Nice video! To share some info related to the autobend sync thing, the SH-7's oscillators are split into two parts: the octave processor and the waveform processor. They both use the same design, but the output of the former is fed into a T-flip-flop network that divides the generated pulse (also fed through a T-latch of its own) down to the required octave divisions, which is beneficial since the octave tracking done this way results in better temperature stability. The sync pulse from oscillator one comes from the raw output of the octave pulse generator, before the flip flops, and is fed into oscillator 2's octave pulse circuitry. Now because its fed into only that half of the circuit, and not the whole thing, my guess is you're hearing the the T-flip-flop stage clamp the frequency at those points, since the flip-flop is edge triggered, and will have more or less the same frequency until it receives the next trig pulse. This is also likely why the effect is more pronounced at higher ranges. Hope this helps!
This machine and it's other members of this Roland family are the most perfect looking and sounding synth's ever made. The way they look has not lost any single amount of attraction and they will be the best looking synth's till the end of time. I do not understand why Roland is not using this unbelievable pool of possibilities for their new products? There are companies who would spend millions to be able to have something like this in their line.
Not only do I now want an SH-7, more importantly (and attainably) I want to play synthesizers in general. I find your videos pretty inspiring generally Alex, but this one especially so. Thank you so much for bringing joy and enthusiasm to the internet in a way which I'm sure I'm not the only one to find so uplifting.
i came here from ‘bad gear’ where alex is guest featured. love the ‘70s glitchy interlace thru 3d glasses’ feel he gets here… he really captured the unicorn here
100% agree with you about this synth. It looks like SO much fun! What a shame it came out at a bad time. I'd love to have one. By the way great music too. What I like about your music is that it knows exactly what it wants to be and is unapologetic. That final track made me smile so much, remembering the glory days of synthesizers. I love this channel. 🙂
@@EphemeralProductions It's just that it's a synth that is comparable to the ARP Odyssey in terms of power and appeal, but the Odyssey was released in 1972 and the SH-7 was released in 1978, which was the same year that the first modern polysynths arrived. Interest changed overnight and the SH-7 just didn't fit. I talked about it from 11:48 if you want the longer answer.
That first jam was awesome, the sample and hold bleeps morphing into a synthwave tune. If Alex Ball only did tunes he'd be a legend, the fact he talks about the synths and does humour and is so British that once he cut himself and bled tea is just the icing on the cake.
I keep forgetting you have a complete System 100. I only have the 101 & 102. Jealous!! 🤣 SH-7 is the only SH I haven’t played, or frankly, heard a decent demo of. Until today. Thank you, as always for showing off the musical capabilities of your gear.
I am lucky to own the entire 100m and 100. Just need the 700. 😉 Yeah, the SH-7 is quite an un-Roland Roland, much like the SH-5. They captured their classic vibe just after this I think, which is what makes these early ones particularly interesting.
I had an SH5 many years ago. It was an incredible synth but I sold it to fund a Juno 60 in 1982, which I was somewhat disappointed with. Oh well. Happy times with the SH5 though.
The SH7 was my favorite Roland SH synth when i bought the "A-Z" books in the beginning of the 1990. :D Everyone warned me that the filter sounded cold. Finally in 2014 I bought one... the filter sounds crap. :D But I like her, and she looks so hot :D
'... both use a 24 db or 4 pole resonant low-pass filter that uses ca3080 otas with with fat transistors as buffers. i don't know what i just said but for a second there you thought that he knows what he's talking about. i don't, i can just read'. :-))). brilliant, the funniest thing someone said on the internet for a really long time. great content, thanks a lot.
Happened to have my headphones beside me so got the intro jam full blast. Awesome mate. What a cool synth! Love the sound. Congratulations swooping badger on your wonderful purchase!
You can tell by these jams how this synth inspires you - I mean your demos are always great but these ones melted my face 🔥 clean off, no face only bones. I'm glad its yours forever.
Oh wow, I love the sound of this thing! I'm a chiptune guy first, and the demo tracks you've made here (especially the first two!) sound fantastic and *very* demoscene. The outro track sounds straight out of an Amiga game! So dang cool! Thank you for sharing this obscure piece of kit!
Terrific segment as usual Alex thank you. Those early Rolands yeah. I never knew that the SH-1 and SH-7 shared a similar filter design to the System 700. This explains much about their popularity.
