I've been using a GR-20 for almost seven years, and it's worked out great. I play with a worship team in church, so it fills in very nicely with strings, organ, or whatever...and combining the synth with the guitar sounds (using a Tonelab EX), it's very versatile. Although the GR-55 is now the current model, I prefer this one so that I can more easily pick guitar and synth sounds on the fly.
There is a microprocessor in the Roland device that does pitch tracking on each string individually. The hex pickup detects the vibration of each string separately, that way the processor can limit the pitch tracking range to the two octaves the string can produce. When you hold down a string you are making it shorter, causing it to vibrate faster. However the pickup doesn't measure the length of the string. It only detects the change in string vibration rate (aka pitch).
This is a great demonstration of the GR-20. I was going to sell my Strat with the built-in Roland pickup, but now i'm reconsidering. Thanks for posting!
@YourPunisherOfLife Yeah you can. Get ready for some serious step editing afterwords though. There's lots of phantom notes appear, nothing that can't be fixed. But it's AMAZING. Anything you can play (better slow and pitched up, than fast and low) can be recorded. He's not joking when he says about playing well, you have to be SO clean.
Wrong. As the people below were posting, this instrument measures the PITCH based of the audio signal of the guitar, not the distance between the fretted note and the bridge. If the guitar is out of tune, the notes and chords being played are going to sound out of tune as well. As for this video, I never looked into guitar synth's but this thing looks pretty awesome. I'll settle for my computer software for now, though! I have hundreds of VST synthesizers for FL Studio and Sonar.
GK-3 SENSOR OPERATION: I have to admit that piece of info. in my Vid. was a part of the sales pitch from the music store sales guy, and not explored any further by me! I just took it as the truth. I wasn't able to find any info. about this on a quick Google search (?) so contact me with any good links please. I'll keep everyone posted as I test this & look into this a lot further. It's important that postings I place are always accurate to viewers & subscribers here. Thanks, - Andrew
open question: My GR-20 and GK-3 pickup just arrived. Now I gotta figure out what guitar to use. I have a beautiful pro-setup Epiphone Prophecy which I hate to *stick anything on*.. Roland said the fish may be damaged. Then have a Jay Turser LP that has killer action, and I dont mind stciking something on And a Jay Turser SG with really bad pickups.. Also has good action though. and a Epi S800 which plays ok but has some buzz.. Whats important for guitar selection? Thanks Crew!
@Tete5435 Most certainly! Pat Metheny has, in addition to his dedicated Greco-Roland synth guitars, made great use of these kind of pickups on his archtops. Are you a Metheny fan?
Will this work with a classical guitar ? With nylon strings ? Also will this connect to my PC and then directly into FL Studio's Piano Roll as a MIDI ?
Hi Andrew, thanks for the video. I have a GR-20 with my bass and it´s amazing and fun. Your explication was perfect for a great gear. Cheers from Chile.
Seems like a lot of people missed this question. What kind of amp do you use the GR-20 with ? Can a regular guitar amp make a bass sound without distorting the speakers ? I just spoke with someone @ Sweetwater w/regards to the GR-20S. Do you still need a GK-3 with it since the discription in most websites states 'no-pick-up'?
Well there is the GR-55 which which is very accurate, tad expensive but the only other well known option was the Terratec Axon 100 which I owned and sold as it had many problems with double triggering notes. Definitely prefer Rolands option, would like to get a Godin guitar with Synth Access to really make the most of guitar to MIDI. Great Review Cheers!
what I would really want to know about GR-20 + GK3 pickup is: is this send velocity too, because I can not hear it clear from any of such reviews. thanks a lot if anyone would answer.
What has been your experience using it through outboard synth gear? Does the unit track well? What about latency issues? I am wanting to use this system to drive a Motif Rack, have you tried that? Any issues to be aware of?
