I thought I would share some of my thoughts on the GR-55.

I wont get into the tracking issues that

some of you are experiencing, but more in patch creation. We all know your factory patches probably
not much good for a realistic playing situation. So here are some ideas to making your patches sound
good.

First thing you do is initialize a patch. This is done by pressing the write button and tabbing over to the
3rd tab and then press write again. The reason for doing this is to clear any EQ settings and control
assignments. If you wish to give the patch a name at this point press Write and then Enter and the Name
screen will come up. After you are done press write two times.

You will need to have some idea of what you want the patch to sound like and what controls you wish to
assign. As far as your system settings I will assume that all your controls are set to patch settings. These
settings can be set globally for different control items. For instance my S1 and S2 switches are used to
scroll through my patches; you might use them for bank up and bank down. However if you select
patches with the pedals you could use them to make control changes. Note having you patches do
multiple tasks will save you from that patch change latency problem.

When you first initialize a patch all you will here is a 001 Piano and a classic Strat with nothing. The first
decision is it going to be a guitar patch, synth patch or both. This is what my friend Jay calls Options
anxiety. Yes, this happens to me all the time, I have more ideas than I have patch locations. So have
your patches do as much as it can and it will be like doubling up your patch locations. You can make a
patch to sound like Eddie VanHalens guitar rig but step on the control pedal and you have his synth
tone as well. Now Mr. Gundy Keeler made a patch to do this but we could take it a step further and use
the remaining controls to do some more things like change the alt-tuning on the synth sound so you can
play the synth solo easier. I almost think 8 assigns are not enough.

So lets start with a simple guitar rig. I like Les Pauls and it should default at a volume of 50 with the
bridge pickup on. Dont forget to turn off the Piano. For an amp lets choose a MS high gain amp
(Marshall JMC 900). The amp model original cabs can be a little brittle so choose the 4X12 option. Cut
the mid and boost the highs and the default Sennheiser 421 mic sound good for most amps. For your EQ
settings start with the following:
Low gain=2

Lowmid frequency= 200

Highmid frequency= 2500

High gain= 0

Low cut= Flat

Lowmid gain= 2

Highmid gain= 3

High cut= Flat

Lowmid Q= 1

Himid Q= 1

This is a good EQ for amp models. Setting up your Global effects is easy just set all the levels at 100%
and adjust the amount from the three send lines (MOD, EFX and Bypass). On the subject of Reverb,
remember less is more. Select Room with a time of about 1.5 ms this will give you more of a true Room
Verb. I once said that Roland made bad reverbs but after getting to understand this effect a little more I
gotten some great reverb sounds. Knowing and understanding your effects is key in good patch creation.
Remenber we are only selecting reverb for the MOD line/mix so set it for around 40 for a big room
sound.

Use your imagination for setting up your assigns. In the Pedal/GK assigns section I almost always set it
up this way for Guitar patches.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

CTL pedal= Led toggle

EXP switch= MOD switch
Exp pedal (switch off)= patch volume
Exp pedal (switch on)= MOD control
S1= off or **system**
S2= off or **system**
GK Volume= Tone Volume

Now you go into the assigns section and the assigns cover a wider range of assigns and are a lot more
detailed. You only have 8 of them so use them wisely. Remember not to double up any assigns, it might
end up badly. There some basic assigns like Solo switch, Chorus switch, Delay Switch and Reverb Switch.
Just get to know all the things you can do and your imagination will come up with that you can do with a
single patch. Change the routing of your COSM guitar for the AMP/MOD line to the MFX line. Then you
can use the Amp Sims in the MFX section and do some channel switching. You can change guitar models
and at the same time switch off the amp, to go from a Les Paul through a Marshall to an Acoustic guitar
model. You can get a simulation of duo amps and guitars if you use both COSM and regular guitar
pickups blended between the AMP/MOD and MFX amp Sims.

