GR-33 FAQ

Started by Elantric, April 23, 2015, 07:40:40 AM

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Elantric

#1



http://www.macminer.opoka.org.pl/gr33/tracking.html
GR-33 "tracking" tips
Some tracking questions.

Based on my experience and some knowledge gained through theory, as well as from various discussion groups, here are a few tips for people concerned about GR-33 (and similar equipment) tracking.

The single most important piece of advice is: play clean! No matter how good the equipment, if you play notes that are impossible to tell apart, badly articulated, they won't sound good through any synthesiser. If you are into grungy, dirty type of sound, you'd better stay away from MIDI and synthesisers altogether. Obviously, you can play cleanly and add any amount of grunge later, that's OK. But if you start with indistinguishable harmonic mess, you'll end up with nothing.
I have found that the best synth guitar players are those who can either play classical guitar or finger-picked jazz or acoustic guitar. This is obviously due to the fact that such players are used to controlling both the articulation (the "finger-on" part of the sound) and the duration, i.e. they don't leave sounds "on air" any longer than it is necessary.
In fact, this tip applies to any guitar-synth equipment. It worked for me also with Casio guitar synthesisers (far worse at tracking than GR33 + GK2).
The second tip might be a bit costly, but it's often a change from hopeless to brilliant tracking: buy a GODIN guitar, especially the ACS series. It has a pickup of a special type (RMC), built into the bridge. This pickup doesn't pick any non-musical noises, resonating sounds from the guitar body or other strings. If you don't like or can't afford Godin, you can buy a Poly-Drive RMC pickup and fix it to your favourite guitar.
Buy good strings and adjust them. Good strings are not necessarily the best-sounding strings. What guitar players call "rich" or "good" sound is usually the thing that will ruin tracking. "Rich sound" means lots of harmonics. Lots of harmonics means much more work for the synth! It has to analyse the sound and find the base tone. The more harmonics and the more complex ones, the more difficult it becomes for the synth to get things straight. Basically, the more round a string is, the cleaner the sound.
String adjustment is a bit complex task:
Start with a good vertical distance from the pickup (you don't need this step with RMC pickups). About 2 mm is probably the most sensible distance, although you might try a bit less or more. Horizontally, the pickup should be placed about 1 to 4 centimeters from the bridge. "Too close" to the bridge would mean there is not much sound to pick. "Too far" would mean the amplitude is too big and the string might touch the pickup.
Find the right setting on your GR33. The next stage is adjusting your GR33. Go into the system settings (Press SYSTEM, Press PARAMETER 3 times), use your manual and make sure that when you play each string, the level gauge shows about 3 bars when you play the weakest sounds and only occasionally touches the "empty square" symbol when you play the loudest ones.
The last adjustment stage is different depending on your playing style. That's why each patch in GR33 has a separate sensitivity setting. You can only change this if you are sure the previous steps worked. This last step can also make a lot of difference, but it won't compensate for a badly mounted pickup, badly adjusted strings or badly adjusted system settings on GR33.
Understanding the patch adjustment requires a bit of imagination: first of all imagine if this patch will be used to play solo (trumpet, distorted guitar, violin etc.) or will be a "backing" patch (clean telecaster, pad, soft brass, strings etc.). A solo patch will usually require a "normal" or "finger" Play Style (Press COMMON, press PARAMETER once). A backing patch might require a "normal", "soft" or "hard" style. With some sounds you may experiment with "envelope" (especially for guitar and e-piano tones). "Accelerated" comes useful only if you really play lightingly fast, but don't use "accelerated" with lower E and A strings, or you'll have tracking problems.
The last setting to possibly change is chromaticism. If you play a solo instrument, you may want chromatic sound (so that you can do all the glissandoes, slurs, bends etc.). If you play a backing patch, you most definitely don't want chromatic sound, so change it to OFF (COMMON, PARAMETER 3 times).
Don't forget to save (or rather in Roland's language: write) the patch after you're done!
That's all, folks!

