Who uses a guitar synth live?

[GuitarPlayerFL]

I see that newmaxnew mentioned using a guitar synth live.

 

I'm going to be using a Roland GR-33 in a side band where I'll play both guitar and synth (electric pianos, organ, etc.) The other members will play acoustic guitar, bass, and drums. The acoustic player will sing and the bassist and I will provide backing vocals.

 

Many bands around here keep it to a three piece as the average bar pay is $350-$400. We'll have four people, but that's better than the other six piece band I'm in (really a wedding band, but those gigs have slowed down with the economy).

 

Any problems with using the synth live? Are you happy with the results?

 

Gracias.

[newmaxnew]

I Use the Roland GR-33 also. I hook it up to a powered JBL EON.

 

If you haven't played one much you will need to modify your playing technique a bit and play with the different pickup response setting until you get something that works for you.

 

I use mine for Strings, Horns, and Organ sounds. It really freaks some people out as they try and figure out where the horns are coming from. Other just thnk we are running backing tracks which we don't. It can also be very hard to dupicate soempiano and organ parts due to how different a guitar fingerboard and keyboard are.

 

I had the power connector on my first GR-33 go wonky on me and I ended up buying another one as a replacement/backup. I tried the new one GR-20 I think and decided I would rather have another used GR-33.

 

Max

[ggm1960]

The other guitar player in the band before the last one used the Roland GR-33. It seemed to work ok for him but there's something extremely odd, to me anyway, about hearing piano sounds emanate from a guitar.

 

This is one tech product that doesn't appeal to my geekyness much because when I want keyboard/synth sounds..........I just play keyboard/synth.

[newmaxnew]

If I had any skills on the keyboard I would probably just play these parts on a keyboard. However I just don't have the time to learn a new instrument right now.

 

Max

[ggm1960]

 

If I had any skills on the keyboard I would probably just play these parts on a keyboard. However I just don't have the time to learn a new instrument right now. Max

 

 

Like a lot of things, it can turn into an obsession. I used to just use a 61 key Roland board and run it mono into a little KC100 amp. That didn't really add much to my normal rig of guitar stuff but then after awhile I got to the point where I thought I had to have 88 keys and then had to stack keyboards for more sounds just because I had them and then it all had to be in stereo and on and on.........

[GuitarPlayerFL]

Yes, a real keyboard would be ideal. I took one semester of class piano 13 years ago, but did not keep at it.

 

I've had my GR-33 a few years but have not used it live in a band.

I'm well aware that you become its bitch...your playing must be precise.

 

I was thinking about panning one sound center left and the other center right while keeping my guitar signal in the middle.

 

My main concern is switching quickly between straight guitar and key sounds and I'll be juggling both at the same time. it's too much of a hassle to use the slider switch on the GK-3. I was thinking of leaving the switch on both guitar and synth and then using the GR-33's volume pedal to bring in the keyboard part.

 

And I may have to program a zero volume patch on my RP1000 to cut the guitar signal when I just need key sounds.

 

Thanks for the replies.

[picothinker]

It doesn't count as a guitar synth, but I cut up a little plastic Guitar Hero toy, and placed a Korg Kaosillator inside it. The fake buttons on the neck are patched into the synth, they can do things. I got a line out working, and took it to a bar where friends of mine were playing.

 

It was only I/IV/V but it was fun.

[germanicus2112]

I see that newmaxnew mentioned using a guitar synth live. I'm going to be using a Roland GR-33 in a side band where I'll play both guitar and synth (electric pianos, organ, etc.) The other members will play acoustic guitar, bass, and drums. The acoustic player will sing and the bassist and I will provide backing vocals. Many bands around here keep it to a three piece as the average bar pay is $350-$400. We'll have four people, but that's better than the other six piece band I'm in (really a wedding band, but those gigs have slowed down with the economy). Any problems with using the synth live? Are you happy with the results? Gracias.

 

I use a roland vg99 system live and either pipe the midi output to a netbook running softsynths or my roland gr33.

 

Works fine. I Send the output to a channel on my Traynor k4.

