Boss GM-800 and GK-5

[CBHScott]

So my local music dealer over in Parkersburg, WV said he got a lot of tracking info sent to him last night from Roland, so he'll check them today to see what it is and let me know but I bet it's the gm-800 and accessories. Should have mine next week sometime then!

Awesome!

Slightly OT, but I didn't know you were around there. I just drove by yesterday on the way back from a work call in Bridgeport.

I venture into Parkersburg for work every once in awhile.

 

[BROCKSTAR]

Awesome!

Slightly OT, but I didn't know you were around there. I just drove by yesterday on the way back from a work call in Bridgeport.

I venture into Parkersburg for work every once in awhile.

I'm actually in marietta, ohio, but i deal with specialty traders music store more then anything over in parkersburg, wv... as he comes to me when i need something or do deals since i don't drive

 

[2112]

Today's installment of "man points at thing you should probably buy"

 

[Piing]

Today's installment of "man points at thing you should probably buy"

Better said: "things I do not need, but I must buy"

I already have guitar-to-MIDI outputs from the SY-1000 and from the VG-99, tons of synths at the PC (including Omnisphere or Kontakt), and I do not play live anymore. So why do I feel the urge to buy it?...

... because I hope that it comes with that Roland 50 Anniversary T-Shirt

 

[JiveTurkey]

Today's installment of "man points at thing you should probably buy"

4:30AM, somewhere in middle America. Listening to a guitar synth video; realizing my purchase fate has been sealed

Sounds are super lush! Guitar to midi looks great as well!

 

[2112]

@JiveTurkey yep this seems like a no brainer. I was very impressed at how well the guitar to midi worked with the Hydrasynth too.

Now I'm addicted to synth sax solos.

 

[TJontheRoad]

Today's installment of "man points at thing you should probably buy"

Yep, sounds just like the Fantom. Except, one I thing notice is the velocity response when the synth notes are guitar triggered isn't as dynamic in range as playing on a keyboard. Looking and the GM-800 tone studio, there are velocity scaling settings per part but not globally (that I can find).

 

[Whizzinby]

Today's installment of "man points at thing you should probably buy"

Awesome video. Glad you walked us through the patch building process. I was a little worried it might be too much of a tweak fest, but it looks relatively simple to dial in multi part patches, and then you can go as crazy as you want with the sub parameters.

I was already sold on the synth and string stuff, but I’ve got to say the E Piano and acoustic piano stuff sounds fantastic over here.

It does seem with some instruments that dialing in the attack/release will be important to get it feeling and sounding natural.

I feel sorta silly for wanting this pedal, but I’m ready. Send it Boss!!!

 

[Whizzinby]

Also, what was the deal about wanting it to do “alternate tunings”? I missed the point of that.

And as an aside, it didn’t dawn on me that you could use or disable each strings pickup, per part. That’s pretty cool.

 

[aerial7]

Today's installment of "man points at thing you should probably buy"

• Leon, your wonder and joy have set aside any doubts I had; can't wait for my pre-order!
  
  
• The part where you talked about ways you might use this live for Ragdoll songs; curious to know whether you see the GM-800 as a fixture in your rig and something you start composing with?
  
  
• Was great to see just how small the pedal is; seems like it could easily earn its place on a pedal board....
  
  
• Please do cover whatever you know about articulations, getting the best out of the tracking, etc.
  Maybe also talk about arranging with keys and guitar, or at least designing patches with that in mind....
  
  
• Agree 100% about wanting a small GK-based guitar modeling pedal; that would be an insta-buy for me and I'd probably also buy at least another GK-5…. As much as I love my Variax, can't wait to move on from it…
  
  
• Now I have big merch problem; gotta find that Roland shirt and that stoopid Boss metal zone flash drive…
  

 

[JiveTurkey]

Also, what was the deal about wanting it to do “alternate tunings”? I missed the point of that.

And as an aside, it didn’t dawn on me that you could use or disable each strings pickup, per part. That’s pretty cool.

GR55, GP10, SY1000 and the older VG stuff all had guitar modeling and alternate tuning capabilities. This is synth focused without that type of functionality.

 

[Whizzinby]

GR55, GP10, SY1000 and the older VG stuff all had guitar modeling and alternate tuning capabilities. This is synth focused without that type of functionality.

It can track if my guitar is in an alternate tuning right, I just can’t have it “simulate” a different tuning. (IE I’m in dropped D, but I can’t have it track as if it’s dropped/open G?)

