Roland GR-30 Guitar Synthesizer

Extremely easy to access the sounds. Every button and knob is labeled and self-explainatory; very simple to get around the unit.

With the guitar amp I'm using now, the sounds are phenomenal. I'm getting a Roland keyboard amp, so the sounds will only be improved. There is sometimes random tracking difficulty, maybe attributed to the fact that I tune down to hell. In my opinion, the sounds are all top quality; the delays are crisp, freaky flangers, excellent synth-pad sounds. Pretty close to orgasmic.

The GK cable and pickup seem fragile, but they've worked fine so far. The GR-30 is made of a pretty durable plastic, too. I would definitely use it on a gig without a backup.

Never had to deal with it, and hope I never have to; but one time I did call with a question and the guy was fairly knowledgable.

I play industrial, so the GR-30 is perfect for me. If it were stolen, I'd buy it again in a heartbeat. It would be cool if it had some fuzzes, or other noisy, wacked-out effects.

Easy to play. Editing patches is a bit harder than some units but nothing too taxing.

This is what i have a problem with. I am a great fan of "real" instruments sounds. This thing is fairly competent but at times some of the sounds are embarassingly bad. Percussion pretty much sucks, the keyboard instruments are varied in quality (from the ok to the absoulute cringe worthy). Guitar sounds - why bother, u are already playing a damn guitar. Basses - fine as are special fx and pads. The really bad thing about all these sounds is that they are completely see-through and lack any real class. The effects are just terible as well - they are pretty much all pre-sets. As a guitarist I'm used to being able to tweak my sound to perfection and this just doesn't cut it. Another bad thing is the tracking - if u are a messy player u will learn to despise this unit as it picks up EVERY little nuance of what u play i.e - harmonics that u never heard before start popping up every where, string noise - basically every guitarists nightmare. And the tracking is fairly slow - this is not for u lighting fast shredders out there.

Haven't used it at a gig but it's made of plastic and I wouldn't trust it to take much abuse.

Pretty average. The tracking is probly the worst thing about it, but the poor sound quality just kills it. Wouldn't bother buying it again. I mainly use it as a sound canvas for my keyboard now, and I've gone back to my trusty pedal board for fx.

Fairly easy to get a good sound out of it. I personally prefer to double it with guitar sounds. The manual isn't too bad. Most Roland manuals are awflu but this one is OK. Editing isn't too hard but you have to do a lot of dial twirling which can sometimes get confusing. Still, basic editing is OK.

I use this with a Mexican Roland-ready Fender Strat. I've owned every model GR since the GR-100 back in 1981. This is the best yet and is, by the way, very QUIET! The effects are generally good. I amp it into PA systems live. Some bottom has to be slightly rolled off since the unit has a huge bass content on some patches. I got this unit because I needed a light portable way of recreating synth sounds on stage without hiring a keyboard player. It's great for that approach. I find that certain sounds (strings, sitar, piano, nylon gtr w/stgs., pizz. basses) are great. Others are useless (guitar sounds--- these are, after all done much better with guitar!). My guitar set up is a Line 6 POD into a Fender Vibrolux-Reverb Re-issue. The GR-30 adds quite a striking set of color to the trad. guitar pallette. Plus the audience is usually shocked at the effect.

Seems dependable. 1st gig with it will be June 19,1999. I'll let you know. But My instinct would be HARD CASE!!!!! Plus an extra 13-pin cable.

I've dealt with Roland support. They veer from knowledgeagable to useless. Depends on the tech. But they are friendly.

I play neo-classic intrumental rock so this unit is wonderful in helping me create orchestrated guitar sounds. I've been playing 35 years. I also own Roland VS-1680, Rickenbacker 360/12V64, Danelectro Baritone Guitar, Danelectro Longhorn Bass, EMagic Unitor 8, Layla Sound card setup, Korg N1R, Fender Vibrolux Reverb Amp, Line 6 POD, Various Danelectro pedals, etc..... What do I hate about it? Average tracking on the low strings (but a fair tradeoff to blend with real guitar). I used to own a SynthAxe and while it was as fast as the dickens tracking-wise, you couldn't mix live with real guitar. What do I love about it? What a great expressive electronic tool. I never get bored. Used properly- your audience is left stunned. What else matters?

