How did I JUST find this channel? This is amazing! Please do the 3 synth setup but create more voices! I could listen to that in a full 10 minute video. This was an amazing watch Marcus, subscribed!
as someone who has been using the roland gk tech for almost 30 years i have to say great job explaining the basic ins and outs / controllers for the "noobs" ! these synths / fx are soooooooo powerful it can get over whelming for folks! with all the roland / boss gear i have bought over the years i just want them to make ONE SUPER VG10000000000000 with EVERYTHING the have done right ....... basically one box to rule them all =)
Hello Marcus, as usual your videos are very detailed and well produced. I'd like to ask your advice: I'm planning to buy the SY 1000 and I'd like to know whether the tracking is excellent on this guitar synthesiser. Is it excellent? Are the sounds great? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the SY 1000? Thank you in advance. Kind regards, Phil. From Dunkirk
The SY-1000 is still my favorite synth, but it's not for everyone. So let me start with the disadvantages so you know up front. The SY-1000 is not a PCM synth. It is not sampled based. This means that you won't get sounds like sax, horns, pianos, or anything else that is typically sampled in a keyboard. This is a dealbreaker for some people. The SY-1000 is strictly an analog synth. Think of Moog or other types of analog synths. So the sounds are limited to those types of sounds. Some people are disappointed that they can't get the instrument sounds that typically come with sampled keyboards. That being said, the analog synth is great, and you can come up with some great patches for guitar, but don't expect authentic strings or anything like that. It does have some good Pad sounds, which is sort of a replacement for strings. Now let's talk about the supper powers of the SY-1000. First, it has amp modeling. The amp models are based on Bosses new A-I-R-D technology and not their old COSM technology. These amp models are similar to the ones you find in the GT-1000, and they sound excellent. I chose these models over the Line 6 Helix models and yes I have line 6 gear and I played through and tested the helix stuff extensively. It is important to note that this is really a matter of personal preference. In addition to that, the effects you find on this unit also can be found on the gT-1000. So the effects and the amp models are fantastic. It also has a normal quarter inch jack that you can use to plug your guitar into. This means you can use the amp models and effects with any bass, electric guitar, or acoustic guitar. I have made patches for all three instrument types when plugged into the quarter inch jack. No other synth does this. If you are going through the quarter inch jack, you can also use the dynamic synth with your regular pickups. There is more than one synth built into this unit, but they are all analog. If you decide to get the GK3 pickup, then you really unlock the potential of this unit. Now you have access to all the guitar models and there are a bunch of guitar models. You have a collection of acoustic guitars, Bass guitars, and electric guitars, and you can use these with the amp models. Anything from Mesa Boogie to Fender amps can be found in the amp models. You can also make any guitar a 12 string. In addition to that, you can control the way the guitar model is tuned. This means you can use a control function and enter a dropped D tuning on any patch you make with a guitar model. You can also program open and tunings and alternate tunings into your patches. The things that I mention are often overlooked, but to me, they are some of the greatest selling points of the SY-1000. And finally, if you use the Gk3 pickup, you unlock the other synths. You can layer up to 3 guitar synths or guitar models in one patch, or you can blend together any combination you choose. This is the most underrated and overlooked guitar synth out there. I call it Bosses best kept secret. You can use it with any guitar you own, and the analog synth sounds are great. Just don't expect to be able to play a grand piano with it. There are features in it that allow you to use it as a midi controller so you can use it with a software synth, but I am still working through this. Latency issues kind of make this hard. I hope this answers all your questions, but if not I did a video exclusively for the SY-1000, and it is a quick overview of the unit. th-cam.com/video/wiYDffAKRJM/w-d-xo.html
Insanely great idea, especially for live stacked work that leaves everyone confused about what they’re hearing and seeing unless you’re behind the curtains like the Wizard of Oz at a theme park with alter ego issues and a tube amp and your favorite synthesizer. Sounds like a dream job to me. Great work I’m still working on my setup and would like employment performing such kinds of guitar works or sessions. Can’t wait to merge what I got with just 2 of those. But honestly,. I would like your opinion on the best way to play a Jupiter-8v or would that simply be the 800 with a unlocked Jupiter purchase which is how much again are we talking about to play a Jupiter 8 like it’s in front of you but it’s not kinda way?
Boss has a software version of the Jupiter 8. One way of blending sound would be through the computer. The GM800 could act as a midi controller. The next video explains how to do this. Another way would be through midi. If you have the Hardware version of the Jupiter 8 you can access it through midi. You can use Tone Studio to set up your GM800 patches so the Jupiter 8 will respond to the GM800 or the GM800 will respond to the Jupiter. The Last video I made covers how to program MIDI.
