Bad Gear - Roland GAIA SH-01

[@AudioPilz]

Audiopilz: *slaps roof of YT channel* Full Tracks, Extended Jams, Sample Packs: www.patreon.com/audiopilz

[@vvvictoriav5958]

the dnb supersaw jam is a belter!

[@annother3350]

Jackson Pollocks -- is that Cockney Rhyming Slang?!

[@jupitermarx]

I know one thing for sure! If nothing else it's a fantastic training and learning tool! Learning simple subtractive synthesis!;) can't beat it for it's price and availability

[@myNoiseDotNet]

Former Gaia factory sound designer here. Yes, being sample-based was an information that couldn't be disclosed... for 10 years. I can now confirm ;-)

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you for the clarification!!! Great to have you around!

[@dancingmandy4208]

Former Roland PR Manager here -- BRO!!! Seriously??!! 🤦‍♀️ 🤦‍♀️ 🤦‍♀️

[@AudioPilz]

@@dancingmandy4208 maybe we should all get a drink together;)

[@GuyGamer1]

hey, mynoise! crazy to see you here. Longtime subscriber to your website. You help me sleep every night.

[@dancingmandy4208]

@@AudioPilz 😂 lol well I definitely need a drink that’s for sure.

[@BigBadWolf..............]

Imagine if all the boutiques had been in this case/layout for $799. Roland nailed the layout of this keyboard. The sound was what let it down. They nailed the sound of the boutiques. The layout is what lets them down.

[@AudioPilz]

I'd buy that in a heartbeat!!!

[@m23u23]

I was just wondering this too, why is this so hard to do? A smaller Juno/Jupiter replica that isn't 2k... There's a huge market there they're just ignoring

[@sheffielddave4117]

Show: *is called Bad Gear and is about gear most synth geeks probably wouldn't want* The host: *casually demonstrates the gear and its capabilities beautifully and makes me personally want to buy the aforementioned gear* Great job as usual,Florian! You did it again! Now I want a Roland GAIA on my computer desk!

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!

[@ventoilin5938]

welp I thought the same and then I bought the MPC 500 and now I can't get rid of it 😂

[@zzzwy777]

no the instrument still sucks lol

[@noth606]

I have one, I rather like it. It can be made to sound great, but it took some fiddling around before I got out something that didn't sound in some way wrong. I use the input on it to link in 3 chained pocket operators. I got my Gaia used, I wouldn't pay 600+ for it, but 400 will get you a totally pristine one, less if you are lucky.

[@auntjenifer7774]

I like all the synths that are on this show, especially the ones that I have.

[@gandolphcarter]

My first synth, learned all the essentials with it. It's the most intuitive synth I've ever used for patch sculpting and for that it will always have a special place in my heart and I will never sell it.

[@AudioPilz]

Great UI indeed!

[@RoboBoddicker]

Same! (though I sold mine :D)

[@TheManInCommand]

Same!

[@Rompler_Rocco]

That we only just reached GAIA today is a reassuring testament to how many disappointing synthesizers are left for Florian to dominate 😌👍

[@AudioPilz]

...for aeons to come;)

[@raspberry1440kb]

domination huh

[@ScottsSynthStuff]

I have one of these. It's my go-to live synth. It can do organs, EP's, and decent synth/string sounds, as well as some good cut-through-the-mix leads. You could even use its horrible sampled piano in an emergency. It's small, light and easy to carry, and it has full-size keys, so it's actually playable. I've even used its sounds in a recording before. The worst thing about it is the preponderance of multi-function shift keys (some of them are double shift keys - three button presses) in order to change settings, because there is no menu system. None of those shift key functions are labelled, so they have to be memorized - or create a cheat sheet, which is what I did. I couldn't care less about the fact that it creates sounds from samples rather than true modeling. I care more about the sound that comes out of it, and the user interface. If it utilized a frying bacon-powered sound engine inside and still sounded good, then that's perfectly OK with me.

[@AudioPilz]

Frying bacon-powered sound engine??? I'm in!!!

[@ScottsSynthStuff]

@@AudioPilz I expect to see it on next week's show :)

[@dg1178]

I got one years ago as the keys player in a band for the same reasons. It seems versatile (piano, organ, strings, etc.) and has full-sized keys, so it already ticks a lot boxes there. I eventually had to get rid of it because of its atrocious sound though. It is one of the worst sounding synths I've ever heard. It sounds like all of the sounds go through a "fake" filter before the main output. I thought I would end up liking that unique aspect of it, but I just couldn't take it anymore.

[@saheltaja]

Frying bacon does sound warm and greasy though. …I’ll get me coat…

[@yes0genesis]

Saw your video today about the top 10 synths for beginners. I'm pretty high on the gaia also. Is it the greatest sounding synth on the planet? No. But it is far from as bad as others make it seem. I think it sounds good enough, the interface great with no menu diving, and the 3 independent synth engines very useful. If it's any area the gaia shines imo it's in creating very lush and epic pad sounds.

[@richardjones6424]

Had mine for ages, yes the supersaw is a sample loop. But if you take your 3 oscillators with enough detune and then use the pitch shifter to put a slight detune on that then you have a supersaw in stereo. The distortion effects sound awful, never use them same for flanging and phaser. Turn them off and add them in Daw. The filter resonance is not useful past 75%. But i will never get rid of it. It is still useful.

[@AudioPilz]

Didn't really like the distortion either...

