GM800 initial thoughts

[Baba]

Looking forward to seeing if it passes the You Belong To The City test.

OMFG

 

[mbenigni]

…but as I sit here re-remembering for the bazillionth time not to set that goddamn GK3 pickup selector slider switch to anything other than mix; I am 1000% glad they are pulling the regular pickup signal out of the chain and just concentrating on the synth side.

Well… it’s not like they didn’t have the option of hardwiring to “mix” mode and omitting the switch all the same… like normal people. But that’s our Roland LOL.

Goldilocks form factor FTW, though. They finally got my memo.

 

[MadMaxG79]

Yeah biggest things are the endings on these bits. It isn't fast enough to do any sort of blinding run and you don't have any sort of expressiveness (like something you hear on the Urgent sax part, for instance). So you do a slide out and it sounds like Lisa Simpson

Ooooh, Urgent! I love that song!!! And I instantly heard the sax part that you're referring to in my head

 

[2112]

This is so good. What sax sample is that?

 

[JiveTurkey]

This is so good. What sax sample is that?

Those connectors are so brutal in the worst ways

I prefer the simpler phrasing of this one

It's the Flute -- Sax Ctl 1 factory preset. Most of the tweaks I've done on all these presets are legato, chromatic and mono or poly. I still need to mount my GK5 here soon. The PCM sounds I am using overall are most of the same ones from the GR55. The fidelity increase between the two is great.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Is it weird that I'm excited to see the pedalboard now?

So much crusty dusty. Waiting on another GK5 and trying to figure out the easiest way to get the Bumblebee back in action

 

[holoholo]

So much crusty dusty. Waiting on another GK5 and trying to figure out the easiest way to get the Bumblebee back in action

Is your pedalboard velcroless?

 

[JiveTurkey]

Is your pedalboard velcroless?

Nah; I flipped it upside down last go round and removed a lot of it because scratchy floor

 

[Baba]

So much crusty dusty. Waiting on another GK5 and trying to figure out the easiest way to get the Bumblebee back in action

That feels SOOOOOO good, compared to the previous iterations.

 

[JiveTurkey]

That feels SOOOOOO good, compared to the previous iterations.

As always; subject to change

 

[TJontheRoad]

Mega VG rig is complete [insert devilish laugh here]

Today's guitar synths vs plug-in synths experiment. You really can't tell the difference. It's a new age.



Gear used in production;
Relish Mary One LTD,
Boss GM-800,
Boss SY-1000,
Logic Pro X Drummer,
Arturia Pigments,
Arturia MS-20 V,Arturia DX7 V,
DS Audio Thorn,
u-he Diva,
Chase Bliss Mood MKII,
Meris LVX,

 

[JiveTurkey]

So inspired by the other thread I took a peak elsewhere. Pages of argument from people that have never played one but are still operating at an expert knowledge level.



Here's what I think for you impressionables that are "swayed by marketing tactics" or wtever the point of contention was in that thread.

1. The tracking is about the same between it and the GR55. GR55 is still dialed in a hair better for me but it's super close. There are more parameters to mold and shape the performance of that stuff now. Which is helpful. Pianos I would say are a hair better. The best tracking is 100% the SY1000. If they could have made PCM tones track like the dynamic synths do in the SY1000; that would be the ultimate, imo.

2. Sounds are much more high fidelity. Better clarity and richness over the GR.

3. Form factor is much more in tune with what I want. The GR55 battleship with the most useless onboard switches (other than the EXP which I ripped off for other reasons) is no match for the GM. Not even close.

4. No magnetic pickups seemed like a bummer but the serial cable taped to my guitar cable worked great this past Saturday. Not a problem at all from my POV after gigging it.

If you are a guitar synther; I'd say it's absolutely worth it. For all the reasons outlined above.

 

[DanRad]

4. No magnetic pickups seemed like a bummer but the serial cable taped to my guitar cable worked great this past Saturday. Not a problem at all from my POV after gigging it.

This is actually my one hesitation about using a GK-5 on both guitars I gig with (Les Paul and Taylor T5z-12). When the plan was just to do it on the Les Paul, I had planned on using cable ties to secure the two cables together, but currently use a separate cable for each guitar. I think I'll try in rehearsal just having the third cable independent and swap it out when needed (maybe even remove it entirely for non-synth songs) and see how that works.

 

[JiveTurkey]

This is actually my one hesitation about using a GK-5 on both guitars I gig with (Les Paul and Taylor T5z-12). When the plan was just to do it on the Les Paul, I had planned on using cable ties to secure the two cables together, but currently use a separate cable for each guitar. I think I'll try in rehearsal just having the third cable independent and swap it out when needed (maybe even remove it entirely for non-synth songs) and see how that works.

I'm probably going to end up with a tele with a gk5 on it and put my gk3 back on my V for the SY.

Maybe.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Mega VG rig is complete [insert devilish laugh here]

Today's guitar synths vs plug-in synths experiment. You really can't tell the difference. It's a new age.



Gear used in production;
Relish Mary One LTD,
Boss GM-800,
Boss SY-1000,
Logic Pro X Drummer,
Arturia Pigments,
Arturia MS-20 V,Arturia DX7 V,
DS Audio Thorn,
u-he Diva,
Chase Bliss Mood MKII,
Meris LVX,

I aspire to be you.

 

[TJontheRoad]

I aspire to be you.

Be very careful what you wish for lol.

 

[JiveTurkey]

If you thought the IR rabbit hole was cracktown; wait till you get a load of the Roland Soundpack hunt.



Holy. Shit.

 

[mbenigni]

If you thought the IR rabbit hole was cracktown; wait till you get a load of the Roland Soundpack hunt.



Holy. Shit.

This, re: all synth presets. I really don’t know how keyboard players manage it.

 

[JiveTurkey]

This, re: all synth presets. I really don’t know how keyboard players manage it.

I will say the names as shown on the Roland site were generic but more descriptive once you get the presets. Some great sounding ones, too. You could certainly grab some stuff for cover band purposes a little easier than starting from complete scratch.

 

[TJontheRoad]

This, re: all synth presets. I really don’t know how keyboard players manage it.

Favorites are your friends.