Elantric

#2
Recently acquired a used GR-33 and it came with four 30 foot high quality 13 pin cables, and a GK-2A and a gig bag. I think I paid $220

The GR-33 has sounds that in many cases are superior to the GR-55  - like the Sax , and the Pianos actually trigger with much less glitching compared to GR-55
( the GR-33 remains in Steve Vai's studio as a tool today) and GR-33 works great as a mutitimbral MIDI tone module for use with the Fishman FTP

I used FTP USB Receiver  into the old first gen black iConnectMIDI box as a USB Host to 5 pin MIDI converter box. - worked great!


Recently I was debugging MIDI gear with a GR-33 as MIDI Tone Module, and we discovered the GR-33's internal Sound engine can accept simultaneous signal input from either the GK 13 pin input jack or the 5 pin MIDI Input jack at the same time.

That opens many doors for live use with an external MIDI sequencer in tandem with live GK-3 triggered performance 

gumtown

I picked one up super cheap a couple of years ago, about $75 if I recall, came with the original box/packaging.
The seller thought it was broken as he couldn't get his regular guitar to work it.

The GR-33 (and the GR-20 I had previous) have nice tones, with more depth than those of the GR-55.
The tones in these older GR units feel like the designers actually wanted the player to experience the real tone and play/feel of the instrument,
where as the GR-55 feels like the tones were copy/pasted, and stacked like boxes into the PCM ROM.
Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

shawnb

Quote from: Elantric on August 19, 2016, 07:46:46 AM
The GR-33 has sounds that in many cases are superior to the GR-55  - like the Sax , and the Pianos actually trigger with much less glitching compared to GR-55

I have the similar GR-30 and I agree.  The sax & piano are pretty good on that device, and they are not remotely usable on the GR-55. 

In general, the GR-30's tones are much warmer, and less brittle.   
Address the process rather than the outcome.  Then, the outcome becomes more likely.   - Fripp

vtgearhead

I just picked up a clean GR-33 on eBay and am looking forward to getting acquainted with it.  Would really like to use keyboard and horn sounds in an ensemble situation and found the GR-55 hopeless in terms of latency and mistracking.

Hurricane

Quote from: Elantric on August 19, 2016, 07:46:46 AM
Recently acquired a used GR-33 and it came with four 30 foot high quality 13 pin cables, and a GK-2A and a gig bag. I think I paid $220

The GR-33 has sounds that in many cases are superior to the GR-55  - like the Sax , and the Pianos actually trigger with much less glitching compared to GR-55
( the GR-33 remains in Steve Vai's studio as a tool today) and GR-33 works great as a mutitimbral MIDI tone module for use with the Fishman FTP

I used FTP USB Receiver  into the old first gen black iConnectMIDI box as a USB Host to 5 pin MIDI converter box. - worked great!


Recently I was debugging MIDI gear with a GR-33 as MIDI Tone Module, and we discovered the GR-33's internal Sound engine can accept simultaneous signal input from either the GK 13 pin input jack or the 5 pin MIDI Input jack at the same time.

That opens many doors for live use with an external MIDI sequencer in tandem with live GK-3 triggered performance

This is interesting , does this mean any other controller can trigger the midi voices on my GR33 , e.g. < keyboard controller etcetera > ?

admin

#7
QuoteThis is interesting , does this mean any other controller can trigger the midi voices on my GR33 , e.g. < keyboard controller etcetera > ?

Yes  - the GR-33 is a great 5 pin MIDI sound module supports 6 separate MIDI channels and does bulk of what the old "SonicCell" accomplishes

I know a few Fishman Tripleplay owners with FC-1 who use the GR-33 just as a Sound module

Hurricane

.
Quote from: admsustainiac on February 02, 2017, 09:28:02 AM
Yes  - the GR-33 is a great 5 pin MIDI sound module supports 6 separate MIDI channels and does bulk of what the old "SonicCell" accomplishes

I know a few Fishman Tripleplay owners with FC-1 who use the GR-33 just as a Sound module

I had been under the impression that this was possible till a few days ago where I read that it was not possible to trigger the GR's sounds with anything else other than a GR guitar with a hex output  and that had me thinking hard trying to resolve this inconsistency .

