As someone diving deeply into the gear I hate complaints in general. The Gaia 2 is an absolutely lovely synth and I got it because the JX8P I bought was broken, so I traded it back to the store and got the new one instead. I am blown away by how much it can do.
My first synth was a Roland XP-50 Workstation. Wish you could get your hands on one and review it. The manual was epic. It was like someone strapped you into a Space Shuttle then handed you a copy of the Daily Mail, expecting you to get to the moon.
I was SO jealous to my friend who got XP-50 in the beginning of the 90s whereas I only had a shitty JV-35. I got to sample the XP50 sounds with my Amiga and used the samples with Protracker a LOT. Few years ago I finally got my hands on a cheap XP-30 (150€ or so) and I am still loving it and using it a lot.
XP-60 was my first real synth too (had arrangers before). And yes, the manual was "an impossible mission". The keybed was amazing though. I would love to see it on Bad Gear.
@@claudionapoles3388 The XPs are basically JVs at heart, with added sequencing and so forth, modulo some differences in how they squished the samples to fit in the ROMs. Florian's covered the JV-1080 (and yes, it made me twitchy to buy one :) ).
it's a great synth and tool for work and projects, the first version is also epic. Its just about the creator and the creativity, not spending your life online looking for funny movie or jpeg clips to overhaul your videos. As a rule i always skip to 6:00 or 7:00 minutes as the first 6-7 minutes are full of nothing to do with the product details. Talented guy though, helpful channel , educational. Lets face it , Avria and Tuvan, Armin Van Buuren made music made with these synths over the last 14 Years and they get 100's of millions of views. Its the tool maker with the tools, in any form of creativity.
It's definitely the user as much or more than the tool. Heck, Florian's own videos demonstrate that week after week, punching out top tier bangers on some of the weirdest stuff ever to walk out of a music shop. :D
If this synth came with all the possible plugins unlocked, it might be interesting. It's so stupid to lock that stuff behind a paywall. Where will this synth be in 20 years when you can't buy or activate those things anymore?
The verdict brought the Amadeus movie to my mind, when the priest wheels the fictional old Salieri in a wheelchair through the Asylum and Salieri repeats "mediocrities everywhere...I absolve you" in the finishing scene. that would be an awesome montage for this channel :D
Roland: we're not releasing any synths you want. We're not chasing ghosts. Also Roland: *Releases Jupiter-x, Juno-x, boutiques, TB's, etc. Synth nerds: 🧐🥺
Yeah it's truly royalty amongst all hardware VA synths... & I don't imagine many folks realise it's bi- timbral too. When I realise it was myself, then It doubled my interest in seriously getting one... Now the band owns 2 of them... It's similar to the classic Z1, but a fare bit simpler to program... & thankfully Korg didn't cut corners on just how good their modelling should always sound... If they keep the cpu processors in their gear effective enough to properly generate the hi res for their modelling algorithms...?
@@TimesOfTheSines.official I miss King Korg, i wish there were desktop modules/slim version today. I loved the idea of synth sound being created like a guitar processor. At first i was skeptical but then i heard it and was blown away. It's sad that it was abandoned so soon.
Very interesting. As I hesitate between the Gaia2, the Asm hydrasynth and the brand new Korg multi/poly, I would want your point of view on this last one.thanks
The worst thing is neither the SH-4D nor the Gaia 2 have the zenology sound set. Because of that I prefer the MC-101. It can do synth stuff but also has the Integra-like sound set
It does have a nice crispy clear sound, and I really like the clean look of the front panel design and the elaborate interface, but I hear what you mean about the plasticky character of the sound. It lacks depth and doesn't really feel 'alive', if that even makes sense. Not a hidden gem (like the Aira compacts) it seems.
probably the fastest a "new" synth has been awarded with a review a this channel 😂 Great deconstruction! Please include the # of days since gear was first shipped until it makes it here
While I did appreciate my hands on time with G2 in the showroom at the local Music store, I couldn’t help but understand truly what this is. It is a money making mechanism for Roland. It’s almost a disingenuous offering when you realize it’s the ROLAND scraps of everything that was already existing on the market. And then they took all the scraps and had a brilliant idea, let’s come out with the GAIA2 ! It makes me wonder if this is the same philosophy that they used when they put out the G1. It is a great beginner synth. Or an excellent performance controller with a built-in sound engine, including a shopping cart for prepaid plastic plug-ins PPP - 😮 Thank you for watching and ‘are you really giving me an NFR unit, for free?’ “No!”….. ‘ See you next time ‘ ❤
This game is called "How many different shapes and sizes of gear can we stuff with a Zencore engine before everyone figures out we've been scamming 'em all this time?" Innovation? What's that? Bang-for-the-buck? Surely you jest!
3:04 Seriously Roland, can't you learn to spell Filter correctly on your own menu? That's embarrassing. Anywho, I'm kind of mixed abvout Roland's latest direction. While they do generally have that clean Roland sound (and the Gaia 2 is no exception) is it 800 Euros worth of sound and would I really use it? I somehow doubt it. When I look at certain synths that I use as backbone or fillers - such as a Juno or even the JD-08 - I don't really think it's enough for me. It's nice and all but there's so much else out there that makes this lost in the crowd. And that's the main thing that puzzles me about Roland these days. I don't think they're keeping up, when you consider what people like Korg are doing.
Thanks ! Was a no go for me because of the absence of MIC-in, hence no compatibility to expect for my preferred Roland model expansion so far : Vocal Designer 😉
The video I've been hoping would come out! Disappointed they went with the same boring recycled Zencore with this synth. The touchpad and wavetable additions are cool though.
