Best of Roland

[BBFG#]

You can put lipstick on a pig but the pig could never replace your girlfriend

Isn't that rather dependent on the girlfriend, the pig, and your own personal fetish though?

I've come to think of lipstick as a deterrent to anything being attractive now. I've started seeing anything wearing it as a clown rather than female, trans, drag, etc.

And how that relates to this company is I'm beginning to think we'll be seeing nothing but the decline of innovation due to the loss of it's original innovators. Much like the slow spiral to the lowest denominator of Disney once their namesakes died. Maybe once they start farming out to other developers and stop trying to be vending machines, they might come back as something else. But as it stands now, their best is in the past.

And maybe best left there.

[Trancer]

Thank you for your feedback and reviews.

Completely agree with you.

Roland was the Master, the Boss at the time with magical machines.

An oasis of musical magic.

Just like Korg for that matter.

It's clear, Roland Boutique, toys.

Very clear also hexorbitant prices for recondiotennements of products.

Roland is definitely good, that there will always be buyers for their machines and the wave of hardware is picking up a little more than before, apparently.

Berhinger should have directly made copies worthy of the name and offered real keyboards with real content.

D-Fusion

I have a plethora of vst and I would rather have a dedicated hardware machine.

But you propose a solution of the most interesting in spite of everything.

The Deepmind 12, again what prevents me from going through the purchase, the reliability (Hardware and Softawre) of the machine.

I too would love a new version JP 8080 keeping of course the specifics of the old model and the factory patches and much more.

Korg could do the same, it would be great.

[kritikon]

I pretty well agree with the consensus here. JunoX and JupiterX sound OK from what I've seen of them, but pretty much the same thing in nostalgia boxes. They're all VST-in-a-box ultimately and vastly overpriced. Those prices for a fairly limited VA are obscene. All the demos I've seen are comparing the Juno aspect and they do sound like a Juno, not so much available for the Jupiter aspect. But really...it's not difficult to sound like a Juno, they're so basic. I still have both a 106 and an Alpha2 and both are never used any more. You can get any number of VSTs that do Juno sound and more. If you specifically want a crappy Juno in hw then it makes sense to get a JunoX but there are other options. JunoX does look good, I'm the first to admit. Actually, I think it's beautiful. But a waste of money. Half the price and it becomes reasonable IMO.

Deepmind was mentioned...makes so much more sense. It's real analogue and obvs based very much on a Juno so it fits the bill. But it does more than Juno if you want. By the way...there is absolutely nothing special about Juno filters so anybody can emulate them, including Behringer. Also you'll get real unison on a Deepmind, whereas 106 unison is a complete failure. User opinion on the DM chorus seems to be - nailed it. Don't be swayed by Behringer internet hate..some of their synths are built like tanks. I got 4 and Wasp oscillators are horribly out of tune (hopefully their sw can retune them...haven't checked yet) but build quality is superb. 2600 built superbly imo. Monopoly also solid and feels like it will be immortal. TD3 is lightweight and plasticy but that is exactly how 303s are too. It's a perfect reproduction because 303s were cheap and crappy build quality. I understand worry about Deepmind sliders...Juno sliders were dodgy, in fact I've never had great sliders on any synth. Not sure I'd want another synth with so many sliders.

JDXa was also mentioned. Makes way more sense than VST in a box Rolands. Actually it's probably going to make it onto my want list. 4 part analogue and fully-featured. It has decent filter choice, drive, sync, ring mod...all the stuff that gives analogue real character. The extra digital shite is fluff but I guess has its uses and certainly gives options and a whole load more voices based on old hw boxes too. JDXa is better value imo.

[Trancer]

thank you for your reply.

I just watched a very interesting video on the Juno X.



Indeed, the Juno X seems to be a host of plug-ins in a synth shell that can be edited with the Juno X editor.

So the Zenology Pro option makes perfect sense at this point.

What bothers me is still plugins.

But apparently it's the vst porting trend.

Even Korg is getting into it with its vst versions of hardware.

Berhinger remains a pure analog solution very clearly.

For my part Berhinger does not cause me any concern, quite the contrary.

What Roland is not better, see much worse.

It is the reliability returns that are unfortunately very real.

The JD XA was also offered.

But, there is an analog channel limitation of four.

