Roland GR-55

This "Gear" is, by far, the most incredible Guitar Synth that I have ever used. All the information you get and the demo's are "SPOT ON!!!!" I can NOT even begin to tell you how you will feel. You guitar players, out there, should surely, most definitely, get one. You can create any sound you can imagine. As a, "Pink Floyd, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Rick Wakeman", fan I can now lay my own tracks and I need no one to lay any for me. I HAVE ALL THE CONTROL!!!! YESSSSSSSSSS! Try it, you will not regret it. I recommend Mark Maxwell.....he is the best.......again I absolutely love it!!!!! Larry McCutchen

Amazing Product

This is simply Roland at its best. Unlike the last review I find it easy to use. Take the time to set it up properly and move your patches in the order of your set list before you perform and there is no need to "edit on the fly" I added 32GB of memory and the patches are outstanding!!! I run the dry or guitar out into my Line 6 Pod Pro, both units then feed into my amp stereo for total control and a sound no one can match. This is also a great addition in the studio on it's own or linked to my Phantom X8 or G

What a blast...!

I could hardly wait to get this out of the box and hooked up. I spent the first few days getting into the GR-55's programs and editing some of what I will use to make the programs work for me. Easy to edit and navigate. I love it...!

The most awesome guitar produt for a long time

I've read a lot of reviews out of others opinions. To those who say this unit is not perfect, no product is perfect for everyone. IMO, this unit is the most advanced product ever for a guitarist. The learning curve can be strong, but that satisfies those of us who own a VG-99 and took the time to learn it. For those of you who are used to a GR-20, use the easy edit feature and take the time to organize the sound you use most in the User section. The sounds are fantastic. IMO, those who bash the sounds are looking for a holy grail without spending time to dial in what they like. C'mon man, set up your guitar right and set your amp flat. Better yet, get a keyboard amp. It's a synth!
This unit has unlimited tweakability. There is no excuse for a negative review. By the way, no tube amps. You shouldn't expect a modeler, or a synth to sound good going though a tube preamp. C'mon man. The GR-55 is a fantastic item and a worthy alternative in price to the VG-99 with the FC-300.

GR-55 + GK-3a

I installed the GK-3a on my RPS Mira this past weekend. I just followed the installation guide. Wow! Very cool. The sonic possibilities are amazing, and I noticed instantly that I approached composition differently when I used some non-guitar tones (grand piano, for example). The last time I was this impressed with a product was probably getting the Axe-Fx Ultra. I am very impressed. And I'm buying a second GR-55+GK-3, and additional GK-3 pickups for two other guitars. Yes, it's that cool... for me, anyway.

Roland GR-55

What a cool unit... a great blend of a VG-99 and a GR-33.... plus a GK-3 pickup for an extra $100..... you just can't beat it!!!! The COSM and synth sounds are top notch... the tracking is vastly improved over the GR-33 synth. Great job Roland... will change live gig and studio guitar playing as we know it.... Much thanks to Dave Walent and Sweetwater for their fast, personal and professional sales help and lifetime support.....

Roland Gr 55

I have a Gr 33 & had just recently purchased a Gr 20 I took the Gr 20 back the same day I purchased it in exchange for the Gr 55. I tried it with midi 'd gr 33 & gr 55, it works ok & yes, there is some latency, so I asked Nick Schenkel & he advised getting the US 20 - A 13 pin selector switch now I have access to the Gr 33 ' s harmonizer & arpeggiator & while either combining the Gr 55 's sound engine @ the same time The US 20 is A / B switch plus a combination switch. Thanx Roland & thanx Nick Schenkel