@@AudioPilzLmao considering you’re the absolute universally beloved UA-cam synthmaster I would assume a loaner from a fan or a fellow YT’er would not be out of the question
It can't be the most hated, simply because it hasn't been out long. It has five times the knobs of the Minilogue, plus a big display and touch pad. I don't think it's pricey for 750 EUR. It was very strange to hear you talk the synth down while demonstrating how good it sounds :)
@@AudioPilz this guy thought "another Zen core release", but will keep it as a better Gaia. Which I believe is what sequels are about. ua-cam.com/video/MDb2gGHIIxo/v-deo.html
The chasis has the same color as the Minilogue - but if you look at the Minilogue and the System 1 you can see that the Minilogue has a pretty similiar but less advanced synth architecture (apart the sequencer)
People say the Minilogue is such a good synth - and to be honest - it was also not good at bass But people bash on the Gaia mainly because its a digital Roland even thought it offers you much more - the synth community is the biggest mystery of today haha @@AudioPilz
@@novalogue it's less about what it's capable of doing, as evidenced here the wave shaper and wave table modulations are pretty flexible, and more about what they're charging for it - the Monologue and Minilogue at least used an analogue signal chain which understandably pushed the price up. Roland is asking basically the same price for digital versions, and afaict it's all DSP rather than something like high-frequency FPGA. Don't get me wrong, I like what this can do, but most of it is just a VA synth (with subscription stuff added on top) rather than reaaalllly leaning-into its digital nature. Not 100% regular VA, but mostly. And indeed the reprogrammable digital "oscillator" in the newer Minilogue can do a lot of the digital-hybrid sounding stuff too.
I think its the other way around - they charge way to much for an unflexible analog synth that can be recreated by digital engines which are way more powerful - watch the Prophet 5 comparsion with the guy sitting on the floor - the difference what analog should do cant be accounted - the only one that cares if its analog or not is that guy in our mind talking about needing an analog synth for good bread and butter sounds - no one cares out there only we synth nerds that have to pin point a difference between analog/digital with a huge magnifying glass haha - the gaia doesnt sound like a Minilogue of course because its not modeled after one it has its one character but much more of everything and is a thing that lets you be more creative and not slamming the same old saw patch over and over again that cant even be modulated properly or be played with only up to 4 voices The digital oscillitar in the XD is a Menu dive oscillator - a pain in the ass to dial in if you dont only want to use basically 2 parameters on this Analog synths if they arent cheap and innovative are basically a retrovibe - a feeling -not a rational thing at least in terms of making music with a synthesizer and not only leave them untouched on your desk
@@novalogue it’s totally valid to decide that you get no value from analogue circuits, but they objectively cost more than the digital ones nowadays. That’s what I’m discussing about the price, at least there’s a material reason for it. And it’s not just Roland, people said the same to Korg about the Wavestate and Opsix - “why are we paying 100% extra over the cost of a plugin and MIDI controller?” I feel similarly about the Minilogue XD oscillator, I knew I’d never have the patience for the menus. But you can undeniably load up many other software models, made by indie programmers and sold one-off instead of a centrally-curated subscription. That’s an obvious consumer friendliness advantage over monthly subscriptions. Korg is a much smaller company than Roland too, so they have less overhead, but it understandably makes people perceive Roland as greedy. If we’re focusing purely on the sound, after all, why spend £800 on this when you could do it all with software synths? People are looking for something unique to justify being in hardware. For some, the envelope sliders and touchpad are enough of a USP. For many, they take the opinion “if I’m paying for hardware, there’d better be some actual hardware inside of it”.
Haven't seen a demo of this instrument that impressed me. Only today Anderton's made a somewhat okay demo with Andy. Have to says AudioPilz's jams with the Gaia 2 impressed me the most so far. So yes agree with the mediocrity part. Shame... at first glance it seemed to be ticking all the boxes 🤣(honestly my favorite line of every video).
It really didn't seem to add enough extra value given advances in base technological capability vs. the original to warrant the hefty increase in the price. The high dollar hit equals a hard pass for me. Still too many used Blofelds out there for under 400 fiat currency units. :D
If you want to experiment with wavetables and such, the Microfreak is inexpensive, or invest in the Mini version if you want a real keyboard ( though unlike Micro, Mini doesn't at least yet have an update for importing samples ).
Wow, that was an immediate review after the synth`s release! Thanks for your take on this "innovation"👍 I will stick to my original Gaia and my minilogue XD 😊
So far nothing can beat the Minilogue XD...despite being an analogue synth it has a broad sonic palette...all that with easy motion seq. and an extra digital engine.
Sound engine sounds amazing and i have been eying for this And get to see what it can be capable off For few years what i have been doodling with different synths They all have their achilles heel yet some have good positives what you use to emphasis on different synths Good jams on this weeks video And recommending Bad Gear I recommend go and look info about Behringer Odyssey, there is a alot of hate to that synth because it basically copies ARP almost perfectly and improves few things but it isnt perfect synth
can you tell us what is a good gear set, not hated, synthesizers, drumbox, groovebox, sampler ? Because when I was 15 my only option with the poor money I had was a DX100, TR505 and an atari with pro24. Finally I found this synth awesome for a teenager who want to have a first cool synthesizer. My currently gear = Sequential REV2, Pro one, Roland Juppiter X, Summit, Bass station 2, MPC one, SR18, Drumbrute, TR6S, MC101, JUNO G, MiniBRute 1, Moog Minitaur, Drumbrute impact, EMU XK-6, Deepmind 6, Volca Nu Bass, Korg KR55, Arturia Beatstep pro black, Arturia beat step, Roland FA06 for sequencing, Tascam DP-24 SD, Alesis usb mix 16, Behringer Xenyx X2222USB, AKAI MPK 261, and lots of effect and rack compressor and equalizer and a Lexicon multi effect. I saw lots of my gear in your video, so I ask You again what is a good setup gear ? Dawless of course, no computer ?
