Roland GR-20

This little gem produces quality right out of the box. There are many ways to alter the waveform and modulation of each patch, but you cant really alter the base tone of the patch. That is probably its only weakness. This thing is a breeze to use.

I am using a roland-ready stratocaster. I run the standard 1/4 inch guitar jack into a Boss GT-10 and the 13 pin synth jack into the GR20.
I use Roland cube monitors on the left and right outputs of the GR20. The sound has incredible depth and separation. I tried using different amps (Line 6 Spider, Cyber-twin,Roland jazz chorus) but the little Roland Cube monitors are the ticket. (Not the roland cube amps, but the cube monitors they are different items.) Using the monitors instead of amps allowed the GT10 and GR20 to keep their rich tones.

This is my third GR20. My first 2 I bought on EBay and they had problems when I got them. I just bought a new one and hopefully it will last a long time. It does feel fragile I wish roland would invest a little more in a sturdier chasis for their great electronics.

I have never dealt with Roland on a personal level.

I play neo-classical and classical-jazz fusion.
I have been playing 32 years and this little unit is my favorite pedal of all time without question. I dont use the pianos, organs, brass etc, as their own sound, but rather use them more like a pad, my guitar signal decays into a hint of a percussion, woodwind, etc. It just gives me this massive beautiful tone. The only thing I dislike is that some of the patches are waste filler patches.
If it were stolen or lost I would have a new one within a week.

I am not a techno guy, but it was easy to set up and get going. I already had a synth ready guitar so that was helpful. Manual is OK.

I have a synth ready Turner Model 1 and play the synth mostly through a Carvin AG1000 amp just because I get a clean sound. I know some use cheap guitars to mount the included split pickup on, but make sure you have a guitar that stays in tune. The Turner is a real luxury and I feel unworthy of it to be honest. Some of the sounds are off the hook, sax and strings in particular, but also some good keyboard sounds. When people see the gorgeous koa Turner guitar and hear the sounds that come out of the Roland, they are really blown away.

Seems good so far, but is still quite new. Probably more trustworthy than the Carvin amp!

No cause for customer support yet.

I play fingerstyle and have for 35 years or so, many genres, and the Roland really opens up a lot of new sounds for me. I experiment with different sounds and songs, and sometimes things just fit well. It is easy to save favorites sounds to the user bank and pull them up for a particular song. It is a luxury and I am not a pro, so probably would not replace it if stolen. Keep in mind this thing hates harmonics, so you cannot be sloppy or too aggressive or you will get all kinds of garbage.

ROLAND has decided to go for a stomp box kind of ease since they know that guitarists are no experts in synth technology.The layout of the controls is...minimalist.Just 2 knobs..one for bank select and one for sound select.Basic FX like reverb,chorus've their own knob so u dont've to surf thru banks of FX.Using this gadget is a no-brainer.
Editing patches is also extremely simple,but keep in mind that they dont offer in depth synthesis.Just utter basics like attack/release,EQ,reverb/delay on a patch.
Please keep in mind that using this gadget demands very clean finger technique.MIDI is unforgiving.it doesnt understand fret noise,muted notes etc.Either its a note or its not.If u use muting,pinch harmonics etc,midi'll just generate some awful junk notes.U'll need to clean up your sloppy finger techniques if u want to get any useful sounds out of it.(there's a bit of a learning curve,but its worth it).
manual is simple and to the point.

I/m using a chinese strat imitation guitar brand called J&D.Its a cheap guitar,but neck is smooth.Guitar's pickups are OK,but in this case,it doesnt matter cos u need to use roland GK pickup as input into GR20.this gadget is totally noise free!(even considering that i use a cheap local made guitar amp).BIG PLUS POINT:The internal synth sounds are surely mind boggling.they open up an endless ocean of creativity.Orchestral,ethnic,pad sounds really stand out as flawless.guitarists please keep this in mind:Sounds such as sitar,sax,violin r unbelievably realistic,but please dont try to shred on these patches.U r supposed to imitate those instruments techniques if u want any realistic results.
FX:As i already mentioned,u dont really've a wide range of FX in this gadget.Roland has assumed that most guitarists already've FX units,so they've focused on giving u the raw synth sounds.U can process the output of GR20 wit an FX box if u like.The reverb/delay FX in this unit r too simple but atleast usable.the only control u've is more/less of rev/dly.There r no internal controls over rvb room type or dry/wet.EQ is also very basic.Just a cutoff & resonance control.
REALLY COOL:This gadget has midi out,so u can play external synths/sequencer software synhs thru it.This measn the possibilities are endless!