[@djlocodoc]

Got My Gaia for $100 used...never regretted it once. It is a great synth and easy to use. Roland released a TON of presets for this and its bang for the buck is really good. Is anything ever dated in the synth world? Sounds always come around again in different genres. I love this little synth and I often pair it with my microkorg for synth wave .Nonetheless, great show as always sir!!! No better way to start the weekend, Bad Gear for Life!!!

[@AudioPilz]

That's a great price! Thanks! We live for Bad Gear!!!

[@Jobotubular]

I don't think anyone would disagree that it (or anything else) was a bargain at 1/7th the retail price.

[@haze_productions9715]

For under 150 secondhand, I think that's a good price for this. You even get a D-Beam!

[@Empirism]

Same here, womens cost more money than this thing, absolutely good sounding synth and always can use it in compositions, to what role? you name it!

[@Empirism]

@ghost mall Just to make things to perspective xD

[@stretchbrah5627]

MY FIRST SYNTH MADE IT ON BAD GEAR 😄 FINALLY! I'm so happy that you roasted so thoroughly, it was my entry point into this world without knowing what anything was. As a learning tool it helped me figure out subtractive synthesis so much, and as a starting point was honestly great

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you for your patience!

[@ChasedRabbit]

Would you still recommend it as a starting synth? I’m torn between something like this and a microfreak

[@iixorb]

@@ChasedRabbit I would say so. It will help you to understand Oscillators, filtering, LFO’s, ADSR envelopes, layering, and still enjoy massive polyphony. A good beginner synth to see if you’re ready for this journey! (and not just for beginners either. Plenty of fun and usability for more experienced owners, too).

[@kmarcum7832]

@@ChasedRabbit Its almost the perfect synth for a beginner.

[@charlescohen1536]

I bought mine about two years ago, as a learning tool. I'm still learning. I'm considering a microfreak, but in that, a _lot_ of complexity is hidden away. With a Gaia, just about everything important is out in the open (or one "SHIFT" level down). With 3 oscillators per tone, with independent filters and envelopes, you can do some interesting stuff.

[@Lania37]

So many people don't like this synth... I don't care about that! This thing is one of my favorite synths! It's the one I always turn on in my (home) studio. There is a sound designer software available. It runs fine on Windows but is completely unknown for Mac OS newer than Mavericks... Thank you for your review! I asked for it some time ago and you did it! Nicely done! 👍

[@AudioPilz]

Didn't know about the software, thanks for posting!

[@Niko-ds6wi]

@@AudioPilz Yes, you can buy for a certain amount. this adds you a number of virtual instruments and reveals some of the instruments only available with it

[@Niko-ds6wi]

People who don't know how to play don't like it. to be honest, at first I didn’t underestimate it myself and I wanted to sell it all the time, but I realized that this is an excellent synthesizer for solos

[@Mind_Idiot]

Apparently Roland said they're out of the SOUND DESIGNER CDs and can't rip them because of the copy protection :(

[@rafaelsantiago1170]

Bro. ALL of the music you make for this show is INCREDIBLE !!!! Imagine if you used “good” gear? Holy heck. I want a CD of all these jams please. I would even pay money for it!! Novel idea I know!

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much! Full tracks are available as hi res wavs on my Patreon.

[@K.Dor.888]

.... I want a cassette of all these jams....

[@ToyKeeper]

Spoiler: The musician matters more than the gear. Having good gear doesn't usually produce a dramatic increase in musical quality. For someone like Florian who makes bangers on almost anything, good gear makes it bang harder, but only a little. And, probably more to the point of the show, when someone hasn't developed their skills, buying expensive gear won't really help all that much.

[@Jenavee26]

0:13 I'm only up to here and yet I subscribed because of this comment. Let's hear those bangers lol

[@towtracksoftware5963]

@@AudioPilz The videos at the end are amazing too! If you're doing all of that yourself you are amazingly talented and also clearly an insomniac. (that's sooooooo much work!!)

[@CalebMichaelRiley]

Very versatile. Great for sound design and live performances. I've used these to play countless shows and write tons of music.

[@AudioPilz]

Certainly helpful in a live performance

[@southhour5241]

You have bad taste, the thing is thin sounding garbage.

[@indirektdjs]

Nailed it again! Great review. As an unapologetic GAIA owner I agree on all points - one thing I would add: The GAIA is near perfect for live gigs where you just need a right hand solo or something lightweight to stand in for your big heavy preferred brass/bass gear. The main reason I got it was to have something inexpensive to use in the club where spills are common. Far easier than lugging a full workstation synth and very playable compared to a microkorg/mininova.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! Given my tiny hands I would have opted for the Microkorg;)

[@rachelar]

Yeah, excellent point from a real live musician:you don't wanna use your best expensive gear in a beer filled environment...

[@brianwolle2509]

mininova is CHEAPER as you know and a fantastic little synth but shorter and smaller keyboard.

[@airsickgrove]

I could swear this thing has been around longer than 2010... and they are still being made... actually saw ( no pun intended ) some for sale in either Sweetwater or zZounds about a week ago.

[@AudioPilz]

I think they still have warehouses full of GAIAs;)

[@strelokknoize]

Nope. Roland showed it first at Musikmesse (Frankfurt), March 2010.

[@autecheee]

@@AudioPilz Roland can always rebrand it as ‘AI’ to cash in the latest ‘ artificial intelligence’tech hype marketing that will ?? replace Doctors, financial analysts, Teachers yet not politicians and Amazon delivery workers. Would the Roland AI replace electronic musicians?

