odibrom
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Link please...
7 string Midi guitars?
- Thread starter etrotter
- Start date
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Holy crap! they did it! Why would they do this 25 years after the fact? How could there possibly be market for this still? lol. . . Dang it. Now I'm looking into this stuff again. lol.
BOSS - GK5-KIT-G7 | Divided Pickup Kit
GK5-KIT-G7: Divided Pickup Kit - Advanced Divided Pickup Integration
www.boss.info
edit: there's also this thing too.
BOSS - GKC-DA | GK Converter
GKC-DA: GK Converter - Drive BOSS and Roland 13-Pin GK Devices from the Next-Generation Serial GK Interface
www.boss.info
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swimrunner
Member
The GK5-G6 and GK5-G7 are new products with a new connector, the Serial interface. This uses a 1/4" jack, but it's a digital signal. The old 13-pin format carried individual analog signals for each string and did A/D conversion on the device (ex SY-1000, VG-99). Now they're switching to doing A/D conversion at the guitar, which is a good thing. This reduces noise and the connector itself is more durable.
As a bonus, a digital connector means they can do (rumored) wireless GK for the first time, and no extra DA/AD which is going to be helpful even when just playing your regular pickups through amp sims, ala the Pod Go Wireless. Note that only the internal kits linked above carry regular pickup signals - the GK5 external pickup does not.
I'm relatively optimistic here. My biggest gripe with Boss/Roland is that they aren't the best with firmware updates - they'll do a few bugfixes, but it's not like Fractal or Line6 where they are consistently adding new features. So they need to get it right the first time. I have been an SY-1000 user for the past few years, and I really wish they would have implemented on-device scene mode like with their other products.
With that said, the GK system does a lot of unique things. The guitar modeling (including acoustics) is good and it allows for per-string alternate tuning; I can Drop D or DADGAD at the press of a switch with no change in setup, and unlike piezo-based systems (Line6) there is no funniness with palm muting. The pitch shifting works better with larger intervals and going down rather than up. Drop D and low open tunings are good, D Standard and lower sounds good, but Eb doesn't, and going up more than a third you hear it more as a harmonizer (albeit usable in its own right). I will be happy to have this in 7-string form; I don't love the low string tension of Drop A/Ab.
I don't use the MIDI for "primary" sounds, but there are synth sounds (GR-300, sine/tri-waves) accessible from processing the string signal directly that respond to dynamics normally and don't have the weird feel/occasional failures of pitch-to-MIDI. I think MIDI guitar itself is always going to be imperfect and I don't trust it with melody/riffs; if I use it, it's in the background (i.e. pads/harmony), where the occasional failure to trigger is not a big deal. Other people say the problems of MIDI guitar are fixable with technique, but this is not my experience. I think even a $50 MIDI keyboard is always going to be a better experience, even if you don't have a history with piano/keys.
Thus, I did not buy the recent GM-800 (mostly a MIDI-based box). There is supposedly some kind of successor model to GP-10 or SY-1000 (unclear if flagship-level or smaller) coming out by the end of the year, which is what these kits are for. It would be nice if it could completely replace my SY-1000, but again, Boss/Roland sometimes leave things out in successors (i.e. the SY-1000 does not have some things the VG-99 had). I will almost certainly buy the new unit either way, but I would advise new people to only go down the rabbit hole if you're sure it's for you. Historically, the GK system has not been super plug-and-play or friendly for new users, although they have shown some progress lately with their UI on other devices. Again, cautiously optimistic.
Hope this is useful for you and others.
Vostre Roy
Disciple of Djod
Well, looks like I'll have to clean up my GR-55 and contact my guitar builder to see if he can integrate this little fella in the guitar I'm getting build.
Will need that box to be able to properly convert the 13-pins cable. Damn you, unnecessary needs!
Will need that box to be able to properly convert the 13-pins cable. Damn you, unnecessary needs!
odibrom
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Do they have this in top mount option?...Holy crap! they did it! Why would they do this 25 years after the fact? How could there possibly be market for this still? lol. . . Dang it. Now I'm looking into this stuff again. lol.
BOSS - GK5-KIT-G7 | Divided Pickup Kit
GK5-KIT-G7: Divided Pickup Kit - Advanced Divided Pickup Integration
edit: there's also this thing too.