Lemme warn u that this gadget is made of plastic.it surely wont sustain ruf use on stage like stomping on it.The glide/hold pedals look really weak.I'm scared to even wear shoes when i'm using the exp/glide/hold pedals.This thing is very delicate.considering the money i paid for it,i look after it with a lot of care,so its safe in my hands.But any rock/metal guitarists would stomp it into the ground in no time.

havent needed it so far.

I/m quite diverse in my music styles.played rock/metal for a no of years,got tired of it,moved into flamenco & indian classical for a while.Ever since guitar acquired midi capability wit GR20,i've moved heavily into electronic music like trance,rave,techno etc.midi is a whole new world for me so i'm tripping on all its features!i've been playing for 8 years,have a zoom 707II also.
i love: the endless creative possibilites this opens up for me in terms of sounds,the arrangement possibilites wit midi & the chance to drive people crazy when i'm live.Crowd goes mad when they hear all kinds of electronic sounds coming out of a guitar.
i hate:LATENCY ISSUES:the tracking on 1,2,3,4 strings re perfect.U can go upto 140 bpm(16th notes) with no issues,but u get some funny unintended notes beyond that.this is gud enuff.But the latency on 5th & 6th strings is so bad that its unusable.(manual says that its a law of physics that it takes a long time to detect pitch of bass notes,so its not a defect.)In any case,u almost cant play any melodies on lower strings,so m a bit grumpy bout that.
When using midi out to drive an external synth,there's a small delay.usually u wont notice it cos synth sounds r not exactly meant for shredding,but its annoying when it misses so many notes when u play 16th notes at even 120 bpm.So i just end up using texture pad/arpeggiated trance sounds on which u cant make out any delay.
Compared it to axon ax100.Inspite of all its 'great reviews',its more expensive than gr20.Also,there's no way axon could beat roland in sound realism.however,axon might've low latency as a +point.
Guitarists,pls explore the amazing world of midi! it'll make u a better songwriter,arranger.U'll also develop better finger technique as midi guitar is unforgiving.

Very little is menu driven. Most of the unit's features are controlled by real knobs and switches like the stomp boxes of the 70's. Most of the patches are quite satisfactory in their original state, so editing is not a big issue for me; tweaking the parameters is an easy process, however.

The manual is comprehensive and easy to follow. There are no glitches so commonly seen when there has been a translation from another language.

The samples and sound quality are very good. For me, however, the least realistic patches are the guitars. Players have to keep in mind the nature of the instruments they are imitating; if you set it for piccolo and play power chords, it's going to sound a little weird. I consider myself to be a pretty klutzy player, but I've experienced very few unwanted sounds. Individual string sensitivity and "play feel" settings can accomodate all playing techniques.

The first one out of the carton did not pick up the B string. The retailer (Sam Ash) immediately replaced it and the second unit is flawless.

A telephone inquiry with a Roland technician prior to purchase was very productive.

I'm using it with a guitar that has the Roland pickup built in, so installation error was not a factor. I feel that any perceived latency problems can be corrected with changes in the attack setting. All in all, it's a great toy that delivers reliable, professional effects.

Hear GR20 samples on tribute site - myspace\kimcarnesmutantdoppler
GR20 is a GREAT TOY, and has some good synth sounds that are a BLAST to thicken, add texture for an impressive WALL OF SOUND. I was immediately able to add piano on GR-20 guitar synth on one song. Since piano chords are constucted differently than guitar chords, the sound is a bit different, but GR-20 adds spice. You can stream the midi into Cakewalk Sonar to change or add 1 or more layers using favored soundfonts or DXi / VST sounds or effects.

A COMPLAINT is that the cord curls up into knots within 30 minutes. Embossed black legends on the black plastic case are hard to read.
GR20 has 5-pin DIN-5 midi ports but lacks USB midi port.

Tip - Set the unit to ALWAYS transmit in poly mode (all notes on 1 channel. Why? Although GR-20 synth output handles note bends OK in mono (6-channel mode), the streaming midi output note duration
and bends is inaccurate and unusable for recording (and probably also unusable to sending to an external synth). By contrast, the streaming midi from poly mode has accurate note duration tracking, and although omits note bends, poly mide streaming midi is usable for recording, for layering sounds in Cakewalk Sonar, or routing to an external synth. I found Piano - Patch 4 (in poly mode) gives the most accurate streaming midi, which I was able to layer sounds during live performance in Cakewalk Sonar (and presumably would also work OK for an external synth). Streaming midi for midi recording or for layering live performance tracks works much better in poly mode, despite lacking note bends, because the streaming midi note duration data is far more accurate in poly mode.

