New VG-99 YouTube Songs

[baranger1]

Hi everybody,
I have posted three new songs on YouTube all done with the Roland VG-99.
I thought they would be of interest here.

The important thing is how all of the tracks below are done with out using a synthesizer or midi outs.
It is all just Hex processing of the guitar string.

Using the actual guitar string as the "oscillator", pitch to voltage conversions are not needed.
It is still just my guitar but with a gigantic tone pallet that allows for complex orchestration, effects and new voices.
This also allows for the nuances of an individual player to shine right through.
Every scrape, bump and noise ,

This gives you the ability to sound like "you" , not the same sample playback unit everyone else in the world has.

Long live guitar re-modeling!

Bill Ruppert


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YjoDNfeI5w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c81B1hcdi_4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A5ctqhW7JA

[aliensporebomb]

Bill: I've been watching the videos and rewatching and not only do you
have a musician/arrangers ear, you also have an eye for the visual which
shines thru in the music and the evocative black and white images goes with it beautifully..

This isn't just cool music with guitar modeling, it's cool music any way you
look at it.

Makes me want to dig deep into the VG99 and find out all of its secrets.

I know many pieces of Roland gear are capable of doing more than initially seems possible: the R5 drum machine was also capable of doing bass AND keyboard lines along with drums even though it was not documented in the manual and you had to stumble across the feature by wading thru the menus.

After a while, you got a picture of what the designer of the box was really going for.

I get the feeling the VG99 is like that too.

Thanks for posting!

[germanicus2112]

Bill glad to see you posting vg99 content again! Your demos were the inspiration which caused me to pick up the unit and Im very thankful!

[baranger1]

aliensporebomb
Thank you for your words here and on the YouTube page.
You will find all the magic in the VG.
I think of it as not an effect device but as an instrument on its own.
Just like the guitar it take time to learn how to play it.
The cool thing is just like the guitar we all sound different on it!

germanicus2112
Thank you and great to see you again.

Bill Ruppert

[aliensporebomb]

Bill:

I know you reported a while back that you had picked up a second VG99.

Have you tried the two together yet?

What's it like to control two of them?

[baranger1]

aliensporebomb
I do have a second VG-99 system that have as a back up.
I have learned that having a back up rig is mandatory if you play for a living.
It has come in hand many many time in the past.
Doing commercial session especially.
Often a demo is cut and that need to get approve by the agency heads and the client.
A final version may happen much latter and if you can not reproduce a sound you did on the demo because you have different gear you begin to sweat bullets!
And the VG-99 gets sounds I could NEVER reproduce with other gear!!

I have yet to play both at the same time.
Its been easier just overdub a second part as I just do recording now.
That said I have thought many times about setting both units up.
I do have a US-20 link/switch
It would be amazing!
Playing 4 channels of a Symphonic string sound would make the hairs on my arms stand up.
When you think about it, using two VG-99's would easily give you 48 voices on 4 channels from one guitar!!
Even more if you are crafty.

Bill Ruppert

[aliensporebomb]

Bill: Maybe if you record a solo project do a big finale track with both VG's
setup that way. I bet even Roland would be surprised by what THAT sounds
like.

I can imagine the session scene: too much pressure.. My regular guitar
setup sounds different from day to day, it's very hard to get an exact
duplication of a sound I got earlier - you can get close but if someone
said they wanted an exact duplication of the tone I got seven months
ago, yeah I can picture it in my mind.. Sweat!

[Karma1]

Bill - your videos are excellent! I love your music and use of the VG-99.
I picked up one a couple months ago. I haven't recorded anything with it yet - still learning my way around on it and tweaking some sounds. I did gig with it last night though, with an ambient improv. trio: keyboard, cello, and me on Roland-ready Strat, VG-99, and Korg Micro X. Your sounds are very inspiring. Keep posting your recordings. Nice accompanying photography too.

[baranger1]

Karma1,
Thank you for listening!
You music is great.

Good luck working the VG into the recording end.
That is where it shines in my eyes.
The freedom of orchestration it gives me while retaining the feel and nuances of my guitar is such a gift.
Bill Ruppert