For the musically inclined members of the QJ community, here's something new for you to try out. Rocamatics created a guitar effects processor for the PSP. Called GuitarBox v1.52, it will process electronic sounds in real time and add specific effects to them as desired by the user.

According to Rocamatics' readme, GuitarBox v1.52 carries the following effects with it:

• Noise Suppresor
• Phaser
• Distortion (overdrive type)
• Delay
• Equalizer (3-band)

Now, there's one important limitation to this app that you'll have to skirt past if you really want to use it. You'll need an electric instrument and an appropriate audio connector. Now, since you can't normally get those in retail (if you're using electric guitars, for example), you'll have to build one, which is done in some detail by Joel Van on this thread here. Otherwise, you could always use electronic microphones to do the deed.

In any case, why not try it out with a microphone first and see how well it does, then let us know what you think. Enjoy!

Download: GuitarBox v1.52

In case you guys weren't around last week, QJ.Net Forum resident Joel Van wrote a handy tutorial guide for turning the PSP into a portable guitar recorder. Among other important tools mentioned in the guide are Art's lteixeira Boom Headset modification, Art's Audio Mechanica homebrew application, and a 4 conductor 1/8 inch plug.

As a follow-up (or rather, a prelude) to that tutorial, Joel Van has just written up a guide for creating a universal recording adapter for the PSP. This new tutorial will enable the PSP to record "almost anything at CD quality into the PSP," as Mr. Van states - and yes, the PSP can still record guitar tunes. Now, before the guys head over to the PSP forums for the tutorial, you may want to have these items ready:

• A homebrew-compatible PSP
• PSP headphone remote
• A soldering iron, and soldering skills
• 1 x MONO Enclosed Shielded cable and 1 x Stereo Shielded Enclosed cable
• 1 x 1/8 inch 4 conductor plug
• 1 x 1/8 stereo female PLUG or directly wire a headset
• 1 x XLR female (universal adapter) or 1 x 1/4 Plug (guitar adapter)
• 1/4 PLUG
  

As a last note, Joel Van warns readers that the tutorial is just a rough guide - do not attempt this unless you're sure of what you're doing. For the guys who feel they have the technical know-how to pull this off, the full tutorial awaits at the QJ.Net Forum. Enjoy your read!

Visit: Joel Van's PSP universal recording adapter tutorial

Audiophiles/PSP owners may want to take heed of a thread GuitarHelper creator Joel Van started at the QJ.Net Forums. It's a step-by-step guide for using Art's Audio Mechanica homebrew application for recording guitar tunes on the PSP.

For the guys who don't recall, Audio Mechanica is a PSP-based audio recording application that can record your voice via a PSP-compliant microphone such as a SOCOM headset, or Art's Nokia Boom Headset modification (aka the lteixeira Boom Headset). Joel Van's tutorial proper will use the lteixeira modification to record guitar tunes into the PSP, as a SOCOM-compatible headset was difficult to find in Australia, his current residence.

The first half of the tutorial will detail the wiring and parts needed to get the PSP and guitar ready - the author used a store-bought 4 conductor 1/8 inch plug for his attempt. The second half of the tutorial will detail how to record using Audio Mechanica - Joel Van successfully ran the application on firmwares 3.03 OE-C and 1.5. Just click on the link below for the full tutorial details over at QJ.Net's PSP Development Forum. Enjoy the read.

Visit: Joel Van's PSP and Guitar Recording tutorial

Still having problems with those hard riffs and chords? Don't worry because homebrew developer Joel Van is back with an improved version of GuitarHelper. The application, as the name suggests, assists and teaches users on how to play the guitar. GuitarHelper was originally from guitargod1134, but Joel Van has been the one updating it for the past few weeks now.

Now in version .5B, Joel Van promised that GuitarHelper now has lesser bugs and more content. Despite this, take note that this version still uses the same navigation system for v.5a, so the program shouldn't feel any alien at all. This is written in Lua and un-compiled. The EBOOT, by the way, is LUA player direct loaded into lowser (version .16 unmodded).

Anyway, be sure to go over the Readme file a thoroughly before using this on your PlayStation Portable (PSP). All important details including controls and loading instructions can be found there. And as for the improvements made on GuitarHelper v.5B, here's the complete changelog:

• NEW EBOOT with NEW BACKGROUND & ICON (same music)
• NOW FRONT SCREEN, "press start to enter"
• NEW FLEXIBLE TUNER now lets you tune to STANDARD, DROP D, DOUBLE DROP D, FLAT (1/2 step) and DROP C, the tuner has a menu system to navigate these variations
• SCALES SECTIONS NOW INCLUDES 7 MODES and 7 SCALES
• 2 NEW CHORD CHARTS, AUGMENTED AND DIMINISHED
• DETAILED EFFECTS CATALOGUE THAT EXPLAINS HOW THE EFFECT WORKS AND PLAYS AN EXAMPLE
• NEW AUDIO COMPRESSION METHOD
• MINOR GUI CHANGES
• BUG FIXES

Download: GuitarHelper v.5B (for For OE/1.00/ELOADER/HEND)
Download: GuitarHelper v.5B (for 1.5)
Visit: QJ PSP Development Forum