2004 VST plugin, savage! It's certainly not deserving of the price tag though, no aftertouch or midi thru made me laugh. What planet are they on?? Great jam at the end too, excellent work Mr Pilz. With Largo 2 coming out hopefully we can have a Blofeld 2! Straight to bad gear? One can only hope. HAPPY FRIDAY!
You can always pick out the "Zencore" synth engine in Roland's gear whether it's this synth, the AX Edge, or the MC707. It always has that same "electricy" edge to it. Almost like the chimey sound of a DX7. It sticks out like a sore thumb.
Sounds nice, but I see some logistical problems ahead. It may have been better to have interoperable and/or intercompatible variants of one major synth engines (like ACB, superNATURAL, ZEN-Core or the VA engine used before) than what we see here; it’s more like reinventing the wheel. If Roland is going the proprietary environment route, the Gaia 2's approach could complicate the whole thing more than it has to unless it could bring something to the table not yet seen. Also, if i wanted to lend you my Alesis Fusion from the US, what would go into that?
@@AudioPilz Just so you know when and if you do review it, the Alesis Fusion has super cheap screws that round off too easily, especially when adding RAM.
I would have bought a Minilogue XD if it had a mod matrix and more waveforms for the oscillators. Their popular workstation keyboards have tons of mod options, including mod options rarely found in hardware and software digital synths, I was bewildered how they left all that out of the Minilogues and Prologue. I love the Minilogue XD's sound, but it is way too basic.
@@Jason75913 You can get a ton of free stuff for the digital oscillator including new wave forms. You can even make your own. This was nothing against the Minilogue. I think everyone should have one. I just wish it had a couple more modulation destinations.
@@Jason75913 - Really? The XD multiengine slots allow for for pretty much infinite oscillator variety. I do agree about the limited modulation options. I would go nuts for a Korg multiengine workstation, although it doesn't seem too likely.
@@voltijuice8576 I couldn't care less about how theoretically versatile the middling digital oscillator can be, does it have the "infinite variety" right now? Or will that happen in 35 years? Screw the theoretical. And it cannot make up for the lack of mod options. The filter doesn't even have high-pass or band-pass modes either, aside from its numerous other limitations. My awesome Novation Peak I have now isn't theoretical by far, but also fittingly in a different price league, and a purchase opportunity that presented itself a few years later.
I stopped looking at these after the first one came out, so thank you for relaying your impressions of the second. I'm still not looking at these, as it turns out. Happy Friday, Florian!
Wow, at least with the opsix and wavestate you have a somewhat unique sound engine. At that price point I would rather have a 88 key controller with a decent vst.
This was my first time hearing about the GAIA-2, so I Googled it. And already this Bad Gear episode was the first video result for "Roland gaia-2"! I'd imagine that can't be great for sales
Florian's jams are so good at selling these products, if I was Roland I would ship him products on the sly and tell him to wait a couple of weeks after launch day.
You know how Asylum Films make movies that go straight to dvd? Well Roland makes synths that go straight to Bad Gear. It's as if they're in on the meme and release this stuff for the lulz.
In defence of Gaia2 I would say it is pretty cheap...er, I mean cheap sounding! Good to see a channel plunge a stake of honest facts through the heart of this mediocre monster after the massive shilling launch campaign it had from the sinister Synthfluencer cabal!...
I really like the sound of it and think it is a great beginner synth. What I dont like is the price and the low polyphony. If it was retailing between £600 - £625 I would have already bought one.
Yeah, I'm right with you on the low polyphony. And the lack of multitimbrality (is that a word? It should be). Cameron over on Venus Theory hammered on that point some time back when he was doing his evals of the Blofeld. Heck, Roland's own history is littered with high-voice-count monsters. It's not about chasing ghosts, Roland, it's about resurrecting the heroes of old! 😛
Roland claim Gaia 2 is not actually zen-core, but I think that's only because it has features they've haven't yet rolled out to the full range. It's still based on the same code. That Wavetable engine is likely n/zyme from the Fantom, it's using the same horrible zen-core supersaw and the rest of the VA code is probably lifted straight from zen as well. Roland have already done all the programing/r&d so it makes no sense to re-invent the wheel for a budget instrument. Nice to see it has a Shimmer Reverb. I hope that's in the next zen update for the rest of us.
At this rate in a few months we’re gonna have synths announced on this channel lol
This only depends on Roland's marketing dept;)
@@AudioPilz ha ha spot on there
xD
that's what she said....no wait...that's what I thought at first
Bad gear straight from the oven
As someone diving deeply into the gear I hate complaints in general. The Gaia 2 is an absolutely lovely synth and I got it because the JX8P I bought was broken, so I traded it back to the store and got the new one instead. I am blown away by how much it can do.
👍👍👍
when i saw roland was making a GAIA 2 for some reason my immediate thought was "i wonder what audiopilz will say about this"
None too soon;)
😅😂🤣🤣🤣🤣
At the rate you put out these episodes, I don't care how similar your jams are. Always impressed with how much you get done in a week!
