Re: Roland VG8 Guitar system?

[Martin Shellard <martins@pwdu.demon.co.uk>]

I have to say I am a devoted VG-8 user and own both the VG-8 and VG-88 (not
at all a little brother, more a fitter but less well-educated cousin :  )

The VG-8 doesn't "track" like a guitar synth, it isn't a synth like the GR
series, it performs real time DSP (actually FFT-Fast Fourier Transform) and
responds to any incoming audio even on a synth type sound. Since there is 
no
pitch to midi conversion, It responds just like a regular guitar to
harmonics, pick scrapes, shouting into the pickup etc...

The sounds are very flexible, it models a range of pickups and amp types 
and
does a passable piezo acoustic too. It is a hex processor so you can have
open tunings and hex fuzz, plugging an EV-5 into it will give you foot
controlled over some parameters.

It has built in Reverb, chorus/flanger and delay, eq plus a six way pitch
shifter (with each string under pedal control moving to different pitches!)
etc. It absolutely does loop! The fx are my favourite part, the flanger and
chorus have huge range in the controls so you can set them up as 
resonators,
the delay has infinite feedback and does about 1 sec. I have got some
beautiful ambient textures from this unit that sound nothing like guitar.

Price wise I can't really comment on US prices (I'm in the UK) but the 
VG-88
is selling for c.$900-1000 so the VG-8 should be a good deal less, just
before the VG-88 came out some stores were selling the VG-8 for $500.

As a looping tool the VG-8 is a monster, combined with a longer outboard
delay you have a massive palette of sounds to play with and some pretty 
good
vintage style sounds too.

 
Martin Shellard 


> From: Legion <Legion@voicenet.com>

> 
> I've got a line on a used Roland VG8 guitar system (Floor unit, GK2a
> pick, cable, etc).  I'm only passingly familiar with this unit so I'd
> like to get actual users feelings on how well it tracks, how flexible
> the sounds are, how it compares to the other GR1/9/30 series, etc.
> Basically any info from someone who has used one for a while.
> 
> Does it have built in effects? To be on topic, can it Loop? :)
> 
> Finally what's a fair price for such a unit these days? I know they were
> pretty darn expensive new if I recall correctly.
> 
> Email privately if you feel it's more appropriate.
> 
> Thanks for any/all help
> 
>