A Tour of the Roland GR-55 Voice Architecture and GR-55 Floorboard Software
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- čas přidán 5. 10. 2011
- There are lots of videos showing the sounds on the GR-55, but I thought it might be helpful to people who are considering it if I made a video that shows how the sounds are created and edited. The GR-55 has a lot of horsepower for making amazing guitar sounds, and you can see how it's done here.
- Zábava
Thanks again for posting this. I finally got to editing user patch 1:1. First lesson: Download the USB driver from the Roland site. Second lesson: In the GR55 Floorboard, go to settings -> preferences and click on USB/MIDI and select GR-55 for both MIDI in and MIDI out. Then click "connect". Otherwise you'll end up like me spending the better part of the night trying to connect, lol.
Thanks so much! A friend of mine gave me a GR-55 and Strat 2 years ago. I've used it many times but just now getting around to needing to tweak it. Thanks again!
Thanks for the video link to get the GR-55 help,,it's about time something useful was introduced for a hands on self help software.
Great Vid. I never realized how much stuff was crammed into this unit. Thx.
thanks for pointing me to the Floorboard software. So much easier than grubbing about on the floor fiddling about with the blue box!
thank you for the video i just got one of these Gr 55 the other day and your video helped me
ty
Many thanks for this vid Logabass. My GR-55 should be here tomorrow and this software and your guide should make it a lot easier to get my head around!
Thanks again T9
Thanks for posting, very helpful, just got a GR-55 - knew it was good but now realizing it's VERY good!
Glad it was helpful. The 55 is an amazing tool but it's so deep a lot of people don't take the time to learn it.
*****
Yes, I get the feeling if you spend a lot of time on it the rewards will be well worthwhile.
Thank you for your very helpful video!
Thanks, Roy! Helpful video to understand the amazing synth and sound modeling capabilities of the GR-55. Like you, I am not impressed with the factory-provided patches, but this opens up lots of possibilities to designing something more to my taste. Much appreciated!
Thanks Roy, very helpful!
very informative and useful, thanks for posting.
Thanks for taking the time! this software, and your video, have helped clarify and understand my GR-55 a lot! I wish there was more clarity about assigning controls [ctl pedal, exp, etc] in the software though. I am still fumbling about and the manual is of little help! Any resource yu can point me to is appreciated
Cool! I just downloaded this. I got the GR-55 last week with the GK-3 pickup. Not exactly plug and play, I found the first step is to calibrate the pickup for the guitar - a pretty critical first step. After a couple days of just playing with the presets I found out about this editor. Now if I just had time to sit down and plug in to start creating/editing my own user patches. Thanks for posting this.
Yea, being able to adjust the patches without having to bend down and do it is a HUGE plus in my book. I have a Digitech Rp360Xp that also has a software program called nexus that made that processor much easier to use. They both have USB port's on them and the Roland GR55 should have software supported by the company that can be used by owners of this amazing unit. The floorboard made it all that much nicer to play with. I just got this unit and I am still kind of in the dark as to everything this can do. I so far just LOVE it, and creating music and writing song's has never been easier . I'm an intermediate level player and this has opened up many great possibility's for writing music. It's worth the money if you are serious about moving forward in your musical pursuits. I got mine through American Musical supply who have awesome payment plan's. The unit, with all the accessories and the installation and set up on my PRS SE ran just under a grand ( not including the guitar of course) can't beat that sort of deal
The 'Floorboard' software is a MUST!!!! It's free, and it works better than most software, [ANY software! LOL!!] - - (I'm a developer with degrees in both music and computer science...). I've been working with this synth since it was released! I just now ordered the RMC OPT-01 'chip' to reduce the 'noise that all pickups produce and that make this synth almost unusable on certain patches, (like Grand Piano). I'll come back after I install the OPT-01 with a review.
I just got my GR 55 and GC 1 today. Frothing. The more I find out about this the more I'm floored by how powerful this tool is
Thanks for posting , going to delve into the editor . Could be there for a while
Using gr55 interface to edit patches is a nightmare. Thanks to this program. It actually makes it useful.
Thanks very much for demoing. You just can't get any knowledge like this at 99.999% of the stores that sell this. I DO believe you should get a commission from Roland when I buy mine! Nice job! Keep 'em coming!
Thank you very Much i HAD NO IDEA tHANKS!!
