Roland SH-4d: 5 reasons to be excited (and 3 things we would have done differently)
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- Опубліковано 19 тра 2024
- We have had the pleasure of being in the company of Roland's newest synth for just over a week now, which has been long enough to form a fair few opinions on the SH-4d.
Overall, we're quite enamoured by this desktop synth's feature set, but as with all things, there are a few features we're not so keen on. So, in the interests of fairness, we've gathered together some pros and cons.
[Edit: We mention the rhythm track have 16 sounds in the video. It's actually 26!]
0:00 Intro
01:35 Pro - Sounds
02:23 Pro - Virtual analogue
05:49 Pro - Digital synthesis
10:30 Pro - Drum synthesis
13:50 Pro - Sequencing tools
16:49 The cons
21:09 Our verdict
22:09 Sound demo (no talking)
Read our full SH-4d review: www.musicradar.com/reviews/ro... - Наука та технологія
I think this has a lot of value. Basically, it's like having 4 Roland boutique synths ($350 each) at once, plus drums. There's drum synthesis, sequencing...Who wouldn't hook this up a to MIDI controller? I'm confident there will be updates as well like they did for my MC-707!
You call it a limitation that it's not a zen core synth into which roland can sell more stuff, but I call that a huge plus! This has way more synthesis breadth and depth than either a Juno or SH101 and those are both still perfectly valid creative tools even today, so approaching this box as "limited" in any way is crazy.
drum kit is 26 sound not 16 as stated in the video btw.
This has so many features that click with me! I'm selling several other units that came part-way.
Can you modulate the different sections of the waveform in drawing mode?
Does this pattern sync like the Aira Compacts? Like when you change patterns on the master, it changes patterns on the slaves. I recently got the Sh-4d, I'm really happy with it and might get a second one. Would be great if it synced.
Great review, great demo. One thing I can say is that I will NEVER use that metallic clap sound in the end demo on anything. LOL. Anyway, I'm still on the fence between this and the MiniFreak.
18:06 No Audio In effects - it's a big problem for vocalists. Do you think they might be able to add with a firmware update?
Since the mix in can't be recorded over USB, I'd say the audio doesn't get to the software part of this thing, which makes it pretty impossible to change that with a firmware update.
If you are a vocalist who wants/needs a groove box (the SH-4d is a synth) then the Roland MV-1 should be for you. It does a lot of things and can be portable as well, if you don't need phantom power for your mic.
@@Flava_Clown Yes, I'm a synth vocalist, so I always consider this. I might go with SP404 because it's battery native, they really failed not including that with the MV. These are all so good! (I really like my TR6s) but each has it's design mistakes and glaring omissions. There's nothing that is quite "complete" the way an MPC Live 2 is, for example.
18:09 I think individual outs could be hacked out of it with a microcontroller, a few DACs and something like an emUSB-Device.
Are the patches saved per sequence in such a way that sequence 1 and sequence 2 can have completely different sound set ups but still transition between the 2 sequences somewhat smoothly.
When you save a pattern, it saves the sequenced data along with the used patches/drum kit. So yes you can have completely different sounds per pattern. However, the transition might not be that smooth, even with the same sounds. It probably depends on the patches (delay, sustain,...) and the amount of effects used. In my latest video you can clearly hear the change between the pattern. I've tried to cover it up a bit with the use of a cymbal on the first step but it's still audible. To be fair though, I've used a lot of effects.
By the way, you can save patches/drum kits only without a pattern.
What does the very last "note" button play in the scale?
does it do sh-101 filter emulation? i expect the oscillator emulation to not be that useful for sh-101 sounds without the filter to go with it.
no but it's a great sounding filter
It responds to aftertouch?
👌👌👌
Groove On
I just bought this to replace my OP-1 and for whatever reason I’m not able to get the drums sequenced other than doing a recording. I just want to lay down the patterns and hit start. Color coding is confusing.
