sounds great to me. You can't have only one synth. Actually you can't have only five synths. Synths are crack. I'm getting one simply because it sounds great and matches my TR- 08. I love the green. People act like each new synth will be the end all. It's just another cool synth. Get a lot of them. Why not ? You're only going to spend the money anyway. Might as well collect synths . woo hoo. Love a lot of new synths out now. Great time for synths
Daniel thank you so very much for this very thorough exploration of the Roland System-8 synth. You cover and explore so very much in this video - without even having a chance to explore the manual! Your sheer knowledge and experience with synthesizers is amazing! Your ability to take us all on the exploration of this new synth, while educating us is an absolute delight! Thank you so very much!
people are complaining about how it's not perfect or exactly like the plug-out's original sound and stuff like that. Do they not realize they're literally getting THREE synths for the half the price of an old moog that can't even play a chord? I wouldn't expect perfect quality either but DAMN this sounds good for the price
Now that the latest OS upgrade adds the JX-3P Plug-out, on top of the Juno-106, and the Jupiter-8, along with the System-8, this synth is awesome! You get a great sounding new synth with the System-8 engine, that you can layer or split with the Jupiter-8, Juno-106 or the JX-3P are just WILD! I love this synth!
I sold my 2 JP08's and per-ordered the System8, The JP08'S sounded good but didn't like the tiny little controls and having to poly chain the 2 together, the note stealing didn't act right to me.
This looks like it has everything I would want in a synth. This year I fell in love with the Jupiter 8, so it is awesome that is included. A bigger keyboard might be cool, but I'm used to octave shifting and would rather have the lower price and smaller size.
Gonna see how close I can get my JP8080 to sound like this. Of course the JP8080 should be easily outclassed by the System-8, but it's a Roland and I've had that little blue synth since the late 90's and it still sounds great for an old VA.
I buy almost everything from Sweetwater - including my freshly delivered minimoog D R.I. from salesman Ben Porter. Id really like to hear an in depth opinion of the build quality. Rap on it with knuckles and talk about what is plastic and what is metal - how is the keybed? Do the knobs jostle in place? Do the faders have slop? (faders are tough to make feel solid due to their linear nature) Are the plastic bits high quality plastic or cheap? Any notable complaints don't necessarily disqualify it, but I wouldn't want any surprises. For $1499 at sweetwater, this synth is VERY INEXPENSIVE compared to the DSI Prophet an OB6 class units which are double this price. It's even cheaper than a Moog Sub37 which has a shoddy keyboard. For such a great sounding synth, there has to be some corners cut to get it in the $1499 range. Fill us in. THANKS!
This synth is amazing. Got a chance to play w/ it last night. Filter knob should have been bigger though :) Juno & jupiter emulation are craaaaaaazy. Shivers. The sh-101 sh2 and promars emulations are incredible too. I almost bought a 1m before this was announced. Excited!!
great synth, gives you a large mix of sounds and the ability to expand due to plug out. Like all synths there is good points and bad but its a good synth none the less. A big thumbs up from me roland.
Great job on the demo Daniel, showing the function and potential this synth has and without seeing the manual. I'm guessing the keys are maybe as good as the XP30?
Sounds interesting. Wish the interface was not quite so plasticky and uniform across the panel. I miss the original panel layout of the Jupiter 8. Hoping for a Boutique JP-08 Pro.
I nearly bought one, until I found out that you can not use the expression pedal to control the filter sweep, or anything other than output volume. Deal killer for me, because my playing style involves using my foot, to modulate filter sweep, or other parameters, while I am soloing.
Weird zippering sound at 20:00 with the pitch bend. Is it just my crappy speakers or do others hear that. Anyone with experience hear it with their own unit?
Hi Billy, while color is often used to mean tone or timbre in the synth world, it's not associated with a specific technology. In the System-8's case, the COLOR knob does a variety of things depending on which waveshape and variation is chosen including Pulse Width, detuning of Super waves, vowel shaping, and waveshaping. Thanks for watching!
LOL - no. If it actually sounded like a Jupiter 8 maybe. It sounds like a typical digital synth. The JD-XA can already do ALL of that AND has real analog (that sounds just as good as the real old analog rolands). Typical that people ignore the true genius synth (the XA) then are all over this fake plastic sound because it has the name "Jupiter" associated with it. Get a JD-XA, you will not regret it. This system 8 sounds awful. As do the plug-in/outs for the system 1. The alesis ION sounds much more vibrant/alive and it's way older (and you can pick them up at a great price on ebay and they are metal etc). Or if you must buy a modern Roland get a JD-XA, it's completely under-rated but a stunning synth as a whole, and a great synth even divided into strict analog and strict digital. The video for System 8 is playing as I type this and its putting my ears on edge. It's so so fake flat dull and plastic after playing the JD-XA this morning for an hour! Even the digital side on the XA sounds more full and rich (it itself can mimic analog already and sounds pretty good - better than ACB for sure), though neither "emulations" are better than the real analog in the JD-XA (or old Roland analogs), if you think so you are just fooling yourselves.
You realise that all these synths, even are made by the same Roland, are different, right? And they're meant to sound different. And just because "oh my is not analog" it doesn't mean that isn't good. Typical for snobs to think that if it's only analog, it's good. Different products - different targets = but all musicians. The lol's on you.
Very nice demo Dan ! Thanks ! I have one question: is there any aliasing on high pitched notes (or resonating filter), or any audible aliasing filtering going on (duller sound on high harmonic content) ? Because I'm thinking of replacing my aging Alesis Ion which suffers from those artifacts...
Hi Alain, I only had the prototype for a short while, but I didn't run into any aliasing while trying the presets for the video. I suspect that, if you set the Keyboard Octave to the highest setting, set the Oscs to the highest Octave, and set the Pitch Bend to the highest range, and then bend upwards, it's bound to happen. But I think you'll find that it's leaps and bounds ahead of the Alesis Ion and Roland Gaia. Thanks for watching!
