ROLAND GR-300 AND ANDY SUMMERS - 1982

ROLAND GR-300 AND ANDY SUMMERS - 1982

Items in the photo:

G R 300 Polyphonic Guitar Synthesizer

G R 303 Guitar Controller

SH2 Synthesizer 2 osc. + sub.

CUBE 40 40 watt. Combo Amplifier

ROLAND RACK —

SPV 355 Pitch to voltage synthesizer

SIP 300 Guitar Pre-amp

SIP 301 Bass Pre-amp

SRE 555 Rack Mount Chorus Echo

SDD 320 Dimension Decoder

SPA 240 Power Amp

ROLAND - GP-8 Guitar Effects Processor -1987

The GP-8 Guitar Effects Processor is a rack mount programmable effects unit that uses analog/digital hybrid technology to provide guitarists with a revolutionary way to personalise their guitar sounds.

Various effects may be created by adjusting the many parameter settings which are then stored as one of 128 patches together with the ON/OFF status of each effect and the overall volume level.

Patches are changed either manually, by MIDI program change messages or the optional

FC-100 Foot Controller which allows an EV-5 Expression Pedal to control any of the effect parameters.

In one patch, for example, it might act as a wah pedal by controlling the Cutoff Frequency of the Dynamic Filter.

In addition, a tuner can be connected to the FC-100 for convenient tuning at any time.
The Roland GP-8–the complete treatment–with no side effects.

Roland GP8 Front View

Roland GP-8 Guitar Processor -1987

Look into the display of the new Roland GP-8 Guitar Processor and you'll see an indication of effects control like you've never experienced before.

That's because the GP-8 Guitar Processor is actually eight effects in a single rack-mount package—all under the most advanced computer control ever to grace the world of guitar.

All of the effects (as shown in the display) are based upon Roland's legendary BOSS products, and are designed to provide the optimum in sound quality with the minimum of noise.

Effects parameters (Level, Distortion, Delay, Tone, etc.) can be freely varied for each effect, and then these settings can be stored in the GP-8's memory as a patch, along with the on/off status of each of the effects in the chain.

Then the patch can be named with its sound or the name of the song it's used in. (The display above is an actual GP-8 readout showing patch name, and number. The effects that are turned on show up as numbers, the ones turned off show up as "*").

Parameter settings can vary widely for each patch, so, for example, one patch can have screaming distortion, while another might have just a touch.

Altogether there are 128 patches available, accessed either by the front panel switches or the optional FC-100 Foot Controller.

Another pedal that greatly expands the GP-8's capabilities is the optional EV-5 Expression Pedal, which, depending on the patch, can function as a volume pedal, a wah pedal, a delay time pedal, almost anything you can think of.

The GP-8 is also MIDI compatible and transmits or receives MIDI program change messages.

The GP-8's power to switch between radically different effects settings with just one touch must he heard to be believed—guitar players have never before had such power.

So take your guitar down to your nearby Roland dealer and try it out today.

Then, say goodbye to dead batteries, shorts in cables, ground loops, noise, and at the same time see the magic that the GP-8 Guitar Processor can add to your music.

Roland GP-8 Guitar Processor

CASIO PG380 MIDI Synth Guitar - 1989

The Casio PG380 MIDI Synth Guitar is incredibly quick to respond.

Pluck a string and you'll get an immediate sound reaction which is more than you can say for most synth guitars). Even straight synth voices sound entirely natural.

But it's not just its reactions that make the PG380 an outstanding guitar, or more to the point a unique guitar.

Firstly it is an excellent sounding natural electric guitar. Added to which it successfully combines its talents to become the most flexible synthesizer to date.

And Casio's revolutionary Interactive Phase Distortion (iPD) ensures perfect sound delivery whether you're after straight guitar notes, complex synth sounds or even a combination of the two.

It's also incredibly easy to control sound changes.

The LED display mounted on the guitar face gives you an at a glance confirmation of the selected voice number. And the touch of a button lets you choose from any of the 64 built in sounds.

Most importantly you'll always be in perfect pitch.

The automatic tuner with built in synchronised tremelo unit allows you to switch from the slightest singing vibrato to the most outrageous sounds, without the slightest deviation.

In terms of voice potential your range is unlimited. A pre-programmed ROM card gives you. an additional 128 sounds to your original 64 pre-set synth sounds.

A total of over 1000 sounds are available from an exciting ROM library of 8 cards.

And if you insert a RAM card you can utilise original sounds created yourself on Casio's VZ1 digital synthesizer, and enter new musical territory

You can also use the guitar as a MIDI master controller, by connecting it to other MIDI sound sources or devices. Once again the built in programmes ensure precise and effortless programme changes.

For live performances the PG380 comes into its own. Battery power and on-board synth capabilities overcome the need for cables, so you can enjoy greater freedom on stage.

STEPP DGI - digital guitar - 1986

The electric guitar hasn't changed much since the 50's.

Music has.

Synthesizers and digital technology have revolutionized popular music with the result that guitarists have to some extent been left behind.