Thank you!!!
A new record for straight to bad gear? We need a Bad Gear total show timeline episode with guests and a "BAD TIER".
Great ideas, thanks!!!
There were YTer guests for the special roast episode the other month.
Bad tier or baaaad tier?!
My first synth was a Roland XP-50 Workstation. Wish you could get your hands on one and review it. The manual was epic. It was like someone strapped you into a Space Shuttle then handed you a copy of the Daily Mail, expecting you to get to the moon.
Great suggestion, thank you!!!
@@AudioPilz if reviewing the xp-50, you could tie in the xp-60 and 80 as well (xp-80 my first synth/workstation). Great vid as usual!
I was SO jealous to my friend who got XP-50 in the beginning of the 90s whereas I only had a shitty JV-35. I got to sample the XP50 sounds with my Amiga and used the samples with Protracker a LOT. Few years ago I finally got my hands on a cheap XP-30 (150€ or so) and I am still loving it and using it a lot.
XP-60 was my first real synth too (had arrangers before). And yes, the manual was "an impossible mission". The keybed was amazing though. I would love to see it on Bad Gear.
@@claudionapoles3388 The XPs are basically JVs at heart, with added sequencing and so forth, modulo some differences in how they squished the samples to fit in the ROMs. Florian's covered the JV-1080 (and yes, it made me twitchy to buy one :) ).
Gaia2 is Roland's attempt to make an access virus but with micro transactions
😂😂😂
Bingo ! By the time you’re done you could have bought a Jupiter xm or system 8.
🤣🤣🤣
They're offering Team Fortress 2 hats for the display
👍👍👍👍👍
That actually sounds really nice, good demo!
Thank you!!!
ahh seeing the gaia 2 so soon on your channel brings tears of joy to my eyes
❤️❤️❤️
Im loving it! Love when you get new gear pretty fast, this was super fast! Honestly i might pick this synth up! You rule
Thank you so much!!!
Its something i could see myself using heavily, but not till it hits the secondary market.
Even for half the money it would still be rather costly...
Despite what people may say about this synth, I still like the tone of this thing.
👍👍👍
I like the tone; I just wish they could've hit a price point somewhat lower than 900ish clams?
True! Roland stays Roland as a great sound maker and the first in the modern synths history
@@mrz80I know you commented 7 months ago but this unit is everywhere now for $750. To me it seems a good deal.
I bought one and love it, very different sounding from the many synths I have.
👍👍👍
it's a great synth and tool for work and projects, the first version is also epic. Its just about the creator and the creativity, not spending your life online looking for funny movie or jpeg clips to overhaul your videos. As a rule i always skip to 6:00 or 7:00 minutes as the first 6-7 minutes are full of nothing to do with the product details. Talented guy though, helpful channel , educational. Lets face it , Avria and Tuvan, Armin Van Buuren made music made with these synths over the last 14 Years and they get 100's of millions of views. Its the tool maker with the tools, in any form of creativity.
Thank you for the feedback
It's definitely the user as much or more than the tool. Heck, Florian's own videos demonstrate that week after week, punching out top tier bangers on some of the weirdest stuff ever to walk out of a music shop. :D
If this synth came with all the possible plugins unlocked, it might be interesting. It's so stupid to lock that stuff behind a paywall. Where will this synth be in 20 years when you can't buy or activate those things anymore?
Agreed!!!
Is the era of the Aluminum notebooks with an internal VST and keys... Thank you, Florian!
Lol, shots fired;)
I actually like this one, to the point of considering buying one. Your amazing session with it makes it even more desirable :D
Thank you!!!
I bought one about a month ago and I love it. I lose hours playing with it
@@el_chingon_brian I bought it too actually, after the price in Europe dropped. It's amazing.
There's something seriously welcoming and cosy about the sound of the GaiaLogue.
If it goes on offer then I can see myself grabbing one.
Nice!!!
There's one used on Reverb for under $600US at the moment. That kinda says something all by itself don't it?
I'm impressed. Another mind blowing Roland synthesizer. It will be in every professional studio.
Maybe;)
Ah Florian, you and your channel owe such a huge debt to Roland . . . their bad gear assembly plants just keep cranking it out! 😎
So true!!!
😂
Gotta divvy up the bad gear labor. After all, The Cult of Uli™ can't do EVERYthing :D
The verdict brought the Amadeus movie to my mind, when the priest wheels the fictional old Salieri in a wheelchair through the Asylum and Salieri repeats
"mediocrities everywhere...I absolve you" in the finishing scene.
that would be an awesome montage for this channel :D
...it also happened in my home town;)
Mozart!
Ego ta absolvo en nomini Jupiter, et ACB, et Zencore!
Anyone else notice the typo in the display at 03:05? FITLER ENV
PLEASE PIN THIS COMMENT!!!
Fitler at 03:14.
I shouldn't make jokes about that as an Austrian...
As an Austrian you should demand an apology for that and for ZenCore.
Every episode is a piece of Art…❤
Thank you so much!!!
Great review as always! Please make a review of the new Akai APC64, it really looks tempting as a standalone step sequencer.
Great suggestion, thank you!!!
This has to be the newest piece of gear to ever be featured on this show 😂 (great vid, as always! :D)
Thank you!!!
you’re so musically talented i seriously love your jams they’re my favorite part every time
well okay my favorite part is the memes BUT…!
Thank you so much!!!
Gonna buy it. The keys matter too. 37 great keys for controller and inspiration.
