It is amazing how they can achieve polyphonic synthesis/modeling without a hexaphonic divided pickup.
They definitely seem to want the guitar plugged directly to them. I don’t know if they’re very impedance sensitive or just need a steady signal with no extraneous noise.STRING9:
Bought it.
Received it.
Unpacked it.
Connected it, using I/O 3 on the Axe-Fx III.
Tested it.
Didn't like it (even less than the Synth9).
Packed it.
Returned it.
I'm incredibly impressed with this (MG2) and I have the GR55. Well worth checking out.Sorry to hijack this thread even further, but been checking into Jam Origin MIDI Guitar 2. Considering the amount of quality VST plug-ins I have this looks like a viable and monetarily smart solution. Ironically the other week I was watching a video of the Carl Palmer band and was wondering what the guitar player was using. Admittedly that dude is a monster on playing the Emerson stuff. Anyway, there’s a free trial I think of checking out. Let’s see how it tracks.
I went to check the price on the GR55 and got a bit of a surprise. I was hoping it maybe would be reduced somewhat, but instead found out like most things it is about $200 more than first introduced. I remember when it was first introduced I think it was $699 minus pickup, but had a $100 immediate rebate so the whole thing could be had for around $750US. I have to admit the individual string detection of the GK pickup is a cool feature. I would love to use alternate tunings without messing with the guitar.
Thanks @Piing for starting this thread and the post you made on the thread of the confused dude about modeling. It really got my interest in this stuff flowing again.
Sounds great but don't want to have to buy each one individually. An all in version would be interesting.
FWIW, Midi Guitar 2 is pretty amazing. Tracking if you work with it is on par with the GR55 (which I own).
The guy playing with Carl Palmer uses it. Check him out.
Bill Ruppert makes everything sound ridiculously awesome, but just like above; good luck getting his secrets to achieve the same tones and results. It ain't happening. I get it but it makes the devices seem like you need to be some sort of audio wizard which most of us are not.Man Bill Rupert knows how to pull the magic out of these things. Even whipped out some Mahavishnu in the beginning.
I have a good musician friend who just turned 66 and is completely technologically impaired when it comes to all the newer tech. However, he has perfect pitch, went to Peabody for composition and conducting and blows me away with theory knowledge. I showed him these 9 pedals thinking they just might be something he could handle. Well he went crazy and bought 4 of them straight away. I was like “just get one and see how it really works before going all in”. It was just too much temptation for him. He’s been getting a grip on it. He has all these little notes of paper with all the control positions for all the song parts he wants to use them. For me I would just use them at arms length and tweak on the fly. He’s presently saving for the String9. Hearing about the failure rate is a bit disconcerting.
I’ve been tempted to get the GR-55 many times, but I waited so long that I figure Roland will finally come out with something new a month after I get it. The Boss GP-10 looks cool too. Here again it’s rather dated. I didn’t realize its capabilities until the posts @Piing posted the other day. When I got the FM3 I figured I would get my non guitar/synth sound fix along with my Eventide H9. For the most part it has scratched that itch, but not completely. Everything seems a must have when watching a video with an experienced player.
I think they haven't been able to advance the tech enough to warrant a revisit of the GR series. Coupled with the fact that they are still charging ~$1k for the GR and the pickup. That's RIDICULOUS. Considering how we are continually told no one wants this kind of tech.Just jump in and do it. The GR-55 is a bit pricey, if you're not certain about the purchase (I think the high resale values speak well of it). I first bought a GR-20 to test the waters. You can find a -20 for around $250 with a pickup included. Anyway, I quickly knew it was for me, sold the -20 for a profit and bought the -55.
The key is patience on Reverb or your local market. I put a watch on the -55 on Reverb, got a feel for the market, then snatched up a new listing that was priced to sell (from a reputable seller).
If Roland would at least update the guitar modeling to their current stuff it could be a stand alone multieffects/midi platform. People never focus much on the multieffects aspect, but it'll do that plus the midi (simultaneously). Obviously it's not in Fractal's league, but it's still usable for a live gig (very basic signal chain, i.e., amp/drive-modulation-delay-reverb).
Warning: This may induce further GAS. I have since purchased two guitars equipped with built-in midi pickups. Godins and Kiesels are great for this.
Me too. I've been disappointed at way too many NAMMs because they have given up on 13 Pin, I've had Gr20,30,33,55 SY1000 , Fishman and Axon. When I play live I use the GR55 as it is the best of all of those but I'm telling you MG2 is worth a look. When you combine it with the arsenal of AU plug in sounds available and mix it with a guitar, it is VERY workable (it won't do alternate tunings like the GR obviously) and I'm no Carl Palmer Guitarist.Sorry for the hijack @Piing I've been on the irritated by Roland train a few too many ice cream seasons.
What's a "triad"?? You're talking advanced theory and technique, man!Knowing how to use just triads with an added bass ... Can’t be playing bar chords all over the place.
Here's a quick demo using MG2. A few horn, synth and elec piano sounds. Still some glitches but you can tweak some of them out with settings and certainly if you combine with a guitar sound, it can go a long way to fill out a band.
I've seen his stuff. I use it more as a plug in but I think it is very useful either way and with the guitar blended in can be very useful.Nice demo of how it can be effective. The Steely Dan was very cool. Added the keyboard part that is like the cherry on top. The Chicago was cool too.
I was checking this guys vids out last night.
https://youtube.com/@lofileif