Tal J-8

[EvilDragon]

Sure, but when you have two emulations behaving the same and the third not... Worth a double-check. Here's audio example:

https://app.box.com/s/shos64c2b2w9m884vehoabfqzhhwgdc0

RC then Arturia then J-8.

The behavior is the same even when they are all set to 8 voices of polyphony.

(Also sent this to Patrick via e-mail)

Note: according to the manual, the hardware did allow you to change the split point, and I don't believe the TAL version does (split fixed at C4). So let's add that to my future Feature Request list.

Already requested that from Patrick via e-mail

[Astrov]

I think that's what most people do. I've ever laid a finger on a Jupiter-8. I have no idea what they sound like other than YouTube videos or records, neither being the best way to judge a synth. I don't know which of the three is most accurate, I just like the TAL version the best.

On the other hand, here's my experience with the Roland System-8/Cloud version: never understood if it was a bad emulation or a really good emulation of a bad synth. I always suspected the former. I just never liked the sound of it. The filters were weak and nasally, the envelopes are not punchy...just did nothing for me. So if it was accurate, I would've hated the hardware despite it's status as the king of 80's polysynths. Then Arturia released V4 and suddenly I'm like, "'hey now...." then TAL releases theirs and I'm like, "oh ok, I get it now."

Sometimes things are classics for a reason. And if you can make a good emulation of that, you should have a pretty damn good softsynth. So yeah, I like the synth for what it is, don't care if it's a super accurate Jupiter, but if it is, that makes sense. I'm still probably more of a Sequential guy when it comes to the raw sound of a synth (that new Prophet will be mine), but suddenly I get the Jupiter appeal and I wasn't getting that from the one Roland emulation.

Ditto. I never played a real Jupiter-8. The only contact I had with it was through Youtube videos and soft synth emulations. But it never clicked. I always thought it was therefore just an average sounding machine. However, TAL J-8 sounds great and it made me, for the first time, consider I was wrong about the Jupiter-8 all along.
I'm not in the position to care if it is a perfect emulation or not, because I never tried the real one. But doesn't matter. J-8 in itself is a great instrument.

I am a Roland guy myself, I prefer their, for the lack of a better word, "creamy" sound. This creaminnes, in my impression, is more present in TAL plugins, both in sound and visual design, with their own flavor. I like the way TAL J-8 looks, it is all colourfull and compact, which can also make me biased more toward TAL. Same with the new Fantom for example.
I am not sure who designed the official Roland Jupiter 8 VST skin, but I find it more harsher then TAL, as if TAL did a better job of capturing that romanticized 80s spirit (the spirit you hear in Synthwave music for example).

I think I just realized that I am very biased based on the visual aesthetics.

As for the System 8 - I got the impression that is a very praised hardware synth, judging by it's ability to emulate analog hadware. I tried VST and did not like it, seemed kind of redundant in my opinion. Might be that it is a mediocre emulation of a great analog-modeling synth.

[e-crooner]

Just downloaded the latest build, am I missing some setting or is there no voice stealing? Say, you have set the number of voices to 2, you play two notes, keep them pressed, and when you try to play a third note, nothing happens and the first two keep sounding.

For voice stealing you need to set the synth to Poly 2 mode. It's in the manual (that nobody seems to read).

4. ASSIGN MODE
SOLO: Legato with only one voice.
UNISON: Plays different detuned voices together.
POLY I: Poly mode with a fix voice limit.
POLY II: Allows voice stealing.

OK. I didn't even think of those poly modes because I don't remember even coming across a synth with such a behavior.

Well, at least some other issue was found due to all this

[EvilDragon]

The difference between the poly modes:

POLY 1 (rotate voices)

Play one key:

[x] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

Play another key while holding the first one:

[x] [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

Play another key after releasing the first one (assume longer amp env release time):

[x] [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] (both voices ring out with their full release time)

Play another key after releasing the first one (assume instant amp env release time):

[ ] [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]


POLY 2 (reuse voices)

Play one key:

[x] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

Play another key while holding the first one:

[x] [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

Play another key after releasing the first one (assume longer amp env release time):

[x] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] (kills release from previous voice)

Play another key after releasing the first one (assume instant amp env release time):

[x] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

[ramseysounds]

This plug-in is pretty special, even just scrolling through the presets. The KIDS IN AMERICA bass is pretty spot on. Adjustable GUI, CPU hit not that bad. Everything on one page. Great price. Seriously tempted.....

[mholloway]

This plug-in is pretty special, even just scrolling through the presets. The KIDS IN AMERICA bass is pretty spot on. Adjustable GUI, CPU hit not that bad. Everything on one page. Great price. Seriously tempted.....

It is absolutely worth 64 bucks.

I was very surprised by the presets, as well. With emulations I usually ignore presets entirely, and just roll my own. I'm glad I checked these out, though: there is some very fantastic, inspiring, downright useful stuff in the factory bank. Kudos to the folks who put that stuff together, it really does show off what the synth can do.

[ramseysounds]

I was very surprised by the presets, as well. With emulations I usually ignore presets entirely, and just roll my own. I'm glad I checked these out, though: there is some very fantastic, inspiring, downright useful stuff in the factory bank. Kudos to the folks who put that stuff together, it really does show off what the synth can do.

From initial playing about with it, I think it shows what wasn't done with the original hardware. The sounds back then were pretty 'safe'. This demonstrates more contemporary capabilities imo.