👍👍👍
My M-Audio Venom feels seen! It fills the place in my heart from having missed the Quasimidi gear when it was affordable.
Future classic!!!
@@AudioPilz Designer Taiho Yamada also devised the Waverazor plugin, which is IMO fun and quite under-rated.
Roland: we're not releasing any synths you want. We're not chasing ghosts.
Also Roland: *Releases Jupiter-x, Juno-x, boutiques, TB's, etc.
Synth nerds: 🧐🥺
Word!!!
As a suggestion, if you will ever stumble on King Korg it would be nice to see it on the channel!
Yeah it's truly royalty amongst all hardware VA synths... & I don't imagine many folks realise it's bi- timbral too. When I realise it was myself, then It doubled my interest in seriously getting one... Now the band owns 2 of them... It's similar to the classic Z1, but a fare bit simpler to program... & thankfully Korg didn't cut corners on just how good their modelling should always sound... If they keep the cpu processors in their gear effective enough to properly generate the hi res for their modelling algorithms...?
@@TimesOfTheSines.official I miss King Korg, i wish there were desktop modules/slim version today. I loved the idea of synth sound being created like a guitar processor. At first i was skeptical but then i heard it and was blown away. It's sad that it was abandoned so soon.
Great suggestion, thank you!!!
Still ticks all my boxes. Getting one.😅🎉
👍👍👍
Very interesting. As I hesitate between the Gaia2, the Asm hydrasynth and the brand new Korg multi/poly, I would want your point of view on this last one.thanks
I dearly want one of these for the show!
"Oh great, another zen-core instrument, my favourite synth engine technology!" said nobody ever 😂
This looks better than the SH-4D at least...
😂😂😂
The worst thing is neither the SH-4D nor the Gaia 2 have the zenology sound set. Because of that I prefer the MC-101. It can do synth stuff but also has the Integra-like sound set
I legit love Zenology Pro lol
It’s not Zencore though
The SH-4D sounds very good in my opinion, especially the drums. This one, not so much... I find it sounds lame and horrible, to say the truth...
the melody lead for the electro demo is just JAMMIN'!
Thank you!!!
It does have a nice crispy clear sound, and I really like the clean look of the front panel design and the elaborate interface, but I hear what you mean about the plasticky character of the sound. It lacks depth and doesn't really feel 'alive', if that even makes sense. Not a hidden gem (like the Aira compacts) it seems.
Agreed!!!
Lmao I just saw an article about this synth being on sale and I was wondering if you'd done a review Yet.
😀😀😀
This new minilogue looks nice, but I still love the Minilogue XD
Lol, shots fired;)
I actually just returned a Minilogue XD because I loved it so much it made me buy a Prologue. I still actually really want a Gaiaorg, though!
probably the fastest a "new" synth has been awarded with a review a this channel 😂
Great deconstruction! Please include the # of days since gear was first shipped until it makes it here
Great idea, thanks!!!
Roland doesn't have him on the YTer early review list for some reason...
No touchpad should ever be in the middle of the panel. Awkward position. Korg got it right with the Z1, and that was in 1997.
Word!!!
Bro delivered! Lets go!!!!
Thank you!!!
While I did appreciate my hands on time with G2 in the showroom at the local Music store, I couldn’t help but understand truly what this is. It is a money making mechanism for Roland. It’s almost a disingenuous offering when you realize it’s the ROLAND scraps of everything that was already existing on the market. And then they took all the scraps and had a brilliant idea, let’s come out with the GAIA2 !
It makes me wonder if this is the same philosophy that they used when they put out the G1.
It is a great beginner synth.
Or an excellent performance controller with a built-in sound engine, including a shopping cart for prepaid plastic plug-ins
PPP - 😮
Thank you for watching and ‘are you really giving me an NFR unit, for free?’
“No!”…..
‘ See you next time ‘
❤
❤️❤️❤️
This game is called "How many different shapes and sizes of gear can we stuff with a Zencore engine before everyone figures out we've been scamming 'em all this time?" Innovation? What's that? Bang-for-the-buck? Surely you jest!
@@mrz80 is it ZenCore.. or ‘NOT ZenCore’. ROLAND make up your mind! Pseudo ZenCore?
Maybe ZenCore? ZenCore minus? ZenCore LITE. #ALMOSTACB
🙈
"Business at the front and Toys-R-Us at the back". Genius!
Thank you!!!
3:04 Seriously Roland, can't you learn to spell Filter correctly on your own menu? That's embarrassing.
Anywho, I'm kind of mixed abvout Roland's latest direction. While they do generally have that clean Roland sound (and the Gaia 2 is no exception) is it 800 Euros worth of sound and would I really use it? I somehow doubt it.
When I look at certain synths that I use as backbone or fillers - such as a Juno or even the JD-08 - I don't really think it's enough for me. It's nice and all but there's so much else out there that makes this lost in the crowd. And that's the main thing that puzzles me about Roland these days. I don't think they're keeping up, when you consider what people like Korg are doing.
Especially as I, an Austrian, shouldn't make jokes about that way of spelling it...
@@AudioPilz Ah now, was it you who changed it? Or was it indeed a Roland fuck up?
I should have perhaps considered you were being tricksy ;)
Fitler... Aaaa ...doesnt matter
@@novalogue Well does this mean that when you get to use the High pass fitler, they get to check your papers?
Wow, already? This must be a new record!
Probably;)
I can't lie if I was gifted this, I would be happy
👍
It's satisfyingly appropriate that your second jam has so much in common with the first since the Guy Et Tu is so common
😀😀😀
Love your work!! Still thinking Korg Karma would be great.
