so what do you think about the Roland MKS 80?

[perx]

What do you think about the mks 80 with the mpg 80.?

I hear its good on everything from fat basses to nice pads, leads.. basically everything.

If you own one, or used to own one or´using one, please post what you think about it, what you like/dislike about it, etc.

Thanks!

[ignatius]

owned one for a year or two. sounds great. really nice synth. can be HUGE sounding or nice and weedy. nice pads and drones and basses. it's sort of jupiter 6 meets jupiter 8 but then again it's its own thing. i always liked that it had XLR outputs. the output was always nice and hot. no DI needed.

the mpg-80 is a mixed blessing. sometimes it seemed to hinder me as the faders have a short throw and it was sometimes difficult to get where i needed to go when i just needed to make a small adjustment.. so i ended up using the front panel more than i would have liked. the motu unisyn editor is pretty good for it though.. good enough.

i ended up selling it to may for modules for my modcan.

i wouldn't mind having a jupiter of some kind though. probably a jupiter 6 w/europa midi upgrade from synthcom

http://www.synthcom.com/

[chrisso]

I agree with ignatius.

Only I was able to keep my MKS80 and add some Modcan modules.

The MKS80 does a great job with bass, drones and pads, without being the best in those categories. It wouldn't be the first synth on my list, but now I own one I use it alot.

[sleepwalker]

The basses and pads are pretty amazing. I tend to use other synths for other sounds. Honestly, I find this one harder to program than my other synths and I've got the programmer.

It takes effects really well too.

Originally Posted by perx

What do you think about the mks 80 with the mpg 80.?

I hear its good on everything from fat basses to nice pads, leads.. basically everything.

If you own one, or used to own one or´using one, please post what you think about it, what you like/dislike about it, etc.

Thanks!

[BF_]

The MPG is not perfect, but better than not having one. The MKS is portable, expressive and a great sounding machine with a fairly solid build.

[dan p]

i owned one for a long time with the programmer and i agree with Ignatious.Mine had trouble tuning up so i should of fixed it instead of selling it which i regret now.It had its own sound for sure.


Dan P

[vixapphire]

mks80 super jupiter = God of Gamblers!

all in all, a terrific and almost ridiculously versatile synth, and in a nice compact package (including the mpg80).

[yeloocproducer]

I may have one for trade... great shape, Rev 5, three RAM carts, programmer. LA area, PM me for deets.

[DevonB]

I think they are rediculously overpriced on Ebay....

Devon

[DivineChemical]

Originally Posted by DevonB

I think they are rediculously overpriced on Ebay....

Devon

Considering that a lot of people think that it's supposed to be a Jupiter 8 in a box, that's to be expected.

[Rusty_OHara]

Originally Posted by chrisso

I agree with ignatius.

x2.

I got mine ages ago (Rev5 & MPG80) lent it to a friend 2 days after I got it. And now he won't return it. It's all over every one of his releases. Says it all really.

[analogbass]

Originally Posted by DevonB

I think they are rediculously overpriced on Ebay....

Devon

Not really, prices aren't bad now, probably because there are so many more rack analog-type sythns available now than before. Prices aren't bad now unless the programmer's included. The programmer's very pricey, not the synth. I sold the programmer because i found programming without it to be relatively easy as well as more accurate.

[Beermaster]

Is rev 4 really that much different ?

[perx]

I cant make up my mind.. Im either gonna buy the MKS 80 with the programmer or a Prophet 08 Module.

I tested the prophet just when it came out, and it sounds great. Although I already own the DSI Poly Evolver..

I want that PHAT potential. The raw old sounds from the past. I want to be able to do deep and raw electro basses while at the same time do synth pads and cheesy sounds from the past (think Miami Vice or whatever..)

I see all that in the MKS, even though I have no hands on experience from that synth at all. I cant test the MKS either since it would be an overseas purchase. So simply gotta make up my mind and get it, then live with it. :-)

And its been a while since I owned a roland synth. currently only have the tb303 from roland.. so it would be fun with something from them. ;-)

Jesus.. this synth buying business is hard sometimes. ;-)

[Phaidon]

Mate go for the MKS-80 all the way!

I have both rev 4 and 5, not much difference really...

I think it's a wonderful synth,period.


Cheers

Phaidon

[analogbass]

Originally Posted by perx

I cant make up my mind.. Im either gonna buy the MKS 80 with the programmer or a Prophet 08 Module.

I tested the prophet just when it came out, and it sounds great. Although I already own the DSI Poly Evolver..

I want that PHAT potential. The raw old sounds from the past. I want to be able to do deep and raw electro basses while at the same time do synth pads and cheesy sounds from the past (think Miami Vice or whatever..)

I see all that in the MKS, even though I have no hands on experience from that synth at all. I cant test the MKS either since it would be an overseas purchase. So simply gotta make up my mind and get it, then live with it. :-)

And its been a while since I owned a roland synth. currently only have the tb303 from roland.. so it would be fun with something from them. ;-)

Jesus.. this synth buying business is hard sometimes. ;-)

Not that hard with any synth, just be willing to buy and to re-sell if necessary, at minimal or low cost. Personally i don't thing the new Prophet can stack up, especially if the desire is old-skool, which the mks has more of.

[jonnypowell]

I used to own a Rev 5, and didn't think that much of it... Quite bright and not sharp sounding IMO. Not so great for bass.
Nothing like my Jupiter-8 at all.. Don't know why people compare them..
They have completely different components. The rev 4 is very similar internally to the JP-6 which I think is a great synth. Yet to hear a Rev 4 though...

