Roland GP-8

Programming this can take some time but it is quite easy. I have had it since new so it's second nature to me but even when I first bought it I had no problem.
If you are clever you can set up your patches so using it live can be very simple. I set it up so the top row of the foot switches are the cleaner sounds (or main sound for the song if you like) and the bottom row for lead sounds and arrange it so they line up one above the other for particular songs/styles. Two groups of 8 banks of eight patches all nameable in human readable form means a lot of usable options. Add to that the ability to assign any parameter to the control pedal and it's easy to have all the bases covered for any gig.
Play in different bands with totally different styles? No problem, just do a sysex dump of the setup you use for each band and just load in the new banks before you head out to the gig.

I've always used this connected to some form of tube amp and it sounds great.
It is a little noisier with some effects than some more modern units but no more than most stomp boxes. This is afterall 8 BOSS stomp boxes in one box, 2 digital ones and 6 analog ones. A little noise is a small price to pay to get analog. I had a GP-16 too but most of the sounds in it were sterile and brittle by comparison, esp the overdrive which was complete crap. I let the GP-16 go but would never part with this little beasty.
The only effect in this I don't like is the distortion but I don't care because I do like the overdrive and I get most of my filth from my valve amp anyway.
The digital delay is only 12 bit but let's face it, once it goes through your guitar amp who can tell anyway? It has a good sound, very 90's U2ish.
The compressor is the classic old BOSS compressor, I like it muchly.
I have read people here complaining about the lack of a flanger but that is not strictly correct. The chorus controls are arranged in such a way as to have that covered. To quote a blurb that came with the unit (which I still have remarkably):

When using the digital chorus as a flanger, set Rate around 0 to 10. Depth from 0 to 15. Then setting the Pre-delay to 1 creates the BOSS High-band Flanger (HF-2) like sound, and setting it to 2 or 3 creates the BF-2 like sound.

The other effects in this unit are just like the equivalent BOSS stomp boxes of the day, ie good.
For reverb I use the effects loop and run it through a good reverb unit (I used to use a Quadraverb but that has moved into my keyboards rack and I now use a Multiverb for the GP-8 loop). The reverb unit is then controlled by MIDI from the GP-8 - too easy, just make the reverb follow the GP-8 Patches.

This has never missed a beat in 20 years apart from having to repair the foot controller cable once. That was fixed on the side of the stage in about 10 mins (I always carry a toolkit complete with a soldering iron with me to gigs)
Would I use it without backup? Hell, it's an effects unit - if you need an effects unit to play a gig, leave your guitar at home and pursue something you are good at.

I've never had to get support for this unit but the other day I needed to replace the switches in an ancient old D5 synth and Roland mailed me the switches in a matter of a few days. To be honest I've never heard of anybody complaining about Roland support.

I've used this in Rock, Heavy Metal, Grunge, Punk and some quite laid back stuff too. It is a great all round unit esp if you combine it with a good reverb like a Quadraverb or something.
I've been playing for about 30 years and had this for 20, I wouldn't be without it. If it was stolen I'd hunt the guy down and make him eat his own feet.

The two external control jacks can be used to emulate foot switches to select your amp's channels - a great feature that most other effects units don't have. It greatly improves the usefulness of the unit on stage especially if, like me, you get most of your dirty sounds from your tube amp and just use small amounts of overdrive from the GP-8 to colour it a bit when needed.
Seriously - once you set this thing set up properly it makes life on stage VERY organised and straight forward.

Bottom line: there's a good reason this unit has a bit of a cult following - it rocks!

The GP 8 is very easy to use, editing patches takes me just a couple of minutes to get the good sound I want, changing presets in the FC 100 is very easy and very comfortable. Setting it up takes me 3mins on stage plus the tuning on my guitar.

I am using a washburn x-11 and a Peavey studio pro 112.....

The Distortion and the Turbo Overdrive is very analog, First I don't like the chorus, but days of tweaking I get a nice, mellow chorus out of it. The Digital Delay is fantastic and it made my sound to swell. I have used many amps on gig and I don't have any problems on getting my tone. I just wish it has a tremolo and a reverb and a master volume (it is not the master volume in every patch).

I used it on live concert, church service and mini gigs. I have customized the rrc connector to rca plug. I don't have guitar effects for back up. The GP8 is a good unit and very strong unit. I abused it, (like punching my effects) NO PROBLEM WITH THE GP8. IT IS WELL MADE!!!! THANKS TO ROLAND

One time the GP8 make me bad......the volume drops when I set it up.....and it came to my mind that I need to repair it......and I was wrong.......I just make a mistake on the send return connection that's why the volume drops.......It is never been repaired.

I smashed it, I get mad of it, I open the unit 5 times, it never brings me to repair it........I used it on live performances, church services, mini gigs.......the sound is cool and brilliant........what can you ask for

I'd say its pretty easy to use, but you have to develop a nose for adjusting effect parameters. There are may options and it takes some tweking to get good sounds because of that.

my unit says version 1 when turned on.

I have a stratocaster, an old Ibanez RG. Right now im playing it threw a small 15 watt bass amp :) I havnt tried it outside of my house and at high levels.

the unit isnt noisy unless you load it with excessive gain.

Minuses:
In my oppinion, the chorus is the weakest effect here, it has no weight. the phaser doesnt have a level control

pluses:
awsome delay. excellent distortion (i use the overdrive and the distorton together somethimes, then it reaky gets a super sustained \creamy sound).excellet overdrive. great compressor. great Dynamic filter.

my only preoblem with t is the weak chorus and lack of flanger, maybe im doing something wrong? otherwise killer.

I give it a solid 8 because of that, otherwise, it blows new processors such as the gt 10 out of the window.

It seems reliable, but i wouldt drop it :)

I still found the manual on the internet which is a great plus. I doubt whether Roland today will give me support for this unit.

I play rock, Ive been playing for 25 years, im not a pro but i play pretty well. I like the chilli peppers, deep purple.. anything but death metal.

If it were lost i would definetly try finding another one, but unfortunatly i dont think that woulkd be easy.

As i mentioned before, most of the effects are awsome, the chorus and flanger arent there. thats a problem. im trying to get nice clean sounds using the phazer, lets see what happens....

Generealy this unit makes one drool. the sound is real, not like most other multieffects that sound synthetic. The sounds are very rich, you futz around and you suddenly create amazing sounding patches! my problem with it is that it doesnt fit jam sessions, its not mobile, you cant be botherd carrying this and a footswitch into a bar jam session, its too clumsy. otherwise i love it.

It is easy to use. However, working with the wheel to programm sounds is a bit clumsy. But it works. Once sounds are stored it is very practical to use. A lot of variations/possibilities easy to access with the foot controller FC 100.

I don't do the distortion and overdrive. I preper the a tube preamp. For fun I tried the overdrive and distortion. I did not like it. But with some trying and tuning one might get out something. I never really tried. What I use most is the chorus and the digital delay. Both are fantastic. That is wy I never thought of replacing the GP8. Also the equalizer and the compressor helps to finetune. Somehow I never use the phaser. Don't know why. Basically I have six sounds I regularly use. I programmed differend versions of these sounds maily playing with the dely the compressor and the equalizer. I can use thes with both LP and Strat. Generally I like the wa??rm natural sound of the GP8. As many have already written, it is more than 8 stomp boxes.

I seems to made for eternity. The cable from the GP8 to the FC 100 once denied service. Big deal.

For reasons unexplained they missed out on the reverb. Besides this the GP8 does all I do require. Distortion I prefer from a tube preamp. And the phaser I may explore in the next decade. For the first 10 years I was happy without it. I never thought of replacing the GP8.

I bought it new in 1987. I recorded througout the 80's and some in the 90's.Very easy to use..in fact.
Today's processors can have a steep learning curve that is very disouraging.

The battery is still holding fine..unreal. Top quality piece..top shelf. I have had many try to buy it for their home or studio use because of it's very unique voice...especially distortions and their analogue tube sound. Records as well as my POD pro....maybe better in heavy music. All 8 effects are very strong IMUO>..it speaks quickly like a tube amp.

I have never used it live but in the studio it has a very analogue texture to it. Some of my best work was done with this little monster. It was one of the very first 'all in one' rack piece other than 'rockman'. Back then it was ground breaking. I still love to record with it. '87 PRS I bought new, '53 tele my dad bought new, strat, many others. It is a real bargain for what it does. 8 very simple effcts but very analogue..outstanding..has it's own signature especially with humbuckers. Distortions are very marshally to me. I still love it and would never sell it at almost any price.

20 years and still going strong with hundreds of hours in the studio and woodsheding.

Do not know

playing 40 years..owned a ton of gear amps and processors. This was my first one and paid 1100..big deal back in the 80's. But it does vintage heavy metal extremely well. Actually 8 of Boss'a very best pedals in one rack space...cheap now I assume..has it's own signature most will like I'm sure. Awesme for what it is and is supposed to do. Great delays and compressor, and chorus. Buy one and you will probably keep it for it's own vibe.

I bought my gp8 about three weeks.. and I dont need any manual to configure the sounds, its very simple... but you need some experience with other processors.