[@keyboardtek]

I was a keyboard tech for 36 years and played a ton of keyboards. I bought one of these just to have a compact synth with an analog feel, meaning all the sliders and pots to play with. The concept for this is to emulate a dual layer Juno 106 with a third sub oscillator. Knowing full well it was not an analog oscillator, I have found it fun to play. But the digital effects sound rather harsh. I was surprised when I connected the USB to my computer and opened up Cubase that this keyboard is also a great audio output device for a computer. The synth's audio is directly recorded through the USB connection as well as MIDI. No need to route the analog line output jacks through your mixer and then your audio interface to get it recorded into your DAW. You can play back audio from your computer and listen with headphones connected to the SH-01. My other complaint is the keyboard is an octave too short to do much.

[@AudioPilz]

That sums it up nicely

[@neonblack211]

How is the latency/timing over usb Though?

[@keyboardtek]

@@neonblack211 I only used it one time. But I do not recall any latency issues. I recorded four tracks onto Cubase and it worked OK.

[@astralstate]

That proud feeling of having one of your old synth memes make a bad gear episode 2:03🖖

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! Especially liked that one!

[@thechadbuddha]

thank you for your service fren

[@kildogery]

Is this a "community"?

[@reysandoval5075]

Not a bad synth at all. When I see a video clip of a Jeff Lorber tutorial and he has it sitting on top of a Yamaha Montage, and he is a Grammy winning old school jazz, funk artist that is known world wide for years, I’m sold on the fact that this little synth is a beast for its price.

[@AlexBallMusic]

SH = Samples Hidden.

[@chewilliams8631]

Or Shhhh. It's a secret

[@reggiep75]

I sniggered a bit hard at this. I hope my nose doesn't bleed as it's been a sonovabitch lately. 😂

[@fromgreetings]

SH = hidden IT

[@pianoyam]

Another reason I heart Bad Gear: I can't name any other synth channel where I watch the videos repeatedly, as if they're reruns of The Simpsons or something; not only is it informative, but it's straight up quality comedic entertainment. Animated comedy for adults is also a good comparison because of how densely packed the information/gags is/are; there's always some little nugget in there that you've missed in prior viewings. p.s. - Also, as a USA native, I'm astounded at the strength of your meme game, Florian. You got SKILLS!

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!!!

[@GerenM63]

I've almost purchased an SH-01 three times. It so wants to be a great synth. As you say, at first glance, it's ticking all the boxes. Believe it or not, the biggest drawback for me has been in the way that Roland insists on implementing it's patch storage. Other drawbacks for me are that once you load a patch, moving any control causes an immediate and sometimes jarring change in the sound. And, the digital oscillators are a bit lacking, not so much because of the tonal quality, but because unlike most modern digital/VA synths, you can't morph between the waveforms. Even some analog synths allow that! For only a little bit more money, you can get the Modal Electronics Cobalt8. Sure, you don't get the GM2 sound set, but you get a helluva virtual analog synth! Roland's got another dirty little secret, by the way. If you buy a VR-09 or a VR/VC-730 and hook an iPad up to it, you can access a complete GAIA under the hood that adds wavetables to the available oscillator waveforms.

[@AudioPilz]

Wow, the VR-09 or a VR/VC-730 thing blows my mind!!!

[@ageshero]

@@AudioPilz Dude, the vr-09 is SICK, its got some sample based pads and sounds from the juno lineup stacked inside there and they really hold up under live performance, the drums inside it are great too, but the immersive organ simulation is alot of fun too. Electric pianos and really any sounds you want are kind of packed into the vr09, i had the chance to get one, but it just didn't work out, and i wish it had.

[@ModestEgg]

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I own both a GAIA and a VR-09!

[@GerenM63]

@@ageshero I had one for some time, and generally, I agree. But there are a couple areas where it falls down, at least in my opinion: horns in general, no aftertouch which is crucial for sounds like harmonica, and the distortion effect.

[@GerenM63]

@@ModestEgg I would never kid about something like that!

[@midnightmix2692]

I have one of these. It's amazing for live gigs. It nails all trance/2010s edm sounds. The knob per function interface is hella useful when I just need to change something in the middle of a song. The resonance in the filter is really good on big speakers because it is sooo damn smooth. Keybed is very nice to play on. Doesn't sound analogue. That doesn't really bother me though. When I'm playing through 2000W of PA you cant really notice anything.

[@AudioPilz]

It's practically 2010 in a box!

[@80iesDude45]

true, perfect for Psytrance, so called «Gaia Goa» Trance ;-)

[@atomicafro]

True. I think there's something to be said for stable live gear. Might sound like absolute crap on a record, but if it takes a beating on the road and is easy to find replacements, it may be awesome in its own right.

[@GizzyDillespee]

@@atomicafro Easy to find a replacement, sure. But have you ever held one? It's the reason I couldn't complain about the Wavestate's build quality. It's no Nord, but if the other options are the Mininova or Microkorg, I'd just as soon get a JD-Xi or reface. But you can gig with one, sure. People gig with a mellotron, so as long as you take care of your stuff, sure. If you have back problems and are hard of hearing, it's about the perfect synth.