This seems like an awesome hardware sound designer machine. (Hmmm - maybe I haven't twiddled closely enough with my System 1m in 4-voice poly mode.) Yay for the CV/gate outs and stereo inputs - 'meh' for just 1 CV/gate pair, and only stereo outputs (maybe the hardware is also not yet "fully baked"?) Also, I could do without the FX - put a CV patch bay there on the right-side panel instead, Roland! ;) But who am I kidding - 12 months ago, this would have been a beautifully-spec'd synth. The market is getting so crazy. MatrixBrute, ARP desktop module, System 8 - good times, good times!
I wonder if you can hook up the Boutique Jupiter 8 or Juno 106 hardware to this and use their interfaces to program those plug-outs instead of the generic System 8 interface?
Allow me to speak very slowly: the boutique interfaces are specifically designed for the corresponding software. The generic System 8 interface is designed for another synth (the System 8 synth). Hardware which is specifically designed for software is far easier to learn, use and remember than generic multi-purpose hardware, which is why we have things like Ableton Push 2, Maschine Studio, and so on.
I don't like the sound of the boutiques nor this system 8 at all, the closer they are to specifically emulating a real analog model (ie jupiter 8) rather than just a general all purpose VA/Digital (like alesis ion for example) the worse it compares/sounds next to the real thing. What I mean is an ION is a great digital synth all in itself, it's one of my favourite synths full stop, but not because you can get it to sound VERY close to jupiter 8 (imo ION sounds closer and REACTS closer to JP-8 than the roland VAs do - go figure) but because it's a synth that does digital VERY well. System 8 and Boutiques just sound dull, fake, plastic and safe. That said, and the point of my post is, even though I don't like them I understand what you are saying and if you already own the boutiques it would be nice to use the 'actual' synth's interface to program the S8 (although those tiny sliders may give me pause for thought vs the much better controls on the S8).
H4NDCRAFTED I'm not talking about the System-8... I know the Jupiter/Juno plug-outs will come with that synth... I am asking if the new plug-outs will be compatiable with the *SYSTEM-1* ?
looneyburgmusic No, they want you to buy the system 8. As a business it would be silly to make them available. Sad but true. I was hoping they would after they stopped issuing the supposedly 'limited run' With this out, there is no chance.
This seems like a fantastic synth. Ugly as sin for sure (I have the System 1... it doesn't grow on you either). But it might be the most versatile virtual analog out there now and from what we hear it sounds great.
(not crazy about the presets now that I'm onto that section, but my "sounds great" is in reference to the demonstration of the oscillators, filters, effects, etc.)
Mythix Interestingly I thought about the Virus even before you posted, including in terms of versatility. (I think the Virus' versatility goes beyond what we normally think of as "virtual analog" so it kind of exists in its own category). I guess for me I am inspired by the challenge of a synth that is either very new or overlooked, with thoughts of, I could really do some fresh stuff with this. And the Virus, which has been around so long in its various iterations, seems like it's been fully realized for a long time -- which is why its presets are going to blow most other stuff away. They are based on, what, 15 years of exploring that architecture by people a lot more talented than me?
+Pirateradio EightOhEight it's like you opened my skulk and entered into my brain. Those were my exact thoughts and why this synth still intrigues me for sound design.
The Alesis Ion would eat the Virus up (and does) and the AN1x gives it a good kicking too and they both go for less than half what a used virus cost. ION also goes beyond 'VA' is very powerful and sounds alive in it's own way, not saying it sounds just like analog (it doesn't but then NO VA does inc this shitty new system 8 which sounds duller than the old VAs) but what it does do is give stunning, lively, vibrant sounds, something I can't hear from the system 8 in this video (nor in the plugins I've used from Roland).
I am curious avout the step sequencer. It says you can store one per patch. What does that mean: is it on the expence of sound data? Can only one preset be used per sequence? Does the sequence handle layering of several plugouts?
Thanks for watching! Give us a quick call at (800) 222-4700 or email us at sales@sweetwater.com! One of our sales engineers would gladly answer any questions you have over the Roland System-8 Plug-out Synthesizer!
Hi Asle, every patch can have one sequence, and only one sequence. Using the sequence has no bearing on the sound data. You have the same amount of sound data regardless of whether you use the sequencer or not. The sequencer is a single track that does not do individual layering tracks. All of this is subject to change as we only temporarily had the prototype to create the video, and it didn't have an owner's manual at the time.
can you do a vido on how to buy the plugouts and install them on the Jupiter8 system? Cant find where to buy the Jupiter-4 plugout or how to install it. There is no instruction on the Roland site either...fucked up.
This synth sounds really really good, smooth filters plus the Jupiter 8 plug-in great addition, great presentation, very impressive, but now let the Roland bashers begin their nonsense, they come out of the word-work like rats.
Sweetwater please post the other new Roland gear vids you have, this #909 day Roland are doing is all over the place, we wanna see sound demos (like yours) not the artistic, well edited Roly vids ;/)
Well. For me it`s more better than XA - no crappy gloss panel and unreadable texts in red/orange. Me really like how System-8 looks: many sliders and knobs, which anything you need, green LEDs, nice color. But the sound of this (and even XA in part) is not good if you compare it with, for example, JP-8000, JX-P or even JD-800. I think this new synths (System 8, XA, Xi) would be very nice on the stage, live performance. But for the deep studio sessions they sounds a bit poor. I said that new Deepmind 12 from Behringer me like more than it. And I said more again - NI Reaktor software VA-ensembles sounds more alive, more punchy and more analog-like than this new one ... toys, sorry. * why video so washy? where is a deep black and juicy colors?
