Hi
Is anyone here in the forum who can tell me about gitarrsynthesiser? Is it difficult to handle strings of the guitar when you have a synth plugged in?
Do anyone know anything about this; http://www.thomann.de/se/roland_gr55gk.htm ??
Guitarr synth.
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VikingBlues
- Posts: 4466
- Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2010 7:44 pm
Re: Guitarr synth.
Hi Michael.
I have the older version - the GR20 - which I got second hand.
The main difficulties with the guitar strings are:
1) you have to be very wary of bends on some of the sounds. If it's simulating an instrument that can't bend a note it ruins any chance of it sounding reasonably right.
2) if you try a blistering run of fast notes (not a problem for me as I can't do that) there might be problems with the synth picking up all the notes properly
3) if you are at all careless and brush a string by mistake or give it a clunk with the pick or a finger you are likely to get a crystal clear very wrong note
4) if you are trying to pretend to be another instrument you have to try to play the notes in a similar way to the way they would be played on that instrument
But false and mis-triggered notes are the main enemy. Those notes will not be like a wrong note played on a normal guitar - they are likely to sound totally out of character with the sounds that should be happening - if you like think of the sort of mis-triggered noises from a poor signal on a digital TV. I think from what I have read that the GR55 is better at tracking notes properly. Certainly by all accounts the GR55 is a big advance on the GR20, but it's still a premium price.
In essence it is best to play in a very precise manner. Though that can get in the way of the creative spark!
It is necessary to use a lot of care in setting up the pickup that attached to the guitar - if it is the wrong distance away from the strings the performance suffers in a very big way. Also if the bridge on your guitar is set fairly low it may be difficult to find enough room to put the synth pickup in place.
As far as the sounds on the GR20 go, it is more use for adding colour to other conventional instruments. It is very difficult to make the instruments sound real enough that they stand up well enough to be lead solo parts. Not impossible though. Those difficulties could be down to my failings too. And as I've said the GR55 you've mentioned is a better piece of gear than what I use.
I have the older version - the GR20 - which I got second hand.
The main difficulties with the guitar strings are:
1) you have to be very wary of bends on some of the sounds. If it's simulating an instrument that can't bend a note it ruins any chance of it sounding reasonably right.
2) if you try a blistering run of fast notes (not a problem for me as I can't do that) there might be problems with the synth picking up all the notes properly
3) if you are at all careless and brush a string by mistake or give it a clunk with the pick or a finger you are likely to get a crystal clear very wrong note
4) if you are trying to pretend to be another instrument you have to try to play the notes in a similar way to the way they would be played on that instrument
But false and mis-triggered notes are the main enemy. Those notes will not be like a wrong note played on a normal guitar - they are likely to sound totally out of character with the sounds that should be happening - if you like think of the sort of mis-triggered noises from a poor signal on a digital TV. I think from what I have read that the GR55 is better at tracking notes properly. Certainly by all accounts the GR55 is a big advance on the GR20, but it's still a premium price.
In essence it is best to play in a very precise manner. Though that can get in the way of the creative spark!
It is necessary to use a lot of care in setting up the pickup that attached to the guitar - if it is the wrong distance away from the strings the performance suffers in a very big way. Also if the bridge on your guitar is set fairly low it may be difficult to find enough room to put the synth pickup in place.
As far as the sounds on the GR20 go, it is more use for adding colour to other conventional instruments. It is very difficult to make the instruments sound real enough that they stand up well enough to be lead solo parts. Not impossible though. Those difficulties could be down to my failings too. And as I've said the GR55 you've mentioned is a better piece of gear than what I use.
An improv a day keeps the demons at bay!
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HalfBlindLefty
- Admin
- Posts: 2015
- Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2010 1:23 pm
Re: Guitarr synth.
Michael,
I own a Roland (older type) Roland GR-50 Guitarsynth. I't about as VB states, you'll have to adapt your way of playing to the instruments sound the synth is set to.
I dug up the topic from july 2010 in which I tell about the purchase and played a couple of demos.
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=191&p=1744&hilit=roland#p1685
I own a Roland (older type) Roland GR-50 Guitarsynth. I't about as VB states, you'll have to adapt your way of playing to the instruments sound the synth is set to.
I dug up the topic from july 2010 in which I tell about the purchase and played a couple of demos.
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=191&p=1744&hilit=roland#p1685
A long time ago, in the old forum : Registered: Mon, 27 Nov 2006. Wonder were the other old members all went....
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MichaelRobinson
- Posts: 2172
- Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2011 10:20 pm
Re: Guitarr synth.
VB. Thanks for your outsourcing and response
It sounds komplicated to make it work. I do not think I have the patience for a synth. If I buy any guitar synth, it becomes probably just mint. I stick to the regular guitar sound.
It sounds komplicated to make it work. I do not think I have the patience for a synth. If I buy any guitar synth, it becomes probably just mint. I stick to the regular guitar sound.