When you loop do you use your guitar to trigger drum voices on your GR ?

Thanks
.

Elantric

Quotetill a few days ago where I read that it was not possible to trigger the GR's sounds with anything else other than a GR guitar with a hex output  and that had me thinking hard trying to resolve this inconsistency .


You are confusing GR-55 with GR-33

Unlike the GR-33, the GR-55 does NOT function as a 5 pin MIDI Tone module  - GR-55 only responds to a 13 pin Guitar connected to its GK 13 pin input

Hurricane

Quote from: Elantric on February 02, 2017, 11:56:43 AM

You are confusing GR-55 with GR-33

Unlike the GR-33, the GR-55 does NOT function as a 5 pin MIDI Tone module  - GR-55 only responds to a 13 pin Guitar connected to its GK 13 pin input

Again thanks , I knew there  was an answer out there , you are a gentleman .

admin


Hurricane

 8)
¿ Does the FX engine in the GR33 have X/Y/Z axis control ?

EZ :

HR

admin

#13
Quote from: Hurricane on August 24, 2017, 05:37:28 PM
8)
¿ Does the FX engine in the GR33 have X/Y/Z axis control ?

EZ :

HR


No

You must be thinking about a Zoom G5 with its X/Y / Z Expression pedal



whippinpost91850

I can't remember, Does the GR33 have a bass mode to use with Bass?

whippinpost91850


JiveTurkey

Quote from: Elantric on August 19, 2016, 07:46:46 AM
Recently acquired a used GR-33 and it came with four 30 foot high quality 13 pin cables, and a GK-2A and a gig bag. I think I paid $220

The GR-33 has sounds that in many cases are superior to the GR-55  - like the Sax , and the Pianos actually trigger with much less glitching compared to GR-55
( the GR-33 remains in Steve Vai's studio as a tool today) and GR-33 works great as a mutitimbral MIDI tone module for use with the Fishman FTP

I used FTP USB Receiver  into the old first gen black iConnectMIDI box as a USB Host to 5 pin MIDI converter box. - worked great!


Recently I was debugging MIDI gear with a GR-33 as MIDI Tone Module, and we discovered the GR-33's internal Sound engine can accept simultaneous signal input from either the GK 13 pin input jack or the 5 pin MIDI Input jack at the same time.

That opens many doors for live use with an external MIDI sequencer in tandem with live GK-3 triggered performance
Which Sax tone do you recommend? I am still digging for the "best" sax tone to use. As well as a strings patch that is a little more immediate. Do you find the FTP tracks that much better than the 13pin? As hack(ish) of a tech and luthier as I may be; I always get pretty good tracking results out 13pin gear.

Elantric

#17

Quote from: whippinpost91850 on August 28, 2017, 10:31:55 AM
I can't remember, Does the GR33 have a bass mode to use with Bass?

No
But GR 20 and GR-55 and SY -1000 do have a Bass GK-3B mode



Re favorite GR-33 Sax?
Depends on the song
Any of them are superior to GR-55 Sax's

What are you using as a USB Host to MIDI adapter to connect FTP to GR-33?
https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/fishman-midi-pickup-is-here.1314438/#post-16592501

The Fishman FC-1 works

i still find the fastest / lowest latency USB Host to MIDI adapter for FTP to MIDI ( to drive the GR-33) is the old original 2012 era iConnect MIDI ( black version)
(details)
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=8509.msg60918#msg60918


I still prefer to use a GK 13 pin guitar to drive the GR-33, so I can easily use ALL GR-33 controls for more expression ( GR-33 Glide).

