It's the best rewiev of this thing. You're really great and creative,man!)

@lobster-music

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks :) If you still have any questions, feel free to ask.

I use a gr-55 with my bass. I play in a hard rock trio. When the guitarist solos I bring in a cosm modelled guitar an octave above my bass to fill in the sonic hole left by not having a rhythm guitarist. Also use organ & strings to make everything sound bigger. Fiddling with attack & delay, and the hold function helps it fit. I also use the wave file player in the gr-55 to play samples like siren at the start of war pigs. The chromatic setting which stops bent notes and string sensitivity adjustment can make piano tones work but it's a fine line between missing notes and hearing ghost notes.

@nealixd.3011

Жыл бұрын

Sounds like you are using it to maximum advantage the best you know, good stuff.

Wow, for all the reasons you mentioned and more I gave up on my GR 55 and just started getting more serious about learning to play piano and synths. Ty for the absolutely honest coverage.

very smart made, you cover almost all the points, thanks a lot, very helpful

brilliant video. I own a casio/ibanez Gr10 midi guitar that ive had for about 20 years and only use it in the studio with a sound canvas.tried years ago playing live with it. your video reminded me why I gave that up. Thank you. DP

Such a good video, thanks very much. I was starting to wonder about guitar synths but think I might just focus on the basics first 👍

This is so helpful! I've just got hold of a guitar that has a GR-3 pickup installed, and am thinking about whether or not to pick up a synth module to make the most of it.

Thank you very much for making this video. This helped me decide on not purchasing a gr-55 on craigslist on impulse. Cheers!

I have owned/used the AXON AX100mk2, and Roland GR33, GR55, VG88 & VG99, Boss GP10 & SY1000 and Fishman Triple Play. Over the years, my setup and use for each of these has gone through MANY iterations; including exactly what you have described. For me, the trick to finally incorporating any of these live has two parts: 1) Get a guitar with electronic options; especially one with a hexaphonic piezo +preamp and multiple outputs for electric, acoustic and 13pin/synth, and 2) Treat EACH of those signal paths as partners that combined make effect/timbre references but maintain a singular musical tonal core quality; this means applying an audio engineer's ear to each (in terms of EQ/balance/phase/etc), and then mixing the least effected tone (for me that would be the acoustic signal) to be loudest. I play predominantly solo gigs, so I normally have a larger frequency range to mess around with. But I also use this approach when playing in a duo or trio. You can always turn one of the more effected outputs down (via guitar mounted controls or volume/expression pedals) for a song or set that doesn't need a specific reference, or where you find yourself stepping on sonic toes. Likewise, you can always kill the fundamental/core tone in order to highlight a bandmate by just comping keys/organ or pads or a bassline. The world of guitar synthesis and MIDI control is simply incredible and I can't believe it isn't just as popular as amp modeling, given the palette it affords players who dive in.

@patrickbraz9449

8 ай бұрын

Brother, have you ever got a GM 800? Got anything good or bad to tell me about it?

Quite possibly the funniest Midi Guitar review I've ever seen! Love it! Still not sure I need or want a GR 55 :) You were supposed to sway me one way or the other... Esp as I want to use it live with a band and Ableton :)

Nice video, thanks for sharing. I came across your video as I pulled out my old Roland GR30 and was watching videos to remember how to use it. I realize this video is 3 years old but I, personally, would disagree with a few points that you made. I have been playing in a church environment for the last 10 years or so and have been using a Roland GR55 for that last 5 or 6 years live. Yes, there are some things you have to be mindful of while playing but the Roland really adds to the overall band's sound. Typically I add strings, synths and orchestra sounds to songs and it really goes over well. The audience wow factor does vary though. So between the Roland GR55 and my Line6 Helix guitar processor I haven't found anything that I haven't been able to cover sound wise. Also, in the mounting of the pickup I have been using the mounting tape that came with the GK3 and have had no issues with it coming off unless I am removing it myself. Also, I would mention that the editing, at least on the GR55, is much easier now that it was before . I haven't had the need to modify any sound just before playing. And at home it's really breeze doing so. Thanks again for your video. You brought up many valid considerations before buying one of these and your video would be helpful to anyone considering going this route.

so gr-55 will trigger xpand (a midi effects plug in) in pro tools12? i would never even use the effects module as pro tools has everything so is there something cheaper just to use as a trigger for midi from guitar? has to be able to play polyphonic.

Love your vibe man.. and the xibit joke was 🔥🔥🔥🤣🤣🤣

Hello thank you for the excellent and informative video. I have been using the GR20 for years and just recently added the GR55. I find the sounds of the GR20 to be richer and deeper then the GR55 but there is sometimes some tracking issues. The GR55 does track better and is fully editable, but I cannot seem to get those rich overtones which come with the GR20. For people who arent classical or jazz musicians these items can at least help you to delve into those genres. Thanks again for the video.

The way your desk became loaded with KitKats was funny. Thanks for the info, you saved me money!

@lobster-music

7 жыл бұрын

I'm glad I could help, spend the money wisely :) I looked at your channel, and this is something you may be interested in: www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/electro-harmonix-pog2-polyphonic-octave-generator-guitar-effects-pedal Basically this does what you're doing by fully analog means. Electro harmonics also has other similar effects, but I never did much investigation into them.