Quite a few have taken to the keyboard synthesizer only to sound like every other guitarist turned synth player.

Guitar synthesizers have been around for a while but they have been shunned by guitarists because they are basically keyboardsynthesizers you can plug a guitar into.

No one has built a guitar-dedicated system.

Until now.

The STEPP DGI is the first digital guitar designed totally and solely for the guitarist – the only other thing you need to plug into is your amp or mixing desk. It comes as a complete unit, giving you the control essential for dramatic guitar performance.

And it speaks your language.

Previously so called guitar synthesizers and MIDI guitars failed because they were locked into a keyboard language far too limiting for the enormous range of expression and subtlety of the guitar.

The DGI is capable of instantly analysing every chord, solo or strum, and via its dedicated synthesizer section can translate every nuance into a whole new palette of sounds. These can be stored in 100 memory locations on the guitar itself.

In addition every new guitar sound can be modelled in performance by the way you play.

STEPP'S unique open architecture and active performance software (APS) allows parameters to be routed to 'real-time' controls such as the wang bar, frets or strum area.

To take one example you can wang volume, bend resonance and strum filter cut-off, or just stick to the traditional parameters such as bending pitch.

In short it's the most expressive guitar ever developed.

And with MIDI-IN you can use a sequencer to record and playback your last solo or play bass while playing rhythm and drums.

All on one guitar.

The STEPP DGI is a very sophisticated instrument harnessing the very latest in 16 bit microprocessor technology.

But happily it is technology that doesn't herald the end of the guitar. Just a new beginning.

SyntAxe happy New Year 1985

For those of you unfamiliar with the concept of the SynthAxe, it is essentially a guitar-like controller of MIDI instruments.

The strings which are plucked with the right hand aren't attached to those fingered with the left - the right hand set of strings telling the on-board computerwhich strings are being played and how hard (envelope), with the fretboard strings giving the pitch information to the computer. Each fret has eleven contacts measuring the amount of string bend for each string as well as relaying which fret the string is held at.

It is a long process to explain, yet all this happens with quartz-like accuracy and lightning speed.

Anyway, the computer is thus told pitch information, envelope (touch sensitive) information, and all without any glitches or odd notes popping up here and there.

On the guitar's body are various triggering mechanisms which can be used in addition, or instead of, the conventional plucking of the strings.

There are the six black oddments above the strings as well as the other switch strategically placed for thumb control.

These will sound the strings on and off as they are depressed, which should cheer them up a bit...

Other on-board switching is for 'left hand only trigger switching' - which automatically triggers the notes every time a new fret is fingered, thus making it possible to play the fret board with two hands; and a tremolo arm which, as it is not connected to the strings and is simply another control for the computer, can control anything from pitch bend to filter sweep to amplitude etc.

In addition to the controls on the guitar body itself, the SynthAxe has its own set of pedals. These give the user three extra functions - Automatic Hold, Automatic Capo, and Left Hand String Damp Disable.

When the Automatic Hold pedal is depressed any note played is permanently held by the system - a very musical device which is a very easy system to incorporate into your playing, especially if the SynthAxe is linked to a synthsiser such as the Oberheim Expander, which can assign different voices to different strings.

The second function is the Automatic Capo. If you held the chord of Em7,say, and then depressed the automatic capo, you would in effect be playing with an open chord tuning of Em7.

If you held a barré on, say the ninth fret, then you would have an auto capo on the ninth fret as well as being able to play below the capo, as this would then have note priority over the capo points!

The third pedal-activated function is the 'left hand string damp disable', and this disables envelope control from the fretboard and makes the envelope shapes of the notes played dependant on the envelope shape programmed into the synth.

So if you had a long release time, then in this mode the note would sound for the duration of the release time, even after you may have taken your fingers from the fretboard completely.

An optional accessory to the SynthAxe is the SynthAxe console which enables multiple interfacing with a maximum of eight synthesisers at once, making the SynthAxe constantly switchable from one target synth to another.

There is no limitation to the variety of syhthesisers which can be connected to the SynthAxe via the console - the only limiting factor is whether the target synth can fully interpret the multitude of different pieces of information emanating from the SynthAxe.

At the time of writing, the SynthAxe was fully interfaceable with Oberheim's Expander (an excellent match as the Expander is capable of assigning different voices to different strings and also has immense control, more so than almost any other instrument yet available in this league), the OB8, OSCar, Prophet T8, the Rhodes Chroma and Polaris.

Additionally, most American and European companies are closely cooperating with SynthAxe in developing interfaces for their instruments - including Linn, Many Japanese companies have also followed the SynthAxe's progress with great attention and the whole Yamaha team came down to the SynthAxe factory.

Other than the conventional-ish synthesisers I've just mentioned, the SynthAxe will also interface with the Emulator I and II, the Kurzweil (shortly) and... the Fairlight!

I have yet to witness that partnership, but I don't think it would be too hard to imagine what it would be capable of That, I hope, might clarity the myths and mysteries of the SynthAxe, i.e. they're all true.

Extracted from from Music Magazine

SyntAxe happy New Year 1985