Roland VG-99???

[jackthehack]

Anybody have a chance to check one of these out thoroughly yet? Comments?

http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.aspx?ObjectId=849

The only place that has one around here doesn't want to pull it from the box and let the punters/tirebiters get to it... I've always been intrigued with the Roland Guitar sythesizers, but never could get past the internittent pick attack delays and the quality of a lot of the patches; is this really a significant improvement?

 

[bpmorton777]

Jack,

VG8, VG88, VG99 arnt synths, they are like the Line6 Variax with a POD stuffed in it in a floor pedel. I have a GR 33 and, yes, there can be a delay if you arnt used to playing through one. Also, all the gr-33s ive tryed out in the stores had been mucked with to the point that the tuning and tracking made you sound like you never played a guitar before.

You can use the amp models and efects on the VG99 on any guitar but you'll need the a hex pickup in your guitar to access the guitar models.

there should not be any significant delay using the guitar models. You could also check out the Fender VG strat if you want a listen at a bit of what it can do.


Brian

 

[Volitions Advocate]

in my opinion the VG99 is excellent but i'll never buy one.

If you've seen the videos than you know what It does, if you havent i'd wonder why you're asking about it.  But i've played around with one and all the features it says it has work just like they do in the videos.  You can do anything you want with that thing which is for sure.. Whether or not its a real "synth" i dont think is really relevant.  It has synth sounds on it that you'll never get out of a Digitech GX series, Line 6 Pod series or even a Boss GT series like of processors.  Yeah it does a lot of amp and guitar modelling but it also does weird synth and arpeggiater kind of sounds, detuning by individual strings (id would venture probably more reliable than a transperformer)  the only problem is to get the functionality out of you're tied to a midi pickup (Roland GK or others, lots of Godin guitars are coming with them integrated now) which means a 13 pin cable.  I use a wireless so that turned me off.  Plus you've got the d-Beam which is awesome, i was playing around with it as a whammy bar and its great fun.

Honestly. If i had a bottomless bank account i'd get one. and buy a warmoth with no hardware and just go get a GK3 and hook it up.  But I dont. and rathe rthan spend 1300 on the VG99 and an additional 400 bucks on a decent midi controller to use it with,,, and a guitar with a midi pickup (or just a midi pickup) and have to deal with going wired all over again or spending a ridiculous amount on a wireless midi...  well you get the picture.

it all depends on what you want. 

I found it difficult to play it without the amp models.  like it wont give you signal if you turn the amp models off... i dont know i probably just didn't figure it out right away, i only played it for a little bit.

more bang for your buck to get the GT10 which is my plan anyway. its 500 bucks and does a lot of stuff.