After nightmare of GR-55 tracking errors and random PCM Synth mis-triggers, the GR-33 is a stable joy, and very useful tool 





JiveTurkey

Quote from: Elantric on January 12, 2018, 07:50:41 AM
Re favorite GR-33 Sax?
Depends on the song
Any of them are superior to GR-55 Sax's

What are you using as a USB Host to MIDI adapter to connect FTP to GR-33?
I looked around for an IConnect per your recommendations but never found one.

I'm using this:

It's cheap in comparison but is doing the job.

IIRC; I tried the Glide function last night when I messing around a bit and I want to say it was working  ??? You toil over all this gear and after a while; the mind starts to go a little  :P

I asked this question in another GR33 thread; but what do you set your Basic Midi Channel settings to? Mono or Poly? I read in that thread that the user suggested Mono for better expressiveness in playing yet the Poly setting I had seemed to do fine. Not sure if could be optimized further.

admin

Quote from: JiveTurkey on January 12, 2018, 08:50:15 AM
I looked around for an IConnect per your recommendations but never found one.

I'm using this:

It's cheap in comparison but is doing the job.

IIRC; I tried the Glide function last night when I messing around a bit and I want to say it was working  ??? You toil over all this gear and after a while; the mind starts to go a little  :P

I asked this question in another GR33 thread; but what do you set your Basic Midi Channel settings to? Mono or Poly? I read in that thread that the user suggested Mono for better expressiveness in playing yet the Poly setting I had seemed to do fine. Not sure if could be optimized further.

You will need midi mono mode( 1 MIDI channel per string ) if you expect to use independent  string pitch bending on the gr 33

JiveTurkey

Quote from: admsustainiac on January 12, 2018, 09:02:48 AM
You will need midi mono mode( 1 MIDI channel per string ) if you expect to use independent  string pitch bending on the gr 33
Thank you very much sir!

admin

#21
Should be common knowledge

Suggest read these links



https://www.google.com/search?q=midi+guitar+faq&oq=midi+guitar+faq&aqs=chrome..69i57.5833j1j4&client=ms-android-om-lge&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8


-----
http://www.panda-audio.com/midiguitar.php
'

MIDI Guitar FAQ
I spent most of the last thirty years designing guitar synthesizers. I developed several generations of devices from the Shadow GTM-6 / SH-075 through the Blue Chip Music / Terratec Axon until the Fishman Triple Play today. Over this period I answered thousands of questions from users who had some difficulties to understand certain features or behavior of their devices. Now, as I have here a web page of my company, Panda-Audio, I want to take the opportunity to summarize this information in the form of an FAQ. I hope I can help users of guitar synthesizers a better understanding of their devices with this information. While these answers are based on my designs, I believe most of the information here is true for Roland or other devices too. I will update this page time to time with questions whatever I recall from my memories, or whatever new questions arise.

Andras Szalay

Q: Why do most guitar synthesizers have an option to send the six strings on six separate MIDI channels? E.g. you can play polyphonically on a keyboard without restriction on only one MIDI channel.

A: When a note is started in MIDI the pitch of the note is determined by the note number of the Note On message. This pitch can be changed afterwards only with Pitch Bend messages. When you play polyphonically on a keyboard and you use the pitch bend wheel, it will bend all notes what you play by the same amount. In opposite, on a guitar it is absolutely natural that the pitch of individual strings can change individually, independently of the other strings. Since in MIDI the Pitch Bend message is common for all notes on a MIDI channel, individual pitch control of the notes for individual strings can be solved only if each string has its own separate MIDI channel. As a painful compromise it is possible to use pitch bend on one MIDI channel as long as the guitarist plays only a monophonic melody, and turn off pitch bend when he changes to polyphony. However, this can lead to contradictions that cannot be resolved in certain situations, e.g. when the pitch of a note is changed, and this note is sustained while another note is suddenly started. In this case, at the start of the second note the first one will have to return to its starting pitch, or it must be shut off early.

Q: OK, I do not bend the strings, so I could not care less. Then can I use my guitar synthesizer on one channel without compromises, yes?

