What's the first tune you'd play on a guitar synth? A reminder that you can support my channel by using the affiliate links below. sweetwater.sjv.io/xkZ1M5 (US Affiliate) thmn.to/thoprod/571642?offid=1&affid=1517 (EU Affiliate)
The main feature I noticed here is that the tracking is hugely improved. I didn’t hear one glitch in the whole video. That is amazing progress. Well done Roland!
Welp, they finally have done it. It took almost 60 years to get the guitar synth right. I remember the first guitar synth I played at a store was the Roland V8. And it was meh.. This is on another different level. Impressive.. Most impressive
My experience with a friends GK3 was blended with a standard rig. It was lead stuff using a swelling pad so the lead would just be guitar until a sustained note would swell in an AAHHHH or a pad as a halo to the passage. Cool stuff and something I cant crack with my AxeFX3.
I’ve been doing guitar synth since the mid 80s. So frustrating, especially the stupid sounds that come with the later models. I used a keyboard 1/2 rack module but then it’s hard to transport. You helped me to (soon) the GM-800, finally good sound! I listed my GR on eBay last night! PS, the size and TRS cable are additional benefits.
A number of questions I would like answered: - The connection between the hex pickup and cable was not very robust on the old GK-3 & 2 pickups. Does it look like that is improved on the GK-5? - The older GK-3 pickup didn't adapt very well to modern flatter radius fingerboards (they had that tiny radius adjustment screw). Is that improved on the GK-5? - Lower register notes played on the guitar were noticeably slower to respond on the older GR systems. This was really a problem with fast attack sampled sounds like grand pianos. Is that much better now? - Are tracking and artifacts better controlled now in general? - Since the GK5 doesn't have an input for the clean guitar signal, what is the best way to integrate integrate standard guitar sounds & pedal board with the GM-800 synth sounds for live use. Custom dual cable? Mixer? Thanks & Fantastic channel Leon!!!
Boss also makes a converter box so you can use your 13 pin setup. They also make a one into two box so if you have a sy-1000 you probably can use it and the gm-800 together. (Converter box will be needed) I've been using the gr-55 and sy-1000 together for a while, and love that combo. Sy-1000 + gm-800 will be awesome!
@@LeonTodd There's a ABY box for the 13 pin system you can use. I don't know if they already have this for the new system as well. Either way you will need a converter, because SY still needs 13 pin, GM 800 does not support it directly. Sadly those converters are pretty pricey, but they are available. And those things seem to work only in one direction. So there are two different converters 13 pin to digital and digital to 13 pin.
As a longtime user of the GR-55 and the GR-33 before that, I can say that this looks and sounds like a huge improvement. I'd give a lot for that editor alone. And that acoustic piano sounds great. My biggest question like some other commenters here would be the tracking, which gave me fits when trying to do piano pieces on the GK-3. Anyway, I want me one.
I like the journey riff in there. I actually taught myself how to play through reaching over the neck and tapping with both hands like vai does in Building The Church
I had a GR-55 for years and that did the trick for plenty of stuff in my old function band. Tracking was always a bit inconsistent though, would be keen to know whether that's improved significantly. I like the sounds on this, I have the Juno-X synth which has the Zencore engine in it and it's very versatile.
Definitely the least frustrating pickup I've tried for this. Ideally I'd run it with a volume pedal in case of any glitches live but the sounds are glorious
@@LeonTodd The tracking is the most important part of the whole package and it would be good to see have a section dedicated to it. Also to see how it copes with more complex finger style arrangements. Thanks for posting and one of the best vids regarding this unit so far.
@@LeonTodd Lol 😅 Yep I had one In 94 I think,looked like a space ship,sounded like a foker friendship😅 PS: really appreciate your channel mate👍🏼 Having a fellow Ozzie creating content like you do is truly inspiring ☺️
@@peterschaefer1665 It wasn't in the truest sense,it was a moddeler, FX processor but it done plenty of synth sounds and that was a big selling point 👍🏼
Hi Leon! I’m late to the party but great video (watching your reactions to the sounds was priceless)! When using with the Axe-FX, are you simply running line out from the Boss unit into the main input of the Axe? And: can it do Andy Summers-type pad as in Don’t Stand…?
So … I’ve been pondering the GR55 for the new Emerald I’m getting in a few months, but this makes me think that the GM800 with the DA converter might work better. Now, to connect that to my Helix and get those two beast playing well together.
Can you please do just an acoustic guitar simulation video using this unit? I wish there could be a simple solution just for acoustic tones for players that just need that for live gigs without all the added synth sounds. Maybe Fractal can add this function using this midi pickup, that would be the perfect acoustic guitar solution for us the Fractal users 😎
Wait ? What?!! 💥Mind is blown!! Leon you showcased this unit perfectly! I won't buy one....but now I really really want one, I think Boss just sold units from people watching this..love ya work man.
A lot of people are gonna love this. Perfect for cover bands, multi instrumentalists or anyone who wants to throw some extra spice into their live tone.
It is worth mentioning the midi pickup doesnt have to be BOSS/Roland brand. Also Boss makes a removable one as you see in this video and also one that permanently installs like the old 13 pin din socket. They also offer the GK pickup for bass.
The pickup itself is not MIDI. As long as you only use internal sounds there is no MIDI involved at all as far as I know. The internal pitch detection should be at a different stage than the MIDI conversion which is needed for the MIDI output.
