Should i get the Arturia Jupiter 8

[Digital Send]

I dowloaded the demo of the plugin version of the Jupiter 8 and really like the sound and want to purchase the full product. But i find it a nightmare changing the knobs and pressing the buttons with my mouse.

My options:

1.

Buy the full plugin: Euro 200
Buy a semi-decent controller: £xxxxx??? what are my options? (also makes sense to get something that i can use for various other plugins etc...)


2.

Buy a real Jupiter 8: £3.5k ???? whats the average price of these badboys?? what should i look for?? rust lol???


3.

Some kind fellow on here gives me his for cheap




Please guide this padawan slut

cheers
DS

[Tibbon]

Someone almost GAVE me a Jupiter 8 for free, until she found her mom had sold it at garage sale for $100 a year or two ago. I nearly cried.



Ok, I'll admit it. I actually cried. No nearly about it.

[Mike6581]

Well as someone who thinks the Jupiter 8 is the best thing since sliced bread, I'd say save up and buy the real thing. No VSTi can compare to the real thing. Not only do you get the actual proper interface in front of you with all the proper knobs and sliders in the right place but the sound will just knock you for six. Obviously though, you have to pay top dollar unfortunately!

Though if you already use loads of VSTis that you like, then it might make sense to just go down the plugin route and get a really good controller keyboard with assignable knobs and sliders. It's entirely up to you.

Just imagine you're chosing between a Mexican-built Fender Stratocaster and a Custom Shop Fender Stratocaster. If you use a Strat all the time and you couldn't live without it and it's your favourite instrument ever, get a Custom Shop. If you just do the odd bit of guitar here and there, the Mexican version would do perfectly well.

As for things to look out for, it's just like any vintage synth in that regard. Remember it's a very complicated piece of electronic equipment that is well over 25 years old and will have probably have been worked like a pack-horse in it's life. Getting one that's just been serviced, having it's keyboard brushes, battery and capacitors replaced will save you a lot of meither over one that hasn't, but if you know someone who knows what they're doing with a soldering iron, this isn't much of an issue and even then you'll probably be alright - though make sure you DEFINATELY get the battery changed if the previous owner hadn't as the originals are prone to leaking and although the Jupiter 8 isn't as susceptible to battery leak induced death as a Korg Polysix, it won't do it the world of good if a load of acidic gunk is rotting through the circuits!

I'd certainly not entertain buying one online without trying it first. Things you might want to check are:

Tuning - are the notes being emitted in tune or all over the show, try seeing if the autotune button resolves this or not. If not, then it'll need a bit of TLC from a specialist to get things calibrated.

Keys - Check all the keys work. If there's one or two that aren't firing that's not actually that hard to fix as it's probably just a dodgy contact that can be cleaned. If every eighth key isn't firing, it's a probably a dead voice, which is a bit more problematic.

I could go on, but basically it's like any old synth, if there's issues then it will cost you a fair bit to get fixed and unless you know (or know of) a technician with experience repairing synths, you're done for. However, there's plenty of people on here who have invested in a Jupiter 8 and it's given reliable and dependable service (me included) so don't worry too much!

Tibbon, your story reminds me of the time I saw a Jupiter 6 in Cash Generator in Manchester for £300... Just as someone else had bought it!!! Good grief, some lucky bugger out there bought a Jupiter 8 for £80 - that's a heck of a lot less than I paid! Still, I don't regret buying it at all - I just regret buying all the mediocre VA synths I got thinking "ooh this is nearly as good!"

[Don Solaris]

Originally Posted by Digital Send

I dowloaded the demo of the plugin version of the Jupiter 8 and really like the sound and want to purchase the full product.

Hi!

I got one of these!




But i don't know how much it's worth.

Is $250 ok price?

[RobJB06]

Originally Posted by Don Solaris

Hi!

I got one of these!




But i don't know how much it's worth.

Is $250 ok price?

I only bought mine cos i liked all the different coloured buttons..

[Don Solaris]

I hate Jupiter 8 because it does not have a VEGAS mode!

I want a VEGAS mode !!!!

[alexp]

HA!



alexP

[Digital Send]

I am considering buying this.......only £4.50!!!

[Mike6581]

Don, I'll gladly swap your Jupiter 8 for a bag of Hollands Pies. Any Slutz from the North of England will tell you this is a great deal!!! I want to have the power of being able to use two random arpeggios at once.

[Don Solaris]

Originally Posted by Mike6581

Don, I'll gladly swap your Jupiter 8 for a bag of Hollands Pies. Any Slutz from the North of England will tell you this is a great deal!!! I want to have the power of being able to use two random arpeggios at once.

I'm so hungry now, it's almost depressing.