This is an update from an old message ! ( I had a wrong email adress on the previous comment ...)
Its easy to get really really good sounds . But ... Its as easy to get some horrible sound . The manual is great , but its better to try the synth without it . Its the fun way ... Tough , sometimes its not easy to use for someone who doesnt read the manual .
Guitar -> synth -> amp not noisy at all Im gonna rate the effects by type :
Piano : 7 ... impossible to sound like a piano (bends...vibrato...) Vibe type : 7 Organs : 8 good organ sounds Guitar : 2 Horrible Basses : 9 exelent pipes : 8 quite cool brass : 6 medium synth lead : 9 exelent synth pads :9 exelent strings : 10 great voice choir : humm... 5 bell ..ect : 7 a bell's a bell sound fx : 4 (not enough too strange) percussion : 1 Crazy!!!
there are 384 sounds: you can change the attack time / the sustain / add chorus / reverb / harmonise
Theres also an arpegiator , but i hate this idea ... its like you casn play Chopin play playing G - B - A - C ... one note at a time
I can depend on it I can use it without a backup safely although its plastic.Im selling mine cos Im gonna get the VG 8 Ill sell it for 300 without the gk2a pickup / 500 with the pickup I dont know if many people emailed me , but im sorry because I couldnt read the emails.. contact me : www.angelfire.com/ms/Somnium

Very very easy !

Good pianos sound .. You can alter some of the sounds here are good sounds number: 11 45 88 44 98 311 146 149 60 98 76 You can add reverb cos they dont have

Its very reliable but I wouldnt use one live without another P.supply.

I dunno

Add reverb !!! I just bought the gt5 from boss , and I think I prefer traditional sound ( guitar sound)} to viloin ... ect sounds If anyone would like to buy it , email me on my homepage : http:listen.to/somnium I want to sell it for around 300 us$ ... its in good condition but I just hate a guitra synth i like distortion and chorus !!!

The unit layout is quite straight-forward and the manual actually is useful when it comes to explaining how to do things. I'd been using mostly stock patches, simply because they sounded so good there was no need for me to try creating better sounding ones. I am getting into editing/creating patches now and find it a rather simple process to follow.
One thing I learned early on though, you might have to rethink your guitar playing with the GR-30. First off, it's not too forgiving if you're a little sloppy; the GK-2A picks up everything single string nuance. Second, you might need to learn different phrasing. Sax and keyboard players don't play solos like guitar players do. The tones are there but the phrasing will make them sound even more like the real thing.
Downside, I'm wireless and this unit ties me to the stage. We're talking a 15' 13-conductor midi cable here, but that's a small, small price to pay.

I had the GK-2A installed on one of my Strats by my guitar tech and had no problems with it other than it's bulkiness. But I gave up on it after 6 months and bought an American Standard GR-Ready Strat. I find I like the controls on the GR-Ready Strat a bit better. I tried the Tex-Mex GR-Ready, but spent the extra bucks on the American Standard because I liked the neck and feel a lot better.
I was running the GR-30 into the board and it sounded fine, but we don't use a sound man so I had some problems keeping the levels under control. Now I run it into a Tech21 Trademark 60 set up on stage right under my guitar cabinet and use the direct out to go to the board. This lets me control the volume in relation to the rest of the mix and it sounds even better through this amp than it did in the monitors.
I currently have 7 banks of tones set up for use during the course of a show. I don't always use them all - it just depends which songs we do on any given night. My band does strictly classic rock covers and I'm doing all the horn, string, and keyboard parts. The B-3 patch is unreal. We do tunes like Gimme Some Lovin' and Smoke On The Water and the audience is looking for the keyboard player!! Then we do some Motown and they're looking for the sax player. The sound quality is excellent!!! I also use piano, sitar, 6, 12 & pedal steel guitar patches, flute, violin, banjo, strings, synth and voice patches, too. These tones all add a lot of fullness to our tunes, an added plus for a quartet like us.