A: No. A very important part of expressive guitar playing is legato. Guitarists very often do not pick every note of a melody, but notes get different accent if they are picked, or if they are played with hammer-on or pull-off. A guitar synthesizer can emulate this also with Pitch Bend. Although a special Legato Mode is part of the MIDI specification, most synthesizers did not implement it, so the safe way is to use Pitch Bend instead. Then we are at the same point as in the question before.

Q: OK, I do not use hammer-on and pull-off, I pick every note. Then I really do not need Pitch Bend, so I can use one channel only, right?

A: No. There are at least two important arguments why Pitch Bend should be used even if you pick every note.

Coordination of left and right hand.
If you play an ascending scale on a string, theoretically you should press the string to the fret with your left had finger (I mean this for right handed guitarists) exactly at the same time as you pick it with the right hand. Of course, this is only theory. In practice this can never be coordinated perfectly. If you are too early with your left hand, then you get a hammer-on to the new note first, and then a little bit later the note is picked. Even worse if your left hand is too late, then there is a chance that you get a damped note, because your finger already touches the string, but does not press it to the fret yet. To avoid the second situation which is much more annoying, guitarists play a little bit ahead with the left hand compared to the right. The question is how much, and how stable is this difference. When I analyzed John McLaughlin's test recording, it was amazing to see that pitch changes (left hand) were always just 5-10 msec ahead of the pickings (right hand). By average guitarists this can be 10 times more. Now, when the guitar synthesizer is sensing a hammer-on (which is not intentional in this case), and Pitch Bend is enabled, then it follows the pitch in a natural way, and then when the new note is picked additionally, it starts a new note at that pitch. In opposite, if Pitch Bend is disabled, then during the hammer-on phase the guitar synthesizer does not know that soon a new pick is following, so it starts a new note with a low velocity value. But very soon the new picking is coming (with a higher velocity value), and this results in an annoying double trigger.
Unintended pitch change of the sound.
When you pick a string, at the very beginning the pitch is always more or less higher than the intended pitch. I mean "intended pitch" here the pitch of the string as it is sustained for several seconds. This is where you tune the string to your reference. There are several physical reasons why the pitch at the very beginning is higher than the sustained value, sometimes by more than a semitone.
One of the reasons is well known in classical physics: the pitch of a string vibration has a steady frequency only if the amplitude of the vibration is negligible to the length of the string. If it is not negligible, then the vibration causes an increased average tension in the string, and higher tension means higher pitch. This effect depends on two factors:
the tension of the string: thin strings have lower tension for the same pitch, so can be played with much higher amplitude, thus the pitch deviation is higher as well.
the harder you pick, the higher is the deviation.
There is another reason for unintended high pitch in the attack. The short picking pulse that started from your pick is propagating towards the point where you fretted the string. However, if the pulse is large (you picked hard), and the string deviation is large (light gauge string), and the string height is low, then the pulse slightly hits the fret that is one higher than the one that you fretted, simply because the string is so close to this fret. This results a reflection from this fret that appears in the first vibration cycle as a one semitone higher note. This happens only in the very first cycle of the vibration, since the amplitude of the pulse gets very much smaller even by the second reflection.
It is of course natural, if you do not get this problem with a Roland, since it does not recognize pitch from the first cycle anyway. Also, it is good to know that if you turn the pick sensitivity to finger picking, it will skip recognition in the first cycle, so this problem will probably not happen. With this knowledge, here are some tips how to eliminate this problem:
First and most important: Even with a piano sound it is not necessary to play in Trigger mode. If you use Quantize to semitones then you get just as well quantized pitch like in trigger mode, but these glitches at the very beginning of the note will not be audible, if the synth has a good and fast response. Of course, this works really well only in MONO mode, on six MIDI channels.
Use medium or hard gauge strings, no light or extra light.
Adjust the string height to be as high as you can tolerate.
Play softly, do not pick hard.
Play with the tip of the plectrum, not with the flat part
Finger Picking Mode, if the slightly slower response does not hurt.
Q: When I use Trigger Mode and I play a hammer-on, then I understand that I get a new note, but why is it slightly delayed?

