It’s amazing how much power is contained in this small pedal compared to the early days with the GR 300 and workstations like the Synclavier. Metheny’s rig was probably over 30k back in the early 80s and now you can replicate the tone for $300. (Not saying you could replicate Metheny)
This is a very comprehensive video. Here is my question. Why is it that in 2021 every single guitar synth pedal still sounds like a 1976 ARP synth ? I need realistic piano, b3,string and horn sounds with Realistic triggering. I have always relied on boss products, but nobody seems to be able to make a truly usable synth pedal.
With this method that processes the guitar signal directly to morph it into a synth-like sound, some things are easier than others. You can get pretty close to a B3. “Synth” strings & horns are doable. Piano would require a lot more processing. To get something like a realistic piano sound, you’re still better off doing pitch detection to generate MIDI to drive a high-quality software instrument. And for that it is still helpful to have a hex pickup like either a Roland GK running into a GP-10 or SY-1000 or the Fishman TriplePlay system. I have seen some tech that can do polyphonic pitch-to-MIDI from the output of conventional pickups, but I’m not sure it is ready for prime-time yet. I can certainly see the day coming when a device like the SY-200 can produce a realistic piano sound, but I don’t know how long it will take us to get there.
You cannot play realistic piano, B3 or horn parts with a guitar, regardless of what is being triggered or vibrated by the guitar strings. Get a keyboard for keyboard parts. And check out MIDI Guitar 2, Fishman Triple Play and EHX Key9 and Synth9. Here's one of the least bad examples, with extreme player skill and lots of practicing you can achieve something th-cam.com/video/av4X84lChEE/w-d-xo.html The synth is not the problem, the problem is the guitar - not the particular guitar but the fact that a guitar is being used. Guitars work for guitar parts.
heck ya dude ive thought the same thing. many players really would shell out 400$ for like some boutique 3 knob that can crank out just one legit dubstep distorted synth sound. shoot cud even be a one knob like alot of overdrives point is: impressive applicable synth.
I'd like to hear how this might be used in a final mix of a composition with a full band...like something in the vein of Somewhere in Time-era Iron Maiden. Most of the demos I've hear of guitar synths make them sound gimmicky.
Make synth sounds from your guitar and let keyboard player do drums. Clever! World have just became better place where no one has to deal with drummers anymore. :D
This is probably the best guitar synth on the market… i still just prefer synth sounds from keyboard or drum machine.. it never really translates well on guitar in my opinion, i think if you could blend a dry signal back into it someway that makes sense it could really convince more guitarists
@@patrickr6505 im too impatient to use sub menus on a these digital mega pedals with interfaces, let alone having to open up a computer just to use the source audio stuff!
@@personalfreedom2700 I understand where you're coming from.. sometimes I get a pain in the ass setting up the laptop to access the sounds although you physically can assign 6 of your favourite go to presets/patches on the toggle switch on the C4..
It does have both a MIDI in and out jack, so it looks like the functionality is there. I would recommend taking a look at the manual, or calling one of the Sales Engineers at Sweetwater. They normally answer all my questions.
Hey, esquire - thanks for your interest and great question! It’s really designed and voiced for electric guitar and bass. You could definitely run it with an acoustic electric guitar, but some effects may not work as well as others. If you have any other questions feel free to reach out to me! Connor Smith, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, (800) 222-4700 ext. 1793, connor_smith@sweetwater.com
Two questions ,please : is it true bypass ( i would like to try it combined with the E.H. Mel9) , and , can you tell me if i could use it with acoustic instrument? Thanx for your kind reply. Patrick from Italy
Hi, patrickbuzzo1970! Thanks for your message. I own the SY200 and it’s a really great pedal. I experimented with the “9” pedals in combination with the synth to great results. The internal loop is a nice feature, I prefer to mix outside of the pedal. It is not true bypass, it’s buffered bypass. Please contact us direct with other questions as you have them! Robert Williams, Senior Sweetwater Sales Engineer, (800) 222-4700 ext. 2371, robert_williams@sweetwater.com
Question)) When I turn on the power to this pedal, it always wakes up in the "On" state. Even when I turn the power off with the pedal in "Off" state, and then turn the power back on, it starts in the "On" state. Is there any function to remember the last "On/Off" state?