I had a GR20 but sold it and bought a VG99. I liked the GR20 - reminded me of the Roland patches on many GS and GM keyboards. The weird part for a guitar player is quantization. We're used to bending a note to the next note in a pretty much linear (its not truly linear but it can be approximated that way) way to the next note. But with this synth, since key instruments typically don't bend, a threshold has to be hit before the next note suddenly plays. Sort of a mind-#@$ for axe players!
Will the pickup work straight into TC helicon's gear,like a keyboard synth.I have old GK1 stored somewhere,but have GK1 pickup with me.Is GK3 any better than GK2 pickup fpr triggering sensitivity? The sounds on my GK1 synth didn't knock me out ,and dont seem better now,Also best if phrase /attack like instrument you are imitating.
Looking to get feedback from musicians who have gigged with this. Debating getting one of these or buying and learning keyboard. Is the sound quality the same or at least close enough? Don't need a toy, need a convincing instrument to make up for no keyboard in the working band I'm in. ALso, suggestiions for an amp?
I think this thing could be used for gig's if you're not going to stomp all your weight onto it during a hardcore rock show. I think it would be cool for one song, use a couple of sounds off of it and then unplug it after that. I would have alot of fun doing recordings with this thing. Right now I have alot of software synthesizers. Having a guitar to do the sounds instead would sound alot more realistic and it would be alot more fun to record with instead of drawing notes on the screen.
@CMaj7b5 hey dude sorry to intrude, coz ur question is for andrew, but checkout this video: "VG-99 V-Guitar System (1/5) at NAMM" . Its the demo for the VG-99. He has no pickups on the guitar he uses. only the GK.
Thanks for these instructional videos.. but I think some of this stuff is a bit over my head... I am starting to explore some gadgets and do have a tc helicon Harmony G which I've only tried a bit, but it can make a performer sound awesome.. however, there is very little help for using this device available on the net and the user manual is frankly useless beyond explaining what each button to do. Before I got the HG, I bought a Boss RC 20 XL.. my problem now is how to cable so I can use both.
@malabarspyder A decent bridge, nice neck, watch your action. Don't fuss yourself about guitar sound, you'll end up just suing the synth and besides it goes through the unti anyway, which changes the tone. Cheap and cheerful will do. I used my Squire Telecaster, dedicated for MIDI Guitar and I love it!
i certaintly dont have the money for one of these things plus the only effects that really interest me are the synth and strings. does anyone know of any pedals that offer just those types of sounds??
Down to preference really, not really too much or too little, some signature guitars, like Alexi Laio's has just 1 volume and 1 pickup. (i think) And Tom Morrello's has loads of cool gadgets, and Buckethead... well thats Buckethead lol
I was not a fan of the GR20. Not having an LCD that shows the patch name is a weakness. Only having 2 pedals doesn't give one enough sounds instantly available at any given time. The sounds weren't any better than the GR33 (same engine?) and it was less configurable. I'd recommend a used GR33 live and GI-20 --> computer based soft synths for studio. I did a GI-20->Fantom XR for a while... powerful but not convenient.
@Canamjay Chain your HG first, then your Loop Station! You can make loops with the great sounds of the HG, and record em all with your Rc-20. When you're done, you can throw down some great lead sounds and really experiment with your newfound sonic options! Have fun!
I just got one of these... guy's... believe me when I say they are a lot of fun, I mean it.... but if you have the money go for the gr55, it has a drum machine. However, for the money... you wont regret it
Hello I am Brazilian amigor wanted to know something about this crankset careens'm wondering if buying a pickup that guitar pick in reply Sincerely hope you have some moves in this video encinano crankset
Roland Guitar synths were the ones used on Iron Maiden's "Somewhere in Time" album
I've been using a GR-20 for almost seven years, and it's worked out great. I play with a worship team in church, so it fills in very nicely with strings, organ, or whatever...and combining the synth with the guitar sounds (using a Tonelab EX), it's very versatile. Although the GR-55 is now the current model, I prefer this one so that I can more easily pick guitar and synth sounds on the fly.
