Roland Introduces New V-Guitar System

Roland's VG-88 (Click for a larger picture)

Roland is proud to introduce the long-awaited successor to its revolutionary VG-8 V-Guitar System: the new VG-88. Like the legendary VG-8, this futuristic floor-based guitar system uses advanced COSM technology to "model" the most popular guitar types, guitar pickups, amplifiers, speaker configurations, mic placements and effects in music history, as well as produce some very interesting and musical guitar-meets-synth sounds.

Boasting new guitar and amp models, new onboard effects, an onboard expression pedal, and refined, incredibly intuitive operation, the VG-88 can turn any electric guitar equipped with a GK-2A or compatible pickup into a virtual studio of guitars, amps and effects. And this new V-Guitar System even has a direct 1/4" input, so guitarists can take advantage of its COSM amps and effects without the use of a special divided pickup.

The VG-88s 160 Preset and 100 User Patches offer a variety of classic guitar and amp sounds, as well as newly-developed guitar models plus new brass and synth sounds using Harmonic Restructure Modeling (HRM). HRM can produce some very unique synth-type sounds which cannot be achieved using any other instrumentsynth or guitarand like the VG-88s COSM guitar and amp models, these sounds can be played without the tracking delay often associated with guitar synthesis.

In addition to the new guitar models, the VG-88 also offers extremely natural new tube amp models and overdriven sounds, giving guitarists even more variation and color between warm, overdriven amp tones. But the VG-88 doesnt stop with modeling other guitars and amps. Its ability to model guitar sounds is paired with a host of incredible effects and polyphonic pitch shifting that can instantly call-up a variety of different tunings or string-assignable effects like a new polyphonic octaver and polyphonic Slow Gear through the stomp of a footpedal. Theres even a host of new insert effects derived from BOSS cutting-edge GT-Series of guitar effects processors.

All of the VG-88s powerful technology is made accessible through a refined interface thats incredibly user-friendly. Helpful icons and graphics make selecting guitar and amp models easy, while editing is simplified through the use of a new EZ Edit mode and Value dial. With its onboard assignable expression and control pedals, direct 1/4" guitar input, and new Output Select switch (allowing for connection to conventional guitar amps or power amps), the VG-88 has made it that much easier to take the guitar into the 21st century.