PremierGuitar has an interesting review of the new Roland GR-55 Guitar Synthesizer. The verdict? The GR-55 is a deceptively simple looking pedal that has a great deal of depth to it. Overall, the sound quality of the synth voices, COSM guitars, and various effects is excellent. I appreciated the clarity of all of the sounds. And … Continue reading “Roland GR-55 Guitar Synthesizer Review”
PremierGuitar has an interesting review of the new Roland GR-55 Guitar Synthesizer.
The verdict?
The GR-55 is a deceptively simple looking pedal that has a great deal of depth to it.
Overall, the sound quality of the synth voices, COSM guitars, and various effects is excellent. I appreciated the clarity of all of the sounds. And although I beefed up a number of patches using the onboard EQ to have more bass and punch, those adjustments were fast and easy. Keeping a guitar synth affordable typically requires a lot of design compromises. But the Roland is still a very powerful unit. And without question, it is the best tracking guitar synthesizer that I have ever played.
The ability to blend COSM guitars with synths is inspirational, and this pedal could open the door to new creative options for guitarists of any style. Indeed guitar players interested in increasing their tonal palette in a big way may find that the GR-55 alone can do far more for them than a rack of regular stomp boxes or multi-effects.
The GR-55 combines two banks of 910 synth voices with Roland’s COSM models and the ability to mix in dry signal. At about $700 street price, the new Roland GR-55 guitar synth looks like the best guitar synth deal in town.
See the full review at PremierGuitar.
If you’ve tried out the Roland GR-55 guitar synth, let me know what you think of it!
PocketGK is a $4.99 bass guitar amp application for the iPhone and iPad, designed for practicing with your iTunes music.