There is a microprocessor in the Roland device that does pitch tracking on each string individually. The hex pickup detects the vibration of each string separately, that way the processor can limit the pitch tracking range to the two octaves the string can produce. When you hold down a string you are making it shorter, causing it to vibrate faster. However the pickup doesn't measure the length of the string. It only detects the change in string vibration rate (aka pitch).
It doesn't use distance to measure pitch.
This is a great demonstration of the GR-20. I was going to sell my Strat with the built-in Roland pickup, but now i'm reconsidering. Thanks for posting!
This is best explanation about GR20 ...
Thanks for that....
@YourPunisherOfLife Yeah you can. Get ready for some serious step editing afterwords though. There's lots of phantom notes appear, nothing that can't be fixed. But it's AMAZING. Anything you can play (better slow and pitched up, than fast and low) can be recorded. He's not joking when he says about playing well, you have to be SO clean.
Wrong. As the people below were posting, this instrument measures the PITCH based of the audio signal of the guitar, not the distance between the fretted note and the bridge.
If the guitar is out of tune, the notes and chords being played are going to sound out of tune as well.
As for this video, I never looked into guitar synth's but this thing looks pretty awesome. I'll settle for my computer software for now, though! I have hundreds of VST synthesizers for FL Studio and Sonar.
another awesome video Andrew what a great toy that is
@peronpierwszy yes and it does program and control change. If I remember rightly, you can assign split ranges to it too. it's an entry level monster!
That was a really good demo Andrew. A fine gadget for sure!
DOES NO ONE ELSE NOTICE THAT HE JUST FUCKING PLAYED THE SAXAPHONE AND PIANO ON HIS GUITAR.
IS NO ONE ELSES MIND BLOWN
@liquidayno The GK-3 is Pitch->HEX and MIDI note on/off there after, with control change info = DIGITAL
I know a guitar player who has one of these and it is bad ass!!! You can do a banjo, violin, etc.
GK-3 SENSOR OPERATION:
I have to admit that piece of info. in my Vid. was a part of the sales pitch from the music store sales guy, and not explored any further by me! I just took it as the truth.
I wasn't able to find any info. about this on a quick Google search (?) so contact me with any good links please.
I'll keep everyone posted as I test this & look into this a lot further.
It's important that postings I place are always accurate to viewers & subscribers here.
Thanks,
- Andrew
i test it with ableton live... good songs with midi control in live
thx for you video i have buy too.. GK3 and GR20
Mine never plays that smooth great job
open question:
My GR-20 and GK-3 pickup just arrived. Now I gotta figure out what guitar to use.
I have a beautiful pro-setup Epiphone Prophecy which I hate to *stick anything on*.. Roland said the fish may be damaged.
Then have a Jay Turser LP that has killer action, and I dont mind stciking something on
And a Jay Turser SG with really bad pickups.. Also has good action though.
and a Epi S800 which plays ok but has some buzz..
Whats important for guitar selection?
Thanks Crew!
@Tete5435 Most certainly!
Pat Metheny has, in addition to his dedicated Greco-Roland synth guitars, made great use of these kind of pickups on his archtops.
Are you a Metheny fan?
holy shit cool. my bandmate got one of these...seeing it for the first time now.
Will this work with a classical guitar ? With nylon strings ? Also will this connect to my PC and then directly into FL Studio's Piano Roll as a MIDI ?
Great overview. Is it possible to tune the guitar differently, like DADGAD or drop D? Thanks Andrew
Hi Andrew, thanks for the video. I have a GR-20 with my bass and it´s amazing and fun. Your explication was perfect for a great gear. Cheers from Chile.
best solo i have ever heard in ages towards the end"!
Seems like a lot of people missed this question. What kind of amp do you use the GR-20 with ? Can a regular guitar amp make a bass sound without distorting the speakers ? I just spoke with someone @ Sweetwater w/regards to the GR-20S. Do you still need a GK-3 with it since the discription in most websites states 'no-pick-up'?
