European (220/230V) version of vintage analog Roland GR-300 Guitar Synthesizer. This is not a newer, midi synth, but a vintage one that requires a special Guitar controller (like G-202, G-303, G-505 or a cosmic G-707) or an older GK-1 pickup, all together with 24-PIN cable.
This is the best synthesizer ever produced and widely used by Pat Metheny, Robert Fripp and Andy Summers to name a few.
The synth is fully working, but as a vintage, 30-year-old instrument there is no return policy available. Payment: PayPal or international wire/bank transfer.
I got also 24-PIN cable. If you were interested, please let me know.
Below you will find a description from great site maintained by Wayne Scott Joness as well as the link to the song of my band Hipgnosis where I play the synth.
Features and Specifications:
· 6-voice polyphony
· 2 oscillators per voice
· VCOs (voltage controlled oscillator) are directly harmonically locked to each string, but can be tuned separately
· VCF (voltage controlled filter, low pass) -24 dB per octave, with envelope modulation (attack and sensitivity)
· Low Frequency Oscillator, for Vibrato Effects
· Built-in foot switch controls the VCO mode (single/dual), VCO harmonize pitch (detuning of the VCO's), and VCF mode (on, bypass, or inverted)
· Pedal control input for the VCF
Synchronized, flashing LED status indicators
Dimensions: 15.7" (W) 11.4" (D) 3.9" (H)
Power Requirements: 20 watts
Response Time: 3.32 ms
At the end of the 1970s, Roland Corporation introduced the world to the GR-300 analog guitar synthesizer. While there have been numerous advancements in music technology since then, the GR-300 remains the pinnacle of analog guitar synthesis. Although the sound palette of the GR-300 is very limited, the GR-300 has the fastest, most accurate tracking ever developed. Unlike much of guitar-to-MIDI pitch recognition technology, the GR-300 guitar synthesizer does not require the player to adapt technique to get astonishing results.
It is not that the GR-300 ignores fret board misfires, or translates them into wildly inaccurate notes as some MIDI systems will. The GR-300 instead creates a unique analog synth equivalent. For example, the initial atonal pick attack is converted into a sound very reminiscent of the "spit" sound heard at the beginning of a trumpet phrase.
The trumpet comparison continues: the GR-300 has a waveform very similar to a sawtooth, with a brassy, aggressive tone. But the GR-300 waveform does something unique: it changes shape as the player moves up the fret board. An "E" played one octave above an open "E" string will not only be sounding at twice the frequency, but the harmonic content will be very different as well. This is the happy consequence of the brute force synthesis used in the GR-300. Inside the GR-300, the amplitude (volume) of each note is related to its pitch. The low "E" will have twice the amplitude of an "E" one octave above. Similarly, the high open "E" string, two octaves above the low "E" string, will have one quarter the amplitude of the low "E". To eliminate this volume difference, Roland used a "chopper-gate" circuit to basically crop the top of the waveforms. The higher notes look more like a classic sawtooth waveform, while lower notes have a more rounded tone. The result is a rich, complex sound where every note played on the guitar across the instrument will have an individual sound. An unfortunate consequence of this design is that higher notes will have less sustain than lower ones.
The GR-300 has two oscillators, both harmonically locked to the string pitch, but one oscillator can be offset by a range of plus or minus one octave. So it is possible to play one oscillator an octave below pitch, or to layer two oscillators together at the interval of a perfect fifth. These pitch intervals can be preset as pitch offset "A" and "B." There is also an adjustable pitch rise and fall time, to create a portamento/glide effect. The -24 db per octave low-pass filter in the GR-300 also tracks pitch, so as pitch preset "A" or "B" are engaged, the filter will also change. Higher pitches open the filter more, making for a brighter sound. For more than 30 years, guitarist Pat Metheny has been thrilling audiences with his GR-300 solos. Pat will often engage the pitch offset to lift the end of his solos one octave up. Not only does this raise the pitch, but it also opens the filter up more, making for a brighter sound. The GR-300 includes a LFO vibrato circuit, and basic filter envelope modulation. There are controls for filter attack time and sensitivity, and the filter modulation can be inverted as well.
The original G-202/303/505/808 guitars have a hexaphonic fuzz circuit, and the GR-300 is the only Roland guitar synthesizer to access this sound. With the GR-300, players can play either the hexaphonic fuzz, the VCO synth sound, or both of these sounds combined.
The GR-300 has maintained a unique level of recognition thanks in large part to musical genius of Pat Metheny. Guitar players who see Pat play for the first time want to know how to get "that sound." While Pat has continued to embrace new guitar technology, he has maintained a close relationship with his G-303/GR-300 combination. Pat has demonstrated with the ease of a virtuoso just how expressive a guitar synthesizer can be. For players used to working with the kludgy, unforgiving MIDI synthesizer systems, the GR-300 is a refreshing, responsive system.
Other guitar players who championed the GR-300 in their careers include Andy Summers of The Police, who tended to use the unit as a source of pads, or dark, swelling tones. This can be heard on the break of "Don't Stand so Close to Me". And Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew of King Crimson used the GR-300 extensive in the early 80s, most notably on their stunning album "Discipline." The lead distinctive synth sound heard at the beginning of "The Sheltering Sky" is a GR-300.