Hi, I have an important question, please! How to connect a volume pedal in the GM 800. I bought a Boss FV 5 H but it is not plug and play. How do you control the volume while playing, I mean my hands are not close to the unit’s panel. If I had a GK3 instead would be easier Thank you!
The Boss FV5H will not work with a GM800. FV stands for foot volume. This is a straight up volume pedal. What you need is an expression pedal. You will also need a TRS cable for it to work right. A TRS cable is a quarter inch cable that has two rubber rings instead of one. This kind of pedal transmits midi data and it can also work as a volume pedal. Here is an example of an expression pedal. www.boss.info/us/products/ev-5/ Here is the top one that Boss makes. This is what I use for a volume pedal. If you get this one, remember to get a TRS cable to go along with it. www.boss.info/us/products/ev-30/
You need to program that into each patch. There is no global setting because it is an expression pedal. It does other things. For example, you can use the expression pedal to control the rotation of a rotary speaker, like the kind of speakers found on organs. The good news is that it is very easy to set this up if you are using the Tone Studio software. It does not take long at all.
No, I was not able to fix these issues. The only way that the issues will be fixed is through a firmware update by Boss. However, all my guitars with the GK3 pickup work with the GM800 very well. In Fact, they work better with the GM800 than with any other guitar synth. The GK3 tracks better with this synth. As much as I would like the GK5 pickup to work, I am not without a solution. I just use my other pickups
@@marcuscurtismusic I just got a GM-800 and use it with a SY-1000 and GX-100. I noticed some tracking issue with my GK5 and GM-800 but tracking seems to be the same as my GK3 with the SY-1000. Since I only have a GKC-DA, I cannot say if the GK3 would track better with the GM-800. But from what you are saying, your GK3 (through the GKC-AD) works better with the GM-800 than your GK5?
@@ChristianDubuc-l4t Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. This has been my experience. The GK5 works great with my SY-1000. This tells me that the issue is not the GK5. The issue is the software on the GM800. This could be fixed with a firmware update. How long it will take Boss to do a firmware update is anyone's guess. I would recommend contacting customer support on the Boss website and tell them about your issue. I think if more people would report this, then they would issue a fix sooner because they will make it a priority.
Hello friend, I'm a grs lover, I have the gr-55, gr-33 and gr-20, I'm thinking about purchasing the gm-800, but I have some doubts. From your point of view, has it improved the issues of ghost notes and latency in relation to the grs?
I don't have any issues as long as I am using a GK3 pickup. Everything works fine. I run into some issues if I use the GK5 pickup. If you purchase the GM800 you will also need to get a converter box called GKC-AD. The good news is the cost of the box is cheaper than the new GK5 pickup. The box allows you to use any guitar that has a Gk3 pickup installed. In addition to this, Boss just released a brand-new update a few weeks ago that addresses many of the tracking issues. If you have a GK-2A, GK-3 you should not have any tracking issues at all. The new update also improves the GK5 but that pickup still needs improvement. Just be sure to do a firmware update if your GM800 does not have the latest firmware.
Thanks for your detailed and honest review of the new GM-800 and GK-5 pickup. There are almost no intelligible reviews of these devices on TH-cam, mostly just advertising. I recently purchased GM-800 with GK-5B pickup for my bass and was a little disappointed with the result... Just like you, i had tracking problems with the new pickup. But fairly flexible settings allow you to configure it quite well for each individual scene. The main problem i encountered was massive latency on low strings on my bass. It practically does not allow you to play anything rhythmically. I have already read that this is due to the fact that the pickup needs more time to correctly track vibrations of the low strings. But i still hope that there is some way to reduce the latency. Maybe you can give some advice on this issue? ...on TH-cam I found examples of people using similar devices with pretty much low latency, even on low strings. Maybe I'm doing something wrong?