I play metallica,pantera, also trivium, deftones and nirvana... and I can make all the sounds I want.. in distortions and cleans... only need patience and time to get the dist that you want... the OD is excelent for play song of AC/DC or Black Sabbath, the chorus is great for songs from One(Metallica) to This Love(Pantera) ... and using my Vox CryBaby is really great to play Hendrix's songs... I use my gp8 with my Laney VH100R and my esp LTD KH-202, but also I had to buy a Boss RV5 Digital Reverb 'cause the processor don't have it.. is a very quiet processor.

well, I play metal.. from trash and heavy to new metal
I've playing for 8 years right now.. the other gear that I had was the zoom707II.. but that one have a very..VERY digital sound
I wish that my gp8 have reverb... only that... reverb or hall FX

I was afraid that GP-8 won't be able to make some really good distored sounds, because I've tried GP-16 and it was bit a little terrible with making a normal good sound for rockguitar solo.But not GP-8! There is a lot of power for any kind of noice-makers, and it sounds really great and strong. Working with whole processor is easy, without manual I started to underestand after approx.25 minutes, and that's the way how work it.

I thing that the sound is not in the amp or in the rig, it's the man,man.I can make any kind of sound you want, but it will never be the same sound, only 90% .But nobody can do it exactly-it's impossible. But I'm very satisfied with combination of my GP-8 and some other units in the definitive sounds of my playing. I like to use GP-8, Ibanez Wah-Fuzz Pedal, NI Guitar Rig 2 and Marshall.I play Ibanez RG-series,Jackson V with Kahler tremolo,Gibson SG and hand-made guitars.All effects on Roland sounds really fine. What a pitty that there is not any good hall or reverb built in, only delay.

Yes I can. But in a gig I decided to use only few sounds, 8 in the bank A for all my backlight, solos and other guitar parts ( 01.A-hard backguitar/02.A-hard sound with little delay and louder than 1st/03.A-more delay,EQ,turned off chorus for solos/04.A-clear for chords/05.A-cleaned for ringing chorus melodies/06.A-clear and louder for solos with little delay and over drive etc...) and first 8 presets on the bank B for improvisations with more delayed or autowah/phased sounds. After beginning tour and after third or fourth gig I started to used only 3 distored and 2 clean sounds at all 4 whole concert.It was better for my sound in PA, and it was enough to me for anything what I wanted to do.

Today I was in a Roland store, and they was very friendly and they helped me with little problem in my gear.

I play on guitar from my 6. I've started in 1979 with studying og classical guitar, after 10 years I finnished this school and started with 4-year school of flamenco,after that I started to play on electric guitar and I've study rock, jazz, heavymetal and all solos styles on electric guitar. So today I am playing for 28 years and still have not enough,cause music is all 4 me.
I prefer my own sound which can be like my sign - if you hear it you know who's playing. And GP-8 is a part of that sound and I like it. Sounds very originally and have specific sound like no other.That's why I like Roland GP-8! And it is the same as it ever was.

Extremly easy to use. I'm not exactly technologicaly friendly, and I figured out how to use this thing without a manual. I'm still wanting for some effects, but I just need to research and play around some more with it.

I don't like the phaser, but I've never liked that effect anyway, so no big whoop. Everything else is pretty good and I have no complaints. I still prefer the distortion from my amp, but the GP-8 puts out some good dirty sounds

I got this used. It has the crap beat out of it. That's the way I like it. I have never had any problems with it whatsoever. I have never had to put a new battery in it at all, and I've had it at least 10 years now. The FC-100 floor controller is just as rugged (and beaten). The ev-5 is a little light, being plastic, but it's not an issue. I would and have used it without a back up. ( I just like stomp boxes too much to give them up completly. I'm fickle and go back and forth.)

I have never dealt with Roland.

I originally bought this becouse Pettrucci used rack gear, so I thought I needed it too. I play metal, rock, blues, and classical (doesn't really apply here....)and the GP-8 fits it all. (except when I've got the nylon strings out.) I've been playing for for about 15 years. I use a Hamer studio and a Squier strat into the GP-8, and then into a Marshall VS-65R vavlestate combo. I swear the Roland boosts all it can from that little amp. I would hunt down another unit if I lost it. My only real beef with the gp8 is that is doesn't have an acoustic simulator on it, but that effect wasn't around then. (Like compaining about your classic car not having a sunroof and airbags.)

This is a very versatile & powerful, yet easy to use FX unit that is the actually equivalent to 8 boss pedals in one single-space rack unit - The eight FX can be used simultaneusly...The dynamic-filter is similar to the EH Q-Tron, but much more tweakable. the compressor is sweet and fattens nicely, the overdrive sounds very similar to the OD-1 but infinately more usable and gets over-the-top with super-overdrive engaged, the distortion has nice a toneful harmonic content the SD-1 could only dream of...the phaser very blendable & can get a nice vibe quality to it, the delay is very smooth and thick & can get very nuts with 1000 ms & feedback settings, the chorus is also extremely smooth and lushessly swirly.

Personally I like the distortion sound better than a lot of fuzz/distortion pedals I've owned/demoed...goes from crunch with a hint of warmth to full on sweet fuzziness. If you push the levels with either the over-drive or distortion the GP8 will get noisy, just like any stomp box, but if you tweak the gain properly the GP8 is actually quieter than most stompboxes and that's with all 8 effects on!

I've used this unit off & on over the years, because as a pro-guitarist gearhead I love to experiment. The GP8 has beat all new comers in its ability to provide a multitude of FX to my signal without coloring/loosing to much of the original guitar tone in the process.

Everything Roland has put on the market since fails this test in my opinion and only certain boutique pedal makers (Fulltone, Way Huge, Love Pedal etc) have this quality.

Bullet-proof, never ever even burped while programming.

Don't know, never called them.

Fantastic all-in-one unit that works perfect driving the preamp sectiono of ANY amp. Add reverb or post-pre time FX and you can literally do anything, the sky is the limit.

BTW, an expression pedal can be used on any parameter you want with the GP-8 and can give you FX subtle to completly wild, if you can find one give it a whirl!

Super tweakable, super reliable, all analog (except for the digital/analog hybrid delay) and super rare - I've owned this unit since 1988 and I've still have some original patches in it from the first week I got it!

The Roland GP-8 was one of the first programmable multi-effects processors and probably the best one Roland ever produced until recently - It was basically 8 boss pedals in a 1 rack unit, mostly analog and improved sound quality from the original boss pedal functionality/tone.

Three parameters can be assigned/controlled by a EV-5 expression pedal and the FC-100 offer 8 presets, up down banks and two groups. A lot of pro artists used this pedal and many still do!

Great for pumping a nice juicy effected/buffered signal into the front of your amp, also has a nice buffered effects loop for inserting additional stomp-boxes...

Sounds massive into a tube or ss amp, producing series effects signals that are only limited by your imagination. The only thing I wish it had that it doesn't is a noise-gate, but it's actually a very quiet unit unless you crank the the gain level in the distortion/super overdrive, which actually isn't a problem if you like me mostly rely on amp-based tube distortion/gain. Very unique, cool sounding wah-wah effect.

Definately a professional quality unit...

Built like a tank, only thing I've ever had to do was replace the data-save battery.

Excellent, answered all my questions over the years!

Excellent unit for getting rid of multiple stomp-boxes and adding a quick-change patch solution - The expression pedal controls also add a flexible option that can create over-the-top variations of effect parameters not usually that quickly tweaked on-the-fly.

Every studio guitarist I met in the 90s had one of these units in his arsenal and each one used it differently - Makes the digital GSP 16 & GSP 21 look like amateur toys by comparison...

It's easy to get a good sound out of it, but what sounds good at home does not always work at the gig, and you can't just reach over and correct it. If you program distorted and straight sounds and set the individual master volumes so they seem to match; the distorted/overdriven sounds always sound quieter at the gig when everything is loud. The different address system is no problem; who cares if your magic patch is numbered 12 or 24 or whatever, as long as you can find it. With 128 addresses you can store all your tryouts and compare them in different environments. I would give it higher points if it were easier to tweak at the gig.

It's noisy, especially in the effects you would expect to cause noise. The phaser on mine drops the overall volume so much I can't use it. The auto wah needs too high an attack to please me.
I do like the overall warm sound of the unit, and I still use it after reselling my GT5.

I bought mine when they first came out. Now it fades in and out once or twice per 4 hour session; but I'll bet my techie will find a crapped out capacitor or some such easily repairable problem. I give it a high rating for lasting this long, but would like to hear from anyone who has a similar problem. The FC100 has the cable socket internally attached to the circuit board by rigid metal strips, so every time the connection is wiggled stress is put on the solder joints on the board. Replacing these connections with normal flexible wiring is the way to go, and is not very difficult. This connection socket is definitely the weakest link in this unit.Anyone complaining about the high cost of a replacement cable ought to try making one If you can do it an hour after taking a couple of hours to get the parts, you are pretty efficient.

Roland are ok, but they ought to list more info on their old products that made them great.

I play an incredibly wide range of music, from classical to metal with a lot of ethnic styles most players don't even bother to check out. Of course reverb would be the effect most of us would like to see added. I use a Lexicon MPX100 which was pretty cheap second hand and adds very little weight to my rack. There are differing opinions online about whether some sections of the GP8 are analog, and I haven't checked, but they sound analog.

It's pretty easy to get a good sound out of the GP-8. It has two sets of 8 banks of 8 sounds capacity. All patches can be over-written. So, as these are older units, the sounds you get when you acquire one may be total garbage. Or not... As far as I know there isn't a way to reset the factory patches other than to dial them in manually. They are in the back of the Roland manual, though.

