Roland Gr-55

notanon

Hi All,

I'm loving the Godin I bought off @TTony so now I'm thinking of grabbing a GR-55. Are there any tips on the cable to be used to connect into the Roland (links please). Is the GR-55 a good option now? They seem to be a few years old.

I'd like the budget to be around £400 mark and looking for the synth aspect (strings, harmonies, keyboard) of the Roland + the guitar and amp modelling.

Thanks Guys

Kebabkid

@notanon how about this one and a great price (no affiliation)

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/174376/

notanon

@Kebabkid, cheers for the heads up - appreciated ;-)

notanon

Still looking for advice on the cable though guys ;-) @TTony did you ever use that 13 pin connector?

TTony

notanon said:

Still looking for advice on the cable though guys ;-) @TTony did you ever use that 13 pin connector?

I did indeed use it - with my GR20.  

I’ve still got a couple of synth-access guitars, so still need the cable.  If you grab that GR55, it’s got the cable with it, so you’d be all ready to go

IanShaw

notanon said:

 Is the GR-55 a good option now? They seem to be a few years old.

The GR-55 is a device that never gets old. In addition to the great-stored samples the possibilities to create and mix your own sounds are limitless not to mention its modeling capabilities. However, I can tell you one thing about it...it has a steep learning curve, and you really need to spend time understanding its parameters and internal structure. My advice is to read its manual in details no matter how much time it takes, also download its library software. A big shame is Roland has never made a dedicated software to control it from a desktop computer.
You need to pay attention at keeping your main connection cable (GKC-5) intact because it's expensive, and the GK-3 as well (in case you use it).

Good luck with it. 

notanon

So I have managed to spend time with it over the last week. Really enjoying it. They still sell new and I was surprised given their age but I can see why now.

@ianshaw is correct regarding learning curve. A few years ago I did a free Coursera music module which included synths, I think I need to revisit that :-)

It is interesting straight out of the box but I am going to scan online for extra patches.

Funkfingers

The Roland online shop only mentions fifteen and thirty feet cable lengths. For stage, the more cable you have, the better.

The majority of Roland guitar synthesizer floor units since the GR-1 have employed the SRJV ROMpler sound engine. Depending on your perspective, these are either a world standard or a bit tired. Thus, the most significant difference between the various GR boxes is the user interface.

If you just want to plug in and play presets, the BOSS SY-1 or Electro-Harmonix "9" Series could suffice.

The GRs are better in as much as they permit a modicum of sound editing. You get to choose the initial waveform, octave and, possibly, the filter cut-off and resonance. Keen synthesizer programmers will rue the lack of access to a full parameter set, not to mention true analogue sounds.

In my opinion, right now, the one to beat is the BOSS SY-1000. It has a fresher sound set and the ability to emulate MIDI Mode 4 for complex sound combinations. It probably shows my Roland VG-99/FC-300 outfit where to get off.

Fretwired

notanon said:

Hi All,

I'm loving the Godin I bought off @TTony so now I'm thinking of grabbing a GR-55. Are there any tips on the cable to be used to connect into the Roland (links please). Is the GR-55 a good option now? They seem to be a few years old.

I'd like the budget to be around £400 mark and looking for the synth aspect (strings, harmonies, keyboard) of the Roland + the guitar and amp modelling.

Thanks Guys

You use the standard Roland cable which is readily available ..

https://www.andertons.co.uk/roland-gkc5-5-metre-cable-for-gk-pickup-to-gr20

Do you play live or just want to record? I have been into guitar synths for years and have gigged them and recorded with them. I have a GR-55 and it's a great unit. However I don't use it that much as I don't gig these days so I have a Roland MIDI unit which I connect to my computer so I can record soft synths like Omnisphere and the Native Instruments range of products.

To give you advice I'd need more info on what sounds your after .. I have a Godin synth guitar. They are ace .. good purchase.

notanon

Fretwired said:

notanon said:

Hi All,

I'm loving the Godin I bought off @TTony so now I'm thinking of grabbing a GR-55. Are there any tips on the cable to be used to connect into the Roland (links please). Is the GR-55 a good option now? They seem to be a few years old.

I'd like the budget to be around £400 mark and looking for the synth aspect (strings, harmonies, keyboard) of the Roland + the guitar and amp modelling.

Thanks Guys

You use the standard Roland cable which is readily available ..

https://www.andertons.co.uk/roland-gkc5-5-metre-cable-for-gk-pickup-to-gr20

Do you play live or just want to record? I have been into guitar synths for years and have gigged them and recorded with them. I have a GR-55 and it's a great unit. However I don't use it that much as I don't gig these days so I have a Roland MIDI unit which I connect to my computer so I can record soft synths like Omnisphere and the Native Instruments range of products.

To give you advice I'd need more info on what sounds your after .. I have a Godin synth guitar. They are ace .. good purchase.

Thanks for the offer of advice. I'm just experimenting at the moment. A little busy with fixing things around the house so struggling to find time.

I did order the cable to stop ghost notes from Canada. That was expensive for what it is but it seems to be a massive improvement.

Thanks folks.