A: See the first part of the previous answer about left-right hand coordination. In order to avoid a very annoying double trigger, when the system recognizes a hammer-on while in Trigger Mode, it will intentionally delay the new note, waiting a little bit if a new picking is coming or not. It will trigger a new note based on the hammer-on only if the picking does not come in the expected timeFrame.


admin

#22

Elantric

#23
https://www.roland.com/us/support/knowledge_base/?product=GR-33
GR-33 Knowledge Base

GR-33: VIEWING THE SOFTWARE VERSION

Use the following procedure to view the software version in the GR-33:

1. Power On while holding COMMON, SYSTEM and STRING SELECT.

2. Power Off and On to return to Play mode.

--
GR-33: AUDITIONING PATCHES AND TONES

The GR-33 includes 128 preset patches, 128 user patches and 384 tones. Use the
following procedure to access the tones:

1. Turn the Value dial to E61 (Grand Piano).
2. Press the TONE button.
3. Press the PARAMETER right button until "1st SELECT" shows in the display.
4. Turn the VALUE dial to scroll through the tones.
5. Press PLAY to return to the main menu.

Use the following procedure to access patches using the GK-2A Pickup:

1. Press SYSTEM.
2. Press the PARAMETER right button until "S1/ S2 FUNCTION" shows in the
display.
3. Turn the VALUE dial to display PATCH SELECT.
4. Press PLAY to return to the main menu.
5. Use the S1/S2 buttons on the GK-2A pickup to scroll up and down through the
patches.

--
GR-33: LISTENING TO THE EFFECTS

The GR-33 offers a wide variety of effects, in addition to dedicated chorus and
reverb processing. Use the following procedure to listen to a few effects:

1. Turn the VALUE dial to patch A 71 (BS / RHODES.)
2. Press EFFECTS.
3. Press the PARAMETER right button until the screen reads "MULTI-FX TYPE."
4. Turn the VALUE dial to hear the various effects.
5. Press PLAY to return to the main menu.

Use the following procedure to listen to the chorus and reverb effects:

CHORUS:

1. Press EFFECTS.
2. Press the PARAMETER right button until the screen reads "CHO SEND LEVEL."
3. Turn the VALUE dial to adjust the amount of Chorus. (You can also adjust the
RATE, DEPTH, PRE-DELAY, and FEEDBACK using the PARAMETER buttons.)
4. Press PLAY to return to the main menu.

REVERB:

1. Press EFFECTS.
2. Press the PARAMETER button until the screen reads REVERB TYPE.
3. Turn the VALUE dial to try the different reverbs. (You can also adjust the
LEVEL, TIME, and FEEDBACK using the PARAMETER buttons.)
4. Press PLAY to return to the main menu.

--
GR-33: SETTING THE BASIC MIDI CHANNEL:

Use the following steps to set the basic MIDI channel in the GR-33:

1. Press SYSTEM.

2. Press CURSOR right to select "BASIC CHANNEL."

3. Turn the VALUE dial to select the desired channel.

4. When you're' finished, press EXIT.

--
GR-33: SETTING STRING SENSITIVITY

Setting the string sensitivity is critical for obtaining maximum performance from your GR-33. Use the following procedure to set string sensitivity:

1. Press SYSTEM.

2. Press the PARAMETER Right (>) button twice to select "PICKUP SENS".

3. Play the 6th string (High “E”) repeatedly with the maximum amount of force you would use during your actual performance. (The Left character in LED represents the String Number. The Right character in the LED represents the sensitivity value).

4. Turn the VALUE Dial to adjust the sensitivity (1-8). The level indicator should reach the box on the right side of the display. If the "left pointing arrow" (
5. Play the 5th string and adjust the sensitivity accordingly.

6. Repeat the process for each of the remaining strings.

7. When finished, press Play.

Note: If you have a guitar with RMC pickups, like a Godin or Brian Moore for example, you may have to set the sensitivity of each string to around 1 or 2.