Editing patches is very easy. To edit a patch you press the "edit" key, then you turn the dial to the setting you want to change - always clearly labeled in the display - and then you press the "value" button. At this point you turn the dial to the setting you want and then press edit again. All edits are done this way. YOu do have to remember to "write" the patch after you edit it or it will be gone next time you turn it on. To copy a patch to another place you simply press the copy button and use the arrows to select which of the three numbers you want to change. A or B, Bank, patch. Once you have the destination patch in the screen you hit the "write" button. Easy.

The manual is now available from the Roland site. It's OK.

I'm using a Switch Innovo IV MIDI, and a Gibson V with a Kahler tremolo. Both are excellent guitars in my experience. I run the guitars to a Digitech GFX Twin Tube, then to the GP-8, then through a Digitech GSP-5 into a Yamaha G50-112II combo amp. This was Yamaha's top of the line pro practice amp when I was a lot younger and it's still going strong. Never was trendy...

Depending on the chain of the patches between the three fx, you can get a lot of noise, but usually it is very quiet. The GP-8 is very quiet on everything but the distortion and overdrive. But, I am running into it hot from the GFX, so... don't need the distortion on the Roland. All the other effects are dead silent. Beautiful.

The tone that comes out of this machine CAN be absolutely amazing. It can be terrible as well, but that's just bad programming. If you line up 8 stomp boxes and mess with them you can create an awful lot of garbage. But once in a while - wow. Magic. When you coax a patch on this thing it sings. I was really blown away when I got it. Still am. It's just rich sounding. The sound is just very professional, but old school. The range of sounds it can do is very wide as well. It has a definite personality, though.

I'm not crazy about the compression. The distortion and overdrive are problematic in my rig, but might not be in another configuration. I just don't use them much. The phaser is very nice. The chorus is very nice if used with restraint. It can mangle your signal if you set it too deeply, but maybe that's your thing. The delay is nice. The EQ is three band, but it works. The dynamic filter will do wahs on every note for you. Works best with a hard pick. All the effects are simple, but together they can do great things.

I don't do the other artist thing, but I'm sure there are a few classics in this box. It was top of the line at one point, so the pros DID use it. And they paid a lot for it, too.

My main gripe is that there is no reverb whatsoever. This is a serious oversight. That's what I use the GSP-5 for mostly. It has a decent reverb. I'm sure there are better, but I have it so I use it. So, you will have to do something like that with the gp-8. But, reverbs can be had these days...

My other gripe is that there is no dedicated master level for input or output. There is no way to set the input gain at all other than having a preamp before the gp-8. The output has to be set on a patch by patch basis in the menu system of the editor. This is completely inconvenient. A simple knob would have made a huge difference here. So, plan on doing a lot of editing to get the levels right. YOu can use a standard midi pedal board to change patches, but it's set up in 8's, so ten is "22" on the GP-8, Bank "B, 1,1" is 66. Can be a bit confusing unless your math is quick ;) You have to switch the little switch on the back to "midi in" to use a regular board otherwise you need the FC-100. Also, the GP-8 has 128 onboard patches, so unless your board goes over 100, you can't get the last 28 unless you are willing to press a few buttons on the panel.

So, it has a lot of nuisance factor, but if you are into tone - this thing has it in spades.

Very solid. Very old.

No idea.

I play classical and rock mostly. I'm no great guitarist, but I have fun with it. So, I guess that makes me a long time amateur. FWIW I also play keyboards. Home studio stuff...

I wouldn't hesitate to buy this again. For the street price these days it's hard to go wrong. If you are a gigging musician, this is probably more hassle than you will want to deal with, but for simply playing - very nice indeed. Of course, if you are a real tone junky, you will definitely want one of these... There's no substitute for great tone.

I found it very easy to get a good sound from it.

The standard patches are way to loud so all have to adjusted to suit. It takes a couple of evenings to sort out a good range of sounds.

I found editing a little difficult at first, as I had no manual. But I soon got the hang of it. It take a little time as there is only one wheel for adjustment.

I couldn't find a down loadable manual any where on the net, so I Emailed Roland UK , (on a Sunday) and got a reply the same day, and a manual arrived on the Tuesday completely free of charge. Superb people!!
The manual is very good, very well written, and very very simple to understand.

I think my GP8 is the very first version from the eighties, I don't even know if there's an upgrade.

Generally you can get some good sounds from it without a manual. But I would say it makes life a lot easier if you have one.

I got Gibson LP, Standard Fender Tele, and a Standard Fender Strat. Amp wise, I got a Mesa/Boogie DC3. I put the GP8 in between the guitars and the amp as you would pedals.

I don't really like most processors as they alter the tone of my beloved DC3. But the GP8 is just a bunch of boss pedals in a line.

It just colours the sound and doesn't try to change it.

It's a little old but sounds just great.

I've had no problems with the GP8 itself, but I bought it with the FC100 foot controller and I've had little problem with that. Which was sorted very rapidly by a local electronics guy.

10 out of 10 out of 10. As I said earlier wonderful wonderful people.

I would have no problems buying another Roland product it this is the standard of the Support.

I nearly bought a GP16 the GP8's big brother about 13 years ago, but decided against it, and have been kicking myself ever since.
So when I got the chance to buy this GP8 with controller and lead for only #100 I jumped at the chance.

I play most styles of music but love classic rock/blues.
I've been playing just over 15 years.

There are lots and lots of things I like/love about the GP8. Great sounds at a very cheap price for one. If there was a "Dislike" it's the single wheel for programming, it just takes a little longer than the new stuff.
If there was a "Hate" it's the price of a replacement lead for the FC100 foot controller. #50 that's way to high!!

Yes it does help me make music. Very simple to use and it sounds just how I want it to - which to me is just perfect.

If you come across one just buy it. I think you like it, and if you don't, you can always sell, it as they're so cheap, your guaranteed to get your money back.

I think this could be a classic of our time.

The GP8 is an outstanding device.A device wich was build in
the 80ths,but wich is still very userfriendly.A kind of Masterpiece.
That's why it is labeled as Roland and not as Boss.
Ahead of its time and nowadays still very usefull.
The programming routine is very easy.Enough Memory for
Sound creations.
If without manual,you get very quick familiar with it.
A big PLUS...

The GP8 was originally developed by BOSS.Put eight
stompboxes in one rackunit and feature it with several useful
connections.This is GP8......

Only Delay and Chorus is digital.But these two parts
demonstrate,that the digital in the 80ths were not as bad,as
it is suppossed to now.
The sound quality is brilliant.Eight stompboxes together are not
the same as the GP8.
The GP8 is still useful.It is analog,it is digital,it is comfortable.

The GP8 sounds marvelous.This is one of the old devices,wich
I would never change to a "modeling " device.
I use it in many way and with different amps.And always I am
surprised,how good it can sound.
Amazing.......

Well,this device is still working fine.And remember,it is
nearly 16 years old.
Never had a trouble with it.It works and works and.......

hmmmmmm.....never needed......

This machine is nearly for every guitarstyle.
It allows you to adjust the tone you want,to your guitar.
This is not a toy.It is excellent in its Parametersteps.On
analog stomboxes it is not possible to adjust the sounds so
exactly like on this device.For each guitar you own.
A good tool for every serious guitarist.
And don't forget,also actual sounds are possible with it.

A great and legendary machine.Nothing is better as the original.

If you are uinto stompboxes this is what you should use! It's as easy to use than any stobox but sound better than a lot of noisy stompboxes. I bought mine back in the 80's and still using it.

I use this unit as a stompbox. Guitas -> GP8 -> amp (Peavey 5150II) and a Alesis quadraverb in the loop. I use compression for clean sound and sometimes overdrive on clean channel to crank it up. For this purpuse it's outstanding. Better sound than stompboxes in serial. This is a 8 stompboxes in one unit and whitout noise.

Well...it has worked since 88 so...

Not much these days im afraid..but I was able to order a new cable for the floorbord directly from Roland.

I play in a coverband and im touring all the time. I played for 25 years and this is the best product I own. If it was stolen I would replace it. No doubt about it.

Like any multi-effects unit, the GP-8's factory presets are designed to maximize the "wow!" factor on the showroom floor, meaning that many of them need to be dialed-back to be much use. Editing can be slow, with all functions depending on a single scroll wheel--be prepared to spend a couple evenings getting your sounds. But once you understand the layout, editing is really quite easy. Plenty of room (128) for your patches, copying to a different location is easy, and you can "escape" out of any changes if you get lost. Clearly the manual was written by someone for whom English was a second language.

Despite what some other posters have said, only the delay and chorus are digitial--the other six are ANALOG, in all their thick, warm, noisy, nasty glory. I've always used this unit with tube amps (mostly Carvin) which rounds off some of the rough edges. The Turbo Overdrive is my favorite--used with some compression, it gives you a thick scream, my #1 lead tone. The Distortion is monstrous and beautiful. The delay is terrific, I use it for everything from a single short slap to a long echo (sorry, folks, this unit predates digital reverb). The chorus is lush and beautiful (but I swear to God I have read EVERY WORD Roland has ever published about this unit--the manual, advertisements, promos--nowhere is it revealed that the chorus is STEREO--a studio engineer discovered it when he panned the outputs). I have twin single-12 tube amps I use onstage, and the stereo chorus effect is gorgeous.