[Sinisterbr]

I think that's what most people do. I've ever laid a finger on a Jupiter-8. I have no idea what they sound like other than YouTube videos or records, neither being the best way to judge a synth. I don't know which of the three is most accurate, I just like the TAL version the best.

On the other hand, here's my experience with the Roland System-8/Cloud version: never understood if it was a bad emulation or a really good emulation of a bad synth. I always suspected the former. I just never liked the sound of it. The filters were weak and nasally, the envelopes are not punchy...just did nothing for me. So if it was accurate, I would've hated the hardware despite it's status as the king of 80's polysynths. Then Arturia released V4 and suddenly I'm like, "'hey now...." then TAL releases theirs and I'm like, "oh ok, I get it now."

Sometimes things are classics for a reason. And if you can make a good emulation of that, you should have a pretty damn good softsynth. So yeah, I like the synth for what it is, don't care if it's a super accurate Jupiter, but if it is, that makes sense. I'm still probably more of a Sequential guy when it comes to the raw sound of a synth (that new Prophet will be mine), but suddenly I get the Jupiter appeal and I wasn't getting that from the one Roland emulation.

Ditto. I never played a real Jupiter-8. The only contact I had with it was through Youtube videos and soft synth emulations. But it never clicked. I always thought it was therefore just an average sounding machine. However, TAL J-8 sounds great and it made me, for the first time, consider I was wrong about the Jupiter-8 all along.
I'm not in the position to care if it is a perfect emulation or not, because I never tried the real one. But doesn't matter. J-8 in itself is a great instrument.

I am a Roland guy myself, I prefer their, for the lack of a better word, "creamy" sound. This creaminnes, in my impression, is more present in TAL plugins, both in sound and visual design, with their own flavor. I like the way TAL J-8 looks, it is all colourfull and compact, which can also make me biased more toward TAL. Same with the new Fantom for example.
I am not sure who designed the official Roland Jupiter 8 VST skin, but I find it more harsher then TAL, as if TAL did a better job of capturing that romanticized 80s spirit (the spirit you hear in Synthwave music for example).

I think I just realized that I am very biased based on the visual aesthetics.

As for the System 8 - I got the impression that is a very praised hardware synth, judging by it's ability to emulate analog hadware. I tried VST and did not like it, seemed kind of redundant in my opinion. Might be that it is a mediocre emulation of a great analog-modeling synth.

Great to hear from a Roland guy!
I think I get what you mean by "creamy". That's how I'd describe TAL-Mod's sound. Kinda very rich and layered (harmonics?). I also agree about the GUI, TAL's GUIs are very classy, IMO. J-8 may be a tad too dark, but it's nonetheless enticing. Makes me want to play this synth.

[DuX]

Just downloaded the latest build, am I missing some setting or is there no voice stealing? Say, you have set the number of voices to 2, you play two notes, keep them pressed, and when you try to play a third note, nothing happens and the first two keep sounding.

I literally just noticed that with my laptop. Just installed an instance of Tal J-8 on that, loaded the default preset (which still has only 3 voices, which I forgot about), and all of a sudden some new notes weren't playing. I thought my controller was acting up for a second until I realized it was the voices. But yeah, I noticed the same behavior, it wasn't prioitizing the newest notes but rather holding the prior ones. Thought it was odd.

Don't know enough about how the real Jupiter's voice stealing works to comment if it's an issue or not.

Did the original have a voice selector, too?

I am not sure, but I didn't notice that behavior with the build I had downloaded days ago. Maybe because I always tend to set the number to 12, anyway

On the original, you'd probably need to play a 9 note chord to be sure. Does the 9th note drop, or one of the prior ones? No idea.

I think regardless of how hardware works, the oldest played note should be dropped. It's just logical.

[PAK]

Assuming I didn't miss it, has anyone requested a button which allows you to edit two layers at once?

The copy/paste makes it easy to copy a layer, but often you want to adjust something for both, and it's a lot of back and forth Vs just having a button to toggle which would activate editing both layers at once.

[djnro666]

yet another bald headed 1980's guy.

There's something wrong being bald and from the 80's?

Yes. Moby is really really wrong. Oups! He was born in the 60s too...

[[nx]]

Assuming I didn't miss it, has anyone requested a button which allows you to edit two layers at once?

The copy/paste makes it easy to copy a layer, but often you want to adjust something for both, and it's a lot of back and forth Vs just having a button to toggle which would activate editing both layers at once.

I recently sent an email asking for exactly that. I'm sure others have as well.

[vurt]

yet another bald headed 1980's guy.

There's something wrong being bald and from the 80's?

Yes. Moby is really really wrong. Oups! He was born in the 60s too...

true!

Screenshot_2020-12-20-17-00-37-513~2.jpg

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

Assuming I didn't miss it, has anyone requested a button which allows you to edit two layers at once?

The copy/paste makes it easy to copy a layer, but often you want to adjust something for both, and it's a lot of back and forth Vs just having a button to toggle which would activate editing both layers at once.

I think a mouse modifier would be the easiest/cleanest solution. Example: Ctrl+drag or Ctrl+Click impacts both layers.

[zvenx]

Assuming I didn't miss it, has anyone requested a button which allows you to edit two layers at once?

The copy/paste makes it easy to copy a layer, but often you want to adjust something for both, and it's a lot of back and forth Vs just having a button to toggle which would activate editing both layers at once.

I think a mouse modifier would be the easiest/cleanest solution. Example: Ctrl+drag or Ctrl+Click impacts both layers.

+1.
rsp