--
GR-33: USING THE HARMONIST

The Harmonist feature allows you to add harmonies that intelligently follow
your notes in the selected key. Use the following procedure:

1. Turn the VALUE dial to patch B 81 (JC STRAT).
2. Press EFFECTS.
3. Press the PARAMETER right button until the screen reads "HAR/ARP CONTROL."
If the
Harmonist is set to OFF, rotate the VALUE dial to set it to ON.
4. Press PARAMETER right to select HAR/ARP SELECT and turn the VALUE dial to
HARMONY 1st.
5. Press PARAMETER right to select HARMONY STYLE and turn the VALUE dial to
choose the desired interval: 3rd, 5th, etc.
6. Press PARAMETER right to select HARMONY KEY and turn the VALUE dial to
choose the desired key: C, Am, etc.
7. Press PLAY to return to the main menu.

--
GR-33: USING THE PEDALS TO CHANGE GROUPS OR BANKS

The pedals on the GR-33 can be used to select different Groups or Banks while holding the S1 button. Use the following procedure to set the GR-33's settings:

1. Press SYSTEM.

2. Press the PARAMETER right button to select "S1/S2 FUNCTION".

3. Use the VALUE dial to select "Patch Select".

4. Press PLAY to return to play mode.

NOTE: Holding the S1 button and pressing the #2 pedal on the GR-33 now changes the GROUP. Holding the S1 button and pressing the #3 pedal now changes the BANK.

--
GR-33: SELECTING ARPEGGIATOR PATCHES

The GR-33 allows you to play single-string patterns that sound similar to
finger-picking styles. The following patches use the arpeggiator:

Patch E21: Try these chords: Am E G D F C Dm E.
Patch E81: Try some happy major chords.
Patch H83: Let the strings ring out on different frets.
Patch H84: Each fret has a different drum sound.

--
GR-33: NO SYNTHESIZER SOUND FROM THE GR-33

If no synthesizer sound is being heard from the GR-33 , please use the
following checklist:

1. Make sure that you are using the MIX OUTPUTS and not the GUITAR OUTPUT. (The GUITAR OUTPUT will only produce your "dry" or unprocessed guitar sound.

2. Make sure that your sensitivity settings have been adjusted accordingly.

Refer to input sensitivity in your GR-33 manual, or "Setting String Sensitivity" in this help desk.

3. Is your GK switch set to "SYNTH?"

4. Check your GK cable. Is it properly connected at both ends?

5. Is your amplifier or mixer volume up? Try placing headphones into the MIX OUTPUT L JACK.

6. Is the VOLUME/ EXP PEDAL in a "forward" position on the GR-33?

7. Make sure the VOLUME CONTROL knob is up on both the GR-33 and the GK Pickup.

--
GR-33: RECOMMENDED POWER SUPPLY

Caution: The use of any other power supply could result in malfunction and/or permanent damage to the product.
14VAC @ 800mA power adapter
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/BRC120--boss-brc-120-ac-adapter

--
GR-33: USING THE GUITAR TUNER

Use the following procedure to use the built-in tuner:

1. Press TUNER.
2. Tune your guitar using the LED screen tuner, and then press PLAY to return
to the main menu.

--
GR-33: WRITING PATCHES TO SPECIFIC USER LOCATIONS

Use the following procedure to store patches into specific User locations:

1. Select a desired patch.

2. Press WRITE.

3. Turn the VALUE dial to select a destination for the patch. Note: It is not possible to write patches to the preset area (Groups E-H).

4. Press WRITE twice.

--
GR-33: ASSIGNING THE S1/S2 BUTTONS TO CHANGE PATCHES.