One major drawback--stepping on a new patch always means a half-second hiccup between patches. If you need the new sound to appear right on beat one, you'd better be ready to step on the pedal on beat four of the previous measure.

Going on 17 years on the same battery (knock wood).

Only problems:
1) the contacts on the FC-100--too much beer spilled on them, I guess, had to open it up and clean them off a few times
2) the EXPENSIVE "Roland Remote Control" cable (NOT a MIDI cable) that connects the FC-100 to the GP-8--I've had a couple die on a gig, so I always carry a spare

Never had contact with them.

I used to use a lot of stompboxes, and this unit finally saved me from the "pedal dance" I had to perform to change sounds. Occasionally I got sick of hauling it--I went back to stompboxes for over a year--but I always came back to the GP-8. I've demo-ed a lot of effects units over the years, but there's nothing I've tried that I like better. This glitchy, noisy bastard's a keeper!

Incredibly easy to use ... I mean, throw the manual away and let your ears be your guide, it's just that simple. Here, let me put it another way. I've been working in I.T. (Information Technologies) for over 20 years ... That kind of means, I'm something of a "computer geek". So I know all about good and bad "logic". And the Roland GP-8 has awesome (simple and understandable) "logic" behind the programmable effect menus. Hell, even my wife (very out-of-touch) with everything more difficult than a T.V. remote can program this thing. I won't let her touch it (of course), but she could. The jog dial and effect banks are just GREAT ... You spend more time playing than programming and this I find way cool !!!

Well, it's digital. So it sounds digital ... But wait, don't go thinking that's something bad, because it's not necessarily. It just means that some of the analog presence is missing. Look, you need a GOOD amplifier to bring the effects out and give them the warmth they deserve. In the right sound combination (amp + effects), the sound is awesome. You can get the warmth and depth and about 1,000 things in-between with this thing. I use a Marshall 25/50 head and a Marshall Cabinet and therein, the Roland GP-8 compliments the combination nicely. I never (no kidding) play straight through the amplifier without my Roland GP-8 in the sound loop. That's how I get my crunch and distortion. The Roland GP-8 sound is very nice indeed and I have no complaints, but it is digital (as I mentioned) and needs the right combination of equipment to bring out the depth and warmth of your tone.

Let's see ... I bought the Roland GP-8 back in 1989 and it's now 2004. So that would make it 15 years old ... Wow, I feel dated now. But we're talking about the Roland GP-8 and not me. Basically stated, the Roland GP-8 has stood the test of time. It's moved (with me) all over the world (literally) and taken it all in good stride without ever missing a beat. Hell, I've never even needed to change the battery. I expect it to go everyday and have all my settings written down (just in case) ... But it never goes out. I can't figure that part out at all. I'm starting to think the thing has a nuclear powered battery cause it never goes out. Not yet anyway. The Roland GP-8 is robust and has NEVER broken down, not even once. It's rock-solid and built to last (how'd they do that?). Like I said, it's over 15 years old and I've never had a problem -or- changed the battery.

Never had to deal with Roland. I think they've been bought by Korg -or- have some type of partnership now. My Roland GP-8 has lasted so long that I figure I may never need support. The thing just runs, and runs - like the Everyready Battery Bunny (only better).

The Roland GP-8 is the mainstay of my playing. I never play without it and it is always in my sound loop. It enabled me to get rid of every single stupid pedal I ever had and therein, has saved me massive setup headaches with going from one pedal into another into another into another (how stupid). Pedal owners need to get smart and invest in something more "long-term", e.g. rack effects. I did and have NO regrets - it's been great for me. I've been playing guitar now for over 20 years and have several guitars (88' Fender Stratocaster with early Wilkinson Nut, Washburn A-20V, and now my latest edition - a beautiful Rick Gledura from Ed Roman Guitars). In the 20 years of my playing, the Roland GP-8 has been there for me. I have a VOX ToneLab and Behringer VAMP-Pro and together with my Roland GP-8 I have everything I need. I already mentioned my Marshall 25/50 head and cabinet ... If I lost it, I would search the world over to find another. I will never buy another pedal (other than a VOX wah) although even this I don't need because I have the Roland foot pedal board (FC-100) and effects pedal to adjust any effect I choose. I love the ease-of-use and jog dial to adjust the effect values. I can customize every aspect of my sound in just a few minutes. This thing ROCKS and I love it as much as my Marshall amps and <above mentioned> guitars.

Quite simple use - no need to 'study' manual . Never upgraded. Did not now this is possible... what do i get for this upgrade-cost?

some problems occur with presets created for Carlsbro amp when used on Marshall stack . especially distorted effects sounds messy in combination with the marshall amp (even on 'clean' channel). To play songs with 'no use of te gp-8 effects' it simply does not help to create a clean by-pass patch, since the gp-8 still effects your guitar-sound. I simply solve this problem by switching guitar-cable between the gp-8 and a direct inject to the amp-input for songs that need to sound marshall-clean...

First battery still in use, after 12 years of regular use!
Happended just 3 or 4 times in all these years that the FC-100 controller did not affect the gp-8. Had to reset the whole system during set, but since this is very fast and simple, it did not really create great problems!

no upgrade, no repair needed till today (hold on wood!)

generally used for rock-covers.
Nice you can assign the control pedal EV-5 to control almost any available effect. Pitty you cannot add a second pedal to the FC-100 footcontroller (e.g. to control the over-all volume while using the other as a Wah-Wah)

I purchased this unit new back in '88. At the time I new nothing about effects programming. It didn't seem easy at first...but the learning curve was really fairly short. The manual is in Japlish. "This digital chorus takes an important part in sound synthesis. Specially, the setting of the predelay should be greatly vary depending on the sound you aim to create." Kinda funny actually... unless you are a novice trying to make some sense of it all. Editing patches at this point with lots of more difficult gear around seems like it must be about as easy as it gets.

All I ever really needed was my GP8!!! What a great piece! Sounds great with a JC 120. Even better with a Sansamp in the loop. I must echo someone down below. I don't know why I keep searching. I have a POD (upgraded), PODxtPRO, and an Eventide GTR4000. Now its hard to choose. Something about the GP8 still wins me over frequently. One can skip the onboard digital effects and use something better for that and really get your sound out there. Totally smacked. Not that the effects are all that bad. The 12 bit delay was ok...till someone said, "hey man, that's only a 12 bit delay." And then it all began. Now I can whip out my GTR4000 and use it on the people who say that. Used live...during all the glory...nobody will be counting the bits in the delay. So it doesn't have reverb or the best delay. This unit is still very likely to get you some. She gonna be Nice too in a sort of bawdy 80's way. The multiple stereo outputs are very handy. One pair has "characteristic of amplifier". Umm, not really. For direct recording it really helps to hit a Sansamp or Microcab at some point. It's not noisy unless you have the have the distortions cranked. My violin hates the compressor sustain. Very noisy. Its a violin anyway. I've got sustain. I'm not sure if there are any "artists" lurking in there. Stevie Stevens maybe... Coppin a pose. Long before I had any gear at all I was developing my own style. I just had my regular acoustic violin. I had to imagine a lot. Try playing an acoustic along with "Whole Lotta Love". It was the only way at the time. As a young violinist in the late 70's and early 80's I studied my favorite rock guitarists and tried to get their thing. Hopefully, all my influences have led to me. And if someone says I sound like Joe or Prince I'll wear it with pride. Coming from Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and the like it was a way to learn the language. Fair is fair. Part of "Eruption" is from a Kruetzer Violin Etude!! Opp! Secrets out Eddie! What does that tell ya? Anyway, if your able to find THE sound of a singular artist...that is still just a little tiny piece of what makes up their thing. I've heard Mike Keneally stand next to Steve Vai and he is another Steve. Simply amazing ears and a rare capability. Ability is where its at. The path is thru you, your hands, and your instrument...not thru an artists preset. If you can't rock with this box you are the problem.

Completely reliable. STILL has the original battery in it.

n/a

I'm so glad I never sold my GP8. I've never bought a piece of gear that just made me say, "This sounds like *%&$^#%@$! Just been lucky I guess. Actually, I take it back... my Quadraverb GT sucked. That's another story. It seems as though some reviewers can't seem to be pleased. Perhaps its just not in them, their heart, their ears, their fingers. Surely, if it sounds bad you won't want to play. I've never tried a Rogue pedal or a Zoom processor. I bet I could make something cool happen with them too. You get what you pay for maybe. But if you've had a lot of gear in and out of your rig and you keep coming up short you probably need to take it into the shed or you need a better axe. The GP8 won't let you down anyway. I'm taking a tip from below. Next buy is a Marshall. Then I can fend off all the modeler haters too!

This is my second one after my first one was ripped off. I've had it since at least the late eighties or when they came out . Very easy to use . Dont worry about the manual , it's easy to figure

Straight through a 68 Fender showman and 2 -12 cab , Sounds perfect ! I run the amp straight chystal clean and the compressor sounds perfect for the stuff I do. I only use the overdrive , and barely at that for a boost for leads

This thing has been through a thousand gigs with crap spilled on it in and out of racks, I've changed the battery once in 15 years because I was getting Paranoid about losing important patches.