Excellent demo! I would love to get my hands one of these. I agree, I guess this is just a Rompler. I wonder if the lack of the 13 pin limits the ability to do alternate tunings, etc. or was it just a marketing decision to leave out those aspects. The GK5 seemed to be handling data transfer fast including to the external MIDI devices. On one hand the price is not bad. Right now it’s a bit steep for my wallet. Somehow I will have to try and convince the wife I should really have one…😝 I’m somewhat familiar with the Roland Cloud using Zenbeats on iPad, but it would be interesting to see how it works with this device. It’s definitely a deep well. I am pretty impressed by the utility app. Seems intuitive. Thanks for sharing, Leon!👍
@8kisok703 Yes, overall it’s seems like an excellent piece of gear. Oddly enough through all my huge interest and investment in keyboards and synths as a guitarist I never invested into the 13pin interface so this would be a great time to finally jump into a legit hexaphonic setup. Also, I have a Yamaha Workstation with FM engine, Fractal FM3, Eventide H9 and VST soft synths, so I imagine I could find some synth nirvana linking all that together. I will have to go check Alex’s video on Zenology Pro.. He’s one of those guys that makes this stuff so enticing.
Thanks for a great video! I'd really like a demo of the individual strings, (Violin, Cello, Viola) for live gigging, since this is not brought up much, how is the responsiveness and latency? is it better? I think there is no reason for me to upgrade from the GR-55 otherwise because all other sounds (Piano, Synth, Drums, Sax, etec) is pretty responsive, however, when I try the Cello on the GR-55, there is serious lag
So cool - I’d been thinking about some of the other models but this looks amazing. I’m on the waitlist for the new FM3 turbo and would be interested in your thoughts on how to approach integrating this into an FM3 setup. Great demo!
That was a great demo, thank you. I would love to see a video about how to plug it all in and integrate it with an existing guitar rig and how to switch between synth and guitar sounds and how to blend. I usually go direct (FM9 currently) so guessing it should be very doable but more difficult for those using a 'real' amp set up. I am thinking it would be a great unit to have for recording and songwriting purposes but I am already feeling my anxiety kick in thinking about how to use it live, lol.
Holy wow I need one of these. Thanks for making me spend even more money, Leon! 😂 I would so use this to get into sounds for the latest thing I'm into... yacht rock. I've also been picking up Vivaldi's Summer so I could do something subtle with that. Great review!
Super performance job/demo with this unit. I'd love to hear you do Epic by Faith No More with the horns sounds. I've got the harmonies programmed in my Axe Fx, but would love to add horns. Not sure how easy it would be to kick those in and out while playing.
Cheers Leon, all fun and interesting stuff, I watched all of Alex's videos as well. I will be running this with my SY1000 at some point. Out of interest, will be using the GK3 converter box to drive the GM800, converter box is £172.00, GK5 is £241.00, new. Had my eye on the GK 13 PIN Y cable, did not get a chance to buy one, now discontinued! Hope the converter box does not do anything to the tracking! Was really thinking about routing the other day too, looks like to run the SY1000 and the GM800 together you will need a GK5 pickup to the GM800, plus the black converter box for the GK out to the SY1000 GK in! Also remember you can run the GK pickups in reverse mode so it does not get in the way of you're pick hand. Never tried the Guitar to MIDI on the SY1000, will do soon, sure the new Digital Serial tracking is much better. Always a joy to hear you play Leon and Alex here in the UK. Thanks also Leon for all those Delay times in other vid's, there in the SY1000. Cheers, Daniel. 🎸👍😁
@@LeonTodd Yes, a few years ago I just played my Hollow Body or my Acoustic not plugged in, only option. The learning curve has been vertical in terms of what to change and all those parameters, especially when you just want to play, I am very lucky that Boss have designed these amazing devices, makes playing more creative and hearing things in different octaves is awesome too. 👍🎸😁
Wow.. I'm impressed. Boss never fails to impress me it seems. I don't think I would use one unless I was recording for money, but if I wanted to do some extra tracks for some synth tones this would be the thing to have! Very, very cool.. I love it.. I love how you did the song by ragdoll and it sounded epic. Those strings you did with the full barre chord were awesome too brother! Very very cool.. How were you doing the background synth sounds that you were playing lead synth to at the start? Was that part of the patch? Very cool.. With enough practice and one of these, who needs a keyboardist. 😛 I loved the violin tones! Wow.. It was spot on to me! Man, that thing is too cool.. Makes me want one! You're the best sales person sir! 😛 I can't believe how good that sounds.. Just amazing. Be safe and well sir!
Please make a video about the tracking! How is compares to the VG processors and the later models? There you could play punk rock. Fast and only using bar chords without any latency or having to adjust your playing. You could and still can even palm mute. How would that work on the GM-800? Or is it more like the GR-55 where there was some latency and you had to adjust your playing style. You had to play “clean” or it would miss or dibble trigger.
Thanks for the demo Leon…got this thing on pre-order. 😉 Question about the guitar to midi functionality: Does it record just straight midi notes or does it include the articulations from your playing in the data that is transmitted? Also…you mentioned tunings. Let’s say my guitar is in E standard. Can I create a part that will transpose and record what I am playing to say D standard? Keep up the great work!
welcome back to the 80's post punk, sounds great just shows how much technology has evolved even from the pink floyd era imagine if abbey road had this techn in the day
Boss devices sound so thin like sound is coming from far far away. The sounds are not present at all. Is it because whole bunch of overtones are missing in each notes. Like there in no high end and low ends at all. People call it compressed sound but i dont understand if compressed sound sound like this.
Leon - Excellent Video! I have an old Roland guitar synth with an early GK pickup. Actually I purchased a Finder Strat with an integrated Roland GK. Built in. My question is do you know if the GK 13 pin conversion units for the GM800 track the same and as well as the GK5 pickups? Thank you for a very informative video and it was so good I want to order the new unit now!
