GR-55 - 1.50 Firmware installation

Started by curteye, June 28, 2012, 06:55:41 PM

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gumtown

Quote from: Toby Krebs on July 31, 2013, 07:25:20 PM
I think they addressed some other issues these GR55s' have without officially acknowledging any problems.
I think so too.
Announce the improvements, but don't admit there were any other bugs that needed fixing.  ???
Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

CodeSmart

Upgraded yesterday from firmware 1.0x something (probably first released version). The installation worked fine, just followed Roland's instructions. Afterwards I felt it turned to a somewhat different animal. I had to adjust the sensitivity and a few other settings because some PCM sounds become very squeaky. Strangely I noted when I roll back the volume on the guitar to a very low setting I felt the PCM sounds gets more drowned by the COSM wave synth than before. The best thing with the upgrade (going from 1.0x) is that response/latency has really improved, especially noticeable on the piano sounds.

I recommend the upgrade if you have 1.0x firmware.
But I got more gear than I need...and I like it!

Toby Krebs


MeanMrMustard

#178
Hello everyone,
I am in the process of installing the update for the gr 55. I followed the instructions. I put in my thumbdrive in my laptop, put the new file on it, and placed it the gr 55's usb drive slot and fired it up while holding down the vlink and user buttons, just as described.
now I have completely blank screen and its been sitting like this for about an hour. the power on off button will not let me power down. does anyone have some advice for my situation?

thanks
MeanMrMustard
MeanMrMustard

www.myspace.com/addisonbrady

admin

#179
USe a smaller USB Thumb Drive no larger than 2GB, and be sure it is Formatted as FAT32

Follow all instructions here:

https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=6423.0

and this follow the steps here (GR-55 Update Guide for FW1.02)  - same strategy is used for GR-55 FW 1.50 update too
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4010.0;attach=3555

MeanMrMustard

thanks for the quick reply.

should I just unplug it and try again?

thanks....
MeanMrMustard

www.myspace.com/addisonbrady

admin

Power down, and remove the drive

Problems likely occur when you use a USb thumb drive larger than 2GB, and you MUST format the drive as FAT32.

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/format-large-hard-drive-fat-fat32/

MeanMrMustard

Thanks for the info. I figured out that the compressed file was not getting expanded before I put it on the flash drive. My bad...I also was using a 4 gig flash drive, it's hard to find the 2gigs anymore. I also had difficulty attempting to partition the flash drive. Could not get Bootit to load.

Does anyone know why the files must be transferred via the USB player input, instead of the more obvious USB connection on the back of the gr55 unit? It just seems more like jumping through Roland hoops. Any thoughts? User patches don't need to be transferred this way. Right?

Thanks again
MeanMrMustard
MeanMrMustard

www.myspace.com/addisonbrady

Elantric

#183
Take a USB drive,(smaller the better, but at least 4MB  )  and format it as FAT32

You could also use an SD card in a USB Card Reader

Drag the file named "GR55.Bin"  (Not Zip)  into the root directory of your USB Drive.

and follow the steps here (GR-55 Update Guide for FW1.02)  - same strategy is used for GR-55 FW 1.50 update too
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4010.0;attach=3555


MeanMrMustard

Elantric,

So as the thread goes, I followed the procedure. USB formatted to FAT32.
When I dragged and dropped the file to the 4gig thumb, the remaining amount on the thumb never changed. To me this meant that the files were not uncompressed, and I must be only dragging a
"pointer" to the file and not the real file. I thought this because on several attempts after following the procedure, firing the gr55 with the appropriate button pushes, seeing the word roland, the screen remained blank for over an hour.
That's when I thought something must be wrong. Still is now.
MeanMrMustard

www.myspace.com/addisonbrady

Elantric

#185
1) Download this:
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=6423.0;attach=5532

2) You must manually "unzip" / Extract all files contained in the Roland GR-55 FW 1.50 Update Zip download file and review all resulting acrobat PDF GR-55 Update Instruction files  contained inside the ZIP file and search for subfolders. I use Win7 and an app called "WinRAR", which can extract the contents. But WinXP, Win7, Win8 , and Mac OSX have built in capability to extract compressed files from a Zip file.



3) Locate the SubFolder named "gr55_sys_v150", Inside you will find the file named:   gr55.bin



Alternatively - download the  GR-55.Bin file here:
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=9588.0;attach=7944


4) Place the gr55.bin file to the root directory of a FAT32 format USB Drive. With your PC/Mac, Be sure to review the root folder of the USB device and verify the only contents you see there is the GR55.BIN file and its 2,334,736 kB size. (2.3MB)  Nothing else should be on this USB drive!