The very first thing I would do is contact Boss support and see if they have any solutions. Customer service will work with you especially because this is brand new. The more people that point out the problem the more likely they will speed up the firmware update. Make sure you have updated firmware. Current Firmware is 1.03. If you need help upgrading the firmware then the second video in this series walks you through that process. In my experience latency was always based on the patch. Some patches had higher latency than others. This was due to the fact that there was much more to process in certain scenes or presets. Piano patches did not work as well on the older synths. There is some truth to the fact that low strings need more time to process but that should not make a big difference with this synth. The processing power and the latency is low enough that it should be able to compensate. Other synths like the SY-1000 and the GR-55 have something called Bass mode. You would switch from guitar mode to bass mode and this would compensate for the lower notes. The GM-800 does not have a bass mode because it does not need one, at least in theory. The problem with adjusting each scene is this, I might set it up for the GK5, but when I plug one of my other guitars that have a GK 3 into the synth it will be off. I think it's odd that the new pickups work well with older synths, but the older pickups work the best with the new synths. I suspect something is wonky with the Operating System. I also find that the Scenes I make while using the GK5 work better then the factory scenes. Have you tried making a scene yet? If so do you notice a difference? I would be interested in how Boss resolves your issue. keep us posted. Your experience will educate everyone that reads the comments. I am seriously thinking about getting a GK-5B pickup. maybe now I will hold off or get a GK-3B.
Yes, you are right, I should have contacted Boss support first, which I will do now. And yes, I have already updated to newest 1.03 firmware thanks to your reviews. I also noticed that some patch have a better latency and tracking than others. But anyway, in general, latency is quite noticeable on the low B string, while in higher register it's not so crucial. And higher you play - lower the latency. I didn't know about the existence of a Bass mode in older synths, maybe this is a solution for such situations. Purely theoretically, the lower the string, the more overtones (components of sound) it contains, and this to some extent complicates the understanding of exactly what pitch the sound is. It may be that the Bass mode on older models somehow simplified the reading algorithms, which eliminated the latency. At least that would be logical. Perhaps the problem in this case is the high accuracy of the new device. The situation with the use of various pickups is quite interesting. It also seems to me that it is related to shortcomings in the software. As for the factory presets, I also agree that 90% of them are not usable at all. I tried to create my own scenes - they sound much better to me. I was hoping that the simplest scene settings could somehow affect the latency - but no, this did not happen. I also noticed that the unison mode in the part edit settings helps a little, but in general it does not solve the latency problem, and has a very negative effect on the sound. I hope that manufacturers will take into account such gaps in the new firmware update. Perhaps the GK-3B pickup is the best choice for bass at the moment. It has been used by very serious musicians for a long time. In any case, thank you for your feedback and useful information. I will let you know as soon as I receive a response from BOSS support.@@marcuscurtismusic
Obviously, you need to operate within your budget. It's ok to grab a mixer under 400.00. That is why I did a review of the Mackie pro 3 mixer. The 12 channels on that mixer is more than enough to hook up the GM-800, The SY-1000, The GR 55 and your pedal board all at the same time. Just use it as a sub mixer for your guitar gear. The current price is $359.00. I only use it to play out. That way, I don't need to bring my whole system with me. Right now it is set up over at my brother's house, and we do jam sessions there. It works great for everything you would want to do. However, the main mixer I use is the Behringer X-32 producer. I have done several videos on its operation. Not only is this good for all the guitar synths, but the built-in audio interface is great for a home recording studio. This is a digital mixer verses the analog mixer that Mackie makes. I can record on 16 tracks at once and there are several great features. It is more expensive and comes with a price tag of around $2,000.00 Any Mixer under 400.00 should work as long as it has enough channels. You want to use each guitar synth in stereo, so you will need two channels for every guitar synth. When you buy your mixer, consider any expansion you may make to your system over time.
You are using the GR-55 Guitar Out to feed the GT-1000. The SY-1000 does not have a Guitar Out, but can it be configured to send a signal to a multi-effects pedal? I have a Helix and would like to connect the 2 units.
hi, I use it in the loop of the SY-1000 or you can use the sub out (S LR) to split after the guitar signal. so in tonestudio Normal - S LR to Helix - rest to M LR.
The only way I have tried to configure the SY-1000 to output into the GR-1000 was through the send jack. I have not tried other options as of yet because I just use the GR-55 and that works fine. However, If all I had was the the SY-1000 then I would take a deeper look at the sub outputs. This would require some exploration in tone studio. I would need to configure the sub outs to send a dry signal for every preset.
@@MartinCraneRockbeast I did not know that. I went to look at the Gaia SH01. Not sure about the method for programing it. Thanks for sharing this info.
This is a great video. I have an SY-1000 and was looking to get a GR-55 and hook them up together. Too bad there is nothing available to be able to make the units wireless for a guitar!!!
