Boss GM-800

craig · 2023-07-21T17:27:52.707Z

Looks cool but a word of warning (I’ve tried a a couple of polyphonic/multistring audio to midi systems): your playing has to be so stupidly accurate (like a machine with absolutely no fret buzzes and totally clean palm mutes etc) otherwise it outputs garbage very easily. Looking forward to seeing more videos from real users in the future tho! Having said that, Squarepusher seems to have no problems so maybe I’m just too shit at guitar/bass for this to be viable.

GovernorSilver · 2023-07-21T18:04:55.901Z

I took a look at the docs here:

BOSS

BOSS - GM-800 | Guitar Synthesizer

GM-800: Guitar Synthesizer - BOSS Guitar Synthesis Evolves with the Power of ZEN-Core

Looks like it’ll respond to MIDI PC.

Presets appear to be called Scenes. There are 150 of them. No mention of banks.

MC-101 as you know has a gajillion presets organized into instrument banks. That said, maybe that’s not enough to stop you from selling it. Or maybe it is.

Laser · 2023-07-21T18:30:43.895Z

Ah man, thanks for checking! I’m playing with my dogs atm so appreciate the info!

My issue with my MC101 is that I have to faff around with saving projects when I only want to use it as a sound-module. You cant just send an MSB/LSB/PC to select a sound, slightly annoying.

That said, it has over 4,000 sounds compared to the 1,200 on this GM-800.

I wonder what they left out?

And whether theres additional space, possibly to copy the whole 4,000 from the MC101?

It’s an exciting device, for sure!

craig:

I’ve tried a a couple of polyphonic/multistring audio to midi systems)

Appreciate the warning!

However, this has a pickup, so its not really audio to MIDI like the SY series (I think).

I reckon they’ve got it right this time.

I WANT TO BELIEVE!!!

craig · 2023-07-21T18:34:42.849Z

Laser:

However, this has a pickup, so its not really audio to MIDI like the SY series (I think).

Sorry, I should’ve clarified further. I had a Roland (I think) bass midi pickup back in the day and a Fishman TriplePlay on guitar more recently. For monophonic play or simple chords, excellent. But anything more complicated, it was a no go

GovernorSilver · 2023-07-21T18:59:02.086Z

I’d say 90% of those 4000+ sounds are 50 variations of the same Juno pluck, 30 variations of the same Jupiter pad, 67 variations of the same Supersaw stab…

I know this from scrolling through countless presets on the MC-707 looking for pads, basses, etc. MC-101 has practically the same selection.

If Boss left out the majority of those useless variations I would be cool with that.

sezare56 · 2023-07-21T19:09:24.133Z

Is the latency really improved ?
Does it work with GK3 ?

I have a GK3 and a Yamaha G50 for midi conversion. I didn’t use them for ages cos I needed a new GK cable. Plugged it yesterday. Works well with Syntakt, but as @craig said you need to play carefully, in a particular way. I play with fingers, arpegio/picking style.

The GK mic has to be well placed, and the strings height too.

If you use a sound generator adding latency like vst pluggins, it is weird to play.

Have to try Hydrasynth’s arp right now…

GovernorSilver · 2023-07-21T19:28:10.846Z

The first person here to get a GM-800 will be able to report on the latency improvement, if any. Until then nobody will be able to answer that question.

I believe there is someone here - Brock? - who has a Boss SY-1000 which was the last Boss guitar synth/MIDI pedal before this one. He therefore has the most experience with the most recent Boss/Roland MIDI guitar tech.

Brockstar · 2023-07-21T19:31:48.858Z

Got the GM-800, new gk-5 pickup and 2 new cables and converter box coming! It’ll pair with the sy-1000

GovernorSilver · 2023-08-07T18:18:31.096Z

Patching on the GM-800.

Example of MIDI control of Hydrasynth around 26:00, followed by MIDI control of a VST.

BassesAndPads · 2023-08-09T07:53:38.079Z

Would be awesome if they sold basses and guitars meant for being used with the synth. So no pickup install on my instruments, just a dedicated one for the task instead.

Bilansley · 2023-08-09T12:46:32.667Z

there are a couple of MIDI guitars on the market. Off the top of my head the JamStik guitar has a built in MIDI pickup and I would assume that it would work with the GM-800. From what I have read and underestand there is nothing particularly “special” about the roland MIDI pickup that goes with the GM-800 other than its a really well built nice MIDI pickup. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but MIDI is MIDI and the tracking and processesing of the the MIDI data is done entirely by the GM-800 itself it seems.

Either way there are options for this out there

silent_k · 2023-08-09T13:57:08.474Z

BassesAndPads:

Would be awesome if they sold basses and guitars meant for being used with the synth.

In the old days that’s what they did – the G-303, G-808, G-202 and G-505 were all built as controllers for Roland’s early guitar synths, the GR-300 and GR-700, but doubled as regular guitars, too, with 1/4" outputs and mag pickups that could be blended with the synth. They were manufactured by Fujigen (I believe), who also made Greco, but branded as Roland. They had the synth pickup built-in, and the whole system relied on a proprietary 24-pin connection between the guitar and synth unit. For a long time the GR-300, despite being fully analog, had better latency and overall responsiveness than anything Roland/Boss produced afterwards, although perhaps this new unit is better. I had a VG-99 for a while and the best controller for it was an Ibanez with a 13-pin piezo system – it tracked really well, but my GK-equipped guitars never did as well as the old stuff with the GR-300 in that department.

