Synth' Around (By Tal)..

Tal Rules · August 2006

I may have found the perfect complement to the GNX4. The Roland GR20 guitar synth. Man.. They do play well together. This is just me trying out a few of the synth voices available. I'm digging the hell out of this thing. Ran the output directly into the GNX4 for recording and effects. 8)

All parts that you hear were done on my Fender American Standard Stratocaster.. :shock:

I'm still playing with this thing, but the tracking is lightning fast. The main thing is setting the string sensitivity and to play like the instrument you are trying to synth.. (Don't play chords on a sax solo. Sax's only play one note at a time)

Still learning my way around this thing but it has definitely added another dimension to my playing. You may hear a few clinkers, but that's me trying to emulate, with my technique, the techniques of the wide range of instruments this thing can emulate.. 8)

One things for sure..
I've never heard a strat sound like this..

http://www.digitech.com/soundcomm/guitar_view_music.asp?productid=199&music_id=2412

Maybe you guys will dig this.

See Ya,
Tal.. 8)

SlashNBurn99 · August 2006

Hey Tal,

Wow that thing sounds very impressive, I especially like the steel pan and sax. 8)

Great stuff 8)

partch · August 2006

very nice Tal!!! Your right, I don't think I've heard a strat sound quite like that?? Very Impresive sounding!! I can only Imagine now what a Musician such as your caliber can and will be doing with such a neat toy. Anyhow thanks for posting that!! Sounds great and I bet you had a blast doing it??

God Bless Tal!!!
Partch

shredd · August 2006

ComPLETEly far out. What a great toy. That's why, even with a bad case of GAS, I don't buy stuff like this. I'd never leave the house. :shock:

insideout · August 2006

WOW - totally cool Tal. Me thinks me must have one

granitehead · August 2006

Very cool, Tal. I don't own a keybd and I'm getting sick-n-tired of building organ/piano/horn tracks in piano roll view. So I've been investigating what to get for a keybd. But I have a serious real estate problem where all my junk is set up. Maybe guit-synth is the answer... sure sounds great!
- gh

0Dannyboy · August 2006

Thats great you gotta love technology, didnt Steve Stevens play one in Billy Idols \"flesh for fantasy\" video too? great pickin Tal.

LuredMaul · August 2006

Cool Tal, Someone had told me how great the sax sounds on those 8)

Is the Bass from the Roland too? :shock:

Tal Rules · August 2006

Yep...
This thing's pretty darn cool... 8)

Yes Ole Lured one..
The bass is the Roland as well....
There is an organ preset which allows the 5th and 6th string to sound like a bass and the top 4 strings to sound like a hammond organ...
I finger picked the bass line on the 5th and 6th string with my thumb and fingerpicked the other stirings for the organ sound on the chord changes..
And I agree..The sax so far is my favorite instrument on this thing.. 8)

Slash:....
The steel drums I'm still playing with..And you're right.. The sax is just killer..

Shred:...
I have noticed I'm getting kind of pale. Developing that Johnny Winter facial complexion. I do need to get out more.

GH:
Might be the thing.. I'd check it out..Absolutely love mine.. I've got an orchestra at my fingertips.. 8)

0DB:
Yeah..Technology is cool. I played the first one Roland had out in the 70's and it was horrible. Tracking was miserable.. No presets.. Things have advanced quite a bit in 30 years..

0Dannyboy · August 2006

:!: I really liked those steel drums....maybe you could add a few phrases here and there alongside the blues Hawk solos to J.M. :!: Just a thought.

philflood · August 2006

Yup - synth gear is a whole bunch of fun. I like to layer multiple tones. Its tough to find synth patches that work with a guitar style of playing. You've found a way to stick to the mostly single note runs so you don't have the weirdness that results from suddenly having a second sax or trumpet tone appear. I like the way you handled that. I have helluva time keeeping from bending notes when I'm on a patch that isn't compatible with that. I have the GR-30 and VG-8EX. Of course, the VG-8 isn't a synth, its more of a multi-effects unit. I've been thinking of getting something that updates the GR-30 and the tones on the 20 sound great!

P.G.Shadow · August 2006

Wicked man 8) Tals a one man band now for sure.love the human voice\"bop bop---bop de bop\"sounds totally real,til it hits the higher notes,but who cares,it way cool.

MightyMatt101 · August 2006

i was just thinking of buying a guitar synth a few days ago and now i think i'm for sure going to buy one i wanted to get the roland gr-33 but they stopped making them. And good job man it sounds great as usual.

kirkbauer1 · August 2006

Hi Tal,

Wow! The tracking on that sounds really quick. I remember a few years ago looking at some guitar synths and thinking they will never get that to track fast enough. What a joy to be able to put down keyboard parts without that damn piano roll. Cool stuff!

oasysco · August 2006

Don't get me wrong, I think the GR20 is a great device; I have one myself, but the key to unlocking its potential is not to use to effect guitar sounds, but learn how to play like the instrument you are simulating. Sounds easy, but it 'aint. Much of what I play sounds like a guitar player playing a sax, bass, or whatever.