This is all just the guitar side of this stuff and that is just scratching the surface of what we can do with
some imagination. I will write some more PDF documents that will give you some more ideas and I hope
they inspire you into achieving greatness in your tone. If you all flood Rolands Email with requests for
firmware updates for things like a harmonizer(intelligent of course) and make the MOD and MFX
sections have the ability of more than one effect at a time. I f one of does it theyll just think he is weird,
if two of do it theyll think theyre queer but if three or more of us do it theyll think its a movement
yea thats right Im talking about the betterment of the GR-55 movement!

Well we can dream. So keep the dream alive.

Control assigns explained

Im going to start off talking about control assigns; they can be tricky and might throw you sometimes.
There are three sections to assign your controls. The first is in the system section for pedals and GK (see
figure 1.A); this is where you can assign control options to each controller globally and will be the same
for every patch. If you select patch setting (see figure 1.B) for each control then you will have to make
assigns within the patch. If you use any other settings it will over-ride any assigns for that control in your
patches. Lest say for example you set your S1 for patch number inc and S2 for patch number dec
globally. You will not be able to assign any other control assigns to the S1 and S2 switches. If you try to
assign pickup selection to S1 or S2 it wont work, you will just change patches when you use the buttons.
This is where you need to make a choice weather you want to use your controllers globally or per patch.
If you want them to do the same thing in all your patches, you wont have to make control assigns when
you create a patch. This would simplify things for basic users, but we are aiming for a much deeper
understanding of the GR-55. If you set your GK volume to tone volume in your system you may run the
risk of conflicting assigns. For example if you want to control your reverb level with the GK volume knob,
you will decrease your tone volume and your reverb at the same time. You can have multiple assigns for
one controller and you may run into problems if you dont have your assigns set up correctly. The last
tab in this section is the hold tab. It has two settings, assign hold on and assign hold off. What this is
whether or not you want your controller to remain in the same state from patch to patch. If you want to
use the expression pedal for patch volume and you set at way when you switch patches the value will
stay the same with assign hold on. If you set it to assign hold off, the pedal will return to the default
value when the patch is changed. I could go over each tab in this section but then I would be writing a
book 4 times the size of the manual.

Figure 1.A

Figure 1.B

Next I will start to cover the assigns per patch. Lets start with the PDL/GK section this lets you make
basic assigns for each controller. It is limited to one assign per controller and you can run the risk of
conflicting with the assigns in the assigns section.

The CTL pedal is by default a hold pedal for your PCM sounds. I always change this to the on off state of
the led, then make my assigns for this pedal in the assigns section.

**For a lot of my patches I set EXPON to MOD CONTROL and EXPSW to MOD Switch. Then make sure
you MOD effect is a manual wha.** this provides a wah wah pedal for my lead guitar patches You can
never have too much wah wah!!!

This brings me to the assign section; it has more option for controllers and much deeper options.

The picture shows an assign that has not been modified in its default state. You cant see the last
parameter (ACT RANGE LO 127) but thats OK because you probably never have to modify it anyway.
The first thing you want to do is turn the switch on, this may sound stupid but many times I have forgot
this and started to scratch my head when I stepped on my CTL switch. Next select your target there is a
very long list of targets to control (however Roland in all their wisdom forgot to include the ability to
change your amp model). Go through the manual and get to learn your target options and youll have a
better idea of all your control options. It may make your head spin; again I refer to my friend Jay and his
term options anxiety. Then select your controller and the controller mode. I mean the two source
settings. The mode is either toggle (latch) or momentary. If you use the expression pedal as a source its
mode will almost always momentary.

Now for my opinion on Rolands shortcomings in the control sections of the GR-55. It would have been
simpler if they omitted the PDL/GK section and put 16 assign tabs in the assign section. The users would
have a lot less trouble with assign conflicts and Roland might have saved a penny or two.
Later today I will post some guitar patches with mp3s with some control assigns for examples that you
all can get some ideas from. Enjoy and I hope this is helpful. And as always contribute to the forum so
we can all learn from each other.