What's that stuff you are playing with the yellow jacket effect?It sounds super-cool
could you do reviews on other effect pedals such as the Boss GT-10 for example. It'd be interesting to see your take on this pedal.
I bought a sitar guitar and this thing still sounds better. Glad I havent got me a banjo guitar or steel resonator yet.
could i control any midi synth with this unit and pickup....???/
like the synths on cubase etc...i e soft synths..drums etc... thanks..
Well there is the GR-55 which which is very accurate, tad expensive but the only other well known option was the Terratec Axon 100 which I owned and sold as it had many problems with double triggering notes. Definitely prefer Rolands option, would like to get a Godin guitar with Synth Access to really make the most of guitar to MIDI. Great Review Cheers!
How hard is it to mount that pickup strip on a guitar ? Do you need screws or ... ?
How is this for midi out into soft ware synths? I'm going to get a Fishman Triple Play when it comes out this year
does it work with a reg electric? if so, whats the difference
2 questions...what is the midi output like for playing external synths?
I also noticed you weren't doing any bends!..will this unit track bends?
what happens with a pinch harmonic? Just a very high pitch flute or oboe or whatever sound you have chosen?
Does this work outside standard tuning? Please say yes.
what I would really want to know about GR-20 + GK3 pickup is: is this send velocity too, because I can not hear it clear from any of such reviews. thanks a lot if anyone would answer.
starting at 8:58 Nathan East scat?
My question might be stupid but, is it possible to fix this on an Archtop?
What has been your experience using it through outboard synth gear? Does the unit track well? What about latency issues? I am wanting to use this system to drive a Motif Rack, have you tried that? Any issues to be aware of?
Hello is the audio on????
I had a GR20 but sold it and bought a VG99. I liked the GR20 - reminded me of the Roland patches on many GS and GM keyboards.
The weird part for a guitar player is quantization. We're used to bending a note to the next note in a pretty much linear (its not truly linear but it can be approximated that way) way to the next note. But with this synth, since key instruments typically don't bend, a threshold has to be hit before the next note suddenly plays. Sort of a mind-#@$ for axe players!
Will the pickup work straight into TC helicon's gear,like a keyboard synth.I have old GK1 stored somewhere,but have GK1 pickup with me.Is GK3 any better than GK2 pickup fpr triggering sensitivity? The sounds on my GK1 synth didn't knock me out ,and dont seem better now,Also best if phrase /attack like instrument you are imitating.
Looking to get feedback from musicians who have gigged with this. Debating getting one of these or buying and learning keyboard. Is the sound quality the same or at least close enough? Don't need a toy, need a convincing instrument to make up for no keyboard in the working band I'm in. ALso, suggestiions for an amp?
I think this thing could be used for gig's if you're not going to stomp all your weight onto it during a hardcore rock show. I think it would be cool for one song, use a couple of sounds off of it and then unplug it after that.
I would have alot of fun doing recordings with this thing. Right now I have alot of software synthesizers. Having a guitar to do the sounds instead would sound alot more realistic and it would be alot more fun to record with instead of drawing notes on the screen.
Everything sounds like something from a SNES game. Does the unit respond to playing dynamics, vibrato or bends at all?
patch at 10:07 actually sounds cool
What kind of amp you can use to play electric guitar and Roland Synth? amp for electric guitar or amp for synth? Thank you
Hi Andrew. Great Demo! Would the GR-20 work on a bass guitar?
@YourPunisherOfLife oh and there's some latency, so be aware. Get one, you'll love it!
@CMaj7b5
hey dude sorry to intrude, coz ur question is for andrew, but checkout this video: "VG-99 V-Guitar System (1/5) at NAMM" . Its the demo for the VG-99. He has no pickups on the guitar he uses. only the GK.
can you go though the install and set up of the pickup and the sensitivity settings on the unit..?