4:54 reminded me of Jake on "Killer of Giants". Was that "Shine" at 5:57? Sounded epic! You should play that as the intro right before you guys take the stage.
Man why is the pickup still needed 🙄 That’s why I eventually sold my GR-55. That was like 2016-17 It was cool but I noticed the tracking was too glitchy for me. It’s 2024… no company has fully found a workaround yet?
LOL - Just used by 13 pin GR33 last night at a gig. I play Jazz and know this doesn't work well with valves aka tunes and I'm so apprehensive about blowing ppl off stage with my unit so it's a mix bag in try'in to mke my digital amps sound more analog. So I bring 2 amps to my gigs to move traditional guitar without the digital gates, but I may be leaning towards th old VG99
Does this work seamlessly in a pedal chain with other pedals? For example can I use this, then add a delay after it, an overdrive before it , all connected to a looper? etc. I am still slightly confused given it has its own special pickup and cable etc. Thank you for your help!
Ok tell me if this is a dumb question, but could you hypothetically use a standard 1/4 Jack from the guitar, send that signal into a quad cortex, and then send it out midi to the Gm-800, or is the pickup a must to use the pedal?
You use the guitars output jack like you normally do with a guitar amp - there is no guitar out or guitar through in the GM-800. So you have two completely independent signal paths: synth out (mono or stereo) from the GM & normal guitar signal chain to pedalboard/amp.
Can you play Give Me All Your Love Tonight - Whitesnake or You don't Remember, I'll Never Forget - Yngwie Malmsteen with distorted guitar tone AND synth brass sound for the ultimate '80s Hard Rock experience?
Very cool. I've been learning my recently aquired SY-1000 using my guitar that has a GK3 built-in from factory. Does anyone know of a converter from 13 pin to 6 pin to use the GM-800 with my GK3?
@LeonTodd thanks for the great video! You looked like you were having a blast. I have one question, when running this through one amp and your regular guitar through another at the same time for those moments when you want to combine the two… how do you bypass the GM800?? I’ll be controlling it through midi but I do not see anywhere in the manual or any video where you can bypass it. This is a big deal especially if you’re trying to use it with your regular guitar sound but only at certain times. There doesn’t seem to be an “active” switch on the GM800. Maybe there’s a midi PC that switches it to off? Or do you just make a preset that has no sounds? I’m confused on this part of it but I know there has to be a way to do it! Please help!
@@midiguitarist4140 yeah, I get that. But when you’re using a switcher and want everything to switch at once I can’t be worrying about hitting a different switch or use a volume pedal as well. But Boss replied to me and said to designate one of the control switches on the gm800 as a tuner/mute change and then use then my midi switcher can send that PC to it and mute it. Just seems odd to me that there’s not just a straight forward easy way to program it not to be active. I know it’s not a normal “guitar pedal” but it should still have that feature as I would think a lot of people would want to use it along with their normal guitar sound but obviously you wouldn’t be using the synth all the time. Thx for the reply!
@@midiguitarist4140 I already have the GK5, I like it being smaller and all but they should of at least put a kill switch on it or something! Either way, it’s an amazing pedal and hopefully I can incorporate it the way I’m hoping to. This is my first real guitar synth, as I do have the SY-1 and SY-200. I would run stereo through two amps and incorporate a boss es-8 to switch my amps and everything. So one would be on the clean channel at times for the synth sounds. But I really want “real” synth sounds so I’m trying to figure it out using this the same way. I only use one amp now, but thinking about getting a Roland JC to just run this through as a texture to my main setup which is a Mesa JP2C and 2x12 Mesa cab. What’s appealing about the JC is the two inputs, I’m assuming the sound would be way better doing that even though just one output to a single amp sounds pretty damn good. Any opinions on running two outputs to a JC as opposed to running mono to one? And thx for the responses and info, I subscribed to your channel, cool stuff.
@@ChrisBeam Thanks for your response and subscription - that is much appreciated! About getting a special amp for the synth sounds, I think a more acoustic/hifi solution like an acoustic amp (AER, Schertler etc) might be worth a consideration as the real world synth sounds like to be amplified through a more linear PA like system and the JC being a great clean guitar amp is not really meant for these purposes. Anyway I wish you a lot of fun and success with your great setup!
Great demo. How do you attach the dongle thingy to your guitar and is it something you'd add/ remove each time you play or would you tend to leave it on the guitar?
I'd personally leave it on a guitar. I used double sided tape to secure the pickup then the dongle/converter has a mounting plate that attaches to the guitar strap pin.
@@stuartgonsal8443 in your case you could either use this as the primary synth module or you could use it to trigger your Prophet, all while playing the regular guitar rig!
Man I wish Fractal would just add all this technology to their products. Anyways I may be picking your brain on midi to the Axe Fx products. Axe Fx 3, FM9 and 3. I had a GT1000 and a GR55 hooked up midi. It was a tone of fun. The dam 13 pin cable ruined it for me I loved everything else about it.
it would be great to see comparison with sy 300 (if possible) , cause sy 300 is the only complex synth on the market with direct guitar tracking also gk midi to plugin / synth capabilities like can guitar with gk replace midi keyboard playing drums / pianos etc?
There's a whole section on guitar to midi in this vid for just playing sounds - be interesting to see if it's possible to trigger a drum machine with particular notes
SY1000 still does a bunch of stuff this doesn't (instrument modeling, alt tunings, different synth engines) but it does seem like a straight up GR55 replacement
I would like to hear all the bare bones sounds. Solo Violin, Sax, piano, flute, harmonica, Mandolin, everything you can think of that would be a replacement of someone playing the actual instrument in a band setting. In other words, are the solo instruments lifelike, real, could they fool someone .. Say your sax player had the flu, and couldn't make the gig. Is the sax sound realistic enough to where he wouldn't be missed, etc....