Well, at least it has 8 note polyphony (like my $260 used Akai Miniak) and full-size keys, but I can't see it selling like hotcakes given the price and competition out there for close-to-the-same or even less money.
Yes and No. I have both the System-1 and the System-8, I also got the System-1m to allow me to connect to EuroRack synths, and brings CV to MIDI connectivity! Awesome little synth!
The System-8 engine has more waveform options and additional parameters that are not available on the System-1 or 1m. So, the System-8 takes what the System-1/1m have and adds a lot more to the sound, along with doubling the polyphony of the System-1.
JD-XA > DM12. You can quote me on that. DM12 is going to be so disappointing once people get over the voice count and "real analog" thing. Sure it is but it's really basic and lacks the character of the Juno 106 (where simplicity is ok because tone is beautiful). If you want something modern and way more powerful than DM12 AND real analog (proper dual osc analog) but at a decent price (same as DM12 on the used market probably) you get JD-XA. Voice count isn't everything, osc/waveforms/filter/quality of voice IS more important and that's where Behringer have failed listening to ALL the videos. Still, I will agree that the DM12 IS a better sounding synth than system 8 because as simple as the DM12 is it does have that vibrancy of real analog by default, but so does the JD-XA and way more. System 8, and the boutiques are for clueless idiots. People could already get these sounds on ebay for good prices and ignore them and follow the hype instead for the fake versions. dear god has modern society lost all sense? If it wasn't for JD-XA I'd stick Roland on some universal "ignore list" forever after this shit show of 909 day/hype, but the JD-XA proves they CAN still make a great synth when they want. Different divisions though, that was real Roland, 909 day is Aira/product/marketing roland at work. Next year may bring us a proper full on 8+ voice analog to compete with DM12 (but way more potent) and Prophet 08 (but way better sounding). Until then we have JD-XA which runs rings around both those anyway.
People don't want stage synths, people wants modules that take up little space, no keys, fully controllable/customizable interface by daw or midi. Make some 1 rack synth with analog outputs and sufficient inputs and without expensive interface, with virtual graphic interface fully automatable and customizable, with sufficient power for lift the load from the pc/osx cpu and you are done, expansion boards for more voices/synthesis choices are welcome. The same for multi track audio cards with on-board good eqs, mixer and effects.
quarkyzarky Really you think the JD-XA is better than both? I have really not been impressed by the JD-XA synthesis, but there have been a couple demos of the DeepMind 12 that have blown me away. At the same time, I would bet that it really depends on the musical genres you are into making.
inthefade Well then sonny, you don't know shit. Sorry. Yes the JD-XA is better than both! And costs a lot more. Analog wise it is way more powerful than even the prophet 6 so DM12 has no chance. and against the fake plastic sounding System 8? come on! SN digital in JD-XA sounds better than ACB anyway (not talking about faking analog just in general it sounds classy/expensive and can do decent fake analog anyway while ACB just sounds like cheap VSTi), so yes. It's better, I know this cos I own one and have had tons of analogs inc real junos etc and the DM12 is really NOT all that, you'll find that out in the fullness of time when people are bored of its 10 sounds and having to bathe it in FX to make it sound anything like as decent/exciting as a true two osc synth like the JD-XA. Genres? no, I don't make "EDM" or dubstep if that's what you are getting at, I make stuff that can use typical vintage analogs inc juno 106/ JX's jupiters etc and the JD-XA fits right at home there but also covers moog and prophet areas too. This is what people don't get about the XA, mainly those wh've not tried it and assume (from BAD demos) that its some crappy weak EDM machine. I suggest you try one if you get chance and really program it yourself and you'll see. It's a monster analog synth with a ton of bonuses thrown in. DM12 just barely scrapes by on "power" I mean come on, it's a single osc synth tarted up to look like a dual osc, the sounds you heard - lucky you like them cos that's about all the sounds it'll make, over and over, it has just 2 waveforms for osc 1 and a fixed wave for osc 2, it can't do Sync sounds for shit (vs the XA which is up their with my moog voyager/sub 37). it just sounds like a less nice sounding juno, but with tons of effects, nothing more, nothing less. I'd rather have the real juno if that's the type of sounds i wanted, but the XA also does tons of juno and jx sounds too (yes it really does)
(polite version) - Yes the JD-XA is "better" than both. On the one hand its engine (analog side) goes far beyond anything you'll drag out of the DM12 (which is a very simple synth - VERY - other than the FX and mod matrix), it lacks all manner of sound creation tools you only find in a true two osc synth (the DM12's second osc is more like a sub osc). JD-XA is in the big league along with Prophet 6 (but has more power than even Prophet/OB 6). Dm12 is basically a souped up Juno but doesn't sound as good as a juno. As for system 8? it is SOFTWARE, Software! yeah? It sounds fake, it sounds flat, it sounds digital. It is also more basic than the JD-XA's analog engine (only 1 LFO, stepped sync sound and lots of other stuff), while XA has everything you could wish for in an analog engine. If you've not heard anything good or been impressed by the XA then you've only watched demos you didn't like, you have not actually played or programmed one. I've had tons of synths, over the years, loads of vintage analog, and nothing comes closer to getting that old Roland feeling back than the JD-XA. The DSI synths sound harsh too. God knows what blew you away on the DM12 demos, all I hear is very basic, achievable easily on XA tone, but put through loads of FX? how could it possibly blow you away when it's less than half the power of the XA and sounds quite generic? I don't get that, if I need that sound I'll use a juno as it does it better anyway (sounds better), if I want more power I'll use JD-XA, why settle in the middle of nowhere? It does p-me off a little when pundits say they haven't heard anything that impressed them out of a synth that even an idiot could see was clearly designed, and sounds, better and more interesting than either S8 or DM12, but ok... I guess you either know or you don't.
