Roland GP100 Effect Processor Thoughts on the GP100 What's Good Quirks What Could Be Better User Hints & Tips Similar Guitar Units Patches for the GP100 GP100 Settings Viewer Acoustics and the GP100 Guitar Topics Home Page Email GM Arts Thoughts on the Roland GP100 . . .

What's Good

I should say up front that I'm a player who uses and appreciates smooth and warm guitar sounds with bags of character. The sorts of tones I like are exemplified by players like Stevie Ray Vaughn, Robben Ford, Robert Cray, B B King, and so on. These guys generally use something between no and mild overdrive, while still preserving the timbre (character) of their guitar and its pickups. This is what's important to me, and the GP100 allows me to create these types of tones. I probably can't comment on how good the unit is for the middle-sucked tones of metal players, although many of the GP100 presets sound like there's plenty of variety there also. I appreciate good players regardless of the sound they use, I just choose to go for a cleaner sound. Any piece of equipment of this complexity requires many design decisions, and I'm happy to say that Roland has made many good choices. The range of algorithms are sensible and useful: BASIC for quick and easy programming DELAY for enhanced delay and digital effects HARMONY for (you guessed it) more hamoniser options VINTAGE includes some classic stomp box effects DUAL is two effect chains in parallel, allowing useful mix and panning effects The interface is sensible and easy to use. MIDI implementation is thorough and versatile. The preamp and speaker box emulation combinations produce a wide variety of truly different and useable sounds. I've found other boxes tend to sound a bit "samey" after a while. That is, it doesn't take long to "hit the wall" where no amount of tweaking improves the patch. I'm a compulsive twiddler - I'll use a patch for a few months, then change it; not necessarily because its a bad patch, but to keep the interest alive. To me, its the same as keeping the band repertoire alive by cycling in new songs and dropping old ones. The GP100 allows me to change the sound of a patch in many directions, and finish with a usable variation. With the other units, I got to the point quickly where any change just made the existing sound worse.

Quirks

It is common for effect units of this type to shut down briefly when you change patches. This is necessary to load the different software algorithms and settings, and happily the sound dropout is minimal. Its unfortunate, though, that the MIDI input buffer stops listening briefly when you change patches. The result is that if you send a patch change followed immediately by one or more control changes (from a foot controller or MIDI song sequence), the control change(s) may or may not take effect. The work-around is to set the Utility Function setting 'Assign Hold' to 'On'. You can now send the Control changes FIRST and the patch change LAST, however, this won't work for toggled assignments.

What Could Be Better

Number One complaint for all users has gotta be ... no Compare function. For the uninitiated, a Compare button allows you to modify a patch, then test whether your changes are actually better or worse than the original before you replace the original permanently with your changes. How a flagship effects unit of this quality can reach production without a Compare button is beyond me. As a work-around, find two adjacent patches you don't use, and save the patch you want to modify to BOTH locations. You can then edit one, save the changes, and turn the Parameter dial to compare the original with your changes. Another feature I could use is something which appears to be available in the Boss ME-8 with their Control footswitch. The ME-8 allows you to use this footswitch in a timed fashion. For example, you can press the switch for a timed pitch bend down (great for harmonic dive-bombs), then release the pedal for a timed sweep back up to standard pitch. The GP100 allows you to use a Control Pedal (or MIDI equivalent) to change or toggle many settings, but they are either one state or the other; no smooth transition unfortunately. I wish there was a way to change the algorithm used. I understand that some patch parameters will be lost when this happens (because, for example, there are more Chorus parameters in the DELAY algorithm than the BASIC algorithm), but it would be better than getting a patch just the way you like, then deciding to add a Phaser, only to find that you have to write down every setting, copy in the right algorithm, then enter all of your settings again. The quality of the harmoniser (particularly if you listen without the original) is not great. This is technically a difficult thing to achieve, but the quality does not sound much better to me than the GP-16 I used many years earlier. There are great preset and user intelligent harmony options, though. It seems to work best at about a 60% harmony, 100% original mix. This unit is like just about every other unit in the way it produces its Chorus effect. Sounds good, just like all the others ... BUT ... I think everyone has lost the plot with the original chorus effect. The first choruses (like the famous Boss CE-2 pedal) produced chorus by mixing a delayed signal with the original. By continuously varying the delay, it produced a series of harmonically related notches in the frequency response. This is actually quite a subtle and different effect than modern choruses. One of the side effects of the original chorus was a small variation in pitch of the delayed signal as the delay is varied. This is more noticeable at higher Rate settings. The modern approach to Chorus appears to intentionally mix a detuned signal with the original, and alternate the detuning from slightly flat to slightly sharp. What used to be an undesirable side effect, is now the cause! I would at least like an option to use the original method - it doesn't sound so out of tune. Many guitarist like to use their favourite amp, keeping the original signal all analog (and all tube for many). To use digital effects like this they need to be mixed back into the amp without the original. This is commonly provided on amps as an effects mix control. but unfortunately, the GP100 is primarily designed as the complete processor. There are very few "signal mixing" effects which allow you to remove the original; only the speaker simulator, harmoniser and reverb. We could have used this feature on delay, chorus, flange and phase as well! The speaker simulator has separate controls for mic level and direct level. Its only mildly annoying, but a single mix setting would be easier to use. Often I have to increase one and decrease the other to adjust the mix. The last item which appears to get many requests in reviews is for more than the 4 available preset preamp modes. Personally, I find little use for this feature (and even the preamp knobs), because I treat each patch as an entirely separate entity, fine tuning every parameter individually. However, I can see the advantage for some users who want to save more than four of their favourite preamp settings.