5 ) Then follow all instructions here:



The only deviation from above is Step #6 should state:  "Please verify the version number "1.50" "


==


Mac Instructions

whippinpost91850

Interesting I'm looking at my 8gig stick, sitting in front of my computer monitor, that I ued to update my GR55 with no issues. ???

BackDAWman

I used a 32gig with no problems. I bought it especially for the GR-55.

gumtown

Check the files on the USB stick are the correct size,
because if placing the files did not use any space,
then it you might have pasted shortcuts instead of the actual files.
Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

Elantric

#189
QuoteCheck the files on the USB stick are the correct size,
because if placing the files did not use any space,
then it you might have pasted shortcuts instead of the actual files.

That scenario seems to be the likely issue.

With your PC/Mac, Be sure to review the root folder of the USB device and verify the only contents you see there is the GR55.BIN file and its 2,334,736 kB size. (2.3MB)

Nothing else should be on this USB drive

MeanMrMustard

Thanks to everyone who helped this newby sort out my problem
Up and running again.
MeanMrMustard
MeanMrMustard

www.myspace.com/addisonbrady

Elantric


nervoteso

#192
hi,

i've an older fw, should i update to 1.50? everything is working fine, is it worth updating for new patches?

Elantric

Yes all GR55's should be updated to FW 1.50. As this fixes  bugs which exist in prior versions.

nervoteso

Quote from:  Elantric on February 12, 2014, 05:42:40 AM
Yes all GR55's should be updated to FW 1.50. As this fixes  bugs which exist in prior versions.

i'm afraid when i do an update, now everything works fine, but after updating?

Elantric

#195
Read

* GR-55 FAQ: TOP THINGS TO KNOW
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=4006.0

and

* GR-55 Firmware version 1.50
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=6423.msg44055#msg44055

and

* How to install GR-55 Firmware update
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=9588.msg68838#msg68838

GR-55 FW1.50 Changes
    * Between before and after updating, some patches change to the different by the same program change message received from an external MIDI equipment. Please refer to the "Precautions Concerning the Update of the System Program of the GR-55 to Ver. 1.50 ( GR-55_l_ver150attend_e01.pdf )" for detailed information.
http://ftp.roland.co.jp/support/en/downloads/res/62081950/GR-55_l_ver150attend_e01.pdf


[Bug Fixes]
The following bugs were fixed.

    A setting of ALT-TUNING did not affect to MIDI note messages outputted by GUITAR TO MIDI.
    The level meter for each string sens was displayed in less amplitude than it should be when the PU TYPE parameter in GK SETTING was PIEZO, PIEZO G or PIEZO R.
    * The Audio Input Level after updating is the same as before although the amplitude of the level meter changes.
    A noise mixed with USB Audio when a lot of voices sounded.
    PCM tones which TONE SW were set to OFF caused voice interruptions when a lot of voices sounded.
    Particular instruments in Drums category tones sounded at a wrong volume level.
    When using patches which the [PEDAL/GK CTL] > [CTL] or [EXP SW] parameter was set to each EFFECT SW, editing the EFFECT ON/OFF parameter was not linked with the status of each EFFECT SW.
    It caused GR-55 no sound that the GR-55 Librarian wrote a patch including a Drum Kit to the GR-55's user patch.

nervoteso

could i download users patches from this site even if i've older firware?

Elantric

#197
Proabably - but re-read the bug fixes that Roland fixed with FW-1.50  - you really should update to FW1.50

[GR-55 FW1.50 Bug Fixes]
The following bugs were fixed.

* A setting of ALT-TUNING did not affect to MIDI note messages outputted by GUITAR TO MIDI.
   
* The level meter for each string sens was displayed in less amplitude than it should be when the PU TYPE parameter in GK SETTING was PIEZO, PIEZO G or PIEZO R.
   
* The Audio Input Level after updating is the same as before although the amplitude of the level meter changes.
   
* A noise mixed with USB Audio when a lot of voices sounded.
   
* PCM tones which TONE SW were set to OFF caused voice interruptions when a lot of voices sounded.
   
* Particular instruments in Drums category tones sounded at a wrong volume level.
   
* When using patches which the [PEDAL/GK CTL] > [CTL] or [EXP SW] parameter was set to each EFFECT SW, editing the EFFECT ON/OFF parameter was not linked with the status of each EFFECT SW.
   
* It caused GR-55 no sound that the GR-55 Librarian wrote a patch including a Drum Kit to the GR-55's user patch.
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=6423.msg44055#msg44055

nervoteso

ok try to update, fingers crossed please

Elantric

ITs a breeze - just carefully follow the procedure.

This is far more robust compared to old VG-88 that had problems and could be bricked.

Nobody I know has bricked a GR-55 while doing the FW updates yet.