Hi and thanks for your question. SY200 is a great pedal. From your comment I believe you’re starting in Memory mode which means the lights are on for INC/DEC rather than ON/OFF. This is in the MENU, Function- Parameter area. Please contact us direct with other questions as you have them! Robert Williams, Senior Sweetwater Sales Engineer, (800) 222-4700 ext. 2371, robert_williams@sweetwater.com
Hi, HK! Thanks for your message, hope you're well and safe. Happy Holidays! The SY200, like the SY1 is mono. The SY300 and SY1000 have effects processing and panning for stereo effects. Please contact us direct with other questions as you have them! Robert Williams, Senior Sweetwater Sales Engineer, (800) 222-4700 ext. 2371, robert_williams@sweetwater.com
The concept is like the Electro Harmonix's Mel 9 and B9 keyboard guitar pedals. With this pedal I feel it will have a very limited appeal apart from the odd home recordist?
I think this will go over looked for a while till 20 yrs from now...I use the SY1 none of these synth pedals are "plug n play" you have to spend time with them to get sounds you can use...also compressor helps a tone! Arent we all odd home recordist? Lol
But why just play outer space sounds?! Give us a demo on the stings and the organ sounds so we can hear how well it does what we really need when we play live. Just MHO.
Are you sure the latency is not "almost, effectively, zero"? 1 - I'm ignorant, but... 2 - Are we sure this isn't just an effects pedal? I'm waiting to hear something that doesn't sound like an abused guitar sound. Use the guitar to play harpsichord or Mag Fields 2.
It is, as you say, “just an effects pedal”. If you want something that does pitch detection to drive a sound generator, the Boss/Roland solutions still require a hex pickup.
Nope. #BOSS (for life) should abandon this unit, and focus on the larger unit. Which is amazing. Update my GK-3. And know: a lot of synth/guitarists want VCV Rack level synth action: Synths + pedal. Not an effect pedal which mimics generic synth patches.
You ever been in a cover band? Sometimes you want to do one song that has a synth part but you don't have the time or resources to hire a synth player to do that part. It is really that simple. Pedals like this give you a "close enough for the gig this weekend" result that makes them pretty worthwhile overall.
For me, being able to combine the guitar expression techniques with synth-like sounds is different from a keyboard part. It isn’t about taking the keyboard’s job. It’s about doing things that a keyboard can’t do & that a guitar can’t do without gear like this.
Thanks for watching! 🚀 Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more videos like this one!
It’s amazing how much power is contained in this small pedal compared to the early days with the GR 300 and workstations like the Synclavier. Metheny’s rig was probably over 30k back in the early 80s and now you can replicate the tone for $300. (Not saying you could replicate Metheny)
The SY-1 is enough for the Metheny sound.
doesnt come close to grs real sounds
And that's how a proper demo is done, thank you Mitch!
Awesome performance Mitch and Dan!! Great showcase of this pedal!
Excellent demo! Thank you!
I researched midi guitars, midi pickups and so on and this is definitely the best. You can use it both as a synthesizer and a midi controller.
So I can use it as a midi control for VSTS?
I can honestly say that this very well may be the pedal I have been waiting for since I first started playing as a kid
Maybe you needed a keyboard/synth all along? 😅
You picked up the wrong instrument 🤣 🤦♂️
This is a very comprehensive video. Here is my question. Why is it that in 2021 every single guitar synth pedal still sounds like a 1976 ARP synth ? I need realistic piano, b3,string and horn sounds with Realistic triggering. I have always relied on boss products, but nobody seems to be able to make a truly usable synth pedal.
With this method that processes the guitar signal directly to morph it into a synth-like sound, some things are easier than others. You can get pretty close to a B3. “Synth” strings & horns are doable. Piano would require a lot more processing. To get something like a realistic piano sound, you’re still better off doing pitch detection to generate MIDI to drive a high-quality software instrument. And for that it is still helpful to have a hex pickup like either a Roland GK running into a GP-10 or SY-1000 or the Fishman TriplePlay system. I have seen some tech that can do polyphonic pitch-to-MIDI from the output of conventional pickups, but I’m not sure it is ready for prime-time yet. I can certainly see the day coming when a device like the SY-200 can produce a realistic piano sound, but I don’t know how long it will take us to get there.