Good demo as always! I just think most of the Boss guitar synths have that cheesy 80's/90's sound. Why don't they invent some new original sounds? From all guitar synths I still like the old Roland GR300 the best. It's limited but it still sounds the coolest and has it's own sound.
The problem with time based effect like delay, sustain, cut off, reverb and etc are impossible to play on the same beat with other musicians or instruments without beat synchronised. I don't want to break the excitement but I think that sounds is useless, not my things.
@@ferranmelero7727 this is what i want to know. the new pick up doesn't seem to pass you guitar/bass pickup dry signal. do you have to run a dual cable?
🤤That thing makes some glorious sounds.🎶 Mars the Bringer of War. War of the Worlds. Ride of the Valkyries. Hell play No Quarter🏴with a nice synth you can cook up.🤘🏻😎 🤔Any way to put a wah pedal on that sax? Make it your breath so to speak. I bet a grand piano getting some wah, especially if you could set up what strings you can wah on, would get the noggin jogging.😁 There would be a guitar set up with that on stage if I was you. Lead offs and closings would get some pizzaz on a few songs just to add to the sonic enjoyment.🥲👍🏻
What's the first tune you'd play on a guitar synth?
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sweetwater.sjv.io/xkZ1M5 (US Affiliate)
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Baker Street for sure!
Living on a prayer intro!! 🎹👍🏼
Assassing with Marillion.
Probably some Allan Holdsworth or Pat Metheny
I would like to hear the real sounds, I’ve been using guitar synths since the Gm700
The main feature I noticed here is that the tracking is hugely improved. I didn’t hear one glitch in the whole video. That is amazing progress. Well done Roland!
yo tuve el roland g-700 en 1986 polifonico estereofónico programable pero el tracking era un lío...
Welp, they finally have done it. It took almost 60 years to get the guitar synth right. I remember the first guitar synth I played at a store was the Roland V8. And it was meh.. This is on another different level. Impressive.. Most impressive
I’ve been eagerly awaiting your demo of this, sounds amazing!
So fun. Sound set is beautiful.
My experience with a friends GK3 was blended with a standard rig. It was lead stuff using a swelling pad so the lead would just be guitar until a sustained note would swell in an AAHHHH or a pad as a halo to the passage. Cool stuff and something I cant crack with my AxeFX3.
This is impressive how during those decennies microprocessing has enhanced in a so beautiful manner ! And your demo is very nice man :)
I’ve been doing guitar synth since the mid 80s. So frustrating, especially the stupid sounds that come with the later models. I used a keyboard 1/2 rack module but then it’s hard to transport. You helped me to (soon) the GM-800, finally good sound! I listed my GR on eBay last night! PS, the size and TRS cable are additional benefits.
Good old Leon making videos of gear sounding so good, you don't even care that you can't afford the gear you're about to put in a cart.
So glad for more content! Now that these are shipping and getting into the hands of people we should see more in the coming weeks! Good video Leon!
Best demo of the 800 so far!
A number of questions I would like answered:
- The connection between the hex pickup and cable was not very robust on the old GK-3 & 2 pickups. Does it look like that is improved on the GK-5?
- The older GK-3 pickup didn't adapt very well to modern flatter radius fingerboards (they had that tiny radius adjustment screw). Is that improved on the GK-5?
- Lower register notes played on the guitar were noticeably slower to respond on the older GR systems. This was really a problem with fast attack sampled sounds like grand pianos. Is that much better now?
- Are tracking and artifacts better controlled now in general?
- Since the GK5 doesn't have an input for the clean guitar signal, what is the best way to integrate integrate standard guitar sounds & pedal board with the GM-800 synth sounds for live use. Custom dual cable? Mixer?
Thanks & Fantastic channel Leon!!!
Nice demo Mr. Todd your passion for music trancends. Namaste
Many thanks!
I love the acoustic piano sound. The tone is great. It would be so cool to play a guitar and have a great piano sound come out of the speaker.
This stuff has come a long way hey!
The joy in your face! If I had the scratch that alone would have sold me!
this thing is insane omggg the tones are so realistic
The old Juno/Jupiter sounds are a blast
Boss also makes a converter box so you can use your 13 pin setup. They also make a one into two box so if you have a sy-1000 you probably can use it and the gm-800 together. (Converter box will be needed) I've been using the gr-55 and sy-1000 together for a while, and love that combo. Sy-1000 + gm-800 will be awesome!
Ooooh converter with this for synths and SY for alt tunings/instrument modeling would be SICK
The gr55 + sy1000 combo makes some luxurious sounds; the combo of gm-800 + sy1000 should sound even better!
I also use the sy-1000 and the gr-55 together as well. I have played many many gigs with those two and love them both.
@@LeonTodd There's a ABY box for the 13 pin system you can use. I don't know if they already have this for the new system as well. Either way you will need a converter, because SY still needs 13 pin, GM 800 does not support it directly. Sadly those converters are pretty pricey, but they are available. And those things seem to work only in one direction. So there are two different converters 13 pin to digital and digital to 13 pin.
I love the smooth and silky pads. You can hear the loop stitches in the GR55. It kills it for me. Looking forward to this.
As a longtime user of the GR-55 and the GR-33 before that, I can say that this looks and sounds like a huge improvement. I'd give a lot for that editor alone. And that acoustic piano sounds great. My biggest question like some other commenters here would be the tracking, which gave me fits when trying to do piano pieces on the GK-3. Anyway, I want me one.
Yeah it's a big step up!