What's with that ugly green? Ewwww - Apart from that, I like where they're going with this, even tho' it did not sound right. I'm sure you can play around and get a decent sound out of this. Yamaha needs to step their game up as far as I'm concern. I also appreciate the fact they didn't wait forever to make the information available about their products unlike some others who don't get the fact that we're in the Download era & if you snooze you lose.
why are we stepping back instead of forward??? Nothing will substitute synths like Memorymoog, CS-80 Jupiter 8, MKS-70, 50, 30. I'd rather wanted to have REALISTIC emulation of sax, piano, violin, trumpet and so on. (but, not the way integra 7 did)
Good synth but way too pricey for a digital recreation of an analog synth. The Prophet 600 is a vintage analog synth and it goes for about the same price as this synth today.
$1499? 8 voices of the same sounds and same functions as every other synth. This synth brings nothing new to the table. But then again really where can you go with same saws, squares, filters and envelopes. We are at the point were retread is a selling point for the nostalgic set. Advances in DSP power and carefully crafted algorithms attached to older synth mythology. Listen I'm all over bringing back the old days. Hell I have paid my share in cash for these things, but once the novelty wears off you realize you are left with a plastic case full of snapshots of the same old sounds.
Hi Justin, Watch again starting at 3:13 to hear so much more than just Saw, Square, and Tri. All of those waveforms can be continuously morphed and modulated into other modern waveshapes that are definitely not from the old days. Thanks for watching!
Unfortunate. Hopefully they will elaborate on the JP-80/JDXA/V-Synth concepts rather than attempting to capitalize on the popularity of their legacy instruments with mediocre digital imitations.
I love my System 8, the spirit of my last album Elektra
The sliders for the modulation joystick are brilliant.
sounds great to me. You can't have only one synth. Actually you can't have only five synths.
Synths are crack.
I'm getting one simply because it sounds great and matches my TR- 08. I love the green. People act like each new synth will be the end all. It's just another cool synth. Get a lot of them. Why not ?
You're only going to spend the money anyway. Might as well collect synths . woo hoo. Love a lot of new synths out now. Great time for synths
Yeah...nice to see this new and sudden explosion of cool hardware synths!
Hahah , best comment ever 🤍 🎹💯
Good news: the System 8 is 4 synths in one!
Daniel thank you so very much for this very thorough exploration of the Roland System-8 synth. You cover and explore so very much in this video - without even having a chance to explore the manual! Your sheer knowledge and experience with synthesizers is amazing! Your ability to take us all on the exploration of this new synth, while educating us is an absolute delight! Thank you so very much!
The filter, attack, oscillators all sound really good (even on the 128kbit UA-cam!) Quite surprised, thanks for the video.
No idea why there are 28 thumbs down ?? Great overview of a very impressive and lovely new instrument.
probably because he didn't have a fully fledged synth yet, I know at least half of the patches haven't even been loaded onto the system 8
Probably because Roland hasn't evolved since the 80's ?
Jacques Mertens this is a great synth!!!
@@SPAZZOID100 an Awesome synth!
It's not a complete demo until Daniel busts out the Spy Hunter theme. Love it!
people are complaining about how it's not perfect or exactly like the plug-out's original sound and stuff like that. Do they not realize they're literally getting THREE synths for the half the price of an old moog that can't even play a chord? I wouldn't expect perfect quality either but DAMN this sounds good for the price
Now that the latest OS upgrade adds the JX-3P Plug-out, on top of the Juno-106, and the Jupiter-8, along with the System-8, this synth is awesome! You get a great sounding new synth with the System-8 engine, that you can layer or split with the Jupiter-8, Juno-106 or the JX-3P are just WILD! I love this synth!
Man, this thing kicks the poor JP-8000 out of bed. So smooth. Id easily trade it for something like this + Pay in.
Very good demo!
When he switches to Jupiter 8 plug-out @ 30 mins (ish) sounds far better than the JP-08 boutique I recently purchased !!!
Me too. I have purchased JP-08 just yesterday..... The analog circuit of SYSTEM 8 would be better than JP-08.
I don't think so
I sold my 2 JP08's and per-ordered the System8, The JP08'S sounded good but didn't like the tiny little controls and having to poly chain the 2 together, the note stealing didn't act right to me.
Same technology
+Richard Bates it looks more like a jupiter-8 though.
Wow, that's some nice patch at 32:29. Very Juno-106-like sound at 31:53. And very Roger Moore James Bond skiing action scene from 1981 at 32:55 :)
You made great presets and review...!
Being the first thing out of 909 day, this has lived up to my expectations!!! I've been looking for a full stage synth and this looks like it!
Man, I'm quite impressed. Looks like a little sound design powerhouse
This looks like it has everything I would want in a synth. This year I fell in love with the Jupiter 8, so it is awesome that is included. A bigger keyboard might be cool, but I'm used to octave shifting and would rather have the lower price and smaller size.
Gonna see how close I can get my JP8080 to sound like this. Of course the JP8080 should be easily outclassed by the System-8, but it's a Roland and I've had that little blue synth since the late 90's and it still sounds great for an old VA.
Silver medal for me, Abraham. Sounds cool. Would love to check out the final product.
Man, pitch bend sliders! That is so brilliant
Good presentation, Thanks
I buy almost everything from Sweetwater - including my freshly delivered minimoog D R.I. from salesman Ben Porter. Id really like to hear an in depth opinion of the build quality. Rap on it with knuckles and talk about what is plastic and what is metal - how is the keybed? Do the knobs jostle in place? Do the faders have slop? (faders are tough to make feel solid due to their linear nature) Are the plastic bits high quality plastic or cheap? Any notable complaints don't necessarily disqualify it, but I wouldn't want any surprises. For $1499 at sweetwater, this synth is VERY INEXPENSIVE compared to the DSI Prophet an OB6 class units which are double this price. It's even cheaper than a Moog Sub37 which has a shoddy keyboard. For such a great sounding synth, there has to be some corners cut to get it in the $1499 range. Fill us in. THANKS!
