OK, so that's $250.00 for the GK3 / $250.00 for the converter / $50.00 for the 13 pin cable + the GM800 at around $850.00 (that's in US dolars)!!...that's quite an investment!!...
Your right, that is quite an investment. However those numbers are a bit off. In US dollars the converter box is 200.00, The GM 800 is 750.00, the GK3 pickup is about 150.00 right now. The 13 pin cable is about 99 dollars. Many people like me already have the 13 pin cables and pickups because they have been out for over a decade. So in our case the investment is just the synth and the converter box. Still around one thousand dollars. If you wanted to go with the GK5 then the pickup is 250 and you would not need the converter box. The cable is 50 bucks. Either way it is a lot of money. The gear is a lot of fun to use but you really got to consider if the investment is worth it. The minimal investment is going to be at least 1,000.00 and there is so much a guitar player can do with that amount of money.
I’ve had a Roland GR-50 since 1986 that also makes some stray notes on occasion. It’s very disappointing that Roland hasn’t solved this problem in over 35 years, which is one reason why I haven’t bought the GR-55 or their Boss versions. Good news for keyboard players, I suppose. Thx for your honest review.
My first guitar synth was the GR-300, then the GM-70 and several others since then, all failing to deliver. Instead of Roland/Boss to concentrate on fixing the problem that's been plaguing their guitar synths for decades, they just keep releasing new units with the same old problem. Perhaps there really is no way of properly converting the guitar into a synth. Probably the reason you can hardly find any pro guitarist using a guitar synth. It's still a novelty.
@laptoples, Since you have the GR55 be sure to check out the extensive list of extra presets and the most popular software used to program the GR55. drive.google.com/drive/folders/1hGp_nw8CPiyBLBz-cFnZh9H6d02aOnEt
There are standard 5 pin midi connections on the GM-800. This means you can directly interface it with other midi gear. The Tone Studio software does have a section devoted to midi. I have never done this, so I don't know for sure. But it is highly likely that you can use the GM-800 as a sound module for other midi gear. I am not sure of the process, but I suspect you can play the sounds through a midi keyboard, and you can probably play keyboard sounds on the GM-800.
Hi There. I just got this unit, and have been trying to update the firm wear from 1.02, 1.03. I have followed your instructions, but every time I try it, I get a message on the GM-800 saying "NO UPDATE FILE". I have tried a few different drives, but i get the same thing ? Any idea why this could be ?
The new firmware is now 1.10. You should make sure you have the newest firmware. You need to put the thumb drive into the GM-800 before you turn the unit on. If you put it in while it is on, it will not read anything on the thumb drive. Finally, make sure you format the thumb drive using the GM800. Next, unzip the firmware file and copy the firmware only into the top directory.
@@marcuscurtismusic Thanks for your reply. My issue was more to do with the fact I was using it on Mac, and the firm wear had a known issue. I have since managed to resolve it though, so it's all good.
Hi Marcus. I've now set up my new GM 800 thanks to you and this excellent video. Do you have or will you be making any videos on how to set it all up to record into a DAW. The only thing I can't figure out is how to record with it into my DAW (Reaper). Reaper is recognising it in the midi settings but I cannot get a signal to a track. The only way so far I've been able to record anything is by plugging a guitar cable into the jack out socket on the back of the GM 800 and into the instrument socket on my interface ( focusrite scarlet solo) but obviously this isn't going to be satisfactory as it is only mono and the latency is another issue. Any help gratefully received. Cheers.
