Haha! Oh sh!t... What did I just buy?

sergiodeblanc

sergiodeblanc

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Apr 26, 2012
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I bought a f@cking guitar synth!

Well, just a module... I got roped back into a gig where I play keys and guitar. It'll be cool 'cause it's super low pressure with only a few shows here and there (the first one in April, which is approaching warm weather, and it's in town) and practice is like, only two blocks away and once a week.

Anyhow, the only problem I had was that I sold my last two hardware synths five years ago. I've been fine limping along with soft synths and my Mac but, I don't wanna have the hassle of bringing a computer and an interface back and forth, or dealing with all the issues inherent with using a computer for live gigs.

So I looked for some cheap @ss keyboards on Craigslist and was about to drop $60 on some ancient Peavey PCM 'board, or $120 on a similar vintage Roland xp10 with a bad screen and sticky keys, when it dawned on me: I really only needed a module. I have a nice controller and an amp, just use those... but then I was like, "Where the f@ck am I gonna set this module up on?" Stuff's gonna get messy quick, and I'm officially old and lazy now (read: slightly smarter) and don't wanna carry too much sh!t.

Then I thought it'd be great to not have to scroll through presets with my hands while I take my guitar off and get ready to sit my fat @ss down to play keys, so I said "f@ck it!" I'm gonna look at the lamest invention ever created and see what one of those footbox thingies cost.

Apparently $95 +free shipping.

Yup, my frugalness and nerdiness landed me an expanded Roland GR-09 with a power supply and a 13 pin cable.

Now, I don't have the pickup to turn it into a proper guitar synth yet.... but you know it's eventually gonna happen. I'll get drunk and find one a few months from now on eBay or some sh!t, and the next thing you know... I'll be ripping out flugelhorn solos layered over my sweet overdriven DG30 tones. Yessir, its gonna so cool!

Now I just need to find a cellphone holster for my newly acquired braided leather belt that I wear with my Crocs and my periwinkle polo shirt over some jean shorts. I've gone FULL DAD!!!

If y'all are lucky enough I may even make a youtube video to share.
 
Welcome to the expanded palate of gtr synth .............. and the nightmares of bad tracking, unaligned pitchbending, and techno glitches.:p

Been using my Fishman triple play for a while now, great tool for recording, finally figured out how to play it so it sounds more like a keyboard and less like a gtr too .... still can't get the thing to pitchbend very well though.:oops:
 
Huggy B said:
Welcome to the expanded palate of gtr synth .............. and the nightmares of bad tracking, unaligned pitchbending, and techno glitches.:p

Been using my Fishman triple play for a while now, great tool for recording, finally figured out how to play it so it sounds more like a keyboard and less like a gtr too .... still can't get the thing to pitchbend very well though.:oops:
Click to expand...

It's more like welcome back. I used to own a GR50, even had the pickup mounted on my CE, although I must've been the only one who used the double-sided tape instead of drilling holes into the top.

I really only plan on using it as a sound module, I'll hook it up to a keyboard controller. But yeah, eventually I'll buy a pickup... you know it'll happen.

Regarding the pitch bend and sounding more like a keys player, I found that switching it to chromatic helped a bunch. Rather than being able to bend notes like a guitar player, making it down up and down in stepped increments really helped me not be tempted to bend notes with it.
 
Might I make a suggestion...

bOwK81o.jpg
 
sergiodeblanc said:
Rather than being able to bend notes like a guitar player, making it down up and down in stepped increments really helped me not be tempted to bend notes with it.
Click to expand...

I don't even try anymore, I just use it to lay down beats, keys, & bass lines.:p
...... but I did record a techno pop backing track with it that get's more plays on my soundcloud than my Jazz, Rock and R&B.:(
 
Huggy B said:
I don't even try anymore, I just use it to lay down beats, keys, & bass lines.:p
Click to expand...

The only thing I think I could use it with guitar for is recording some wacky single note lines that I'd be too lazy to transpose over to keys. You know, like some crazy complex sh!t similar to the intro to Getaway by EW&F or if I wanted to pretend to be Chick and Al in RTF.
 
Don't worry about putting up some YT clips. I'll hit that local show and record it for the fellas. Sh!t, I'll bet Peter and Boogie would even come to town for it. Not to mention Jesse.
 
sergiodeblanc said:
That's not even close to the sheer digital hell that Tosca and I will be banging out.
Click to expand...

Jesse could accompany us on his massive Eurorack setup...but we'd have to hire some roadies to help set it all up...

On a related note...I played my GR-55 (on the steel drum patch) through a Korg Miku Stomp last night and may have opened a gateway to another dimension (or hell).
 
Tosca said:
On a related note...I played my GR-55 (on the steel drum patch) through a Korg Miku Stomp last night and may have opened a gateway to another dimension (or hell).
Click to expand...

Or at least the hidden underground level in Mario bothers
 
Didn't want to just go with an EHX? (B9/C9/K9/Mel9)

The tracking is pretty darn good. No patch switching tho.
 
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