V-Synth GT: Midi/USB Problems

Yes, you have the same issues that we heard from several GT users as well. I had some trouble with it USB-connected to my Mac as well, although the USB sticks always worked fine. We all hope for an update, but do not worry, if it is actually released, not just "announced", you'll download it the same day I think.

Ok, sort of good that I'm not the only one, but how did the other people suffering from equal symptoms fix the problem?

I cannot help but think this is like buying a nice convertible Saab whose roof won't come down - and air conditioning is permanently off as well. It sure looks nice but doesn't quite deliver the functionality it advertises. Unfortunately, I've got experience in that one as well...

What good is a USB/Midi sync if delay/arpeggiator/modulator keeps stumbling? I've got an mp3 demonstrating the problem. Any ideas? Any help? Anyone?

I've listen to your mp3...really interesting "music" !!!

My good friend XT !!! I wouldn't change it for nothing.

PauloF

Heh, I knew somebody would grab that piece of "music". (ok, ok, I like minimalists but even for me that's a bit... well, minimalist.)

Sounds like it's trying to catch up every 1/4th, doesn't it?

I'm heading today to the local Roland branch to investigate whether there's something wrong with just this particular GT, or are the symptoms similar with their GT as well. I was told yesterday that theirs is doing "just fine", mounting, formatting USB sticks, syncing... Yeah, right. Let's see.

Yep, neither would I give up the XT. It stays there in the rack.

I've never had any USB- or memory-issues with my GT, but I also can't use the GT's tempo-based-effects in MIDI-slave-mode and get the same "howling" results - but the GT isn't the only synth with this problem. My Virus TI and classic Korg Triton also produce such artifacts (although not as extreme as the GT) when being slaved to an external clock.

My workaroud fpr the GT is to use delays with fixed timings in msecs, or I let the GT run on its internal MIDI-clock and adjust the tempo by hand, but this actually leads to another problem: the GT's tempo needs to be set to +1 BPM compared to other synths ...

Crossing fingers that you'll get your memory-problems sorted out ASAP!


Cheers

Gerald

I visited local Roland branch today, with a bunch of USB Sticks with me. I had two that finally worked with my GT and three that didn't. It turned out that their GT didn't like 4(!) of them, it passed only one. The fourth was ok only after rebooting GT and formatting the USB Stick right after that. Unfortunately, I couldn't connect the dots to figure out what's going on. The other working was a Cruzer (with removable clear/blue/pink cover), the other was unnamed. Another Cruzer brand refused to work. A Kingston? No go. I have to remind that each of these sticks worked flawlessly both in all my Macs and PCs, were zeroed and formatted - and yet only the same two worked, only them.

Also, it seemed that their GT was way slower than mine (its firmware was 1.0.2), if I held down a 4-voice chord with a similar factory patch and pressed Menu button whilst keeping down the chord, it took seconds longer to update the screen than with my GT. Literally, many, many seconds longer. I didn't bother to hook it up with my laptop, instead I was sort of relieved to notice there's consistency among the hickups, so to say, and there was nothing wrong with my GT.

Obviously GT's main processor is trying very hard to cope with huge amount of data, failing miserably. Has Roland sold us hugely underperforming hardware? Yes, it seems so. I'd guess there are priorisation issues in software's performance, which probably are partly due to bad testing - or unprofessional testing, simply put. I'm sure Roland wouldn't let that pile of d*ng out if they'd known how badly the GT performs. Dammit, I had my first Roland in 1981 (a second-hand SH-7) and have owned dozens of Rolands during the years (I still own) and I've seen the quality degrade little by little. They definitely need someone with a whip over there. I'm a volunteer.

The main question remains: Should I return the GT, or wait till January for an update - or sell the bloody thing? Right now I feel a bit let down, sad as well.

I have a Virus TI as well and didn't notice its delay jumping or bouncing. Instead I noticed that its reverb is kind of "thinning out" in dense places, like it were reducing the reverb diffusion. Ah, such wonderful machines!

Keep the GT and wait with me for an update so that I'm not alone ... I can't help, but it seems to be in fashion to sell the GT these days. While I love the GT's sound, I somehow don't like to work with it, it lacks a lot of comfort when it comes to programming sounds. It's really time for a *huge* OS-update to adress all these issues and to improve the usability (for example by adding copy-commands and the possibility to load single sounds and samples from other projects).

Lucky you that your TI doesn't howl as a MIDI-slave - mine does (when slaved to my Fantom X), and I don't use the TI's built-in reverb any more because it steals too many voices from the sound-engine and tends to produce crackles and cut-off reverb-tails on my unit. You're right: such wonderful machines!

Ok, I'll stick with GT for now.

When I had the original V-Synth, I was SO happy with it, did lots of wonderful stuff and really enjoyed its one-of-a-kind sound and reliability. No problems with timing, there. Its display, however, developed an audible hi-pitched whine within two years, and it also managed to infitrate the outputs as well.