I thought you'd already covered every Roland SH synth in the observable universe... But here you are, yet again with another one! And, like all of them, it's another great and unique sounding synth! Roland was on fire back then.
Fantastic analog mix I had an 1040ste sync out to mc4 2600 sh5 pro1 moog15. And midi memory moog n Jupiter 6 Doing all analog is a sweet dream it’s a privilege so many great times
The opening musical bit made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Wow! The world needs a full version (about 7 to 10 minutes will be ideal). Please!
Great synth! Thanks for sharing. There seem to be people who prefer the SH-5 over the SH-7, which I quite never really understood. To me too, this is a really unique beast…
Indeed rare. You are lucky, and so are we to see you with this in the studio now. I swear you are the only musician to keep the attention and mesmerize a goldfish. Great video and content about a great synth.
I know that this is not what I should be mentioning first, but I just adore the design of the SH-7. That whoe green and black scheme, nice big knobs and sliders and such. But the great thing about a Ball video is that we also get intimate with the musical side of stuff through the delicate manipulations and wonderful musicality of mr. Ball himself. So thanks again for the sound demos, they sound great. I guess synths will not be produced with the same design style as this synth, but at least we can hope that our analog lord and saviour, Ulli, will consider cloning this synth...
It's a thing of beauty and probably the pinnacle of monophonic synths, but as Alex says, timing was all wrong. Sad really, as it sounds incredible. So happy it founf a home with you, Alex
Alex playing a real synthesiser , made in a time when you really needed talent to get the best out of it unlike modern instruments and this man has talent.
Came back for a re-watch because I loved this video so much the first time round... and I realised something. Having a set of square waves at various octaves (if they really all are exact numbers of octaves apart?) means that there are no overtones repeated anywhere (because odd harmonics multiplied by powers of two have to be unique to that particular slider, because... well, maths (waves hands vaguely)). This means there's probably a very nice balance between the sounds. I really wish someone like Cherry Audio or GForce would make a soft version of this!
I love it when you get new kit 'cause firstly we get to see it played how it was meant to be, and secondly I know it's in good hands where it will be taken care of and played with, rather than sitting in a museum.
Judging by all the UA-cam demos I have heard of this, and especially this demo, this is my favorite analog synth that I have ever heard. I don’t know anything else like it.
great video, really enjoyed it. And not only the gear demonstration: I geniuinely think it's teh first time I watch a video from someone doing gear (or software or whatever) demos that actually has talent as a musician, the music you created with this is amazing!
How have I lived so long and not checked this thing out before? I just found out that this is the only mono analog I've ever needed! (Still love my 2600 though.) Your audio demos are creative and inspiring, Alex...top notch work! 🎹
@@AlexBallMusic a beefed up Odyssey perhaps, but it still sounds very Roland analog. Maybe I’m just a bit biased because I know what many of them sound like, but i hear a common sonic character in all the vintage SH, Juno, Jupiter, System-100/700, JX instruments. Even though many of them employ different oscillator and filter technology, they have a common presence (perhaps it’s “air” or “sizzle”). As soon as I heard the first lead sound in this video (1:06) I grinned and nodded, if that makes sense.
While the shapes of these waveforms may be “usual” they do punch a lot of character, especially the sawtooth. Something I cant find in todays crop of so called analog synths. Had I know this machine existed I would have purchased it long time ago. As always great video 🎉
I feel like your love for this particular model of synthesiser really shows through in the demos. They're always good, but it felt a bit different somehow.
Just found your channel, and holy shit I haven't subbed so fast to a random in recent memory. You're so good at what you do, and very thorough in your examination and history of these underappreciated devices!
Uli, are you watching? One of these please? This is so cool. I remember hanging out in the music store, and playing all the new Roland synths, in the 70s. Man, those were exciting times, thanks for bringing back wonderful memories. Sweet music, and great video production. Best wishes for your continued success 🎶🌎☮
I was casually listening to Donna Summers classic hit I Feel Love then this vid autoplayed and that intro jam was just... perfect. Could've listened to 10 min of that!