Maybe I'm in the wrong vid asking this but is there such a midi guitar controller that won't need a daw or processor like a gr-55 if you have a synth with midi in and out?

Hola me llamo ruben guzman , yo compre hace unos meses el gr 55 , sucede que ya tenia el gr 20 y me gustaria saber si existe una forma para hacer la coneccion midi entre los dos pedales , Sabes si se puede hacer ?

Mmm kit Kats! Great video very honest and diplomatic, yeah I saw Adrian Belew live about 8 years ago and he used his guitar synth for one song.

@kenpie66

5 жыл бұрын

ianandy1234 great job...the gr 55 i did buy....ihad previously owned the gr 33....this vid totslly applies to gr 33 30 20 1..... the modeling feature and alternate. tunings of the gr 55 is fabulous and worth the money.. the jtm 45 1and 2 with a hint of tremola is the exact tone of 1968 through the70s... the easy edit mode puts you any where you want in tone and reverb. the gk3 pickup tracks guitar modelling for the gr 55 never missing...and shred away ...the 2 syth modes i let the expresion pedal sustain tones . edit backing tracks ahead of time. .the tracking of the synthesisizer on all the gr syths are frustrating. the model and the guitar pickup mode are dually assignable and awesome.. with gr 55 you get tep synth tones...one gk3 pickup modelled tone. the guitar pickup tone and will patch thru its built in boss cosm effects processor the cosm also allows rearrangement of each effect..have fun folks

Great video, I own a GR-55 and I must say everything said here is completely true, just pure facts I do however play alone with a looper so I do use it live, but its not an easy pedal, I used it live without a looper for a while, getting the patches to work was a real handfull, but you know, its a great tool, there´s a lot to work with , so if you have tons of patience its worth your while.

Great review. Funny too. I have the GR-20. I pretty much only use it in the studio, and not that often, but I have used it live with a little bit of success. Usually just the synths.

@lobster-music

4 жыл бұрын

Same here. My gr 33 has been in a box since i moved - over a year now. Thanks for the sub, i really appreciate it :)

Sell the GR33 - Buy insulin.

@SeanRyan14

5 жыл бұрын

Good one...

@zeekanyc

4 жыл бұрын

Orson Cart 😂😂😂😂

@johnlannikk2701

3 жыл бұрын

I was going to comment but cant top that one!

how do you fix A GK3 Roland synthesizer with the GK switch not picking the synths sounds but the Guitar and Mix switch working?

@lobster-music

2 жыл бұрын

The first thing to check is if the synth works at all - the guitar and mix are kind of on a separate circuit... You may be able to do it with a keyboard and using midi in. If the synthetizer is ok, the problem can be with the cable or the pickup. I would start with trying a new cable, and if that does not help, checking the GK pickup. As a poorly semi-qualified electronic engineer, my guess would be that the part of pickup that fails the most is the cable connecting the part with magnets with the part with knobs and switches - before replacing the pickup i would take it to a local electronics repair shop, the guy will panic at first but if it's a problem with unsoldered cable (from moving around), he should be able to fix that. If it's not that, it may be the socket in the pickup or unit, in that case a local music gear fixer might fix it. In general, the things that break in electronics are usually cables, sometimes capacitors, and very rarely anything else. Even if warranty is void, local electronic workshops can fix those issues, of course it's best to find one that specializes in musical gear.

I love this video. No bull just the facts. Saved me a lot of time and money.

Everything is subjective. I have used my GR-33 live for 19 years and the audience loves it. I get asked all the time wo's playing the piano lol

@Skiddins

3 жыл бұрын

Similar thing here 😃. I use it for strings, piano or organ normally. Bought mine in 2001

@user-ip4jl1ws9y

Жыл бұрын

3ㅈ

It should be noted that the COSM guitar modeled sounds are more reliable live than the PCM synth tones? (I find this is the case when playing synth violin w/GR-55.)

I just took mine out of the closet for the first time in years. What an apt video! I gotta go get me a kit kat!

This video is the truth, the hard truth, the crunchy kit kat truth. I have a Gr-55. It is a consant source of inspiration, and endless fun at home alone with a mixing desk, a looper, a drum machine, maybe some DAWing. You can spend weeks just cycling through sounds. And more weeks making them up. It cracks open styles of music and play you didn't think you would try. It's fun fun fun. Quite expensive fun. And the DEPTH of textures you can get are amazing. Just amazing. Whether it's useful or not is perhaps another conversation.

What is the model number of the pickup you’re using. Doesn’t look like the GK-2A I have (from around 2001)

@lobster-music

3 жыл бұрын

It's GK-3, late 2005 :)

thnx for your wisdom... it helped me make up my mind :)

Informative and funny.... like in that good way where you weren't trying too hard to be funny and didn't care whether we thought it was funny or not. Thanks for the honest review.

Break me off a piece of that kit Kat bar. It's all in the radius of the pickup compared to your bridge settings. GR 33 is amazing. Dig the video bro. Thanks

Sir, I want know that tha string,sax, flute and etc effects play properly or not in gk3 picup ?

@lobster-music

11 күн бұрын

Yes, strings and flute are very nice, but sax - less nice :)

Of the 3, which one has the best sax and solo violin sounds? Piano is a given I guess, but I use as real sounding instruments as I possibly can. BTW, been using MIDI guitar for over 30 years, and I don't have them ALL (all the Roland pedal type synths), still using a U110 for my basic sounds!