Heh, I just sold my Fantom-X6, mainly due to its small quirks, sloooow loading times and whatnot. It took almost 20 minutes to load a live sample set, which was quite annoying and nerve-wrecking at times last summer, with fast changes during the festival gigs etc. - virtually a useless feature, so to speak. Again we encounter another Roland Vaporware Feature (tm). Eventually I ended up slimming and trimming down the sample set - an effective lesson of optimization, by the way. I also noticed that it, too, had a serious midi/usb clocking problem as well, rendering most of the time-synced functions useless. RVF(tm).

It just seemed to have everything and their cousin under the hood: a true workstation, emphasizing the word "work". I like to dive in deep with my toys, but that was that sort of a keyboard I never really got to know. I never managed to save its system preferences, for example, even though it was sent back twice for "fixes". Hmm, there must be something wrong with me and my latter-day Roland karma...

By the way, I do have to give kudos to GT's navigation shortcuts, pressing SHIFT+OSC1 opens Osc 1 settings, etc., if only the shift button was located next to OSC1/2, COSM1/2 etc. buttons. Now it needs two hands to use - but is still accelerating navigation.

I like the idea of having two engines under one hood. The XT's now in D-50 mode and GT functions as both a Vocal Designer and a V-Synth. I have everything at my fingers when needed. If only I (or anybody) could lower the RVF(tm) factor.

That +1 BPM deviation in the MIDI clock is also happening with the XT !!!

RVF (tm) ... great word ...

Well, I don't want to speak in favour of Roland, but I think other manufacturers have similar problems as well - just think of the Virus TI. Until now (with latest OS 2.7.3), I still have trouble with some sounds producing audible crackling, the MIDI-slave-timing is far weaker than on the old Virus C ... but this of course doesn't make the Fantom X's and V-Synth GT's bugs any better.

I always try to find workarounds for these, ahem, "limitations" and I'm always happy when finally OS-update arrives that fixes some of the problems. *If* an OS-update should ever arrive ... maybe one of the Secret Roland Agents has heard *any* rumour about a new OS for the GT? Any beta-versions? Alpha??? The slightest bit of info would appreciated ...

RVF (tm) ... great word ...

Well, I don't want to speak in favour of Roland, but I think other manufacturers have similar problems as well - just think of the Virus TI. Until now (with latest OS 2.7.3), I still have trouble with some sounds producing audible crackling, the MIDI-slave-timing is far weaker than on the old Virus C ... but this of course doesn't make the Fantom X's and V-Synth GT's bugs any better.

I always try to find workarounds for these, ahem, "limitations" and I'm always happy when finally OS-update arrives that fixes some of the problems. *If* an OS-update should ever arrive ... maybe one of the Secret Roland Agents has heard *any* rumour about a new OS for the GT? Any beta-versions? Alpha??? The slightest bit of info would appreciated ...

And this applies to Korg??? I think not. Look at all they have done for the OASYS and now the M3. At least they listen and respond to their clients with appropriate updates and some excellent surprises as well. Roland and Yamaha cannot hold a candle to Korg in this respect.

I can't say anything about Korg's current OS's and support since my only Korg is an old Triton. All I said is that this old Triton also has problems synching its tempo-based effects to an external MIDI-source, and that's it. No complaints about today's Korg-gear - and I wish I had an M3 myself ...

I'm not sure if Klangwelt meant to address Korg literally.

What I'm trying is to say politely that there's MUCH to do when it comes to feature implementation in time, that concerning all manufacturers overall. "In time" meaning every advertised feature should really be 100% functional at the time of release and NOT pending year after release - which, by the way, is a funnyfunny suckysucky thing.

Unfortunately, the case with Korg Legacy plugins (MS-20, Polysix, LegacyCell etc.) is not so different: there are numerous Korg plugin users complaining about many bugs and yet all (including myself) have got no response from Korg whatsoever and neither has Korg updated them since 18th April 2007... (yawn) Something's improved, though: their Wavestation plugin doesn't crash like its hardware cousin. I'm still waiting someone to contact me from their customer care, by the way. Been waiting a lot, lately.

In addition to that, I used to tweak Oasys for about 4 hours and managed to crash it. Twice. It was relatively newly released but had already gotten its first update. Even though this is no Korg forum I have to ask whether it's improved or does it still suffer from such sudden setbacks?

EJ2, you mentioned "excellent surprises"? Please inform, you seem to know more than myself. I've floated a bit far from Korg camp, my last hardware Korgs being a Triton and its rack sibling, both of which I sold several years ago. How are things in Yamaha camp? How well do they perform in the update/customer support area? A friend just sold his Motif XS8 due to live situation related midi clock sync problems, very similar to my experiences with the GT. Ah well, different brand, same sh*t.

EDIT: Sigh, all I'm trying to write is still, despite my filtering, showing severe frustration towards modern keyboards. Don't mean any harm though. :-/

Hi Petri,

I listened to your MP3 - and guess what I have exactyly this issue on my GT when synchronizing to Cubase 4 clock. Have you found that there's no fix so far? - it sounds absolutely awful compared to internal clock sync?

Any progress since you last posted?

Thanks

Rand