I actually did another video that shows how to set up the GM800 as a midi controller. That video also shows you how to download more tones from the Roland cloud. Currently, I have over 2,000 tones on my GM800 which are used to make patches. Selecting the GM800 as the default midi device is not enough to use in Reaper. In every DAW you must make something called a "control surface." I am not sure how to do it just yet in Reaper. You can make a control surface do a number of things, but in this case you want the control surface to use the GM800 as a midi controller. On this channel, I have made videos only about the hardware I like and use in my music production. Now that the majority of these videos are made, I am going to switch gears a little and start making videos showing people how to use this gear in the recording process. I use Cakewalk and Sonar, but I also downloaded more free DAW applications. I downloaded Waveform Free, Luna, and Reaper. Currently, I am learning how to use these DAWs, and I am taking notes and writing scripts. My plan is to show how to use all this hardware with those DAW applications. Those are my future plans for this channel. This is a lot to sort through, so it will take me a little time to come up with the series. I hope to start filming soon. In the meantime, you should watch the other video I made so you will know how to set up the GM800 to work inside Reaper as a midi controller, and you should look for a video that will show you how to make a control surface inside Reaper. ruclips.net/video/3Lh6AQZ9tdk/видео.html
Thank you so much Marcus for responding so quickly and in such detail. This is so helpful and I appreciate it very much indeed. I look forward to your intended video series and meanwhile I will check out the other videos you have suggested. Many many thanks again. Cheers👍👍👍
Thank you for the video. A noob question: the pickup doesn't create midi signal, and even if I just want a midi guitar, I need to have the gm800 to send the midi out to the daw?
The divided pickup sends 6 separate signals to the GM-800. The GM-800 handles the tracking and the conversion to midi. The next video in this series will cover other ways to get a midi signal.
I haven't played my GM-800 for months because i got really fed up of all the ghost notes, no matter how carefully i played and it just takes all the fun out of playing your guitar. After watching your video, i've decided to give it one more shot. Maybe bring down the string sensitivity a little and see if that will help.
Are you using the GK5 pickup with the GM800? If you are, just know that many people have issues regarding ghost notes and tracking with this combination. This seems to be an issue tied to the GK5 only. I have heard from many people who have these issues. In my experience, it does not affect the GK3 or the GK2A. When I use those pickups with the GM800 I don't have the tracking and ghost note issues at all. So here are a few fixes to try, First, contact Boss and let them know about your issue. You may still have customer support and a warranty may still be in effect. Second, try using a regular TRS cable instead of the Boss guitar synth cable. I recently discovered that the Boss synth cable for the GM800 is nothing more than a glorified TRS cable. Trying a different cable may reduce the ghost notes. I am getting a better result from using a standard, cheap TRS cable. Although I must say, it has not illuminated the problem completely. Third, make sure you have the latest firmware update. 1.03 Fourth, this one may not be as easy. If you have an older divided pickup like a GK3 or a GK2A try using that with the GM800. In this video I am using a GK3 pickup. This would require the gray box, which is 200.00. That may not be an option for you The real fix is actually a firmware update. Boss needs to update the firmware for the GM800 with the fix for the GK5 pickup. The highest firmware does not contain the fix that is needed. The GK5 pickup actually works better with other guitar synths. So it is not the pickup in and of itself. There needs to be a software fix. I hope you get it working.
@@marcuscurtismusic Thank you so much for this very detailed response. Yes i am using the GM800 with the GK5 pickup and the new TRS cable and it's taken away all my joy. After already spending £1000 on that combo, buying the GK3 pickup, the grey box and the 13 pin cable is not an option for me. I guess i will just have to wait and see if future updates to the GM800 will solve the problem, but i will try using a regular TRS cable and see if that will make a difference. Thanks again.