Hav'nt had to deal with much

R&b & Blues, Funk & Jazz. The only thing that is a drawback is the dumb phantom powered cord between the unit & fC-100, They are like 50 bucks from Roland !! Everyone wants this thing because it sounds so good.

Practically, all Roland products are brilliant!
They have a great engineering team that covers every corner, one has to remember that the Roland GP8 available in the 80's was the most expensive and finest Guitar processor!
It reminds me of a Sony product a lot, one can never fully realise all the functions nor ever get tired of using!
I have yet to replace the memory battery in over 14 yrs; hehe :)
Although, the battery can be purchased from Roland i have been able to locate it at Radio Shack.
However, the replacement did not come with the reqd leads slodered to the battery.
Do not try to solder to the Radio Shack battery, it is constructed of stainless steel and will not take solder; i tried :(
Currenty i am working on a lockable battery holder that can be soldered into the main board which will allow an easier replacement.
Alex

Top shelf!
However, the user tends to overdo most of the settings!!!

Depend on GP8 to work and perform 100% in every situation!

Roland like all major companies require a lot of footwork/tele calls etc...
Sadly, i could not even locate a support email on their web site.

When using the vast amount of settings on the GP8 keep in mind that adjusting the variables should be performed in an increment fashion.
Do not push the setting to the max like most users!

..and Buy yourself a Marshall tube amp!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The two are like peas in a pod!

Hehe, enjoy!

A little tricky at first but once you figure it out there isn?t really much to it but then again I didnt have a manual.

EXCELLENT!! Analog distortion, overdrive, etc! So far this has sounded great through every preamp I have plugged it into and not too bad straight into a tube power amp either but in my opinion much better through the pre, then power amp. No Reverb and delay is a little muddy but with the nice warm quality of distortion it provides and the price of one of these things used, who cares! I am buying a seperate FX unit anyway. The distortion and overdrive alone are well worth it if you know how to run the unit properly.

These things have been around since what, early 1990's and still tickn!

Never called them.

This unit usually goes for around $100 and up with foot pedal. I got an incredible deal on it without the foot pedal though but I had a Midi pedal already anyway. I don?t think you can beat this unit for $100 bucks! All analog pedals built into a rack unit fully programable!.

How old is that thing ? Well ! Already 15 years old.
For a device of that time,this device is more as userfriendly.
Everything is well explained in the manual.
Really easy to use,sometimes much better as actual devices.
A little stepping on the front panel,but the workflow is really
simple.
A footswitch -like FC100- is recommended for live performance.
In Studio it is not missing.

Sections one to six are completely analog.Only Delay and Chorus
are digital.It is amazing how a 12Bit digital sound can sound warm
and analog.Gratulations to the developers.And another proof,that
digital equipment does not need 24Bit resolution,if software is done
quiet right.Or otherwise,who needs a 24Bitsystem,when the DA Converters are pretty cheap and addtionally the software is down by
law.
A well designed 12Bitsystem is then kicking ass a 24 BItsystem.

And that's what the GP8 simply does.

In anlog,the six modules are a question of taste.You can like them or
not.This first six modules are six Boss Stompboxes in line.
The advantage is,that you can adjust them very easy(Step0-100) and save them to programms.
The Touch Wah can be adjusted very fine.Cutoff Freq,Q factor,Sensitivity,up or down.A fine device.And each Parameter gong
from one to 100-exccept the Up/Down function.
Next module is the compressor.Adjust Attack and Sustain.With Sustain
you can make notes longer,but also the noise,so be careful with sustain.Attack is good.A Good clone of the Boss CS3
Then follows Overdrive with Turbo function.Adjust Drive and Tone.
The Turbo function switches to boost.A more distorted sound will
appear.The OD sounds similiar to the Boss OD1
Distortion module.Well,again Tone and drive.Alone this module sounds
like a HM2 from Boss.
Then follows the Paser module,great for bass and in several ways adjustable.A good analog Phaser wich makes fun.Fully programmable.
Then follows the EQ,a simple three band EQ shaped for guitar.
This one is OK.After the analog section we have an efect loop before
delay and chorus.
Delay sounds good.Very warm for a 12Bit device.Delaytime can be adjusted from 1 to 1000msec in 1ms steps.Great.
Chorus can be also used for light Flanging sounds.The chorus itself
sounds again warm.Unfortunately it is not a complete Modulation
device.Some Parameters are missing.Nevertheless more flexible as most
of the "Preset" Chorus of several modern stompboxes.

This thang is 15 years old and still working ! Any comments ?

Roland offers generally a good service.No complaint.

The GP8 was and is still its money worth.It has a good overall sound.
It is 8 Boss stomboxes in one rackunit.A lot of userfriendly functions
wich eight stomboxes could never serve.Also Midi-Able.
After some years in dust,the GP8 comes now to new live.Together with
some vitual devices,it plays a good role in my setup.
I don't want the GP8 as virtual clone,together with this ones,it produces a modern sound.
Alone used,it is also amazing,this amp must be still developed,wich will create such heavy intermodulating sounds like the GP8.
The GP8 was a shark,the GP16 was a Tunafish and the GP100 is a goldfish,really teethless.

Great device,wich is unfortunately undermined nowadays.

For a beginner starting with the GP8,the User Interface is not so
easy to use.In times of big displays and Menue plus knobs for
screwing,the GP8 is a little hard to programme.
But there are some still new tools out there,wich are really not
better for editing.

For me as old crack,the GP8 is really easy to use.
My opinion is a 10,for beginners maybe a 7.

The manual describes each function very well.No missunderstandings.
A few more Tips for Soundsettings would have been interesting.
But from that time,the GP8 was released and now,the taste for guitar
sounds has changed,so it was a wise decision not to put them in.
Anyway,for hitorical view,some soundsettings of the GP8 at its time
were not bad.

Unfortunately the original shipped preset sounds can not be restored.
Once they were edited they were lost,if not saved to Midi or pencil-
frenzy.

Nice gimmicks are the two controls out.With this functions you can
control other devices like with two footswitches.Any device wich has
a simple footswitch -amps,effects or coffeemachine- can be controled
by each patch.A helpful function.

Eventhough it is labeled as Roland,it is a pure BOSS.At that time the
Soundquality was superb,so Roland decided,to label the Bossdevelopment
under the name of Roland.

The GP8 is a Zoo of eight Boss Stomboxes.Plus an effect loop.
The GP8 sounds much better as 8 stompboxes in chain.
So it is the best of two worlds,the world of stompboxes and rack-
mounted systems.

The soundquality is fine and covers a lot of styles.Please remember,
this are eight individual stomboxes in a rack,so programming can be
an ocean of inspiration.Still after all this year.

The compressor is a limited version of the Boss CS3,Tone and Level
of the CS3 is missing.
Then follows the BOSS OD completely,plus Turbo ! Yeah.Sounds good.
then the Distortion follows (what Boss Pedal?).
The three band EQ is nothing special,but works as it should,shaped
to the frequencies of a guitar.Well done...

After that the analog Phaser comes in.It sounds well and offers a lot of sounds.Try it...

Then the effect loop.Then a good sounding chorus and a delay.Not to forget the hidden noisereduction.

The GP8 is still sounding amazing and cool.This is not a preset device
this is a beast wich needs to work with.

Beside all this Virtual frenzy now,have you ever tried out this tool?

The soundquality at all is still famous for this old device.

Well,after nearly 15 years and without any tech problem it must be
said you can trust these machines.

Roland Service is great.Backup batteries can be still delivered.

A great device.Sounding good and with many options.
Not a simulation,it has its own voice.

Nowadays each company tries to simulate the great amps of the past.
The GP8 allows this also in some ways,but not as good as the virtuals
or better the originals.
Therefore the GP8 offers you an unique way.The GP8 sound.If you are
hunting for eighties guitar sounds,get the GP8.No other machine can it
better.
Sooner or later we will also find a Virtual GP8.Just a question of time.

But times a crazy.For older,used Boss stompboxes is paid a lot of money.The GP8 in secondhand selling is really cheap.

So if you want old Bossboxes,save your money and get a GP8.You will
get 8 Bossboxes at a miniprice,but with a much better soundquality
and handling.
Step in the world of digital,before virtual simulations were Hip.

If lost/stolen I would search for a new one.

Simply said, the easiest processor to program & tweak of any I've ever used.... I've had them all Roland, Boss, Rocktron, ADA, Ibanez....Basically every processor ever made I have had....Time & Time again I go back to this one. (I dont know why I try so hard to get away from it!! I guess just bored & get new gear syndrom

Ok, the depends on what genre of music you play. I will break it down for you though. If you play country guitar...GET THIS PROCESSOR!!... The compressor will not be matched...Its fully tweakable & go from light/thin to Meaty thickness for chicken picken with BALLS! This unit gives a FULL, room filling sound... Seems to me these other processors (Especially Digitech) just crap out & sound thin.. The delay & chorus are actually the greatest I have heard.... I have been using this processor for about 10 yrs now so I am some what biased since my ears are used to it. The EQ is fine, nothing to jump up & down about, but its as good or better than anyone elses. The overdrives & distortions to me are great!...Warm, analog sounding.... Just like with anything if you push it to its limit it may not sound the best... My opinion on the distortions is dont push them past about 90% & it will yeild the best sound. I play everything from 80's rock to Country....I have NEVER EVER been let down by this processor & have always had the sounds I needed without having to go to other gear.. 1 rack processor, combo amp, tele with EMG's, volume pedal & over 500 shows later AND IM STILL LOVING IT!! THE ONLY improvement to the sound quality that I could say is maybe a little less noise when using the compressor & overdrive together at higher levels.....Thats normal noise to get in that relationship but thats all I could think of

VERY! Ive used it ALONE as the only processor for OVER 500 shows & NEVER EVEN A GLITCH....Ive never even changed the battery!...