The GR-300, while limited in comparison to a modern synth set-up, has always (to my ears) sounded amazing. The filter is excellent and the whole thing just sounds massive. I tried a Boss SY-300 a few years back, but was never able to get rid of a kind of high frequency harshness to the sound that didn’t work for me. I’m very curious about the GM-800, though. Looking forward to seeing/hearing more about it on this forum!

PS – If anyone’s curious about Roland’s guitar synth history, check out this site, it’s a treasure trove of info: http://www.gr300.com

woz · 2023-08-09T15:13:31.445Z

This is relevant to my interests for afaik this is the only guitar to midi that might be decent, ie with pickup, that doesn’t require a computer (like fish man).

I want to play this with multi map!

Blending synth w/bass = instant squarepusher

GovernorSilver · 2023-08-10T19:27:23.530Z

Fender made Roland-ready Strats for a few years. If you get one of those used, you’ll have to buy a GKC-AD 13-pin GK to Serial GK converter. This assumes you can live with its neck - 9.5" radius, modern C neck, typical Strat 25.5" scale. Just saying, because some people want flatter necks than that, or rounder, or wider, or narrower or…

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/GKCAD--boss-gkc-ad-analog-digital-converter

I’d have to buy a GKC-AD to use a GM-800 with my Parker Nitefly, which has a GK3 (13-pin) pickup installed.

If I didn’t have the Parker, I’d shop for a sub-$1000 guitar to serve as a dedicated GM-800 guitar partner, buy a GK-5 pickup and install it on the guitar. For all I know double-sided tape to secure the pickup might be fine, which would eliminate the need to drill holes into the guitar. This way I could choose a guitar that feels good to my hands, rather than buying a guitar with factory installed GK pickup and hoping it will fit ok.

I understand the reluctance to put a GK-5 on a nicer instrument - hence the role of the cheaper guitar would be for. You’re more likely to accept sticky residue - or at worst drilled holes - on the on the cheaper guitar than on any of your costlier guitars.

FilipNest · 2023-08-10T20:55:14.516Z

Odd not to see any mention of the Terratec Axon AX100 MkII here as that’s meant to be the most accurate of these things. I have one knocking around and a hex pickup on my guitar that I never use anymore as it was a bit bulky and not as fun as it seemed. But then again I also hardly ever play my electric guitar or use any pedals as my favourite guitar sound is the immediacy of my acoustic unplugged fingerpicky one.
Might see if the Axon still works and sell it if this world is coming back again. Was only holding onto it as it seemed the only thing that did this well.

GovernorSilver · 2023-08-11T00:45:29.780Z

that brings up an interesting experiment. Which performance/feel would you like more?

a. Axon AX100 MkII -> MIDI cable -> GM-800 (MIDI in)
b. hex pickup (assuming it has 13-pin jack) -> GKC-AD -> GM-800 (GK in)

blipson · 2023-12-13T11:53:50.943Z

I’m considering the GM-800 for my little-used guitar that sits lonely in a separate room. I had planned to plug it into my Axe FX, but I like that thing so much that its inputs are all taken up by non-guitars! I’ve been sold on this guitar synth tech since the GR-300, but the various devices I’ve tried in the past just never felt right for my limited guitar technique, which consists mostly of rhythm guitar, comping chords. Any thoughts on that? All the demos really emphasize playing lead lines with a pick, but I don’t use a pick.

I never had issues with tracking in the past, including bends and such, so I’m confident on that count. I had an Axon AX100SB and a VGuitar pedal (or whatever it was called). The VGuitar was fine, but as I recall, it was only amp/cab sims (with maybe some basic FX?), and then I went to a Variax after that, which was interesting, but long gone. But I haven’t messed with this stuff since around 2001 as I’ve mostly only had bass duties since then, and am pretty partial to P-90’s through various amps and cabs. I’m deciding, though, if it’s worth drilling holes in my Les Paul Special (production, not custom) to install the hex pickup.

That new hex pickup does look much nicer, more streamlined than the one from back in the day. Can it be wired to pass through the mag pickups’ signal as well so that you only have one cable coming out of the guitar to the GM-800?

blipson · 2023-12-14T11:32:58.977Z

According to this:

tracking is touchy at the first few frets of a bass. That’s pretty much a dealbreaker for me when it comes to playing bass because I really like playing in first position. I wouldn’t like the workaround of tuning the patch down, then playing higher up the neck.

I expect guitar won’t have this tracking issue because first position is an octave higher than bass. Still, not being able to use the GM-800 with bass as well as guitar makes it a lot less worthwhile for me.

Wolf-Rami · 2025-02-11T15:12:26.080Z

Two or three things rocked the boat in favour of the GM-800:

The price has come down to a more reasonable level (around 600€ on Thomann)
The thing can be played through midi like a normal desktop synth module.

I picked one up today and just finished installing the GK-5 mic on my Fender Jaguar. I used to have a SY-300, which I loved but the thought of a Zencore-synth engine that can also be controlled via my MPC just made me swap the SY for the GM. Instead of getting a Roland MC-101 to work as an additional sound module, I bought the GM-800 and it works also with my guitar and as a guitar to midi converter for all my synths. A win/win/win/win/win -situation if there ever was one.

I also love how it’s the same form factor as my SDE-3000D. Beautiful!

IMG_32084032×3024 2.61 MB

Juniper_Steels · 2025-02-11T15:18:36.545Z

How’s the tracking? I had a VG-88 back in the early 2000s with whatever GK pickup was available at the time and the tracking wasn’t great, but it was serviceable…