Gatts888
Purple fan
Registered: 11-2008
Posts: 527
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Re: Useful Stuff
quote:
mijfenders wrote:
ps this LOL thing, would I be right in thinking you might be a spotty teenager, or are you just trying to "get down with the kids" ROFLMAO
LOLROFLMAO!
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16/2/2011, 8:32
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mijfenders
Banned user
Registered: 12-2007
Posts: 826
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Re: Useful Stuff
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Rezi wrote:
Looking forward hearing your impressions with the synth, MIJF!
I had a Boss ME-50 for a few years. Bought it for a cover band I was in. Some of the COSM sounds were quite usable, but I found two basic problems with it, understandable as they were: 1. the volume of the factory presets altered far too much to be changed on a fly, or even during a rehersal, let alone a gig. 2. The modulation effects controls (too) needed to be changed quite a bit if you went from one effect to another. The net result was I only used one distortion / overdrive setting (I think it was called "natural overdrive"), and bits of chorus and phase (you had to be really careful with both control-wise, otherwise they sounded really awful). The wah was decent, as was the harmonizer/octaver (the synth-style, booming lows were actually quite great). Eventually, I only used the device for tuning up and as a volume pedal. Sold the device some years back, it just ate too much of the sparkle out of the clean signal. You could tell by the volume boost when you took it off and plugged the guitar straight into an amp. So it was only really usable when you used the effects.
Sometimes I miss I'd kept it, as you could get some really unusual, freaky sounds out of it.
There's no question one can find useful sounds out of those COSM things, as one can from Line6 Pods, but going from one setting / effect to another needs tinkering or "programming" your own presets. I never went there, as I always set controls at the soundcheck, to the acoustics of the venue.
As for reviews, I know what you mean. Fpr example, ProGuitarShop's YouTube demos are excellent, but as they sell the gear they review, you don't find any criticism in them.
INteresting what you say about the ME50, I've had simialr experiences with the GT3 and GT5. I think off hand the GT3 didn't have COSM but the GT5 did( The model numbers may be wrong, the GT3 is blue and the GT5 is gold in colour!) ANyway, same sort of issues, I found it quite hard to get a really useable sound out them. They were pretty good when played at home thru headphones, but I never got them to work for me playing live at all. Always they seemed to have way to much "fizz" regardless of what you did to them. Only exception seemed to be things like their version os a small combo, like an AC30 which seemed quie effective. I agree the effects were mostly pretty good in themselves. The GT3 had a fabulous Octave effect, really really good. I did a few experiments where I plugged them into the FX-loop and tried to blend them with the guitar in the front, which seemed a little btter, but of couse the amp distortion and th pedals clashed. I might revisit that some other time. There are pictures of Blackmroes rig from the 80's where he seems to be using a Digitech Twin Tube pedal or similar in his off-stage rack setup. This Digitech is like a version of the RP21 Legend which he supposedly contributed some patches for and was alleged to have used. Did he ? Who knows!
Regards the Synths, I've found the previous Roland guitar synths to have been entirely excellent and immense fun to play with, offering limitless possibilities for experimenting with sound. Blending these with the natural guitar sound, gives a very useable setup which can be used live very effectively. The VG series also offer some interesting possibilities, though I've found they seem to work best when used with an acoustic instrument with the GK pickup on board. The "electic guitar" effects on the VG don't cut for me, but the acoustic variants are very useful.
I'll post a review of the GR55 Synth when it turns up. I'm hopeful it will be as good as it's PR. In general Roland GR Synths for guitar have steadily gone downhill in terms of patch editing and midi facilities, since the GR50, which was way more sophisticated than most people realise, fair to say it had more brain power than a lot of it's users!! Over time the GR range has offered less and less editing, but in many ways better basic sounds, as the quality of the sounds have improved. Sadly some of the multi-timbral aspects have been lost. So it will be interesting to see to what extent the GR55 has both improved and diminshed the Roland Sythn experience for a guitarist.
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16/2/2011, 8:57
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