Roland GR-55 Guitar Synthesiser
The GK-3 guitar pickup: A bundle of fun…
The GR-55 comes bundled with the GK-3 pickup, which has to be attached to any guitar with steel strings to enable the synth to work. The GK-3 pickup transmits string vibration from each individual guitar string to the main synthesizer via a 13-pin cable. Double sided tape fixes the GK-3 controller unit and pickup to the surface of the guitar – no nasty drilling holes in your favourite axe- and in use this system feels very easy and intuitive. A standard ¼-inch patch cable connects the guitar to the controller unit, which lets the guitarist toggle between patches on the synth, control the overall synth mix, select between the purely synthesized/processed sounds and even bypass the synth in favour of the guitar’s standard pickups or select a blend of both. The controller unit mounts straight onto the front of most Fender style guitars (although if you play a Strat you’ll need to trim the scratch plate to make the pickup fit flush against the bridge) but contoured top guitars like a Les Paul require the mounting kit (supplied). Whatever guitar you play, the mounting kit makes it a piece of cake to adapt the controller
a small assortment of synthesized distorted guitar simulations and a curiously large selection of processed harmonica sounds! Like it’s predecessor the GR-20 the Gr-55 also includes some lovely percussion sounds including a very nice vibes patch. The Rhythm patches feature plenty of atmospheric pads but there are also lots of very convincing keyboard simulations. The real trick is not to think like a guitarist when trying these distinctly un-guitar like sounds, but we’ll get to that in a minute.
Sounds
How you use a guitar synthesizer used to be based on the assumption that as a guitarist you actually wanted to sound like a piano, a string section or something else entirely unrelated to the guitar. The GR-55 comes at things from a different angle, yes there is a vast selection of non-
guitar related tones on hand but the GR-55 also offers the guitarist the opportunity to create their own guitar tones from scratch using the COSM modeling software. The modeling is very detailed, even down to which pickup or combination of pickups on each of the various modeled guitars and basses. Similarly the acoustic simulations offer the facility to tweak the resonance (low end) of each virtual guitar body, with a bit of treble adjustment on hand, too. Strumming a solid body electric guitar and hearing the sound of an acoustic guitar (or banjo, or sitar!) coming out of your amp is always slightly disconcerting but kind of fun at the same time and like all of the other guitar-related tones in the GR-55, the acoustic sounds can be blended with other sounds to enhance the core sound or else create something entirely original. The modeled instruments seem to stay fairly true to their individual target instruments, although it’s always subjective when dealing with any modeling sounds. What is really cool is that it is now so easy to dial-in such a huge range of sounds without having to switch guitars around. The tracking issues that some people routinely level at guitar synthesizers in general are notably absent, although the GK pickup still requires some careful balancing and setting up to guarantee that it will work at maximum capacity. Just for fun we dialed-in a couple of our ‘dream rigs’: a Rickenbacker simulation in tandem with a COSM modeled Vox AC-30 Top Boost amp and a Gibson Les Paul model combined with one of the GR-55s four Marshall amp sims. Again, how exactly accurate these sims are is purely subjective but the
clear difference in timbre between both setups leaves no doubt as to the virtually limitless scope for creating some very powerful and impressive tones – so long as you are take time to program everything properly! The long-standing argument ‘if I wanted a Les Paul and a Marshall, I’d just go out and buy them’ doesn’t really apply here because the GR-55 offers so much more than a straight facsimile. It can be as wild and funky or as prosaic and down-to-earth as you want, the ambitious user who really relishes the idea of using the GR-55 as a powerful tone-enhancing tool should find it to be very forgiving yet artistically rewarding.
Processing power. The GR-55 actually contains no less than seven separate effects processors that control the guitar and amp modeling, multi-effects, plus EQ and dedicated processors for reverb chorus and delay. The various processers can be easily patched together using the GR-55s tone network and creating sounds is not only easy, it is also incredibly fast. Whilst it’s obviously
helpful to have at least half an idea of the type of sound that you want, sometimes stumbling over a random or unusual combination of sounds or textures can yield some unexpectedly pleasing results. One word of advice, if you haven’t previously had much experience with guitar synths it is a good idea to be prepared to modify your conventional playing technique to get the best results. The GK pickup is pretty forgiving but it still demands a fairly disciplined approach, sloppy or inaccurate picking can present tracking problems or random level jumps if you aren’t careful. Also, another very important important thing to bear in mind if you want to accurately sound like a trumpet player or a pianist is to try and emulate the right type of note choice and phrasing; we’ve all seen guys at trade shows bending strings using a piano patch and shaking their heads in disbelief when the synth doesn’t follow exactly what they are doing. It’s not rocket science and we’re trying to teach you to suck eggs but with a bit of common sense you won’t end up disappointed. PM
SHOULD I BUY ONE?
As a long time fan and owner of the Roland GR-20 I would always recommend a guitar synthesizer to any guitarist who is either seeking to break free of conventional sounds or else wants to follow the more demanding route of emulating other instruments. The GR-55 is a timely evolution that offers an incredible choice of inspiring sounds but it is still not for everybody. To use one effectively you need to be fully committed and prepared to adapt to its little foibles and eccentricities but judging by our past experience with the GR-20 a few moments familiarization should reap huge dividends. At nearly £700, the GR-55 isn’t a casual investment but if you truly feel that your music demands it, then you won’t feel short changed.
pickup427
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