Roland GR20 anyone used it ?

[strat2]

I need one (pos) for hyper fast tracking on strings.
I'd use it for strings, keyboard, solo boosts, what do you like about it?

Whats the delay between patch switches , if just one patch away ,
is it fast/slow?

 

[Dumby]

Gutiar synths

I've had the GR33 for a while now, it's cool to fiddle with for a while but I find that unless i have a specific part in a song I that's it's needed I reallly don't use it very often. And don't forget you need to by the GK pickup and drilling it to a guitar. I used a old strato-fakester, and I would get someone to do it if you can it was a real pain in the ass to line up ACCURATELY! For solo boosts there's lots of cool sounds, strings patches are not bad, the pianos and sitar's are really great. Except that if I lay a piano part down, I find to simulate it properly, you have to lay the part of the piano you would play in real life with the left hand on one track , and then the part with the right hand. Get it? Anyways, they are lots of fun. I bought mine because I got it cheaper than the GR20 because it was a floor demo.

Check out the http://www.rolandus.com there's a great demo display.
You can hear it on my soundclick at the begining of the first song and during the the secong song first bar of the verse and on it's own at the end of the song.

 

[strat2]

Thanks Dumby ,

I have a EPI les Paul , the make an adapter that might make it
easier to get lined up.
I see what you mean about the piano, guess I'd mainly be using
strings.


Anyone else using the Roland GR Series Synths ?

 

[Dumby]

Thanks Dumby ,

I have a EPI les Paul , the make an adapter that might make it
easier to get lined up.
I see what you mean about the piano, guess I'd mainly be using
strings.


Anyone else using the Roland GR Series Synths ?

No problem dude...Friends forever

 

[LDT2]

I have a EPI les Paul , the make an adapter that might make it easier to get lined up.

I have a GR-33 and a VG-88 that I use with a GK-3 pickup on my Les Paul Custom. This setup works really well as the GK-3 actually mounts on the bridge and the curve of the pickups are adjustable to the strings.

I need one (pos) for hyper fast tracking on strings.
I'd use it for strings, keyboard, solo boosts, what do you like about it?

Whats the delay between patch switches , if just one patch away ,
is it fast/slow?

I use mine for all these things and also in the studio to trigger other sound modules. The tracking sensitivity is adjustable for each string and for different styles of picking. It works quite well.

Changing patches is as fast as stomping the button and can be set to change on the initial press of the button or upon release, so you could have your foot on the next patch and it wouldn't change until you lift your foot. No delay.

Now, all this customizing is in the GR-33, but I don't believe that the GR-20 goes that deep. It's more stripped down, according to the Roland tech I talked with when it first came out. If you can get your hands on the video manual or product CD you'ld be amazed at the lightning fast stuff that can be achieved with the GR-33 with right settings and a properly set up guitar.

Hope this helps,

Lucio

 

[mixmkr]

I have a GR33 and a Roland Ready Strat. Bought the Strat, because I didn't like the add on pickup. Clunky and actually I couldn't get it setup as good as I needed it. The Strat works fine....except on bass patches on the low E and A strings. ..which is kinda a bummer, because there is a latency. The workaround is to transpose the patch down an octave and play it an octave higher on the guitar. Everything else is fine. I use it to layer against my guitar sounds alot of times. Makes it really thick when needed.

Now...all that said, I was disappointed they discontinued the GR33, because the GR20 IS a stripped down version. I wish they would have come out with even a better version than the GR33. Maybe they will, but I am not holding my breath.

I'd buy a used GR33 WAY before I got the GR20... would be cheaper I would guess (over a new GR20), and I think it is THAT much better. If my GR33 went down or whatever, I'd replace it for sure....but I'd be looking on Ebay or something. Don't want their other synths.

 

[strat2]

I have a GR-33 and a VG-88 that I use with a GK-3 pickup on my Les Paul Custom. This setup works really well as the GK-3 actually mounts on the bridge and the curve of the pickups are adjustable to the strings.

I use mine for all these things and also in the studio to trigger other sound modules. The tracking sensitivity is adjustable for each string and for different styles of picking. It works quite well.

Changing patches is as fast as stomping the button and can be set to change on the initial press of the button or upon release, so you could have your foot on the next patch and it wouldn't change until you lift your foot. No delay.

Now, all this customizing is in the GR-33, but I don't believe that the GR-20 goes that deep. It's more stripped down, according to the Roland tech I talked with when it first came out. If you can get your hands on the video manual or product CD you'ld be amazed at the lightning fast stuff that can be achieved with the GR-33 with right settings and a properly set up guitar.

Hope this helps, Lucio

Yes thanks Lucio,

I like the 4 pedals on the GR30 cause I wouldn't use the expression pedal,
but it's probably not as feature packed as the GR33.
And the 4 pedal sound like I'd have more patch access options.

