Old FAQ
From VG-8.com
[edit] What is the difference between the VG-8EX and VG-8?
Check out Upgrade for a list of differences.
[edit] Where can I get an S-1 card?
They are discontinued so they are hard to find so we provide a list of S-1 owners across the world or you can borrow Aure's via mail. See the Upgrade page.
[edit] Can I use the VG-8 and another GK device (GR-30, GR-09, GI-10, Axon, etc.) simultaneously?
Yes you can. You need to invest in the Roland US-20 Unit Selector. Note to RMC Poly Drive I users, this unit needs to be modified for use with your pickups.
For those able to build electronic equipment themselves, there is a DIY safe clone here.
You may also use the GKP-4 GK Parallel Box, a four-units-in-parallel device. Some users have reported that the US-20 has exhibited problems with noise, whereas when they move to the GKP-4, the noise is reduced or eliminated. The difference is that the GKP-4 has no switching - every output port is always on, whereas the US-20 has foot switches to select either one or both output ports.
[edit] Is it true that the distortion isn't the greatest on the unit?
The distortion is fine. You can get more than you'd ever want and with only a little tweaking I've been able to get the kind of warm distortion that people always think is coming from an old tube amp. The key for me has been to find a good mix between using the pedals for distortion AND the on board distortion on some of the amp sims. If you rely on only one or the other, it seems to be too mushy (amp) or too digital (pedals).
[edit] What are piezo pickups?
Piezo (short for piezoelectric) pickups are devices based on "piezoelectric effect". They are usually made of a very thin slab of piezoelectric material (mainly ceramics) that, when flexed, is able to generate a very little current proportional to the energy (string vibration) that drives them. They ONLY WORK BY DIRECT CONTACT with the vibrating object they're designed to amplify, and are capable of transducing a huge amount of information (from very low to very high frequencies), that's why several list members are worried about piezo on tremolo units (hitting the whammy bar can cause a low frequency noise). Piezo is the technology behind a lot of items, from cigarette lighters to the famous C-ducer pickups.
[edit] What is the RMC modification?
The modification is one that Richard McClish suggested for the VG-8 is a change of capacitor values in the analog "front-end" of the unit that attenuates subsonic frequencies which can otherwise enter freely and upset the performance of the overdrive and pitch shifter in some cases. This can be accomplished by a competent electronic repair tech.
[edit] Which should I buy? The VG-8 or GR-30?
It depends on what you want to accomplish. The GR-30 is guitar synth, the VG-8 is NOT!! The GR-30 can produce more traditional sounds like trumpets, piano, drums, which the VG-8 doesn't. The VG-8 on the other hand, is a billion times more sensitive to play feel and subtleties in your playing than the GR-30. Since it works on the sound of your strings, you can do things like scratch your strings or bang your guitar and you will get sound, with the GR-30, the unit will just be confused.
[edit] How well does the VG-8 track?
The VG-8 doesn't "track" in the traditional sense of the word. It is actually processing effects on your actual string sound, not converting that sound into MIDI data. Speed metal players have no problem fitting in all those random notes! :)
[edit] Can I get a wireless unit for the VG-8?
Currently THERE ARE NO SUCH UNITS unless you're ready to invest a lot of cash in a professional multichannel box (like the ones used for TV but heavily modified). The GK/Piezo out (13 pin connector) is made of 6 wires carrying AUDIO from the 6 strings, not midi or some digitalized stuff. In order to go wireless we need a 6 channel unit (7 if you also use the "regular" guitar out) plus several switches. There is a DIY development project under way here. Active co-developers are welcome!
[edit] What's a good price for a VG-8 new or used?
Probably around $600 used, $800 new. Often it is bundled with a GK-2A pickups which adds about $200. The VG-8 has excellent resale value, or at least it HAD good resale value before the VG-88 was announced.
[edit] How do I download patches into my VG-8?
Some instructions are available.
[edit] Someone told me that the VG-8 is or was discontinued, is it? was it?
In early 98 there was much talk of the VG-8 being discontinued. They sold their initial batch (slowly) and didn't know if it would be worth producing another. Rumor has it that Aure and the VG-8.com mailing lists letters to Roland Japan did make an impact on the decision not to abandon the VG-8 and to release the EX version which had 32 new patches and had the S-1 upgrade built in. In early 2000, Roland announced the VG-88 so V-Guitar is not going away any time soon!
[edit] Can the EBow work with the VG-8? What exactly is an EBow?
Yes!! Of course! Anything that makes your strings shake can make the VG make a sound!
[edit] Have you seen any "bad" reviews of the VG-8?
Well, no, I haven't ever seen a bad review of it. I'd really be surprised by one, its worst drawback is its high cost.
[edit] What could be better about the VG-8?
Not all modifications are available with all models. That is, you can't set up a wah or distortion pedal or amplifiers in stereo, etc., with all models. This limits the number of virtual instruments(however, unusual or "unorthodox) that you can develop. Also, there is no option for pitch shifting with 12 string models. The VG-8 inspires you to imagine more virtual instruments than you can program. The other "bad" thing about the VG-8 is the lack of direct email support from Roland.
[edit] If I'm playing my acoustic guitar with the VG-8, and the VG-8 is set do a different tuning from the one my guitar has, don't I hear sound in one tuning directly from guitar to ear and also sound in the other tuning from speaker to ear?
The amplifier is, in all cases, intended to overwhelm the acoustic guitar sound. Sometimes even with my electric I'll hear the bleed through of my acoustic strings through the microphone, or with the vibrations on my body. I wouldn't advocate an acoustic guitar for the VG-8, although I know there are some music stores on the net that are pushing one.
[edit] Is the VG-8 a MIDI guitar system? Can I use the VG-8 to trigger my sound card?
The VG-8 does not trigger MIDI, nor does it have a "thru" that would send the signal to a MIDI converter. On the other hand, it has great sounds that allow you to be much more versatile and expressive than just triggering keyboard sounds. Roland has marketed the VG-8 as a guitar emulation system to get away from the idea of MIDI guitar - a lot of players have already written that off forever. But, the VG-8 does have many keyboardy sounds, pads, synths, violins, bass, etc.
[edit] What about the future? Is there a VG-16 or something better coming along?
VG-8's successor, VG-88 was announced in Winter NAMM 2000.
UPDATE: (Nov 2005) The VG-88 shipped in 2001. A Version 2.0 also shipped some time later. Roland made factory (or service center) upgrades available for free for a period of time, but that offer has ended. Older units can still be updated at the service centers, but it will not be free. Additionally, there are files available on the internet that purport to upgrade the unit when loaded as a sysex file. Some users report success with this method, others have said the opposite. At this time, there is no known way to easily determine if a unit will accept this sysex file or not.