A good midi perfomance

PCM synths are the only sound sources that require midi conversion. The other source paths (COSM
instruments and natural pickups) dont have any midi going on at all. The GK-3(or any other guitar with a
13 pin hex system) is not a midi pickup, all the midi conversion happens inside the GR-55. If you are
thinking of buying one of the other 13 pin hex guitars stop and consider Roland made the GR-55 with
their pickup in mind and all though they have options for other systems it is optimized for the GK-3. You
can put the GK-3 on almost any 6 string guitar with steel strings; I even have one on my acoustic guitar.
If you wish to get detailed information on setting up your GK-3 equip guitar please visit the VGuitar
forums website there are many threads on this topic. Here is what I posted a while back:

Every guitar is different what works for my guitar will not work for your guitar. Here are
some tips for getting it right for your guitar.
1. Install the GK-3 correctly as close to the bridge saddles as possible. Use the string height
gauge Roland gave you and remember to gauge the string height with your last fret fretted.
(Adjust GK PU height to 1mm) See Figure 1.a
2. Go into your GK setup in the PU tab and set your pickup type and scale length. The other
items should remain at the defaults.
3. Go to the DIS tab and set the distance from the center of each pickup to the point where
the string meets the bridge. This is important for the tone of the COSM modeled guitars and
I don't believe it has any effect on tracking, but it can't hurt to set it right.
(Moderator Note: Use the "D" string saddle to PU distance as an average)

4. Go to the SEN tab and set the sensitivity. This is where your guitar and your playing
come into the equation. Strike the first string like you would during a performance. when
the meter stops just short of the last dot you are there. each string will have different
values. Repeat this process for all the strings. It is a good idea to do this setup every time
you change strings or make any adjustments.
5. Go to the VEL tab and set all 3 settings as you play a PCM sound. you shouldn't have to
get too far from the original defaults. and you can make different GK setups for different
play feels.

6. Next the NUA tab, this is very important. The nuance dynamics you might leave at
default, but you may want to raise the nuance trim some.
I hope this helps you out and remember keep tweaking and you will get good results. This
technology is not perfect but the GR-55 is the best guitar pedal/synth out there. Encourage
every guitar player you know to get one because if Roland sees value in this market they
will most likely develop more and better products along this line.

Figure 1.a

There are some other things to consider that will affect the tracking of your guitar as well. I know you
dont want to hear it, but your playing is the most important part of a good midi performance. Guitar
players can hit a not sloppy but with all that distortion you just cant tell. Sometimes you rely on those
harmonic overtones to enhance a guitar solo. Maybe that buzzing from the strings being too close to the
fret board isnt audible when amplified and who cares as long as you can shred. These all come into play
with midi, when converting audio to midi the note you want has to be clean. An old scratched up guitar
pick will cause unwanted overtones. Excessive string vibration behind the nut will create overtones that
will affect midi. If your hand brushes the strings you will get extra unwanted notes. Palm muting will
reduce a lot of the issues but ultimately you need to improve your technique. Remember you are no
longer just a guitar player you have evolved to playing other instruments through your guitar. When you
play a saxophone sound you have to think like a sax player. You dont want employ double stops or tap
techniques. When you play a piano sound a soft touch is necessary to sound like a piano performance.
When you strike notes pay attention to your attack, you will need less force when playing PCM tones.
You also may want different GK settings for different instruments and select them per patch in your
Other section. This is the same section that your Alt tunings are located.

There are 910 PCM sounds in the GR-55. If you times that by the two PCM sound sources thats 1820
sounds. Now if you take each PCM and go into the deep editing, I can only imagine how many sounds
you could create and massive effects. Wow! It boggles the mind, again options anxiety. Thank Jay you
for coining such an appropriate phrase to describe the GR-55. If you let your imagination take over your
patches can be incredible and take your music to new hights.

Remember, keep tweaking.