 

Setup is critical, as well as clean playing. Playing a guitar synth should be viewed as almost a seperate instrument, that requires a much more precise style or you can get little noises you dont want.

[J.Paul]

A buddy of mine that plays in a band called Sugarsmax plays bass but uses a Gracie stand to hold a guitar synth then will play horn and key parts with one hand and play bass w/ the other.

[newmaxnew]

 

Like a lot of things, it can turn into an obsession. I used to just use a 61 key Roland board and run it mono into a little KC100 amp. That didn't really add much to my normal rig of guitar stuff but then after awhile I got to the point where I thought I had to have 88 keys and then had to stack keyboards for more sounds just because I had them and then it all had to be in stereo and on and on.........

 

 

We also have a guy on the other side of the stage that knows how to play keys and he plays a hammond and some type of Roland that he uses for piano. I just bring my synth because I already had one and it adds some flexability to our band.

 

For some reason playing horn parts works real with a guitar synth.

 

Max

[ggm1960]

 

For some reason playing horn parts works real with a guitar synth. Max

 

 

Yes horn parts work great on a guitar synth because horns are legato. If you're able to mute adjacent strings and apply some portamento at your synth you should get some great horn sounds.

[gtrbass]

I use a Godin guitar with the Axon AX100mk II driving an EMU Vintage Keys pro live. The synth sounds go into a Roland KC-350 keyboard amp. It tracks extremely well.

[mnash]

Eh. I was at an open mic jam a few weeks back, playing with some guys I didn't know, took a solo on my horn, held my own I thought. Then this guitar player takes the next solo, pushes a few pedals, turns it way up, and he's doing this sax sound, all screaming high notes and flashy riffs, except of course way louder than I could play through the mic. I wasn't sure what to think - was he mocking me? Giving me a nod? Hoping I would think it was cool? Or maybe he was just completely oblivious? I nodded and smiled and said "wow, cool" and all that, but it was hard not to feel mildly insulted, or at least in the presence of poor taste.

 

But putting that incident aside and attempting some objectivity, I agree that the guys who have worked at it and ironed out the bugs are easy to spot versus the those who are just noodling around with their cool new toys. I've heard some guys using guitar synth to successfully pull off, say, some B3 or maybe some grinding dirty pure synth sounds, but to me, when they try to mimic flutes, saxes, piano, brass, or other acoustic instruments it can come off kind of contrived, even corny.

 

Or maybe I'm just feeling insecure and don't want to be too easily replaced?

[GuitarPlayerFL]

Or maybe I'm just feeling insecure and don't want to be too easily replaced?

 

You are being replaced....that's the point in using a guitar synth.

 

We could just use guitars and still play the song. I saw a (good) three piece band cover Superstition and it still worked....the crowd still loved it and didn't miss the instruments that weren't there.

 

A good key player is always preferred, but the bottom line is $$$$. When you have too many members to pay, it's not worth playing out.

[GuitarPlayerFL]

 

I use a Godin guitar with the Axon AX100mk II

 

 

That is the direction I will head in the future. The Axon is far superior to the Roland synth along with the piezo MIDI pickup.

 

The demo videos on the Axon website are very impressive.

[newmaxnew]

I was thinking of trying to cop the synth and organ sounds for the Head East song There's Never Been Any Reason. I think I can get close if I play around at putting together my own patch.

 

Our keyboard player is pretty much a piano and hammon organ guy and he doesn't have any good synth sounds in his keyboard rig.

 

Max

[GuitarPlayerFL]

 

I was thinking of trying to cop the synth and organ sounds for the Head East song There's Never Been Any Reason. I think I can get close if I play around at putting together my own patch. Our keyboard player is pretty much a piano and hammon organ guy and he doesn't have any good synth sounds in his keyboard rig. Max

 

 

As I start to learn the key parts for songs, i feel it's also going to improve my guitar playing since a key player may approach comping differently.

[ggm1960]

 

I was thinking of trying to cop the synth and organ sounds for the Head East song There's Never Been Any Reason. I think I can get close if I play around at putting together my own patch. Our keyboard player is pretty much a piano and hammon organ guy and he doesn't have any good synth sounds in his keyboard rig. Max

 

 

If I remember correctly that sound is pretty close to being a plain 'ole square wave with a little embellishment.