Great to hear you can switch a patch on the fly without a lag, that's an
excellent feature, didn't think that would be the case.

So the GR33 takes a Gk3 ok huh, that's good to know, cause that has
the available Les Paul bridge hook up and also the tail clip on deal.
And supposed to be 30 % smaller or shallower.

I only have about 3/16" play on my treble side of the bridge for th GK3
bracket , but I'm guessing that'll be enough to allow for the bracket
thickness.
The way I understand it , you lower the bridge nut to compensate
the bracket thickness where it attaches to the bridge.

You didn't have much bass note latency with your unit,
as mentioned by mxmkr?

I'm also considering the GR 09 but hear good and bad about it.
Most of the good news seems to be about the 30 and 33.


Thanks , Ted

 

[strat2]

I have a GR33 and a Roland Ready Strat. Bought the Strat, because I didn't like the add on pickup. Clunky and actually I couldn't get it setup as good as I needed it. The Strat works fine....except on bass patches on the low E and A strings. ..which is kinda a bummer, because there is a latency. The workaround is to transpose the patch down an octave and play it an octave higher on the guitar. Everything else is fine. I use it to layer against my guitar sounds alot of times. Makes it really thick when needed.

Now...all that said, I was disappointed they discontinued the GR33, because the GR20 IS a stripped down version. I wish they would have come out with even a better version than the GR33. Maybe they will, but I am not holding my breath.

I'd buy a used GR33 WAY before I got the GR20... would be cheaper I would guess (over a new GR20), and I think it is THAT much better. If my GR33 went down or whatever, I'd replace it for sure....but I'd be looking on Ebay or something. Don't want their other synths.

Can't imagine pedaling backwards like that with Roland, but I guess that's
how they operate, reminds me of Digitech, their Vocalist Performer harmonizer
was very popular and excellent , so they shut it down with no plans to
come out with a new one (that's what they told me) hmmm.

 

[Dumby]

I bought my GR33 used also (floor demo in reality), I got it knocked down to cheaper than what the GR20 would have cost me new. I stil had to buy my GR3 pick up and install it which was f*cking tedeous(sp.?).

 

[LDT2]

So the GR33 takes a Gk3 ok huh, that's good to know, cause that has
the available Les Paul bridge hook up and also the tail clip on deal.
And supposed to be 30 % smaller or shallower.

I only have about 3/16" play on my treble side of the bridge for th GK3
bracket , but I'm guessing that'll be enough to allow for the bracket
thickness.
The way I understand it , you lower the bridge nut to compensate
the bracket thickness where it attaches to the bridge.

You didn't have much bass note latency with your unit,
as mentioned by mxmkr?

The GK-3 is smaller and easier to use ( I was using a GK-2 origionally and kept hitting the switch on it while I was playing) and will squeeze between your treble pickup and bridge. The pickup bracket actually hangs between the bridge and the posts, so it always stays in proportion to the strings as you raise and lower the bridge. The adjustment is actually on the GK-3 pickup itself. You can adjust the curvature of the pickups ( there are actually 6 little magnet humbuckers on the GK-3, one humbucker per string) in relation to the string curvature.

There is a slight latency when triggering sounds, but that kinda goes with the territory. You play according to what you're hearing, you get used to it. Let me put it this way, it hasn't prevented me from being able to play very articulate runs,but again, as I said earlier, setting up your string sensitivity is very important. I will say that I had to set my sensitivity higher than they suggest as I'm not a heavy handed player, it allowed me to be more dynamic with my playing. On the other hand, you could set up a patch, like horns or strings, with a "heavier" sensitivity so that only when you hit the strings harder do you hear the patch. I do this quite a bit as I blend the GR-33 in with my Les Paul pickups to add sound layers.

It goes pretty deep editing wise and you can add on extra pedals, too.
Personally, I think the GR-33 is the only one to get, unless you don't want the extra flexability, which if you're at all like me, you'll appreciate.

Also, the sound set is based on the JV modules and are very usable with some tweaking. The 1st thing that I did was turn off the reverb so I could hear the patches. You have 2 sounds that you can blend for each patch and you can pick the octaves, panning, etc for each. The possibilities are pretty amazing.

I couldn't go back at this point, but that's me.
Let me know if you have anymore questions.

Lucio

 

[strat2]

I bought my GR33 used also (floor demo in reality), I got it knocked down to cheaper than what the GR20 would have cost me new. I stil had to buy my GR3 pick up and install it which was f*cking tedeous(sp.?).

Haa , yea I can imagine especially if it's one where a guy'd have to use that
sticky tape and try back and forth a thousand times to get the distance right.

I've got time, and if I get the Gk3 for my Epi might be a tad easier.
I may have mentioned that if I like the basic set up I'll have no problem
screwing the pickup into my guit if push comes to shuve.

