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MGR/Adam Hajrula « Roland VG-88 »
Published on 05/23/02 at 15:00I purchased this unit through 1-800-4SAMASH.
I researched it for about 6 months. Played some of the less exspensive Boss units (GT3/GT5). When I say less exspensive, I don't mean cheap! These are also great units. What sold me on the VG-88 was a three
page review in Guitar One (or Guitar Magazine).
I listed this as a guitar effect board only because many confuse it with a guitar synth because it utilizes the GK-2A hex pickup (or any equivilant). It is not. The VG-88 does not have instrument sounds other than those for the guitar. It does however make some synth-like sounds. Anyone who has played with any of the GR series knows the difference. The VG-88 uses COSM technology (Composite Object Sound Modeling) to reproduce not only amps, speakers, cabinets, and effects; but also mics and guitars. The list of reasons to own the VG is endless, but lets start with one important factor. If you've used a MIDI guitar synth, you know that there is a certain latency (the time it takes for the vibration of the string to be processed and come out of the speaker.) The tracking on the VG is FAST. A guitarist needs to feel what he/she is doing. You really have to over process with drastic detuning to get a noticeable latency out of this unit. Roland has taken this "feel" of a guitarist a step further. Some effects and gutar models are very velocity sensitive. For those of you who don't use MIDI, this means that the sound changes in response to how hard you pluck the string. If building your own virtual gutar and rig isn't enough for you. You also have the most versitile EQ's I've seen in a pedal board. (oh and tuning your guitar any way you choose at the touch of a button/pedal isn't a bad touch either). I can't finish without giving the ultimate praise to acoustic guitar sounds. The realistic sound and feel is unrivaled. to be plain and simple: This is the mother of guitar processors. By the way, you can still use your old guitars, but going direct you loose the COSM guitar section. I'm a studio musician right now and I couldn't be happier with the VG-88. I have yet to have a chance at using it live, but in theory you need only a hex equiped guitar, the VG, and your live mixer. Leave everything else at home.
The down sides of the VG-88 are few. I'm not much for MIDI guitar but I've heard people complain that it doesn't have pitch to midi conversion. Well, Roland makes plenty of that kind of unit. The VG does have MIDI in and out, but just for program change, and bulk load and dump. (yes you can backup, download or arrange patches with your computer or sequencer.) My biggest gripe was that when I first got it I had so many souds I could create that it was easy to over do it, revealing the digital nature of the unit. However, the interface is so simple that if you take just a little time and some trial and error, you'll get the sounds you're looking for.
The thing is rugged. Enough said.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com
I researched it for about 6 months. Played some of the less exspensive Boss units (GT3/GT5). When I say less exspensive, I don't mean cheap! These are also great units. What sold me on the VG-88 was a three
page review in Guitar One (or Guitar Magazine).
I listed this as a guitar effect board only because many confuse it with a guitar synth because it utilizes the GK-2A hex pickup (or any equivilant). It is not. The VG-88 does not have instrument sounds other than those for the guitar. It does however make some synth-like sounds. Anyone who has played with any of the GR series knows the difference. The VG-88 uses COSM technology (Composite Object Sound Modeling) to reproduce not only amps, speakers, cabinets, and effects; but also mics and guitars. The list of reasons to own the VG is endless, but lets start with one important factor. If you've used a MIDI guitar synth, you know that there is a certain latency (the time it takes for the vibration of the string to be processed and come out of the speaker.) The tracking on the VG is FAST. A guitarist needs to feel what he/she is doing. You really have to over process with drastic detuning to get a noticeable latency out of this unit. Roland has taken this "feel" of a guitarist a step further. Some effects and gutar models are very velocity sensitive. For those of you who don't use MIDI, this means that the sound changes in response to how hard you pluck the string. If building your own virtual gutar and rig isn't enough for you. You also have the most versitile EQ's I've seen in a pedal board. (oh and tuning your guitar any way you choose at the touch of a button/pedal isn't a bad touch either). I can't finish without giving the ultimate praise to acoustic guitar sounds. The realistic sound and feel is unrivaled. to be plain and simple: This is the mother of guitar processors. By the way, you can still use your old guitars, but going direct you loose the COSM guitar section. I'm a studio musician right now and I couldn't be happier with the VG-88. I have yet to have a chance at using it live, but in theory you need only a hex equiped guitar, the VG, and your live mixer. Leave everything else at home.
The down sides of the VG-88 are few. I'm not much for MIDI guitar but I've heard people complain that it doesn't have pitch to midi conversion. Well, Roland makes plenty of that kind of unit. The VG does have MIDI in and out, but just for program change, and bulk load and dump. (yes you can backup, download or arrange patches with your computer or sequencer.) My biggest gripe was that when I first got it I had so many souds I could create that it was easy to over do it, revealing the digital nature of the unit. However, the interface is so simple that if you take just a little time and some trial and error, you'll get the sounds you're looking for.
The thing is rugged. Enough said.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com