Roland GR-20: Guitar Synthesizer

[seraph]

Ever wanted to thicken up your guitar sound with a warm synth pad? Or how about a screaming lead sound that puts you in front? The GR-20 Guitar Synthesizer makes playing high-quality synthesizer and instrument sounds from your guitar as simple as 1-2-3. First, attach the included GK-3 Divided Pickup to your steel-stringed electric (no drilling necessary). Second, select the type of sound you want using the Bank knob. Third, choose a sound variation using the Number/Value dial and start playing. With the GR-20, it’s easy to tap into the power of guitar synthesis.

[zynthetix]

Does anyone know how effective the device/pickup are for turning a guitar into a MIDI controller (for triggering other synths)? If so or if not, does anyone know of a device that converts electric guitar to MIDI signals the most effectively? Even so, would such a device produce good results when bending or sliding strings (or does the technology need to get better to accomodate this)?

[mosc]

I have the previous generation Roland GR-33 and a Les Paul guitar equipped with the GK-2A pickup. The pickup works very well and you can indeed bend notes. I'd say that this is very usable technology. For one reason or another, many guitar players can't adjust to the MIDI guitar. I think it's a limitation of the player, not the technology. To be fair, most guitar players like guitars the way they are. They aren't looking to be on the forefront of musical exploration. There are, of course, exceptions and the Roland MIDI system provide them with a much expanded sonic palette.

[seraph]

[mosc]

Sure. It's not a Gibson, it's an Epiphone. We bought this guitar for the purpose of adding the MIDI pickup, which we got used (that's why there are scratches on it). I think I did a beautiful job on the installation. (I usually botch physical construction projects). I carefully cut a piece of wood to the exact size required. I even painted it black before installing it.

The guitar is much more precious now that the GK was added.

The pick guard being signed the Les Paul helps too.

[7/4]

[mosc]

Well, 7/4, you are of course an exceptional exception. I have found the tracking to be excellent, but you are probably much more sensitive to pitch being that you are so into alternative tunings. Heck, I play equal tempered keyboards which are always out-of-tune.

Your comment about it being better to use heavy strings is interesting. I'll have to try that out.

I've not done an extensive survey, but one of the most successful users of the Roland system is The Great Bela Fleck. Of course, he uses the system on a banjo. I've heard him play some moderately fast passages using MIDI to play many different sounds including sitar and steel drums.

Latency is a very interesting thing. MIDI has some latency, even on a very fast system. In the early days, some people said it wasn't usable for this reason. Softsynths have latency and have been avoided similarly. Still many musicians have learned to deal with latency and use technologies that have it quite effectively. Think also of the huge pipe organs and carillons. Conductors experience latency too.

Latency can be a powerful creative elixir. I use Tim Thompson's KeyKit program to process MIDI to provide relatively long latency, like 5 seconds. Then I begin to improvise on the keyboard, but only hear what was played 5 seconds before. It's a fabulous experience - liberating.

There is another issue for guitar players and MIDI. The playing style needs to be changed for every patch. Give a finger picker a MIDI guitar with a pad patch and they are going to have to stop finger picking (which is essentially arpeggiating). Master the pad and switch to an organ patch; everything changes. With MIDI guitar, you have to stop notes using techniques which have to be discovered and learned. It's a new skill set.

My wife, for whom I got this guitar, has yet to warm up to it.

[7/4]