User Hints and Tips

Hidden Features When the battery starts to fail, you will see a warning when you first turn the GP100 on (press EXIT to clear the warning). It is possible when this happens, for the memory to become scrambled, and for the unit to lock up. Even if none of the buttons respond, you can still reset part or all of your GP100 by pressing the PARAMETER dial while turning the power on. This is explained on page 72 of the user manual. There is also a test mode, where you can check your GP100 software version and test several aspects of the GP100. There is also a complete factory preset load option here. Again, with the power OFF, press the PREAMP and WRITE buttons together, then turn the GP100 on. You will see the software version number briefly, then you can use the parameter button to scroll through several tests. I'm not sure how to run all of these tests, but some are useful on their own. All LEDs and display pixels ON (anything not lit is busted!) Press the VALUE dial to cycle though contrast settings Test each of the Preamp dials in turn by rotating them from one extreme to the other Switch - press the VALUE dial, then test each of the push buttons Encoder - press the VALUE dial, then rotate PARAMETER, then VALUE EXP Pedal - press the VALUE dial to test the EXP pedal EXT CTL 1 - press VALUE dial to test EXT CTL 2 - press VALUE dial to test Battery - press VALUE to read battery voltage - 3V would be new, anything close should be OK MIDI IN/OUT - press VALUE dial to test (D/A is Digital to Analog converter) OUTPUT A D/A - press VALUE dial to test OUTPUT B D/A - press VALUE dial to test SEND D/A - press VALUE dial to test INPUT A/D - press VALUE dial to test (A/D is Analog to Digital converter) RETURN A/D - press VALUE dial to test ESP Check - press VALUE dial to test (ESP is probably Electronic Signal Processor) Factory Load - press WRITE to reload factory presets Press EXIT to start the GP100. You can't do anything with it, but if you press PREAMP and UTILITY while turning the power on, the GP100 starts in 'Development Mode'. User Tips Here are some great hints mailed to me by Jerry Kelk of "The Fabulous Bald Brothers" at Icom (UK) Ltd. I discovered a way to get two extra foot-switches. My expression pedal works within a fairly narrow range of about 10 to 40, which is perfectly adequate, certainly for live use. Adding two switches to it, one to short it and one to open-circuit, gives a bypass and a tune switch, if the necessary assignments are made. You can also get an indicator (maybe for rhythm/solo) by using a low voltage supply and an LED in conjunction with a Control Out and the appropriate assignment(s). On the subject of the 4 preset preamp modes, I found these great in getting the GP100 on the road quickly, after all I only had three modes on the Peavey. They're still useful for jam sessions and experimenting, too. The knobs still get used when a new patch needs a tweak on its first few outings - TWEAK WRITE WRITE is even possible in the slower solos. A neat trick (if you don't carry controllers forward from the previous patch) is to assign, say, one function of footswitch #1 to preamp type, so that off=bglead, on=soldano but the patch setting is, say, jc120. This gives JC120 for the song's intro but pressing the footswitch will alternate between the other two. Similar tricks can be played on other assignments, too. For example in the above scenario, some compensatory volume adjustments will also be necessary. Thanks Jerry!