BLESS YOU!!! A rare mix these days, you were; Honest, Informative, with a entertaining, and humorous delivery!!! I just subscribed! Any recommendations for Classical / Nylon stringed, guitar players who wish to harness the power of synthesizers to their performances? Please advise. Please Be Well, Will .

@lobster-music

5 жыл бұрын

I think the best option is to get a guitar with a built-in pickup, like ones godin is making: godinguitars.com/product/acs-grand-concert-natural/ Its an expensive option, but: 1) it spares you the effort of mounting the midi pickup 2) you have a guarantee that the pickup is mounted properly - any time I complained about tracking quality I got back replies that "I should fix my pickup mount" - so maybe its better to leave it to pros 3) guitar looks good - it does not have any strange devices on it, like it's being assimilated by the borg ;) Its more expensive than buying a pickup, but most likely you can trade your in guitar (or one of your guitars, the one you least like) - godin makes pretty good stuff after all. As for the midi controller, if you have an audio interface and a computer and are familiar with virtual instruments - I would buy the cheapest possible (and used), use it only for midi out and get most of the sounds via virtual instruments. Even if you want to play live, it's no longer shame to have a laptop on stage. Infact, its even a little bit cool ;)

@RIDETHESUNSHINE

5 жыл бұрын

@@lobster-music Thank You Good Sir for taking the time to give an answer, that even this cave dweller could clearly understand. I am the end result of 10,000 generations of fishermen, and shepherds. If there are 2 great lessons I have learned in my 60 + years offshore is; 1. Nothing beats experience.

My friend can you please tell me how do I hook up my GR 33 to the computer? Thank you.

@lobster-music

Жыл бұрын

It has double (stereo) audio output for your audio interface, so you need two 1/4 jack cables (standard guitar cables will do). For midi - it has a traditional midi output - so if your audio interface has no midi in, you'll have to get a USB-midi interface - usually around 20-40 usd/eur

I've had a gr20 for many years now and you are correct, It is more trouble than its worth. Except for in the studio, writing, arranging and demoing songs for which it is worth its weight In crunchies. I bought it because I can only play guitar but I wanted to have a pallet of traditional instruments as well. The xylophones and ethnic fiddle are my tops.

The GR 33 has a scat vocal jazz sound built in. Is there a solo pedal which can just give me this scat sound instead of buying the whole synth please?

@lobster-music

10 ай бұрын

Unfortunately no :(

I face a prob on gr 55 User light is droped but why sir? Can u tell me?

@lobster-music

3 жыл бұрын

Do you mean the lcd display brightness?

Brilliant video. You may have just saved me buying a GR-55 too. I have already fallen foul of the GK-2 into a GI-20 and out to various synth modules. The latency was terrible and the necessity to play impossibly cleanly became tiresome but that's down to my poor technique. As a box for making interesting noises it has merit but as a composing/recording aid, I have my doubts.

10/10 on the video--excellent! Got the GR-1 / GK-2 40 years ago and installed it on a Japanese strat. Still using the synth / guitar live in a band. Very good piano, horns, latin/caribbean, banjo, flute; passable fiddle; and many sounds that are not anything I've found any use for. There are still, many capabilities I've never tried. Just picked up a lightly used GR-33 / GK-3, as a back-up in case the GR-1 croaks. I'm reminded of a couple of things. 1) these are incredibly sophisticated electronics, and it's unlikely anybody would ever use even 20% of the capabilities; 2) there's a lot to learn about controlling and configuring the unit (the GR-33's manual goes on for 130 pages); 3) if you play a non-guitar instrument like a piano on a guitar synth, you can't play the music like a guitar; you've got to think and play the song like a piano if you want it to really sound like a piano; 4) the GR-33 is very different and, in some ways, not as capable as the GR-1--or at least, as far as I can tell, having only begun reading the manual. You can't figure this out without studying the manual. On the GR-1, there's practically NOTHING available on-line to help learn the best way to use it. I figure there *May be more on the GR-33, but frankly speaking, so few people use these that it'd be surprising to find much. The novelty factor does indeed go away, but still, adding the sound of a piano (without a piano) or fill strings, or other instruments (e.g., flute in "Heard It In A Love Song"), played well, will add another whole dimension to music you play.

@lobster-music

6 жыл бұрын

Whoa, GR-1 40 years ago, and I though I was a veteran here :). If you have any questions about gr-33, shoot - maybe I'll know. And thanks for the 10/10 score. Too bad I have so little time for making new videos and good videos take so much time to make...

Hi. Can i install the gk3 pick up on a jackson guitar with floyd rose? Will i have tracking problems? Bless🙏

@lobster-music

4 жыл бұрын

It will be challenging - it should be as close to bridge as possible, but with floyd rose it cannot be too close because the strings move up and down when you use the whammy bar. I think the tracking should be ok, bit installing it may be challenging, but I guess we all have plenty of time for DIY challenges ;)

So I was thinking about getting MIDI pickups mainly for inputting notes into the computer while composing, or just jotting down ideas I had while practicing. Question is what's the best mix of simplest, cheap, and accurate for that purpose? The ones I knew about were the Roland Gk-3 pickups, the Fishman TriplePlay, and the Graphtech Ghost with their hexpander preamp. Have you looked into those products as well, and if so, what's your opinion on the most user-friendly choice for transcribing/composing?

