Roland VG-88 IS AWESOME!

[aleclee]

Re: Roland VG-88 IS AWESOME!

I'd be all over the VG if I fell in love with a guitar with a 13 pin output (e.g., Brian Moore). I can't bring myself to put a GK system on any of the guitars that I have today.

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Roland VG-88 IS AWESOME!

I've never heard of this modeller before Ben, this a high $ jobbie?

Hmm, loaded question. A VG-88 and GK pickup will set you back about $800 (used) to $1k (new).

VG stands for virtual guitar ... it's almost impossible to explain, which is one of the reasons that I think it's not as popular as it should be!

Imagine what great drum or orchestral samples can do, and then apply that to guitar sounds. The VG-88 isn't really "modeling", it's creating real-time samples based off of a myriad of factors. It even knows when you play a pinch harmonic, and the tracking is wicked fast. Modeling is too simple a word for what the VG series does. And now there's a Virtual Synth out ... I WANT ONE!!

To address your other issues:

- If you are using models in the hopes of passing them off as mic'd guitars, then they will never do it, no matter how good the sample is. That's not my goal. I, personally, like the totally anechoic (meaning, "roomless") sound that I get when I track solos this way. It makes the solo more intimate sounding, the phrasing cuts through better, and it gives you a totally different sound to layer on all those cranked rhythm tracks.

- Playing through headphones. Definitely an acquired skill. I've heard your playing, tho, Jeff. You have chops. And I've read your posts. You have intelligence. With a little bit of elbow grease, you'll have it mastered in no time.

- For rhythm tracks, and even harmonies, I love the 'air' you get when you can hear from the cone forcing the daiphram on the mic to move. Double it, quadrouple it, or even pile 8 tracks up, and it just gets bigger and bigger. A single lead track always sounds lost to me when I do it. However, I also don't think I've come across a mic that I really like for tracking solos with yet. So, you have to take it with a grain of salt.

BTW..great track..great playing...PJ wailed on that

Thank you.

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Roland VG-88 IS AWESOME!

COSM are the best chips out there IMHO- Have been using GP100 for years live and VG8s in the studio-

zionstrat, I've been thinking about picking up a VG-8 to add to my rig. It has things on it that the '88 doesn't, and some of the patches (like the Yes Rickenbacker bass and Steve Vai plug in) are jaw dropping!!

[JeffB]

Re: Roland VG-88 IS AWESOME!

Hmm, loaded question. A VG-88 and GK pickup will set you back about $800 (used) to $1k (new).

VG stands for virtual guitar ... it's almost impossible to explain, which is one of the reasons that I think it's not as popular as it should be!

Imagine what great drum or orchestral samples can do, and then apply that to guitar sounds. The VG-88 isn't really "modeling", it's creating real-time samples based off of a myriad of factors. It even knows when you play a pinch harmonic, and the tracking is wicked fast. Modeling is too simple a word for what the VG series does. And now there's a Virtual Synth out ... I WANT ONE!!

Sounds WAYYYY too complicated for this redneck. I like "on" and 'off".. thats about my limit for technology

- If you are using models in the hopes of passing them off as mic'd guitars, then they will never do it, no matter how good the sample is. That's not my goal. I, personally, like the totally anechoic (meaning, "roomless") sound that I get when I track solos this way. It makes the solo more intimate sounding, the phrasing cuts through better, and it gives you a totally different sound to layer on all those cranked rhythm tracks.

Interesting way of looking at/hearing it. NO, I'm def not looking at modelers for that..for me it's just away to get some clips up of things, and analyze my own playing problems, and then work on them.

Playing through headphones. Definitely an acquired skill. I've heard your playing, tho, Jeff. You have chops. And I've read your posts. You have intelligence. With a little bit of elbow grease, you'll have it mastered in no time.

well thanks...you are too kind! I tend to be one of those 80s posers when I play (not purposefully..it just happens! ) ...so headphones don't help when I'm having a Jake E. Lee moment

[Mincer]

Re: Roland VG-88 IS AWESOME!