Liked & subbed.Agree the new pickup has some issues.Seriously thinking about sending back the new pickup.And getting a GK-3 pickup.I've had the GK-800 for about 3 weeks.Sold my GR-55 and had all the GR's before that.The sounds and option to download new sounds is amazing.I have a Graphtech Ghost System in a strat style guitar and the converter box for 13 pin.That guitar Tracks like a Champ.Can you try to get a Nashville tuning on your GM? Page 14 in the Parameter Guide shows how, and a bunch of other tunings too.I can't get it to play anything but Normal tuning.If you Know of a GM-800 Forum...Please let me know. Yes it's new and has some bugs.I've been playing guitar synth since pitch to MIDI.Once the bugs are out of it,it will be amazing. Best Regards..👍👍
I really like this one. I still think the GM 800 has great potential. I also owned several Guitar Synths. You probably remember when the GR 20 came out. Many people said that synth was a step backwards. The biggest problem at that time was the fact that it only had one synth. The GR33 which was the one before the GR 20 combined two synths together so you could blend tones. You could also split strings and have different tones on different strings. These features were stripped away because I believe the GR 20 was an effort to make guitar synths more user friendly. I see some similar issues with the GM 800. I think there are some design flaws. They missed the mark with the GK5. I will still hang on to mine in case a firmware update fixes some issues. I am getting better results with my other pickups. Some of the tracking options are taken away in the GM 800. Over the years some guitar players complained about the 13 pin cable. I think that Roland /Boss are trying to appeal to those players while at the same time provide a way for 13 pin users to still use their pickups. In my view if they really wanted to improve this pickup then they would make it wireless or Bluetooth. That is really the thing that will make those users happy. These days you can get a wireless system on Amazon for thirty or forty bucks. It can't be hard to make a GK wireless pickup. This is the real complaint these people have. The section of the patch where the tuning can be changed is also taken away. There is now a global setting for tuning. I have not tested it yet. I plan on exploring the tuning options and will release a video in the future but right now I have problems getting Roland Cloud to work. I really wish this thing worked right out of the box but anything that is brand new is going to have issues.
Just a quick note to let you know I figured out how to get the open tuning option working. I am using Tone Studio to get it working. I have not used the menu options on the GM-800. This is how you do it. Select a scene or create one. on one of the tones on that scene select edit. Now go to the string tab. The 5th row down you will see a ALT TUNE SW. click that on. Now select the tuning you want. The Nashville tuning is in the list of tunings
I don't know what the problem is, it could be a few things. First, you need to insert the USB stick before you turn on the GM800. If you insert it after, then the unit won't see it. Second, did you format the USB stick using the GM800? You need to use their format in order for it to work. Then you can copy the files for format on to the USB thumb drive. Third, is the USB stick defective? Make sure the USB stick works properly. The stick I used in the video was a USB 2.0 thumb drive.
It has been a source of frustration among many guitar players. The fact that the GK5 pickup has not worked well since it's released has caused many problems. We know that it is not a problem with the technology because the GK3 pickup works really well with the GM800. We know it is not the GK5 pickup itself because it works very well with other guitar synths. The GK5 works extremely well with the SY-1000. So that just leaves one thing. The Issue lies in the software that controls the synth, or in other words, the issue is the firmware. This month, Boss just issued new firmware to correct this problem. I am in the process of downloading and testing the new firmware. A video is coming soon and hopefully this problem can be fixed once and for all.
@@usernotavailable1658 There is a new firmware version that just came out this month. I just finished testing it and a video is currently in production. This video talks about updating to 1.03, but the new firmware is 1.10. The new firmware does dramatically improve the tracking with the GK5 pickup, however, there was no where to go but up as far as improvement goes. While some patches are now usable, others still have ghost notes in them. The new firmware also improves the GK3 pickups. It is worth downloading and installing. The video will explain more when it comes out. It is in the editing phase now.
As I far as I know the Fishman Triple Play wireless system does not work with the GM 800. You would need a 13 pin pickup system like the GK 3, or a piezo 13 pin system, or you would need a GK5 pickup.
I'm taking a moment to thank you for saving me from three days of total, absolute grief. Boss site would not allow me to create an account after repeated attempts to get a "verification code" to register my product. More importantly, your video was clear, concise and accurate, I'm up and flying! Thank you sir.
Your comment made my day. I know what its like to troubleshoot something and not have any answers from the manual or the manufacturer. As long as I know that people are being helped from these videos I will continue to make them. Thank You for your comment.
