Jupiter 6

[sctt_stone]

Hi I am thinking about buying a used Jupiter 6 of Ebay. Are there any problems specific to Jupiter 6s that I should watch out for? Do any of you know of a reputable dealer who carries them.
Thanks

[Dirty Halo]

The Jupiter 6 is one of my ALL TIME favorite synths!

In fact, I think it is waaaaay unerrated in the Jupiter family, that thing kills!

As for anyone who sells them, you mean a good used dealer? I'm a bit confused?

-andrews

P.S. The Jupiter 6 has always been one of the more reliable synths, IME. And if there is a problem and you go through eBay, test it out right away, if there IS a problem, freeze his or her money. They also aren't hard to get fixed... but I've had mine for, God, YEARS and NOTHING has gone wrong (ok, knock on wood time)

[Phaidon]

Originally Posted by Dirty Halo

The Jupiter 6 is one of my ALL TIME favorite synths!
In fact, I think it is waaaaay unerrated in the Jupiter family, that thing kills!
)

I agree 100%

[sctt_stone]

Yes a used dealer. I bought my P5 through Wine Country, is there anyone like that around who deals with Rolland's.
Thanks.

Originally Posted by Dirty Halo

The Jupiter 6 is one of my ALL TIME favorite synths!

In fact, I think it is waaaaay unerrated in the Jupiter family, that thing kills!

As for anyone who sells them, you mean a good used dealer? I'm a bit confused?

-andrews

P.S. The Jupiter 6 has always been one of the more reliable synths, IME. And if there is a problem and you go through eBay, test it out right away, if there IS a problem, freeze his or her money. They also aren't hard to get fixed... but I've had mine for, God, YEARS and NOTHING has gone wrong (ok, knock on wood time)

[James Meeker]

Okay synth, sounds super thin though... Absolute crap for bass sounds.

[sctt_stone]

Im really wanting a great pad synth. I am happy with my P5 for bass and leads but its not really the sound I want for pads a lot of the time.

Originally Posted by James Meeker

Okay synth, sounds super thin though... Absolute crap for bass sounds.

[jonnypowell]

Originally Posted by sctt_stone

Im really wanting a great pad synth. I am happy with my P5 for bass and leads but its not really the sound I want for pads a lot of the time.

Yeah the Jupiter 6 can do really good pads. If you get it make sure you upload the factory presets. There are some really good pad/strings on there..

Here is a link to all the info you need... roland-jupiter.org :: Index

[teknosmoker]

...and get the Europa upgrade. With the RC release of their v.2 software, you can now layer patches, for much more thick/rich/complex sounds - and control their parameters separately via MIDI. Also gives you 5 times the amount of patch storage.

[The_Crooked_Man]

I'm actually considering getting rid of mine. It's in very good shape and has an ancient custom hardshell case that I would sell with it. PM me if you're interested.

[Dirty Halo]

Originally Posted by James Meeker

Okay synth, sounds super thin though... Absolute crap for bass sounds.

Man, different strokes.... I think it's so cool BECAUSE it is both thick, but also has a hard edge hat can give you those Crystal Method style bass sounds!

Plan with the two VCA sliders too, it KILLS!

The Jupiter 6 really IS a secret weapon... especially as long as people think the above... but hey, eveyone's entitled to their opinion.

-andrews

[sleestack]

ANother good reason to avoid the Jupiter 6, it might make you sound like Crystal Method

[Dirty Halo]

Originally Posted by sleestack

ANother good reason to avoid the Jupiter 6, it might make you sound like Crystal Method

Uuuuugh.... ok, cool guy, who is cool in YOUR brilliant opinion? There are PLENTY of great bands who use the great Jupiter 6

The Jupiter 6 sounds amazing . Do you have one? Go ahead, contribute...it's not that hard.


-andrews

[rachel]

What kind of price? When you get it, send it to a tech for a recap, calibration
and Europa Mod (about USD200 - but it is like $1000 value!). There are complaints
the JP6 is "thin" - I do not think so at all, but there are some mods to tweak the
VCA so it doesn't click and there is a bass mod if you really think it is worth doing.
Both mods are apparently very easy, but absolutely get Europa.


rachel

[inthere]

Originally Posted by sctt_stone

Im really wanting a great pad synth. I am happy with my P5 for bass and leads but its not really the sound I want for pads a lot of the time.

Roland's greatest pad synth is the JX 8P.