It is possible to have the S1/S2 switches change patches in the GR-33 instead of using the on-board pedals. Use the following steps to set up this function:

1. Press SYSTEM.

2. Press PARAMETER Right to select "S1/S2 FUNCTION."

3. Turn the VALUE dial to select "PATCH SELECT."

4. Press PLAY to exit.

--
GR-33: LOCAL CONTROL

Use the following steps to set Local Control to Off:

1. Turn off the power of the GR-33.

2. Power on while holding the PLAY button. "Local Control Off" will show in the display.

3. Release the PLAY button. The new setting will remain active up until the GR-33 is turned off.

--
GR-33: INITIALIZING - RESTORING THE FACTORY SETTINGS

The following procedure can be used to clear the internal memory and reload the factory settings:

(CAUTION: All USER information will be lost. Be sure to back up any information you wish to keep.)

1. Press SYSTEM.

2. Press PARAMETER RIGHT to select "Factory Reset."

3. Rotate the VALUE Dial to select the parameters you would like to reset:

ALL: Restores all settings to their original state.

SYSTEM: The System settings will be restored.

USER PATCH: User Patch settings will be restored.

PC NUMBER: Program change numbers are re-assigned according to the current order of patches.

3. Press WRITE two times to complete the reset.

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DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GUITAR SYNTHESIZERS AND THE VG-8

The VG-8 / VG-88 / VG-99 V-Guitar is not a guitar synthesizer like the GR-09, GR-1 or
GR-30/33, or a Guitar-to-MIDI Converter like the GI-10. In the GR-Series and
the GI-10, the signal from the GK-2A pickup (which is analogous to a standard
pickup signal for each string) is converted to a pitch which is then available
to trigger a sound, either internally (GR-09, GR-1, GR-30) or through MIDI.
This makes these units ideal for sequencing and playing realistic sounds like
pianos, organs or drums.

On the VG-8 / VG-88, the signal from the GK-2A is modified in realtime into an
entirely new sound which allows all of your picking and playing techniques to
be preserved. The VG-8/ VG-88 does not transmit MIDI note numbers, nor does it
act as a MIDI sound module. Although the VG-8 / VG-88 has the ability to modify
the guitar sound into unique sounds (like a synthesizer would), there is
absolutely none of the tracking delay normally associated with guitar synths
because the sound of the guitar is modified in real time. The VG-8 / VG-88 is
unsurpassed in creating a multitude of authentic guitar tones which would
previously only be attainable by purchasing a truckload of different guitars,
amps and speakers.















https://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/?s=GR-33&sc_submit=Search

admin

https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=22704.msg165863#msg165863

macminer wrote>

I have a long story with guitar synthesizers. Played Casio PG years ago (didn't like it much), then had GK2 + GR33, which worked "sort of", then bought a Godin ACS and this was the biggest leap forward as far as tracking and sound quality is concerned. Then I replaced GK2 with GK3 and installed it on another electric guitar (semi-hollow type), changed strings, tweaked the settings in GR55 and it started tracking almost as good as Godin.

So, from my experience, the success lies in the right combination of guitar pickup and synth settings. Obviously, one needs to play clean - in particular, mute the sounds that shouldn't sound any more, otherwise all brass and wind instruments will sound odd.

Recently I bought GP-10, mainly for its portability. It won't replace my GR55, but I will use it live when I do not need the synth sounds. I checked it with both Godin and GK3 guitars - it seems to work better with GK3 (mainly because the modeling sometimes sounds odd with nylon strings). Tracking is slightly better than with GR55, but not significantly.

One difference between GR33 and GR55 is that in the older unit you could select different picking styles in the settings. When using it as a MIDI controller I always use finger picking techniques, as it seems to better capture various dynamic ranges, so I used to adjust the settings in my GR33 accordingly. If I am not wrong, this setting is nowhere to be found in GR55. Neither is it in GP10.

One more thing: the more harmonics strings produce, the more prone to glitches the synthesizer will be. So I always use softer sounding strings on my GK equipped guitars (like d'Addario flat wound chrome series).

That said, the GR55 certainly has much broader sonoristic possibilities, while GP10 has more realistic modelling and slightly better tracking.

Very ancient site of mine devoted to

GR33: http://www.macminer.opoka.com.pl/gr33/