Thanks for these instructional videos.. but I think some of this stuff is a bit over my head... I am starting to explore some gadgets and do have a tc helicon Harmony G which I've only tried a bit, but it can make a performer sound awesome.. however, there is very little help for using this device available on the net and the user manual is frankly useless beyond explaining what each button to do.
Before I got the HG, I bought a Boss RC 20 XL.. my problem now is how to cable so I can use both.
@malabarspyder A decent bridge, nice neck, watch your action. Don't fuss yourself about guitar sound, you'll end up just suing the synth and besides it goes through the unti anyway, which changes the tone. Cheap and cheerful will do. I used my Squire Telecaster, dedicated for MIDI Guitar and I love it!
Astonishing!
what would you recommend for a good all around tube amp for practice/home use?
Guitar Center has them. I just got one tonight
Great review. Thanks!
that thing is amazing!!!
I hear you can connect it to ROCKBAND 3!
Have you tried it?
Great video, and quality. Thanks much!
Go to his website, he has explanations of all of his gear on there. They are hotrails & cool rails in the neck pos.
i certaintly dont have the money for one of these things plus the only effects that really interest me are the synth and strings. does anyone know of any pedals that offer just those types of sounds??
its good. i wouldnt use the inbuild pathces more connect it do a synth and use it as a midi controller.
This is brilliant.
It;s a pity you didn't play any chords on the hilarious "Doo" sound.
I would love to know how well these work with bass.
could you loop something like this??
how much
can you give me the tabs for that at 8:48 please?
Very helpful. Thanks!
great review
This is probablly the coolest fucking thing ever. Roland has really outdone theirselves this time.
Down to preference really, not really too much or too little, some signature guitars, like Alexi Laio's has just 1 volume and 1 pickup. (i think) And Tom Morrello's has loads of cool gadgets, and Buckethead... well thats Buckethead lol
is it stereo in and out?
can u make music for video games with a gr 20
i hace a question.. how much is the cost..?
I was not a fan of the GR20. Not having an LCD that shows the patch name is a weakness. Only having 2 pedals doesn't give one enough sounds instantly available at any given time. The sounds weren't any better than the GR33 (same engine?) and it was less configurable.
I'd recommend a used GR33 live and GI-20 --> computer based soft synths for studio. I did a GI-20->Fantom XR for a while... powerful but not convenient.
can you get pendulum-like leads out of this?
@Canamjay Chain your HG first, then your Loop Station! You can make loops with the great sounds of the HG, and record em all with your Rc-20. When you're done, you can throw down some great lead sounds and really experiment with your newfound sonic options! Have fun!
you should cover some popular songs with this on youtube.
sounds cool but would u actually use it in recording when u could use a keyboard with better dynamics or buy every instrument with the money
good job
I just got one of these... guy's... believe me when I say they are a lot of fun, I mean it.... but if you have the money go for the gr55, it has a drum machine. However, for the money... you wont regret it
woohoo!! getting one of these tomorrow!! 483euros..not too bad, there normally 595! it's not second hand either..
yeah but youll need an midi interfacre to get your guitar sound to the pc
can you make judas priest turbo album sounds with this or do you need an old analog one?
that is really cool
the floor is an illusion
Hello I am Brazilian amigor wanted to know something about this crankset careens'm wondering if buying a pickup that guitar pick in reply Sincerely hope you have some moves in this video encinano crankset
My man.
@4321micro yes u can friend
Esta genial este sistetizador para guitarra, lo malo esta en el precio, casi inalcansable. . .
U really rock dude! I both play guitar and synth and you may have convinced me to tune a guitar with this piece of sh... euh of stuff!
is there techno?
that pedal is so funny i think im going to get one
@ShimmySystem it's a synth
@liquidayno Hmm...Check your sources and get back to us.
It's more like you have too little stuff on your guitar.
anyone know what kind of pickups those are?
Good demo thanks. Sorry so many Americans are prix.