Roland guitar synthesisers advise please

Flattop

Thinking about getting a Roland gr synth setup
Need some advice as know nothing about them
Either a GR20 or GR55
Is the Gr55 so much better at tracking etc as read the GR 20 has tracking issues
Obviously the Gr55 has more facilities, is it worth the extra cost
I've read you need to chop up a Strat scratchplate for pickup?? 
Looking for something for home recording, some extra sounds

Kittyfrisk

Calling @HarrySeven ;

sweepy

Get Jam Origin guitar synth, so much easier and tracks better imho 

HarrySeven

Depends on the kind of sounds you want, too...

ICBM

OK it was a long time ago, and a generation or three out of date now, but based on my experience with a GR-09 and the GK-2A pickup, I would say...

Forget it and buy an SY-300 or an SY-1.

You can put the GK-2A (or 3) on a Strat without cutting the pickguard - although to mount it really well, you'll need to drill holes - but I found the results too fussy to be useful for recording... I spent more time correcting the parts on the computer than it would have taken me to learn to play them on a keyboard, I think.

richardhomer

In my experience, long, smooth sustained sounds (such as string parts) tend to track well. Percussive sounds (piano being a good example) are awful....

Flattop

Thanks for replies
Looking for string/organ sounds maybe piano if not to troublesome also

Funkfingers

I currently have a "surplus" GR20. The tracking is fine with its Internal sounds. The issue is probably setting up the Sensitivity with only a very simplistic display to judge by. (Even if you are an experienced user.)

The GR55 has a better sound engine (more "layers" = greater sonic complexity) and proper in-depth programming from scratch.

There is no need to drill into your guitar to fit a Roland GK hexaphonic pickup. It can be affixed with either adhesive pads or a third party metal plate that reuses the pickguard screw holes.

ICBM said:

I found the results too fussy to be useful for recording... I spent more time correcting the parts on the computer than it would have taken me to learn to play them on a keyboard, I think.

I concur ... for "keyboard" and most orchestral sounds.

Summers, Fripp, Belew, Hackett and Rutherford riffage works perfectly well. For my tastes, analogue synthesis gels better with a guitar trigger device. 

For full disclosure, I use a Roland VG99.

normula1

I've a GR55 and can get a pretty good Hammond and Leslie sound, piano isn't bad, saxophone is awful, trumpet is quite good for terrible Chet Baker impersonations. My problem with it really is that I use it for a few days, realise I prefer guitar and put it away for another couple of months. Rinse and repeat

blobb

Jam origin and a soft synth or one of those EHX pedals.

p90fool

I use a GR-20 with a GK2-A pickup and it tracks pretty well when you get used to it and set the sensitivity properly. 

I mainly use it at home to play in MIDI tracks, usually only using the internal sounds for monitoring, though some of them stay on. 

I did all the instruments on this with it;

Kebabkid

I've had a couple and the last one was the GR-33. I think from this version onwards (GR-20, GR-55), there was an improvement in the sounds and the tracking improved and how expressive you could be. With the GR-55, you have the added bonus of being able to use it like a Boss GT unit for just your guitar processing and without the need for the synth pickup and one went on here recently for very little money (under £300 all in with pickup).

I got better results when I attached the pickup via a bespoke plate that didn't require drilling or modification and used existing pickguard screw holes and the end strap pin or you could get a dedicated GR-ready guitar from Fender/Roland, Godin, Brian Moore and I think even Ibanez, Parker Fly and Carvin had models and there could be others out there but the first 3 were the main and more common ones.

The other things you need to get right are setting the sensitivity and different sounds vary. Also, you need to adapt your technique to ensure you dampen as each sound is converted into a sound and think of the instrument your playing and how you would approach it.

