Jupiter 6 VS. Prophet '08

[photomoto]

So if I had the two on a table and they were the same price, which would you choose and why?
Is the prophet '08 a future classic - does the jupiter 6 sound better and have greater features...one of them will be mine, you can help me decide.

[Z]

I was very excited to hear the announcement of the P'08 a couple of years ago but was dissapointed when I first got to play one (and subsequent visits). To me, it just didn't sound that big or thick unless it was layered, reducing the polyphony to four. There are others here on VSE that love their P'08, though.

I love my JP-6. Mainly because I'm a sucker for multi-mode filters. The unison mode is great for Moog-ish basses and leads. Adding Synthcom's Europa brings the MIDI spec up to date and adds a few more features. Also, owning one for over 16 years, I can create sounds with it without having to think much. No menus, just lots of sliders.

If you're into step sequencers, the P'08 would be a great machine for you.

[space6oy]

i have them both & love them both, only irk w/ the p08 is that it can't handle low end the way old analogs do, just turns into a crackle. aside from that it's probably technically a lot more capable.

same price though, no question, jupiter 6. can always get a p08 later.

[V301H]

The Jupiter 6 has a lot of versatility and can get sounds that other much more expensive synths can't do as well. Plus the panel layout is one of the best ever.

[Solderman]

I agree with the notion that you can always get a Pro '08 later. I was playing Z's Jupiter 6 just last week. Comparing that to the few times I've played the DSI synth in the music shop, the JP6 has that mid-rangey Curtis VCO 80's tone you'd expect, whereas the DSI, with its DCO's, has a slightly brighter, much cleaner upper-end, spectrum-wise. The DSI's lowpass filter reminds me alot of the Evolver's filter, whereas the JP6's lowpass is(to me) kind of like the JX3P.
The DSI has nifty sequence and panning features, whereas the Roland lets you have simultaneous Saw and Pulsemod(for some great strings that won't require voice layering) per oscillator and detunable voices in unison mode. I didn't really have trouble getting bass out of either, although the JP6's basses, with some resonance, were funkier.('zat a word?) The unison detune apparently extends to the JP6's envelopes, because slow attack swells seem to have different attack speeds for each voice, making it sound bigger. The DSI's envelopes apparently have no distinct tolerances for each voice.
The DSI's unison mode sounded a bit more aggressive, great for sync-sweeps and mean basses, whereas the JP6's depends alot on the unison detune. Adjusting it ranges from combed type sounds, to more chorused-like sounds.
Both are capable of very tight tuning, with phase-locking and combed effects possible.
Lastly, I dunno if the DSI does crossmod, but I found the crossmod on the JP6 to be alot of fun for endless sound effects. This is primarily due to the simultaneous waveforms(Tri,Saw,Pulse), giving you a wide variety of modulation waveshapes, and the VCO2 detune knob, in 'low frequency' mode, has a pretty wide range for real-time tweaking. Video Gamey and spacey sounds abound. This goes doubly so with the resonant Highpass filter also being tweaked in realtime.

Only two complaints I can think of on the JP6 are that its output is mono, and some Amp envelope settings cause loud popping sounds on key-on and key-off. It's not always easy to compensate for.

[minime123]

ive had tons of experience with my jp6 and the many we've prepared for sale over the years and way less experience with the prophet 08, having only played them a couple times in music stores. based on my personal experience, id go for the jp6, for what its worth. but id also upgrade the jp6 with the europa midi upgrade.
mini

[bleurgh]

JP6's are only going to get more expensive.... and then they'll all start to die. So get one now while they're still a viable proposition. Prophet 08's will be around for years yet and their price probably wont vary much within the next ten years.

[wiss]

I am not a fan of either, flipped a few JP-6's and only played with P '08 in store.

I would certainly get the JP-6 and get the Europa upgrade(brings new life to it). I'm not a fan of any of the new DSI equipment and really want too.

[ryryoftokyo]

That Jupiter 6 must be yours. I have love for the P08 but some of these newer analogs are a bit too friendly...there's no analog synth equivalent Fenrir lurking inside waiting to bite your hands off. There will be many P08s along the way. JP-6s will only become more scarce.

[TrueNotes]

Had PH'08 sold it for Jupiter 6 and I got the europa upgrade. JP6 all the way. Don't get me wrong prophet sounds great but Jupiter is more hands on.... with the prophet it will take you months trying to adjust to the way its routed but with Jp6 everything is there in front of you.

[xpander]

jupiter-6. i sold mine to help finance my modular but i knew it would be missed.

[kurtz]

It's a difficult choice really, they are both great synths. If you are looking for pure sounds and are the type to whom warmth is important, the I would go with the Prophet '08, otherwise the Jupiter 6 is so much richer, I personally would take the Jupiter 6.

[Solderman]

All I can add is that the Jupiter 6 has that easy controls layout Roland is infamous for. Combine that with the low freq. mode of VCO2 used for modulating VCO 1's pitch, knowing that you potentially get simultaneous Saw Pulse and Triangle, and aside from the standard stuff, this thing is as fun as an SCI Pro~One for making sound effects.

Here are the better bits from that 2 hour session I recently had with one:

[paulh]

had my jupiter 6 since 92 , still love it , still surprises me , and it's like a new toy since i put the europa in it.

[Sir Ruff]

jupiter-6. i sold mine to help finance my modular but i knew it would be missed.

god this thread somehow has me wanting a jup-6 when I never thought I wanted one... Xpander, how do you rate it compared to THE xpander, envelope speeds and hand on controls aside?