I like the journey riff in there. I actually taught myself how to play through reaching over the neck and tapping with both hands like vai does in Building The Church
I had a GR-55 for years and that did the trick for plenty of stuff in my old function band. Tracking was always a bit inconsistent though, would be keen to know whether that's improved significantly. I like the sounds on this, I have the Juno-X synth which has the Zencore engine in it and it's very versatile.
Definitely the least frustrating pickup I've tried for this. Ideally I'd run it with a volume pedal in case of any glitches live but the sounds are glorious
@@LeonTodd The tracking is the most important part of the whole package and it would be good to see have a section dedicated to it. Also to see how it copes with more complex finger style arrangements. Thanks for posting and one of the best vids regarding this unit so far.
Great presentation LT. I think I’m sold on a new adventure. Cheers. 🍻
Thanks mate. They nailed it with this thing!
Esto es mucho mas intuitivo y completo que el Gr55.
Gracias!!
Sounds like what the vg-88 was trying to sound like but obviously soooo much better !
Boss are kicking goals with both feet lately 👏🏻
My Dad still has his VG8 that he bought new in the mid 90's! We've come a long way
@@LeonTodd
Lol 😅
Yep I had one In 94 I think,looked like a space ship,sounded like a foker friendship😅
PS: really appreciate your channel mate👍🏼
Having a fellow Ozzie creating content like you do is truly inspiring ☺️
The VG88 was not a synthesizer
@@peterschaefer1665
It wasn't in the truest sense,it was a moddeler, FX processor but it done plenty of synth sounds and that was a big selling point 👍🏼
great demo, i m gonna get one in a couple of months, looks like its real fun to play by just your reactions, i like your demo vids
Love it, have one on the way!
Coming from the GR-55
I had a Roland Gr33 guitar synth year’s ago can’t remember why I sold it but I might give this a go .
Boss also makes a sturdy handle to screw onto the unit so you can fling it as far away as possible without straining your shoulder.
The Shotputter-800
Hi Leon! I’m late to the party but great video (watching your reactions to the sounds was priceless)! When using with the Axe-FX, are you simply running line out from the Boss unit into the main input of the Axe? And: can it do Andy Summers-type pad as in Don’t Stand…?
For some fingerstyle real world examples of the GM-800 watch my new video here:
czcams.com/video/gx_mA5C-Lak/video.htmlsi=L6BvM5awDTDYowq9
So … I’ve been pondering the GR55 for the new Emerald I’m getting in a few months, but this makes me think that the GM800 with the DA converter might work better. Now, to connect that to my Helix and get those two beast playing well together.
Can you please do just an acoustic guitar simulation video using this unit? I wish there could be a simple solution just for acoustic tones for players that just need that for live gigs without all the added synth sounds.
Maybe Fractal can add this function using this midi pickup, that would be the perfect acoustic guitar solution for us the Fractal users 😎
Wait ? What?!! 💥Mind is blown!! Leon you showcased this unit perfectly! I won't buy one....but now I really really want one, I think Boss just sold units from people watching this..love ya work man.
A lot of people are gonna love this. Perfect for cover bands, multi instrumentalists or anyone who wants to throw some extra spice into their live tone.
@@LeonTodd I loved the blade runner sounds you produced , favourite film of all time.
@@heavybrett-al4082 a man of great taste!
It is worth mentioning the midi pickup doesnt have to be BOSS/Roland brand. Also Boss makes a removable one as you see in this video and also one that permanently installs like the old 13 pin din socket. They also offer the GK pickup for bass.
Yeah you can even justy use this as a sound module and play it with keys!
The pickup itself is not MIDI. As long as you only use internal sounds there is no MIDI involved at all as far as I know. The internal pitch detection should be at a different stage than the MIDI conversion which is needed for the MIDI output.
Sounds bloody brilliant. Finally
Yeah they've really pulled all the pieces together for this one.
Excellent demo! I would love to get my hands one of these. I agree, I guess this is just a Rompler. I wonder if the lack of the 13 pin limits the ability to do alternate tunings, etc. or was it just a marketing decision to leave out those aspects. The GK5 seemed to be handling data transfer fast including to the external MIDI devices. On one hand the price is not bad. Right now it’s a bit steep for my wallet. Somehow I will have to try and convince the wife I should really have one…😝
I’m somewhat familiar with the Roland Cloud using Zenbeats on iPad, but it would be interesting to see how it works with this device. It’s definitely a deep well. I am pretty impressed by the utility app. Seems intuitive. Thanks for sharing, Leon!👍
@8kisok703
Yes, overall it’s seems like an excellent piece of gear. Oddly enough through all my huge interest and investment in keyboards and synths as a guitarist I never invested into the 13pin interface so this would be a great time to finally jump into a legit hexaphonic setup. Also, I have a Yamaha Workstation with FM engine, Fractal FM3, Eventide H9 and VST soft synths, so I imagine I could find some synth nirvana linking all that together. I will have to go check Alex’s video on Zenology Pro.. He’s one of those guys that makes this stuff so enticing.
That is so cool
Thanks for a great video! I'd really like a demo of the individual strings, (Violin, Cello, Viola) for live gigging, since this is not brought up much, how is the responsiveness and latency? is it better?
I think there is no reason for me to upgrade from the GR-55 otherwise because all other sounds (Piano, Synth, Drums, Sax, etec) is pretty responsive, however, when I try the Cello on the GR-55, there is serious lag
So cool - I’d been thinking about some of the other models but this looks amazing. I’m on the waitlist for the new FM3 turbo and would be interested in your thoughts on how to approach integrating this into an FM3 setup. Great demo!