 

[aerial7]

It can track if my guitar is in an alternate tuning right, I just can’t have it “simulate” a different tuning. (IE I’m in dropped D, but I can’t have it track as if it’s dropped/open G?)

Seems like you can do that, but that's just from a quick glance at the Parameter Guide.

p.14 talks about telling the GM-800 how the guitar is physically tuned; "Sets the tuning you’re using on your guitar/bass guitar." Includes open and drop tunings, among others.

p. 4 is where you set the tuning to be used for a part, also includes open and drop tunings among others.

 

[JiveTurkey]

It can track if my guitar is in an alternate tuning right, I just can’t have it “simulate” a different tuning. (IE I’m in dropped D, but I can’t have it track as if it’s dropped/open G?)

@aerial7 nailed it.

 

[aerial7]

The difference, at least to me, when we say "guitar modeling" is that after all the electronic magic, the signal coming off your regular guitar 1/4" cable is transposed and transmogrified into whatever guitar you're pretending to play. I.e., Variax. So you'd have something like GK to this guitar modeling box, with a line out into your favorite Fractal Axe-Fx device.

Now that I think about it, I'm guessing that sort of box might require a new GK pickup, because maybe the GK-5 is ?only guitar-to-midi. Unless it's also carrying the raw analog signals the way the 13-pin stuff seems to have worked.... That sounds like an awesome thing for someone to delve into; just how many of those 32 channels is the GK-5 using?!

 

[aerial7]

Hmmm....On the GK-5 page, Boss says this.....

The GK-5 Divided Pickup is a specialized guitar pickup designed for the GM-800 and other BOSS guitar synthesizer products. Unlike standard guitar pickups—which send all string signals to a combined output—the GK-5 senses each string individually, sending their signals to separate outputs within the Serial GK system. This isolated string information allows your compatible BOSS product to perform all sorts of advanced processing feats not possible with standard pickups.

I've bolded the interesting part; at the risk of reading too much into it, it sure sounds like the raw audio for each string might also be present in the data coming off the GK-5.... Now I'm wondering just where the guitar-to-midi is happening; is it in the GK-5, or the GM-800?

 

[TJontheRoad]

Also, what was the deal about wanting it to do “alternate tunings”? I missed the point of that.

And as an aside, it didn’t dawn on me that you could use or disable each strings pickup, per part. That’s pretty cool.

I use the alt tunings on the SY-1000 for drop D and open string acoustic stuff with the guitar sims.

You can split strings. But, you can't split the neck like with the Fishman TriplePlay. That I'd like to see on the GM-800.

 

[BROCKSTAR]

I use the alt tunings on the SY-1000 for drop D and open string acoustic stuff with the guitar sims.

You can split strings. But, you can't split the neck like with the Fishman TriplePlay. That I'd like to see on the GM-800.

I think you can on gm-800?

"You can even assign Tones to specific fret ranges, a powerful new feature made possible with the GM-800’s advanced pitch detection."

 

[aerial7]

I think you can on gm-800?

"You can even assign Tones to specific fret ranges, a powerful new feature made possible with the GM-800’s advanced pitch detection."

Yep, same section on p.4 of the Parameter guide; the Position Limit lets you set the lower and upper frets to which the sound applies. Seems to be on a per string basis.

 

[yeky83]

The difference, at least to me, when we say "guitar modeling" is that after all the electronic magic, the signal coming off your regular guitar 1/4" cable is transposed and transmogrified into whatever guitar you're pretending to play. I.e., Variax. So you'd have something like GK to this guitar modeling box, with a line out into your favorite Fractal Axe-Fx device.

Now that I think about it, I'm guessing that sort of box might require a new GK pickup, because maybe the GK-5 is ?only guitar-to-midi. Unless it's also carrying the raw analog signals the way the 13-pin stuff seems to have worked.... That sounds like an awesome thing for someone to delve into; just how many of those 32 channels is the GK-5 using?!

Hmmm....On the GK-5 page, Boss says this.....



I've bolded the interesting part; at the risk of reading too much into it, it sure sounds like the raw audio for each string might also be present in the data coming off the GK-5.... Now I'm wondering just where the guitar-to-midi is happening; is it in the GK-5, or the GM-800?

The GK-5 is going to be sending six I2S digital audio streams over A2B. The processing’s going to be happening in the floor units, not in the dinky dongle.