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Re: Roland GR55 - First Impressions



Absolutely Bill, I should point out here that Ive been VERY VERY harsh... I am trying to point out what I see wrong in this unit. I should also say that there is a lot to this thing... If you left off the modelled guitar tones (and yes they should have) you are still left with pretty great synth.. theyre is alot of electronica sounds here,and as I mentioned, I like them all... but.. there is just too much fluff! Too many things to cringe at and move on... I wouldnt mix it with analog effects at all Bill, but I dont see the need...

You ask who is this aimed at?
Bill, it costs less than 500 dollars... so ANYONE... 30 years ago, that kind of money got me an amp and a fuzzbox...
There is SHIT LOADS in this pedal... SHIT LOADS... as in Good shit and Bad...

M

On Tue, Nov 29, 2011 at 12:31 AM, William Walker <billwalker@baymoon.com> wrote:
Hey Mark please tell us how you really feel!!!!! I appreciate your candor truly , i have stayed away from this topic because Roland's commitment to guitar synthesis has seemed in long steady decline and this latest addition continued the disappointment . i didn't want a modeling amp i wanted a new improved guitar synth with a "great" and varied synth engine that would please both vintage synth and electronica guys, as well as great orchestral sounds,  ethnic sounds etc.......with a real programable arpeggiator, not seen sense the GR-30, which i still have tucked in to a shelf in my studio room. But no,  what they delivered was part guitar synth, part modeling amp, part effects processor , part looper, and i don't think it does any of those things  well. As far as modeling amps go, it seems the only one worth having is the Axe-fx and when I look at spending  that kind of money I start thinking of  buying a new Laptop or how many cool affordable tube amps I could buy, like the chinese made vox 15, it may not be point to point wired like the old ones but it sounds amazing. but that's just me. One thing I have not been happy about the response of with modeling amps, in addition to the "something's missing" sound, is what happens when you put analog gain devices in front of it like stomp box distortions. it seems like the don't have the headroom to accomodate the gain and get even more harsh sounding.  I can't figure out who Roland's target audience is with this device but it ain't me babe, no no no it ain't me babe.  But its  also very possible someone will take it, design some cool sounds with it and make some interesting music with it.
Bill




--
Mark Francombe
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