BluCoe makes (or made) a wireless GK solution, but they're out of stock and I'm not sure if it got past prototype run and they were not cheap @ €450. It's a shame as GKC cables SUCK and the cheap knockoffs are way worse... plus now they're $100 - for a f*#$ing CABLE!!! 😮 I need 2 of them right now and for that price I could buy another used GR-20... I'd rather drop the coin on the wireless.
I been looking for someone that knew how to connect the GR 55 to GM 800 so I could use the cosm guitar models on the some tracks along with the GM 800 instruments.
Are you real, or a virtual assistant created by Google AI using my guitar synth search history from the past several years? You answered every question I had about the SY-1000, GR-55, and the GM-800, including the GK-5 issue. Thanks!! I have been using the SY-1000 and GR-55 together for a while, and they are indeed a great combination. I can't wait for Boss to fix the GK-5 issue; that is the biggest problem I am aware of.
LOL, I hope what ever intelligence I have is not artificial. Maybe it is who knows. I believe the GK5 issue is the only issue there is. I am unaware of any other. Lots of people have this issue and I have heard from many that are struggling with it. I am just glad that I am able to use the GK3 with the GM800. That being said, I made a discovery in the last few days. I switched out the cable that is recommended by Roland to be used with the GK5 pickup. I thought it was a special guitar synth cable with some new tech. Instead of using that cable, I am using a simple TRS cable. So the new guitar synth cable by Roland made to be used with the GK5 is nothing more than a glorified TRS cable. As soon as I did this, the GK5 started to work a little better. There are still issues and this is not a fix. But I don't have the extreme problem I had with the GK5. It is at least a little better.
Dear Marcus, thank you for your great work and I don't want to know how many hours you spent on it! I have a question which might be stupid and/or not valid : In case I want to AVOID a GK-5 adapter - would the following routing/chaining be possible: I go from my electric guitar (no GK-5!) into my SY-300. Then I use the SY-300 OUTPUT to go into the GM-800. so, again, I just want to trigger the GM-800 sounds WITHOUT using a GK-5 adapter. I am aware that I loose the guitar to midi feature, but the sounds alone would do so far for a certain guitar. Hmm- writing down that, I fear there is an error in my reasoning!?? 🤔
You will need a GK pickup of some type in order to use the GM-800. The superpower of the SY-series is that you can plug in any guitar through a quarter inch jack input. The SY series are the only guitar synths that do this. All other Boss and Roland guitar synths require a GK pickup of some type. You can't take the output of the SY-1000 and go into the GM-800. However, there is a synth output on the GM-800 that allows you to go from the GM-800 into the SY-1000. You will still need a converter box of some type. Think of the GM-800 as strictly a Keyboard device with no guitar features at all. It is a keyboard that you use a guitar to play.
Wow, thank you so much Marcus. I am very happy having found a true expert in guitar-synth-connectivity. At the moment for me it looks like you are the only one having the big experimental picture with regards to that subject beside the common and usual reviews. @@marcuscurtismusic
Great video, thanks for sharing! i have several GK units myself, the SY-1000, GR-20, GP-20 and had more in the past. I love the SY-1000 guitar options and prefer it above the L6 Variax as I can use my own guitars. I can recommend the Primova sound GX-2 GK instead of the US-20, check them out ( I have no affiliation with them, just think they are great products!).
I too have a line 6 Variax guitar. I also have the line 6 Variax Bass. As much as I like those instruments the SY-1000 is still better. Just ordered a GK3 B pickup for one of my bass instruments. Can't wait to see what it can do.
Absolutely! You can contact me if you need help. My advice is to go to my website in the about section and click on contact me. You will be able to send me your contact information and I will help you address what ever problems you are having.
This is super helpful! Especially how you have the two converter boxes, being able to control the GM and SY/GR! Thanks!!!
How did I JUST find this channel? This is amazing!
How did I JUST find this channel? This is amazing! Please do the 3 synth setup but create more voices! I could listen to that in a full 10 minute video. This was an amazing watch Marcus, subscribed!
That is an excellent idea. I will add that video to the list of videos to make
as someone who has been using the roland gk tech for almost 30 years
i have to say great job explaining the basic ins and outs / controllers for the "noobs" !
these synths / fx are soooooooo powerful it can get over whelming for folks!
with all the roland / boss gear i have bought over the years i just want them to make ONE SUPER VG10000000000000
with EVERYTHING the have done right .......
basically one box to rule them all =)
Yep me too. I would hate to see the price tag on that, but yeah, I would probably buy it.