Thank you!!! Great suggestion!!!
Thanks ! Was a no go for me because of the absence of MIC-in, hence no compatibility to expect for my preferred Roland model expansion so far : Vocal Designer 😉
Yeah, no vocoder is weird
The video I've been hoping would come out! Disappointed they went with the same boring recycled Zencore with this synth. The touchpad and wavetable additions are cool though.
Thanks!!! Agreed!!!
Loved the title of the final jam!...You never disappoint my man!...Great work
Thank you!!!
Still waiting for the most commercially expensive bad gear product review yet: Moog One
Soooooo hard to get hold of one...
@@AudioPilzLmao considering you’re the absolute universally beloved UA-cam synthmaster I would assume a loaner from a fan or a fellow YT’er would not be out of the question
I need to know the name of the anime on finale @8:06
No surprise to see this on Bad Gear. Literally none.
Yeah, it asked for it
I’ve seen someone played this live and it’s so freaking cool and it also sounds so good!!! Planning to buy mine soon
👍👍👍
@@AudioPilz would you say it is really that bad to buy? I mean minifreak is I guess too freaky for me
It can't be the most hated, simply because it hasn't been out long. It has five times the knobs of the Minilogue, plus a big display and touch pad. I don't think it's pricey for 750 EUR.
It was very strange to hear you talk the synth down while demonstrating how good it sounds :)
Roland is famous for direct-to-Bad Gear stuff;)
@@AudioPilz this guy thought "another Zen core release", but will keep it as a better Gaia. Which I believe is what sequels are about. ua-cam.com/video/MDb2gGHIIxo/v-deo.html
3:53 - when the doorbell of my 50 sqm mansion rings.
The chasis has the same color as the Minilogue - but if you look at the Minilogue and the System 1 you can see that the Minilogue has a pretty similiar but less advanced synth architecture (apart the sequencer)
True that!
People say the Minilogue is such a good synth - and to be honest - it was also not good at bass
But people bash on the Gaia mainly because its a digital Roland even thought it offers you much more - the synth community is the biggest mystery of today haha @@AudioPilz
@@novalogue it's less about what it's capable of doing, as evidenced here the wave shaper and wave table modulations are pretty flexible, and more about what they're charging for it - the Monologue and Minilogue at least used an analogue signal chain which understandably pushed the price up.
Roland is asking basically the same price for digital versions, and afaict it's all DSP rather than something like high-frequency FPGA.
Don't get me wrong, I like what this can do, but most of it is just a VA synth (with subscription stuff added on top) rather than reaaalllly leaning-into its digital nature. Not 100% regular VA, but mostly. And indeed the reprogrammable digital "oscillator" in the newer Minilogue can do a lot of the digital-hybrid sounding stuff too.
I think its the other way around - they charge way to much for an unflexible analog synth that can be recreated by digital engines which are way more powerful - watch the Prophet 5 comparsion with the guy sitting on the floor - the difference what analog should do cant be accounted - the only one that cares if its analog or not is that guy in our mind talking about needing an analog synth for good bread and butter sounds - no one cares out there only we synth nerds that have to pin point a difference between analog/digital with a huge magnifying glass haha - the gaia doesnt sound like a Minilogue of course because its not modeled after one it has its one character but much more of everything and is a thing that lets you be more creative and not slamming the same old saw patch over and over again that cant even be modulated properly or be played with only up to 4 voices
The digital oscillitar in the XD is a Menu dive oscillator - a pain in the ass to dial in if you dont only want to use basically 2 parameters on this
Analog synths if they arent cheap and innovative are basically a retrovibe - a feeling -not a rational thing at least in terms of making music with a synthesizer and not only leave them untouched on your desk
@@novalogue it’s totally valid to decide that you get no value from analogue circuits, but they objectively cost more than the digital ones nowadays. That’s what I’m discussing about the price, at least there’s a material reason for it.
And it’s not just Roland, people said the same to Korg about the Wavestate and Opsix - “why are we paying 100% extra over the cost of a plugin and MIDI controller?”
I feel similarly about the Minilogue XD oscillator, I knew I’d never have the patience for the menus. But you can undeniably load up many other software models, made by indie programmers and sold one-off instead of a centrally-curated subscription. That’s an obvious consumer friendliness advantage over monthly subscriptions. Korg is a much smaller company than Roland too, so they have less overhead, but it understandably makes people perceive Roland as greedy.
If we’re focusing purely on the sound, after all, why spend £800 on this when you could do it all with software synths? People are looking for something unique to justify being in hardware. For some, the envelope sliders and touchpad are enough of a USP. For many, they take the opinion “if I’m paying for hardware, there’d better be some actual hardware inside of it”.
OOOOh that anime in the last jam looks awesome, what movie is it?
Metal Skin Panic MADOX-01
🤩@@AudioPilz
Haven't seen a demo of this instrument that impressed me. Only today Anderton's made a somewhat okay demo with Andy. Have to says AudioPilz's jams with the Gaia 2 impressed me the most so far. So yes agree with the mediocrity part. Shame... at first glance it seemed to be ticking all the boxes 🤣(honestly my favorite line of every video).
Thank you!!!
It really didn't seem to add enough extra value given advances in base technological capability vs. the original to warrant the hefty increase in the price. The high dollar hit equals a hard pass for me. Still too many used Blofelds out there for under 400 fiat currency units. :D
@@mrz80 yeah, Blofeld all day long. I'm considering getting a 2nd one for that Blofeld wall of sound.
