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The Roland GAIA SH-01 is a very versatile digital synthesizer that feels at home in almost all genres of electronic music and of course also delivers exciting sounds beyond. As a relative of the famous SH-101 from the 80s, the GAIA also has all sound-relevant parameters in direct access, which is also underlined by the velocity-sensitive 37-key keyboard! The virtual-analog synthesis covers an unbelievably wide range of sounds, which are mostly based on historical models without deliberately imitating them. Thanks to the high polyphony of 64 voices, you don't have to worry that the GAIA might swallow a note. A total of 128 sounds are available for playing, which are divided into 64 user and 64 preset sounds. Alternatively to the memory locations, there is the manual mode; if this is used, the sound corresponds to the settings on the panel. Of course, the GAIA does not lack an arpeggiator. Programmable with different playback patterns and octave positions, it delivers basslines and meandering solos from a standing start. Absolutely performance-ready is the D-Beam controller; which is actually an infrared proximity sensor and can be applied to various parameters. Once assigned, for example, the pitch goes as if by magic on a crazy roller coaster ride! The good keyboard, the many knobs and faders and of course the D-Beam controller invite you to use the GAIA also as a MIDI/USB master keyboard.
The sound generation of the GAIA SH-01 is virtually analog, following the classic signal path oscillator > filter > VCA and some modulation around it. Typical for Roland digital synthesizers is their layer structure, which creates a large, complex sound by layering and combining individual sounds. The GAIA has three layers, 1 and 2 together are capable of ring modulation or oscillator sync. The three layers (tones) are constructed in the same way: The oscillator is controllable in the range of +/- two octaves and masters not only the classic waveforms including PWM and noise, but also the supersaw waveform, which has become an integral part of many productions since the JP-8000 synthesizer, especially for trance and rave sounds. For modulating the pitch, the oscillator has its own pitch envelope. The multimode filter handles four modes (LPF, BPF, HPF, PKG) and can even be bypassed completely, which is ideal for ring modulation, among other things. All four modes can optionally operate with a slope of 12dB or 24dB, which covers a large part of well-known and popular analog sounds. PKG tends to sound aggressive at high resonance, which can be quite desirable. The filter and the following VCA each have their own ADSR envelope. Higher-level there is a BPM-synchronizable LFO with adjustable delay, which can affect pitch, cutoff and volume with different intensities at the same time.
Last but not least, all three layers enter the effects processor, which generates four effects simultaneously. Divided into groups, various combinations are quickly set.
The GAIA SH-01 is equipped with a fully-fledged audio interface. Via the USB connection, the instrument sends its sounds directly into a DAW; this eliminates the diversions via an external USB interface or USB mixer when recording. Conversely, it is also possible to use the GAIA as an audio interface for music output for laptops and computers (PC/Mac). Small setups in particular can benefit from this flexibility! The audio input (line level) allows the connection of a smartphone or other sound source, so that a song from YouTube, for example, can be directly included in the exercises and sound design. As the audio input is connected to the audio interface, the GAIA offers itself as an interface for recording sessions in the DAW. Not only audio but also MIDI data is exchanged with the DAW via the USB connection. Therefore, the GAIA is also a good choice as a master keyboard in computer-based setups.
Roland GAIA SH-01 VA SynthesizerThis synthesizer is amazing! It has an infinity of sounds and parameters! The sound quality is great and the structure really helps you to understand which characteristics of the sound youre modulating and how it all comes together. By working with Gaia, I can say that I know how to work with any synthesizer, being hardware or software,