I like over 20 of the GR20 patches. GR20 has several impressive lead synth, keyboard, brass and wind sounds. The Sax samples are superb.

Using GR20 at a gig is a bit dicey. You must adjust your style (avoid fast changes, also, GR20 does not like harmonics), find a setup that gives good sound without GR20 tracking errors and squeals
(use Poly mode), and then remember what patches go with what songs (use GR20 user bank).

When dialing in a new patch, you must adjust volume, chorus etc to get a proper sound. This problem is avoided by storing the corrected patch in the user bank, which automatically saves and loads the
revised presets whenever the user patch is retrieved.

A major advantage of the GR20 is to correct guitar tuning. Fender strats whammy bar are notorious for shifting strings slightly out of tune, but GR20 keyboard patches are superb in correcting that problem. GR20 Keyboard patches automatically shift notes to the correct semitone which gives perfect pitch and intonation, which is crucial for getting the best result. Using a GR20 keyboard patch-4 in poly mode, the streaming midi with perfect note pitch can be passed on to layer new patches in Cakewalk Sonar or an ext synth for live performance, midi recording, audio recording, or re-amping with new patches and effects.

I used GR20 as an external synth driven by Cakewalk Sonar and found that Cakewalk Sonar can drive several tracks onto 1 Gr20 patch (only 1 GR20 patch can be played at a time from GR-20 Midi In Port).

Very easy to use as a standalone and also as a VST softsynth controller.

This is the key point of my review here. Everybody keeps saying "the unit is terrible as a PC softsynth controller". Well, let me tell you that THEY ARE WRONG! To all of you people who keep saying this, try exercising this simple techniquet - try changing the patch on the unit! Yes, it's just that simple. Once you set the GR-20 to a patch that is SUPPOSED to play legato, hammer-ons, etc, - for example any horn or string patch - you will have all of the control you could ever ask for. Duh. Don't believe me, e-mail me and I will send you links to samples of my playing.

Also, you can also try adjusting the string sensitivity. Each string can be set to 6 dferent levels of sensitivity. I have mine set on the highest for the top four strings, and the aecond-highest sensitivity for the bottom two strings, and I get SUPERB control from the unit as a softsynh controller.

If you ae a real guitarist who is able to control his/her instrument, you will have no problems in any of these areas. My guess is, if you are a casual/hobbyist guitarist who tends to strum as much as you pick, you won't get the most out of this instrument. Fingerstylists and accurate plectrum users will. And I don't mean that you have to be John Williams or Paul Gilbert, either.

Sounds range from average to good to superb. There are limited but excellent electric piano and B3 organ tones. Horn and reed patched are good to excellent. Single-note string patches (violin, cello) are a little weak. Double-bass patch is excellent.

Other than the unit is mostly made of hard plastic, so would not withstand being fallen on by some heavy gear (so don't let it get fallen on!) it is sturdily constructed and solid.

As poor as has been stated. "On page XX of the manual, it says..."

I don't think this unit performs any worse than the Axon. I have watched many of the Youtube videos that demostrate the performance abilities of the GR-20 and the Axon 100, and it is obvious after watching them that their performance is comparable in terms of tracking and latency. The only area the Axon outperforms the GR-20 would be in bridge-to-neck string assignments, which is truly a unique and interesting feature.

easy to edit.poor when using external sound modules.the gr1 was very easyto set to external modules.

This is the weak point on the gr20.roland seems to go for number of sounds instead of quality of sound.The saxs,accordian and violin are good.The organs,horns and most of the other sounds are not usable on stage.

I have used many roland products most where very reliable.I still have two gr1's.both have problems,was told by roland that it was my guitar. I now have three midi guitars all have the same problem on the gr1's no problem with the gr20

If you own two units with the same problem this is most likley a disgn flaw. if so admit it

big band,country,rock&roll and gospel.Started playin in the 50's rock&roll.Play dances gospel on stage for the last 35 years. I have 4 guitars old fender strat ovation and breed love all are midi.I use the ketron x4 and korg pa50 for backup via midi pedals.The gr20 is ok for the price, If stolen would opt for the gi20

The GR-20 is definitely easy to use if you are exploring the patches for the first time. The Aptch Link feature is of great help to change patches in a live situation, but I wonder what would happen to those without a good MIDI pedal board. I miss the bank/patch buttons of my GR-1. But ot os true that, once you installed the GK-3, sounds came easy.