Alternatively, as has been said, you could look at the Boss SY-300 unit and there's now a smaller, regular Boss-sized pedal version (SY-1) OR/ go the separates and slightly messy route of getting an Axon Midi Converter (rack unit) and find a sound module that you like and link them up OR/ look at the dedicated EHX keyboard units that just require you to plug in normally but I'm not sure how good the reliability of these EHX units are. Also, demo guy is a very masterful player who's very adept at damping the strings, controlling the pick dynamics and navigating the unit well. I say this respectfully but I'm not sure how many of us would achieve the same results

some demos:-
Roland GR-55 - Cheesy but you get a good idea of the sounds


Boss SY-300 and no special pickup required-

EHX Units and no special pickup required

paganskins

Flattop said:

Looking for something for home recording, some extra sounds

If it's for recording, and assuming you're doing so computer based, fishman triple play and triple play connect are worth looking at. 

ICBM

The original EH Micro-Synthesizer is remarkable for an analogue box designed in the 1970s - strictly speaking it’s not a synth at all, it’s an octaver, fuzz, attack delay, and filter sweep all in the same box, but it really worked very well and would even handle some chords, within reason. I had one of the early big-box reissues which was brilliant - although with the worst bypass I’ve ever heard, and one of the few pedals I’ve ever converted to true bypass - but the size and special power supply meant I didn’t really use it with my main set-up, so I sold it... regretted it and bought the newer small-box version, but it wasn’t even close to as good.

poopot

@Flattop what daw are you using out of interest?

thegummy

sweepy said:

Get Jam Origin guitar synth, so much easier and tracks better imho 

That's what I would say as well - seems crazy to modify a guitar when there's a plugin that costs a lot less than the hardware and just uses a normal guitar for the input.

poopot

thegummy said:

sweepy said:

Get Jam Origin guitar synth, so much easier and tracks better imho 

That's what I would say as well - seems crazy to modify a guitar when there's a plugin that costs a lot less than the hardware and just uses a normal guitar for the input.

If you’re using logic you don’t even need a plugin!!!!!

record DI guitar > enable flex pitch > convert flex pitch data to midi > add instrument generator...

I assume other daws have the same feature!.

Flattop

Thanks for replies guys,really useful info cheers
 it would be used to record on tascam dp digital 8 tracks hard disk portastudio
Prefer to fit it to a USA strat if possible

thegummy

poopot said:

thegummy said:

sweepy said:

Get Jam Origin guitar synth, so much easier and tracks better imho 

That's what I would say as well - seems crazy to modify a guitar when there's a plugin that costs a lot less than the hardware and just uses a normal guitar for the input.

If you’re using logic you don’t even need a plugin!!!!!

record DI guitar > enable flex pitch > convert flex pitch data to midi > add instrument generator...

I assume other daws have the same feature!.

Possibly useful for others but I personally would hate to record dry guitar then later turn it in to a synth, I need to hear the sound as I'm playing it so I can react to it.

Funkfingers

thegummy said:
I personally would hate to record dry guitar then later turn it in to a synth. I need to hear the sound as I'm playing it so I can react to it.

#MeToo

With some synthesizer sound generators, sustained pad sounds are best controlled by precisely coordinating of pressing the Hold button and palm muting until ready to play the next chord. This technique minimises false triggering within the GR20. It would not work very well with the Flex Conversion suggestion.

Flattop said:

Looking for something for home recording, some extra sounds

Your easiest option is the pedals that employ "granular" polyphonic pitch tracking from a standard mono guitar cable. i.e. The BOSS SY-300 and the EHX 9 series pedals.

In my opinion, you can never have access to too many remote foot switch and Expression controllers. 

If you have an iPad or iPhone and an audio/MIDI in/out device, you can make plenty of novel noise with Flux:FX by Belew. https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/flux-fx

midiman1962

p90fool said:

I use a GR-20 with a GK2-A pickup and it tracks pretty well when you get used to it and set the sensitivity properly. 

I mainly use it at home to play in MIDI tracks, usually only using the internal sounds for monitoring, though some of them stay on. 

I did all the instruments on this with it;

I did enjoy listening to this track - the most striking thing that stood out to me was the vocal harmonies/mix .