Hello Marcus, as usual your videos are very detailed and well produced. I'd like to ask your advice: I'm planning to buy the SY 1000 and I'd like to know whether the tracking is excellent on this guitar synthesiser. Is it excellent? Are the sounds great? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the SY 1000? Thank you in advance.
Kind regards,
Phil. From Dunkirk
The SY-1000 is still my favorite synth, but it's not for everyone. So let me start with the disadvantages so you know up front. The SY-1000 is not a PCM synth. It is not sampled based. This means that you won't get sounds like sax, horns, pianos, or anything else that is typically sampled in a keyboard. This is a dealbreaker for some people. The SY-1000 is strictly an analog synth. Think of Moog or other types of analog synths. So the sounds are limited to those types of sounds. Some people are disappointed that they can't get the instrument sounds that typically come with sampled keyboards. That being said, the analog synth is great, and you can come up with some great patches for guitar, but don't expect authentic strings or anything like that. It does have some good Pad sounds, which is sort of a replacement for strings.
Now let's talk about the supper powers of the SY-1000. First, it has amp modeling. The amp models are based on Bosses new A-I-R-D technology and not their old COSM technology. These amp models are similar to the ones you find in the GT-1000, and they sound excellent. I chose these models over the Line 6 Helix models and yes I have line 6 gear and I played through and tested the helix stuff extensively. It is important to note that this is really a matter of personal preference. In addition to that, the effects you find on this unit also can be found on the gT-1000. So the effects and the amp models are fantastic.
It also has a normal quarter inch jack that you can use to plug your guitar into. This means you can use the amp models and effects with any bass, electric guitar, or acoustic guitar. I have made patches for all three instrument types when plugged into the quarter inch jack. No other synth does this. If you are going through the quarter inch jack, you can also use the dynamic synth with your regular pickups. There is more than one synth built into this unit, but they are all analog.
If you decide to get the GK3 pickup, then you really unlock the potential of this unit. Now you have access to all the guitar models and there are a bunch of guitar models. You have a collection of acoustic guitars, Bass guitars, and electric guitars, and you can use these with the amp models. Anything from Mesa Boogie to Fender amps can be found in the amp models. You can also make any guitar a 12 string. In addition to that, you can control the way the guitar model is tuned. This means you can use a control function and enter a dropped D tuning on any patch you make with a guitar model. You can also program open and tunings and alternate tunings into your patches. The things that I mention are often overlooked, but to me, they are some of the greatest selling points of the SY-1000.
And finally, if you use the Gk3 pickup, you unlock the other synths. You can layer up to 3 guitar synths or guitar models in one patch, or you can blend together any combination you choose. This is the most underrated and overlooked guitar synth out there. I call it Bosses best kept secret. You can use it with any guitar you own, and the analog synth sounds are great. Just don't expect to be able to play a grand piano with it. There are features in it that allow you to use it as a midi controller so you can use it with a software synth, but I am still working through this. Latency issues kind of make this hard. I hope this answers all your questions, but if not I did a video exclusively for the SY-1000, and it is a quick overview of the unit. th-cam.com/video/wiYDffAKRJM/w-d-xo.html
Pretty sweet. Do you know if any of these allow you to use or send midi cc’s based on note value?
Amazing setup, greetings from brasil.
Hello there!
Thank you so much for this video
I have a similar system it was a tremendous help thank you again
Por favor me recomienda el bos sy 1000 ,?tiene perdida de latencia y notas fantasma? Gracias
Man you're the guitar synth king. 😀
Does that come with a scepter and crown?
Insanely great idea, especially for live stacked work that leaves everyone confused about what they’re hearing and seeing unless you’re behind the curtains like the Wizard of Oz at a theme park with alter ego issues and a tube amp and your favorite synthesizer. Sounds like a dream job to me. Great work I’m still working on my setup and would like employment performing such kinds of guitar works or sessions. Can’t wait to merge what I got with just 2 of those. But honestly,. I would like your opinion on the best way to play a Jupiter-8v or would that simply be the 800 with a unlocked Jupiter purchase which is how much again are we talking about to play a Jupiter 8 like it’s in front of you but it’s not kinda way?
Boss has a software version of the Jupiter 8. One way of blending sound would be through the computer. The GM800 could act as a midi controller. The next video explains how to do this. Another way would be through midi. If you have the Hardware version of the Jupiter 8 you can access it through midi. You can use Tone Studio to set up your GM800 patches so the Jupiter 8 will respond to the GM800 or the GM800 will respond to the Jupiter. The Last video I made covers how to program MIDI.
Hi, I have an important question, please!