@everythingisopen

5 жыл бұрын

for transcribing/composing check out audio-to-midi software like Jam Origin or migic.com and skip all the hardware

Thank you for the video. Just needed to double check before I get it. And the answer is it's exactly what I'm lookin for 😎🤙🏽 Studio music-making with custom patches. Basically Tame Impala - Currents type music since it's what's used on the entire album 😈 Your humor was very good too

@lobster-music

3 жыл бұрын

Wow, i didn't know they are using guitar synths :) I'll have to check them out more carefully. Thanks for letting me know :)

Man. I really don't know if the lcd screen of my gr-33 should be off, or if it just isn't working. When you power on the unit, does the lcd screen should turn on?

@lobster-music

5 жыл бұрын

It should be on, so most probably your stopped working - i notice that mine heas faded over the years, so i guess they were not built to last forever...

I just picked up a GR30 on a whim this weekend, and it was a good trade so not out any real dough. My neighbor literally had the 13-pin cable I needed (how does THAT happen?), and I can see myself using it - it sounds and tracks better than I expected using a Godin SA Nylon string. Love the video. I revisited it today now that I have one of these 'future dust collectors'.

@lobster-music

8 ай бұрын

I'm planning to undust mine at some point - far from perfect, but they are quite enjoyable :) Have fun :)

Thanks in advance for your time, some things are just "missed", like the Strat, it is NOT JUST a strat, but JC ( jazz chorus); the fiddle part too, you can edit to achieve the desired "expression", as you said, trick and painful editing...

I play a GR-9 and was wondering if I should upgrade to the GR-55. Since I'm here: This is an excellent overview of Roland synths up and downsides. However, I use mine live and it adds so much that if I can't play it cause I forgot the cable or power supply we don't play that song that night. After using it for a while you can figure out if it's going to work for a song. It does have tracking errors on fast passages, but for most stuff if gets by. If you are the type of person that "dies" if something happens, its not for you, I usually just shrug it of at a gig, or have the other guitar double the pate, i.e., The sax part on Quarterflash's Harden My Heart. Used the 3 pc horns for a lot of Motown stuff and also the Ides of March's- Vehicle, and it sounds killer. Flute works well for Up the Country, Nights in White Satin, Mama and Papas- California Dreaming. For stuff like that it really adds a lot to the song, so to me, it;s worth the risk of an occasional glitch.

I have Yamaha SLG200N (nylon) and I am interested in possibility to use GR55 without GK3 pickup (simulation of the instruments and the effects)... Thank you in advance for help.

@lobster-music

2 жыл бұрын

Gr33 needs the gk3 for instruments, it's responsible for big part of audio to midi conversion. I would assume that gr55 works in the same way, but i can't verify it now. Effects would still work, but there are much better effect processors out there.

Hah!!! Great video really enjoyed it.. So I see that you are using the GR-33 in the video.l The Gr-55 is supposed to be much more responsive, able to pull off the things that the 33 couldn't.. Can you do a review on the 55 please? Have you tried the 55 yet? I am on the markey would love your opinion and review. Go to guitar center pick one up and then take it back . haha thanks man keep up the good work!

Probably the best review of this. I am considering to replace my good old boss gt8 with gr55, but is it really that bad for playing live? I mean ofcourse I dont have to use all those synth stuff all the time and I will probably keep using it like a multi effects pedal. So the question is, can I use it like gt8 with additional effects on a stage?

@lobster-music

7 жыл бұрын

I think you can, but there are two questions: 1) How flexible are is the multi-effect engine of GR-55 and how much command do you have over the effects using the pedals? The pedals in GR-33 are totally non-intuitive, so I suspect that GR-55 might have the same problem. Flexibility - for example, can you change the order of effects? In gr-33, this was very limited. You can check all of this by downloading the manual and reading it, or at least : www.roland.com/us/support/by_product/gr-55/owners_manuals/ I know that it's boring, but it's the best, error-proof way of deciding whether to spend $799 on something ;) 2) Quality of effects - a dedicated multieffects processor, such as GT-100 will most probably sound much better (and is $300 cheaper) - I know that both use COSM , but it's just a buzz word that has been around since 1990s and is used by everything by KORG/BOSS, including pandoras, which do not sound serious. Unfortunately, the only way to check this is to listen - maybe there are some non-midi GR-55 demos on youtube... As for using midi live, as I said - it's more problems than fun, and I finally gave up on it altogether... EDIT: GT-100 $100 cheaper, not $300 - it's $300 cheaper now, there's a sale at amazon - maybe it's worth considering... ;)

what's your opinion on saying grabbing a gr20 to add some saxophone leads to an album im working on?

@lobster-music

Жыл бұрын

If you need sax leads for an album, I'm pretty sure you can hire a sax player for the gr20 money. Let's face it, musicians are not super well paid :)

@jasonwright4144

Жыл бұрын

@@lobster-music I hear that haha. However I'm looking into getting a Godin acs with a built in synth access and that really has peaked my interest!

