A quick run through of the VG-88 (for Mike). For more details, go to www.rolandus.com/products/prod.... Also, check out the VG-99, the newest version of the V-Guitar system.
Greetings, TheloniusJ! You are a great guitarist and your technical knowledge of the guitar and the VG-88 in conjunction with the genres you chose to demonstrate each sound make this video an extremely effective evaluation tool to me since I just purchased a Roland VG-88 and have no previous experience with it. Thank You for Your Great work! - Ernie Leblanc
Hello Thelonius! Thank you very much for posting this video. It is very informative und helpful for me in deciding bying a used vg-88. The best I found here on YT. Ralf
Thanx for the Vid... I'm buying one of these tomorrow, can't wait. Thanx for demonstrating some of the awesome capabilities of this fine unit. Smokin' guitar too mon :- )
I used to have a VG8 and worked with it live for many years before I retired from guitar - and man did I love it. Most guitarists didn't get it - but well, you are doing a good demo. If you make it just do amp/guitar tone you can blow peoples minds.
Greetings.. Thank you for such a good demonstration of the Roland VG-88 ..I have a VG-88, but I do not have such a tone.. You are a good guitar player and a very good've played this..
To the best of my knowledge, the GK-3 and GK-2 only come in 6-string configurations. I have heard of people slapping them on a 7 string and just not catching the low-b string. This allows you to do all the modeling exept on that string. Not perfect, but it works. Thanks for checking out the demo.
Yes. This is rev2. There were some nice additions made with rev2 (new nylon string, fretless effect, etc). I would also look into buying the VG-99; they added some really cool features to that one. Thanks for the comment.
As much as it pains me, I think the digital stuff will in fact take over. Electronic Musician recently did a blind test with some well regarded producers (serious golden eared folks) comparing some classic amps with their software modeled counterparts. In every case, at least one was fooled and in several cases a majority were. Digital stuff will only get better and with the cost and ease of use it quickly becomes a no-brainer.
You can definitely pitch shift just about any of the sounds. Using the Vari model, you can generate multiple pitches for each string. If you just want to have an octave lower, you set -12 for each string and turn the direct level down to 0. The GR-20 is a guitar synthesizer while the VG-88 and VG-99 are modelling processors. The main difference is that a synth just converts the notes to MIDI, while the modeler uses the whole wave form (captures nuances of your playing style).
No problem. If you are going for live performance, the VG is definitely the way to go. If you are recording, I might suggest getting a modeling guitar (such as the Fender VG strat and use amp plug-ins for the later stages. I have been using the L6 POD Farm and Waves GTR3 lately and they are awesome. The benefit of the plugins is that you can record the dry guitar signals and try on different amp, cab, FX combinations later. Good luck.
@caridell That is not a factory patch. It is one I did myself. Basically it is a custom hard body model with one of the pick-ups being a piezo. I like the bit of sparkle that adds. The rest of the chain is pretty straight forward, I think ending in the Roland clean amp model.
@hambone8080 I am actually running this directly into the sound card for this video. For playing live, the VGs are really designed to be played through full spectrum monitors. Like you, I have gotten pretty poor results running through a guitar amp (especially with the non-electric guitar sounds). The best results I have had live are going right into a PA system. This sounds killer.
To be honest, I don't really recall. For my standard jazz tones (I've played with a few), I like to set the pick-up to "Chet" style (front pick-up) and roll the tone down to about 30 or so. I select the default F-hole as the body type and increase the size a bit. The Fender twin model works well and I like to apply a little EQ to smooth the sound out a bit. Of course adding a nice rich reverb helps quite a bit also. Another little trick is to add just a bit of -12 pitch to each string.
I'm not sure about forums for trading patches. I typically just write my own. There is a cool program called VEditor that allows you to upload and download patches from the VG-88. It also has a nice little graphic interface for viewing and modifying patches. Anyway, a program like this will allow you to trade full patch sets with someone.