There was some interesting patches from the artists patches that can be downloaded for free and also there are heaps of patches available on the vguitar website uploaded by peps
Personally I love the alternate tunings you can achieve with the GR-55 and being a synth player as well the ability to play my other synths from my guitar, that in its self can open up a new world
Thanks. it is very informative. I just got mine, This software is going help me edit. You are quite right that I was not too impressed with the preinstalled sounds, most of them are really not useful, except that demonstrates the incredible tonal ability of GR-55.
Thank you for posting.
Thanks for the great vid!!! Please do more tutorials and consider doing one on the librarian installation and using it for customization. Also, it would be nice to see how you would tweek all of the controls on the floorboard. Just go crazy with explanations/domonstrations and help flatten the learning curve. Just getting started with it. Glad I saw this on the Vguitar forum.
97yawnac
I've installed this under Windows 7 64-bit and it works perfectly. You can definitely audition changes made on the editor while playing so it's perfect software for tweaking while playing. Your changes are written to a buffer and aren't saved until you choose to do that. I agree with the author that most of the presets are a bit daft (how many people want to play horns on their guitar?) but, thanks to the shareware editor, you can create some amazing sounds to your taste with the GR-55.
I moved up to this from a gr-20 recently. I can't express how much I agree with you about the factory patches being bad. Luckily, even without the pc software it's much easier to edit the patches versus the gr-20 or-33.
very handy, good idea thanks man
Dude ur that dude guy !!! Thank you so much
Great video .....an oldie but a goodie for sure. I see this software as a demystifier of the inner workings of the gr55 which is extremely clumsy to navigate on the machine itself ....much like the line6 gearbox software was for the pods .....i just bought another gr55 after selling my previous ones out of frustration ....i have a better handle on the device now and understand it's strengths and weaknesses and i just downloaded the floorboard sortware the other day and look forward to using it to finally create a series of complex and usable tones for my live solo performances which will re commence in 2022
The GR-55 is very deep tool and I agree, nearly impossible to program using the front panel. Kudos to GumTown for creating the Floorboard software. I want to encourage anyone who uses this software to send a tip to him via PayPal. You might find my newer tour of my GR55 rig of interest, I have taken the unit to a high level of function.
Ok! thanks allot and all the best!
Most helpful.
Great vid Roy, have had a quick look at the editor and its amazing how much you can tweak this baby.
Totally agree in the fact that the stock patches that come with the GR-55 are bad and most unusable
Thank you .
Brilliant! Love the GR55. Hate most of the built-ins and can't wait to play with this as fiddling around with the GR55's menu system to change a tone is w-a-y too slow for my liking. This software (floorboard) should be shipped with the GR55 without doubt.
Randy, to make adjustments to the patches you need to hook it up to your computer, not a sampler. The software I'm using in this video is called gr55 floorboard - that's what you need. as a newbie, I recommend you visit vguitarforums - they have lots of resources for new V-guitar players.
Zapantalambda - There are a number of other vids on basic editing already on YT. Check Kennis Russell's tutorial series. The only difference when using GR Floorboard is that it's so much easier being able to make the changes on a computer screen, as compared to the interface on the unit itself, which uses arrow buttons and a scroll wheel.
Roy Smith
Roy Smith
Excellent post. I wonder if you can play the synth while editing on the PC screen w/ GR-55 connected via USB to allow you to hear each of the changes you are making. I definately need to learn more about the editor. THX again.
BTW the acoustic sounds vary from nylon to steel to voiced added etc..same on all guitars. You can combine a B3 and guitar line together. There is variety on all pedal modules to add more or less. You one sound on a Boss pedal with little real tweaking.
I bought a used 55 for $450. I am an experienced guitarist. There are 910 effects on the 55. Of course you will never need them all. Has many distortion sounds of which you will pick probably 3 and use. It has a great 6 and 12 string acoustic and steel string sound I find useful. The only downside is the wah is less than great. So what it does is eliminate a bunch of pedals, extra guitars, and provide diff amp, delay, reverb, other stuff like sax, violins. I can add to a band as a horn, bass etc
Hello Roy. any chance you can show us how to do basic edit/save patch for newbies pls? i have a GR55 unit and i have downloaded the editor but still i dont know how to do a basic editing. pls advice. thanks
Great information! I was wondering if there was a way or setting where one string could translate to a full chord?
Not really in the GR-55 itself. You could easily take the MIDI note out from the GR-55 and run it into a synth that is setup to play full chords when it receives certain notes.