It took me a bit to update the unit but I got it working . As for tracking with the gk5 it is very good . I had to play around with the play feel but it was fairly straightforward. Sounds are great and I do find the sounds and tracking better than previous units offered by Roland as I have had them all .
As for the ringing out notes and such, it's all about playing cleaner obviously, and I think you have to more with the gk-5. Also setting string sensitivity right will help and use the low velocity cut to help too. For the power issue, find a inline rocker switch online somewhere that is made for 2.1mm male to female adapter and 12v and works great!
I have not fully troubleshooted the problem yet but one thing is for certain. The sensitivity has already been set. I doubt very much it is the playing style because as I have said, this does not happen when I use the GK3 pickups. plus this only happens on certain patches not every one. I have 4 other guitars that do not do this. If I got to play every note according to what the GM-800 would deem as perfect then what is the incentive for using a GK5? Not just ringing out of notes but playing the wrong notes and ghost notes. I really think this probably needs a firmware update. There is a limited number of options compared to other synths when setting up the pickup. For example, there are no play feel options and there is no scale length to put in. other options are missing as well. I double checked the guitar intonation so that is not the issue. I will look into your suggestion on the power issue. Thanks for that and thank you for your suggestions.
@@marcuscurtismusic There is definitely play feel option. Go to menu then scene edit and master and there you have play feel options and dynamics and low vel cut that helps.
im aso having the hanging notes issue with the gk5. Adjusted everything yet when i play it all sounds normal no hanging but then after a minute of playing it starts to hang. Seems to be a glitch , also i play alot of notes quick passages, so maybe it cant process all the midi signals reliably? the tracking is perfect though it keeps up incredibly but after a minute notes begin to hang. have you tried using the gk5 as a daw plugin midi input via usb midi on gm 800? maybe the issue goes away?
With my troubleshooting there are some things that I have discovered. 1.Some patches are worse than others when it comes to tracking 2. Older pickups like the GK3 do not have these issues. 3. The GK5 seems to have a higher output than the other pickups. 4. These issues do not exist when you use the GK5 on older synths such as the SY-1000 or the GR-55. This leads me to believe that the problem is not the pickup but the problem is the GM 800. Once Boss finds the problem a firmware update could be made to fix the issue. I recommend that you contact Boss support and tell them about your issue. The more people that tell Boss they are having problems the sooner the fix will be released.
thanks very much , ill contact boss this is so ridiculous how companies have been releasing unfinished products. Hopefully gm 800 doesn't get abandoned by them soon.@@marcuscurtismusic
@@marcuscurtis8665 Sweetwater and Boss/Roland have been great I will say that. They troubleshoot the unit with via email and confirmed it was bricked. They are sending out a replacement unit soon:)
@@harmonyaquarian9210 you will probably need to get the gray box called GKC-AD in order to use your older pickups with the GM-800. The good news is the gray box is cheaper than the new GK5 pickup
Excellent video and explanation.
Many thanks Marcus.
Best regards,
Phil from Dunkirk
Wish the pickup was removable with a slide in like the Fishman triple play .
Congratulations on the videos.
Your content was the most
honest I've seen here!
OK, so that's $250.00 for the GK3 / $250.00 for the converter / $50.00 for the 13 pin cable + the GM800 at around $850.00 (that's in US dolars)!!...that's quite an investment!!...
Your right, that is quite an investment. However those numbers are a bit off. In US dollars the converter box is 200.00, The GM 800 is 750.00, the GK3 pickup is about 150.00 right now. The 13 pin cable is about 99 dollars. Many people like me already have the 13 pin cables and pickups because they have been out for over a decade. So in our case the investment is just the synth and the converter box. Still around one thousand dollars.
If you wanted to go with the GK5 then the pickup is 250 and you would not need the converter box. The cable is 50 bucks. Either way it is a lot of money. The gear is a lot of fun to use but you really got to consider if the investment is worth it. The minimal investment is going to be at least 1,000.00 and there is so much a guitar player can do with that amount of money.
