VG-88 first impressions and questions

Started by Brojon, September 26, 2019, 07:43:34 AM

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Brojon

Kinda like a rift in the space time continuum with the unit being so old! ;)
I looked but could not find answers to these questions/observations.

Whomever had this thing before took excellent care of it but they didn't know diddly about using it.
The "user" patches have been hosed to the point I thought something had malfunctioned.
Any way to reset those?  When I get the editor/librarian running will it overwrite those?  They just have to go.

Seems like the vast majority of the patches are overdriven lead.  Some are good but I was under teh impression there were some labeled to indicate what guiratist sounds they were meant to imitate - y'know like "Slasher" (Slash), or "Knop-Off" (Mark Knopfler)  - not that those are names I expected but you get the idea.
The one called Woodstock sounds like Hendrix for the Star Spangled banner and I guess Texas Strat is supposed to be SRV (ain't even close).
Or are those things in the user patches you can download here? (I've downloaded but not had a chance to do anything yet).

Why on earth is there such a HUGE range of volume on the patches?  The Sitar and Flameco patches for example are very low, then you take the next patch and it might blow you out of the room.  My wife gave me some real stink-eye last night (I stayed up late playing with this mega-cool unit!). 
Any way to level the volume across patches?

I bought the Roland USB to MIDI cable since the other recommended cables like from MeritTime appear to be history.  So I am to assume that the editor and patch manager/librarian use Sysex messages to send patch data to the unit?

One of the main reasons I wanted this thing is I love experimenting with alternate tunings.  I plan to make a lot.  The ones on the unit have more effects than I'd like and that brings me to... is there any way to treat the effects like you would a regular stomp box?  Click on - Click off sort of thing?
In the same vein - what is the best way to use external effects?  I don't think I saw an effects loop on it meaning you put them between the unit and the amp?  That's not much good for headphones...  The two that I use pretty regular are the Trio+ and the Digitech Dl-8 delay/looper.

As mentioned the Yahoo editor group is spammed with nasty. Anywhere to look for a decent user summary?  I suppose source code is unavailable?

That's it for now.  Appreciate any and all answers/help.

admin

Quote from: Brojon on September 26, 2019, 07:43:34 AM
Kinda like a rift in the space time continuum with the unit being so old! ;)
I looked but could not find answers to these questions/observations.

Whomever had this thing before took excellent care of it but they didn't know diddly about using it.
The "user" patches have been hosed to the point I thought something had malfunctioned.
Any way to reset those?  When I get the editor/librarian running will it overwrite those?  They just have to go.

Seems like the vast majority of the patches are overdriven lead.  Some are good but I was under teh impression there were some labeled to indicate what guiratist sounds they were meant to imitate - y'know like "Slasher" (Slash), or "Knop-Off" (Mark Knopfler)  - not that those are names I expected but you get the idea.
The one called Woodstock sounds like Hendrix for the Star Spangled banner and I guess Texas Strat is supposed to be SRV (ain't even close).
Or are those things in the user patches you can download here? (I've downloaded but not had a chance to do anything yet).

Why on earth is there such a HUGE range of volume on the patches?  The Sitar and Flameco patches for example are very low, then you take the next patch and it might blow you out of the room.  My wife gave me some real stink-eye last night (I stayed up late playing with this mega-cool unit!). 
Any way to level the volume across patches?

I bought the Roland USB to MIDI cable since the other recommended cables like from MeritTime appear to be history.  So I am to assume that the editor and patch manager/librarian use Sysex messages to send patch data to the unit?

One of the main reasons I wanted this thing is I love experimenting with alternate tunings.  I plan to make a lot.  The ones on the unit have more effects than I'd like and that brings me to... is there any way to treat the effects like you would a regular stomp box?  Click on - Click off sort of thing?
In the same vein - what is the best way to use external effects?  I don't think I saw an effects loop on it meaning you put them between the unit and the amp?  That's not much good for headphones...  The two that I use pretty regular are the Trio+ and the Digitech Dl-8 delay/looper.

As mentioned the Yahoo editor group is spammed with nasty. Anywhere to look for a decent user summary?  I suppose source code is unavailable?

That's it for now.  Appreciate any and all answers/help.