In the GR-55, the COSM (composite object sound modeling) alone is worth the price. You can choose from among many guitars and amplifiers and the sound accuracy is about the best I've heard. My complaint about the GR-55 is that I've had some reliability problems, which is crap for an $800 unit. I rarely use synthesis, but I use the modeler daily.

I’ve had success shredding with xylophone and marimba on the tapping setting

I have used a Godin LGXT guitar (built in synth pickup) with a Roland GR-33 at a lot of gigs since 1999. Works great, lots of options. You make a 3-5 piece band sound like 7-9 musicians, esp. if you are a musician who can also sing while playing lead, rhythm or acoustic guitar parts, along with the synth and it's orchestral flavorings as needed. If you want the best of all worlds, plug the electric guitar HH circuit with five way pups switch into a good tube amp, and the Acoustic guitar and Guitar Synth (13 pin GK cable) into a full range amp. You can pretty much control everything from the Godin controls, even not have to stomp any on the pedal if you set up the GR-33 to receive patch changes from the Godin (look for their "3 voice" guitar offerings). I used a Carvin AG100 and AG300 for the full range flavorings of acoustic and synth guitar. You have a three mode switch to run all three circuits simultaneously or break them out on the Godin. At big gigs you can run the amps FOH from the line outs and you'll be golden. I have heard the GR55 has a lot more to it, but I have not tried one. The GR-33 is pretty gig friendly, just set up your first bank with sounds you know you'll regularly use, like Hammond B3 and other organs, grand and other pianos, electric piano, piano and strings, strings, brass, etc., and you'll be able to find them quickly from the patch switch on the Godin to read the display on the GR-33.

@nealixd.3011

Жыл бұрын

This is not necessarily the only way to do it, but it has worked well for me. I use a Fender Super Champ XD as my easy breezy tube amp, since it has built in amp models and effects and is channel foot-switchable. It has a great line out, no mike needed.

Thanks for sharing, I'm going to go and buy some kit Kats

I was using the GR-55 for recording into Logic Pro X. I sold it and bought the software plugin “Jam Origin”. It works great and is $99. No special pickup needed.

@swapnanilnag3713

4 жыл бұрын

Is this software really good !!! I am listening lot about the software ...(is the name jam origin midi guitar 2.somthing ) And quite interested in the sounds !!! Can I think to purchase it...

What gr 55 preset gave u the fender Rhodes sound

@lobster-music

2 жыл бұрын

'Panning rhodes', my fav

This video just kept going up & up & up, until that final KIT KAT punchline just smacks you in the face. This made me burst out with laughter, Congratulations .... Not many KZread videos do that! Very Entertaining .... Thank You ... Joe

Nice! I think It's worth buying if you read notes. I'm still using the GR20

The Kit Kats and the coffee haha!

I need to buy it.......chunky kit Kats are amazing.......and the pedal looks good too

Hi, great video. What about fishman triple? I think they fixed some of the problems that you mentioned here?

@lobster-music

6 жыл бұрын

I've heard some positive buzz about fishman triple play, but I've never had an opportunity to test it - and that's the only way to be sure ;)

Enjoyed the video and the humor! Was the coffee even used or was it a prop? Thanks!

@lobster-music

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks :) I'm a big coffee lover, so I drank it, but I'm pretty sure it was cold - filming takes a long time, especially that I get tongue-tied every 10 seconds :D

I like the review, very entertaining and useful. (Where to I mail the box of KitKats to?) But I think you might have been too negative. I've used the first one (Roland GR-1) to good effect since new (1992). I have since gotten a newer GR-33 (which turns out to be a Big disappointment because of inferior sound and a less-capable pedalboard). Generally, it only takes a few minutes to discover the downside of the guitar synths--false triggering, bad sound for some of the patches. I've found it needs to be played like learning a new instrument, or collection of instruments. The sax patch, for instance, has to be played with sax in mind--single notes, slurs, breathing space, etc---and avoid chords, endless runs, and other things that a sax can't do. Over the years, my audience as well as other musicians have complimented the sound, fascinated to hear organ, banjo, flute, piano, strings, horn section etc, coming out of a 4-piece guitar band. But out of the hundreds of sounds, I won't ever have any use for 90% of them. Overall, a guitar synth is definitely not for the casual player, but given time and practice, will be very worthwhile for someone who can work with it for a while to make it blend in with their band sounds.

Best review ever!

@lobster-music

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks, I'll try to do some more this summer :)

great video thanks!

Thanks for the caption!!

For analog sounds, consider the Boss SY-300. No PCM sounds, but it appears to track perfectly.

...great video....done in a style that kept me watching. I wanted to see how many kit kats you could put away...I was thinking of buying one (gr-55) not now....this video knocked some sense back into me....and I am a solo player with drum and bass backing tracks. I truly believe the "Wow" factor would go away after a few gigs. Thanks for an honest approach to this unit.

@lobster-music

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks, I'm glad I could help :)

@aa_bend_beograd

5 жыл бұрын

Me too.. tried gr 55 in a store for two days.. excitement at first, dissapointment at the end.. I gave up..

I have to tell ya man...that was FUN! Did you really eat all them kit kats? hehe Actually you just changed my mind AGAINST guying one. I have a nice MIDI guitar but I think it's best used with an amp after watching this....

What model BC Rich is that?