BOSS - GKC-DA | GK Converter
GKC-DA: GK Converter - Drive BOSS and Roland 13-Pin GK Devices from the Next-Generation Serial GK Interface
Vostre Roy
Disciple of Djod
You mean the pickup or the preamp thing?
The pickup can be direct mounted on a flat top using screws and springs, otherwise there is a bridge mounting option:
As for the GK Serial thing, there is one for the 6 strings option that you can top mount but I can't seems to find anything about the 7 strings pickup and GK Serial unit together, only the kit with the "discreet" unit.
Yes, I've been actively searching about this product since I found this thread this morning.
I don't know if they do or not. YOu'd have to ask Boss. I remember back with the original gk they didn't really advertise the internal (top mount) kit. The pickup is the same thing basically with the wire coming out the bottom so it's a clean internal install if I remember right.
edit: oops I was thinking backwards. You meant the top mounted pickup controls one. I don't think they have that in the gk-7, only the gk-5. I wonder if it'd be as easy as just changing the pickup out to the seven string hex pickup from the 5. I doubt it.
- Boss also has the Boss gs-1 guitar. It looks pretty neat but it's really expensive. I don't trust this tech. I spent thousands trying to make it work back in the day and it never panned out to the level of performing leads with reliability. I know the tech is better now and probably totally doable but I can't put myself through it again. lol.
- After you noodle with this tech for a while you start to realize it's fun but hard to use in a complex way. The simple pad stuff and monophonic stuff can be done for less than a couple hundred bucks anyways and the non guitar to midi conversion stuff like 'midi guitar' is polyphonic and getting pretty good. I downloaded that free version awhile ago and it tracked really good. My computer had latency because it's old but what I was playing was translating well. I didn't link it up to an actual synth or anything though, only internal trial stuff but it was nice. Stuff like those EHX B9, C9, Mel9, etc are great if you want the sound they have in them to. I think at this point I'm to bothered by it to try it again. I'd have to see someone else do it and have it really impress to start the gas going for this stuff again.
- I can't wait to see people bring this tech to life but I also think there's a reason you don't see it alot. It's expensive, it's a risk, it's a pain in the ass, it's not well supported etc. When it's really solid I may try it again, but even after getting it to work you gotta think of either syncing a midi track to it for live or recording possibly, or even harder, the expensive midi foot controller to rack it up and make it work etc. It then falls back on doing more simple parts with it which can be done for far less money in more elegant ways too.
- It's very niche but awesome tech. I want to see it thrive, but I already gave this tech all the money I ever will until they actually impress me. - Btw, when I was doing this I tried various stuff, the AX100sb, Yamaha g50, Kurzweil k2500, Korg Triton and other stuff too. It was awesome for a time, then it was just cumbersome tbh. I really do miss playing cellos, pianos, sitars, organs etc on gutiar, but I had to move on. I freed up cash and got a custom guitar made.
- I will be keeping my eye on this stuff though. I still love the idea. Being able to play other insturments, synth pads and filters etc. It really does expand creativity but making it work in a live flow situation is very difficult if it's being used a lot. It's much better suited for studio use or in non lead scenarions, imo. You can sometimes get away with it in a lead scenarion but that's hit or miss.
- The idea of the break out box they used to have like on that Les Paul midi guitar was cool. It was analog using the same pickup and you could seperate and process each string individually. That was neat, but in practical terms only as useful as the one who can use it, like phaser, super flanger, etc. They're neat but just not needed most the time. You have to really have a need and a lot of time. The fact almost all music hasn't used this, professionals have had access to it for decades and still don't use it for the most part etc. really is a hard sell.
- I'm really glad Boss is keeping this going though. I'm sure ( I hope) it's much better than it use to be and can't wait to see what everyone else does with it first.
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stretcher7
Well-Known Member
It does not appear so. It looks like it has to be installed internally. I'm already planning my next guitar purchase to install one.
odibrom
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Kind of the same in this side of the globe.
Question, where does one plug this into without additional interfaces?
Jam Origin MG3 beta version, no midi pickup needed, just use your normal guitar.
Currently MG3 only works for Mac, but windows version in development.
https://www.jamorigin.com/beta/
Currently MG3 only works for Mac, but windows version in development.
https://www.jamorigin.com/beta/
odibrom
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I meant the preamp/box thing... The pickup itself is straight forward...
EDIT: these new 7 string MIDI pickups should not be called Hex, but HEPTA (means 7, like HEXA means 6)...
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