Roland's greatest synth?
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- Max Websta
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Re: Roland's greatest synth?
Let's see, I've a Juno 60, V-synth and Jupiter 8. I still have the Jupiter 8!
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Re: Roland's greatest synth?
I never had a sh-5, but from all the Roland synths, that's the one I'd like to get the most.
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Re: Roland's greatest synth?

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Re: Roland's greatest synth?
Ok, so had a think about this today and this is my top 10 of their synths that I've used, if it was about gear rather than synths I would have definitely have included the 808, 909 and Space Echo as well...
1. JD 800
2. Juno 60
3. SH2
4. Jupiter 6
5. JX10
6. TB 303
7. D50
8. SH101
9. JV1080
10. Alpha Juno
and Psy Free, I actually have a bit of a soft spot for the U20, tho haven't played one since the 90's, so my memory might be a little hazy...
1. JD 800
2. Juno 60
3. SH2
4. Jupiter 6
5. JX10
6. TB 303
7. D50
8. SH101
9. JV1080
10. Alpha Juno
and Psy Free, I actually have a bit of a soft spot for the U20, tho haven't played one since the 90's, so my memory might be a little hazy...
Re: Roland's greatest synth?
though like I said, never spent any time with a Jupiter 8...
or an SH5, or a JD990, or any of the modulars, or a Jupe 4, or an MKS80, and I've only spun through the presets on a V-synth, so I'm probably missing a good half dozen of Roland's best..
or an SH5, or a JD990, or any of the modulars, or a Jupe 4, or an MKS80, and I've only spun through the presets on a V-synth, so I'm probably missing a good half dozen of Roland's best..
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Re: Roland's greatest synth?
"JD-800
A space ship, man!"

A space ship, man!"

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Re: Roland's greatest synth?
Funny, I though this was the Vintage Synth Explorer forum...
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Re: Roland's greatest synth?
I´ve always have wanted a JD 800. I know it was used a lot in Songs of Faith and Devotion, and around 15 years a go watched a documental with Martin Gore using it on a studio and explaining some stuff about it. It was really inspiring for me when I was starting to compose music.
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Re: Roland's greatest synth?
I bought my JD800 purely for being Close Encounters.. Oh, and I liked the ROM play.
Well, I've actually used it for quite a bit, before I bought my 88-key master keyboard it used to be my main keyboard. But it's been resting to a wall for over half a decade now.
You know what I'd want? Very much so? A VST JV or XV. And in a way you could say that things like Halion and Kontakt are already that, but that's not entirely true. I want to construct 'Wave ROM' which is always there when I open up such an instance, which I can always browse through, which is basically as easy to use as in the Roland S+S models. Dunno if there's something like that already..


Well, I've actually used it for quite a bit, before I bought my 88-key master keyboard it used to be my main keyboard. But it's been resting to a wall for over half a decade now.

You know what I'd want? Very much so? A VST JV or XV. And in a way you could say that things like Halion and Kontakt are already that, but that's not entirely true. I want to construct 'Wave ROM' which is always there when I open up such an instance, which I can always browse through, which is basically as easy to use as in the Roland S+S models. Dunno if there's something like that already..


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s: VSL/FM8/EWQL/LASS h: DX7/FS1r/VL70/SY77/SN2r/JD800/JD990/XV88/Emu6400/Poly61/Amek35:12:2/genelec1030 r: Violin/AltoSax/TinWhistle c: i7-4770/RAM32GB/SSD
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s: VSL/FM8/EWQL/LASS h: DX7/FS1r/VL70/SY77/SN2r/JD800/JD990/XV88/Emu6400/Poly61/Amek35:12:2/genelec1030 r: Violin/AltoSax/TinWhistle c: i7-4770/RAM32GB/SSD
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Re: Roland's greatest synth?
I remember as a schoolkid going to a Roland demo held at a local hotel where they were demonstrating the JD800, JV80 and JV30, and gear of that era. Conspicuous by it's absence was the D70, I think by 1992 even Roland had given up on that.
I remember the demonstrator trying to convince the crowd that although looking at the JD800 you would think you would need a pilot's licence, it was by far the simplest yet deepest synth on the market. Knowing next to nothing about synths I was unconvinced, and even though I was youngest guy in the room, the audience did too, and would have clearly rather been a Korg demo listening to 01/ws.
Perhaps I was a victim of getting into synths in the wrong era, the M1, D50 and DX7 ruled all, took me years to figure out that knobs and sliders = FUN!
I remember the demonstrator trying to convince the crowd that although looking at the JD800 you would think you would need a pilot's licence, it was by far the simplest yet deepest synth on the market. Knowing next to nothing about synths I was unconvinced, and even though I was youngest guy in the room, the audience did too, and would have clearly rather been a Korg demo listening to 01/ws.
Perhaps I was a victim of getting into synths in the wrong era, the M1, D50 and DX7 ruled all, took me years to figure out that knobs and sliders = FUN!
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Re: Roland's greatest synth?
Roland Paraphonic
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Re: Roland's greatest synth?
V-Synth for me, too (XT in my case). It's the best synth I've ever played (so for me it beats the Moog Voyager, VCS3 and a few others).
The sampling really opens it up, and there's something about what it does to a sound that's basically magic. Works well as a signal processor as well, for that reason.
The sampling really opens it up, and there's something about what it does to a sound that's basically magic. Works well as a signal processor as well, for that reason.
Free the Jupiter 8!
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Re: Roland's greatest synth?
I have all the Jupiters and they are all great. The Jupiter-6 is my favorite.
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Re: Roland's greatest synth?
'great' can be expressed quantitatively AND qualitatively
so therefore the D-50, Juno 60/106 and MC-303 are their greatest synths in quantity
and while i have not tried every Roland, of the ones I have tried it would be tough to top the JP-8's overall quality; particularly in a 30+yr old VCO polysynth. it's built to be played on the battlefield if need be...
so therefore the D-50, Juno 60/106 and MC-303 are their greatest synths in quantity
and while i have not tried every Roland, of the ones I have tried it would be tough to top the JP-8's overall quality; particularly in a 30+yr old VCO polysynth. it's built to be played on the battlefield if need be...
2600.solus.modcan a.eurorack.cs60.JP8.Juno6.A6.sunsyn.volcakeys.jd990.tb303.x0xb0x.revolution.
999.m1am1.RY30.svc350.memotron
shaft9000.muffwiggler.com <- singles & mixtape
shaft9000.bandcamp.com <- spacemusic album
youtube.com/shaft9000 <- various synth demos and studies
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Re: Roland's greatest synth?
As I've said many times here, the JD-800 is usually the first synth I start messing with in my rig. I have also said the that the Jupiter 6 is my favorite analog poly.
As far as Roland's "greatest synth", it's really hard to pin that title on a single synth, because Roland has made a lot of great synths, but each of those synths is unique.
SH-5 definately wins the analog mono title.
Jupiter 8 for analog poly (though it'd be the ultimate analog poly if it had a multi-band filter)
JD-800 / 990 for digital poly
Fantom X or G for workstation
The U-20 has a soft spot in my heart, too. I owned one in the late 80s/early 90s and got a lot of miles out of it.
As far as Roland's "greatest synth", it's really hard to pin that title on a single synth, because Roland has made a lot of great synths, but each of those synths is unique.
SH-5 definately wins the analog mono title.
Jupiter 8 for analog poly (though it'd be the ultimate analog poly if it had a multi-band filter)
JD-800 / 990 for digital poly
Fantom X or G for workstation
The U-20 has a soft spot in my heart, too. I owned one in the late 80s/early 90s and got a lot of miles out of it.