I'll do a vid on that! Works so great in tandem with a modeler
Way cool
Sounds. What a rabbit hole tho. I’m def getting a hydra synth tho
That was a great demo, thank you. I would love to see a video about how to plug it all in and integrate it with an existing guitar rig and how to switch between synth and guitar sounds and how to blend. I usually go direct (FM9 currently) so guessing it should be very doable but more difficult for those using a 'real' amp set up. I am thinking it would be a great unit to have for recording and songwriting purposes but I am already feeling my anxiety kick in thinking about how to use it live, lol.
Definitely! Using it with an FM9 would be pretty seamless and is probably the easiest "do it all" rig out there!
Nice demo, I’d like to see Frank Gamble playing his sax melodies with the GM800.
Me too!
Holy wow I need one of these. Thanks for making me spend even more money, Leon! 😂 I would so use this to get into sounds for the latest thing I'm into... yacht rock. I've also been picking up Vivaldi's Summer so I could do something subtle with that. Great review!
This is perfect for that smooth yachty stuff!
Nice demo/tutorial! I'm curious about the drum patches. Are they backing track grooves, or what? Thanks!!
Super performance job/demo with this unit. I'd love to hear you do Epic by Faith No More with the horns sounds. I've got the harmonies programmed in my Axe Fx, but would love to add horns. Not sure how easy it would be to kick those in and out while playing.
Genius stuff you come up with i actually love this as much and more than all the fractal presets .. say goodnight to our kitty cat for me mate
Will do mate!
Cheers Leon, all fun and interesting stuff, I watched all of Alex's videos as well. I will be running this with my SY1000 at some point. Out of interest, will be using the GK3 converter box to drive the GM800, converter box is £172.00, GK5 is £241.00, new. Had my eye on the GK 13 PIN Y cable, did not get a chance to buy one, now discontinued! Hope the converter box does not do anything to the tracking! Was really thinking about routing the other day too, looks like to run the SY1000 and the GM800 together you will need a GK5 pickup to the GM800, plus the black converter box for the GK out to the SY1000 GK in! Also remember you can run the GK pickups in reverse mode so it does not get in the way of you're pick hand. Never tried the Guitar to MIDI on the SY1000, will do soon, sure the new Digital Serial tracking is much better. Always a joy to hear you play Leon and Alex here in the UK. Thanks also Leon for all those Delay times in other vid's, there in the SY1000. Cheers, Daniel. 🎸👍😁
My pleasure mate! That's gonna be a great combo
@@LeonTodd Yes, a few years ago I just played my Hollow Body or my Acoustic not plugged in, only option. The learning curve has been vertical in terms of what to change and all those parameters, especially when you just want to play, I am very lucky that Boss have designed these amazing devices, makes playing more creative and hearing things in different octaves is awesome too. 👍🎸😁
I was hoping you would do this, thanks
Hope you enjoyed it!
Wow.. I'm impressed. Boss never fails to impress me it seems.
I don't think I would use one unless I was recording for money, but if I wanted to do some extra tracks for some synth tones this would be the thing to have! Very, very cool.. I love it.. I love how you did the song by ragdoll and it sounded epic. Those strings you did with the full barre chord were awesome too brother! Very very cool..
How were you doing the background synth sounds that you were playing lead synth to at the start? Was that part of the patch? Very cool.. With enough practice and one of these, who needs a keyboardist. 😛
I loved the violin tones! Wow.. It was spot on to me!
Man, that thing is too cool.. Makes me want one! You're the best sales person sir! 😛
I can't believe how good that sounds.. Just amazing.
Be safe and well sir!
Yeah this is probably the most impressive piece of tech BOSS make right now. So many great sounds.
@@LeonTodd Unbelievable.. Thank you brother..
Please make a video about the tracking!
How is compares to the VG processors and the later models?
There you could play punk rock. Fast and only using bar chords without any latency or having to adjust your playing.
You could and still can even palm mute.
How would that work on the GM-800?
Or is it more like the GR-55 where there was some latency and you had to adjust your playing style.
You had to play “clean” or it would miss or dibble trigger.
Thanks for the demo Leon…got this thing on pre-order. 😉
Question about the guitar to midi functionality: Does it record just straight midi notes or does it include the articulations from your playing in the data that is transmitted?
Also…you mentioned tunings. Let’s say my guitar is in E standard. Can I create a part that will transpose and record what I am playing to say D standard?
Keep up the great work!
Pretty sure each part can be transposed in semitone increments but I need to check!
welcome back to the 80's post punk, sounds great just shows how much technology has evolved even from the pink floyd era imagine if abbey road had this techn in the day
Imagine if Gilmour had one of these?!
@@LeonTodd for sure dark side probably wouldnt be any better but would be interesting for roger waters out of interest where in perth are you
Best tech at Abby Road was the silverware drawer.
No. Really. Listen to the marching feet on Metal Gods by Judas Priest.
🤘🏻😁👍🏻
Sweet Christopher Cross piano tones!!
Living my yacht rock dream right now
Boss devices sound so thin like sound is coming from far far away. The sounds are not present at all. Is it because whole bunch of overtones are missing in each notes. Like there in no high end and low ends at all. People call it compressed sound but i dont understand if compressed sound sound like this.
Leon - Excellent Video! I have an old Roland guitar synth with an early GK pickup. Actually I purchased a Finder Strat with an integrated Roland GK. Built in. My question is do you know if the GK 13 pin conversion units for the GM800 track the same and as well as the GK5 pickups? Thank you for a very informative video and it was so good I want to order the new unit now!
I'd love to know this too I am coming from the gr20 and gr55❤
What's the difference between this piece of equipment and the SY 1000. It looks like they are two not so different animals.
Guitar synth is absolutely mind blowing coming from somebody who owns a Eurorack.