NEVER NEEDED IT!....If everyone would start building pieces this dependable we could do away with customer support departments!

I rate this processor as a 8 or 9 for "ALL AROUND" use... I dont think it would be the forte of death metal players or anything.....But for the standard guitar player needing good full tone, & nice overdrives this unit is great! THE ONLY THING IT LACKS that I cant believe Roland didnt ad is REVERB!... However by setting the delay time & feedback time pretty long & adjusting the overall delay level you can get something so close to a reverb sound that no one would know the difference... ROLAND ARE YOU LISTENING!??? PLEASE PLEASE MAKE A REISSUE OF THE GP8 PLEASE!!!! But add reverb!... I rate it at 10 because even with the lack of reverb there is NO....I REPEAT NO processor at the local music store or catalog that matches the tone, useability, & value of this processor in my opinion....

Easy to use.As I bought the GP8 second hand,there was no manual.
Nevertheless,the GP8 explains most functions by itself,so that it
is really no tragedy that manual is missing.
As I know several other Roland products,I know there "flow" of
programming.

The Sound Quality is fine for a device of that age.
Distortion is always a question of personal taste(that's why there are
so many Distortion devices out).
GP8 Distortion and Overdrive are OK.Maybe not actually the fashion
of today,but taste can change.
It's nice to have Distrotion and Overdrive in serial.Here careful
programming is needed,because variations are nearly infinity.
The compressor is similiar to the CS3 Stompbox of Roland.Be careful
with sustain it will produce more and more noise as more the sound
fades out.But can be also used as gimmick...
Delay,Chorus and Phaser are great.
The EQ is flexible,but should not set to extreme,because it will
produce more noise.
The dynamic Filter is OK,via Expression Pedal it changes to a nice
Wah Wah.

This device sounds alltogether great.Especially in front of an old
Hiwatt it will bring fullbodied sound with analog warmth.
Great machine with solid sounds and without all this crazy addons in
actual guitar processors.

And the main Pro is,that it does not "thin" the guitarsound.
An important view of guitar gear.Most processors thin out the guitar
sound.
The GP8 does not.That's why it works stillin my Set Up beside this
Virtual Digitals.

My old Hiwatt had this year its 25th anniversary and works still
amazing.
The GP8 is now around 14 years old,but still is in good condition.
I just changed battery once.
The FC100 needs more maintance,depending on how much you dance on it.
So it had some repairs and works OK.

Roland helps when we ask.For older products the support is a little
slower as for actual ones.Nevertheless a fine support.

The GP8 is still a good device.Fully programmable and with enough
patches for a dozen of guitars.
All basic sounds you need,you get from it.Variations are flexible.
Programming is detailed.And the sound is good.

For a pure Setup,I use the GP8 and my Hiwatt stacks.Switching between
patches needs 500ms,mostly acceptable.But it is a device of a 1987
and at that time such intermission times were standard.So don't worry.

The interaction between Distortion and Overdrive is amazing.This is
a real playing field to jiggle out a lot of amazing sounds.

A solid and great machine.It's its money worth.

My opinion is,that the GP16 is already oversized.

For Virtual Hurdy Gurdy I prefer my VG88,but this is another topic.
For solid guitar,the GP8 can be still recommended.

Effects processors do not get easier to use than this unit. It has a chain of effects that you can turn on or off. Simple enough. If you can set up a stomp box, you can program this unit. However, the data wheel can get a bit frustrating when it comes to fine tuning; I always overshoot the level I was going for and have to back up.

It came with the foot controller, which is easy enough to use. It also has inputs for an expression pedal which can be used to adjust any parameter of any effect. Great for on the fly changes, or you can use the Dynamic filter as a wah pedal. To me this is just theory, cos I haven't tried it yet.

I bought the manual off e-bay which is okay, but what was really helpful was it came with the exact settings for the factory presets. Also interesting is the fact that you can still download midi patches from Roland to get some alternate presets. By messing with these you can really learn to dial in some excellent sounds . . . .

I play through either an Ibanez JS 1000 or a Jackson PS-4 (surprisingly nice guitar for the price), and a Peavey T-60. Then then into the GP-8 which I use for both the preamp and processor, into a Peavey classic 50/50 and it all ends up in a Marshall 1936 2X12 cabinet. I just recently acquired the Peavey and Marshall gear.

I'll be honest, when I first bought this unit it sounded great in the music store, I got it home, and was less than thrilled. The chorus and delays were good, but the distortion was not . . . but did I mention that I was using it through a cheap solid state amp? Now that I added the Peavey power amp and the marshall cabinet there has been a huge change. I can get some really meaty tones out of the gp-8. For distortion, I run through the compressor (attack 93 sustain 25), into distortion (tone 55 distortion 70), eq (adjust to taste, level set at 65), and slight digital delay (since this unit has no reverb!)and wow. If I really need to get over the top with distortion, I just kick in the overdrive (tone 0 overdrive 0 turbo on)All you need to do is tweak things a bit and you can dial in the sound you need.

For clean sounds I just use the compressor, EQ and Chorus and I get these beautiful, fat, clean sounds. The chorus just jumps out at you, and the sound sustains beautifully.

I'm not a professional musician, and I don't gig. This unit has got to be about 10 years old, don't know for sure . . . I haven't had any problems, but I've only had it for about 1 year.

Never dealt with them.

I am a child of the 80s: Queensryche, Van Halen, Rush, Satriani, Vai, Iron Maiden, Randy Rhoads . . . It sounds great to my ears. And this unit sounds like the stomp pedals that come out of that time frame, with a bit of a marshall tone added.

I've been playing for 11 years now, and have used cheap combo amps until now. One thing I will say, though, with this setup cranked, it sounds a lot like a Marshall tube amp.

What do I love about the GP-8. The set up and ease of use, the sound, but I think I've gone on enough about those.

I really wish this thing had reverb, you can get close to it with digital delay, but it sounds just like you are trying to emulate reverb with digital delay.

If it were lost or stolen would I buy another? I dunno, there is so much gear and so little time . . .

If you find one of these things lying around in a used shop, pick it up and you won't be disappointed. Just keep in mind, you need to play it through a good amp to get great sounds, otherwise it will sound horrible. Many wise men have said a good power amp means more to your sound than the preamp. A myth is that you need to have 4, 5, or even 6 12AX7 tubes in a preamp to get a great tone. Guess what, even the best preamp will sound like crap through a cheap power amp and cabinet. Just something to think about.

Incredibly easy to use. I figured out how to program (and, uh, erase) patches in about 10 minutes without the manual ten years ago when I got it. It's so long between patch changes that I usually have to spend 5 min. or so re-figuring it out.

Sound quality depends on what effects you use. The Chorus and Delay are without equal! The distortions (Distortion & Overdrive) are fairly poor - very brittle and digital (I know, it's a digital unit, but come on!). I use the GP-8 with different guitars (Les Paul, Strat, Guild Brian May) and the Volume pad comes in handy levelling out the volume differences between various guitars. Works exceptionally well with acoustic/electrics.

I had no problems other than 2 or 3 major freak-outs (solved by power cycling the unit) until last year - and I've had the GP-8 for almost 10 years now. Now it hums a bit and sounds a bit scratchy. From what I understand, a good cleaning (of the control contacts) and replacement of the ROM battery will solve this.

Never had to deal with Roland, so no interaction with their Customer Support people. Their web site is irritating, though, and doesn't have much useful info for their out-of-production units.

I love the GP-8. As a matter of fact, I just (Aug 2001) bought another one, complete with FC-100 footpedal. I depend entirely on the GP-8 for Chorus & Delay while playing live and use the other effects for recording when I need them.

Really great manual, editing patches is easy. I figured it out without the manual within the first week. It is very easy, since the effects are standard. I dont mess with the midi stuff.

The sound of the effects is great, but there is a hum. I use a DOD gate pedal and it helps. It could use a power conditioner if in a rack. Maybe a hush type noise suppressor. I play through a laney Tube head and a crate stack. fender strats. The dynamic filter is nice. Phaser, chorus, distortion, compressor are basic. It sounds good.

The FC-100 foot pedal is unreliable. Two of the eight pedals are no longer functional, but cleaning will help. It did last time I had it serviced. I use it all the time without a backup at gigs, but there is one more flaw... When switching from effect to effect there is a good half second delay in the change. This causes recordings to be off and live shows tough. I try to switch effects before I need to, so that it changes when I need it to be there. All together it is good for studio use, not for live shows. I guess it depends on what you use it for.

Roland (BOSS) is good to deal with, they responded well to my inquiries. I don't know about service.