22:35 channeling some Tomita. :)
Yes.
R.I.P. him T_T
I know :(
That painting in the back to the right is from ghostbusters II
This synth is amazing. Got a chance to play w/ it last night. Filter knob should have been bigger though :) Juno & jupiter emulation are craaaaaaazy. Shivers. The sh-101 sh2 and promars emulations are incredible too. I almost bought a 1m before this was announced. Excited!!
Juno emulation is not out for System 8 and you played it...!
+VTOLKits no sorry I only assume the emulations are the same as in the boutique gear.
great synth, gives you a large mix of sounds and the ability to expand due to plug out. Like all synths there is good points and bad but its a good synth none the less. A big thumbs up from me roland.
Great demo! The classic sound isn't 100% there.. but damn, it's rather impressive. Extreme control over the parameters... Again, impressive
With the color knob update in the plug outs, it is as identical as you want it.
Great job on the demo Daniel, showing the function and potential this synth has and without seeing the manual. I'm guessing the keys are maybe as good as the XP30?
Sounds interesting. Wish the interface was not quite so plasticky and uniform across the panel. I miss the original panel layout of the Jupiter 8. Hoping for a Boutique JP-08 Pro.
I nearly bought one, until I found out that you can not use the
expression pedal to control the filter sweep, or anything other than
output volume.
Deal killer for me, because my playing style involves using my foot, to
modulate filter sweep, or other parameters, while I am soloing.
Weird zippering sound at 20:00 with the pitch bend. Is it just my crappy speakers or do others hear that. Anyone with experience hear it with their own unit?
I wonder how the color knob technically works to get its sound. What does color mean in synthesizer jargon?
Hi Billy, while color is often used to mean tone or timbre in the synth world, it's not associated with a specific technology. In the System-8's case, the COLOR knob does a variety of things depending on which waveshape and variation is chosen including Pulse Width, detuning of Super waves, vowel shaping, and waveshaping. Thanks for watching!
Approved by Vigo the Carpathian
Incredible.
Won't sell my Virus Ti any time soon...
1. Looks like it takes batteries. 2. Can you turn off the green lights or dim them? 3. It's essentially a VST instrument with mapped knobs.
Hi Station 2Station, The System-8 is powered only by the included AC Adaptor. And you can both dim and turn off the green LEDs. Thanks for watching!
thank you
Station 2Station get over it.
I did when I saw it. Hows the diet going?
Station 2Station everybody knows it's a VA and we are fine with it. Just ordered one. Sounds great.
30:33 for Jupiter-8 - I know you want it now!
LOL - no. If it actually sounded like a Jupiter 8 maybe. It sounds like a typical digital synth. The JD-XA can already do ALL of that AND has real analog (that sounds just as good as the real old analog rolands). Typical that people ignore the true genius synth (the XA) then are all over this fake plastic sound because it has the name "Jupiter" associated with it.
Get a JD-XA, you will not regret it. This system 8 sounds awful. As do the plug-in/outs for the system 1. The alesis ION sounds much more vibrant/alive and it's way older (and you can pick them up at a great price on ebay and they are metal etc). Or if you must buy a modern Roland get a JD-XA, it's completely under-rated but a stunning synth as a whole, and a great synth even divided into strict analog and strict digital. The video for System 8 is playing as I type this and its putting my ears on edge. It's so so fake flat dull and plastic after playing the JD-XA this morning for an hour! Even the digital side on the XA sounds more full and rich (it itself can mimic analog already and sounds pretty good - better than ACB for sure), though neither "emulations" are better than the real analog in the JD-XA (or old Roland analogs), if you think so you are just fooling yourselves.
You realise that all these synths, even are made by the same Roland, are different, right? And they're meant to sound different. And just because "oh my is not analog" it doesn't mean that isn't good. Typical for snobs to think that if it's only analog, it's good. Different products - different targets = but all musicians. The lol's on you.
Kids, leave the internet and start learning! PS: I bet you can't make the difference, with closed eyes, between analog vs digital. :))
+quarkyzarky give it a rest with the xa!! The jp-08 sounds 98% like a jupiter-8.
+Cowboy 13ebop incorrect
Very nice demo Dan ! Thanks !
I have one question: is there any aliasing on high pitched notes (or resonating filter), or any audible aliasing filtering going on (duller sound on high harmonic content) ? Because I'm thinking of replacing my aging Alesis Ion which suffers from those artifacts...
Hi Alain, I only had the prototype for a short while, but I didn't run into any aliasing while trying the presets for the video. I suspect that, if you set the Keyboard Octave to the highest setting, set the Oscs to the highest Octave, and set the Pitch Bend to the highest range, and then bend upwards, it's bound to happen. But I think you'll find that it's leaps and bounds ahead of the Alesis Ion and Roland Gaia. Thanks for watching!
Thanks Dan. All that is missing from this superb sounding synth is a five octave keyboard (which is really useful when in split mode).
This seems like an awesome hardware sound designer machine. (Hmmm - maybe I haven't twiddled closely enough with my System 1m in 4-voice poly mode.) Yay for the CV/gate outs and stereo inputs - 'meh' for just 1 CV/gate pair, and only stereo outputs (maybe the hardware is also not yet "fully baked"?) Also, I could do without the FX - put a CV patch bay there on the right-side panel instead, Roland! ;) But who am I kidding - 12 months ago, this would have been a beautifully-spec'd synth. The market is getting so crazy. MatrixBrute, ARP desktop module, System 8 - good times, good times!