4:54 reminded me of Jake on "Killer of Giants". Was that "Shine" at 5:57? Sounded epic! You should play that as the intro right before you guys take the stage.
Heaven Above :)
Hello, how good is the tracking in high speed playing please ? Is it really good for for vibrato, bends and velocity ?
They claimed improved tracking compared to the old 13pin GT3 pickup with i.e. SY-1000. A comparison would be great! 😎
Yeah I'm also curious how much better it actually is - it's definitely the least frustrating synth pickup I've used so far!
@@LeonTodd Less frustrating than Triple Play?
Man why is the pickup still needed 🙄
That’s why I eventually sold my GR-55. That was like 2016-17
It was cool but I noticed the tracking was too glitchy for me.
It’s 2024… no company has fully found a workaround yet?
Low latency/accuracy/ease of use.
Choose any 2.
how do you set the sensitivity on the unit to get past the ghost notes and how do you add the guitar sound to blend with the piano
LOL - Just used by 13 pin GR33 last night at a gig. I play Jazz and know this doesn't work well with valves aka tunes and I'm so apprehensive about blowing ppl off stage with my unit so it's a mix bag in try'in to mke my digital amps sound more analog. So I bring 2 amps to my gigs to move traditional guitar without the digital gates, but I may be leaning towards th old VG99
I bought an Sy-300 yesterday...did I just make a giant mistake?
Cool demo Todd… what was your signal path for the AxeFx…hmmm trying to think of a way to integrate this with my Quad Cortex
I ran them in parallel. QC has multiple ins so could send the outs of this to one of the stereo ins on the QC
@@LeonToddthanks for the reply and the great context you always put up 🤘🏻
Does this work seamlessly in a pedal chain with other pedals? For example can I use this, then add a delay after it, an overdrive before it , all connected to a looper? etc. I am still slightly confused given it has its own special pickup and cable etc.
Thank you for your help!
You can't add anything before it, since it's processing the GK pickup signal. After is fine of course.
Ok tell me if this is a dumb question, but could you hypothetically use a standard 1/4 Jack from the guitar, send that signal into a quad cortex, and then send it out midi to the Gm-800, or is the pickup a must to use the pedal?
No, you need the GK5 to run the engines in this
What, you didn’t want to open with coltrane’s giant steps???
I'd need a midi sequencer for that :p
Hello, I want to ask You, how works blending with guitar, whats the connection and wiring. Thanks so much
You use the guitars output jack like you normally do with a guitar amp - there is no guitar out or guitar through in the GM-800. So you have two completely independent signal paths: synth out (mono or stereo) from the GM & normal guitar signal chain to pedalboard/amp.
Can you play Give Me All Your Love Tonight - Whitesnake or You don't Remember, I'll Never Forget - Yngwie Malmsteen with distorted guitar tone AND synth brass sound for the ultimate '80s Hard Rock experience?
Two awesome suggestions!
I'd really like to know what the major differences are between this and the gr-55.
Better tracking, better sounds, possibility of adding sounds, great editor & altogether better responsiveness/playability.
That Christopher Cross riff!!!! 😋
Maybe let us send you some Roland Cloud patches to load in there and play? Great video by the way!
yes please!
Very cool. I've been learning my recently aquired SY-1000 using my guitar that has a GK3 built-in from factory.
Does anyone know of a converter from 13 pin to 6 pin to use the GM-800 with my GK3?
In think Roland make a converter
You're right!
The Boss GKC-AD converter allows the use of the GK-3 pickup with the GM-800.
Thx, Leon.
@LeonTodd thanks for the great video! You looked like you were having a blast. I have one question, when running this through one amp and your regular guitar through another at the same time for those moments when you want to combine the two… how do you bypass the GM800?? I’ll be controlling it through midi but I do not see anywhere in the manual or any video where you can bypass it. This is a big deal especially if you’re trying to use it with your regular guitar sound but only at certain times. There doesn’t seem to be an “active” switch on the GM800. Maybe there’s a midi PC that switches it to off?
Or do you just make a preset that has no sounds? I’m confused on this part of it but I know there has to be a way to do it! Please help!
You can simply connect a volume pedal or program one of the two onboard control foot switches.
@@midiguitarist4140 yeah, I get that. But when you’re using a switcher and want everything to switch at once I can’t be worrying about hitting a different switch or use a volume pedal as well. But Boss replied to me and said to designate one of the control switches on the gm800 as a tuner/mute change and then use then my midi switcher can send that PC to it and mute it. Just seems odd to me that there’s not just a straight forward easy way to program it not to be active. I know it’s not a normal “guitar pedal” but it should still have that feature as I would think a lot of people would want to use it along with their normal guitar sound but obviously you wouldn’t be using the synth all the time. Thx for the reply!
@@ChrisBeam You could use a GK3 and just switch the synth off from there, but I agree that a dedicated off switch on theGM would come in handy.
@@midiguitarist4140 I already have the GK5, I like it being smaller and all but they should of at least put a kill switch on it or something!
Either way, it’s an amazing pedal and hopefully I can incorporate it the way I’m hoping to. This is my first real guitar synth, as I do have the SY-1 and SY-200. I would run stereo through two amps and incorporate a boss es-8 to switch my amps and everything. So one would be on the clean channel at times for the synth sounds.
But I really want “real” synth sounds so I’m trying to figure it out using this the same way. I only use one amp now, but thinking about getting a Roland JC to just run this through as a texture to my main setup which is a Mesa JP2C and 2x12 Mesa cab. What’s appealing about the JC is the two inputs, I’m assuming the sound would be way better doing that even though just one output to a single amp sounds pretty damn good. Any opinions on running two outputs to a JC as opposed to running mono to one?