Do you mean step sequencing? Press+hold shift and then press the button 5 (to select the drum part). Make sure that the pattern button is not lit and that the sound button is neither lit nor blinking. Now the "keyboard" should trigger the drum sounds. Press the key with the sound you want to sequence. (don't hold it pressed, like you'd do with the synth notes) The key should be lit. Now press the step buttons where you want that sound to be triggered. Then press the next sound and keep going until you have what you want.
shift+pattern will allow you to change the pattern length for this part. If you press shift+utility (in this view) then you can duplicate the part (e.g. from 16 to 32 steps and then from 32 to 64). This doesn't only increase the step length but it'll also copy what you have sequenced so far in that part.
Roland have pushed out several updates to the MC-101 and 707 that addressed many of their cons and I expect the same to happen here with the SH-4d
And let's not forget the amazing updates on the TR8S. Roland have my vote.
@@hanshandkante5055 Initially the MC-101 required a special driver to stream over USB but a firmware update made it class compliant, so maybe a firmware update will add that to SH-4d 🤷🏻♂️
@@hanshandkante5055 Yep, Roland won’t sell a single unit because of this major shortfall. After all, if you look at all manufacturers who make devices with only ONE stereo output, they have all gone into administration.
@@hanshandkante5055 How about a discussion then...Let's say for arguments sake they sell 20,000 of these worldwide, how many MORE do you think they would sell if it had multiple outputs? (as what you're actually implying is that those people REFUSE TO BUY it because it only has 1 output).
@@RockLobster223 A LOT more because in its current form it is nothing but a TOY, that is barely usable in a studio setup. Its cool when you are a DJ and use it to play live and its cool when its your only device and you mix inside the box. But for all old school producers who mix an analogue boards and who own more then one synth its very uncomfortable to use.
Imagine you have this synth and you use it in a studio setup. You sacrifice two channels on your mixing desk. Then - when you want to arrange the track you have to dump everything via USB to your DAW and mix it inside the computer - wich means you can not mix live and you can not use your outboard effects.
OR you route it back to your mixing desk and sacrifice at least five more inputs so you can mix it analogue.
But what happens if you want only use some drum sounds or just two synths? You still have to dump everything with USB. It would be so much easier with lets say six ROUTABLE outputs. I own a Polymorph from 1999 wich has this and it was still the cheapest multitimbral synth at that time. You could play everything through one stereo out, or you could split it to two stereo outputs or you could even split it into four single outputs - one output for each part because the polymorph has four independent synth parts.
It would have been very easy for Roland to implement such outputs as well and the price would still be moderate enough to not loose much buyers. Or even better, they could have come up with two different versions - one with stereo out and one with single outputs for a slightly higher price. Maybe that will happen because Roland obviously likes to reuse their technology in different devices.
please record the sound coming through your cpu so we can hear the quality of the synth ;)
When did Eddie Hearn get into synths and grooveboxes?
I don't understand why Roland made a product that over-laps on their MC line so heavily? A bunch of people on the Elektron forum said they going to sell their 101 for this and i would rather have my MC707.
I plug an ipad into my MC707 which adds wavetable and FM
Everyone selling their MC-101 to get this one as an "upgrade" will be disappointed. This is not a groove box. This is a synthesizer with a sequencer and drum synth as bonus. This thing is not going to replace the MC-101/707. While you have more hands-on control over the synths you'll notice how limited it is otherwise. No clips, no scenes, not even pattern chaining. 64 steps instead of 128...
Roland made sure that they not "over-lap" too much.
Pads like a Qnexus would make much more sense. Looks like a fun machine.
Is this digital or analog?
Digital.
Is this camera audio? I can't grasp the richness of these resonant basses here
I just watched the cons, if you pretend it's an sh-32 mkII, you'll like it(same 'keyboard'). the mc505 had other variants to diversify potential use(mc307 and D2). I think this company does this regularly, and given the mistakes they've made(303) trying guess how something will be used vs how it actually gets used, personally, I think that's ok. Not many companies have the resources or wherewithal to create 2-3 variant versions of a piece of gear. I like the design of the sh4d, but the mc707 is deep enough for me. This should be priced at around 399 for what it is, eh maybe 450, 650 is like pricing the modwave at 850, kinda stupid...unless the goal isn't moving units and quarterly reports or profits...hahahah
All sold out here in Germany, pricepoint seems to works pretty well.