@lobster-music

6 жыл бұрын

A.A. Rocks 2004 exclusive, made in Korea

Gr8 video . thankx

What a terrific video - thoroughly entertaining and informative. Unfortunately I saw his having bought a GR-55 and pickups for both guitar and bass. All have now been sold for precisely the reasons set out here. I found it more productive for guitar than bass (which was awful) but only in a fun, messing around kind of way. If that's what you want one for then by all means get one and knock yourself out. Unfortunately I wanted to use it in a gigging environment but couldn't get anywhere near getting it stable.

The only one real video about midi guitar. Thanks mate! Really. I have a few questions... I need it for writing music in sibelius and recording midi to Reaper or any DAW. Does it a good job for it? Or I will need to fix all that I record? No latency problems? Which one do you recommend me for that purpose?..

@lobster-music

4 жыл бұрын

Yes, its pretty good for that purpose - it will need some fixing - there will be some extra notes and it will need quantizing. I use it for writing tabulatures pretty often. Regarding which one to get for this case - get the cheapest one - 99% of the job is done by the midi pickup that you mount to the guitar, and the pedal unit only takes care of sound - I think midi out should be similar for all of them, so why spend too much :)

Was this a kit Kat review? I heard midi something but that's about it...

I was playing my GR 707 while watching this video. I've run it through everything from the GR700 to the GM 70 then to control an XP 10 and when THAT bit the dust, a Juno DS. I almost bought a GR55 a few years back, but I was concerned that people might think I have a Roland fetish. BTW- it would probably be better to say "Playing BY yourself" rather than "Playing WITH yourself" - Just a suggestion...

Love your sense of humor. Your advice is well taken. Success with the GR synth will vary with the users playing style, technique and realistic expectation. How much weight did you gain while making this video?

@lobster-music

4 жыл бұрын

I gained a lot weight for the video, but not as much as during the recent lockdowns :)

@michaelromeo5689

4 жыл бұрын

@@lobster-music Yeah, 12 lbs for me :-( I was seriously thinking on the GR equipment, but thanks to you, not any more. Some of these KZread guitarists sure make it very tempting though

@lobster-music

4 жыл бұрын

@@michaelromeo5689 Yeah, I also gained around 12 lbs, but I managed to lose it over last two months. I bought an exercise bike and made sure any time I'm watching netflix, I'm also exercising. That's a purchase I can recommend, 11/10 :) Also, it was way cheaper than GR gear ;)

great advice! worth 9mins of watching...

Most of what you were saying pretty much confirmed what I'd already figured out. Interesting that you noted that the successful use cases live were mostly strings and solos, which is exactly what I'm after. I play primarily at church, and our keyboard player only comes occasionally (cut her some slack, she lives 200 miles away :) ) so I do a lot of volume-swell pad-type sounds (love the "Pad" preset on the GT-8 for that, btw). I'd love to be able to hold a pad chord and doodle some fills and melody notes over top of, and also would love to be able to trigger external synths for a couple of songs that require really un-guitar-like sounds. Given the cost differential between a new GR-55 and a used GR-33, the -33 looks like a winner to me. PS- looked at that litte yellow wonder box the GP10? What woud you say to a GP-10 vs GR-33 comparo? :D

@lobster-music

7 жыл бұрын

GP-10 is a different beast - it's a processor / synth, while GR-33 uses samples. Also, I think you're really after the "hold" (a.k.a. sustain) pedal, which seems to be absent in GP-10 - it does exactly what you're describing - holding the pad/string/organ part so that you can play a quick fill. If it's guitar fills you're after, the caveat is that you'll need a volume pedal for the guitar signal to do that properly - you need to mute the guitar when playing the pad chords. You can also play midi fills using the expression pedal on gr-33 or use the volume knob on the guitar, but the last solution isn't very convenient :) And yeah, as far as the midi part goes, I think GR-33 is the winner price-wise - the main new feature of gr-55 is the multi-effect module to process the guitar signal and USB connectivity (easy patch editing) with built in midi interface. But not everybody needs USB and most of us already own plenty of effect pedals...

I am also a GR-1 user. After all, the GR series feels like it has not matured and has come to modeling. It is difficult to eliminate pick-up mistakes and picks up harmonic components and malfunctions. Realistically, I think that VG could be used. I bought VG cheaply at the auction, but concluded it was still a realistic product.

Just bought a used gr09 for 60€ a week ago, definitly worth it for that price (strings are bad though, but keyboards and saxe are pretty decent).

Was thinking of buying one of these I’m on my way to the corner shop for a couple of bars

Hey! What do you think about Fishman Triple Play? Have you use it? I heard is better than GK-3 Pickup. I'm a guitarsit and fan of the synthesizers so i have boss sy-300 which is really great guitar synth working without special pickup but the sounds are very specific, you have to treat it as a new synth sounds, you will not get the famous sounds from keys with sy-300. I just bought GR-55 2 weeks ago, and actually all you said is true. To be honest i wanted only to use it for scoring the notes into my computer, using midi sounds from my DAW, and using Syth Leads + Pads/Strings sound. COSM technology is great but anyway i prefer using my amp and other guitar effects. So now i'm thinking about chaning GR-55/GK-3 to a Fishman Triple Play. I'm not a one-man band play and i dont like looping. I want to use it in home for composing and in live band situations (but only for synth pads and synth leads sounds, for the other sounds i've got my other bandmates)

@lobster-music

6 жыл бұрын

Hi, I have not tried Fishman triple play, but I have heard it's slightly better. Slightly, meaning that its not a new world of opportunities, but manages to have fewer quirks. Sounds like you have a very good (and realistic) plan regarding the midi gear :)

@mmsound3667

6 жыл бұрын

Any advice with configuring GR-55 for a Midi-Computer controler?? I just connected it for first time to my macbook and my DAW and some sounds are trackible like this internal in gr-55 unit but some of them are much worse. Then i connected it to my AX-Synth and it's completely disaster, doesn't track most of the notes.