[@berkut6313]

Fully agree ! Been playing live with it for about ten years. Great addition as an upper keyboard for soloing or bassing with properly sized keys. After a failed attempt to go back into music in the early 2000 with a menu-diving Korg Workstation (n364 kinda beefed-up M1), it showed me I could actually understand substractive synthesis. PLUS, with its dedicated hardened carry bag, it is quite lightweight and didn’t break my back. The fact that there is no screen makes it a breeze under dimmed or too bright lightings, although LEDs are a bit too flashy. Cool to tweak llive, although faders and knobs obviously do not reflect the actual layer of any given sound at any moment (no motorized faders and/ or infinite-course knobs). Way too pricey today, and useless as an audio interface, for its usb is too noisy and leaks into the DAC. If you’re in the market for live gigging and cash-strapped or not wanting to risk your wayyy pricier UDO Super-SIX, Prophet or whatever, for less than $/€ 300, I think it’s still a good value. Or if you want to learn sound design/synthesis with hands on...

[@tdunster2011]

Great Review. Gaia is my favourite synth of all time because unlike my D50 it didn't take me 30 years to learn how to program it. I was making my own patches on the Gaia within minutes.

[@AudioPilz]

Really easy to use!!!

[@tomskley8864]

Yeah! Nice to see this on the show, my wish came true! I think it is a great instrument for this price. I bought one and didn't regret it! It was the first time that I could immediately assign the sounds in the video to an instrument. The GAIA seems to be unique!

[@AudioPilz]

Pleasure!

[@tomskley8864]

@ghost mall they always try, but they will never build a trance-Synth like the JP-8000.

[@doordedeur]

It's indeed basically a beefed up SoundCanvas rompler, instead of a real VA-synth. Hence the built-in GeneralMidi soundset. But with all the features of the GAIA, it makes a great usable synth, with more features than most 'budget' VA-synths.

[@AudioPilz]

The SoundCanvas is strong in this one;)

[@matszh]

Even the JD800 is a rompler with knobs. I wouldn’t complain even if all romplers were this user friendly.

[@doordedeur]

@@matszh The JD-800 was never intended to be a VA synth. That was a prototype for the later JV-80 synth. The SH-01 claims to be a VA synth, but a real VA generates the waveforms, instead of using samples.

[@matszh]

@@doordedeur Virtual means ”not really”. If ”not really” uses digital oscillators, samples or wavetables doesn’t really matter to me, if it’s editable and the sound is good. But of course you don’t wanna hear loop-points and similar.

[@doordedeur]

@@matszh Virtual means trying to recreate analog behaviour. That doesn't work with samples. The SH-01 is a great synth, but not comparable to for instance a Yamaha AN-1X.

[@threoples]

Gaia SH-01 was my first synth. While it isn't the best synth, and is quite knee-capped in terms of the kinds of sounds it can make, I have fond memories of laying in bed at 15 years old with this thing in my lap, headphones in, and jamming my heart out on it. As a 15 year old, this thing was my favorite thing. It was extremely easy to learn how to program simple loops and taught me a lot about subtractive synthesis. Even someone who has never heard of an oscillator before (like me at 15) can sit down and within an hour deeply understand the waveforms, ASDR, filters, LFOs, polyphony vs mono, bending, portamento, etc.

[@AudioPilz]

👍👍👍

[@attizzoso]

It is impressive to note how promptly you manage to bring out the true character of each instrument reviewed. Love you bro

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!!

[@MegaCadr]

I think we should have a new show called "Let's see if AudioPilz can do anything with *this*", where we give you a selection of terrible tools and see what you come up with. Because you seem to *always* be able to make a banger.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much! Some tools make it easier than others tho;)

[@MegaCadr]

@ghost mall fair.

[@adev8565]

@ghost mall Yeah but he used the drumbrute impact, for example. Imagine if he had been forced to use a DFAM instead ;)

[@InFamousProductions]

Another slam dunk. The funny thing is, if I had that synth in 1981, it would have been the coolest synth on the earth with all it's features, and the sound is not bad. But like you say, Roland makes some weird decisions when they design a product. That track you made with it is epic. Like you said, it sits in the mix nicely.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much

[@sofascialistadankulamegado1781]

Grimes' earlier work was done using Roland Gaia sh-01. I'm wanting to buy one. Its got some basic but nice filters that i like all in a small form factor.

[@AudioPilz]

Have you considered getting a Microkorg?

[@lazaruslaser]

I got one 4 years ago and Fricken Love it... Great Filter on this one, which is the Synths Whole Character... Use it with a Nord stage 3 compact... Nobody even mentioned it can be battery powered... Perfect for MPC live 2 recording.. impromptu jams etc.. Light as a Feather too.. Awesome filter , 3 Oscillators ... with tons of usable content.. what's not to Love..

[@AudioPilz]

Really liked the filter too, especially compared to older Roland models

[@jann_rygh]

if I hear "versatile" I think of the Gaia. Had about 20 Synths back in PreCorona Time, like the Peak, Prophet 6, Rev2, Hydrasynth, Juno106 or Poly.... the Gaia was the most fun, most versatile and most creative, for me personally. The other ones were nice but after 2 or 3 Weeks they didn't motivate because you already knew what they'll bring. With the Gaia it was everyday sth new. Miss it ❤

[@AudioPilz]

Nice collection you had there;)

[@dawnr8511]

The Gaia is a damn good synth. Yah, it doesn't brew coffee, is my only negative on it.