I have to agree that the case is not as strong as I'd like it to be but I solved that by building a custom floor unit that holds the GR-30, midi foot controller and two master volume pedals (one for guitar and one for the GR-30). I carry this in an SKB case I lined with foam rubber so it is well protected during transport to and from gigs. I was never comfortable carrying it around before this, though. Not only would I use it on a gig without a backup, but I do so every week. When finances allow, I might get a backup unit, but I'm careful enough with my gear that it's not a high priority right now.

Never had to deal with them because Roland's products have never failed me.

For what I play, classic rock covers, this is an excellent addition to my rig. If I didn't have it, we'd have to add a fifth player to the band. I also use a Roland GP-100 guitar pre-amp/processor and it, too, is an excellent piece. I'm extremely happy with my Roland gear and would definitely buy these units again in a heartbeat. About the only thing I think I'd really like to see is a rack mount GR-30 with a dedicated foot controller.
Don't try one out in the store - you'll buy it!!

Its easy to get really really good sounds . But ... Its as easy to get some horrible sound . The manual is great , but its better to try the synth without it . Its the fun way ... Tough , sometimes its not easy to use for someone who doesnt read the manual .

Guitar -> synth -> amp not noisy at all Im gonna rate the effects by type :
Piano : 7 ... impossible to sound like a piano (bends...vibrato...) Vibe type : 7 Organs : 8 good organ sounds Guitar : 2 Horrible Basses : 9 exelent pipes : 8 quite cool brass : 6 medium synth lead : 9 exelent synth pads :9 exelent strings : 10 great voice choir : humm... 5 bell ..ect : 7 a bell's a bell sound fx : 4 (not enough too strange) percussion : 1 Crazy!!!
there are 384 sounds: you can change the attack time / the sustain / add chorus / reverb / harmonise
Theres also an arpegiator , but i hate this idea ... its like you casn play Chopin play playing G - B - A - C ... one note at a time

I can depend on it I can use it without a backup safely although its plastic.

NA

Im selling mine cos Im gonna get the VG 8 Ill sell it for 300 without the gk2a pickup / 500 with the pickup

Well, there's not much to it(except editing arpeggios) .....computer editor makes it much easier though

I'm going to rate these by type of instrument:
1. Pianos - Acoustics really suck.....but the electrics shine (especially that Rhodes). 2. Organs - Descent, but not enough of them....the B-3 are fair 3. Guitars - For a guitar synth, the guitar sounds are the weakest by far....you won't be fooling anyone...except for the ethinic guitars (sitars, zithers), those are all top notch. 4. Bass - the synth bass are all wonderful (TB-303, SH-101), but the electric basses really lack and punchiness. 5. Reeds and Brass - like most synths...these are all pretty poor emulations (except that Zampona Flute). 6. Synth Leads - ok...but pretty generic...they really sing when you double them with a distorted guitar sound. 7. Pads - many very lush sounding pads....great for those long sustained barre chords.. 8. Strings - love those JP strings....the solo strings lack, but the ensembles are great 9. Percussion - nothing to brag about... 10. Sound Effects - Ok sounding, but not enough of them

I'm afraid the LED could easily break...wish it was Rackmount with a foot controller instead, but hasn't failed me yet

If it broke or got stolen or whatever, I probaly wouldn't buy it again...it was really an impulse buy and I kind of regret it now. You can get some great sounds if you double your guitar sound with the synth leads, but don't try to play too fast, or the synth won't be able to keep up. Great for progressive or folk musicians ( I heard that Joni Mitchell has one), but not for industrial heads like me...can bring a new dimension to your music, if you really mess with it for a while

Very easy to get started, although I bought an ex-demo model together with a Godin ACS guitar which had been used to demo it to me. You shouldn't try one of these unless you can afford it. You'll want one. The manual gave clear instructions for initial use - in fact, in the shop, they had a demo set up with a special manual to work through. Try looking at Roland's support site and download their 'Turbostart' sheet to get going. Editing looks a little scary, the presets are ready configured with appropriate effects and arpeggiator settings ready to go. The manual is a bit perplexing, but this is a very complex piece of kit. I've ordered the video owners manual. Again, Roland's site has a lot of tips about connecting to other Roland/Boss units and so on. The presets are set up for Stereo use. It sounds awesome through 'phones or a hi-fi, but how many guitarists have a stereo rig?