Ive compiled the best bits  from the old Yahoo VG-8 Group and VG-88 Patches are here
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?action=downloads;cat=20

https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?action=downloads;cat=19


V-EDITOR 0.51  - Librarian / Editor for the Roland VG-88
By Ralph Benchetrit

The original Developer (Ralph Benchetrit in France)  ceased all work on this VG-88 Editor back in 2003.


VG-88 - V-EDITOR 0.51 DEMO MOVIE
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=6455.0


Brojon

Quote from: admin on September 26, 2019, 08:51:50 AM
Ive compiled the best bits  from the old Yahoo VG-8 Group and VG-88 Patches are here
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?action=downloads;cat=20

https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?action=downloads;cat=19

V-EDITOR 0.51  - Librarian / Editor for the Roland VG-88
By Ralph Benchetrit

The original Developer (Ralph Benchetrit in France)  ceased all work on this VG-88 Editor back in 2003.


VG-88 - V-EDITOR 0.51 DEMO MOVIE
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=6455.0


Thanks - I wasn't aware that's all the patches.  lol seems tiny.  The guy I bought the unit from included a CD with patches.
Soon as my cable comes in I will load 'em up and see what's there.
So nothing I've read really goes into how to actually use the librarian and organizer, nor how to send the patches to the VG-88 and replace/move patches around. 
I really hate the haphazard way the patches are arranged on the VG-88 - almost zero correlation between subsequent patches as far as sound/genre.
I'd love to sort them out to how I think they should be organized.

admin

#3
Quote from: Brojon on September 26, 2019, 11:00:17 AM
Thanks - I wasn't aware that's all the patches.  lol seems tiny.  The guy I bought the unit from included a CD with patches.
Soon as my cable comes in I will load 'em up and see what's there.
So nothing I've read really goes into how to actually use the librarian and organizer, nor how to send the patches to the VG-88 and replace/move patches around. 
I really hate the haphazard way the patches are arranged on the VG-88 - almost zero correlation between subsequent patches as far as sound/genre.
I'd love to sort them out to how I think they should be organized.

Realize the VG-88 was released late 1999, and ceased production in 2004

There was never an official  Editor ( Roland/Boss were very resistant to create and maintain such things  - even in 2012 for the GR-55 ( we thank Gumtown for allowing the GR-55 to be usable

Roland figured users would program everything right on the VG-88 unit - which is much faster than the older VG-8 User interface 

But it pays to review / read ALL docs for the Boss GT units  - as the same R&D team at Roland Japan also created those units - which thanks to larger Boss GT installed user base  - third party folks stepped up and documented the best use of these Roland/ Boss tools  -all described here

( essential reading)
Learn to Program Roland/Boss MultiFX Processors
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=88.0

watch and learn VG-88 ( and  some Danish too



VG-88 Videos
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=18548.new#new

gumbo

Read slower!!!   ....I'm typing as fast as I can...

Brojon

Quote from: admin on September 26, 2019, 11:09:19 AM
Realize the VG-88 was released late 1999, and ceased production in 2004

There was never an official  Editor ( Roland/Boss were very resistant to create and maintain such things  - even in 2012 for the GR-55 ( we thank Gumtown for allowing the GR-55 to be usable

Roland figured users would program everything right on the VG-88 unit - which is much faster than the older VG-8 User interface 

But it pays to review / read ALL docs for the Boss GT units  - as the same R&D team at Roland Japan also created those units - which thanks to larger Boss GT installed user base  - third party folks stepped up and documented the best use of these Roland/ Boss tools  -all described here
Yeah it was the same with the GR-50.  Somewhere around here I still have the librarian/editor 3.5" diskette for that thing.  Problem is those memory cards is where they kept the user patches and they're hard to find (affordable) these days.

admin

QuoteProblem is those memory cards is where they kept the user patches and they're hard to find (affordable) these days.

$92

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=roland+m-512e&_sacat=0&_sop=15

Brojon

So I found the doc on the mod to make an effects loop - anyone actually performed that mod?
My understanding is it puts the effects in ahead of the actual guitar pickup - or is it the VG-88 COSM signal?
I'm still a little fuzzy on when the unit blends the signals - I always assumed that happened in the GK-2.

scrapman

Quote from: Brojon on September 26, 2019, 06:35:48 PM
Problem is those memory cards is where they kept the user patches and they're hard to find (affordable) these days.
If it's of any help, i came across this over at vintagesynth.com:
http://forum.vintagesynth.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=76886
gi, gr, gt, vg, 10, 09, 20, 33, 50, 6, 88,
Lucky for Some, 13 pins.

admin

#9
FWIW - the VG-8/ VG-8EX  & GR-50 makes use of Memory cards

but the VG-88 does not support memory cards.

most use VG-88 Librarian or VG-88 Organizer with a Windows PC+ USB MIDI interface
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?action=downloads;cat=20


to load VG-88 patches here
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?action=downloads;cat=21

QuoteI bought the Roland USB to MIDI cable since the other recommended cables like from MeritTime appear to be history.