Overall it is good, I play hard rock and metal. The distortions are good. No amp modeling to confuse the process. Just buy the damn amp that you want to play through, don't emulate it! Nothing like the real thing! If it was stolen I would miss it, but I would buy something else. I bought this when I first started playing and it suited me fine for a while. I will be looking for something else now. If you are interested in buying one, please let me know. If it had noise suppression and switched effects faster or instantly, it would be perfect. I like that I dont have to tap dance on 15 different pedals to get the effects on that I want and the others off. I like the digital display.

A moron could do it, I have had it for 7 years so I don't really remember how it was for the first time. But it's simple.

Nowadays I am only using it right into my digital recorder and I't really good except for that humming sound but it is easily fixed with a N.S. I mostly play brutal death metal and It hhave given me a superb own sound I think. I haven't really succed to copy other artists sound except for some as Dave Mustaine (megadeth) for example, that one came out rather good. I have also used it for instrumental clear guitar songs and that's actually better than the distorted sounds I have managed to create. Dealay and chorus is good, dynamic filter suxx, overdrive and distortion is ok, phaser(almost never used it). .

It it solid as a m****rf****r.... does't work for live situations, sorry.

Never been in contact with them...

Easy to use across the board. The editing and midi features are especially easy.

There are 8 effects - all of which are tied to the boss product line. I have been using this for 12 years and have yet been interested in changing, so that proves I enjoy the sounds. Only complaint is the distortion can exhibit a lot of white noise.

I never have had a problem. It still has the original battery!

They're fine. They continue to carry parts for this dinosaur (battery, ECC cable for connection to a fc-100).

I play a lot of styles of music and I enjoy the organic qualities of the sounds. The number of sounds that you can create is literally infinite. I've enjoyed it. You can now find these machines on e-bay for under $200 consistently. An incredible value at that price.

The Distortion is okay but not a thrill. I use my Marshall Boost channel and that needs no further description (or does it ?!)
Delay and Chorus are fine and the most important thing:
This digital rack machine does NOT affect the original amp sound (at least I didn' hear any difference). Very important, as my amp has only a serial FX-Loop.

The GP-8 is a Multi-FX-Processor built about 10 years or more ago and can be used for creating all the basic sounds you need including Distortion and features 128 programmable sound patches. The included effects can only be used in a fixed order but that doesn't matter much.
There's a choice of 6 serial effects like compressor, OD, Distortion and a 3-band EQ, followed by a serial FX-Loop and 2 parallel FX: Delay and Chorus (Stereo possible).
At home I use it as a preamp and with my band I switch the 2 parallel FX (behind the GP-8's FX-Loop) into the serial FX-Loop of my Marshall amp.
Each sound patch can have individual FX, Master Volume and Footswitch Out settings (for switching the channels of the amp).
The patches can be changed with a Roland foot conroller or a MIDI switchboard.
Disadvantage: there's no MIDI Out switching possibillity, which doesn't matter for me.

The battery for saving the patch settings should be changed every 7 years. I've had it for 9 years and still the same battery. I may have to change it soon.

Had nothing to do with them yet

The GP-8 is a reliable rack component and flexible enough for different types of setups. If I had to buy a new Multi-FX-processor for my band setup only I would rather prefer something with only those FX I need and perhaps a noise gate would be nice.

Sort of esay but mostly its easy one you pick it up

AMAZING......
If you have a fender delux amp, and are dissapointed with the distortion on it, get one of these!!! Turn on the distortion and the equalizer with full bass little mid and adjust trebble for severity. And whatch the shredding sound the heavy metal sound!

100 percent unless you have shit seymore duncan picups that are from the 80's and are rustted:)

9/10 The phase isn't to good

Very easy to use and manipulate and edit the patches.

I use a few guitars, including a Les Paul Custom, Tele, and custom Stratocaster, with a Mesa Boogie combo at the moment. The main thing I love are the clean sounds...they're awesome! The digital chorus sounds are very nice and you can tweak some of the delays quite easily to get that Robert Smith of the Cure sound. The distorions can be quite harsh, but they can be tweaked to your liking. The main thing about the compressor and the overdrives is the sustain they produce, especially with the Les Paul or the Duncan Hot Rails in my Strat. It really can sustain forever, and it's just awesome! With my Les Paul, I tap into some Phase and play along to The Clash's "Rudie Can't Fail" and it does the job nicely. The chorus and digital delays are pretty much like BOSS pedals, except I have a ton of sounds for the price of one pedal, and I think this sounds a little bit warmer.

Yes, I can depend on it. I have to use it without a backup since I can't get another one. I think I should change the battery though. I think this one's from '87 or so and it's already mounted, so it's been used a lot.

I still prefer natural tube overdrive, but when I need extra sustain, I use the comp or one of the overdrives and it's sustain is just unreal. But this is definitely what I use for quality clean tones. The chorus and delays are all nice and VERY clear, without being brittle. I can cop an '80's Cure sound or some Clash stuff with a little tweaking of the patches. Plus, I got mine for a hundred bucks. This could possibly be the "one piece of gear I can't live without."

Not hard to get the hang of it. I like the fact that you can turn the effects on and off easily, then start messing with the parameters.I've used it for everything from fusion to heavy metal

Okay. Skipping the "dynamic filter" and phaser which I never use, I have found a lot of great tones between the compressor, overdrive and distortion. The chorus is essentially the same as the JC 120 chorus or one of the boss pedals and is useable until you can get something better. Almost any rackmount digital chorus/delay is better and cleaner. However the gp-8 will probably always be part of my sound because the all analog signal path is great and the overdrive/distortion sounds very warm and fat for my taste. I have tweaked this thing to sound like many amps out there. I use it with a mesa-boogie 50/50 power amp and a Qusdraverb in series and get tons of cool sounds. One thing notable is that there is an effects loop after the distortion and EQ section and before the Chorus/Delay section. It's very cool to use this little bit in the effects loop of a boogie or any other favorite amp or to put another amp in the effects loop of the GP-8 for further tone shaping!

The Gp8 really needs a tube power amp to sound good though. It's really amazing what just this combination alone will do. The FC 100 I use to control my whole rack with and it's cheap, but I have two of them and two cables. If someone drops an amp on the cable, you just lost your whole rig because you can't find those cables anywhere. I use the ev-5 with it and if you set it to delay effect level paramater you can play a solo and slowly bring up the delay at the end of the line which is really great. Also setting it to the amount of distortion is a lot of fun. you can start with a bluesy sound at the beginning of the solo then slowly go up to full shred as the band follows you and build your solo.

Just replace the battery every 5 years or you will lose all of your patches. I kept mine in longer like 7 years and I didn't lose them but you never know. I've played all over the world and it's never dogged out on me. The midi system exclusive data dump recieving and sending dogged out after 6 years though. bummer.

Roland is a way huge corporation. They give you service but do not have the "hungry viewpoint" anymore in terms of servicing working musicians. It will get fixed but not in the time you want.

I would probably buy another one as I have used this one for 13 years now and every concievable type of gig and it hasn't failed me. It can't compare to a lot of more expensive amps and preamps but has a lot of great sounds and bang for the buck. I recommend it.

This is an exceptionally easy effect unit, with eight simultaneus effects, which include a dynamics filter with slightly more adjustability than the Electro Harmonix Q-Tron, a compressor which tends to add a little noise and has slightly arcane settings yet sounds great, an overdrive with with drive amount and a selectable Super-drive, a very usefull distortion with incredibly good colour and tone which is also very flexible, an incredibly transparent phaser with straightforward settings, a 1000 ms delay which sounds extremely clear, and a chorus which sounds extremely smooth and is highly modifiable. In addition you can select the (optional) FC-100's footpedal switch (And no you don't need an EV-5 specifically, any volume pedal will work) to modify parameters. Very straight forward. The Manula was great. Bought this rack again after unwisely selling it for an Alesis QV2. This time around no manual and no FC100 (A must have)...

Sounds excellent, especially the distortions sound better than most of the pedals I have ever owned. Fully able to crunch, sound warm, sound cutting, or full on fuzz. Phaser is extremely transparent without artifacts and really adds to the sound. The dynamics processor is very dynamic and can do an up or down dynamics filter, great for Disco or wild Sound efex, although it can cause distortion on peaks which muddies up the sound a bit. The Compressor does an excellent job, however isn't as sophisticated as newer compressors, and also tends to really bring up noise levels if sustain is too high. The overdrive is superb, the delays are crystal clear and musical, and the chorus can mutate the sound wildly. I was even able to get spacey hall reverb from extreme settings.

This is a very dependable unit built to take a beating. It's a full length unit that puts out a ton of heat, so it's a good idea to keep it in the open or at the top of a rack since the heat it generates could bother other units. I would definately use this unit without a backup, it's a workhorse.

Never tried to get support, although now I have just repurchased it without manual or foot controller I am going to be trying soon.

If anyone has a manual and could let me know what the external control jacks are for I'd apreciate it a ton! Contact info below...

I do electronica, and use effects on everything from guitar to drum machines and have owned this unit previously. It is extremely musical and adds an excellent depth to guitar, and other gear as well. I have used it on vocals, keys, bass and it adds an awesome depth to all of them. A rock solid performer, with fewer effects but a much higher musicality that digital effects seem pretty short on.

Easy is not the word for it. I love this little processor, an unbelievable unit! It has the basic presets and makes every other processor I have used look like rocket scientry.