Well that brought back some memories! I purchased one of these, it was only a few months old at the time, to replace my ridiculously heavy SH-5, after the SH-5 started drifting really badly and back then I couldn't find anyone who could fix it, I had a couple of so-called tech's "work" on it to no avail. (Australia). Having an extra note was ok, but I really missed all the modulation options of the SH-5 via all the switches. Swapped it for a Micro Moog and a Solina! I don't miss the SH-7. Cheers
Nice video! To share some info related to the autobend sync thing, the SH-7's oscillators are split into two parts: the octave processor and the waveform processor. They both use the same design, but the output of the former is fed into a T-flip-flop network that divides the generated pulse (also fed through a T-latch of its own) down to the required octave divisions, which is beneficial since the octave tracking done this way results in better temperature stability. The sync pulse from oscillator one comes from the raw output of the octave pulse generator, before the flip flops, and is fed into oscillator 2's octave pulse circuitry. Now because its fed into only that half of the circuit, and not the whole thing, my guess is you're hearing the the T-flip-flop stage clamp the frequency at those points, since the flip-flop is edge triggered, and will have more or less the same frequency until it receives the next trig pulse. This is also likely why the effect is more pronounced at higher ranges. Hope this helps!
Marvelous. Thank you so much!
Holy SH-7 !
I can't believe that I've never noticed that! Haha!
hahaha
Outstanding haha!
lololol
Best comment. Ahahahah!
This is THE most synthesizer sounding synthesizer I have ever heard. How was I not aware of this thing? ⚡️⚡️⚡️
I was coming to say the EXACT SAME THING!
Incredible mono synth!
I believe that title goes better with an OB-X
1970's synth personified - raw and beefy.
It is a super fat synth! Goodness gracious! All that sticky maple syrup!
@@ChrisCebelenski100% agreed. Experimental and quirky ❤❤
I sincerely hope people in the far future appreciate the way Alex is documenting all of these incredible machines, even if none of them exist anymore
Cheers. Yes, posterity is always on my mind with this era of tech.
I agree!
This machine and it's other members of this Roland family are the most perfect looking and sounding synth's ever made.
The way they look has not lost any single amount of attraction and they will be the best looking synth's till the end of time.
I do not understand why Roland is not using this unbelievable pool of possibilities for their new products?
There are companies who would spend millions to be able to have something like this in their line.
Not only do I now want an SH-7, more importantly (and attainably) I want to play synthesizers in general.
I find your videos pretty inspiring generally Alex, but this one especially so. Thank you so much for bringing joy and enthusiasm to the internet in a way which I'm sure I'm not the only one to find so uplifting.
Thanks very much
i came here from ‘bad gear’ where alex is guest featured. love the ‘70s glitchy interlace thru 3d glasses’ feel he gets here… he really captured the unicorn here
100% agree with you about this synth. It looks like SO much fun! What a shame it came out at a bad time. I'd love to have one. By the way great music too. What I like about your music is that it knows exactly what it wants to be and is unapologetic. That final track made me smile so much, remembering the glory days of synthesizers. I love this channel. 🙂
Yeah, would have probably been a success about 5 years earlier. Just too late to the party.
Thanks for the comments, that's kind. 🙂
@@AlexBallMusicI thought synth started having their heyday in the 70s especially the 70s. How was it late to the party, I missed something. Lol
@@EphemeralProductions It's just that it's a synth that is comparable to the ARP Odyssey in terms of power and appeal, but the Odyssey was released in 1972 and the SH-7 was released in 1978, which was the same year that the first modern polysynths arrived. Interest changed overnight and the SH-7 just didn't fit.
I talked about it from 11:48 if you want the longer answer.
@@AlexBallMusic gotcha! Thanks so much mate!
That Demo 2 - Remix machine was very lit! Sweet stuff! :D
Epic sounds
2023 Roland plugged into 1978 Roland with 1982 and 1993 Rolands joining in seems to be the sweet combo.
@@AlexBallMusic I agree, Demo 2 really hit home with me.
That first jam was awesome, the sample and hold bleeps morphing into a synthwave tune. If Alex Ball only did tunes he'd be a legend, the fact he talks about the synths and does humour and is so British that once he cut himself and bled tea is just the icing on the cake.
It was Earl Grey too.
I keep forgetting you have a complete System 100. I only have the 101 & 102. Jealous!! 🤣
SH-7 is the only SH I haven’t played, or frankly, heard a decent demo of. Until today. Thank you, as always for showing off the musical capabilities of your gear.