See all current available USB <> MIDI adapter cables here
  https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=8393.0


Quote
Quote from: Brojon on September 27, 2019, 06:58:35 AM
So I found the doc on the mod to make an effects loop - anyone actually performed that mod?
My understanding is it puts the effects in ahead of the actual guitar pickup - or is it the VG-88 COSM signal?
I'm still a little fuzzy on when the unit blends the signals - I always assumed that happened in the GK-2.

External FX Loop Mod is for Normal Guitar signal only

Brojon

The memory card came up in context of the GR-50.

arkieboy

Quote from: Brojon on September 27, 2019, 06:58:35 AM
So I found the doc on the mod to make an effects loop - anyone actually performed that mod?
My understanding is it puts the effects in ahead of the actual guitar pickup - or is it the VG-88 COSM signal?
I'm still a little fuzzy on when the unit blends the signals - I always assumed that happened in the GK-2.


I miss my VG88v2. If it had had an FX send/return and the secondary outputs of the 99 I'd have kept it. Never quite felt like the Holdsworth style patches were as good on the 99 as they were on the 88.
Main rig: Barden Hexacaster and Brian Moore i2.13 controllers
Boss SY1000/Boss GKC-AD/Boss GM-800/Laney LFR112

Other relevant gear: Line 6 Helix LT, Roland GR-33, Axon AX100 MkII
Oberheim Matrix 6R, Supernova IIR, EMu E5000, Apple Mainstage, Apple Logic, MOTU M4

ralph benchetrit

Hi,

I am the author of V-editor for the VG-88.

I was doing a little cleaning in my old files and I came across the source code of V-Editor.
Even if it will not be useful to many people, I thought it would be nice to put them on Github.

Here is the link : https://github.com/ralphdov/V-editor

Quote from: admin on September 26, 2019, 08:51:50 AM
Ive compiled the best bits  from the old Yahoo VG-8 Group and VG-88 Patches are here
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?action=downloads;cat=20

https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?action=downloads;cat=19


V-EDITOR 0.51  - Librarian / Editor for the Roland VG-88
By Ralph Benchetrit

The original Developer (Ralph Benchetrit in France)  ceased all work on this VG-88 Editor back in 2003.


VG-88 - V-EDITOR 0.51 DEMO MOVIE
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=6455.0



billbax

Hi Ralph,

From everyone here, welcome to the forum 8) Also a big thanks for creating your incredibly useful VG-88 V-editor back in 2003, which was used in the creation of my separate strings re-amping demo.

Hope to hear more from you 8)

Bill

www.separate-strings.co.uk


gumtown

#14
Quote from: ralph benchetrit on June 07, 2020, 04:49:26 PM
Hi,

I am the author of V-editor for the VG-88.

I was doing a little cleaning in my old files and I came across the source code of V-Editor.
Even if it will not be useful to many people, I thought it would be nice to put them on Github.

Here is the link : https://github.com/ralphdov/V-editor

Thank You for sharing,  :D
I am currently looking at your code to 'see what others do'.  ;D

Not sure if you have seen the GR-55FloorBoard editor or the GT FxFloorBoard range,
here is a link to the GR-55 source. (Qt5 & C++)
https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/
Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

mooncaine


Lost Hippie

Just a 2021 update...

V-Editor is still a staple for me.... Works great on Win 10, just loaded a new-to-me VG-88 with my backup and all is good. 

Thank you Ralph for the amazing work you did to make the '88 so easy to edit. 

Lindsey

Quote from: ralph benchetrit on June 07, 2020, 04:49:26 PM
Hi,

I am the author of V-editor for the VG-88.

I was doing a little cleaning in my old files and I came across the source code of V-Editor.
Even if it will not be useful to many people, I thought it would be nice to put them on Github.

Here is the link : https://github.com/ralphdov/V-editor