GR-55 Options
There a few options in your GR-55 witch I have started to mention in my other documents. In your
System tab curser over to Pedal/GK CTL and there some options that can change how you use your GR55. The first tab is for your CTL pedal. There a few options to set that control to but I leave mine on
patch setting. This way my CTL pedal can be used for many different tasks assigned per patch. The other
options will override any other settings in the patch and if want to make an assign for it in pedal/GK CTL
patch section all it say is ***SYSTEM*** and you are stuck with the pedal only doing one task. I
understand that some of you will use the GR-55 in different ways and it was designed that way. I used to
know this guy with a GR-33 and all he mostly did was play his piano patch and I think it was the stock
GR-33 patch with no editing. So if you were only using the GR-55 for a select few synth sounds you
might want to set it up as a hold pedal globally.

My opinion would be the same next three tabs EXP, EXPON and EXPSW. But you may want to set them
globally for your own needs. There are a few players that will use this for a synth only tool and run their
old school guitar rig. There is nothing wrong with that, the GR-55 was designed to meet the needs of
many types of players.

The GR-55 does not come set up like other synths in the way that you use the mix switch to select GK,
guitar and mix (of both guitar and synth). If you want it to do this set the GK volume to tone volume for
PCM1, PCM2 and COSM guitar globally. I set mine per patch instead of globally so I can use the GK
volume for other expression.

This picture shows the GK-3 controls.

I will give you my GR-55 setup and you may decide if it will work for you.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

CTL pedal = patch setting

EXP pedal = patch setting
EXPON = patch setting
EXPSW = patch setting
GKS1 = patch number Inc.

6. GKS2 =patch numbed Dec.

7. GK VOL = patch setting
8. HOLD = on
These settings are for my own purposes and you should set it up to meet your needs. I use the GR-55 as
an all in one box and the only way I use the guitar (dry) out is to feed my Rocktron Talk box. And I also
assign my guitar out per patch which is set up in your other section.

I have on occasion set up different GK settings for one guitar. The reason for this is to have sensitivities
and play feels for different instruments. You can also set this up per patch. This will also maximize the
tracking from one instrument to another. I find that if you set up your GK pickup right you can mostly
use your system GK set.

The key is to experiment and set it up to your needs. There is a lot to learn so you can make the most of
your performance from your setup to how you mix live.

Now lets talk about a live performance. First off you want to hear yourself play so you need to have
some sort of stage monitoring. You also want the other guys to here you too. I took 2 Tech 21 power
engine 60s and modified them by putting a pizzo horn and a 12 woofer with a crossover. This gives me
a full rang stereo sound; I even installed speaker stand cups on the bottom so I could get them in the air
with some separation. In most of my playing situations this is all I need. If I need more I have a second
stereo cord that goes from the phone jack to the board. The Tech 21s also has XLR outs that can go to
the board. In other situations I just plug strait into the board and send my signal to the floor monitors.
This is also ideal if you use in ear monitors. I am all about using as little gear as possible and sounding
like you brought everything you own. I use a 16 channel board out to an EQ and powered speakers. Its
very easy to setup and sounds great.

Setting up your patches can be trying at times and you can download gumtowns wonderful GUI editing
software. You can get it at http://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

Here is the editor and it can make patch creation easy and fast. Personally I feel that you should be used
to the manual editing process and know your way around your GR-55 first. You dont always have a
computer with you when you need to make adjustments.
If you have an external looper you can make a loop of your dry guitar signal and run the output of the
looper to the normal input of your GK-3 and edit your sound. This is a good trick so you can hear the
parameters change as you edit.

Now we are getting more into patch creation. First lets start out with an Initialized patch. Even when
you initialize a patch it still has some things turned on so you will have to turn off some things if you
truly want to start from scratch.

Structure 1 INI.g5l

Structure 2 INI.g5l

Here are 2 INI patches I made for starting from scratch. Dont be concerned if you hear nothing,
everything is turned off. You will be able to download them from the patch section or click the link in
this document.
I must apologize if I sometimes I get off topic but I have so many ideas that pour out as I type. Someday I
might organize them and consolidate them into one document.
My next topic will be a step by step walk through on making patches out of the above patches.

Until next time,

Jimmy.