@lobster-music

6 жыл бұрын

I always had the problems of too many sounds rather then missing sounds - I always had to remove many silent, weird notes after recording the midi signal. Did you try recording the midi? Maybe the notes are there, but are so silent that the instruments are ignoring them? In such case you can play around with the settings on GR-55 and on the midi track in your DAW - for example you can add midi compressor to increase the velocity of those silent notes. If the notes are not there, check all the possible settings on the GR-55 - from dynamics to midi out settings. Unfortunately, you may have to scan through the manual ;)

@fernandohidalgo9703

6 жыл бұрын

Hi! I have the SY-300. Well, it´s true that It could have limitations in some sounds (not all sounds) regarding polyphony (more of three notes at a time) and accuracy/response in fast notes. But if you are aware of it, I think it´s very reliable on gigs situations. But in this sense I have a doubt, are the limitations of the GR (GR-33, GR-55) the same as SY-300?? I´m considering a GR-55 and if it work similar to SY-300 I don´t see a problem to use it with a band. Thanks.

@mmsound3667

6 жыл бұрын

It works differently. To be honest i sold GR-55 and bought Fishman Triple Play, that works much better for me. Still i have SY-300 and i'm using it in live situations with band. SY-300 is perfect because it's only jack cable and tracking is perfect for me. With GR-55 i've got much more sounds possibilities but as well much more tracking issues (to many notes, silent notes etc.). Too much for me to use it with a live band (sorry but we are trying to achieve perfection in our music). Now i've just got fishman triple play and i think i will use it in live situation but it's still a new pickup for me so right now i'm testing it. I think you will have to check the GR-55 anyway by yourself, i know guys that are using it in live situations (more like solo acts, not in the bands)

What kind of distortion did You use?

@lobster-music

5 жыл бұрын

Korg AX300g multieffect pedal - for quick guitar recording I rarely use an amp, and if you're after a saturated, nice distortion for epic solos - go with either korg AX3000G (available used) or zoom pedals (new). Yeah, I know most people say they are crap, but I beg to differ - they are ok, and for a price of a distortion you get distortion, chorus, echo, reverb and compression - that's the full picture instead of just one pixel. IMHO as long as you cannot afford a proper pedalboard (distortion + delay as minimum, also reverb if your amp has none) you're better off with a multieffect, and even when you can afford it - multieffect is still more convenient :)

Did you know: heavier gauge strings solve most of the tracking issues with the hex pickups? A lot of critics gloss over that simple fact. I"m betting you use .009s. Also: these units run fine into the effects return of any guitar amp, and many bass amps have an MP3 input that bypasses the preamp and works beautifully with these synth units.

@guitardude4700

Жыл бұрын

And if you want to make more realistic acoustic sounds use acoustic strings

Excellent video. Amazing how much better I retain things when being entertained. Maybe it was just me, I came upon it when googling "which is better- a GR20 or a GR33, so it wasn't exactly what I thought. How I WISH I watched this before I bought anything. Rotate your poisons dude, switch between butterfingers and kit kats like I do. That's how I keep my slim 218lb youthful figure

Might you kindly elaborate a bit further about your experience with this unit live? I appreciate the long term implications and the self exploring nature this can have in a musician but playing live is ultimately my immediate need. I have owned a Digitech RP500 for over 6 years but it recently died, so I now find myself in quite the struggle to decide which route I should proceed to. ( the other pedal board I have in mind is the Line6 Firehawk) Thus any feedback into your positive/negative experience while using this live would be highly appreciated. Thank you dearly for the making of this video as well!

@lobster-music

6 жыл бұрын

As I said, the live experience is more bitter than sweet. First of all, you need to connect it, and its not as trivial as other guitar pedals - you may want to select a bass patch or make a very low drone sound. Those will not sound good via your guitar amp. So, the best place to connect the midi unit it the PA system, just like you would connect a keyboard - basically use the same loudspeakers as the vocals. But, your guitar sound should be going through the amp. You can use a patch cable to connect your guitar output to the GK pickup and route the guitar signal through the midi unit to the amp. But... Here comes the noise. You have just connected the grounds cables of your amp and the PA system / mixer. Unless the electrical circuit in the venue is well designed, you get a ton of noise. This has happened to me in most of places. The simple solution is use two cables: one for the guitar signal, going to the amp, and one for the midi pickup (the 12-pin connector cable, or whatever it's called). This removes the noise, but you can no longer use the guitar / mix / GR switch on the midi pickup. It's not a huge inconvenience, but it really annoyed me (plus, also having two thick cables to drag behind me instead of one). Basically, you need extra 15-30 minutes while setting up, and when you're not the only act playing it will get a lot of people to hate you ;) Next, there are the tracking errors. Random loud sounds you didn't play, missing sounds you did play and so on. It's OK 95% of the time, but believe me, everybody will notice those 5%. This is especially audible with patches like pianos, rhodes and other "plunk-like" sounds. "long" sounds, like strings, flutes, organs and pads are OK though. So, I finally decided that those couple of songs I used the GR-33 to play strings and pads can do without it. Also, I never got any comments about the midi sounds from anybody who was not a musician / technician. So, people just see it as another effect box and nothing special. I guess it's better to invest in craft, not in gear when trying to impress the audiences...