Sounds like a great deal if you would include the fridge magnet:

[revstate]

Originally Posted by Tibbon

Someone almost GAVE me a Jupiter 8 for free, until she found her mom had sold it at garage sale for $100 a year or two ago. I nearly cried.



Ok, I'll admit it. I actually cried. No nearly about it.

I think I just teared up a bit myself. I am very sorry. U_U

[sedohr]

There is a legendary Jupiter 8 for sale on eBay for the small amount of $ 5.999:

Veteran New York producer, composer, arranger and keyboardist Rob Mounsey offers his vintage Roland Jupiter 8 synthesizer for sale.

This is the actual instrument (Serial number 161556) that
• Performed nearly the entire track on Madonna's "Crazy for You" (a number-one record 1985)
• Performed on Phil Collins' "Against All Odds" (a number-one record 1984)
• Performed on Steely Dan's "Gaucho"
• Performed on Donald Fagen's "Nightfly" (e. g. arpeggiator on "I.G.Y.")
• Performed on Paul Simon's "Graceland"
...and dozens of other gold and platinum albums.

Now's your chance !!!

Kalli

[James Meeker]

Purchasing a nearly 30 year old piece of hardware like a Jupiter 8 is no small leap. You need to carefully consider a number of factors:

1.) What you are going to do when it needs repairs? Eventually this is going to happen. I'm not sure all the parts are available either.

2.) Is this the best bang for your buck? The approximately 4-5 thousand dollars you spend on a JP8 may be better spent buying 3-4 "lesser" vintage or newer synths, or maybe improving your recording capacity.

3.) You do realize that compared to the 'wham bam thank you mam' tools of today the Jupiter 8 is HORRIBLY LIMITED? Not that this is a bad thing, but you'd be amazed how many people are underwhelmed by vintage pieces because they are used to the super versatile, FX laden synths of lately.

4.) Have you given thought to how you are going to integrate it into your existing setup? Jupiter 8's didn't come with MIDI, they worked on a total proprietary Roland standard of DCB. There are DCB>MIDI converters, a Kenton kit and so on. This is going to be something you're going to have to think about.

I'm not trying to discourage you, or say the Jupiter 8 isn't a great machine (it is!); I'm just trying to prevent you from making a mistake. Vintage synths are a terrible "impulse purchase" for most modern players that aren't well versed in the pain in the ass of owning a vintage synth. I've owned over 30 vintage keyboards in my time and you really need to know what you're getting into before you spend that kind of cash.

In many ways owning a vintage synth is like having a 50's Corvette. Beautiful machines, but expect to invest a lot of time and money in them. You don't want to have to drive to work in one. They're for special occasions, kept in the studio and under a watchful eye.

Honestly, you may find something like the John Bowen Solaris more up your alley. Probably less expensive as well.

[James Meeker]

Also, I wouldn't hold your breath hoping someone gives you a Jupiter 8 for free. I'd venture to say that the JP8 and Prophet 5 are the two most famous, best sounding, most used, and best loved analog polysynths. They are both highly coveted pieces, especially if they are well kept and MIDI'd up.

My Prophet 5 rev 3.2 is in impeccable shape, has a factory MIDI retrofit and rebuilt power supply. It's an awesome machine that I picked up for a thousand bucks almost a decade ago. I could probably move it for three or four times what I paid for it in today's market because of its condition.

As time goes by these machines become more valuable. So yeah, good luck finding one for super cheap because most of them are accounted for and their owners know what they have.

[Tibbon]

Originally Posted by James Meeker

Also, I wouldn't hold your breath hoping someone gives you a Jupiter 8 for free. I'd venture to say that the JP8 and Prophet 5 are the two most famous, best sounding, most used, and best loved analog polysynths. They are both highly coveted pieces, especially if they are well kept and MIDI'd up.

My Prophet 5 rev 3.2 is in impeccable shape, has a factory MIDI retrofit and rebuilt power supply. It's an awesome machine that I picked up for a thousand bucks almost a decade ago. I could probably move it for three or four times what I paid for it in today's market because of its condition.

As time goes by these machines become more valuable. So yeah, good luck finding one for super cheap because most of them are accounted for and their owners know what they have.

The girl that was going to give me hers was a good friend. She'd rather have seen it go to someone that really wanted/needed it than just flipped it for money. It wasn't 'maintained' but was in her garage/attic for years, so certainly would need some work (although she accorded that it worked fine the last she used it). I told her what it was worth, but she was willing to give it to me anyway.

Sigh

[Diametro]

Originally Posted by sedohr

There is a legendary Jupiter 8 for sale on eBay for the small amount of $ 5.999:

Veteran New York producer, composer, arranger and keyboardist Rob Mounsey offers his vintage Roland Jupiter 8 synthesizer for sale.