I really just want to know why a painting of Vigo the Carpathian is in the background
I want one after seeing this video as a tribute to Ghostbusters II. "The mighty Vigo"
arp patch at 22:25 rules so hard god damn. imagine someone rocking this thing at the rave from matrix 2
Daniel Fisher shovved be in my band!
I just wish I could play like the Fisherman.
I wonder if you can hook up the Boutique Jupiter 8 or Juno 106 hardware to this and use their interfaces to program those plug-outs instead of the generic System 8 interface?
Allow me to speak very slowly: the boutique interfaces are specifically designed for the corresponding software. The generic System 8 interface is designed for another synth (the System 8 synth). Hardware which is specifically designed for software is far easier to learn, use and remember than generic multi-purpose hardware, which is why we have things like Ableton Push 2, Maschine Studio, and so on.
I don't like the sound of the boutiques nor this system 8 at all, the closer they are to specifically emulating a real analog model (ie jupiter 8) rather than just a general all purpose VA/Digital (like alesis ion for example) the worse it compares/sounds next to the real thing. What I mean is an ION is a great digital synth all in itself, it's one of my favourite synths full stop, but not because you can get it to sound VERY close to jupiter 8 (imo ION sounds closer and REACTS closer to JP-8 than the roland VAs do - go figure) but because it's a synth that does digital VERY well.
System 8 and Boutiques just sound dull, fake, plastic and safe.
That said, and the point of my post is, even though I don't like them I understand what you are saying and if you already own the boutiques it would be nice to use the 'actual' synth's interface to program the S8 (although those tiny sliders may give me pause for thought vs the much better controls on the S8).
Will the new Jupiter/Juno plugouts also work on the System-1?
They are included , although most of the demo models don't have the Juno loaded yet.
H4NDCRAFTED I'm not talking about the System-8... I know the Jupiter/Juno plug-outs will come with that synth... I am asking if the new plug-outs will be compatiable with the *SYSTEM-1* ?
looneyburgmusic No, they want you to buy the system 8. As a business it would be silly to make them available. Sad but true.
I was hoping they would after they stopped issuing the supposedly 'limited run'
With this out, there is no chance.
H4NDCRAFTED That's what I've been figuring... but there has been no word from Roland..
nice pad sound!!
This seems like a fantastic synth. Ugly as sin for sure (I have the System 1... it doesn't grow on you either). But it might be the most versatile virtual analog out there now and from what we hear it sounds great.
(not crazy about the presets now that I'm onto that section, but my "sounds great" is in reference to the demonstration of the oscillators, filters, effects, etc.)
+Pirateradio EightOhEight exaclty my thoughts. The Virus Presets would eat this thing up.
Mythix Interestingly I thought about the Virus even before you posted, including in terms of versatility. (I think the Virus' versatility goes beyond what we normally think of as "virtual analog" so it kind of exists in its own category).
I guess for me I am inspired by the challenge of a synth that is either very new or overlooked, with thoughts of, I could really do some fresh stuff with this. And the Virus, which has been around so long in its various iterations, seems like it's been fully realized for a long time -- which is why its presets are going to blow most other stuff away. They are based on, what, 15 years of exploring that architecture by people a lot more talented than me?
+Pirateradio EightOhEight it's like you opened my skulk and entered into my brain. Those were my exact thoughts and why this synth still intrigues me for sound design.
The Alesis Ion would eat the Virus up (and does) and the AN1x gives it a good kicking too and they both go for less than half what a used virus cost. ION also goes beyond 'VA' is very powerful and sounds alive in it's own way, not saying it sounds just like analog (it doesn't but then NO VA does inc this shitty new system 8 which sounds duller than the old VAs) but what it does do is give stunning, lively, vibrant sounds, something I can't hear from the system 8 in this video (nor in the plugins I've used from Roland).
Wonderful
what is the key bed like ?
Who would win in a fight between Daniel Fisher, Nick Batt, Jexus, and the Japanese guy?
*We* would! :) Synth demo battle royale!
Prozak lol
Ujiie with his katana!
+quarkyzarky u cannot do better.
How many voices do you have at Performance Mode? 2x4 or 2x8?
Valentin Zopp 8 voices total, if you stack or layer you get 4 voices.
nice!
I am curious avout the step sequencer. It says you can store one per patch. What does that mean: is it on the expence of sound data? Can only one preset be used per sequence? Does the sequence handle layering of several plugouts?
Thanks for watching! Give us a quick call at (800) 222-4700 or email us at sales@sweetwater.com! One of our sales engineers would gladly answer any questions you have over the Roland System-8 Plug-out Synthesizer!
Answer it for all of us, you idiot.
Hi Asle, every patch can have one sequence, and only one sequence. Using the sequence has no bearing on the sound data. You have the same amount of sound data regardless of whether you use the sequencer or not. The sequencer is a single track that does not do individual layering tracks. All of this is subject to change as we only temporarily had the prototype to create the video, and it didn't have an owner's manual at the time.
can you do a vido on how to buy the plugouts and install them on the Jupiter8 system? Cant find where to buy the Jupiter-4 plugout or how to install it. There is no instruction on the Roland site either...fucked up.
No Supersaw? But it's a must have! Esp. with all those plugouts. :)
Saw 2 is Supersaw ! And there is Super-Square and Super-Triangle...
+VTOLKits Ah! Thx for the info.
Supersaw is played out.
At 5:04 , 10 dogs started barking outside and my headphone exploded. Im lucky I didnt break my arm.
you have the option to have the green light off. I have mine off.
MARK CHRISTOPHER I recently heard that you can adjust the overall brightness of the green LEDs, I just have not explored this option further yet.
Gary Turner u can and I have it off. I have 3 Airas and I turned that off
@@markchristopher2signal2 Cool. Thank you.
