VG-99 Enhancements

From VG-8.com

This is a list of the enhancement requests we're compiling:

• Although the 1.04 update helped with a pickup setting for RMC pickups, the Godin nylon multiac doesn't model the same as a RMC Godin LGXT (for example). Their needs to be a nylon/steel option at this stage to properly switch between these guitars. The nylon string Godins allow fingerstyle multi-part harmony playing and are more appropriate controllers for many sounds. They also have a different palette for blending guitar output with VG output.

• Add a send/return so that I can add an external effects unit after the COSM models, but anywhere into the effects chain.

• Enable Six channel I/O via between the VG-99 and a computer.

• Enable Individual string in/out between VG-99 and a computer. This allows users to record each individual string to the computer and then later route that signal back into the VG-99 for processing for “Re-Amping”.

• All effects should be stereo In/Out. Currently many effects offer only mono input. (Compressor, Distortion, Defretter, Delay, for example.) Effects which have only Mono input eliminate the usefulness of the wonderful Individual String Panning feature active on every COSM guitar model.

• Dry/effect mix setting or separate dry and effect per effect (e.g. chorus) to prevent volume jump when using an effect.

• COSM amp models should be stereo in/out. Currently, engaging the COSM amplifier section causes any stereo panning defined in the COSM guitar or Effects to be summed to mono. An alternative to this is to allow both of the COSM amplifiers to be joined together into one stereo amp, with stereo signals from both the A and B COSM Guitar and Effect chains running into it (This method would require virtually no additional processing power).

• Additionally it would be helpful to have a pair of 1/4 in.TRS L/R inputs for those of us who own Brian Moore Guitars that

that run a magnetic and a Peizo chord out. This also facillitates mixer before allowing for a broad spectrum of useful ap- plications and sonic possibilities.

• Add a PolyEffect version of Defretter effect. This is an ideal effect for use in a Poly environment.

• Add PolyEffect version of RingMod effect.

• Add a Vocoder type effect. Perhaps even enable the external guitar or USB input to be used as a modulation source to enable vocal sounds to be used as modulation.

• Add a full featured Looper delay module. This is of clear interest to a wide range of guitarists. Perhaps emulate the features in the Loopstation RC-20XL. The current Hold delay offers a far too short delay time and very limited loop capabilities.

• Enable more Controller Assigns. Right now users can create 16 separate Assigns. This sounds like a lot but actually is not when one begins to make creative use of the controllers and Assign page. Consider that making any parameter change on a Per-String basis can force the user to utilize 6 of the 16 assigns. Increasing the number of Assigns to 32 or even 48 would enable much more extensive use of the Assign feature without adding new features to the system.

• Allow saving of "patch" controller assignments for reuse on other patches.

• Provide overall "system" controller assignments setting as default with "system/patch" selection per controller or patch.

• The Controller Assign page for F1-F6 should include the same parameters that are included with all other controller sources: Target Min, Target Max, Switch Mode and Source Active Range. This is VERY important to making the F1-F6 knobs useful in a live environment.

• Allow the F 1-6 direct edit settings to be saved as favorites.

• Enable all parameters in the Alternate Tuning page to be Targets in the Control Assign page. Right now, most of the parameters on the Alternate Tuning page cannot be assigned as targets on the Control Assign page.

• Enable a mode on the VG-99/FC-300 VG-88 whereby the foot pedals 1/6, 2/7, 3/8, 4/9, 5/0 can be used as control sources (This would basically enable these pedals to be used like CTL Pedal 1 and 2). In this mode, these pedals would not be used to change from one VG-99 preset to another, but instead would be used as control sources.

• Include a Square Wave as a control waveform for the Wave Pedal.

• Include the "Mellow" COSM amp modeled after the Polytone mini-Brute that was in the VGA-7

• Enable support for instruments which are tuned lower than the standard guitar tuning of EADGBE. Perhaps even allow the user to define what the open pitch of each string is. This would set any pitch detection parameters inside the VG-99 to accommodate these “lower than normal” instruments.