How to connect a volume pedal in the GM 800. I bought a Boss FV 5 H but it is not plug and play. How do you control the volume while playing, I mean my hands are not close to the unit’s panel. If I had a GK3 instead would be easier
Thank you!
The Boss FV5H will not work with a GM800. FV stands for foot volume. This is a straight up volume pedal. What you need is an expression pedal. You will also need a TRS cable for it to work right. A TRS cable is a quarter inch cable that has two rubber rings instead of one. This kind of pedal transmits midi data and it can also work as a volume pedal. Here is an example of an expression pedal.
www.boss.info/us/products/ev-5/
Here is the top one that Boss makes. This is what I use for a volume pedal. If you get this one, remember to get a TRS cable to go along with it.
www.boss.info/us/products/ev-30/
He tenido que devolver el boss gm 800 ,perdidas graves de latencia ,sonidos muy buenos, pero se come notas en algunos .
In order to use an expression pedal as a volume control do you have to program that into each patch or can you do it globally? With the GM 800
You need to program that into each patch. There is no global setting because it is an expression pedal. It does other things. For example, you can use the expression pedal to control the rotation of a rotary speaker, like the kind of speakers found on organs. The good news is that it is very easy to set this up if you are using the Tone Studio software. It does not take long at all.
Very nice video, well explained. Were you finally able to fix your issues with the GM-800?
No, I was not able to fix these issues. The only way that the issues will be fixed is through a firmware update by Boss. However, all my guitars with the GK3 pickup work with the GM800 very well. In Fact, they work better with the GM800 than with any other guitar synth. The GK3 tracks better with this synth. As much as I would like the GK5 pickup to work, I am not without a solution. I just use my other pickups
@@marcuscurtismusic I just got a GM-800 and use it with a SY-1000 and GX-100. I noticed some tracking issue with my GK5 and GM-800 but tracking seems to be the same as my GK3 with the SY-1000. Since I only have a GKC-DA, I cannot say if the GK3 would track better with the GM-800. But from what you are saying, your GK3 (through the GKC-AD) works better with the GM-800 than your GK5?
@@ChristianDubuc-l4t Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. This has been my experience. The GK5 works great with my SY-1000. This tells me that the issue is not the GK5. The issue is the software on the GM800. This could be fixed with a firmware update. How long it will take Boss to do a firmware update is anyone's guess. I would recommend contacting customer support on the Boss website and tell them about your issue. I think if more people would report this, then they would issue a fix sooner because they will make it a priority.
Hello friend, I'm a grs lover, I have the gr-55, gr-33 and gr-20, I'm thinking about purchasing the gm-800, but I have some doubts. From your point of view, has it improved the issues of ghost notes and latency in relation to the grs?
I don't have any issues as long as I am using a GK3 pickup. Everything works fine. I run into some issues if I use the GK5 pickup. If you purchase the GM800 you will also need to get a converter box called GKC-AD. The good news is the cost of the box is cheaper than the new GK5 pickup. The box allows you to use any guitar that has a Gk3 pickup installed. In addition to this, Boss just released a brand-new update a few weeks ago that addresses many of the tracking issues. If you have a GK-2A, GK-3 you should not have any tracking issues at all. The new update also improves the GK5 but that pickup still needs improvement. Just be sure to do a firmware update if your GM800 does not have the latest firmware.
Thanks for your detailed and honest review of the new GM-800 and GK-5 pickup. There are almost no intelligible reviews of these devices on TH-cam, mostly just advertising.
I recently purchased GM-800 with GK-5B pickup for my bass and was a little disappointed with the result...
Just like you, i had tracking problems with the new pickup. But fairly flexible settings allow you to configure it quite well for each individual scene.
The main problem i encountered was massive latency on low strings on my bass. It practically does not allow you to play anything rhythmically. I have already read that this is due to the fact that the pickup needs more time to correctly track vibrations of the low strings. But i still hope that there is some way to reduce the latency. Maybe you can give some advice on this issue?
...on TH-cam I found examples of people using similar devices with pretty much low latency, even on low strings. Maybe I'm doing something wrong?
The very first thing I would do is contact Boss support and see if they have any solutions. Customer service will work with you especially because this is brand new. The more people that point out the problem the more likely they will speed up the firmware update. Make sure you have updated firmware. Current Firmware is 1.03. If you need help upgrading the firmware then the second video in this series walks you through that process.