The GR-55 is midi guitar for everyone

I am a long time guitar synth enthusiast having used them for 12+ years. I started with the GR-30 in 1999. I have also used the GR-33 and GR-20. I have always found it easy to adjust my style to their idiosyncrasies. The new GR-55 for me has done away with the triggering delays that scare most guitarists away from synths. I have always used the GK pickups rather than the piezo types as I have experienced problems with them in loud bands and also with handling noise. It is important to screw the pickup to the guitar, sticky tape causes triggering issues IMHO. The new GK-3 pickup solves this with it's bracket for easy attachment to a tune-o-matic style bridge. This also places the pickup as close to the string saddles as possible, which is the optimal site for accurate triggering. It also has adjustable pole pieces to further enhance triggering. I find it easy to set these up but if you have problems pay someone to do it if necessary. The GR-55 has a great array of sounds set up and programming is easy to do (there is also a good program that also eases editing shareware/freeware). I do highly recommend you RTFM! I have used it on gigs and the audience loves it. I like to keep a fuzz pedal between the guitar output and the GK 1/4" input to spice up the guitar tones. I believe the GR-55 is finally the answer for most guitarist looking for something new to spice up their music. It does require some investment of time to be ready for the stage but it will feel comfortable to most stringsters fairly quickly. The tones available are very nice the organ tones are very faithful and the GR-300 patch is worth the price of admission all by itself. If you have been wanting to take the guitar synth plunge and are willing to invest sometime learning you will be amply rewarded.

Roland GR-33 is a winner

Six years ago I walked away from guitar synth hungry to get back to "real" guitar as my main instrument. I had owned the GR-30, the GR-33 and a VG-8 along with two synth-access Godin guitars. It was fun and it had it's time and place, but it wasn't a priority in gear for me until now. Never seeming to have the right musicians around put demands on be to do more than just play guitar, so I order the GR-55 with the GK-3 pickup and held on tight.

I was really surprised to notice the unit and pickup performed better than the old gear (which weren't too bad themselves). I wasn't getting as many accidental bloops and bleeps from the strings as in the old GK-2 days. The GR-55 provides a lot of what I enjoyed in the VG gear and gave me more usable patches than previous GR models.

I have to confess that I ordered a Godin guitar because I can't stand that big GK wart on a guitar, especially on my Grosh custom shop guitar. You just have to do what your budget allows for a time - so if you can't afford a synth ready guitar and the GR at once, the GK-3 will work for you in the meantime.

I'm loving the sounds, especially those setup for rhythm use. I can't wait for a week of vacation to dial in my own custom patches.

GR-55

The GR-55 is an inspirational piece of technology. My choices were, add to my collection of guitars or a synth. I'm glad I chose the GR-55. There are endless ways to shape guitar sounds and synths. You can be there for hrs dreaming and my ears are never tired of possibilities.
Problems-which guitar to hook it up to. It's very versatile and you can make changes on the fly. Quietly while a lot of things are going on. There is a learning curve accessing all of the internal amps and effects. But it's worth the time to invest. It's also worth the price.

Roland GR-55

Have used the GR20 and Axon for years in a very hi tech 4 piece live act that uses a software (Solo Performer) that plays backing tracks, sends MIDI commands to vocal harmonizers and EFX pedals, Roland electronic drums and 32 channels of DMX lighting. The git synth is integral to our sound. The GR-55 is a big step forward. Tracking is faster & much more accurate--but you still better be a 'clean' player! I agree with other reviewers that many of the presets are trash--the GR20 had many better and more usable out of the box. Some of the new individual instruments are improved but yes, the pianos are pretty bad. I am redoing/editing/modifying almost every patch I need and store then in the 'user' banks. I find that I need to save each patch with an assigned guitar I need to use on that tune. (I use 4 different axes at gigs) Thats the price of improved tracking parameters--each axe responds very differently to the GK-3 pickup--whether its externally mounted or you have an axe with built in 13 pin connectivity--like a Carvin or Godin with Ghost piezo saddles or a Roland-ready Strat with the built in GK-3. Psudeo drop/alternate tunings work pretty well (don't need to bring that axe anymore!) Running units audio through the PA and an Atomic amp for stage audio (Atomic originally designed for 'modelers' like Pod, etc, provides more 'full range' audio)The learning curve on this device is huge but it is very flexible. It's not perfect--it may not be a total substitute for your GT-10/Pod, etc. type modelers and your ME50 type multi-EFX pedals. AND an external editor is definitely needed (3rd party editor in process--check out VGuitar Forums), but there is nothing else on the market like this unit without having a six foot wide pedal board!

