Prominy Hummingbird Tutorial, Part 2: Techniques for a More Realistic Performance

Controls for Faithfully Reproducing Guitar Techniques

Welcome to the second tutorial on Prominy’s Hummingbird acoustic guitar instrument.
Previously, we covered the basics, focusing on strumming and arpeggios as ways to shape your performance. This time, we will explore techniques for getting closer to the sound of a live performance.

Note: On May 22, we added a video about arpeggios at the end of this article.

Prominy Hummingbird Video Tutorial

1. 1Prominy Hummingbird Tutorial, Part 1: Strumming and Arpeggios
2. 2Prominy Hummingbird Tutorial, Part 2: Techniques for a More Realistic Performance

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Selected Questions and Answers from the YouTube Video

It sounds very realistic when played in real time. Watching this video reminded me how useful this instrument is, especially considering the effort involved in setting up to record a real guitar. May I ask a question about using it? What options are there for programming arpeggios on their own? I currently combine the E1 Single Note keyswitch with CC64, but I would like to enter parts more quickly using the Arpeggio Keys if possible. However, when I try playing with the chord recognition function (C-2 to E-1), the Arpeggio Keys do not seem to follow the selected chord unless I first play it with the Normal Keys (E3–C7). Setting the velocity of the Normal Keys to 0 did not set the chord, so I could not play the arpeggio either. Is entering each note individually the only way to program arpeggios? I look forward to your future videos.

We made a video to answer your question. Please take a look: https://youtu.be/3dpSgVW9H94

Changing the Strumming Speed

Use MIDI CC#3 to change the strumming speed.

• fast stroke: 0–63
• slow stroke: 64–127

For a realistic sound, remember that the speed of each strum varies in a live performance. It takes some work, but try adjusting the stroke speed for each individual note.

Changing the Strumming Direction

Use MIDI CC#58 to change the strumming direction.

• auto: 0–31
• forced: 32–63
• down only: 64–95
• up only: 96–127

Prominy’s official manual explains the CC controls. You can download the Japanese manual here.
Note: The “MIDI controllers” section starts on page 118.

Playing Single Notes

In addition to open chords and barre chords, you can, of course, play single notes.
Open the drop-down menu and look under Single Note to see three playing options.

• legato slide: Hold the previous note while playing the next one to perform legato slides or hammer-ons and pull-offs.
  Note: You can also use this slide behavior to recreate techniques such as upward and downward slides and glissandi.
• no legato: Unlike legato slide, this option does not produce a slide when you play successive notes with overlapping key presses.

Techniques for Greater Realism

Adding playing noises throughout a song can make the instrument sound even more like a real guitar.
Here, “noise” refers to fret noises and muted sounds.

Incorporating these four keyswitches into a song adds realism: D2 and D#2 for muted upstrokes and downstrokes, G#1 for “picking noise,” and A1 for “muted brush noise.”

Using Hold Keys

The F1, F#1, and G1 keyswitches used for sliding off are called Hold Keys. If you release the played note while holding a Hold Key, finger-release noise and fret noise sound as the note slides off.

Customizing Play Keys

Select the Options tab, then choose “play key” from the menu at the bottom right.

“muted brush noise” is assigned to A1, as indicated by its orange light.

Click it to turn the light off. Playing A1 will then produce no sound.

You can assign multiple noises to the same key. Turning on “fret noise” as well mixes the body-hit sound with fret noise.
You can customize noises from F1 to A#1. Try creating your preferred combinations to bring the sound closer to a live performance.

Expanding Your Sound with Effects

In the Effects section, you can switch rack-style effects on and off. From top to bottom, these are an equalizer, compressor, chorus, and reverb. Many of you may prefer to process sounds in your DAW, but why not try a different approach to EQ and compression using Hummingbird’s built-in effects?

You may discover a new sound.

Prominy Hummingbird Arpeggio Tutorial

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How do I change the strumming speed using MIDI CC in Prominy Hummingbird?

Use MIDI CC#3. Values of 0–63 select fast stroke, and 64–127 select slow stroke. For a realistic performance, it is important to fine-tune the CC values for each note so that the speed varies from strum to strum.

Q2. How can I recreate slides and hammer-ons when playing single notes?

Select “legato slide” under “Single Note” in the playing mode menu, then play the next note while holding the previous one. This lets you perform legato slides, hammer-ons, and pull-offs.

Q3. How can I make Hummingbird sound even more like a real acoustic guitar?

Insert fret noises, muted sounds, and picking noises throughout the song using the D2, D#2, G#1, and A1 keyswitches. Using Hold Keys to add finger-release noise when sliding off also helps create a more natural performance.