I’ve had a Roland GR-50 since 1986 that also makes some stray notes on occasion. It’s very disappointing that Roland hasn’t solved this problem in over 35 years, which is one reason why I haven’t bought the GR-55 or their Boss versions. Good news for keyboard players, I suppose. Thx for your honest review.
My first guitar synth was the GR-300, then the GM-70 and several others since then, all failing to deliver.
Instead of Roland/Boss to concentrate on fixing the problem that's been plaguing their guitar synths for decades, they just keep releasing new units with the same old problem.
Perhaps there really is no way of properly converting the guitar into a synth. Probably the reason you can hardly find any pro guitarist using a guitar synth. It's still a novelty.
Thanks for this video. Was thinking of going the GK5 route but having seen your video I will stick with my GK3s and buy the convertor
That is what I would do if I were to do this all over!
Cool beans !!!
I have the GR55, so I'll be awaiting the video for sure !
Just subscribed !!!
Thanks for your content !
:-)
@laptoples, Since you have the GR55 be sure to check out the extensive list of extra presets and the most popular software used to program the GR55.
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1hGp_nw8CPiyBLBz-cFnZh9H6d02aOnEt
Hi !
Does the GM800 takes midi-in from the usb port ?
Is it possible to use its sounds by a usb midi keyboard (or with the fishmam triple play)?
There are standard 5 pin midi connections on the GM-800. This means you can directly interface it with other midi gear. The Tone Studio software does have a section devoted to midi. I have never done this, so I don't know for sure. But it is highly likely that you can use the GM-800 as a sound module for other midi gear. I am not sure of the process, but I suspect you can play the sounds through a midi keyboard, and you can probably play keyboard sounds on the GM-800.
One of the best videos available on GK 5. The one posted by Roland isn’t very informative.
Wow, thanks!
Hi There. I just got this unit, and have been trying to update the firm wear from 1.02, 1.03. I have followed your instructions, but every time I try it, I get a message on the GM-800 saying "NO UPDATE FILE". I have tried a few different drives, but i get the same thing ? Any idea why this could be ?
The new firmware is now 1.10. You should make sure you have the newest firmware. You need to put the thumb drive into the GM-800 before you turn the unit on. If you put it in while it is on, it will not read anything on the thumb drive. Finally, make sure you format the thumb drive using the GM800. Next, unzip the firmware file and copy the firmware only into the top directory.
@@marcuscurtismusic Thanks for your reply. My issue was more to do with the fact I was using it on Mac, and the firm wear had a known issue. I have since managed to resolve it though, so it's all good.
Hi Marcus. I've now set up my new GM 800 thanks to you and this excellent video. Do you have or will you be making any videos on how to set it all up to record into a DAW.
The only thing I can't figure out is how to record with it into my DAW (Reaper). Reaper is recognising it in the midi settings but I cannot get a signal to a track. The only way so far I've been able to record anything is by plugging a guitar cable into the jack out socket on the back of the GM 800 and into the instrument socket on my interface ( focusrite scarlet solo) but obviously this isn't going to be satisfactory as it is only mono and the latency is another issue. Any help gratefully received. Cheers.
I actually did another video that shows how to set up the GM800 as a midi controller. That video also shows you how to download more tones from the Roland cloud. Currently, I have over 2,000 tones on my GM800 which are used to make patches. Selecting the GM800 as the default midi device is not enough to use in Reaper. In every DAW you must make something called a "control surface." I am not sure how to do it just yet in Reaper. You can make a control surface do a number of things, but in this case you want the control surface to use the GM800 as a midi controller.