[DevonB]

Originally Posted by analogbass

Not really, they're not bad now. Used to be higher, not the case now unless the programmer's included. The programmer's very pricey, not the synth. I sold the programmer because i found programming without it to be relatively easy as well as more accurate.

Ah, now that I went back to look at MKS80 sales, I'm seeing they've gone lower. I just recently picked up an MKS-50 and was seeing someone trying to sell the MKS-80 and programmer for like $3000. That's too much, in my opinion when you can get a Jupiter 8 on ebay for "around" the same price.

Devon

[analogbass]

It's something like but not the same as a Jupiter 8. Still with the general Roland sound but the 8 has the earlier, more classic old-skool analog sound, the mks has your mid-80s analog-digital hybrid character. Not quite as full or lush but tighter more precise envelopes and midi that sounds closer to the characteristics of today's synths, married to a good deal of the older sound. Apples and oranges between the two, depending on taste.

As far as bass, it's not as ballsy as the vintage stuff but it's more powerful than the newer gear, while retaining alot of the advantages of the newer equipment over the older stuff vis-a-vis midi, envelopes, control, etc. It's one of the best if you want a mix of vintage and new qualities, better than the 8 in this regard.

[chrisso]

Mine sounds very ballsy and bassy.
My only criticism is it can easily sound very 80's. Probably because it was one of the bass synths of choice in 80's studios.
I have no idea which 'rev' mine is though.

--

I also agree it has some vintage vibe, while offering some of the advantages of contemporary synths (patch memory and midi).

[analogbass]

Originally Posted by chrisso

Mine sounds very ballsy and bassy.

Depends what it's compared to. High sound quality, ballsy in relation to today's stuff definitely, not as bassy or raw as a Memorymoog, Prophet, most vintage or modulars. Somewhere in between as would be expected from a mid-80s synth, nice mix of old and new that easily fits into today's sounds and sounds better than most doing so.

[chrisso]

Originally Posted by analogbass

Depends what it's compared to. not as bassy or raw as a Memorymoog, Prophet, most vintage or modulars.

Perhaps I haven't focussed on the ultimate bassy aspect then, because I feel my MKS80 can hang just fine with my OB4Voice, Sythacon and various modulars.
It's just ballsy and bassy enough for any bass part IMO.

[sleestack]

I had an mks-80. I want to get one again. I had rev 4..The more ballsier version I hear.


To me, it sounds like an analogue fm synth. Its great for miami bass sounds. Like chewy unison basses.

You will not get those silky pads you find on the jupiter 8. Its nothing like that. Its not a jup 6 meets a jup 8. I don't care what anyone says. My favorite sound is the basses. Its not overly sloppy fat like the minimoog. Its truly like an FM analog. Without the obvious programming for FM sounds.

[Jazzpunk]

Anyone care to share some tunes they've done featuring the MKS 80? I don't much care for the demos I've heard but we all now synth demos are only half the story. Love to hear how some of you guys are putting the MKS 80 to use.

[analogbass]

Originally Posted by sleestack

I


To me, it sounds like an analogue fm synth. Its great for miami bass sounds. Like chewy unison basses.

You will not get those silky pads you find on the jupiter 8. Its nothing like that. Its not a jup 6 meets a jup 8. I don't care what anyone says. My favorite sound is the basses. Its not overly sloppy fat like the minimoog. Its truly like an FM analog. Without the obvious programming for FM sounds.

Exactly; analog combined with digital, a nice hybrid. Anyone wanting to hear an mks can easily do so by listening to Madonna's music around 1984-85; Open Your Heart, Into the Groove, Who's that Girl and Isla Bonita are all mks on bass and other sounds. Same thing for Information Society late 80s.

YouTube - 80´s CLASSICS MADONNA ISLA BONITA VIDEO

YouTube - Madonna Who's That Girl

YouTube - Information Society - Walking Away

http://youtube.com/watch?v=xd6vTJePVuY


As far as which version is "better", it's an endless debate; i find that most of the different revs whether it's mks, mini or prophet really don't sound that much different, minor differences. Better to decide based on other factors.

[SWAN808]

Originally Posted by analogbass

Exactly; analog combined with digital, a nice hybrid. Anyone wanting to hear an mks can easily do so by listening to Madonna's music around 1984-85; Open Your Heart, Into the Groove, Who's that Girl and Isla Bonita are all mks on bass and other sounds. Same thing for Information Society late 80s.

YouTube - 80´s CLASSICS MADONNA ISLA BONITA VIDEO

YouTube - Madonna Who's That Girl

YouTube - Information Society - Walking Away

http://youtube.com/watch?v=xd6vTJePVuY


As far as which version is "better", it's an endless debate; i find that most of the different revs whether it's mks, mini or prophet really don't sound that much different, minor differences. Better to decide based on other factors.

Old Madonna-brings back memories!

Slightly off-topic but can anyone say how you get the rising arpeggio effect at the start of Lucky Star?

YouTube - Madonna - Lucky Star

[sleestack]

All of the bass sounds in this video are the mks80

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VW624VfP0U

[DivineChemical]

Originally Posted by analogbass

YouTube - Information Society - Walking Away

Information Society made some of my favorite 80's tunes. Ahh... the memories! Between that and the now infamous 'Rick Roll' track, I don't get how anybody can not love 80's music.

[Jazzpunk]

Cool. Thanks for the links guys!

[rids]

Rev 5 is better at pads and the Rev 4 for bass.

I've passed on MKS80s for $500, while nice, they don't seem to have the mojo of the JP6 or 8.