[@AudioPilz]

I'll have a double espresso then;)

[@kommissar.murphy]

I use the mini jack input and the R output to create an external fx loop. Through a little Big Muff on it and it sounds very pleasing to the ear.

[@AudioPilz]

Nice technique!!!

[@streettrash_sid]

I really enjoy my SH01. Bought it second hand for a bargain £250. Had it over 10 years & have used it for tens of thousands of hours without a single issue. It’s easy, enjoyable, well built & after so many years I still use it frequently.

[@AudioPilz]

Very reliable indeed

[@KbIPbIL0]

the "coming up with jam names with obscure instruments" is an absolute art and you are a god of it

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!!!

[@gregbarnes6836]

Two things you missed. Roland charged for the software editor (£80!) which was the only way to change the arpeggios. Also, Roland ceased driver support for the USB / audio interface (which was only usb1 anyway!) about 2 years after launch. This means they have been selling a legacy product for years without any official updates for the drivers. Otherwise I loved my Gaia, but in comparison to more recent synths, it just doesn’t have the depth of sound.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks for the heads up!

[@TheManInCommand]

I purchased it when it first came out. It was the first analog synth I personally owned. I still have it in mint condition. The Roland Gaia works awesome with outboard effects or processed through the Roland SP 404MKII. The Roland Gaia also leaves a lot of room to add your own saturation and harmonic distortiom. At this point, I don't think I'd ever sell it. Most keyboards usually get a second wind on the resell market decades later.

[@AudioPilz]

👍👍👍

[@kildogery]

I've said/implied it before, but a series this niche, with production values and style like this, is very special indeed. You're my favourite crazy Austrian.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!!!

[@garretmeeboer724]

I lucked out and found one of these in an apartment dumpster, wrapped nicely in bubble wrap. It missing the AC adapter, but is in perfect condition, aside from an illegible signature. I can't say I know enough about synth culture and science to be anything be impressed so far, but I think that means they hit their mark! With little synth experience I can completely say that I'm thrilled to have found it and excited to play around more with it!!! Maybe I'll hate it in a year, who knows?

[@AudioPilz]

Wow, nice find!

[@Prefesuersheen]

somebody really didn't like this thing huh

[@MrBrawl]

Loved this vid! I'm new to synth and have recently become a Sweetwater Sales Engineer. Daniel Fisher, the synth expert at Sweetwater, taught our class on synth 101 and used this synth as an educational tool. You nailed it: So many possibilities, and for someone like Dan, he knew exactly how to get them and would show us what was going on. I dig your explanation of what's going on here to add onto my growing understanding of synthesis.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks!!! Daniel Fisher is a legend! Big fan. All the best!!!

[@guymulry6168]

The GAIA sounds good in the right hands. Daniel Fisher's demo video is a great example. It was him that me grab one of these off the used market. So simple to dial in sounds. The low end is weak though.

[@t0xcn253]

General Midi appearance? AND an iconic rendering of "How'd I do"? Gentlemen, we have Bad Gear.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! It's the general's theme song;)

[@TheVirgology]

I realize now that your videos prove that music is all about creativity and have nothing to do with gear. Your videos are informative, funny, and very entertaining. But you almost make people want the bad gear. Lol. Keep up the great work.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!!!

[@WildernessMusic_GentleSerene]

Roland Gaia, my favorite poly digital synth of all time...and I have been playing keyboards for 54 years. FIRST - no menu all front panel control, in a digital this has been extremely rare. SECOND - 64 voices for monstrous overlapping chords with super long release envelops. THIRD - Three independent synths in one, three layers of everything except effects. FORTH - It sounds great as a poly synth, and with some outboard warm distortion sounds great as a mono synth. FIFTH - Only costs $500 today, I am buying a second one just in case I can't fix one, don't want to ever be without my first choice go to synth for lighting fast sound design.

[@AudioPilz]

Happy to hear that it works for you!

[@waynebarrow2517]

I have to say that despite its shortcomings, you make the Roland GAIA sound absolutely f#$%*()g amazing and make me want to buy one!

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!!

[@brianeibisch6025]

Everyone has an opinion but I think, for what it is, this little synth is great. When you buy it, you can immediately see that it is not a Moog Modular, so don’t expect that kind of thing. As a fun instrument, it is excellent. But it is not for “advanced” analogue purists. I love mine. Cheers

[@AudioPilz]

Fair point!

[@monsterhandz7046]

You should do a video on the Casio XW p1. Their synth/grovebox from a few years back.

[@AudioPilz]

Nice one! I'm on the hunt for one of these. Great suggestion, thanks!!!

[@monsterhandz7046]

@@AudioPilz thanks for the superb content!!!

[@Jason75913]

@@AudioPilz I've read good and bad things about it, and its filter suffers from stepping, from what I can remember. A synth capable of being badass and quite terrible. Low quality build. PX5-S continues its legacy, somewhat, but is a better piece of gear overall. Its microscopic screen doesn't look like fun, though.

[@fickfehler3866]

You forgot about the 'Roland Sound Designer' s/w that this uses on PC or MAC. It elevates this to a whole new level.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks for the heads up!!!

[@ptkelly80]

My only gripe with the Integra-7 is that, like this, the supersaw (and probably the other waves, too) is sampled. It’s why I still want a virtual analog someday.