If you want to experiment with wavetables and such, the Microfreak is inexpensive, or invest in the Mini version if you want a real keyboard ( though unlike Micro, Mini doesn't at least yet have an update for importing samples ).
The transition from Jam2 to the main piece was excellent.
Thank you!!!
Another youtuber said this should go straight to Bad Gear and it has! Hahaha! ABSOLUTE SCENES! ❤❤❤
Lol, really? Who?
Love it when you say "Althooo". Great vid as always.
Thank you so much!!!
Hopefully you will release Jam 2s as an album, sir, as they vibe just amazing.
Thank you so much!!!
Zero Years Bond Villain :-) - Love the Blofeld Description :-)
Thank you!!!
Wow, that was an immediate review after the synth`s release! Thanks for your take on this "innovation"👍
I will stick to my original Gaia and my minilogue XD 😊
I really started to appreciate the original GAIA after reviewing this one;)
So far nothing can beat the Minilogue XD...despite being an analogue synth it has a broad sonic palette...all that with easy motion seq. and an extra digital engine.
SH-01 for the sound and Minilogue for the look :D :D :D :D
@@AudioPilz same here, original sounded poor but is sounded like Roland. This one is not even Roland-like.
In your welcome segment, that synth looks incredibly lit. 😮
👍👍👍
Sound engine sounds amazing and i have been eying for this
And get to see what it can be capable off
For few years what i have been doodling with different synths
They all have their achilles heel yet some have good positives what you use to emphasis on different synths
Good jams on this weeks video
And recommending Bad Gear
I recommend go and look info about Behringer Odyssey, there is a alot of hate to that synth because it basically copies ARP almost perfectly and improves few things but it isnt perfect synth
Great suggestion, thank you!!!
can you tell us what is a good gear set, not hated, synthesizers, drumbox, groovebox, sampler ? Because when I was 15 my only option with the poor money I had was a DX100, TR505 and an atari with pro24. Finally I found this synth awesome for a teenager who want to have a first cool synthesizer.
My currently gear = Sequential REV2, Pro one, Roland Juppiter X, Summit, Bass station 2, MPC one, SR18, Drumbrute, TR6S, MC101, JUNO G, MiniBRute 1, Moog Minitaur, Drumbrute impact, EMU XK-6, Deepmind 6, Volca Nu Bass, Korg KR55, Arturia Beatstep pro black, Arturia beat step, Roland FA06 for sequencing, Tascam DP-24 SD, Alesis usb mix 16, Behringer Xenyx X2222USB, AKAI MPK 261, and lots of effect and rack compressor and equalizer and a Lexicon multi effect. I saw lots of my gear in your video, so I ask You again what is a good setup gear ? Dawless of course, no computer ?
Great setup!!! Maybe add something proudly digital like a Hydrasynth?
@@AudioPilz it’s exactly my next purchase.
2004 VST plugin, savage! It's certainly not deserving of the price tag though, no aftertouch or midi thru made me laugh. What planet are they on?? Great jam at the end too, excellent work Mr Pilz. With Largo 2 coming out hopefully we can have a Blofeld 2! Straight to bad gear? One can only hope. HAPPY FRIDAY!
Thank you!!! Looking forward to a new Blo too!!!
@@AudioPilz That's what HE said.
Oh, come on, let's be charitable. 2010 VST plugin!
" Direct to bad gear instrument." - Perfect.
😀😀😀
Since you continue to hit all the newer Roland stuff, might as well go for the Verselab MV-1 :)
Great idea, thanks!!!
I've never been so ready for a classic Bad Gear jam 1, one hundred emoji, fire emoji
Thank you so much!!!
You can always pick out the "Zencore" synth engine in Roland's gear whether it's this synth, the AX Edge, or the MC707. It always has that same "electricy" edge to it. Almost like the chimey sound of a DX7. It sticks out like a sore thumb.
Agreed!!!
Sounds nice, but I see some logistical problems ahead. It may have been better to have interoperable and/or intercompatible variants of one major synth engines (like ACB, superNATURAL, ZEN-Core or the VA engine used before) than what we see here; it’s more like reinventing the wheel. If Roland is going the proprietary environment route, the Gaia 2's approach could complicate the whole thing more than it has to unless it could bring something to the table not yet seen.
Also, if i wanted to lend you my Alesis Fusion from the US, what would go into that?
Agreed and thanks for the offer, I'd love to put that one on the show but getting big keyboards over is a total sh*tshow
@@AudioPilz Just so you know when and if you do review it, the Alesis Fusion has super cheap screws that round off too easily, especially when adding RAM.
For SuperNatural, there's already the JD-Xi and Integra-7, or get a used Jupiter80, Jupiter50, or FA-06.
@@Jason75913 Exactly! It seems like they are replacing it with ZEN-Core to fit a business model. Always wanted an FA-08
If Korg would make a Minilogue XD with a small modulation matrix, nobody would have to make new synths anymore.
I'd love to see that one!!!
I would have bought a Minilogue XD if it had a mod matrix and more waveforms for the oscillators.
Their popular workstation keyboards have tons of mod options, including mod options rarely found in hardware and software digital synths, I was bewildered how they left all that out of the Minilogues and Prologue. I love the Minilogue XD's sound, but it is way too basic.
@@Jason75913 You can get a ton of free stuff for the digital oscillator including new wave forms. You can even make your own. This was nothing against the Minilogue. I think everyone should have one. I just wish it had a couple more modulation destinations.