[ggm1960]

As I start to learn the key parts for songs, i feel it's also going to improve my guitar playing since a key player may approach comping differently.

 

The instruments and playing techniques are so different there's not much chance of that happening except perhaps in the context of music theory knowledge.

 

A keyboard is linear which makes it easier to visualize and play chords and extensions but to get a good motion going with it you've got to get some pattern movement going with the left hand.

 

It's easier to get movement going on the guitar out of gate because you can rake strings for a percussive effect coupled with some simple I V barre chords. Becoming an advanced guitarist is pretty tricky though because of the amazing variety of fingerings for extended chords.

 

There are 5 places you can play a middle C on a 20 fret guitar and of course only one on the piano.

 

I've played both instruments at gigs for years but had always been more capable on guitar. That's been changing and I've been developing my boogie and slip note piano abilities while also spiffing up my ability to read notation.

 

What I like about keyboards is that I don't need to tune, don't get blisters and don't worry about my hands being sweaty or sticky. Also at my age I think I look a little more "refined" behind the keys.

[GuitarPlayerFL]

 

The instruments and playing techniques are so different there's not much chance of that happening except perhaps in the context of music theory knowledge.

 

 

It's because of the difference that it's advantageous. Leaning closely voiced chords help your guitar playing sound different as will learning piano and organ licks. It's helps to break you out of the same guitar fretboard patterns

[ggm1960]

It's because of the difference that it's advantageous. Leaning closely voiced chords help your guitar playing sound different as will learning piano and organ licks. It's helps to break you out of the same guitar fretboard patterns

 

It dawned on me after making the post that you're talking about the guitar synth rather that playing an actual keyboard but still it seems to me that the most common chords people play on guitar are close voiced as opposed to the more open chords used in...say....classical guitar.

[codek]

 

That is the direction I will head in the future. The Axon is far superior to the Roland synth along with the piezo MIDI pickup. The demo videos on the Axon website are very impressive.

 

 

gotta check this out

[GuitarPlayerFL]

...it seems to me that the most common chords people play on guitar are close voiced as opposed to the more open chords used in...say....classical guitar.

 

How?

 

Most guitar chords aren't close voiced because of the way the guitar strings are tuned. Take a look at barre or jazz chords (where the fifth string is usually muted).

[ggm1960]

How? Most guitar chords aren't close voiced because of the way the guitar strings are tuned. Take a look at barre or jazz chords (where the fifth string is usually muted).

 

I guess you'll have to explain to me your definition of a close voiced chord. We definitely haven't studied from the same book.

 

My understanding of a close voiced chord (no matter maj, min, suspended, extended, altered, aug, dim, whatever) is a chord where you try to cram all the notes into a span of an octave, or at most, no more than two.

For example, on a keyboard I put my left fingers on C2, E2, G2 and right fingers on Bb2, D3, F3. This is a C11 chord and my fingers cover less than two octaves.

 

A guitar is tuned in 4ths with the B a 3rd. Are you trying to say a guitar chord isn't close voiced just because you hit so many duplicate octave notes while fingering most standard chord shapes??

[GuitarPlayerFL]

 

I guess you'll have to explain to me your definition of a close voiced chord. My understanding of a close voiced chord (no matter maj, min, 7th, 9th, aug, dim, etc...) is a chord where you try to cram all the notes into a span of an octave, or at most, no more than two. For example, on a keyboard I put my left fingers on C2, E2, G2 and right fingers on Bb2, D3, F3. This is a C11 chord and my fingers cover less than two octaves. A guitar is tuned in 4ths with the B a 3rd. Are you trying to say a guitar chord isn't close voiced just because you hit so many duplicate octave notes while fingering most standard chords??

 

 

A close voiced chord is when the voices are as close together as possible. A four part chord with the root on the bottom followed by stacked thirds is one example.

 

A cowboy Fma7 chord on the guitar is like that. F,A,C,E.

 

A G7 on the third fret (6th string - G, 4th string - F, 3rd string - B, 2nd string - D) is not closely voiced. You have the 1, b7, 3, 5.