Boss GM-800 and GK-5

[hippietim]

And an eventual GK5a that includes an input for guitar signal. To help the, you know, guitarists, who might be wanting to put one on their, you know, guitars.

It’s not that practical. Your guitar signal would need to be converted to digital first. Then you’d need the device you’re plugging into to convert the signal back to analog and provide a guitar out jack. This would effectively require all future TRS GK devices to provide the analog out as well. Or you’d need a converter with a pass through. And after all that, things like fuzz boxes are not going to like that signal.

 

[aerial7]

If you mean your analog signal, the answer is no.

From last summer's NAMM announcement about MIDI 2.0 and A2B:

A2B® is a high bandwidth, bidirectional, digital audio bus capable of distributing 32 channels of audio and MIDI control data together with clock and power over a single, unshielded twisted-pair wire.

(For me, that may be the single most exciting thing about MIDI 2.0; the impact could be profound.... I wouldn't call it a game-changer, but that's only because I don't use that stoopid term.)

 

[JiveTurkey]

It’s not that practical. Your guitar signal would need to be converted to digital first. Then you’d need the device you’re plugging into to convert the signal back to analog and provide a guitar out jack. This would effectively require all future TRS GK devices to provide the analog out as well. Or you’d need a converter with a pass through. And after all that, things like fuzz boxes are not going to like that signal.

Boss really just needs to get that (slightly more advanced than) TRS wireless unit up and running

 

[mbenigni]

It’s not that practical. Your guitar signal would need to be converted to digital first. Then you’d need the device you’re plugging into to convert the signal back to analog and provide a guitar out jack. This would effectively require all future TRS GK devices to provide the analog out as well. Or you’d need a converter with a pass through. And after all that, things like fuzz boxes are not going to like that signal.

I appreciate all of that, but if we're entertaining the idea of eventual new GK5-compatible devices from Roland, it would make all the sense in the world for one or some of them to include guitar signal processing (i.e. amp modeling and effects) and/or an analog guitar output jack on the back. Sure, there would be compromises related to the ADC/DAC process, but it would be infinitely better than nothing. For most applications/ configurations the compromise would be no more discernable than with any other buffered digital effect (or wireless unit) in the chain.

Boss really just needs to get that (slightly more advanced than) TRS wireless unit up and running

This wouldn't do anything to correct for Tim's concerns re: ADC/DAC to interactive circuits e.g. fuzz. But I agree with you anyway. :)

 

[mbenigni]

From last summer's NAMM announcement about MIDI 2.0 and A2B:



(For me, that may be the single most exciting thing about MIDI 2.0; the impact could be profound.... I wouldn't call it a game-changer, but that's only because I don't use that stoopid term.)

Everything that multi-channel audio/MIDI over USB has been spoiling (some of) us with for years, but with a much more stage-friendly cable. :)

 

[JiveTurkey]

Most people using guitar synths like to blend the guitar signal with the synth signal. I am in favor of those capabilities certainly. But I am pretty much one way or another guy as far as real world applications.

 

[Enchilada Jones]

Most people using guitar synths like to blend the guitar signal with the synth signal. I am in favor of those capabilities certainly. But I am pretty much one way or another guy as far as real world applications.

When it comes to that I’m totally bi-saxual. I want it all!

 

[yeky83]

I appreciate all of that, but if we're entertaining the idea of eventual new GK5-compatible devices from Roland, it would make all the sense in the world for one or some of them to include guitar signal processing (i.e. amp modeling and effects) and/or an analog guitar output jack on the back. Sure, there would be compromises related to the ADC/DAC process, but it would be infinitely better than nothing. For most applications/ configurations the compromise would be no more discernable than with any other buffered digital effect in the chain.

New GK-5 compatible devices will hopefully do guitar signal processing by guitar modeling using the hex pickup signals from the GK-5... seems like the way to go with this tech.

 

[mbenigni]

New GK-5 compatible devices will hopefully do guitar signal processing by guitar modeling using the hex pickup signals from the GK-5... seems like the way to go with this tech.

Yep. Something like a GP10+GM800 would be a good starting point with current products. Too bad an additional converter box is required.

(Bring on the even smaller footprint GP-0 with TRS GK input!)