@@derelektronaut Yeah, I am not a prophet :)
@@gossamyr No problem here, it is more the point that the price for what you get seems quite attractive to me... I think about selling the MC 101. But yout totallly right about the other cons!
@@derelektronaut I still have my sh32 and my D2, hahahah.
Saving in this box is the biggest pain in ass....I save everything - switch off/on - fine.....Next day - reload the same thing and it remembers nothing
My biggest con is the filter. This box is all code. If the Zen Core engine can emulate oscillators, then it can emulate filters. There could be a dozen filter types (101, 106, ladder, sem, etc - there are 3 on their X series keyboards) available PER oscillator, with the option to run in parallel or series. Just engage the oscillator, pick the filter type and use the physical control for it. That would have been insane. But no, one generic multimode filter.
Agreed. They could perhaps do something like on the Cobalt8; emulating different types of filters. I reckon they will update the firmware with more filter types, in the future.
The zencore engine does emulate filters. It has models of moog, prophet and Jupiter.
This isn’t zencore, it’s a scaled down, crippled version of zencore
I don’t think the filter sounds that bad tho. Yeah it’d be cool if they included more filter emulations but the onboard filter itself sounds great
Here's an sh-101... With a different filter!?!?!
Why oh why
@@PorchBass so they can sell the filter models as paid updates to people later on
Idk why, but this thing sounds so uninteresting (the gear, your review is great). But I’d be curious to get my hands in one, and positively surprised
For me its the very first of its kind that does sound interesting. Old school retro Elektro in one Box.
I keep asking people what idk means but everyone i ask just says i don't know ?
Why not simply a vst plugin?
Better for performance and playability. Hardware is much more fun to play.
they should add some color on the screen, is it expensive to add color ? :o
Because i don't and have never used a computer for music.
still expensive
And indeed will it sync to other boxes nicely?
I think most people would be better served by the MC-707 for a bit more money. Or the Elektron Syntakt.
Not necessarily with the MC-707, it’s a much deeper and less intuitive workflow compared to this. Syntakt seems like a pretty direct competitor though.
Depends on why you're buying it. If you're in the market for a Groovebox, agreed. However if you want to expand your rig with sounds you can tweak without as many menu issues, in addition to it having a decent amount of polyphony and being multitimbral, this might appeal more to that customer
The Syntakt can do absolutely zero good snare sounds. Probably a good machine for some styles where snares are not important, but not for everyone.
Nah this is perfect
it is a complete product fail
Actually not having a keyboard is a pro for me, not a con. The real con of this machine is having a sequencer limited to 16 steps, it could have been 64 instead
It is 64 steps.
For a full on digital product without analog filters etc it lacks digital highlights, especially a color lcd with some animations. It would add up to the perceived value of this instrument. Smaller companies already do that. Come on Roland.
it sounds meh ... I like the form factor tho
filter sounds awful. they should have got the JD-Xi team involved. I'm so disappointed, it all sounds so digital the whole thing. plastic sound.
like I said in my other comment, they had one job. combine the JD-Xi and JP-8000 and make it all sound analog, perhaps add some way to provide custom samples
this thing is an abomination
I don't like to beat up on Roland, I am mostly a Roland shop. this isn't good.
I'm a huge Roland fan and this is not a good look.
The idea is cool but the synth engine is just incredibly bad.
All I can say is it looks coo, the drums are okayish and it makes a nice controller with the CC outs
Even my 505 sounds better
What's all that crackle shit
This is incredibly bad
Actually sounds really good but it looks absolutely awful.
I think it’s the other way round. A lot of annoying sounds but I like the controls
I can't listen to it this thing is that bad
Sounds like a toy. Not a real synth. Great review though.
A Moog sounds like a toy, recorded with a cam mic. 😊
sounds like crap
I hate Roland for this cloud bs I totally stepped away from them i started with them mc505 mc909 still got them … and I’ll never go back to this bs the whole aira line was when i realized they were going down hill well the mc808 too all crap horrible builds horrible sound horrible ui rip Roland they need a new ceo asap
Sounds good in other videos, but the audio here sounds like a transistor radio 👎
yes it sounds so depressingly bad