Similar Guitar Units

I have used many (older but similar) units in regular live band situation. In a nutshell, I think the GP100 is a LOT better than any other unit I've used. My power amp/speaker setup has also changed over the many years of using these units, so it is difficult to make completely accurate comparisons. Instead, I've given my impressions of the units at the time I used them. For the record, my early setup was the power amp and speakers of a Fender Twin Reverb, followed later by 2 Fender Super 60's for a stereo setup, and now a Marshall 8008 (stereo valvestate amplifier) through 2 x 12" EV speakers. Roland GP-8 No reverb. I actually modified this unit to give me more feedback in the delay section. Basically, a collection of the best and most useful stomp box analog effects in a rack unit. I liked it. Roland GP-16 I was disappointed with this, after trading in my GP-8. It sounded quite harsh and brittle (even in bypass mode!). I can only put this down to early digital conversion and processing technology. Otherwise, the effects are good, easy to access and modify. Alesis Quadraverb Digital effects only (no preamp or overdrive effects). I still use this unit for vocal delays & reverbs, because its reliable and easy to use with smooth sounds. Korg A2 The first good digital overdrive I've heard (not built in, but available on a plug-in "LA sound card' as I recall). Cannot use Chorus, Delay and Reverb at the same time. Slightly brittle, but not as bad as Roland GP-16. Digitech Legend 21 Easy to use and program. Overdrives are more suited to modern aggressive styles than cleaner/blues/rock styles. Marshall JMP-1 Preamp only (no delays, reverbs, choruses, etc). Good clean sounds with a range of overdrive sounds. Bad intermodulation distortion on the overdrives (extra bass notes when you play 2 or more notes), and the overdrives need a lot of work to keep them smooth (if that's what you want). Like most units of this type, it replicates some tube-like sounds, but not the dynamics (feel) of a tube amp.   Here are some tips forJMP-1 owners: For brown overdrive tones, set treble less than 0, and presence higher than 0 (this lowers the presence frequency, and filters the fuzz without losing too much bite). The bass shift operates before the overdrive stage, so using more bass instead of the bass shift gives a cleaner sound on the lower strings, while the other way around (using bass shift, and less bass level) gives fuzzier sounds on the lower strings, but allows you to minimise the extra bass notes that occur when you play 2 or more notes. The overdrive comes from an overdriven valve stage, but a preceding diode clipping circuit takes effect at higher overdrive levels as well. Clean 2 is just a tone variation of clean 1 (more high end and less bass - I like it) Overdrive 2 is just a tone variation of Overdrive 1 - it places a preset tone-stack circuit after the overdrive stage. ADA MP-2 Overall, good and versatile. A few niggles, though: Runs far too hot. Overdrives are fairly dirty. Has chorus, but no delay or reverb. Disappointing wah. Digitech TSR-12 Digital effects only (no preamp or overdrive effects). This is similar to the digital effects half of the Digitech GSP-2101. Quality of effects is good, algorithms and programmability are unnecessarily complex. Despite the large number of possibilities, I actually find it somewhat restrictive. For example, there is only one algorithm with Delay, Reverb and Chorus, and in this algorithm, the delay is limited to 800mS. Probably more suited to vocal PA effects than a guitar processor. Boss ME-8 Digital footpedal with lotsa effects. Most are excellent for stage work. Love the options with the in-built control pedal, and adding an external pedal gives even more control over your patches. Main complaint is the overdrive sounds. They're intended to be replicas of the familiar Boss pedals (Overdrive, Distortion, Blues Driver, etc), but only the overdrive sounds remotely natural to me. Fortunately, there's provision for an external overdrive, so I prefer to use an analog pedal in this loop. Roland GP100 By using the subtle limiter and overdriven preamp settings with the speaker emulator ... finally ... good valve tones AND dynamics. This is what sold me in the first place and continues to impress me. OK, it's not quite as good as the real thing, but its more reliable, consistent and a helluva lot more versatile! This has none of the harshness of earlier digitally processed effects. What about later units? Well, there have been many new digital amp emulators produced from the mid 1990's.   Line 6 have a good reputation for their POD units, and many manufacturers have offerings in effect boxes and built into solid state amps.   Many of these are similar, in offering a wide range of usable, and good but not great tones.   Many units realy only offer a single overdrive tone, that is heavily filtered in different ways, and labelled as amp and speaker simulations.   My strong advice is to try before you buy.   Also, compare the tones to a real amp you like so you know what you're missing!   It's disappointing that as we head towards 10 years of modelling at the time of writing, that so little progress has been made over the original pioneering efforts.