COSM are the best chips out there IMHO- Have been using GP100 for years live and VG8s in the studio-

Ahh another GP-100 user! I really loved mine, and I got a deal on a new GT-Pro, which has the latest COSM in it- 2 chips! So each patch can have 2 'channels' you switch with a footswitch, or,. get this, picking dynamics. Go from JC-120 to Triple Rect by how hard you pick...crazy stuff.

[AmirH]

Re: Roland VG-88 IS AWESOME!

death's acre, if you didnt know it was a VG, you wouldnt know it was a modeler at all.

True but by the same token that goes for most modellers these days. I few people at the Sneap forum were fooled by a digitech unit- when I listened to the clip I thought it sounded terrible. So... yeah.

[Davey]

Re: Roland VG-88 IS AWESOME!

dude... LOL that was a digitech





but if you set up and mix it properly, nowadays, it's realy hard to hear the diference on a full recording

[AmirH]

Re: Roland VG-88 IS AWESOME!

Unless you know what you're listening for

Really though I can't say anything since TO has now said he prefers the direct sound to a mic'd cab for lead work. And yeah, the digitech sounded pretty bad. If you've heard Crimson II by Swano though that was all podxt and doesn't sound bad at all. Different strokes for different folks.

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Roland VG-88 IS AWESOME!

Really though I can't say anything since TO has now said he prefers the direct sound to a mic'd cab for lead work.

It's a public forum; you can say what you like.

I get asked constantly why I prefer that sound, and my answer is straight out of the Apple Jacks commercial: I JUST DO!

[nuntius]

Re: Roland VG-88 IS AWESOME!

Go from JC-120 to Triple Rect by how hard you pick...crazy stuff.

All that Roland stuff (individual effects for each string etc) is just mad.. if I could justify me spending that much money for a few extra effects tricks I would.. but I can't. That ^ sounds very cool though

[Mincer]

Re: Roland VG-88 IS AWESOME!

All that Roland stuff (individual effects for each string etc) is just mad.. if I could justify me spending that much money for a few extra effects tricks I would.. but I can't. That ^ sounds very cool though

the GT-8 and the GT-Pro both have this, you don't need the whole VG-88 setup to do it. I gotta say though, it is super fun to do this...or have one amp coming out of the left speaker while another out of the right...saves time when recording too!

[zionstrat]

Re: Roland VG-88 IS AWESOME!

zionstrat, I've been thinking about picking up a VG-8 to add to my rig. It has things on it that the '88 doesn't, and some of the patches (like the Yes Rickenbacker bass and Steve Vai plug in) are jaw dropping!!

Yes the Rick bass was kick- I've tried to use the GP100 harmonizer for bass and it just cant track it, but then again that's why its not VG series-

But one way or the other I've got to start planning for the Geep's retirement- I've probalby got 50 hours into the live patches and about half of that into my studio patches and the last thing I need is to have to rebuild during a busy week! Will have to seriously sit down with GT8 and pro, but sure like the idea of an old VG8

[Mincer]

Re: Roland VG-88 IS AWESOME!

di effect, make use you use a program like MidiOx to save sysex dumps- especially after lots of tweaking. I always save a file of my patches after any tweaking- when something goes wrong- and it will, with any digital preset device- I can always instantly get back to where I was.

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Roland VG-88 IS AWESOME!

di effect, make use you use a program like MidiOx to save sysex dumps- especially after lots of tweaking. I always save a file of my patches after any tweaking- when something goes wrong- and it will, with any digital preset device- I can always instantly get back to where I was.

Great idea!

[vinterland]

Re: Roland VG-88 IS AWESOME!

If you've heard Crimson II by Swano though that was all podxt and doesn't sound bad at all. Different strokes for different folks.

Dang I didn't realize he used only a POD on that album. I love the lead tone on that album, that huge delayed tone, sounds so good even though I could tell it was some sort of modeler.