Another Huge Jump in Guitar Synth Technology

As a point of reference, I have owned the Roland GR-20 and Axon 100 for several years, and have used the GR-20 in live settings.

The GR-55 is built very well. I like the general layout, steel enclosure, switch quality and action, the large display, and so forth. It is a solid device that should handle live environments better than the mostly plastic GR-20.

In regards to layout, I prefer the GR-20 method for calling up instrument groups. It was nice having all of the instruments grouped and easy accessible by top side switching.

IMHO, for the most part the Lead, Rhythm, Other, and User presets are poorly done. Unfortuntely, you cannot edit AND save the Lead/Rhythm/Other presets over their original locations.

With that said, several presets are outstanding, but most are unusable for me. And I know this is a different sound engine than the GR-20, but many of the instrument/presets sound very very very familiar. Like identical. How can that be?

Plus, the best piano preset is buggy. The Concert Grand patch, lead preset 07-1 cuts out like a speaker is going south. I informed Roland.

I do not like the three bank setup to access presets. I find the whole preset setup cumbersome. Three banks 30 presets deep (or 99 deep for user presets) is a pain to cycle through. Am I missing something?

I appreciate the ability to include two PCM (synth) paths into a preset. The GR-20 has a few multiple instrument patches but I never found a way of creating them.

I absolutely love the configuration and voice programmability. I dialed in my RMC pickups (Piezo R) and triggering etc is improved over the GR-20 and perhaps better than my venerable Axon 100. Anyway, suffice it to say the GR-55 offers full control over hex pickup type, string sensitivity, you name it. Plus, you can configure multiple guitar/pickups.

However, some dialing in of the individual presets are necessary. Some presets trigger without ghost notes, but others are all over the place. I created my own piano preset in a couple of minutes that works well.

Also, when dialing in the string sensitivities I noticed that when I picked or plucked one string, the sens display bars moved for all of the other strings at varying strengths. Not sure what it means, but it can't be good, right?

The tracking is very good. As fast or faster than an Axon at least when triggering the GR-55 internal synth and "VG" voices where no hex-to-midi conversion is required. But as the external MIDI (requiring hex to midi conversion) latency numbers show, the Axon is much faster driving external MIDI devices than the GR boxes. Any latency above 20 to 30 ms can be problematic. And reviewers are reporting latency numbers in the 100ms + range. Yikes!

Editing or creating presets is easy and intuitive. The large display is much appreciated. Even still, bending over to the floor to edit presets is a pain. Roland needs a PC-based and MAC-based editor for this box. A third-party is working on one that looks great in alpha/beta form.

The GR-55 includes COSM effects and amps. I prefer Line 6 and Digitech modeling over COSM. The COSM related sounds and presets sound terrible through my acoustic guitar amp, but sound okay through headphones and our new keyboard amp. I will sort them out on my own (still using the presets) when I get time. On the positive side, the COSM comfortably numb preset is nice.

Love the AC, 12 str, nylon, and jazz guitar presets/instruments through headphones and our new keyboard amp. They sound only so-so through our Loudbox acoustic amp.

I have not connected the GR-55 to our midi keyboards or computer yet. There is just so much to this box to configure, test, experiment with. It will take weeks, maybe months to figure it all out.

Regarding amps. I was greatly disappointed that the GR-55 sounds muddy, bassy, and lifeless through my Loudbox acoustic guitar amp. The GR-20 sounds pretty good through it; not so with the GR-55.

