guitarmaster for Mac?
A8. There are currently no plans to produce a version of Guitarmaster for the Apple Mac, though we will keep this issue under review.

Q9. Can I download the full version over the Internet, without having to order the CD-ROM?
A9. Yes. Just select the relevant option when ordering on-line.

Q10. Who makes Guitarmaster?
A10. RoboSens Ltd., a small independent company based in Edinburgh, Scotland, are the manufacturers and sole distributors of the Guitarmaster guitar transcription software. Please visit the Contact page for further details.