In my experience latency was always based on the patch. Some patches had higher latency than others. This was due to the fact that there was much more to process in certain scenes or presets. Piano patches did not work as well on the older synths. There is some truth to the fact that low strings need more time to process but that should not make a big difference with this synth. The processing power and the latency is low enough that it should be able to compensate. Other synths like the SY-1000 and the GR-55 have something called Bass mode. You would switch from guitar mode to bass mode and this would compensate for the lower notes. The GM-800 does not have a bass mode because it does not need one, at least in theory.
The problem with adjusting each scene is this, I might set it up for the GK5, but when I plug one of my other guitars that have a GK 3 into the synth it will be off. I think it's odd that the new pickups work well with older synths, but the older pickups work the best with the new synths. I suspect something is wonky with the Operating System. I also find that the Scenes I make while using the GK5 work better then the factory scenes. Have you tried making a scene yet? If so do you notice a difference?
I would be interested in how Boss resolves your issue. keep us posted. Your experience will educate everyone that reads the comments. I am seriously thinking about getting a GK-5B pickup. maybe now I will hold off or get a GK-3B.
Yes, you are right, I should have contacted Boss support first, which I will do now. And yes, I have already updated to newest 1.03 firmware thanks to your reviews.
I also noticed that some patch have a better latency and tracking than others. But anyway, in general, latency is quite noticeable on the low B string, while in higher register it's not so crucial. And higher you play - lower the latency. I didn't know about the existence of a Bass mode in older synths, maybe this is a solution for such situations. Purely theoretically, the lower the string, the more overtones (components of sound) it contains, and this to some extent complicates the understanding of exactly what pitch the sound is. It may be that the Bass mode on older models somehow simplified the reading algorithms, which eliminated the latency. At least that would be logical. Perhaps the problem in this case is the high accuracy of the new device.
The situation with the use of various pickups is quite interesting. It also seems to me that it is related to shortcomings in the software. As for the factory presets, I also agree that 90% of them are not usable at all. I tried to create my own scenes - they sound much better to me. I was hoping that the simplest scene settings could somehow affect the latency - but no, this did not happen. I also noticed that the unison mode in the part edit settings helps a little, but in general it does not solve the latency problem, and has a very negative effect on the sound. I hope that manufacturers will take into account such gaps in the new firmware update.
Perhaps the GK-3B pickup is the best choice for bass at the moment. It has been used by very serious musicians for a long time.
In any case, thank you for your feedback and useful information. I will let you know as soon as I receive a response from BOSS support.@@marcuscurtismusic
I’m trying to hook up my gm800 to my sy1000 so I’m gonna want to grab a mixer but would you recommend a mixer that is less than $400?
Obviously, you need to operate within your budget. It's ok to grab a mixer under 400.00. That is why I did a review of the Mackie pro 3 mixer. The 12 channels on that mixer is more than enough to hook up the GM-800, The SY-1000, The GR 55 and your pedal board all at the same time. Just use it as a sub mixer for your guitar gear. The current price is $359.00. I only use it to play out. That way, I don't need to bring my whole system with me. Right now it is set up over at my brother's house, and we do jam sessions there. It works great for everything you would want to do.
However, the main mixer I use is the Behringer X-32 producer. I have done several videos on its operation. Not only is this good for all the guitar synths, but the built-in audio interface is great for a home recording studio. This is a digital mixer verses the analog mixer that Mackie makes. I can record on 16 tracks at once and there are several great features. It is more expensive and comes with a price tag of around $2,000.00
Any Mixer under 400.00 should work as long as it has enough channels. You want to use each guitar synth in stereo, so you will need two channels for every guitar synth. When you buy your mixer, consider any expansion you may make to your system over time.
You are using the GR-55 Guitar Out to feed the GT-1000. The SY-1000 does not have a Guitar Out, but can it be configured to send a signal to a multi-effects pedal? I have a Helix and would like to connect the 2 units.
hi, I use it in the loop of the SY-1000 or you can use the sub out (S LR) to split after the guitar signal. so in tonestudio Normal - S LR to Helix - rest to M LR.
The only way I have tried to configure the SY-1000 to output into the GR-1000 was through the send jack. I have not tried other options as of yet because I just use the GR-55 and that works fine. However, If all I had was the the SY-1000 then I would take a deeper look at the sub outputs. This would require some exploration in tone studio. I would need to configure the sub outs to send a dry signal for every preset.
Did you know Roland’s Gaia SH01 has the same additive synth as the SY1000. Could we program one from the other?
@@MartinCraneRockbeast I did not know that. I went to look at the Gaia SH01. Not sure about the method for programing it. Thanks for sharing this info.