On this channel, I have made videos only about the hardware I like and use in my music production. Now that the majority of these videos are made, I am going to switch gears a little and start making videos showing people how to use this gear in the recording process. I use Cakewalk and Sonar, but I also downloaded more free DAW applications. I downloaded Waveform Free, Luna, and Reaper. Currently, I am learning how to use these DAWs, and I am taking notes and writing scripts. My plan is to show how to use all this hardware with those DAW applications. Those are my future plans for this channel. This is a lot to sort through, so it will take me a little time to come up with the series. I hope to start filming soon. In the meantime, you should watch the other video I made so you will know how to set up the GM800 to work inside Reaper as a midi controller, and you should look for a video that will show you how to make a control surface inside Reaper. ruclips.net/video/3Lh6AQZ9tdk/видео.html
Thank you so much Marcus for responding so quickly and in such detail. This is so helpful and I appreciate it very much indeed. I look forward to your intended video series and meanwhile I will check out the other videos you have suggested. Many many thanks again. Cheers👍👍👍
Thank you for the video. A noob question: the pickup doesn't create midi signal, and even if I just want a midi guitar, I need to have the gm800 to send the midi out to the daw?
The divided pickup sends 6 separate signals to the GM-800. The GM-800 handles the tracking and the conversion to midi. The next video in this series will cover other ways to get a midi signal.
@@marcuscurtismusic looking forward. Thank you Marcus
I haven't played my GM-800 for months because i got really fed up of all the ghost notes, no matter how carefully i played and it just takes all the fun out of playing your guitar.
After watching your video, i've decided to give it one more shot. Maybe bring down the string sensitivity a little and see if that will help.
Are you using the GK5 pickup with the GM800? If you are, just know that many people have issues regarding ghost notes and tracking with this combination. This seems to be an issue tied to the GK5 only. I have heard from many people who have these issues. In my experience, it does not affect the GK3 or the GK2A. When I use those pickups with the GM800 I don't have the tracking and ghost note issues at all. So here are a few fixes to try,
First, contact Boss and let them know about your issue. You may still have customer support and a warranty may still be in effect.
Second, try using a regular TRS cable instead of the Boss guitar synth cable. I recently discovered that the Boss synth cable for the GM800 is nothing more than a glorified TRS cable. Trying a different cable may reduce the ghost notes. I am getting a better result from using a standard, cheap TRS cable. Although I must say, it has not illuminated the problem completely.
Third, make sure you have the latest firmware update. 1.03
Fourth, this one may not be as easy. If you have an older divided pickup like a GK3 or a GK2A try using that with the GM800. In this video I am using a GK3 pickup. This would require the gray box, which is 200.00. That may not be an option for you
The real fix is actually a firmware update. Boss needs to update the firmware for the GM800 with the fix for the GK5 pickup. The highest firmware does not contain the fix that is needed. The GK5 pickup actually works better with other guitar synths. So it is not the pickup in and of itself. There needs to be a software fix. I hope you get it working.
@@marcuscurtismusic Thank you so much for this very detailed response.
Yes i am using the GM800 with the GK5 pickup and the new TRS cable and it's taken away all my joy.
After already spending £1000 on that combo, buying the GK3 pickup, the grey box and the 13 pin cable is not an option for me.
I guess i will just have to wait and see if future updates to the GM800 will solve the problem, but i will try using a regular TRS cable and see if that will make a difference.
Thanks again.
Liked & subbed.Agree the new pickup has some issues.Seriously thinking about sending back the new pickup.And getting a GK-3 pickup.I've had the GK-800 for about 3 weeks.Sold my GR-55 and had all the GR's before that.The sounds and option to download new sounds is amazing.I have a Graphtech Ghost System in a strat style guitar and the converter box for 13 pin.That guitar Tracks like a Champ.Can you try to get a Nashville tuning on your GM? Page 14 in the Parameter Guide shows how, and a bunch of other tunings too.I can't get it to play anything but Normal tuning.If you Know of a GM-800 Forum...Please let me know. Yes it's new and has some bugs.I've been playing guitar synth since pitch to MIDI.Once the bugs are out of it,it will be amazing. Best Regards..👍👍
I really like this one. I still think the GM 800 has great potential. I also owned several Guitar Synths. You probably remember when the GR 20 came out. Many people said that synth was a step backwards. The biggest problem at that time was the fact that it only had one synth. The GR33 which was the one before the GR 20 combined two synths together so you could blend tones. You could also split strings and have different tones on different strings. These features were stripped away because I believe the GR 20 was an effort to make guitar synths more user friendly.