I am really impressed with your demostation. I own a Vg88, but I cannot achieve the quality of your patches. I found some patches on web but yours are better. p.e. acoustic and 5th on 12-strings guitar. Can you share with us a few patches? Thanks for your time
@xe1lg Believe it or not, both of the patches you mention are factory presets (although I tweaked the amount of reverb on the piezo acoustic). Differences in your system may be in pick-up type, string gauge, or amp set up. I always run mine either direct or through full spectrum monitors (PA, keyboard amp, etc) using the monitor output setting (rather than guitar amp).
Possibly the key bit of info to share with new comers if that unlike all other fx units, one is able to change the actual guitar, not just the amp or fx
rgx611m- Thanks for the comment. I would really recommend getting a GK pickup. If you are not using it, you are missing a good deal of the features that the VG88 has to offer (alternate tunings, modeling differnet bodies and pickups, etc.). I also personally think the tones you get from the VG88 sound much better with the modeled pickups using the GK. You can still get good tones with the VG using your guitars pickups, I just think the VG is a little better (and quieter).
No. I am running the VG-88 directly into a Digidesign audio interface. While you can run the VG through an amp, it is really designed to go through a full range system. When I have played live with it, I just run it right into a PA and it sounds killer. I think it sounds a bit dull through a guitar amp.
Hi Thelonius, nice presentation! Could you please tell me if I can use the VG88 without the special pickup?. Only from the guitar output straight to the VG input? Can I use all the effects this way?
Hi man! thanks for the video. I'm an italian guitarist and I'm looking for an used VG-88. a question: the one that you are using in teh video is a rev 2? ciao
I have one of these but I lost what the manual calls a "standard guitar cable" (so the cable you plug into the guitar jack then into the GK-2A pickup). I can only find stereo cables as a replacement, if you still have your official cable, is it mono? Do you happen to know a third party cable that would work? Thanks.
Yes. I had it done when they first released it. Kind of a pain if I remember. Had to send the unit down to Southern California. I think I mainly did it for the newer nylon string model.
what kind of amp are you running the VG through? I have found it sounds great through the Roland KC amps but not your typical guitar rig (like a marshall tube head).
No. The 88 has no MIDI capability (other than patch changing). This is something I always wanted. I ended up buying a separate MIDI converter to handle this. The new GR55s have both the COSM modeling (what the VG88 does) and MIDI.
How does the VG 88 sound through a tube amplifier? And which tube amplifiers do you use if you do? Does it improve the sound a lot going through a tube amplifier and work well in in unition? Thanks and great video,!
I've passed it into a Peavey Bravo in the past, but I honestly don't think it sounds all that great and you lose a lot of the other functionality. I really prefer to run into a full spectrum audio system (PA, monitors, keyboard amp, etc).
TheloniusJ try a Vox or Fender amp better. Sounds like the distortion would be good through a slightly driven tube preamp and 40% driven power amp. but then again I don't know your device like you do. Not sure PV is a good choice for the type of music you're into, but that's my personal opinion.
You can use the VG-88 with just a regular pick-up, but you will lose the individual string pitch-shifting and body modeling capabilities. Every once in a while I will use the VG-88 this way, but I generally prefer to use the hex pickup.
I know the "further info contact Roland" appears at the top here, but does aonyone know if the 88 allows a bass octave lower to work with all sounds, or only ones that have it built in. Also, what's the diff. bet. GK3 and GK2...bonus: whats' the big diff' bet. GK20 and GK88 and GK99. Relatively simple questions the poor customer relations Roland company basically avoids, so you'll always think the newest one is the best, IMHO!
I haven't tried the GR-55, but I am certain it is even better than the VG-88. I tried the VG-99 once and it was killer also. The GR-55 is pretty much the same thing on steroids. It gives you multiple paths of COSM (what the VG-88 does), but also gives you actual guitar synths. I always had to use a separate synth module. The 55 also gives you USB audio in. I'd definitely check it out.
Yeah, it looks like it does everything you could imagine. I was checking out the Fishman Triple Play as well but it doesn't come with any of the virtual guitar sounds. As far as I can tell it just passes your strings to MIDI to your computer & that's about it. So you can't have your solid body strat-style guitar sounding like a jazz hollow body unless you have a virtual instrument on your computer for it to control (and who knows if it'll work with the whammy bar). I don't see anything else on the market, other than Line6 guitars that can do what the Roland GR-55 is able to do.