@@RoySmithVideo oh great suggestion!!! I'll have to explore that
Thanks for the video. Can the Floorboard software open inside a DAW like a VST? It would be nice to have my DAW Reaper running and control the GR-55 inside of Reaper via software vs. using the hardware buttons on the unit. Also: On VGuitars Forums they suggest a fancy MIDI to USB cable vs. a regular USB cable. Can I use a regular USB cable?
Floorboard is a program, not a VST so I don't think that would work. You might be able to have it running in a window that you pop up when you want to edit, and then minimize when you don't. The problem I see with that is the need for the underlying MIDI connections to switch when you change - that might not work.
I don't know what a MIDI to USB cable is, but to hook up the computer to the GR-55 you don't use MIDI at all - it's a regular old USB cable with the flat plug at one end and the square looking one on the other end.
The author of Floorboard is on VGuitarforums - there is a section there just for Floorboard. I recommend you go there for answers more detailed questions.
Hi Roy, Thank You for taking the time to help. I think I get it now; first I will connect the GR-55 via a normal USB like a basic keyboard or printer uses. Second, I will open the Floorboard Program on my Windows 10 PC and select the patch / sound I want. Third, I will start a new track in my DAW Software that is set to receive input from the GR-55. This way I can control the GR-55 sounds via Floorboard and use the sound in my DAW. No big deal that I have to minimize the DAW software to access the Floorboard software.
Roy, Gumtown on VGuitar Forum said it can be done! I asked if I could use Floorboard to control the GR-55 while using Reaper with an Audio Input coming from the Gr-55. Thanks for the suggestion!
"Yes you can use both concurrently, the USB audio and USB midi work independently in the GR-55. But the midi can only be used by one application/program at one time. There is a work around if you do want to use midi on both programs at the same time, is to have one use the GR-55 USB midi, and the other use an external USB/Midi adapter. The GR-55 is capable of running the USB midi and 5 pin midi ports independent of each other at the same time."
Just one question... Is this a strictlt a standalone vst or can it work within a DAW?
How do I copy and paste patches from download patches
Totally agree re preset patches are AWFUL!! But they let you get a feel, but I've only owned mine for a week and it's all about making your sound. The GR-55 is a totally amazing bit of kit.
Do I have to hook the gr55 up to a sampler when I make adjustments to the synth ? when I tweek it and listen to my patch it sounds different than what I was working with .
I am a newbe any help or suggestions thanks for the video .
How is the quality of the wah wah pedal and auto wah fx on the Roland Gr-55. thanks!
So are you connecting GR55 USB out to computer USB in?
I've been using a GR-30 and Line6 POD X3. I bought a use GR-33 to "upgrade" It's an ok unit, but the most annoying thing about the GR-33 is when when I use the "glide" pedal to temporarily bring piano patch up a full octave, the higher octave sound very thin and artificial (not an issue with the GR30, it sounds perfect).
My bottom line question is: Does the GR-55 have the same issue?
Roy Great job. Presets are average. What aftermarket patches have you found from other people to be a good resource to download for your own use.
There are hundreds of good 55 patches in the 55 section of vguitarforums.com
@@RoySmithVideo Thank you
Its easy to instal the program?
@logabass Thank you for reply - I tried installing the Windows 7 64-bit driver for the GR-55 & got a failure on the installation so am a bit worried as to whether I can use my Win7 machine to do this (my preferred machine for this type of operation) although I have the GR-55 USB driver sucessfully installed on my old Windows XP 32 bit machine so I am not at a "brick wall" I will try it again soon given this great vid & I look forward to your next vid. I have made only a few patches myself.
GenXFuturist101
ii0
Where can I download this program? Can I install it in a Windows XP SP2 os?
Watch the video at :50 seconds. The link is shown.
Ok! Thanks! :)
Does ANYONE know how to eliminate the "ghost" beeps boops and over tones? Is there a setting to cut back on, turn off etc... this is my biggest issue !!
MichaelGalvan
Hi, I can not connect flooboard to my GR 55 ... Any suggestion ?
Go to vguitarforums.com and study the GR-55 section for GR Floorboard. The author and many helpful others are there to assist you.
+1 on the forums. I don't have all the answers, there are more experienced users out there.
so far NO ONE has shown me were this is worth 900.00 and everything I've seen so far can be done with individual pedals and a LOT LESS expensive
PC or Mac?
Both
MANY of the modules you will never use and why pay more for what you will never use
all talk and no examples of what it can sound like?
There are many GR-55 patch demos on YT, and I posted a video showing how the built-in modeling sounds work.