• Option to suppress open string sound. Particularly useful for gtr>midi, but also for normal use to avoid unwanted sounds generated when lifting fingers from the strings. Option could be: off, mute, suppress.

• Allow multiple "User" Tuning Types to be stored in the Alternate Tuning/Tuning section. That way you can assign controllers to set or cycle through custom user tunings.

• Add a "Standard" tuning shortcut. This is useful for setting up B-bender or similar patches that "bend" off of standard tuning. Also useful when assigning a knob or foot controller to cycle through tunings (like a Variax). The only way to do this currently is to set up a "User" tuning which initializes to standard tuning.

• Allow the ability to set harmony/harmonizer level and panning per string.

• Include the ability to blend pitch-shifted, harmonized and dry signal in the Alternate Tuning section.

• Enable Parallel routing of effects in addition to the existing serial-only system.

• Allow users to define their own patterns for the Slicer effect.

• FC-300 external expression pedal inputs should have a calibration tool similar to that which exists for the FC-300's built in expression pedals.

• Provide a way to set FC-300 mode directly rather than successively tapping the same pedal

• Allow a wider range of speeds on the Wave Pedal. Ideally we would be able to have 0Hz - 20,000Hz but 0Hz - 1000Hz would be minimally sufficient.

• Allow Wave Pedals to be destinations in the Control Assign system. This would allow users to cross modulate the control signal from Wave Pedals. Example: Use an expression pedal to modulate the speed or amplitude of a Wave Pedal, or even use one slow Wave Pedal to modulate the speed or amplitude of another wave pedal.

• Changing patches currently mutes the audio coming from USB. This means that if someone is using the VG-99 as their audio output from their computer, and is playing along with effects or backing tracks which are coming to the VG-99 via USB, when a patch is changed on the VG-99, the signal from the USB input is momentarily muted along with the signal from the VG-99. A more useful solution would be for the system to not mute the signal that is being routed from the USB to the VG-99 outputs while patches are being changed on the VG-99.

• Allow GK presets to be assigned as a destination in the Control Assign system. This will allow users to quickly switch between instruments by (for example) assigning the GK preset to one of the F1-F6 knobs on the front of the VG-99.

• Include a Ducking Delay or other delay in which the delay volume is controlled by signal dynamics.

• Include the "Auto-Riff" effect from the GT-8/GT-Pro Series. An effect that allows you to automatically produce a phrase simply by picking a single note.

• Include some or all of the HRM modules from the original VG-8.

• Allow both the Guitar Input and the Normal Pickup to be active at the same time. (right now users have to choose between one or the other).

• Allow the Guitar Input and Normal Pickup to be placed at any location in the signal chain (after the COSM guitar, of course).

• Add a hollow body type guitar with body size adjustments and pickup choices. It would then be possible to dial up a Gretsch with Filtertrons or a Gibson ES-295 with single coils. You could reduce the body size of the 295 and wind up with an Epiphone Casino.

• Better yet, add a Solid/Hollow Body option to the Vari guitar, so that the Vari guitar lives up to its name and becomes the one place where we can put any type of pickup [include them all, please] on any type of guitar body [include them all, please]. You can leave out the bass models, but we want to put, say, a Lips or PAF pickup on a hollow body with adjustable Body parameters sometimes. Include the choice of Round/Flat strings.

• Speaking of Body parameters, bring back the Reso parameter for hollow bodies. We can make some great instruments with that.

• Give each virtual pickup its own dedicated volume and tone control rather than just a single master volume and tone.

• In the Alternate Tuning section, turning the function knobs to the left should give flat notes and turning them to the right should give sharp notes. Perhaps this could even give slightly different pitches (ie. tempered tuning).

• Allow users to exchange favorites (switch to XML data formats for patches/settings?).

• Maybe it's just my unit, but the F1 knob seems to move in a jumpy fashion when in Category mode. Seems to behave okay in Play mode.

• Keep the categories window open until pressing exit.

• Reinstate the AUTO TUNE feature from the VG-8 and also show pickup changes in the window.