@Jhonrid

6 жыл бұрын

I appreciate the detailed explanation of your experience, it certainly directed me in a different path. Thank you thus greatly for taking the time.

I like this sense of humour. Great video. I 'll buy a ehx b9 instead.

You need to make a feature film ... Very entertaining...

THANK YOU!!!!!!

Great vid!

@lobster-music

6 жыл бұрын

thanks, man :) Checking out your channel made me wish I had practiced more lately :) Mad skillz :)

@TMoody

6 жыл бұрын

HA....thanks.... I just got a Godin LGX synth guitar....look out world here I come! :-)

VERY IMPORTANT KITKAT AND COFFEE IS A GOD TIER COMBO AND EVERYONE MUST TRY IT

Thank you for this video. I was near to buy this toy but would be disappointed.

Excellent demonstration!! Maybe you stated somewhere and I missed it, but I believe you show during the "looping" demonstration that you are using a Roland GR-33. True? I am considering the GR-30. I'm trying to find the differences between the models and stumbled upon your video. Currently, I'm using a 19" rack mounted GR-50 and I also own an Axon AX100 MK-II (also rack mounted). The Axon has wonderful internal sounds, but the string tracking (for me) is terrible!!! I've come to believe after combing through internet forums that there are certain guitar players that simply cannot work with the Axon and I'm probably one of them. I've changed every parameter and tried two different technology synth pickups and all to no avail with the Axon. I cannot play it without unwanted triggered sounds from many of the voices. The GR-50 on the other hand, tracks perfect for me. However, the sounds are a bit lack-luster due to when it was made. Still, I'd rather work with the GR-50 given the two synths I own. If I wanted to use the Axon's sounds via MIDI connection from the GR-50, that does work, but also seems to add to the latency. So as of late, I'm thinking of trying something else. Roland seems to be king of the guitar synth world so I'm looking at only Roland products. Might pick up a GR-30 from eBay if I like the sounds.

@garethbull2226

4 жыл бұрын

I have a GR-50 and a GR-55. If you are still looking for something new, Roland have just released a new product under their Boss brand, the Boss SY-1000. It should be getting into stores by the end of this month (Jan 2020). It basically does everything the Roland GR-55 does but with a different internal synth system and some changes to the COSM guitar modelling. Some stores are taking pre-orders at US$999. The SY-1000 does not need a GK pickup but some features won't work without a GK pickup, such as pitch shifting per string and the COSM guitar modelling. The SY-1000 also doesn't have a built in expression pedal.

I have a GR-55, and have the GK-3 pickup mounted on my PRS Custom 24. You're absolutely correct about playing as cleanly as possible - a minor clam that's barely noticeable when playing conventional guitar can create AWFUL overtones and such. Never rest your hand on the strings! Having said that, I actually DO play out live in a band with this thing, handling parts that a (mediocre) keyboard player would play - Hammond organ, strings, horns, piano, etc. I think the majority of the sounds are excellent, particularly if you judge them against synths, and not necessarily the real instrument. I'm CONSTANTLY having people in audiences tell me how amazing the sounds are. There are massive pains in the ass with how the GR-55 operates, but they're generally not gonna stop me from doing what I want to do. But I have to invest time in planning what I'm going to do, and really have to concentrate on my playing. (I should mention, I've ordered a used Godin xtSA, and I'm pretty sure it will work much better than that stupid GK-3, so I'm excited about that.)

@lobster-music

5 жыл бұрын

Please let me know how the godin turns out - from what i've heard, its supposed to be really good :)

Indispensable wisdom!

I keep digging mine out every few years, then forgetting about it. I don't even play in standard tuning anymore so it's useless to me. The sounds are also so dated. My only possible hope is to mount the pickup back on the strat I took it off of after years, then running the MIDI out into something with good sounds, like software synths.

guys does these GR-20 / GR-33 / GR-55 can loop? i mean working as loop station ?

@lobster-music

6 жыл бұрын

Nope. You'll need a separate module for that, like loop stations from boss or zoom. Or... You can use laptop with an audio interface and a mixer to route the signal. This is what I do :)

@hnctecnologia776

6 жыл бұрын

thank you!!

@no3rdseat

5 жыл бұрын

Yes,the GR-55 has a built in looper. It is FAR more advanced than the GR-20 or GR-33.

Excelent video

imho, when playing by yourself with guitar synth, you'd want to go full blown with all the latest synths you can get, namely a roland gr55 a boss sy1000 and a.roland gk unit selector. Or better yet, two gr55's two boss sy1000's and a primova gk parallel box.