You cannot play realistic piano, B3 or horn parts with a guitar, regardless of what is being triggered or vibrated by the guitar strings. Get a keyboard for keyboard parts. And check out MIDI Guitar 2, Fishman Triple Play and EHX Key9 and Synth9. Here's one of the least bad examples, with extreme player skill and lots of practicing you can achieve something th-cam.com/video/av4X84lChEE/w-d-xo.html The synth is not the problem, the problem is the guitar - not the particular guitar but the fact that a guitar is being used. Guitars work for guitar parts.
Comprehensive??? He only played a few sequences and stayed on one setting!
heck ya dude ive thought the same thing. many players really would shell out 400$ for like some boutique 3 knob that can crank out just one legit dubstep distorted synth sound. shoot cud even be a one knob like alot of overdrives point is: impressive applicable synth.
Some sweet tones, fewer jerky ones compared to some other "synth" fx boxes. This one is an improvement over older ones! Thanks Mitch!
I LOVE these demos!
I can imagine when there is anything going on @ Sweetwater where synth sounds are being made, Daniel Fisher appears and starts jamming along! :D
0:44 oh I definitely would play some Mega Man X with this thing!
I’d like to hear what it does to other stuff, like synths, samplers, and drum machines.
I'd like to hear how this might be used in a final mix of a composition with a full band...like something in the vein of Somewhere in Time-era Iron Maiden. Most of the demos I've hear of guitar synths make them sound gimmicky.
Thank you this was great.
Make synth sounds from your guitar and let keyboard player do drums. Clever!
World have just became better place where no one has to deal with drummers anymore.
:D
This is probably the best guitar synth on the market… i still just prefer synth sounds from keyboard or drum machine.. it never really translates well on guitar in my opinion, i think if you could blend a dry signal back into it someway that makes sense it could really convince more guitarists
Nah Buddy..The King synth pedal is the Source Audio C4...
@@patrickr6505 im too impatient to use sub menus on a these digital mega pedals with interfaces, let alone having to open up a computer just to use the source audio stuff!
@@personalfreedom2700 I understand where you're coming from.. sometimes I get a pain in the ass setting up the laptop to access the sounds although you physically can assign 6 of your favourite go to presets/patches on the toggle switch on the C4..
Wait a sec, what is he talking about "special pick" up for the SY-1? I have the SY-1 and never read or heard of any "special pickup".
Simple mistake on his part.
Hello Mitch. How does it works with a bass ??? Maybe you can do a video about it. Thank you in advance. Happy Father’s Day !!!
What type of synthesis does this have? It seems it's more of a preset box.
I see.this sounds , are the one of best ...great
Can it communicate with other midi sources and other midi enabled devices?
Exactly my question
It does have both a MIDI in and out jack, so it looks like the functionality is there. I would recommend taking a look at the manual, or calling one of the Sales Engineers at Sweetwater. They normally answer all my questions.
@@GearLover thank you
@@rouschno1 No audio to midi conversion , if thats what you need, only the boss sy 1000 or the rolang gr55 can do that
@@tubo777 thank you. I do have the 55 but I was hoping for something smaller
Thanks so much for this exposé! How about in the snd/return loop of the NUX MG-30? Would that work?
would this work with a acoustic electric guitar?
Hey, esquire - thanks for your interest and great question! It’s really designed and voiced for electric guitar and bass. You could definitely run it with an acoustic electric guitar, but some effects may not work as well as others.
If you have any other questions feel free to reach out to me!
Connor Smith, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, (800) 222-4700 ext. 1793, connor_smith@sweetwater.com
Two questions ,please : is it true bypass ( i would like to try it combined with the E.H. Mel9) , and , can you tell me if i could use it with acoustic instrument? Thanx for your kind reply. Patrick from Italy
Hi, patrickbuzzo1970! Thanks for your message. I own the SY200 and it’s a really great pedal. I experimented with the “9” pedals in combination with the synth to great results. The internal loop is a nice feature, I prefer to mix outside of the pedal. It is not true bypass, it’s buffered bypass.