• Include "String Type" parameter in all COSM instrument models. (it is currently only available on the Electric/Vari model.)

• Add a few more COSM bass model types (Modern, Acoustic, Semi-hollow).

• Provide a parameter which would compensate for the tonal differences between flatwound, halfwound and roundwound strings being used on their Roland Ready guitars. This would allow users who prefer flatwound or halfwound strings on their Roland Ready guitars to achieve the same tone out of the COSM models that users of roundwound strings do.

• Merge the Guitar-to-MIDI CC# assign functionality to the VG controller assign section. Allow all VG controller assignments to selectively pass out as configurable MIDI control changes, or have assignments that only serve as external control change messages.

• Separate the Guitar-to-MIDI patches from the VG patches. Allow for guitar-to-MIDI patch changes without changing the VG patch. This will allow changing of the synth voice while maintaining the same VG tones without having to switch between duplicate patches (which would also potentially impact effects trails).

• Be able to assign controllers to toggle/cycle through the guitar-to-MIDI parameters (like play-feel, chromatic, etc..)

• Rather than only one MIDI hold mode, be able to assign controllers to all hold modes, therefore allowing all hold modes to be available at all times.

• Guitar-To-MIDI should have a configurable bend range.

• Be able to decouple the alternate tuning from the MIDI transposing, or at least allow an additional offset in guitar-to-MIDI (so you can play fifths or octaves rather than be locked in unison).

• Make a truly "best-effort" to optimize guitar-to-MIDI accuracy and latency so that it at least matches the GI-20.

• Match GI-20 functions like per string octave (useful for bass and high strings settings)

• I would like to be able to have different guitar models for each pickup on one guitar.

EX. A Les Paul neck pick up and a Tele bridge. The Vari function does not sound the same as the other electric models.

• Please fix the Pitch Shifter in the mod section.

Even at the slow rate it glitches on chords.

• It would be great in the Alternate tuning section if we could "Gang or connect" all six of the pitch controls together like in the VG-88.

This way turning one knob would change all six at the same time.

• 16 seconds of delay in the hold delay.

• Add a configurable glide/portamento parameter to the ribbon controller. That way you can avoid abrupt transitions when using it like a substitute whammy bar.

• Add Bass WAH type (or insure that the custom wah can extend into the full bass range)

• Include the "VIO Guitar": a great model from VG-8EX.

• MIDI Merge. Allow events arriving at the MIDI In of the VG-99 or FC-300 to be merged with internal events and passed to each device's respective MIDI Out. This would allow one, for instance, to "daisy chain" a knob-box through the VG-99 or FC-300 and control other devices (like your laptop's software) in realtime.

• Add a "Feedback" parameter to the Looper in the Hold Delay. At present, the Hold Delay merely freezes the input at the same dynamic level until it is stopped. Feedback functionality allows the looped content to gradually fade out as more layers are overdubbed. Older loop passes are eventually completely replaced by newer overdubs. It is impossible to work with ambient looped content or music requiring any sort of space without taking Feedback into account.

• It is extremely difficult (nearly impossible) in Humanizer to control the morph rate between two vowel formants. The Rate control merely acts as a delay before the filter change begins, but the rate of the actual morph is unchanged. Some change can be accomplished by very careful attention to dynamics, but this is extremely touchy -- bordering on tedious, even.

• Under the "Alternate Tuning/Harmony" function, please add a "fine" tuning control (+/- 100 cents) to the intervals under the User Interval page. The ability to detune the notes to which the harmony is transposing would allow users to play in true Just Intonation, as well as experiment with limited non-12-Tone and micro-tunings.

• If at all possible, the unit should receive, and send, MIDI pitch bend. It should receive MIDI pitch bend and allow us to assign that incoming pitch bend signal to control anything, including Bend & T-Arm, but also such things as delay time, filter cutoff... anything. It should be able to send MIDI pitch bend from any of the controls, whether ribbon, dbeam, knob, internal pedal, wave pedal, input level... Bending pitch is the heart of many guitarists' expressive styles; if you made this change, guitarists would be able to use electronic controls on their guitars, instead of mechanical whammy bridge systems, to accomplish all that today's whammy bridges can offer, and more. Roland could even sell an add-on "Virtual Whammy", an electronic whammy bar to add to the face of a guitar and plug into a GK pickup system. This could revolutionize electric guitar and make the mechanical whammy obsolete... and Roland could be the name forever associated with that fundamental change.

