Want to get the GR-20

[Kuddvard]

Hey! I have had a Boss SY-1 and also the Boss SY-300 for a few months now but they just didn't really do what I wanted and I do own an ibanez with an inbuilt GK-3 so I thought it's not time to give a Roland GR unit a try,

I'm wondering whether you guys think it would be something that I could actually use. I pretty much only play jazz and want to use the GR unit mostly on solos. I don't shred like metal players do and have a more Holdsworth-type of legato technique and feel that I do play pretty cleanly. I can play with Midi Guitar 2 with fair success, but I want the extra performance that I guess I'd get with a GR unit. I assume there's going to be a bit less latency using the GR unit with its internal sounds than using Midi Guitar 2 to trigger a VST.

My second question is, should I get the GR-20 or GR-33? The GR-55 is too expensive and I'm not interested in amp modelling or alternate tunings. I'm mainly into the PCM sounds. I've heard the GR-20 may be the best for that but I don't know. Are there any key differences between the GR-33 and the GR-20 that I should be aware of?

[philjynx]

A while back I bought a dud GR20 fixed it and enjoyed it. It was great, better at tracking pitch to PCM (the built in samples) than the GR55. For no good reason, I sold it. Mistake.


Bear in mind, the older units have cell powered memories, so the first thing to do if you buy one is to renew the cell.


The other caveat is that these things are cram full of electrolytic capacitors that, like us, have a limited lifespan. 


Steve (Admin) always rates the GR33 as the best tracking unit in the GR20-GR55 range.

[gumtown]

The GR-20 is very much WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get), with no room for tone programming, but the factory tones are quite nice,
it uses a similar sound engine set to the GR-33 (which is very programmable).

The GR-55 has a lot more than just PCM, amp models, and alternate tunings,
it does analog style synths (HRM modelled GR-300, wave, crystal, drawbar type synths with no latency),
HRM latency free instrument modelling of guitars (nylon, acoustic, electric, 12 string), basses, sitar, banjo.
And the GR-55 has two independent PCM synth engines each with a 900 tone library.

The GR-55 with its controller Assigns makes great use of mixing some or all the GR-55 input sources with the Expression pedal.

[BROCKSTAR]

Hey! I have had a Boss SY-1 and also the Boss SY-300 for a few months now but they just didn't really do what I wanted and I do own an ibanez with an inbuilt GK-3 so I thought it's not time to give a Roland GR unit a try,

I'm wondering whether you guys think it would be something that I could actually use. I pretty much only play jazz and want to use the GR unit mostly on solos. I don't shred like metal players do and have a more Holdsworth-type of legato technique and feel that I do play pretty cleanly. I can play with Midi Guitar 2 with fair success, but I want the extra performance that I guess I'd get with a GR unit. I assume there's going to be a bit less latency using the GR unit with its internal sounds than using Midi Guitar 2 to trigger a VST.

My second question is, should I get the GR-20 or GR-33? The GR-55 is too expensive and I'm not interested in amp modelling or alternate tunings. I'm mainly into the PCM sounds. I've heard the GR-20 may be the best for that but I don't know. Are there any key differences between the GR-33 and the GR-20 that I should be aware of?

Are you someone that doesn't want to tinker with sounds and just plug and play? Then the gr-20 is for you.

Are you someone that does and doesn't want to tinker with sounds and plug and play? Then the gr-33 is for you.

You'll get more out of the gr-33.

[chrish]

If you want sounds to play jazz solo's, get the Boss SY1000 or GP10. Very few people can pull off GR solo's with the expressiveness and glitch free performance that the GR's offer. Its an exercise in frustration.

GR's are good for pads.

If you play jazz, the SY1000 offers great synth flute, GR300 and the ability to play a bass sound on the E&A strings as you play chords. Also has an incredible pallet of analog modeled subtractive synth tones.

If you really want to add pads, the GR55 offers those same HRM solo sounds although don't know if the GR300 sound is as good as the SY1000, but you'll also get PCM pads.

Another less expensive alternative to the SY1000 with simular solo HRM sounds is the GP10. No PCM and only USB P2M out.

I played Jazz fusion and still dabble in it but now prefer making noise.

When I did do some summer Gigs with the band, I used a VG8 to get the EA strings bass and construct a steel string acoustic tone when needed for some DeMeola covers.

[aliensporebomb]

Hey! I have had a Boss SY-1 and also the Boss SY-300 for a few months now but they just didn't really do what I wanted and I do own an ibanez with an inbuilt GK-3 so I thought it's not time to give a Roland GR unit a try,

I'm wondering whether you guys think it would be something that I could actually use. I pretty much only play jazz and want to use the GR unit mostly on solos. I don't shred like metal players do and have a more Holdsworth-type of legato technique and feel that I do play pretty cleanly. I can play with Midi Guitar 2 with fair success, but I want the extra performance that I guess I'd get with a GR unit. I assume there's going to be a bit less latency using the GR unit with its internal sounds than using Midi Guitar 2 to trigger a VST.

My second question is, should I get the GR-20 or GR-33? The GR-55 is too expensive and I'm not interested in amp modelling or alternate tunings. I'm mainly into the PCM sounds. I've heard the GR-20 may be the best for that but I don't know. Are there any key differences between the GR-33 and the GR-20 that I should be aware of?

I use Holdsworth-style legato technique myself and did this to spotlight how well the GR-300 tracks in the VG-99 but also the GP-10 and SY-1000 have GR-300 models.   That's to get that Pat Metheny style lead synth sound.

https://soundcloud.com/aliensporebomb/bleargh6-vg99-gr300

Is that kind of what you were looking for or slower with more polysynth type sounds?

Something like this?   This is VG-99 for all instruments except drums:
https://aliensporebomb.bandcamp.com/track/the-next-phase-outwards

[Allomerus]

I have a GR20 and I love the sax and trombone sounds. Very playable and even when I play too fast! ;-)
They bend like a real sax to me. I have used them on Allomerus tracks and people have asked where the sax came from.