I am lucky to own the entire 100m and 100. Just need the 700. 😉
Yeah, the SH-7 is quite an un-Roland Roland, much like the SH-5. They captured their classic vibe just after this I think, which is what makes these early ones particularly interesting.
Now that's what I call an intro, honestly your one of the best synthesizer bassed music production around.
Thank you!
I had an SH5 many years ago. It was an incredible synth but I sold it to fund a Juno 60 in 1982, which I was somewhat disappointed with. Oh well. Happy times with the SH5 though.
The SH7 was my favorite Roland SH synth when i bought the "A-Z" books in the beginning of the 1990. :D Everyone warned me that the filter sounded cold. Finally in 2014 I bought one... the filter sounds crap. :D But I like her, and she looks so hot :D
Nasty green bugger. It looks like a tank's dashboard 😜
Haha! Yes it does.
You forgot to mention how bloody beautiful it looks as well! Truly a great mono synth.
Loved the intro tune. Sweet, happy, synth vibes. :)
'... both use a 24 db or 4 pole resonant low-pass filter that uses ca3080 otas with with fat transistors as buffers. i don't know what i just said but for a second there you thought that he knows what he's talking about. i don't, i can just read'. :-))). brilliant, the funniest thing someone said on the internet for a really long time. great content, thanks a lot.
Instant like button smash. I had the System 100m in the 80s but never knew this one existed. No internet back then lol
Nice what a dirty beast that is ..add n to x would approve
I love how Alex just casually jumps into various old school synth jams.
This synth is one of the best sounding ever made. Your jams on it make me realize how much impact it had on modern music.
I just LOVE these lesser known Roland beasts! ❤
Needed a video for posterity. Very hard to find!
@@AlexBallMusic Your diligence, hard work, and boundless creativity make your demonstrations some of the best there are. Thank you!
@@Peter_S_Thank you very much!
Happened to have my headphones beside me so got the intro jam full blast. Awesome mate. What a cool synth! Love the sound. Congratulations swooping badger on your wonderful purchase!
You can tell by these jams how this synth inspires you - I mean your demos are always great but these ones melted my face 🔥 clean off, no face only bones. I'm glad its yours forever.
Never ceased to be awed and utterly engaged by the music you make!
Not only informative but some great tunes as well. Alex is one of the few UA-camrs that can actually produce great music.
wow i so admire you;-)
Never knew the SH7 even existed, great skills, musicality and knowledge sharing as always Alex 😎👌
Oh wow, I love the sound of this thing! I'm a chiptune guy first, and the demo tracks you've made here (especially the first two!) sound fantastic and *very* demoscene. The outro track sounds straight out of an Amiga game! So dang cool! Thank you for sharing this obscure piece of kit!
Definitely channeling that energy. The NES and Master System were the first consoles I experienced and they left a mark.
AMIGAAAAAA !!!!
It does sound amazing, but tbh Alex you make everything sound pretty bloody amazing.
Terrific segment as usual Alex thank you. Those early Rolands yeah. I never knew that the SH-1 and SH-7 shared a similar filter design to the System 700. This explains much about their popularity.
I thought you'd already covered every Roland SH synth in the observable universe... But here you are, yet again with another one! And, like all of them, it's another great and unique sounding synth! Roland was on fire back then.
There's still about 3 I've not played, but then we're there. There's a couple that would be video worthy and not in a good way. 😀
@@AlexBallMusic Have you done the SH5 yet? That was the one i always wanted because Joie had one in Ozric Tentacles, plus it looks like a Dalek!
@@DVDFRMN I've featured it in a couple of videos, but not given it a video of its own. It is great and looks the part, yeah.
Fantastic analog mix I had an 1040ste sync out to mc4 2600 sh5 pro1 moog15. And midi memory moog n Jupiter 6
Doing all analog is a sweet dream it’s a privilege so many great times
The most synthesizer sounding synthesizer on the vintage synthesizer market ever since the creation of synthesizers
SH-7, Ball, Alex Ball...
..Emmaj9 plays...
Double-Ball 7..😊
😎
Licensed to Synth
Now you gave him an excuse to get an M from Waldorf and a Blofeld lol
The opening musical bit made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Wow! The world needs a full version (about 7 to 10 minutes will be ideal). Please!