Please contact us direct with other questions as you have them!
Robert Williams, Senior Sweetwater Sales Engineer, (800) 222-4700 ext. 2371, robert_williams@sweetwater.com
2 Bosses in the same video !!!
Question)) When I turn on the power to this pedal, it always wakes up in the "On" state.
Even when I turn the power off with the pedal in "Off" state, and then turn the power back on, it starts in the "On" state.
Is there any function to remember the last "On/Off" state?
Hi and thanks for your question. SY200 is a great pedal. From your comment I believe you’re starting in Memory mode which means the lights are on for INC/DEC rather than ON/OFF. This is in the MENU, Function- Parameter area.
Please contact us direct with other questions as you have them!
Robert Williams, Senior Sweetwater Sales Engineer, (800) 222-4700 ext. 2371, robert_williams@sweetwater.com
does it send MIDI out from the guitar as well ?
( if so , any latency there? )
No, it doesn’t do pitch detection. You’d still need a GP-10 or an SY-1000 and a guitar with a hex pickup to generate MIDI pitch data.
Or a GR-55. My bias for more VG-focused stuff always makes me forget it exists. 🙂
The latency is not 0. I had some delay.
Seems like the perfect pedal for the band Trans Am.
How it sounds on violin
They could have put rev delay in it big let down
Is it Stereo ?
Hi, HK! Thanks for your message, hope you're well and safe. Happy Holidays!
The SY200, like the SY1 is mono. The SY300 and SY1000 have effects processing and panning for stereo effects.
Please contact us direct with other questions as you have them!
Robert Williams, Senior Sweetwater Sales Engineer, (800) 222-4700 ext. 2371, robert_williams@sweetwater.com
Pat Metheny must be excited
The concept is like the Electro Harmonix's Mel 9 and B9 keyboard guitar pedals. With this pedal I feel it will have a very limited appeal apart from the odd home recordist?
I think this will go over looked for a while till 20 yrs from now...I use the SY1 none of these synth pedals are "plug n play" you have to spend time with them to get sounds you can use...also compressor helps a tone! Arent we all odd home recordist? Lol
But why just play outer space sounds?! Give us a demo on the stings and the organ sounds so we can hear how well it does what we really need when we play live. Just MHO.
8:43 the Metheny style lead sound works, and the keyboard synth is half of why the music works. All the rest is awful.
more than 50% of the video with the same sound, that is boring, not a good commercial for a Boss pedal ...
Amen to that! I didn't hear anything I wouldn't pay to be without!
Sounds like a Nintendo. Generally useless for the guys who need an UPDATED GR-55 for cover gigs vs home recording.
Are you sure the latency is not "almost, effectively, zero"?
1 - I'm ignorant, but...
2 - Are we sure this isn't just an effects pedal? I'm waiting to hear something that doesn't sound like an abused guitar sound. Use the guitar to play harpsichord or Mag Fields 2.
It is, as you say, “just an effects pedal”. If you want something that does pitch detection to drive a sound generator, the Boss/Roland solutions still require a hex pickup.
Where’s the fire Mitch?
🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷🧉🧉🧉🧉😜
METHENY
It doesn't play chords so good, it will favor some frequencies more then others!...
Nope. #BOSS (for life) should abandon this unit, and focus on the larger unit. Which is amazing. Update my GK-3. And know: a lot of synth/guitarists want VCV Rack level synth action: Synths + pedal. Not an effect pedal which mimics generic synth patches.
trop de baratin
first! :)
Synths have guitar patches and guitars have synth effects. Why not have each do their own jobs?
Keyboards have 1000's of instruments built in. That is it's "job", and has been for decades.
You ever been in a cover band? Sometimes you want to do one song that has a synth part but you don't have the time or resources to hire a synth player to do that part. It is really that simple. Pedals like this give you a "close enough for the gig this weekend" result that makes them pretty worthwhile overall.
For me, being able to combine the guitar expression techniques with synth-like sounds is different from a keyboard part. It isn’t about taking the keyboard’s job. It’s about doing things that a keyboard can’t do & that a guitar can’t do without gear like this.