 

[GM-800]

I'm still wanting to know if all zen core wave expansions and sound packs are compatible for the GM-800 or is it just the ones under the GM-800 tab in the roland cloud manager....

Has anyone heard anything regarding Brockstar’s question? I have preordered the GM-800. The bottom line is I’d like to know: Can any patch (scene) in Zenology Pro along with other purchased downloads able to load into the GM-800 and sound the same?

 

[yeky83]

Whoa TGF has its own GM-800!

 

[hippietim]

From last summer's NAMM announcement about MIDI 2.0 and A2B:



(For me, that may be the single most exciting thing about MIDI 2.0; the impact could be profound.... I wouldn't call it a game-changer, but that's only because I don't use that stoopid term.)

“A2B® is a high bandwidth, bidirectional, digital audio bus capable of distributing 32 channels of audio and MIDI control data together with clock and power over a single, unshielded twisted-pair wire.”

 

[Enchilada Jones]

“A2B® is a high bandwidth, bidirectional, digital audio bus capable of distributing 32 channels of audio and MIDI control data together with clock and power over a single, unshielded twisted-pair wire.”

Is it a viable option to use 6 channels of the digital audio signal from that twisted pair for the hex pickup output from the GK5, convert it back to analog and then send it to the processing of a Boss guitar and amp modeling process?
I know fuzz pedals wouldn’t like it much but is it even worse to the point that it wouldn’t even be of the quality of the GK3 guitar signal path?

 

[aerial7]

Is it a viable option to use 6 channels of the digital audio signal from that twisted pair for the hex pickup output from the GK5, convert it back to analog and then send it to the processing of a Boss guitar and amp modeling process?
I know fuzz pedals would like it much but is it even worse to the point that it wouldn’t even be of the quality of the GK3 guitar signal path?

I'm just a programmer, but it sounds like it's similar to VOIP; i.e., analog over digital transmission. The audio is time-sliced into frames, and the frames from the various channels are interleaved to maintain constant rates, etc. Something like that -- as I said, I'm not a hardware engineer.

That said, I'm not sure how the resulting analog signal would compare to what you'd get off the mag pickups -- seems like the characteristics might be very different so it might not be usable for that purpose. Which is why I'd expect we'll see new Variax-style guitars with a single A2B jack carrying audio from the mag pickups and MIDI from a separate hex pickup....hopefully with all the modeling stuff moved off the guitar and into a pedal or whatev.

Wonder just how much power is available over A2B? E.g., is there enough to also power active pickups, etc.?

Anyway, now I'm day-dreaming of Strat-ready loaded pickguards with all that stuff on-board....As much as I dislike Strats, they're uniquely suited for that kind of retrofit.

 

[BROCKSTAR]

Zenology pro collection came out the other day https://www.roland.com/us/products/rc_zenology_pro_collection/?lang=en-US

 

[Whizzinby]

Zenology pro collection came out the other day https://www.roland.com/us/products/rc_zenology_pro_collection/?lang=en-US

So the Zen Pro stuff is an addon collection of sounds you can load onto the GM800?

 

[BROCKSTAR]

So the Zen Pro stuff is an addon collection of sounds you can load onto the GM800?

Yes and edit deeper in the zenology plug-in then you can on the unit etc.

 

[BROCKSTAR]

I messaged BOSS last night and they sent me this message this morning that i just seen

"Hi, GM-800 units should be with dealers very soon. For the most accurate information you will need to check with the dealer you purchased the GM-800 from."

 

[TJontheRoad]

Roland has dedicated free editors for the Jupiter X, Juno X, and TR-8s. I hope they do the same for GM-800 since you can't do any real synth programing on the unit itself without a subscription. That's kinda lame. I wouldn't buy it if I didn't own the Fantom already to use as a programmer. We'll see but I've been screaming for the same type of editor for the AE-30 wind synth for a long time now. Nobody is listening apparently.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Roland has dedicated free editors for the Jupiter X, Juno X, and TR-8s. I hope they do the same for GM-800 since you can't do any real synth programing on the unit itself without a subscription. That's kinda lame. I wouldn't buy it if I didn't own the Fantom already to use as a programmer. We'll see but I've been screaming for the same type of editor for the AE-30 wind synth for a long time now. Nobody is listening apparently.

@gumtown doing Roland's job for them again?