I see some similar issues with the GM 800. I think there are some design flaws. They missed the mark with the GK5. I will still hang on to mine in case a firmware update fixes some issues. I am getting better results with my other pickups. Some of the tracking options are taken away in the GM 800. Over the years some guitar players complained about the 13 pin cable. I think that Roland /Boss are trying to appeal to those players while at the same time provide a way for 13 pin users to still use their pickups. In my view if they really wanted to improve this pickup then they would make it wireless or Bluetooth. That is really the thing that will make those users happy. These days you can get a wireless system on Amazon for thirty or forty bucks. It can't be hard to make a GK wireless pickup. This is the real complaint these people have.
The section of the patch where the tuning can be changed is also taken away. There is now a global setting for tuning. I have not tested it yet. I plan on exploring the tuning options and will release a video in the future but right now I have problems getting Roland Cloud to work. I really wish this thing worked right out of the box but anything that is brand new is going to have issues.
Awesom Info, gentleman!@@marcuscurtismusic
Just a quick note to let you know I figured out how to get the open tuning option working. I am using Tone Studio to get it working. I have not used the menu options on the GM-800. This is how you do it.
Select a scene or create one. on one of the tones on that scene select edit. Now go to the string tab. The 5th row down you will see a ALT TUNE SW. click that on. Now select the tuning you want. The Nashville tuning is in the list of tunings
My usb stick is in, and it say on screen to insert usb memory, does not work
I don't know what the problem is, it could be a few things. First, you need to insert the USB stick before you turn on the GM800. If you insert it after, then the unit won't see it. Second, did you format the USB stick using the GM800? You need to use their format in order for it to work. Then you can copy the files for format on to the USB thumb drive. Third, is the USB stick defective? Make sure the USB stick works properly. The stick I used in the video was a USB 2.0 thumb drive.
Finally someone who mentions the incorrectly produced notes by the GM-800 that are NOT caused by the player! Thanks Marcus!
It has been a source of frustration among many guitar players. The fact that the GK5 pickup has not worked well since it's released has caused many problems. We know that it is not a problem with the technology because the GK3 pickup works really well with the GM800. We know it is not the GK5 pickup itself because it works very well with other guitar synths. The GK5 works extremely well with the SY-1000. So that just leaves one thing. The Issue lies in the software that controls the synth, or in other words, the issue is the firmware. This month, Boss just issued new firmware to correct this problem. I am in the process of downloading and testing the new firmware. A video is coming soon and hopefully this problem can be fixed once and for all.
@@marcuscurtismusic did the new firmware fix this ? want to know before i install it thanks
@@usernotavailable1658 There is a new firmware version that just came out this month. I just finished testing it and a video is currently in production. This video talks about updating to 1.03, but the new firmware is 1.10. The new firmware does dramatically improve the tracking with the GK5 pickup, however, there was no where to go but up as far as improvement goes. While some patches are now usable, others still have ghost notes in them. The new firmware also improves the GK3 pickups. It is worth downloading and installing. The video will explain more when it comes out. It is in the editing phase now.
@@marcuscurtismusic thanks very much
Very helpfull, thanks mister!
Thanks for your videos.
I have a guitar with a fishman triple play wireless. Do you know or someone knows if this system works with the gm800 ?
As I far as I know the Fishman Triple Play wireless system does not work with the GM 800. You would need a 13 pin pickup system like the GK 3, or a piezo 13 pin system, or you would need a GK5 pickup.
I'm taking a moment to thank you for saving me from three days of total, absolute grief. Boss site would not allow me to create an account after repeated attempts to get a "verification code" to register my product. More importantly, your video was clear, concise and accurate, I'm up and flying! Thank you sir.