Alex your videos and demo songlets are consistently awesome!
Thank you!
kind of a dream synth for me here
Great synth! Thanks for sharing. There seem to be people who prefer the SH-5 over the SH-7, which I quite never really understood. To me too, this is a really unique beast…
Same, yep. SH-5 is a close 2nd for me.
Gotta love that Rare roland gear! Always premium videos come from big dawg Alex ball! I need one of these.
Your videos are world class!
Great sounding synth! Reminds me of an even dirtier sounding SH-101 which is one of my all time favorite synths.
The final little demo is such a damn joy. Exemplifies what you said about making sporingy boingy music!
Indeed rare. You are lucky, and so are we to see you with this in the studio now. I swear you are the only musician to keep the attention and mesmerize a goldfish. Great video and content about a great synth.
His Demo 2 is my favorite out of this vid.
Thank you, that's very kind.
I really hope Behringer follow this channel... What a vibe this thing conjures
I'm ready for some Rare Roland Rave Revalation.
I know that this is not what I should be mentioning first, but I just adore the design of the SH-7. That whoe green and black scheme, nice big knobs and sliders and such. But the great thing about a Ball video is that we also get intimate with the musical side of stuff through the delicate manipulations and wonderful musicality of mr. Ball himself. So thanks again for the sound demos, they sound great. I guess synths will not be produced with the same design style as this synth, but at least we can hope that our analog lord and saviour, Ulli, will consider cloning this synth...
The stop motion slider clip at the start though.... So sick! Lovely sounds coming out of this synth Alex!
Needed to be done. I've made a gif of it too. 😀
That, and the lasers... pew pew!
Very unique sounding synth. Great video as always 👍
Another fabulous demonstration of a wonderful synth. Great stuff, Alex! Thanks!
It's a thing of beauty and probably the pinnacle of monophonic synths, but as Alex says, timing was all wrong. Sad really, as it sounds incredible. So happy it founf a home with you, Alex
Superb. Thanks for the show and tell.
Alex playing a real synthesiser , made in a time when you really needed talent to get the best out of it unlike modern instruments and this man has talent.
This sounds super phat, brilliant piece of kit. Thx
Came back for a re-watch because I loved this video so much the first time round... and I realised something. Having a set of square waves at various octaves (if they really all are exact numbers of octaves apart?) means that there are no overtones repeated anywhere (because odd harmonics multiplied by powers of two have to be unique to that particular slider, because... well, maths (waves hands vaguely)). This means there's probably a very nice balance between the sounds.
I really wish someone like Cherry Audio or GForce would make a soft version of this!
Demo 2 gave me flash backs to a Pentatonik ( Simeon Bowring) vibe!. Superb ! Excellent video as always!
Wow, it sounds amazing.
Beauty AND a beast! 💚
Love the way those sounds glitch and bubble in and out of existence. Yum ; )
Yep, I'll never tire of audio rate shenanigans.
I start my youtube days with Jawoodle and end my youtube week with Alex Ball. Thumbs all the way up!
My favorite "out of the pond" color scheme :)
Have to wipe frogs off it from time to time, but worth it.
"From nineteen ziebenty akht" :D
I see you too speak Deutschlish.
That opening tune!! Congrats on getting an absolute legend! 🤩
Thank you!
Kinda surprised this one didn't end up in the hands of Crystal Method, *a lot* of its tonality sounds right up their alley!
That thing is absolutely ridiculous, what a synth
Pretty cool, it's it. 😀
I love it when you get new kit 'cause firstly we get to see it played how it was meant to be, and secondly I know it's in good hands where it will be taken care of and played with, rather than sitting in a museum.
in the beginning of the video by INXS "don't change" Andrew Farriss is proudly, sporting a nice SH-7
he delivers again
Mmm, looks good, sounds good, probably smells good too. Cheers Alex, fab tunes and tones.
Pretty clean, considering it's a bit tatty. Some stuff arrives smelling of decades of cigarettes.
Hey Behringer! Are you watching this? LOL! Great demo, thanks!
Judging by all the UA-cam demos I have heard of this, and especially this demo, this is my favorite analog synth that I have ever heard. I don’t know anything else like it.