Do you ship to Greece and if you do how much does shipping costs!
add an fm based plugout please
Fernando García you'll probably get your wish this year!
They have add 12 fm wave forms in the new firmware update
Get the latest OS update, you get twice as many waves to select and work with. Latest OS right now is 1.3.
Somehow the sounds in this entire demo remind me of Kawai K1 to K4 a lot. Can't quite say why, but something seems similar.
K1/K4 sound deeper and more characterful/interesting than this imo
Real shame its not a 61-key keyboard :(
miamigroove also the keyboard does not have after touch. :)
This synth sounds really really good, smooth filters plus the Jupiter 8 plug-in great addition, great presentation, very impressive, but now let the Roland bashers begin their nonsense, they come out of the word-work like rats.
The Novachord still rocks lol
Who noticed Vigo?
Hi Reginald, I believe it was Dr. Janosz Poha, the museum curator, who first noticed Vigo ;-) Thanks for watching!
+SweetwaterSound
You are like the buzzing of flies to him.
Sweetwater please post the other new Roland gear vids you have, this #909 day Roland are doing is all over the place, we wanna see sound demos (like yours) not the artistic, well edited Roly vids ;/)
most people want to know how it sounds
Do you have anyone in San Diego who can help me with the integra 7
It seems to me that all of the System 8 module sounds have some grit to them. Did they resolve this with the final version?
i just got myself a NORD LEAD :D 12 voices
you can always take it back?
But no effects. And some other cool features... I had Lead 2x.
this has more than 70 controls on the front panel and more tonal variation. And quite cheaper. I do like nord too
The system 8 has less voices
good choice, for me these roland digital synths are very crap, but nord lead, thats a real synth
playing with the u-he diva even sounds more analog
23:35
Reminds something called Nord Modular...
Well. For me it`s more better than XA - no crappy gloss panel and unreadable texts in red/orange. Me really like how System-8 looks: many sliders and knobs, which anything you need, green LEDs, nice color. But the sound of this (and even XA in part) is not good if you compare it with, for example, JP-8000, JX-P or even JD-800. I think this new synths (System 8, XA, Xi) would be very nice on the stage, live performance. But for the deep studio sessions they sounds a bit poor. I said that new Deepmind 12 from Behringer me like more than it. And I said more again - NI Reaktor software VA-ensembles sounds more alive, more punchy and more analog-like than this new one ... toys, sorry.
* why video so washy? where is a deep black and juicy colors?
Well, at least it has 8 note polyphony (like my $260 used Akai Miniak) and full-size keys, but I can't see it selling like hotcakes given the price and competition out there for close-to-the-same or even less money.
ProckGnosis this is 4 synths at a time in one chassis.
Would you say that the System 1 is a poor mans version of this?
Wabin22 yep.
Yes and No. I have both the System-1 and the System-8, I also got the System-1m to allow me to connect to EuroRack synths, and brings CV to MIDI connectivity! Awesome little synth!
The System-8 engine has more waveform options and additional parameters that are not available on the System-1 or 1m. So, the System-8 takes what the System-1/1m have and adds a lot more to the sound, along with doubling the polyphony of the System-1.
apart from the styling, which is just ugly as hell, this looks and sounds great! not about to sell my Jp8 though.
Don’t blame you. It would be hell trying to get one if you realized selling it was a mistake.
Not a totally bad try, Roland, but I'll keep my money for the Deep Mind 12
JD-XA > DM12. You can quote me on that. DM12 is going to be so disappointing once people get over the voice count and "real analog" thing. Sure it is but it's really basic and lacks the character of the Juno 106 (where simplicity is ok because tone is beautiful). If you want something modern and way more powerful than DM12 AND real analog (proper dual osc analog) but at a decent price (same as DM12 on the used market probably) you get JD-XA. Voice count isn't everything, osc/waveforms/filter/quality of voice IS more important and that's where Behringer have failed listening to ALL the videos. Still, I will agree that the DM12 IS a better sounding synth than system 8 because as simple as the DM12 is it does have that vibrancy of real analog by default, but so does the JD-XA and way more.
System 8, and the boutiques are for clueless idiots. People could already get these sounds on ebay for good prices and ignore them and follow the hype instead for the fake versions. dear god has modern society lost all sense? If it wasn't for JD-XA I'd stick Roland on some universal "ignore list" forever after this shit show of 909 day/hype, but the JD-XA proves they CAN still make a great synth when they want. Different divisions though, that was real Roland, 909 day is Aira/product/marketing roland at work. Next year may bring us a proper full on 8+ voice analog to compete with DM12 (but way more potent) and Prophet 08 (but way better sounding). Until then we have JD-XA which runs rings around both those anyway.
I agree. The JDXA is a monster. I've been programming a bank of sounds on it for Roland , and it really is an amazing synth with tons of capabilities.
People don't want stage synths, people wants modules that take up little space, no keys, fully controllable/customizable interface by daw or midi. Make some 1 rack synth with analog outputs and sufficient inputs and without expensive interface, with virtual graphic interface fully automatable and customizable, with sufficient power for lift the load from the pc/osx cpu and you are done, expansion boards for more voices/synthesis choices are welcome. The same for multi track audio cards with on-board good eqs, mixer and effects.
Alessio .M i prefer synths with keyboards.
I prefer keyboards too, sorry
Oh my. Those reverbs are so bad.
Pretty decent synth. I wouldn't kick it out of bed, but the DeepMind 12 is much more exciting, for my tastes.
yea they starved those reverbs of too much dsp.