[@AudioPilz]

I don't mind that so much but a little transparency goes a long way;)

[@Jason75913]

Your gripe with a rompler box is that its supersaws, like every other rompler box, is sampled just like absolutely all of its other sounds? Hmmm, why did you pick up a rompler box if you wanted a VA? Well, you can always send that Integra-7 to me, I'll make sure it gets used and loved ;)

[@pearsemacintyre1728]

I love this guy and i love this channel. Every sentence starts up high, then goes down to the bottom then ends in the middle

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! Questions end high tho;)

[@pearsemacintyre1728]

@@AudioPilz really one of my favourite channels on KZbin. Thank you 🙏

[@23jackleeder]

It's mysterious what gear lurks around the market for decades always for sale. The alesis SR16 is another. Are they timeless classics or overproduced leftover stock.. Great episode!

[@AudioPilz]

The SR16 is around almost 20 years longer than the GAIA;) Thanks!

[@MrBeen992]

I dont have it, but I love that it has every control on the front panel

[@AudioPilz]

Agreed!

[@system23]

I got one when they came out and still bring it out for group jams. One of the big selling points for me was that it is battery powered with mostly one function per control.

[@AudioPilz]

Agreed!

[@Sagaoas]

I bought a Minilogue from a guy on Facebook Marketplace (secret source for hot deals) for $350 and he threw in a Gaia for $50. Can't beat it for that price: I usually have it hold droning chords as a bed for Eurorack stuff + Minilogue riffs.

[@AudioPilz]

That's a nice deal!

[@MetalVideoGamer]

I remember using the Roland Gaia SH-01in my audio engineer school in 2013. I wasn't impress but we where there to learn how to use the subtractive synthesis by creating a bass, a pad, a bell and a lead with the glissando feature. As always you manage to make bad gear sound cool hehe

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! Yeah, it's a great educational tool

[@spazkong]

This is a machine I don't want to lose EVER. I especially like the GS/GM function. It could do everything if you had nothing else other than a PC and good speakers + microphone and software. The keys feel spongey but, forgivable. Just ask Jerry Blofeld!

[@AudioPilz]

Jerry Blofeld is the hero we need;)

[@thechadbuddha]

i love the interface. if you want to learn sound synthesis this synth is rly easy to understand but for the price you get other nice synths

[@AudioPilz]

Great UI!!!

[@streettrash_sid]

Had my Gaia around 10 years, still frequently use it & still really enjoy it. Ive used it for many thousands of hours & it’s never missed a beat. It’s had a hard gigged life. The Gaia is extremely reliable, creative, sounds great & is intuitive fun. They can be found used in excellent condition for £350 & that’s an outstanding deal.

[@AudioPilz]

Great to hear that it works for you!

[@PhilW222]

One aspect that makes it different is that each channel can have a completely different sound, great for layered sounds and pads. I got one second hand for £300 a few years ago and in the whole, I’m pretty happy with it.

[@AudioPilz]

True! Nice price!

[@sean6399]

It's Friday, it's bad gear time, best part of thecweek!

[@AudioPilz]

Have a nice weekend!

[@Empirism]

This synth is so underrated, it have fantastic sound, for its price, definately not a scam, good choice for everyone who want to learn to build sounds.

[@AudioPilz]

I would have preferred Roland to be a little more honest about its true nature

[@kenzieprice6745]

Finally! The long awaited Roland Gaia bad gear episode. Really enjoyed this one! As much as I know I shouldn't, I'll still have to grab one when I see a good price and give it a poke. Due diligence...

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks!

[@Pintosonic]

Even on the used market this synth is way too expensive, at that price, you can get a Korg Radias module which is not a rompler disguised as a virtual analog. It’s 4 part multi timbral, has decent drum kits, real supersaw oscillators, a cool vocoder etc.

[@AudioPilz]

I have to check that one out!

[@Beetlemuse]

You posted this right after I finished a project were I used nothing but the Gaia. It was good to see the facts about it and not just hearing people complain about it! 👍 Great video as well as the music!

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!!

[@SuperAnatolli]

It seems much better than I thought.

[@AudioPilz]

It's a mixed bag...

[@unfinishedmonkeyrecords]

I don't have it anymore but sometimes I regret it, it was such fun to work with it.

[@AudioPilz]

Have you tried the JDXi?

[@unfinishedmonkeyrecords]

@@AudioPilz yes I have but I prefered the workflow and sounds of the gaia. Those kitchy rave arps and sick bass leads just worked for me :-) I used it mostly in combination with the TR8 , a sub phatty and a monologue and at the time I was doing a lot of dawless jamming with an rc505 as a live looping tool and using auxes on a soundcraft for live fx on all hardware. So i could choose to do fingerplay or looping and controle the dry and wet signals. Had a lot of fun like that. For simple 4 bar melodies and arps the gaia was perfect. I did eventually sell it to buy a virtus ti :-)

[@norjia]

as someone who uses the gaia every day i have to say that thing is freaking amazing when it comes to making ambient pads. and the LFO is pretty.. versatile actually

[@AudioPilz]

Agreed!

[@mrloverman2361]

I just wands buy it and use as a midi, for studio production, is that a good idea

[@norjia]

@@mrloverman2361 it has full-size keys. They aren't bad, tho no where near what a good dedicated midi keyboard could offer you. It does have velocity sensitivity (if you enable it) but no such thing as aftertouch if you need that

[@_SirCharge]

I actually bought the Roland DJ 808 controller for Djing and it functioned well for many years until ROLAND just decided to stop updating the software to keep up with Big Sur or Serato software, essentially making it a paper weight because I lost functionality of the sequencers and two of the 4 channels. Yet even today they continue to sell it fully knowing it is not supported with software.