And thx for the responses and info, I subscribed to your channel, cool stuff.
@@ChrisBeam Thanks for your response and subscription - that is much appreciated! About getting a special amp for the synth sounds, I think a more acoustic/hifi solution like an acoustic amp (AER, Schertler etc) might be worth a consideration as the real world synth sounds like to be amplified through a more linear PA like system and the JC being a great clean guitar amp is not really meant for these purposes. Anyway I wish you a lot of fun and success with your great setup!
Great demo. How do you attach the dongle thingy to your guitar and is it something you'd add/ remove each time you play or would you tend to leave it on the guitar?
I'd personally leave it on a guitar. I used double sided tape to secure the pickup then the dongle/converter has a mounting plate that attaches to the guitar strap pin.
@@LeonTodd Interesting. The pedal looks/ sound spectacular and I love your idea to blend normal guitar preset sounds with a synth line underneath.
@@stuartgonsal8443 in your case you could either use this as the primary synth module or you could use it to trigger your Prophet, all while playing the regular guitar rig!
@@LeonTodd That's really cool and kinda wild!
Sounds like The Midnight
Man I wish Fractal would just add all this technology to their products. Anyways I may be picking your brain on midi to the Axe Fx products. Axe Fx 3, FM9 and 3. I had a GT1000 and a GR55 hooked up midi. It was a tone of fun. The dam 13 pin cable ruined it for me I loved everything else about it.
it would be great to see comparison with sy 300 (if possible) , cause sy 300 is the only complex synth on the market with direct guitar tracking
also gk midi to plugin / synth capabilities like can guitar with gk replace midi keyboard playing drums / pianos etc?
There's a whole section on guitar to midi in this vid for just playing sounds - be interesting to see if it's possible to trigger a drum machine with particular notes
Country Pedal steel?
I have the Sy-1000 and the GR-55. Does this replace either of those?
SY1000 still does a bunch of stuff this doesn't (instrument modeling, alt tunings, different synth engines) but it does seem like a straight up GR55 replacement
I would like to hear all the bare bones sounds. Solo Violin, Sax, piano, flute, harmonica, Mandolin, everything you can think of that would be a replacement of someone playing the actual instrument in a band setting. In other words, are the solo instruments lifelike, real, could they fool someone .. Say your sax player had the flu, and couldn't make the gig. Is the sax sound realistic enough to where he wouldn't be missed, etc....
Leon, This may be a big ask but could you do something integrating the GM800 into an FM9?
Definitely!
@ 1:48 It's not elevator music, it's eLEONator music...Great video. 😁🎶😁
Leonny G
Good demo as always! I just think most of the Boss guitar synths have that cheesy 80's/90's sound. Why don't they invent some new original sounds? From all guitar synths I still like the old Roland GR300 the best. It's limited but it still sounds the coolest and has it's own sound.
The problem with time based effect like delay, sustain, cut off, reverb and etc are impossible to play on the same beat with other musicians or instruments without beat synchronised.
I don't want to break the excitement but I think that sounds is useless, not my things.
4:57 I was hoping you’d get into full “Anybody listening?” Rendition…
*DUN DUN*
IS THAAAAARRRR AAAANNNEEEBOOOHHHHDEEEE LIS. NIN.
*DUN DUN DA DA DUN*
Oh lordy. I'm buying this aren't I? 😅
This and the Badlander are the new JT industries coat of arms
@@LeonTodd my pedalboard is ready!
I see there’s an ADSR for the volume/amp section, is there one for the filter section?
Good question, I'll have to check!
@8kisok703 I suppose you could use an expression pedal to open the filter? I wonder if the filter can be synced to the tempo?
How much
Is this intended to run into a guitar amp, or better to run into a PA / frfr powered speaker?
I'd run it DI but there's nothing stopping you running it into a Marshall full stack 😉
But can you control gm800 with midi keyboard tho?
yes you can hook up a midi keyboard and play the gm800
Would it be possible to use the gtr synth and the normal guitar sound at the same time
Thx
Yes - 29:54
@@LeonTodd hi and how would you do that
@@ferranmelero7727 this is what i want to know. the new pick up doesn't seem to pass you guitar/bass pickup dry signal. do you have to run a dual cable?
@@Magusx100 well I hope that somebody replies and let us know
Jeez you could Jon Lord your butt off with that✌
Repackage gr55?
More like the synth section on steroids....
Try Jam Origin Midi Guitar 2
yeah that's pretty nifty!
way expensive and doesn't come with a pickup or cable. when you attach the pickup to your PRS i bet it won't fit in the case?
try it with axe fx 3
Few clips together at 29:54
@@LeonTodd tnx. sorry i didnt recognize.
how do you connect it with fractal? before, after?
@@zvonimirbaljak3718 in parallel
@@LeonTodd tnx
my ocd is killing me this single string uncut is nerveracking ...;)
🤤That thing makes some glorious sounds.🎶 Mars the Bringer of War. War of the Worlds. Ride of the Valkyries. Hell play No Quarter🏴with a nice synth you can cook up.🤘🏻😎
🤔Any way to put a wah pedal on that sax? Make it your breath so to speak. I bet a grand piano getting some wah, especially if you could set up what strings you can wah on, would get the noggin jogging.😁
There would be a guitar set up with that on stage if I was you. Lead offs and closings would get some pizzaz on a few songs just to add to the sonic enjoyment.🥲👍🏻
Yeah I need to have a fang on some wah sax now!!!
@@LeonTodd shouldn't you be saying that to your significant other?
I'm not that kind of guy.☺
🎵AAaaahh Love bites!🎶
Judas Priest🤘🏻
😮👏🏼😲🎹🎸🙂🎵🕊️