Aloha Steve, (after having this unit for over a year now)
Yes IMHO
the GR55 has many studio limitations and as you suggest is better suited
for live work.
Live:
1-Amazing sustain/tracking
But don’t fool yourself. To really ‘work’ MIDI guitar, your chops have to be WAY UP!!
and I really mean that.
2-built-in guitar processor (typical Roland sounds)
3-Built-in audio playback on a thumb drive(tracks/sound FX etc)
4-Beautiful display for on-stage work.
5-Solidily built. (ugly blue color tho’)
6-Synth Sounds are OK/nice (typical Roland) and lot’s of em.
In the studio:
1-USB audio/MIDI outs are really kool and can be handy.
But
2-While there IS ‘Mono Mode’ MIDI Out, (which is crucial for MIDI guitar)
the user cannot set the bend rate from MIDI.
Only from the pedal.
This makes it very difficult to track stuff other than things like drums/ percussion etc.
Keyboards typically use a bend rate ± 2.
But MIDI guitar needs to transmit and have the receiving
module respond at rates as high as ±10 or even ±12. All in Mono Mode.
I can’t find a way to make that happen in the '55.
3-MIDI IN cannot access the GR55’s sounds. (from a keyboard,Cubase etc)
The only way the hear anything from the GR55 is by playing your axe.
(at least that helps to keep yer chops up)
Seems MIDI IN is only there to change sounds from an outside source.
(computer,sequencer etc)
So bottom line Steve is, I still use my GR33 in the studio and the GR55 for live stuff.
HTH
{‘-’}