Boss has announced the Serial GK system and GM-800 Guitar Synthesizer, reckoning to ‘elevate guitar and bass synthesis into a new age of natural playability and boundless creative range’.
Driven by the newly developed Serial GK digital interface, the Zen-Core engine in the GM-800 unlocks sounds from acoustic instruments to classic and modern synths, while high-performance DSP delivers tracking stability and expressive possibitilies not previously possible. In addition, Boss has released a variety of complementary products for the GM-800 and Serial GK system, including GK-5 and GK-5B Divided Pickups for guitar and bass, BGK-15 and BGK-30 connection cables, and GKC-AD and GKC-DA GK Converters for interfacing with classic 13-pin GK products.
Boss and parent company Roland introduced the then revolutionary GR-500 system in 1977. Building the concepts behind many historic Roland GR products, the GM-800 provides guitar and bass players with cutting-edge creative tools and access to sounds typically only available with keyboard-based instruments.
The GM-800 is built around the expandable Zen-Core Synthesis System, the sound source found in the Jupiter-X and Fantom keyboards and Zenology software synthesiser. Zen-Core combines PCM synthesis and advanced modelling to offer an playground for sonic adventure. With more than 1,200 Tones, GM-800 users can play sound such as pianos, organs, and orchestral instruments as well as classic Roland synth sounds including the Jupiter-8 and Juno-106.
The GM-800 features an intuitive workflow based around Scenes, which contain four Tone parts, a Rhythm part, and a selection of synthesis parameters, effects, pitch settings and sensitivity adjustments. Users can layer Tones to create combined voices or assign Tones to individual strings, such as a bass sound on the low strings and a piano or sax sound on the high strings. It’s also possible to assign Tones to specific fret ranges, a powerful new feature made possible with the GM-800’s pitch detection.
There are four assignable footswitches, plus two external control jacks that each support up to two footswitches or an expression pedal. Midi I/O is also included for interfacing with other synthesisers and Midi equipment.
Via USB, users can craft Scenes in detail from a computer using the Boss Tone Studio software for the GM-800. It’s also possible to capture GM-800 sounds as audio tracks in a DAW and use the Guitar-to-Midi function to play software-based instruments and hardware sound modules.
The GK-5 (guitar) and GK-5B (bass) are user-installable pickups designed to drive the Serial GK digital interface in the GM-800. They feature a secure, space-saving connection with a lower profile than previous GK products. The GK-5 works with most standard six-string guitars with steel strings. The GK-5B supports most bass guitars with four, five, or six strings, and the pickup’s internal sensors can be adjusted to accommodate different bridge spacings.
The BGK-15 (15ft./4.5m) and BGK-30 (30ft./9m) cables are specially designed for the GK-5/GK-5B and the Serial GK system. Built with premium materials, they feature a flexible design with a woven outer jacket that provides easy handling and rugged durability.
The GKC-AD and GKC-DA provide easy integration between the Serial GK system and the analogue 13-pin GK interfaces found in earlier guitar synth and modelling instruments from Boss and Roland. The GKC-AD allows users to drive the Serial GK input on the GM-800 from a Roland GK-3/GK-3B Divided Pickup or an instrument equipped with a 13-pin GK output. With the GKC-DA, users can drive 13-pin GK products such as the Boss SY-1000 or GP-10 from a GK-5/GK-5B pickup or the Serial GK output of the GM- 800.
The GM-800 supports an expanding range of creative options through Roland Cloud, including Zen-Core Sound Packs and Wave Expansions. A free Roland Account provides access to essential Roland Cloud services, with additional content available via three paid membership levels.
More: www.boss.info