 

[Dumby]

Haa , yea I can imagine especially if it's one where a guy'd have to use that
sticky tape and try back and forth a thousand times to get the distance right.

I've got time, and if I get the Gk3 for my Epi might be a tad easier.
I may have mentioned that if I like the basic set up I'll have no problem
screwing the pickup into my guit if push comes to shuve.

The pick-up I bought new

 

[strat2]

The GK-3 is smaller and easier to use ( I was using a GK-2 origionally and kept hitting the switch on it while I was playing) and will squeeze between your treble pickup and bridge. The pickup bracket actually hangs between the bridge and the posts, so it always stays in proportion to the strings as you raise and lower the bridge. The adjustment is actually on the GK-3 pickup itself. You can adjust the curvature of the pickups ( there are actually 6 little magnet humbuckers on the GK-3, one humbucker per string) in relation to the string curvature.

There is a slight latency when triggering sounds, but that kinda goes with the territory. You play according to what you're hearing, you get used to it. Let me put it this way, it hasn't prevented me from being able to play very articulate runs,but again, as I said earlier, setting up your string sensitivity is very important. I will say that I had to set my sensitivity higher than they suggest as I'm not a heavy handed player, it allowed me to be more dynamic with my playing. On the other hand, you could set up a patch, like horns or strings, with a "heavier" sensitivity so that only when you hit the strings harder do you hear the patch. I do this quite a bit as I blend the GR-33 in with my Les Paul pickups to add sound layers.

It goes pretty deep editing wise and you can add on extra pedals, too.
Personally, I think the GR-33 is the only one to get, unless you don't want the extra flexability, which if you're at all like me, you'll appreciate.

Also, the sound set is based on the JV modules and are very usable with some tweaking. The 1st thing that I did was turn off the reverb so I could hear the patches. You have 2 sounds that you can blend for each patch and you can pick the octaves, panning, etc for each. The possibilities are pretty amazing.

I couldn't go back at this point, but that's me.
Let me know if you have anymore questions.

Lucio

Hey Lucio,
Great hands on tips/info this is stuff you don't get out of
sales pitch literature.

So do those 6 pups adjust by way of individual screws like on some
humbuckers ?
I read somewhere something about it having distortion as well as
delay and chorus, is it useable in terms of 80's rock/metal, that would
be a plus too.
Do you like the reverb, delay, chorus ?

Can you set up the four pedals to instantly access 4 dif., patches ?
Do you like the expression pedal?
I've always hated ex pedals for volume use, cause I'd rather have it
pre dialed in as in hitting a pedal to another lead patch that is
already amped up a notch .

When you installed the pup , you added plastic/composite between your
saddles and the bridge anchor bolts.
Did you loose any of the bell tone ring your guit had before you
added that plastic ?
You know, as in when you pluck an open string and get that nice ring
when the guit is set up right...

Ted

 

[strat2]

The pick-up I bought new

I thought you did buy it new, but aside from the Roland
ready strat I thought you also had to stick one on a non roland ready
strat...

=

 

[LDT2]

So do those 6 pups adjust by way of individual screws like on some humbuckers ?

There's one centered screw that adjusts the curvature of the pickups.

I read somewhere something about it having distortion as well as delay and chorus, is it useable in terms of 80's rock/metal, that would be a plus too.
Do you like the reverb, delay, chorus ?

There is distortion that sounds pretty good, but I don't use those patches, I prefer the actual sound of my Les Paul. The reverb, delay, chorus and other effects are as good as any.

Can you set up the four pedals to instantly access 4 dif., patches ?
Do you like the expression pedal?
I've always hated ex pedals for volume use, cause I'd rather have it pre dialed in as in hitting a pedal to another lead patch that is already amped up a notch .

It already has 4 pedals built in for that. I added 2 external pedals to change banks up or down. Each bank uses the 4 built in pedals, so you can set up multiple banks of 4 patches for different situations.

The expression pedal can also be assigned to work a wah or blend between 2 patches or control the rate of modulation in an effect, whatever you choose.
Setting different levels for patches is no problem.

When you installed the pup , you added plastic/composite between your saddles and the bridge anchor bolts.
Did you loose any of the bell tone ring your guit had before you added that plastic ?
You know, as in when you pluck an open string and get that nice ring when the guit is set up right...

The pickup bracket is metal not plastic, so there is no loss of sustain, etc.
You will have to adjust the bridge height to compensate for the extra thickness of the bracket, so measure carefully.

Lucio

 

[strat2]

Thanks Lucio,

I like my LP clean also (trough my JC 120 Roland) , that's 99% of my sound,
but an occasional lead boost or maybe an old Rock tune might be in order...


Great help with all that info , much appreciated.
Ted
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