It's not bad. :)
This NEEDS to be Reissued and updated with MIDI/USB!!!!! IT STANKX!!!!!!!!😖😖😖😖😖😖😖😖🤘🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾
Thank you for "remixing" the SH-4D jam at 6:23. I could listen to this for hours... again!
Thank you!
Loved the video! beautiful creature sh7.
love that final track - with a bit of thinning out of a few elements and some fx tweaking here and there it woudl fill a stadium my friend!
Discovered the SH-7 after buying my SH-5 some years ago. Liked it then and now even more!!
Like the video’s you make, keep up the good work!!
Thanks Alex, loved the second song, was like an 18 rated version of Super Mario! 👏🏽
😂
7:20 getting some major Aphex Twin vibes with this demo, especially on that muted bass part at the beginning!
dude, you make the sickest demos
great video, really enjoyed it. And not only the gear demonstration: I geniuinely think it's teh first time I watch a video from someone doing gear (or software or whatever) demos that actually has talent as a musician, the music you created with this is amazing!
Gorgeous.
How have I lived so long and not checked this thing out before? I just found out that this is the only mono analog I've ever needed! (Still love my 2600 though.)
Your audio demos are creative and inspiring, Alex...top notch work! 🎹
Cheers Mike. Yep, it's like a beefed up Odyssey I guess. Quite surprising for a Roland synth.
@@AlexBallMusic a beefed up Odyssey perhaps, but it still sounds very Roland analog. Maybe I’m just a bit biased because I know what many of them sound like, but i hear a common sonic character in all the vintage SH, Juno, Jupiter, System-100/700, JX instruments. Even though many of them employ different oscillator and filter technology, they have a common presence (perhaps it’s “air” or “sizzle”).
As soon as I heard the first lead sound in this video (1:06) I grinned and nodded, if that makes sense.
I wouldn’t even know how to classify your music but its always super creative i love it
While the shapes of these waveforms may be “usual” they do punch a lot of character, especially the sawtooth. Something I cant find in todays crop of so called analog synths. Had I know this machine existed I would have purchased it long time ago. As always great video 🎉
They are particularly fat sounding.
living the dream alex..... living the dream. =)
Sincere congrats on getting this beauty. Looks in really good nick too! I shudder to think how much it cost. :)
I feel like your love for this particular model of synthesiser really shows through in the demos. They're always good, but it felt a bit different somehow.
The SH-7 sounds absolutely amazing! you lucky dog 🙂
6:23 Demo 2: Remix Machine So Amazing!
What a sound! Fantastic synth and wonderful music!! Thanks Alex.
Thanks once again for tuning in.
I always found this synth the most underwhelming in the SH series, yet you - predictably - made it sing. Well done 👍
Interesting. It's always been the best one to me.
@@AlexBallMusic I prefer the SYS100 + SH-5 tone, feels ballsier
Just found your channel, and holy shit I haven't subbed so fast to a random in recent memory. You're so good at what you do, and very thorough in your examination and history of these underappreciated devices!
You make the most lovely noises, they please me to no end.
Thank you. :)
I love these.
Uli, are you watching? One of these please?
This is so cool. I remember hanging out in the music store, and playing all the new Roland synths, in the 70s.
Man, those were exciting times, thanks for bringing back wonderful memories.
Sweet music, and great video production.
Best wishes for your continued success 🎶🌎☮
I was casually listening to Donna Summers classic hit I Feel Love then this vid autoplayed and that intro jam was just... perfect. Could've listened to 10 min of that!
SO COOL Thank you for all that!?
There should be a LAW that all Synth control panels face you like a fighter jet cockpit ! lol
Nothing quite as distinctive as the sound of a Roland SH synth pulse width modulation 👍👍
Awesome. As always
Wow, amazing chiptuney sounds!
And you make really good use of the capabilities, superb job
Well that brought back some memories! I purchased one of these, it was only a few months old at the time, to replace my ridiculously heavy SH-5, after the SH-5 started drifting really badly and back then I couldn't find anyone who could fix it, I had a couple of so-called tech's "work" on it to no avail. (Australia). Having an extra note was ok, but I really missed all the modulation options of the SH-5 via all the switches. Swapped it for a Micro Moog and a Solina! I don't miss the SH-7. Cheers