As for playing live, the problem is that I play guitar not piano, organ, etc, so when I have to learn those parts on the confines of a guitar, it makes my job 3x as hard as the other guitarist and it never sounds quite like the real thing. A $300 keyboard synth sounds better.

But for recording... now, that's the power of the GR20. Here are some of my samples. Everything that follows was recorded on a GNX3; all drums from GNX3; straight guitar parts use the GNX3 for effects. Main page at: http://members.cox.net/oasysco/gregsong.htm

1. GR20 Synth bass:
http://members.cox.net/paradoxofmine/sounds/smoothfunk.mp3

2. all GR20:
http://members.cox.net/punkdrummer/gr201.mp3

3. GR20 sax:
http://members.cox.net/relicband/sounds/kennyg1.mp3

4. GR20 organ, bass, synth, horns:
http://members.cox.net/relicband/sounds/mean.mp3

5. GR20 horns, bass, strings:
http://members.cox.net/relicband/sounds/horns1.mp3

6. GR20 strings:
http://members.cox.net/paradoxofmine/sounds/orch1.mp3

7. GR20 horns, flute:
http://members.cox.net/relicband/sounds/horn2.mp3

8. GR20 fiddle/violins and special effects:
http://members.cox.net/relicband/sounds/intro-g.mp3

9. GR20 strings, horn:
http://members.cox.net/relicband/sounds/classic1.mp3

Greg

Tal Rules · August 2006

\oasysco\ wrote:

Don't get me wrong, I think the GR20 is a great device; I have one myself, but the key to unlocking its potential is not to use to effect guitar sounds, but learn how to play like the instrument you are simulating. Sounds easy, but it 'aint. Much of what I play sounds like a guitar player playing a sax, bass, or whatever.

As for playing live, the problem is that I play guitar not piano, organ, etc, so when I have to learn those parts on the confines of a guitar, it makes my job 3x as hard as the other guitarist and it never sounds quite like the real thing. A $300 keyboard synth sounds better.

But for recording... now, that's the power of the GR20. Here are some of my samples. Everything that follows was recorded on a GNX3; all drums from GNX3; straight guitar parts use the GNX3 for effects. Main page at: http://members.cox.net/oasysco/gregsong.htm

1Greg

I totally agree. Chord in the middle of a sax or horn solo makes the mind go \"HUH\"...

Also string bending on keyboard synths..Ever heard a piano player bend a note?..

That being said.......If you are familiar with the guitar fretboard, and have developed your chops on the instrument......There is at least a synth controller finnaly available for a guitarist to have fun as well as those stodgy old key board players.

Key Board players have the same problems you point out on the guitar fret board except opposite. They do very well on non-bending synth instruments. Timbale, Vibes, etc...
But really have to work at instrument that can bend notes. (Sax, etc..)

In my mind it's two completely mind sets to the approach of the synth.
Since I have played the guitar a long time, I already have some chops built up. A lot better than having to study the keyboard for years, to be able to pull off some of the things I can already do on the fret board.
Both types of synth controllers, Guitar and Keyboard, I find lacking in one area as far as sounds. I haven't heard a synth yet that can produce a decent GUITAR sound. Even the guitar synths..The bass sounds fabulous, but the nylon, 12 string, etc...synths need to mixed with a chorus or strings to make them sound halfway realistic...

I'm just happy that there is finally a guitar synth on the market, that has fast enough tracking that a guitarist can actually use it. 8)
And you're right.. it is great in the studio.. 8)
Great samples and guitar work BTW.. 8) .

See Ya,
Tal 8)

See Ya,
Tal..

oasysco · August 2006

Allow me to add one thing... when I got my GR20 I was playing with a group of folks - another guitar, bas, drums, and singer. The other guitarist prodded me to use the GR20, so there I was trying to learn piano parts when all I really wanted to do was play the other guitar part. Months passed, personnel changed and we ended up with a keys player... it didn't take 10 seconds for everybody, including me, to realize a real keys player even with a $200 synth keyboard (like this guy had) sounded WAY better than I did with the GR20. Ditching the GR20 for live play allowed me to concentrate on the guitar part, since I was now the only guitarist. You can't believe what a relief that was for me! So my GR20 now lets me add new sounds to me recorded stuff and if I ever wind up in a duet deal, maybe add a missing dimension there.

Greg

Synth' Around (By Tal)..

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