[@AudioPilz]

It's so annoying, I know...

[@officialloner88]

I’ve never understood why Roland has kept selling the Gaia when they have abandoned better synths so quickly

[@AudioPilz]

Agreed!

[@Fractalite]

It is simple. They sell them by the hundreds to high schools where subtractive synthesis is part of the curriculum in music classes. Its reliable and mostly one knob per function. No menu diving. It doesnt even have a display. Btw I own one and wouldnt part with it. It ha spectacularly long envelope release times, so fantastic for creating ambient patches.

[@officialloner88]

@@Fractalite what you said actually makes a lot of sense. I can see it as a great teaching tool. I took a music production class in high school and would have learned more from the Gaia instead of the Roland xp-10.

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@Fractalite what’s the max? I love 10s max envelopes, for those 3-8 second swells

[@user82938]

I couldn't get into this one because there's terrible aliasing in the high frequencies. I'm shocked to learn that you can still buy it new.

[@AudioPilz]

The aliasing is strong in this one

[@martijn7898]

Another great video. And more disputed: another great synth. 😉 There’s a lot to like about the GAIA. Although people say the oscillators sound horrible, I compared them to various classic synths and I thought they actually came closer than some vst’s that emulated those synths. (The power of sampling I guess… 😉) It was made in a time when synths were more complete I think, full-size MIDI ports, mix in, etc. The filters at high resonance could be slightly better, and I’d love to have better EQ than just Low Boost on/off. Still, it is so good IMO, so versatile. I am always surprised how some synths get a bad name quickly and then everyone else repeats it, followed by “it’s a toy”. I like it more than the eg older Novation synths. And with all the hate, second hand prices are good. 🙂

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!! Agreed!

[@djshire1984]

This was almost my first hardware synth, but went with a JP-8080.

[@AudioPilz]

Great choice!

[@gokugoma3258]

I wanted to get this when it first came out but I thought the price was a little bit too much and all these years later the price has not gone down.. I'm surprised by that but this is a really good synthesizer

[@AudioPilz]

It's not exactly a bang for the buck

[@gokugoma3258]

@@AudioPilz right

[@Gainn]

It's gone up. You could get them from retailers for around £420 a couple of years ago.

[@dg1178]

> but this is a really good synthesizer False

[@Gainn]

@ghost mall Definitely. At that price point you have a huge choice. Modwave, Hydrasynth, wavestate, Minilogue XD, DM6 (the 12D is also ballpark) and the Modal Cobalt5 (or 8 series on sale prices). Even a Modal Skulpt gives a better sound. The Gaia is a good teaching 'board if you can get one second hand. That's about it.

[@dykodesigns]

It sound quite usefull for darkwave and dark electro with those super saw's. Eventhough it's sample based I don't mind the sound.

[@AudioPilz]

Certainly helpful for all the "meta-genres"

[@billyruss]

Love me my Gaia. And it's a great teaching synth for those just starting out to learn how the analog synth signal path is put togeher.

[@AudioPilz]

Great educational tool!

[@howardmaryon]

Darn it! I have an ambition to go all the way through a Bad Gear episode understanding all the movie references and meme-based humour without having to rewind. I nearly made it this time, but the Homer/Jackson Pollock gag made me laugh so much I missed several immediately after. One day..........

[@AudioPilz]

KUDOS!!! That's quite a challenge. Even I tend to miss some gags in QC;)

[@MichaelRohaly]

There are two LFOs per layer (one attached to the mod wheel as it's the same deal as the JD-Xi) which makes a mighty (but mighty isolated) 6 LFOs per three-layer preset. This is, at the same time, awesome power and super weird and frustrating. On the one hand it's simple on a per-layer basis, but the real meat of synthesis involves blending more than one source. Getting those layers organized conceptually, let alone in front of your face with the sliders just where you want them to be x3, is some advanced use.

[@PedroAnastazi]

AND you can program the DBeam to control only certain parts, such as LFO from part 1, and filter from part 2, and filter env on part 3...

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you for the heads up!

[@artisan002]

I had to fully stop the video at 2:04... LOL! You added Gaz! I have to wait a second to stop laughing, before I can finish this video!

[@AudioPilz]

To the Battcave!!!

[@KyleWhitlock-Music]

As any Experienced Synthesist will tell you it’s how you Use what you have. I love my GAIA and it’s gonna take a permanent spot in my home studio! Sometimes Less is Best 😄

[@AudioPilz]

I've heard that before;) Happy to hear that it works for you

[@vinnien]

I really like my Gaia. The only thing I wish next to a real JP8K supersaw is that it doesn't have a global filter. It's nice to have a filter per synth part and you can choose to operate all the filters with the dedicated knobs, but if you want to do automation with a DAW you have different midicc's for each of the 3 Synth Tones.

[@AudioPilz]

Agreed, found this confusing as well

[@warteraummusik]

Glad to see my beloved Gaia make a feature on your channel! Used "her" for quite some live shows, but the sound just wasn't menacing enough haha. Still, Gaia holds a special place in my synth-heart for nostaligic reasons. ^^

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! Yeah, it stays polite most of the time

[@btaylo24]

7:22 love the subtile message on the drum unit. Please never stop making YT videos!

