Roland GR-50 Guitar Synth Demo
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- Опубліковано 20 сер 2024
- The Roland GR-50 is a guitar synthesizer from the late 80s. In this video we take a close look at the GR-50 inside and out, also we hear what it has to offer, going over many of the sample patches.
Also we take a look at the GK-3 pickup interface and make a quick comparison to a GK-2 that I had that is damaged.
Hope you enjoy the video.
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All the best.
Paul
One technical note: The MIDI/RRC switch on the back doesn't have anything to do with using a GK2 or GK3 pickup. It's there to let you choose between having the MIDI IN port active or the RRC (Roland Remote Control) port, into which you could plug an old FC-100 foot controller.
I had one of these when they first came out. A trip down memory lane.
so did i mate...paid over a grand for it if i remember correctly
I have a GR-50 + GK-2, so I found this excellent video particularly interesting. The battery discussion jumps out. Neither the introductory material nor the manual's index has a reference to "battery" or anything of the kind. The manual's inside front cover, however, warns in 4 languages, none English, about a risk of exploding lithium batteries. Hard to believe that such a critical component would be so thoroughly ignored! BUT IT WAS: After removing 15 screws, I found a CR2032 inside.
Thankyou. It is great to hear I have helped.
I enjoyed the one I had and never had any problems with the hardware.Guitar synths are fun but guitars are seriously funner
2022, still have two of these. Great machines, linked to Proteus and another Roland synth/
I was recreated what Jerry Garcia had: a GR50 (as a Pitch-to-MIDI converter) that drove a Korg M1R synth (as used on the Grateful Dead's 'Without a Net' cd). My Korg M1r was upgraded to a T series synth. Together it was quite bulky, but was wonderful in terms of the sampled sounds the Korg unit offered
I just got one and was wondering if there is a way to adjust the reverb
Cool piece of kit. Good work.
Just bought one and i was really happy but when i wanted to try the effects it says card to small and card illegal. What do i do??
Thanks for the GR-50 demo/lessons. I have 4 GR-50s. I have one with the factory preset midi voices. Some day the battery will die and the factory presets will disappear? The my synth has been stable since 1990. I have a youtube account id is joe gribat. I have a few raw videos there. Not too professional. I have been playing guitar since 1966. My lead playing needs attention, however I have had my moments of glory. I play a chord-melody style which is totally compatible with the GR-50. Then I add a Roland RA-50 and a Multivox MX-450 pedal base synth. All real time music. And there you can hear what I do. Tips welcome. I have a few tips of my own sometimes. Thanks. Joe G.
+Joe Gribat Thanks Joe.
Wow four GR-50s! Thats impressive.
I will call in and check out your videos.
Cheers.
+Joe Gribat
You can replace the battery without losing your patch memory as long as you replace the battery while the unit is turned on. I advise removing the lid while un-powered, and then plug in, replace the battery, and you can keep your patches! First, of course, make a backup if you can (SysEx dump to a computer or MIDI sequencer) .
if u lose gr50 data because batery fail, is easy to recover... gr50 usually loss the ''I'' bank data, but u can dowload the original data and using windows media player or some midi editor u can recover all datas... i already do this some times...
u also can recover data pluging a gr-50 to another gr-50 and doing a bulk-damp data... midi out >>> midi in
roland had a memory card which was nice for the gr50 , there was an alternate bank of patches by scott summers , he also wrote banks for the se-50 too . then there was 2 roland cards with sounds ,and a third card which was actually thrid party . i had all four , a mem card , both roland cards and the third party cards . i should say have , i still have it all but its not in use atm . i got a fernandes sustainer guitar which i enjoy and has kind of replaced synth . i just wish i had a software editor . i never figured that out , but ... its d100 engine so i am guessing it exists now . GnR ... ha . they used g synth ?
petey twofinger if u need a midi editor, looking for old Cakewalk verion, the name is ''CPW30'' , runs over w95,98,xp,w7, this version is better cuz do all transfer data operations , data out to backup data banks or recover data from bkp file... all files saves in sysex format.
PS: works better if use cable midi with Din5 pins conector >>> DB15 conector , plugged at joystick out from audio board pc...
its a nice unit i have one
This was one of those “lust after” bits of gear back in the days when we had more G.A.S than money! BUT is there a reason to own one of these nowadays..?
The key thing to syntheses is PLAYING licks of the instrument. If you play a keyboard with a string sound but with the technique of an organ then it fails. Playing guitar licks is for your guitar parts... you need to play intervals and phrases like a trumpet to sound like a trumpet or liek a flute to sound like a flute. The biggest problem with this otherwise good video demo is the guitar licks. IMHO of course.
well you are absolutely correct Dave....blues licks do not work....well, they work, but it seemed to not be sonically pleasing to my ear. i had develop'd new fingering techniques/patterns just by playing blind...literally eyes closed ears open until it sounded "right" for the patch. I'm not sure if that makes sense...but then I didn't use it to sound like a trumpet or flute or any other recognizable instrument. If I wanted to do that, I'd play a trumpet (or whatever) or have someone play it. I mostly used it for texturing and running it through effects and/or sequencers via MIDI
Can be used with a midi keyboard controller
I am presently reading up a bit on guitar synths. On earlier incarnations (GR500 etc.) the precison of the tracking was always described as problematical, creating all sorts of glitches. How do you find it to be on the GR 50? It seems I still hear som (MIDI?) delay anyway.
Paul I have just got a one of these off ebay but without a memory card, is it still useable?
D I T T O!!
(Do you still use yours?)
I have just aqcuired this GR -50 - and will try it on my godin with 13 pins connector
I m curious to know what place it could take among my gear - i also have the GP 1 0and GR 55
nice demo
ty greetingz from Belgium
It's the same thing as the GR55 basically but rack mount and more pedals. Just got the GP10 early last year and been loving it, about to acquire one of these bad boys next week actually 👌
Hi have a GR50 I used for 18 years and lost all patches when changed the battery. Anybody know if someone reloads these with sounds or just goes over them to make them fit for another 20 years? Any info appreciated
You can load all of your patches onto a card.
But failing that they all will be lost apart from some default patches.
Does the unit have a "growling sax" type of tone? not just alto or tenor or soprano but a sax that will give a lot of dynamics to the tone. The gr1 did. Also does this unit have a fiddle tone (not just violin)?
interesting...
"Sample Patch + #" not super helpful...
Sounds cruel! Some sounds mean for the ears