Re: more VG-99 questions

[David Coffin <dpcoffin@earthlink.net>]

On Sep 2, 2008, at 10:35 AM, Douglas Baldwin wrote:

> Recent talk about the VG-99, and a financially successful yard sale  
> this
> past weekend, has me jonesin' to own one.

Not surprising; it's by far the deepest, most distinctive guitar  
processor out there now. (Challenges? I'd love to hear 'em! Eventides  
are deeper FX, sure, but aren't guitar based, hexaphonic, synth  
modelers, etc....)

Based on forum talk, the only area that folks are sometimes  
disappointed over is using the VG live. I don't do that so I haven't  
paid much attention, but if you do, this is worth digging deeper on.

>
>    How's the GK-3 pickup? Should I consider a dedicated hex-output  
> guitar,
> like a Godin, ferinstance? Should I consider the GKKITG3 on-board  
> system?

The consensus (still somewhat controversial) seems to be that piezo  
pickup systems which used to work fine with the VG8 and 88 (Godin,  
RMC, Ghost, Baggs, Brian Moore), aren't working on the 99 quite as  
well as the GK-3. Read more at forum link below.

I reluctantly added a GK-3 to my old RMC-driven VG-specific guitar  
just to cover all bases, and am glad I did, mostly because I can now  
drive both the 99 and the 8 or 88 without needing a 13-pin splitter  
box. It felt like it'd be a desecration before I did it; afterwards, I  
don't even notice.


>
> I'm excellent with tools and guitar electronics, and I can play very
> accurately.
>    And how's the MIDI tracking in a live context? I dig that folks  
> say they
> can send MIDI to their 'puters for future use, but how's it track in  
> real
> time?
>    And, bummer of bummers, it seems that *some* effects are  
> polyphonic,
> while others are not. Like the Slow Gear is polyphonic (yay!) but  
> the Ring
> Mod is not (boo!)? Might someone bother to list *what* is/isn't  
> polyphonic?

Only 3 poly FX: Slow gear, Compression, Distortion. Ring mod (etc.)  
sounds great anyway:)

>
>    Where else might I go to get the big picture on this piece of gear?
> (I've read a few reviews, and checked the Roland site, including  
> scanning a
> bit of the manual.) I'm deep into the GT series of pedals, by the way.

http://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php


Welcome...
dc