JD-XA > both, but esp > system 8
quarkyzarky
Really you think the JD-XA is better than both? I have really not been impressed by the JD-XA synthesis, but there have been a couple demos of the DeepMind 12 that have blown me away. At the same time, I would bet that it really depends on the musical genres you are into making.
inthefade Well then sonny, you don't know shit. Sorry. Yes the JD-XA is better than both! And costs a lot more. Analog wise it is way more powerful than even the prophet 6 so DM12 has no chance. and against the fake plastic sounding System 8? come on! SN digital in JD-XA sounds better than ACB anyway (not talking about faking analog just in general it sounds classy/expensive and can do decent fake analog anyway while ACB just sounds like cheap VSTi), so yes. It's better, I know this cos I own one and have had tons of analogs inc real junos etc and the DM12 is really NOT all that, you'll find that out in the fullness of time when people are bored of its 10 sounds and having to bathe it in FX to make it sound anything like as decent/exciting as a true two osc synth like the JD-XA.
Genres? no, I don't make "EDM" or dubstep if that's what you are getting at, I make stuff that can use typical vintage analogs inc juno 106/ JX's jupiters etc and the JD-XA fits right at home there but also covers moog and prophet areas too. This is what people don't get about the XA, mainly those wh've not tried it and assume (from BAD demos) that its some crappy weak EDM machine. I suggest you try one if you get chance and really program it yourself and you'll see. It's a monster analog synth with a ton of bonuses thrown in. DM12 just barely scrapes by on "power" I mean come on, it's a single osc synth tarted up to look like a dual osc, the sounds you heard - lucky you like them cos that's about all the sounds it'll make, over and over, it has just 2 waveforms for osc 1 and a fixed wave for osc 2, it can't do Sync sounds for shit (vs the XA which is up their with my moog voyager/sub 37). it just sounds like a less nice sounding juno, but with tons of effects, nothing more, nothing less. I'd rather have the real juno if that's the type of sounds i wanted, but the XA also does tons of juno and jx sounds too (yes it really does)
(polite version) - Yes the JD-XA is "better" than both. On the one hand its engine (analog side) goes far beyond anything you'll drag out of the DM12 (which is a very simple synth - VERY - other than the FX and mod matrix), it lacks all manner of sound creation tools you only find in a true two osc synth (the DM12's second osc is more like a sub osc). JD-XA is in the big league along with Prophet 6 (but has more power than even Prophet/OB 6). Dm12 is basically a souped up Juno but doesn't sound as good as a juno.
As for system 8? it is SOFTWARE, Software! yeah? It sounds fake, it sounds flat, it sounds digital. It is also more basic than the JD-XA's analog engine (only 1 LFO, stepped sync sound and lots of other stuff), while XA has everything you could wish for in an analog engine. If you've not heard anything good or been impressed by the XA then you've only watched demos you didn't like, you have not actually played or programmed one. I've had tons of synths, over the years, loads of vintage analog, and nothing comes closer to getting that old Roland feeling back than the JD-XA. The DSI synths sound harsh too. God knows what blew you away on the DM12 demos, all I hear is very basic, achievable easily on XA tone, but put through loads of FX? how could it possibly blow you away when it's less than half the power of the XA and sounds quite generic? I don't get that, if I need that sound I'll use a juno as it does it better anyway (sounds better), if I want more power I'll use JD-XA, why settle in the middle of nowhere? It does p-me off a little when pundits say they haven't heard anything that impressed them out of a synth that even an idiot could see was clearly designed, and sounds, better and more interesting than either S8 or DM12, but ok... I guess you either know or you don't.
What's with that ugly green? Ewwww - Apart from that, I like where they're going with this, even tho' it did not sound right. I'm sure you can play around and get a decent sound out of this. Yamaha needs to step their game up as far as I'm concern. I also appreciate the fact they didn't wait forever to make the information available about their products unlike some others who don't get the fact that we're in the Download era & if you snooze you lose.
Hmm, not bad Roland.
I'm so early
why are we stepping back instead of forward??? Nothing will substitute synths like Memorymoog, CS-80 Jupiter 8, MKS-70, 50, 30. I'd rather wanted to have REALISTIC emulation of sax, piano, violin, trumpet and so on. (but, not the way integra 7 did)
That green is still so hideous.
Since I am a bit colour blind I have no problem with that. :)
+Timothy Black deepmind sonicslly is very vanilla sounding. Analog does not equal GREAT.
Looks great
+Timothy Black deepmind sounds less analog.
You can turn the green lights down or turn them off. The green looks OK to me but you can soften them to choice so they don't scream green.
11:30 delicious
Good synth but way too pricey for a digital recreation of an analog synth. The Prophet 600 is a vintage analog synth and it goes for about the same price as this synth today.
$1499? 8 voices of the same sounds and same functions as every other synth. This synth brings nothing new to the table. But then again really where can you go with same saws, squares, filters and envelopes. We are at the point were retread is a selling point for the nostalgic set. Advances in DSP power and carefully crafted algorithms attached to older synth mythology. Listen I'm all over bringing back the old days. Hell I have paid my share in cash for these things, but once the novelty wears off you realize you are left with a plastic case full of snapshots of the same old sounds.
Hi Justin, Watch again starting at 3:13 to hear so much more than just Saw, Square, and Tri. All of those waveforms can be continuously morphed and modulated into other modern waveshapes that are definitely not from the old days. Thanks for watching!
Unfortunate. Hopefully they will elaborate on the JP-80/JDXA/V-Synth concepts rather than attempting to capitalize on the popularity of their legacy instruments with mediocre digital imitations.
Yeah i agree especially the V-Synth XT, with the touch screen even back in 2001.
I have to say... My old JD800 sounds better than this...
And also... Why are so many new synths nowadays only 4 octaves???
Matt Atkinson people prefer portability, economically spaces because desk space is precious.
hopefully they used better keys than the crap on system-1...fisher price would be better.
Alot of time to demostrate...how tune anoing Noises
Mildly interesting synth from a very dull company