Using the Godin which has a GK2A equivalent built in, and is a guitar optimised for the purpose, it's glitch-free and responsd well. Most of the presets are easy to adapt technique to, but sometimes a minor bend out of tune can sound strange. That's no fault of the unit, and there are options to allow you to optimise feel and chromatic settings for each sound. Have used with a Fender Vibrosonic valve amp in the 'steel' (very clean) channel. The effects are good, not so much with 'guitar' sounds (I use a guitar for those!) but with organs, synths etc. The wah has been maligned in somw reviews, but as set up, it does some great things on many presets.

Fairly well built for the price. I'd feel happier if it was built like the GT5, but I honestly think for my at home and light amateur use, it won't be a problem. Plastic is quite tough after all and it doesn't dent, it flexes! All the hardware is of a good quality. I'd trust it.

Not needed any help, so I can't say. The back issues of newsletters, turbostarts, etc. on the Roland web pages are very good.

I play a lot of worship music and the nylon Godin guitar blends really well with the synths, organs etc. It is also good for rock which I'm equally interested in, although I might be tempted to swap my Strat for a Roland-ready one to go with full-on electric guitar sounds. If it was lost, I'd get another although who knows, in a couple of years what else there may be. It should be in a better, metal case. It should definitely have a text readout like the GT5 effects processor for example, so patches can have names. Who knows what A3.5 is?! This is a common oversight on many multi-effects, too and it can't be so expensive. I realised this shortcoming,and it is the main one for me, but got it anyway as it's still brilliant value and there's nothing else like it for the money. It's inspiring me and I'm looking forward to recording music as I can now easily do what keyboard and bass players would have been needed for.

Very simple to get good sound out of this unit. The patches are edited with ease and do need to be tweaked for your style. Roland offers the GR-30 editor, a free download in which patches and arpeggiater can be edited and made with ease. The manual is fairly simple once you 've become familar with the terms. Being as the product is fairly new I don't think an upgrade will be coming any time soon.

I think the biggest complaint that I hear and read about the GR-30 is the tracking. This just hasn't been the case for me. I did just what the manual told me to in regards to the setup. I adjusted the play and feel sensativity and tweaked the release and attack on some of the presets and it performs fine. I use a Fender LoneStar Strat with tens on it. I even took advantage of the temparary pickup set up and it hasn't budged. For those that have had problems regarding tracking, refer back to your owners manual and start over. The string clearance is extremely important. The availability of sounds with this unit is almost overwhelming. Some really good authentic sounds and some not so good, but over all plenty to work with. In the effects department Roland could of offered more such as distortion for one. The over sound quality is great. A very professional sound can be accomplished with this unit.

I've had the unit 5 months and haven't had a problem with the exception of a bad cord from the unit to the pick up. I'm not in a great big hurry to drop it or even be rough with it for fear that it might be somewhat fragile. I have played out with it several times and its held up fine.

Haven't had to deal with Roland yet and hope that I dont have to. It will mean that they have made a good product that will last

This unit is capable of satisfying all kinds of playing styles. I use it in conjuction with my digitech processor which gives me all kinds of flexibility. Isolating and combining sounds, a layering effect so to speak. The only thing that I wish was that thay had made the unit with a pre-amp effects processor built into it. Perhaps this is a possibility in the future. It would be nice, but as my mom always used to say, [ you can't have your cake and eat it too] Bottom line is I love this unit. When I play out the people are literally blown away by its sound and abilities. This unit has the ability to take you as far as your mind will let you. While it may not be a unit for everyone, I would deffinatly buy it again and would strongly recommend it. I guess it just depends on what your looking for. It certainly has suited me well.