[JOliver]

I couldnt disagree with andrews more on this one. The jupiter 6 is hard edged cutting and thin (and thats it). every patch you create on it has a certain sameness of sound and I have programmed extensively on it. Also one synth I could never get to sit in a mix right. I have never heard it sound warm. I owned one for a few months but I could do everything and more with my jupiter 8 so I had to let it go. Id say if you want that thin japanese synth sound go for it but I much prefer the early oberheim stuff (Warm full and organic sounding). If you do want the early Roland sound I would go with a Jupiter 8 or an SH-5 (monophonic but sounds brilliant).
If you want pads though you want oberheim

-J

[alexp]

The 8p is good, but you cant deny the alpha juno series is right up there as well. Those pads are fantastic!



alexP

[JOliver]

the alpha junos are pretty bad IMHO. The 8p is nice and so is the 3p (every bit as nice as the 6 in terms of sound, in terms of programability not so much).

[Sounds Great]

Just curious, what can the Jupiter 6 do, or sounds can it make that the Jupiter 8 couldn't do and more?

[Dirty Halo]

Originally Posted by JOliver

I couldnt disagree with andrews more on this one. The jupiter 6 is hard edged cutting and thin (and thats it). every patch you create on it has a certain sameness of sound and I have programmed extensively on it. Also one synth I could never get to sit in a mix right. I have never heard it sound warm. I owned one for a few months but I could do everything and more with my jupiter 8 so I had to let it go. Id say if you want that thin japanese synth sound go for it but I much prefer the early oberheim stuff (Warm full and organic sounding). If you do want the early Roland sound I would go with a Jupiter 8 or an SH-5 (monophonic but sounds brilliant).
If you want pads though you want oberheim

-J

I'm not sure what you are disagreeing with...one of the attrubtes I love about the Jupiter 6 is what you say, it is hard-edged!

As for sitting in the mix, I've never had that problem. That may be more of a mixing problem or how it is used that the synth. Worth considering.

As for warm.... yeah, I do to my Obrheim's for that.

And my Jupiter 8 has a feel all its own

The Jupiter 6 gets my high marks BECAUSE of its sonic attitude

HUGEbang for the buck... while the Jupiter 8 is amazing, the opposite for its current prices.

(Heck, for some of the Jup 8 prices I've seen, you could buy a Jupiter 6 AND a new Prophet 08!)


-andrews

[Dirty Halo]

Originally Posted by DivineChemical

I think the Alpha Juno's are great, but not so much at pads but just plain string sounds. It's got a strange architecture, but it's useful in certain circumstances. The basses and hoovers are classic plus the PWM saw is just weird enough to work. But admittedly, I retired mine to live usage and replaced it with a JX3P, and I haven't really missed the Alpha Juno as much as I thought I would. At least I can get samples off of it if when there's something I want that only it can do.

Do you have the PG-200 programmer? I couldn't quite get into that synth over the Juno.

-andrews

[JDN]

are you people high?? the alpha junos are among the thinest, crappiest of the old rolands. totally digital, stale, and lifeless. About all they were good for were some basses here and there...they actually were good for that...but go to the higher range and they instantely start sounding like everything wrong with 80's digital synths...they sound like toys in the higher register, like the weakest worst generic new wave sounds ever...not good new wave strings and pads ala jupiter8, juno 60, and i love the jx 3p.

DC, do not regret replacing that piece of s with the jx 3p.

[rachel]

I must live on Planet Roland or something, because I have an MKS-50 (rack alpha juno) and
a Jupiter 6 and neither sounds weak or thin to my ears. I get these lovely filter sweeps
out of the alpha and my JP-6 has a lot of middle which can be tweaked to be bassy
or not. I wonder if some of the experiences are caused by older synths that need
a calibration or recap or just have got a few phase problems with the VCO patching
in the case of the JP6?


rachel

[clusterchord]

i wouldnt go Jupiter 6 for pads. great synth for cutting stuff, hard bass, arpeggio plinks/plonks, unison, sizzly curtis strings.. but not my go-to choice for anything warm or fat. not that thats a bad thing in itself. you need different analogs for different duties.


as stated already, go oberheims, like xpander or ob-x, or alesis A6. Jupiter8 does great PWM and glassy pads, silk strings and filter sweeping stuff etc, but i dont use it as much for classic "cholesterol" dark pad as i do ob and a6.

ditto on JX-10/MKS-70, even tho its seriously dependant on the on-board double chorus circuit, the end result is definetely warm and wide. absolute best buy in the analog pad world.

my 0.02

[alexp]

Originally Posted by JDN

are you people high?? the alpha junos are among the thinest, crappiest of the old rolands. totally digital, stale, and lifeless. About all they were good for were some basses here and there...they actually were good for that...but go to the higher range and they instantely start sounding like everything wrong with 80's digital synths...they sound like toys in the higher register, like the weakest worst generic new wave sounds ever...not good new wave strings and pads ala jupiter8, juno 60, and i love the jx 3p.

DC, do not regret replacing that piece of s with the jx 3p.

LMFAO!