I have experimented with all of the GR-55 output options and found the best for my use was the JC-120 Return. Still sounds muffled, bassy, and dark. Turns out, according to Roland, you need to connect the GR-55 to a PA or keyboard amp to realize its high-fidelity.

So....I broke down and purchased a Peavey KB4 keyboard amp from Sweetwater (thanks for the 10% gift card discount). The KB4 is not a "stereo" amp, but even so, the GR-55 (and my amp-effect modelers) sound great through it. The sound is very tight and crisp without being brittle. Plenty of bass and highs.

As implied earlier, the GR-55 sounds great through headphones. And I mean, GREAT! But that is typical of stereo devices such as these synths and modelers. They sound great through headphones and not so great through any form of amplication. Search for "Fletcher-Munsen effect" on the Web to understand why.

So, that's it in a nutshell. If some of it sounds negative, well, it's how I see it. I still give the GR-55 a solid 4.5 stars. IMHO, the majority of presets are poorly done. However, in each case so far, I was able to create similar presets from scratch that were much more acceptable (sound and playability). The sound quality of the unit (at least through headphones and the keyboard amp) is incredible. The editing and configuration control is outstanding. It tracks better than any hex-to-midi device I have ever used (GR-20, Axon), at least for the internal synth/cosm engines.

The GR-55 is a huge jump in Guitar Synth technology!

All you'll ever need

I got this new unit as soon as possible because i was tired of using my keyboard as my only midi-capable unit to hook to my computer. I've never used an earlier version so i'm not sure how this compares. After installing the GK pickup (a simple but tedious process) I just plugged it in and it was ready to go.

There are tons of sounds to go through, I've been using it non-stop for a few days now and haven't gone through half of them, but the presets are all good to play with so you don't have to mess with the details. It even has them categorized by lead, rhythm, and other for convenience. The sounds are all good. The strings aren't very realistic, but they're just basic synth strings so they work for basic stuff.

But besides the synth sounds, the amp/guitar modeling capabilities of this thing are amazing! Much better than i expected, and in fact if all you had was a fairly nice guitar and this, you could make it sound like you had hundreds of guitars, amps, and pedals. I've been using just the fx section without anything else and just that would be worth a large chunk of the price!

It only gets 4.5 stars though because the midi out works pretty slow (150 ms latency i would guess). But if you're not hooking it to your computer it works extremely fast by itself.

P.s. make sure you don't play sloppy like me, or else it'll have trouble picking up all your notes.

Great guitar synth but some lits.

I"ve used the GR-55 in live applications for over a year now. I love the portability of this unit. It has replaced my VG-99, GR-33 and GR-30. There are great features with this unit but also there are some compromises I have had to make in order to use less gear. I use a vocal harmonizer and the GR-55 does not have midi transpose (GR-33 has it) so digitally transposed songs will not work with the vocal harmonizer. Also I am not super impressed with the piano sounds (GR-33 piano sounds, in my opinion, were better). Also I've found that the looper is not very practical and no harmonizer is also a setback. That being said, I expected some compromise by replacing 3 units with one. The GR-55 does a great job and I am able to get most of the sounds I am looking for. It's pretty easy to program, very durable and easy to set up. I use an FC-200 foot controller with the unit so that I can access 10 presets at once. I have programmed all my sounds (No Roland patches although the Roland V-Guitar Forum is a great tool to use with this unit). Tracking is fast and accurate and the guitar sounds and synth sounds are very good. In conclusion I would recommend the GR-55 very highly.

Way to complicated

I have been using a gr20 for several years. I had high hopes for the gr55 but find it very disappointing. I spent 4 hours trying to get delay on my actual guitar output with no luck. While the modeled sounds a good and the tracking is better the setup of patches is not user friendly. The banks on the gr 20 are set up by instrument type while the 55 is a jumble with no order at all. The unit makes it impossible to do quick edits on stage on the fly. I will stick with my Line 6 Pod x3 pro. I will be sending the gr55 back for a refund.