A little bit noisy at higher settings, but other than that, studio quality sound. From Heavy Metal to blazing solo's this processor is the BALLS. I am currently using an '92 Gibson Les Paul Studio, an Ibanez RG270 (w/ a Seymour Duncan Sreamin Demon), and a Carvin MTS3212 1/2 Stack...and this processor is the Cherry on top! I have been able to mimic sounds on the Johnson Millenium Amp.

D-E-P-E-N-D-A-B-L-E!!! I had stopped playing guitar for a little while and needless to say it still works. Not that I didn't play the Guitar occasionally, but I stored the processor in a garage w/o heat!! Let me tell you, I live in New England and the winter gets pretty cold, but the GP-8 still works!

I play a little of everything and I appreciate having the tools to do so. I have been playing guitar for about 14 years (off and on) and I would say that this is the BEST peice of equipment I have ever owned. I would replace this processor, DEFINITELY!

This unit's a breeze. I've got an Ensoniq DP/2 as well and I still haven't figured that one out completely yet. This was the first rackmount FX-unit I bought and from what I can tell, the effects are pretty much top-notch. Some of them are not as useful as the others. Since I play pretty extreme metal the distortions are pretty useless for me, and noisy when turned up. Keep in mind though, that they are not suitable for my playing style. I found them just remarkable for a bluesy, overdriven lead tone and jazz stuff. I haven't quite figured out what the dynamic filter is good for in the GP-8. Haven't used it much though, the one in the DP/2 mops the floor with the GP-8. I haven't got the manual, I learned to operate the machine with the help of a magazinereview and I made some inquiries in the net also (Thanks Pedro!).

The digital delay and chorus kick ass! I recorded some guitar in stereo and the sound, oh the sound. It is to die for. The flanger and phaser are allright, nothing to remark really. Compressor sucks, but that's not a problem for me since I've got a separate comp. in my rack.

I got it used, along with the fc-100 and the ev-5 and my guess is, this thingamajig has seen a lot of owners in its time. Yet there is not even a scratch on the machine. Probably more due to wellbehaving owners than sturdiness, but it seems solidly built and it hasn't failed me yet.

I've been playing for six years now. Mostly extreme metal, getting more and more technical. This unit was not built for this kind of music (hell, this music didn't even exist when the GP-8 came out) so I use it mainly for chorus, delay, phasing, flanging and a bit of eq. My buddies and me have a small home studio where we tape our own (and other peoples) music. This unit has been used for guitar, vocals and bass and the result has always been satisfactory. If it were stolen I think I'd buy it again (provided someone is willing to sell) mainly because of the fact that I'd probably end up paying more for a bunch of pedals which aren't that good anyway. I wish the parameter increments would be shown in "real life" terms, for example, the eq goes from -50 to +50. 50 what? It would have been better to know which frequency range you're adjusting and how many decibels you're knocking on or off.

If you have had any experience with rack gear at all, you will be figure out 95% of all the features on the GP-8 without the manual. It is pretty straight forward. The only thing I have ever had problems with is loading all the system data via midi. I have owned two GP-8s and encountered difficulties while doing this with both units, hence 2 point deducted.

Analog, analog, analog..... what can I say but analog. The sonic quality of this unit is unmatched, especially by today's thin sounding digital processors. Here is the honest truth folks: I purchased a Roland GP-100 to replace the GP-8 in my rack. I decided I would sit down and figure out the patches in my GP-8 and then recreate them with the algorithms in the GP-100. Guess what? I couldn't do it. The sound of the GP-8 was just richer, warmer and fuller... like velvety cream, thick and rich (I used that adjective already, didn't I?). No matter how much I tweaked the parameters on the GP-100, I couldn't match the sound. Now, I must say that I did come up with some pretty interesting sounds on the GP-100 in the process, but I was unable to duplicate the sounds of the GP-8. To make a long story short, I decided to keep the GP-8 in my setup along with the GP-100. There is a little noise in using the GP-8, but I use it in an effects loop with a noise gate which pretty much eliminates that issue for me.

I think these units are built to last. I purchased a second one used not too long ago and the guy who shipped it didn't pack it very well and it saw an incredible amount of abuse while in transit. When I opened the box and pulled the unit out the rack ears were all bent up... one of them was completely flattened against the side of the metal housing. It took a little bit of muscle to get it straigtened out, but I never have had a single functional problem with the unit despite the rough handling.

I have dealt with Roland a couple of times for parts, etc. They were helpful, but not outstanding.

Would I replace this piece if something happened to it? Yep. Especially since you can find good deals on this due to their age. I know that a lot of guys go chasing after units that offer a zillion and one effects, but honestly I would rather have eight that are outstanding (like the ones in the GP-8) rather than one hundred mediocre ones. This is a great processor for any rock guitarist. I have owned processors from Korg, ART, DigiTech, DOD, Ibanez and this pretty much tops anything in its era (except maybe the Korg A3). My advice to anyone using stompboxes... Trade 'em all in and get yourself a GP-8 and save the $150 you will have left over for a rainy day. You won't regret it.

It's very easy to get a beautiful sound, but the Pre-Editing patches from factory sometimes seems very ridiculous, but you don't need them.
The manual is very didactic and clear. And the FC-100 (foot control) is very good and resistent.

I use an Ibanez RG 550, a Hendrix Stratocaster and a 94 Stratocaster with a Marshall VS-8080. I use a Jimi Hendrix wah-wah too.
The unit isn't noisy and it always sounds great.
I can get the sound of my favorite artists, like the Queensryche's distortion, Robin Trower's univibe, Hendrix's crunch and much more.
And I have my own sound too.
The Turbo Overdrive is amazing and the Chorus too. I don't like the Phaser and I don't use it. Every effect is very similar with those little Boss pedals and it's great!!

I don't know what I would be without my GP-8.
I use it every gig and it always sounds great, doesn't matter the place.

It always works!!!!

I play blues and hard rock in Brazil for 15 years and I use my GP-8 for 9 years. It and my Marshall VS-8080.
I love the tone and the facility of use. The 126 patches are very useful and I use and expression pedal (EV-5) for some effects too.
I hate the Phase. It sucks.
I wish it had a phone input.

Very easy to use...makes a Digitech, for example, seem ridiculous. Scroll-knob alpha dial is annoying, though.

All analog an amazing. If you spend long enough toying around with it, you can get tones that make boutique tube amps seem hollow. I used to use a Marshall Plexi with a slave out tapping the power tubes to get more output tone in my Johsnon Millenium, but now I replaced it with this. The effects are nice, but the tone is what makes this a gem. Better than tube. I also like the seperate overdrive and distortion that can be used simultaneously for wider range of distorted sounds. The EQ is very nice, can give you the sound of any guitar. Compressor provides sweet milky sustain, but can be noisy, and doesn't have a threshold control.

It's been thrown around my dorm, spend a summer on the livingroom floor of a frat-house, been used on gigs, toured with, recorded with, thrown through a plate-glass window, and not only still works perfectly, but the only scratches on it are where it was bolted into a rack, which happened before I even got it. I don't know what kind of abuse it endured before me. I would trust my life with this thing, and I certainly never use a backup.

Never dealt with Roland.

I love it. As I said, the compressor is noisy at higher settings, but I do use a little in simulating the sound KT88 power-tubes, it still is super-quiet. Nothing digital is anywhere nearly this good, even later Roland GP-series processors. While it doesn't have a reverb, the delay can be set to simulate one so well that it's impossible to tell the difference (Eric Johnson, who can tell by the sound what brand of batteries are in his effect pedals probably couldn't tell it's not a real reverb). Although currently I use it only for power-tube simulation, both recording and live (and as I said, it IS better-sounding than the real thing), I wouls gladly use it any day for distortion or effects. It has any amazing warmth and vintage tone, and even if you're doing something crazy like cranking the delay and pahser all the way up, it still sounds natural. As I said, while really high-end processors are more versatile, none equal this in terms of quality.

Easy to use, with comprehensive manual. I find the alpha dial system a little irritating, but with 128 patches you can use a separate patch for small changes in fx, volume etc

I use a strat and a rare Yamaha Sg1000 through various amps and PAs. It is quite noisy at times but the sound is up there with the very best. Just wish it had a reverb.....

Absolutely reliable. I bought mine in 1987 and gigged hard with it ever since, Norway, England, Alaska and Ireland. It is my sound and almost as much a part of me as my guitars. The best I have ever used. Make sure you change the internal battery every 5yrs though!

Very helpful at the time of the battery change.

I paid 1500USD for this machine 10 years ago and think its still about the best and most natural sounding fx processor. If you can pick one up used and cheap, don`t hesitate......

very easy to use. Editing patches is easy. Takes a while to get use to but you can setup presets quickly once you know what you're doing

Sound quality is good. There are only 7 effects (compression, distortion, overdrive,phaser, digital delay,digital chorus, and equalizer) plus a noise gate. These effects sound as good as good as the boss pedals. And are silent when the noise gate is on. The only effect I don't like is the compressor.

I bought it used. And everything on the unit is in perfect shape still but the some of the switches on the FC-100 foot controler weren't working great. So I replaced the switches and everything works great now

Never Used. I e-mailed the company about a manual for it. And they phoned me the next day to talk to me about it.

Yes I would buy this again. It save me carrying around 8 pedals that do the same thing and it's more reliable because you don't have to worry about shorts in cables and there is not 8 wall warts to worry about plugging in. If you're looking for something good for gigging this is your unit