Awesome post...... Seriously. That was so mind numbingly general and vague that it should get post of the day.

alexP

[teknosmoker]

Originally Posted by rachel

I must live on Planet Roland or something, because I have an MKS-50 (rack alpha juno) and
a Jupiter 6 and neither sounds weak or thin to my ears. I get these lovely filter sweeps
out of the alpha and my JP-6 has a lot of middle which can be tweaked to be bassy
or not. I wonder if some of the experiences are caused by older synths that need
a calibration or recap or just have got a few phase problems with the VCO patching
in the case of the JP6?

I'm with you. My Jupiter 6 w/Europa can sound warm, thick, thin. harsh, gentle, cutting, whatever.....Sure, it's not going to sound like an Oberheim or an Arp, every synth has it's unique characteristics. But to write it off as a "one trick pony" is kind of silly.

The notion that people believe the Jupiter 6 is only a "thin" and "cold/harsh" sounding synth sounds to me like service work is needed on their board or (this is not meant to offend anyone, so please do not get defensive!) have not spent the time & effort to really learn how to program it well. Program a good patch, put the board in solo-unison mode with a bit of de-tuning and then tell me that the JP-6 sounds thin... ....and if that's not enough for you, get the Europa upgrade and have the ability to layer multiple patches!

BTW - Larry Heard, A.K.A. Mr. Fingers doesn't seem to have any problems keeping his JP-6 from sounding thin & harsh....

[Dirty Halo]

Originally Posted by DivineChemical

To write any synth off as a one trick pony is ridiculous (except the Virus of course .) If you spend a lot of time with any synth, you will get great sounds out of it. I can attest to this having had to start at the bottom with $100-$200 synths (some of which I still keep around because they facking rule!) The Poly-800 is considered the bastard of analog synths and yet given enough time with it, if you can't pull some great basses and leads out of it, then you're just not worth your salt as a synthesist.

I agree 100% with the above (And am constantly baffled when people expect all things from one thing )

Get your Jup 6 out when you want that hard hitting pulse!
Pull out the Xpander when you want the warm pad.
Grab the WASP when you want acidy weirdness... and so on.

Sine when did you start do expect your Gibson 335 to sound like a Tele?

Isn't that half the fun of all this? (And this IS Gearslutz, so the "I don't own them all isn't an excuse )

-andrews

[majool]

I picked one up used (no europa yet) the other day at a decent price...

My thoughts are as follows:
1 - A bit thin, hollow (which is can be good, depending on the application)
2 - A polyphonic analog is a cool thing to have around...I can play chords! Yipeee
3 - Not 'crazy' about the filter...but it is interesting
5 - Cool for pads, ambient sounds and 'thin' metallic bass sounds
6 - Built like a tank
7 - Can't compete in the bottom end with a Voyager or early Roland

I was kinda hoping in the back of my mind that a simple patch would make me shit my pants in the same way that my Roland System 100 does. It definitely doesn't...but, it fills a void for sure.

Dare I say, I actually think that my Korg Mono/Poly has more balls and bite...but still, there is something nice bout the Jupiter and the extra polyphony is great. I think with some processing and running it through some other outboard (distortion/chorus/doepfer) that it can be prob be quite versatile. I'd definitely be bummed though if I didn't have other meaty synths in my studio...

[Mike6581]

Personally I quite like the Jupiter 6. All the Jupiters have their own strengths and weaknesses so it's worth bearing that in mind. The LFO and VCF of a Jupiter 4 can do things that you can't on a Jupiter 8 for instance. The Jupiter 6 is made with Curtis chips (unlike the 4 and the 8) and if you ask me the sound is somewhere in between a Jupiter and a Prophet. The Jupiter 6 suffers a bit from having software generated envelopes, unlike the earlier Jupiters, which means that it lacks a bit of bite compared with it's older brothers - thus making it a bit rubbish for lead and bass sounds. Great for drones and pads though!

As for the JXs, they off an unbelievable deal, especially the JX10s. You can easily pick up a JX10 for around £200 and that's an incredible synth for the money and I mean incredible! JX-8Ps and JX-10s are capable of producing some truly great pads, though not quite as warm sounding as the Jupiter 8. However if you consider that you'd be lucky to get a Jupiter 8 for £2000 these days, that's fair enough! The biggest downside is that ideally you need the PG-800 programmer. You can make patches without the programmer (using the alpha dial), but your levels of real-time control are limited to say the least.

As for Alpha-Junos, they are pretty dreadful to be honest. Each to their own, but compared to what went before them they make me shudder! The further Roland got from the Juno 6, the worse the subsequent Junos sounded if you ask me. And the hands on factor that makes the Juno 6/60/106 great has been totally negated in the same way as with the JXs, only without the better quality synth engine as compensation.