The price is quite high I think for a synth that is a bit dated anyway.

[kritikon]

Yeah, Kermit generally does quite good reviews. TBH I'd forgotten there was so much menu diving on the JunoX. He mentioned how much easier it is if you use the app with the editor etc. Which to me defeats the whole point of any hw synth - if you have to menu dive then you may as well get software plugins. Isn't one of the main points with all good hw synths that control is immediate and easy with knobs, not menus?
And I didn't realise you could buy even JD800 models which is nice - and the JX8p models - but subscription & Roland Cloud? Nah, they can f**k right off with that garbage. Won't touch it with a very long bargepole. JDXa you're right - it's not the greatest price. TBH Roland have become a very expensive synth company on the whole. But they're not alone- personally I think Sequential are overpriced, and don't get me started on Moog. I don't even like Moog filters so I won't be buying any, but I think at least 50% of their price is purely the name. Roland are no worse than Sequential or Moog, though obvs those both have far more analogue options - Roland mostly just refuse to do analogue.

[Trancer]

Thanks for your feedback.

I think the same, a synth should be enough on its own and not have an editor to deal with a lack of ergonomics and a hybrid workflow.

A synth must be autonomous and the usefulness of a pc is for updates and for transferring patches.

Regarding the use of the machine, it must be fully capable of offering the controls necessary for its use.

Also okay, Roland, Sequential and Moog same fight.

The name more than anything else.

Sequential parei, just see the Prophet and its multitudes of versions and why just for a style of filter.

As already said, 3000 euros very expensive filter anyway.

The crisis, the worries of the components have a good back.

It doesn't justify everything.

On the other hand, these companies surf on emotion and on the analog revival fashion and fill their pockets with it as simple as that.

Not a criticism, an observation.

[D-Fusion]

D-Fusion

I have a plethora of vst and I would rather have a dedicated hardware machine.

But you propose a solution of the most interesting in spite of everything.

The Deepmind 12, again what prevents me from going through the purchase, the reliability (Hardware and Softawre) of the machine.

I too would love a new version JP 8080 keeping of course the specifics of the old model and the factory patches and much more.

Korg could do the same, it would be great.

Ok.
If you want hw with hands on experience and it has to be Roland i would choose the System 8.
You don't need to be tied to a computer to use the Built in plugouts (Jupiter 8, Juno 106 and JX3P).
The only time you need a computer is when you want to change the plugouts to something else than the stock plugouts.

The Jupiter X/XM or the Juno X Requires some menu diving to get the most out of them.

[Trancer]

Thank you for your reply.

Indeed, apparently System 8 is the most immediate.

Too bad that very poor in presets preloads by model.

Even if not really the same, another concept even if Zen Core is used, there is the MC 707 which takes up the sounds of the Roland air.

But there too, a plethora of menus and need for an editor, therefore a computer to use the real potential of this machine.

[Examigan]

Too bad that Roland is doing a reissue of the excellent JP 8080.

It could very well be done with their technology.

I take it that you meant "isn't doing a reissue". Yeah. But, there's also a behringer synth which is kind of a re-issue of the JP-8000: https://www.synthanatomy.com/2022/03/be ... fford.html

They do look good on paper those small units but not in reality (Only 1 Oscillator on all of them).
The JT-4000 as it is now called will only interest me if they make one with 2 or 3 oscillators which they have said will come later.
Same with the Jupiter 8 version a 3 voice JP8 they say but it only has 1 osc too so no it is not a mini JP8

You can put lipstick on a pig but the pig could never replace your girlfriend

I'm not a fan of these limited mini synths either. But, in lack of a decent alternative...

That is true and if they are going for the announced price of $49 we could always buy 2 for 2 Oscillators while waiting for the bigger versions which i think most people will do.

I thought it did have 2 oscs:

"Portable 4-Voice Hybrid Synthesizer with 2 Analog Modelling Oscillators Per Voice, Analog Filter and Arpeggiator"

https://www.behringer.com/product.html? ... e=0722-ABR

[Trancer]

Thank you for your answer.

Indeed the Berhinger option.

But as long as you do and given the latter's specialty in copying synths (not at all a reproach), it would have been better to make a real copy of the JP 8080.

It's just a toy here.

[D-Fusion]

You are correct