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! No worries;)

[@containercore6832]

Awesome ep as usual. It was interesting to hear about the fraudulent supersaw. Roland had a couple years prior used samples as an inexpensive alternative to VA in the SH-32, although they were very keen to market it as a groundbreaking new synthesis technology, "Wave Acceleration Sound Generation".

[@AudioPilz]

I really like Romplers but I also like manufacturers to be transparent about it;)

[@DJSockmonkeyMusic]

I still want one. Even with the joystick. I keep seeing them on local for sale pages, but only when i dont have any spare money!

[@bigkik]

Seems like there will be some new Roland goodness on the way with the brand new Gaia 2 ; can't wait 😂

[@kierenmoore3236]

The new one sounds worse than the original, imho …

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, let's see if I can get hold of one!!!

[@BuddhaPhi]

Thanks for continuing to make fantastic videos and fun jams using bad gear! I played the GAIA in music store for a couple hours when it was new. It was interesting but I wasn't blown away by how it sounded (average). Nothing stood out. For the same price or less I think I could have purchased one of 20 other ROMpler or VA synths that sounded the nearly same. It was disappointing. This could have been a great synth.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!!!

[@THEREALDATALORD]

When these came out I was drooling over them. Seems like such reasonable controls and versatile sounds back in 2010 especially compared to the Micro Korg.

[@AudioPilz]

I'd still prefer the little Korg

[@ulfsvensson9710]

@@AudioPilz I have both.

[@wm_shadde]

Or even the ms2000.. it had a dirty VA sound, and gaia sounded too clean

[@rars0n]

Yes, the controls were enticing, until I pressed a key and heard the sound coming out of it. It didn't take me more than 5 minutes to move on to another synth. All this time, Roland has been advertising it as a virtual analog synth when it's not. That's probably why so many actual VA synths sound so much better than the GAIA. Edit: I never bought a GAIA, I've only tried playing them on display several times. It's a synth that I keep coming back to purely because, somehow, it's still available new for sale. So every once in a while, I think about it and ask myself "Is it really as bad as I thought it was?" Then I try it again and am instantly reminded "Yes! Yes it is!"

[@tomaszmazurek64]

I used GAIA as a sort of a toy synth I would design sounds on during downtimes at work. I think your summary is spot on - it's really fun to design sounds on it and that three layer architecture is as primitive as it is useful, but when you listen to those sounds you have designed later, they usually do not sound all that good.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! That sums it up nicely

[@dennisristow2102]

Part of the Roland lineage I'd love to see reviewed would be the SH-32 VA in a box. That machine has a lot of good and a lot of bad inside it ;) love the humor in this series. Spooky that the super saw is a sampled loop you were able to phase cancel.

[@AudioPilz]

SH-32 is a great idea, thanks!

[@drsamurai009]

@@AudioPilz Just beware the resonance. It can split your ears and your speakers if maxed out! At least mine used to ;)

[@Novaheart1998]

I bought a new one in 2010 but was not Impressed so i returned it. I think for less than $300 its a good price for what you get. It does sound good.

[@AudioPilz]

300 is a good price

[@Novaheart1998]

@@AudioPilz it was over priced at $700 plus tax new here in Canada, its just a plastic digital box, it should be cheaper.

[@jthorpe4droid]

I always wanted one of these but opted for the ultranova, cool video mate.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! I like Novas!

[@x-techgaming]

I really love how simple-to-intermediate this synth is. Very usable, and not overwhelming! Even in 2023, I do not see another board that competes directly with it, unless you give up the fantastic Roland joystick for vomit-inducing pitch & mod wheels, or worse.

[@AudioPilz]

True that!!!

[@lucadipaolo1997]

I can't believe this costs the same as the Wavestate and the Opsix. Well, either way, you managed to get some pretty awesome results in your jams.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! I know, it's mind blowing

[@MichaelCoombes776]

Goes to show how the "mini synth revolution" has changed things, from the Minibrute to Korg's Logues/Wavestate, Roland's AIRA range (a Bad Gear favourite) etc. It's a nice change

[@computer_toucher]

"Like a home inspector gone Jackson Pollock" had a ring to it

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks!

[@mahjonglover3614]

one of the first modern knobby synth from around 2010. there was almost nothing like it back then

[@AudioPilz]

It's older sibling the SH201 maybe?

[@raistaparta]

Saw the thumbnail and immediately answered “Yes”

[@AudioPilz]

😂❤️

[@sonicaids]

this was one of the first synths i ever got to test out in a store and i was in love with it but couldn't afford it with my pocket money, years later i bought one used and have barely touched it

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, some gear just doesn't click

[@2000stephenellis]

Gotta say .. i just love how you proceed to slag off almost every bit of kit that i own ... and then proceed to create music that makes me just love it all even more ! 🙂.. salut to you sir !!

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!!

[@mjhobo5520]

One day I will watch an entire episode without pausing or skipping back 10 seconds.

[@AudioPilz]

That's quite a challenge;)

[@danhectic5629]

what a mysterious machine... wonder if it can be circuit bent for chaos?

[@AudioPilz]

I really wanted to bend it. Not only its circuits

[@Rgdonaire_07]

Disclosure has used the Gaia extensively in their tracks. Whether you like their style or not it’s debatable but they have a killer sound imho obviously they use other synth too but there is a space for the digital vibe of Gaia in modern music I think

[@AudioPilz]

Makes a lot of sense for their sound I would say