This is the actual instrument (Serial number 161556) that
• Performed nearly the entire track on Madonna's "Crazy for You" (a number-one record 1985)
• Performed on Phil Collins' "Against All Odds" (a number-one record 1984)
• Performed on Steely Dan's "Gaucho"
• Performed on Donald Fagen's "Nightfly" (e. g. arpeggiator on "I.G.Y.")
• Performed on Paul Simon's "Graceland"
...and dozens of other gold and platinum albums.

Now's your chance !!!

Kalli

I know this is the part when I supposed to hiss and squirt on this ... but I think it's worth it ... If I had the money, and I didn't already have one, I'd snap it up ...

[alexp]

Hey I got my 303 for free, and a Roland System 100 101 and 102 for 180 Canadian



alexP

[Digital Send]

Thanks for the great info guys (i love this forum )

The price is defo my only issue.


For now the fridge magnet will have to do.


cheers
DS

[Mike6581]

I think a vintage synth's value and enjoyment is purely down to what you want out of it and how you're going to use it. I started out with a Juno 6 and all the subsequent keyboard I bought and used, nothing quite gave me the enjoyment (and sounds) the Juno gave me. As the Jupiter 8 is essentially like a Juno 6 (certainly in terms of the interface) with a greater scope in sounds and a lot more flexibility, I knew I'd really enjoy owning it - which I do. If I'd quite liked using the Juno 6 but preferred using my mate's Korg Triton I doubt it would've had such an impression on me.

[Don Solaris]

I would just like to add one thing regarding the price. Jupiter 8 is a high end equipment. Those who find it "expensive" should keep in mind things about the high end first. Want a simple tube preamp - prepare $2000-3000. Want a compressor, prepare $3000-4000. Want a channel or two of NEVE, prepare $4000 for a strip, etc..etc.

So giving 4500$ for a high-end synthesizer is ok price... Gone are the days of early 90's cheap garage sales... prices are returning back to initial values - that is - how much these synths are really worth.

[Mike6581]

Too true Don, that's why I made the analogy to Strats. A custom shop Strat would set you back several thousand pounds, so for a top end synth you have to pay to dollar too unfortunately. My bandmate plays PRS guitars, so he's used to not flinching at the thought of spending £4000 on one of his instruments.

For all the outrage surrounding the price of vintage synths you have to remember that there is nothing that can do properly what each of the classic synths does so well. If there was, we'd all buy them and vintage synths would become as obsolete as cassettes, 8-track and betamax. Yes, fifteen years ago you could've got one for a tenth of the price but that's an aftershock of post-80s lunacy. Goodness knows what people were thinking in the late 80s and early 1990s. Did people honestly prefer using a Korg M1 or Yamaha SY85 to a Jupiter 8, Prophet 5 or OBX? And besides, taking 25+ years of inflation into account, they're still cheaper than they were new (certainly in Britain anyway).

[Digital Send]

Out of curiosity, anyone know how much one was brand new in 1981-85??

cheers
DS

[Mike6581]

I believe you wouldn't have got much change out of £5,000 if you wanted one in the UK.

[crufty]

I personally don't think the synth is worth that much.

[Mike6581]

But is a guitar, tube amp or desk worth that much in the scheme of things?

[Don Solaris]

Originally Posted by crufty

I personally don't think the synth is worth that much.

But it's ok to give $4150 for this channel, no?



NEVE 8801+ADC

[crufty]

For me, it would be a waste.

[James Meeker]

Originally Posted by Digital Send

Out of curiosity, anyone know how much one was brand new in 1981-85??

I believe they went for around 4000 dollars.

Compare that to a Prophet 5 which went for around 3500-5000 (if you could get one) or an OB-X which could get around 6000 for 8 voices.

[James Meeker]

Originally Posted by Don Solaris

But it's ok to give $4150 for this channel, no?



NEVE 8801+ADC

Apples and oranges!

[crufty]

Originally Posted by James Meeker

Apples and oranges!

Couldn't agree more....


For a lot of the JP8 patches, a good sample set might be ok.

I'm not saying a sample set replaces a JP8, but if all you want is that 'sound' and you aren't fiddling with the knobs (as is the case in many cases of JP8 usage), a few hundie on a sample set can do the trick. Just depends on how much knob fiddling/expression one anticipates. A lot of jp8 stuff I hear is primarily background and not lead so the expression may not mean so much. But if it was going to be a focal point then samples may not do the trick.

No doubt a JP8 is a great machine, but for $5k you can do a lot, perhaps a lot more...