I based my rating considering two factors: basic sounds and "new" sounds. Basic patches are quite good, and even better for certain patches, like the smoke sax. Tracking is a real improvement over the GR-1. In fact it is so much better that I can ever use drums and percussion pads in real time, with no extra care on playing. But in some areas I am still looking... Rhodes pianos aren't there and I like the fretless bass on my GR-1 better. I guess Roland was not looking for the best sound, but for the "best for the buck" here. Now about the "new" sounds: If you are looking for original sounds, forget it. The lack of real editing wont allow you to came down with the killer patch. I guess I would keep my GR-1 for the new patches.

Don't have any real experience here, my unit is new. But, considering my old Roland equipment is working without a glitch (GR-1, GP-16, D-110, JV-880, and even a W-30) I bet this one will be the same.

Never use it. But if manuals came into this section, boy... I wonder if there is any real musician involved in those texts...

I play mostly rock, and some progressive, so probably a third of the sounds are quite useable (a big number, by any standard). I have been using guitar synths for the past 15 years. Although tracking has improved, I was expecting a little more from this unit. Probably it is perfect for those musicians looking for basic sound mimicing, and those who doesn't like to dive into synth programming. I am not a synth programmer specialist, but I would like to have some room for exploring. I would buy it again, but I am not getting rid of my GR-1.

I'm a total synth idiot. Tried in vain to get good sounds from soft synths for recording, and despite my early years of piano lessons, I'm a guitarist at heart.

The GR-20 couldn't be any simpler to get a GREAT sound from. There are over 400 stock patches that cover everything I'd ever want to use live and recorded. So easy to dial in. Just turn two knobs. And the MIDI setup for use with my POD X3 Live was a piece of cake.

Manual and quick start guides are great. Patch editing is limited, but it really gives me only what I need to edit. This is a synth for a guitarist that doesn't understand programming synth sounds.

Amazing. The piano sounds alone are worth the price of admission. Very convincing. I especially like the blended sounds of strings or horns with the pianos. Organs are very, very good. Strings and pads are just awesome. I have to keep reminding myself that this is a guitar synth.

I give this an 8 because the brass and winds really leave something to be desired, but I have to say, I do enjoy the distorted blues harp. Didn't have a way to get that sound before for a song. Now I do, and it isn't bad.

All in all, it contains every synth sound I would ever need. I mostly use pianos, organs, string and pads. But the synth lead sounds are great too.

Tracking...not bad at all. The key here is to be very careful about installing and adjusting the pickup. Be sure to do it exactly as the manual states. I have almost no perceptible latency with mine. I'm wondering if what some people are calling latency might in fact be the attack time on the patch.

It is made of plastic, except for the metal bottom. And the cable, while it looks sturdy enough, you should always have a backup. I put mine in a custom case to protect it during transport. Don't plan on stepping on it much because I control it from another unit, but under normal usage, it should last.

I play in both an 80's Hair type band and also do praise and worship music. Been playing 20+ years and use a couple of Line6 POD X3's and an Atomic Reactor 212-50, depending on which band I'm with.

I installed the GK-3 pickup on my Schecter C-1 Classic using the Les Paul bracket for the pickup and the strap button mounting bracket for the controller. Perfect fit on that guitar. Didn't even have to modify my guitar case (a hard RoadRunner case from Guitar Center).

One thing I would have liked to see come with it would have been a better cable for the magnetic pickup input. Something with a right angle jack. Not a huge problem at all, just go to the store and spend a couple of bucks for a nice one. Makes the whole setup look neatly done.

One thing to remember about getting the most from the unit is not to play your guitar like a guitar. Play it like the instrument you are emulating with the synth. Play chord inversions that are common on the piano, play piano rhythms, etc. Also, play within the register of the instrument. A flute is going to sound silly played up on your 24th fret. Won't sound like a flute at all.

All in all, aside from the Line6 PODs that I've bought over the years, this synth is probably the next most versatile piece of gear I have now. It makes me into more than just a guitarist. Now I can go to the bands and offer keys for songs that we just weren't able to do before.

This unit is designed for ease of use.Read the manual. Set up of the GK-3 pick up is crucial. Use the supplied feeler gage. Once your guitar is set up,even a string change should be no big thing.

Here is where I distance myself from the rest of these reviews. OK, you purchase a guitar synth so you can duplicate piano, organ, horns, etc... Have you ever seen a piano player running into a guitar amp? That's right, you now need a good full range PA to duplicate your orchestra. Your Marshall stack was designed for guitar, not a flugal horn. Running this unit into a quality PA produces accurate tones of the selected instruments. I use this in live gigs with nothing but compliments.

Never had a problem. Unit is high impact plastic. So far so good

Haven't had the no pleasure.......

Our band does a number of Doors, Stones, etc... The sax patches are killer as are the sitar and acoustic guitars.
A little pricey but the dimension it will add to your music makes it well worth it.