This is a great video. I have an SY-1000 and was looking to get a GR-55 and hook them up together. Too bad there is nothing available to be able to make the units wireless for a guitar!!!
I agree, Playing wireless guitar has kind of spoiled me.
BluCoe makes (or made) a wireless GK solution, but they're out of stock and I'm not sure if it got past prototype run and they were not cheap @ €450. It's a shame as GKC cables SUCK and the cheap knockoffs are way worse... plus now they're $100 - for a f*#$ing CABLE!!! 😮 I need 2 of them right now and for that price I could buy another used GR-20... I'd rather drop the coin on the wireless.
I been looking for someone that knew how to connect the GR 55 to GM 800 so I could use the cosm guitar models on the some tracks along with the GM 800 instruments.
it's actually pretty simple. Unfortunately, it requires spending more money. The GKC-DA box that allows you to do this costs about $200.00 dollars
Are you real, or a virtual assistant created by Google AI using my guitar synth search history from the past several years? You answered every question I had about the SY-1000, GR-55, and the GM-800, including the GK-5 issue. Thanks!! I have been using the SY-1000 and GR-55 together for a while, and they are indeed a great combination. I can't wait for Boss to fix the GK-5 issue; that is the biggest problem I am aware of.
LOL, I hope what ever intelligence I have is not artificial. Maybe it is who knows. I believe the GK5 issue is the only issue there is. I am unaware of any other. Lots of people have this issue and I have heard from many that are struggling with it. I am just glad that I am able to use the GK3 with the GM800. That being said, I made a discovery in the last few days. I switched out the cable that is recommended by Roland to be used with the GK5 pickup. I thought it was a special guitar synth cable with some new tech. Instead of using that cable, I am using a simple TRS cable. So the new guitar synth cable by Roland made to be used with the GK5 is nothing more than a glorified TRS cable. As soon as I did this, the GK5 started to work a little better. There are still issues and this is not a fix. But I don't have the extreme problem I had with the GK5. It is at least a little better.
Dear Marcus, thank you for your great work and I don't want to know how many hours you spent on it! I have a question which might be stupid and/or not valid : In case I want to AVOID a GK-5 adapter - would the following routing/chaining be possible: I go from my electric guitar (no GK-5!) into my SY-300. Then I use the SY-300 OUTPUT to go into the GM-800. so, again, I just want to trigger the GM-800 sounds WITHOUT using a GK-5 adapter. I am aware that I loose the guitar to midi feature, but the sounds alone would do so far for a certain guitar. Hmm- writing down that, I fear there is an error in my reasoning!?? 🤔
You will need a GK pickup of some type in order to use the GM-800. The superpower of the SY-series is that you can plug in any guitar through a quarter inch jack input. The SY series are the only guitar synths that do this. All other Boss and Roland guitar synths require a GK pickup of some type. You can't take the output of the SY-1000 and go into the GM-800. However, there is a synth output on the GM-800 that allows you to go from the GM-800 into the SY-1000. You will still need a converter box of some type. Think of the GM-800 as strictly a Keyboard device with no guitar features at all. It is a keyboard that you use a guitar to play.
Wow, thank you so much Marcus. I am very happy having found a true expert in guitar-synth-connectivity. At the moment for me it looks like you are the only one having the big experimental picture with regards to that subject beside the common and usual reviews. @@marcuscurtismusic
Great video, thanks for sharing! i have several GK units myself, the SY-1000, GR-20, GP-20 and had more in the past. I love the SY-1000 guitar options and prefer it above the L6 Variax as I can use my own guitars. I can recommend the Primova sound GX-2 GK instead of the US-20, check them out ( I have no affiliation with them, just think they are great products!).
I too have a line 6 Variax guitar. I also have the line 6 Variax Bass. As much as I like those instruments the SY-1000 is still better. Just ordered a GK3 B pickup for one of my bass instruments. Can't wait to see what it can do.
Your video is amazing, I will favorite it.. I have the sy and planning to expand.. if I have difficulties can I contact you ? Thank you
Absolutely! You can contact me if you need help. My advice is to go to my website in the about section and click on contact me. You will be able to send me your contact information and I will help you address what ever problems you are having.
helix has the exact models pod go has, pod just has less processing.
You have almost the same as me.
a lot of money can be spent on this gear. I think a lot of people have a collection of synths
Roland’s boutique synths are handy to have.
@@MartinCraneRockbeast I looked at those. They look like fun items to experiment with.
OMG 😅😮 😳