@@Jason75913 - Really? The XD multiengine slots allow for for pretty much infinite oscillator variety. I do agree about the limited modulation options. I would go nuts for a Korg multiengine workstation, although it doesn't seem too likely.
@@voltijuice8576 I couldn't care less about how theoretically versatile the middling digital oscillator can be, does it have the "infinite variety" right now? Or will that happen in 35 years? Screw the theoretical. And it cannot make up for the lack of mod options. The filter doesn't even have high-pass or band-pass modes either, aside from its numerous other limitations.
My awesome Novation Peak I have now isn't theoretical by far, but also fittingly in a different price league, and a purchase opportunity that presented itself a few years later.
😂 great review 😂 btw Love the Gaia2 adding some atmosphere into my songs
It’s like Roland did their research (watched your videos on their gear) before designing this synth!
...and doing the exact opposite of what I consider to be a great synth design;)
One right thing they did: G. 2 doesn't have the stupid joystick thing for p. bend and modulation.
What's a "FITLER ENV" (03:00 roughly after wired Stewie)? Don't they spell check their menus!?
No lectorate here;)
lol, great find!
Ah Roland again?😁They must be your biggest fan. Marketing team: What's the fasted way to be featured at Bad Gear to stay in 1st place?
They don't answer my calls;)
lol at 1st glance it didn't tick all boxes, the Gaia2 still didn't.@@AudioPilz
I guess I must be one of the few people who tested this synth before I purchased it and really enjoyed the sounds and effects.
It's better than the Gaia 1, but then so is a mains-powered pangolin.
Nice analogy!!!😂😂😂
"...a mains-powered pangolin." Have you a recording you can share with us? I wanna sample that!
I stopped looking at these after the first one came out, so thank you for relaying your impressions of the second. I'm still not looking at these, as it turns out. Happy Friday, Florian!
Hope you had a nice one too!!!
Wow, at least with the opsix and wavestate you have a somewhat unique sound engine. At that price point I would rather have a 88 key controller with a decent vst.
So true!!!
This was my first time hearing about the GAIA-2, so I Googled it. And already this Bad Gear episode was the first video result for "Roland gaia-2"! I'd imagine that can't be great for sales
Usually it doesn't hurt sales but it would be interesting to do more research on that
Florian's jams are so good at selling these products, if I was Roland I would ship him products on the sly and tell him to wait a couple of weeks after launch day.
Now this certainly is a synth that exists.
That sums it up nicely;)
the tone when you said ‘BMJ’ sounded wicked
Thanks!!!
*** Breaking news: Roland is producing synths exclusively for Bad Gear. Stay tuned, more just after these messages… ***
😂😂😂
Ha! No apologies needed for the Jam 2 similarities.. awesome job on this video all around!
Thank you!!!
It's common knowledge, you can make even a plastic bag sound proper. I think this synth is too expensive (looking at hydra, freaks & co)
Thank you!!!
i'm confused...why does this have two LFOs and the System 8 only one 🤔
You know how Asylum Films make movies that go straight to dvd? Well Roland makes synths that go straight to Bad Gear. It's as if they're in on the meme and release this stuff for the lulz.
Straight-to-Bad Gear is a thing!!!
@@AudioPilz I'm gonna print up a bunch of "Direct to Bad Gear" stickers and surreptitiously stick 'em on synths at my local music gear merchant's :D
@@mrz80 They'll ban you at Guitar Center ( though that's not really a bad thing ).
Can't wait for the 61 key version at double the price with even smaller wheels and lack of velocity.
That's what I call innovation;)
In defence of Gaia2 I would say it is pretty cheap...er, I mean cheap sounding! Good to see a channel plunge a stake of honest facts through the heart of this mediocre monster after the massive shilling launch campaign it had from the sinister Synthfluencer cabal!...
Thank you so much!!!
"Businees in the front and Toys R Us in the back" 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I'd be interested if there were a Desktop/Rack version.
That would be much more interesting!
Fun fact: Florian's middle finger is bandaged because he overused it gesturing at this synth.
Lol
I really like the sound of it and think it is a great beginner synth. What I dont like is the price and the low polyphony. If it was retailing between £600 - £625 I would have already bought one.
👍
Yeah, I'm right with you on the low polyphony. And the lack of multitimbrality (is that a word? It should be). Cameron over on Venus Theory hammered on that point some time back when he was doing his evals of the Blofeld. Heck, Roland's own history is littered with high-voice-count monsters. It's not about chasing ghosts, Roland, it's about resurrecting the heroes of old! 😛
Why is it on the show? I sounds like a great...free VST synth! 😄
😂😂😂
Happy Friday Florian!
Have a nice weekend!!!
Roland claim Gaia 2 is not actually zen-core, but I think that's only because it has features they've haven't yet rolled out to the full range. It's still based on the same code.
That Wavetable engine is likely n/zyme from the Fantom, it's using the same horrible zen-core supersaw and the rest of the VA code is probably lifted straight from zen as well. Roland have already done all the programing/r&d so it makes no sense to re-invent the wheel for a budget instrument.
Nice to see it has a Shimmer Reverb. I hope that's in the next zen update for the rest of us.
I think it's a matter of definition;)
Actually it’s not a clone of a Korg Minilogue but of a Korg Modwave.
A clone with some less features but then seasoned with Roland Cloud™
@@Jason75913 My thoughts exactly. They even copied the touchpad. The faders are a nice addition, though.
@@benitoe.4878 faders for the EGs are classic for Roland. Last Roland synths with them have been the JD-XA, System-8 and 1, and SH-201
👍👍👍