Your comment made my day. I know what its like to troubleshoot something and not have any answers from the manual or the manufacturer. As long as I know that people are being helped from these videos I will continue to make them. Thank You for your comment.
muchas gracias, gracias a personas como tu podemos aprender
It took me a bit to update the unit but I got it working . As for tracking with the gk5 it is very good . I had to play around with the play feel but it was fairly straightforward. Sounds are great and I do find the sounds and tracking better than previous units offered by Roland as I have had them all .
So, much better than GK3+adapter in GM-800? Or if you already have GK3 it doesn´t worth get GK5? BTW, great video again 👍
Thank you. I did my firmware update, driver and Tone Studio download yesterday. And it worked!
Great to hear!
As for the ringing out notes and such, it's all about playing cleaner obviously, and I think you have to more with the gk-5. Also setting string sensitivity right will help and use the low velocity cut to help too. For the power issue, find a inline rocker switch online somewhere that is made for 2.1mm male to female adapter and 12v and works great!
I have not fully troubleshooted the problem yet but one thing is for certain. The sensitivity has already been set. I doubt very much it is the playing style because as I have said, this does not happen when I use the GK3 pickups. plus this only happens on certain patches not every one. I have 4 other guitars that do not do this. If I got to play every note according to what the GM-800 would deem as perfect then what is the incentive for using a GK5? Not just ringing out of notes but playing the wrong notes and ghost notes. I really think this probably needs a firmware update.
There is a limited number of options compared to other synths when setting up the pickup. For example, there are no play feel options and there is no scale length to put in. other options are missing as well. I double checked the guitar intonation so that is not the issue.
I will look into your suggestion on the power issue. Thanks for that and thank you for your suggestions.
@@marcuscurtismusic There is definitely play feel option. Go to menu then scene edit and master and there you have play feel options and dynamics and low vel cut that helps.
THANKS, MARCUS!
im aso having the hanging notes issue with the gk5. Adjusted everything yet when i play it all sounds normal no hanging but then after a minute of playing it starts to hang. Seems to be a glitch , also i play alot of notes quick passages, so maybe it cant process all the midi signals reliably? the tracking is perfect though it keeps up incredibly but after a minute notes begin to hang. have you tried using the gk5 as a daw plugin midi input via usb midi on gm 800? maybe the issue goes away?
With my troubleshooting there are some things that I have discovered. 1.Some patches are worse than others when it comes to tracking 2. Older pickups like the GK3 do not have these issues. 3. The GK5 seems to have a higher output than the other pickups. 4. These issues do not exist when you use the GK5 on older synths such as the SY-1000 or the GR-55. This leads me to believe that the problem is not the pickup but the problem is the GM 800. Once Boss finds the problem a firmware update could be made to fix the issue. I recommend that you contact Boss support and tell them about your issue. The more people that tell Boss they are having problems the sooner the fix will be released.
thanks very much , ill contact boss this is so ridiculous how companies have been releasing unfinished products. Hopefully gm 800 doesn't get abandoned by them soon.@@marcuscurtismusic
my gm800 failed the update, and now the unit is a brick. Glad I spent $1100 on this. what a joke
I am sorry to read this. Did you get an error message that said update failed?
@@marcuscurtis8665 Sweetwater and Boss/Roland have been great I will say that. They troubleshoot the unit with via email and confirmed it was bricked. They are sending out a replacement unit soon:)
Do the up and down plus volume controls on the GK3 work with the GM 800?
Oops. Saw the answer at the end, thanks.
I have 3 GK pickups, so the GM 800 might be a good investment.
@@harmonyaquarian9210 you will probably need to get the gray box called GKC-AD in order to use your older pickups with the GM-800. The good news is the gray box is cheaper than the new GK5 pickup
@@marcuscurtismusic In NZ it looks to be about the same price, but would make my other 3 pickups usable…
Too much trouble to bother with, ... I'm out !!!