[edit] The Software

• There should be a Learn-Function for assigning MIDI controllers to functions

• The encoders should also have a push function (well, that means changes to the hw, so that's Mk II...)

• "Direct edit" allows definition for F1-F6 encoders, however, it should also be possible to define usage of the F1-F6 buttons as well, eg. switching effects on/off

• The Display should directly show the paramters assigned to the encoders instead of PARAM1, PARAM2 etc.

• The presets should have some default assignments for MIDI footswitch a la FC200 or FCB1010

• The editor ui should be enhanced, ie. the labels are hard to read

• The editor graphics should be scalable

• Doubleclick on the controls of the editor should reset to default value (eg. for pan reset to center)

• The editor should support mousewheel

• The Librarian should allow drag and drop for sorting the presets

• New function #1 to quickly generate sounds: interpolating between two guitar patches.

• New function #2: randomize parameters

• The layout of the editor should allow to freely configure the columns displayed, ig. also category, controller used, effects used

• It should be possible to call the editor for the selected patch from the Editor

The VG-99 has software for Mac and PC, and that's awesome, but there's a few huge bugs/flaws that need fixing:

• The Librarian doesn't export a single-patch file that the Editor can open [not on the Mac versions 1.01, at least], and the Editor doesn't export a file that the Librarian can open. That's a design bug I'd like to see fixed. Either make the Librarian open .g9e files, or make the Editor open the single-patch .MID files, please!

When I used the Librarian's File:Export SMF...:Selected Data while only 1 patch in the list was selected, I got a .MID file that the Editor won't open.

So I use the Editor to save a patch, and I find the Librarian won't open any file the Editor makes. Some .MID files it just rejects, and others, it says nothing about... but nothing changes in the Librarian window. AFAIK, nothing loaded.

• In the Librarian, there's some confusion about what gets saved in a file: all the patches, or just one patch? A few of us have traded patches via email, and some of us found that all our GK settings were overwritten from a file I saved from the Editor, using the .g9e format. If I used the .MID format, the Librarian seemed to load only the patch, which is better, but the Editor won't open it at all. It's confusing and potentially destructive to a player's favorite settings to let this confusion continue. I hope you'll solve it.

• The Librarian should have a "save everything in your VG-99 to a file" button, but it'd be best to implement that after you've fixed the bug that keeps Librarian files from opening in the Editor, and vice-versa.

• Revise the librarian so that it is easier to back up or print settings.

• The Mac version should let us use longer filenames. We're musicians; we need help remembering what "GtrPlTwt#2" means! That's not a biggie, but it sure was surprising to see such poor filename support in an app released in 2007.

• Mac users need a way to update, too. The only updates we've seen have been for PC users. We'd all prefer updates be done via software that uses USB to transfer data rather than MIDI, and we prefer an update process that can be undone, in case of problems... but right now, Mac users have no update ability at all.

• Controls in the VG-99 editor should be editable using up/down mouse movement instead of circular mouse movement. Circular movement is very difficult using a mouse and this makes it very difficult to set some parameters to specific values.

• Users of the Editor and Librarian should be able to copy, cut & paste text just as with most other apps. Your guitarist customers will thank you for saving them to the typing and the wear and tear on their tired hands.

• There should be a "fine control" mode for all controls in the VG-99 editor. Perhaps holding down the Command key while moving the mouse. This will allow more simplified and faster setting of parameters to specific values. This is especially important for parameters such as Delay Times in which there are many values to select from and some of the values are numeric (milliseconds)and some are musical note values which cannot be typed in manually.

• Give each virtual pickup its own dedicated volume and tone control rather than just a single master volume and tone.