Rolands last true analog synth?

[natrixgli]

Guess it depends what you mean by true, starting with the Juno-6 they used DCOs which would not really be true analog in the purest sense.

I think the Jupiter 6 or MKS-80 would be their last true analog synth in that case.

[thong]

DCO are analog they are just clocked by digital means.
and the VCFs/VCAs are analog, sure the LFOs/ENVs are S/W.

[Diametro]

Roland's last powerhouse/really desirable synth imo (with VCOs) is the MKS-80 ...

All those JXes and Alpha Junos with their limited interfaces and slow envelopes just don't do it for me ...

[nebelfrau]

Jp6 mofuggah

[audioconsult]

Originally Posted by natrixgli

Guess it depends what you mean by true, starting with the Juno-6 they used DCOs which would not really be true analog in the purest sense.

I think the Jupiter 6 or MKS-80 would be their last true analog synth in that case.

come on.. nobody with a clear mind denies the junos the analog synth statuts..

when the juno 6 came out the word digital wasnt even used in the context of a synth.. that came with the dx7 and samplers.. it was digital when it had a floppy drive ..

[audioconsult]

i would say the jupiter 6

a real analog synth dont comes in a 19 inch housing and has knobs

[nebelfrau]

Originally Posted by audioconsult

i would say the jupiter 6

a real analog synth dont comes in a 19 inch housing and has knobs

Forever.


Are there any other Roland synths that let you pick multiple waveforms per oscillator?

[natrixgli]

Originally Posted by nebelfrau

Are there any other Roland synths that let you pick multiple waveforms per oscillator?

The SH-101 does. Each waveform has it's own volume slider in the mixer section.

[groundbass]

@ nebulfrau - not sure I understand your question, but a lot of Roland synths allow this, including the alpha juno that can have a sub, square, or - uniquely - a choice of saw tooth shapes. Other than the SH101 mentioned above though, I cant think of another that has such precise control over the mix, save some of the earlier SH series perhaps...

Also, I think maybe the JX10 was Rolands last essay on the analog subject, a spirited attempt to beat the DX7 - and an admirable job.

[ksandvik]

Originally Posted by nebelfrau

Forever.


Are there any other Roland synths that let you pick multiple waveforms per oscillator?

I miss my Jupiter-6. One of the most stupid ideas ever was to sell it and get a D50.

[TheBrightSide]

I read the other day that the JX10 was the last analog.

[dougt]

It was the JX-10 if you include DCOs. MKS-80 was the last with VCOs.

[Ghosted]

Originally Posted by TheBrightSide

I read the other day that the JX10 was the last analog.

The JX-10 was an MKS-70 with a 76 key Keyboard bolted on. Great for chorused layered pads, but I never liked the bass sounds that came out of it. The Alpha Juno/MKS-50 has a much faster multi-stage envelope and a better bass response, but it's a one trick pony - spacey filter pads and fat baselines are all it really does. Both were DCO synths.

The MKS-80 and Jupiter 6 were the last full featured VCO synths they made.

Then the D-50 happened....

[ChristianRock]

[groundbass]

Originally Posted by dougt

It was the JX-10 if you include DCOs. MKS-80 was the last with VCOs.

Who ever excludes DCOs from analog synths? The JX10 was the last Roland analog synth, no need for any qualifications -- jeez ---

...what a forum...! I think that picture above says it all ---- and curse all none-believers and in fact the creator itself who taketh the name of its own creation in vain by naming devil digital synths thus ... or somesuch apparently....

[BM0]

Originally Posted by ChristianRock

What is that painting? I find the added JP-8 to be funny and sad.

I like MKS-80 because it is rackmount and sounds great. No room for more poly keys in my setup.

[Ghosted]

Originally Posted by groundbass

Who ever excludes DCOs from analog synths? The JX10 was the last Roland analog synth, no need for any qualifications -- jeez ---

...what a forum...! I think that picture above says it all ---- and curse all none-believers and in fact the creator itself who taketh the name of its own creation in vain by naming devil digital synths thus ... or somesuch apparently....

Yes, and just as ChristianRock pointed out... What was their last GOOD sounding analog synth?

I believe the Jupiter 6 and MKS-80 to still be great synths even in today's enviroment. The JX-10..... not so much.

[Spectralwaves]

The JX10 is a fantastic synth , in my musical opinion much better as an overall instrument than the Jupiter 6 or MKS 80 .
I have owned, ( & still own) played & love both the JX10 & Jupiter 6 ( also a wonderful synth) for 20 & 16 years respectively.

[kirkelein]

Originally Posted by groundbass

Who ever excludes DCOs from analog synths? The JX10 was the last Roland analog synth, no need for any qualifications -- jeez ---

...what a forum...! I think that picture above says it all ---- and curse all none-believers and in fact the creator itself who taketh the name of its own creation in vain by naming devil digital synths thus ... or somesuch apparently....

I may be knitpicking but the word 'true' was used in the question. This leaves room for some interpretation as to whether DCOs are actually "true" when they are in fact not wholly analog. Take that word out of the sentence and I am with you 100%.

[Diametro]

JP6 was Roland's penultimate great analog synth ...

Didn't stop me from selling it recently though ...

A common complaint about JP6 is that it lacks heft at the bottom end ... It's true ... (Of course, you can run it through an EQ but I never felt it really remedied the situation to my liking, and no doubt it's the reason MKS-80 added the EDIT: bass boost, which really would have made all the difference in the world and put it much closer to JP8 in terms of desirability as an all-rounder ... But silk is not a word I'd apply to JP6)

Still, the sounds it does exceptionally well at (bright high-pitched wonders but still retaining analog smoothness) it seems to be the only analog synth to do those like that ... (The unison leads also scream but that's not really a frequent weapon in my sonic arsenal ... )

[Spectralwaves]

DCOs in the Roland sense are as 'true' analogue oscillators as any VCOs.

[Ghosted]

Originally Posted by kirkelein

I may be knitpicking but the word 'true' was used in the question. This leaves room for some interpretation as to whether DCOs are actually "true" when they are in fact not wholly analog. Take that word out of the sentence and I am with you 100%.

DCO's are analog. A "true" analog synth would have no memories, no MIDI, etc... Nothing digitally controlled at all. We need some digital control in order to save patches. We need some digital control to do MIDI. And in the case of a DCO we need some digital control to maintain tuning stability.

I just like a little drift in my "analogs".

[Ghosted]

Originally Posted by Diametro

JP6 was Roland's penultimate great analog synth ...

Didn't stop me from selling it recently though ...

A common complaint about JP6 is that it lacks heft at the bottom end ... It's true ... (Of course, you can run it through an EQ but I never felt it really remedied the situation to my liking, and no doubt it's the reason MKS-80 added the sub-oscillator, which really would have made all the difference in the world and put it much closer to JP8 in terms of desirability as an all-rounder ... But silk is not a word I'd apply to JP6)

Still, the sounds it does exceptionally well at (bright high-pitched wonders but still retaining analog smoothness) it seems to be the only analog synth to do those like that ... (The unison leads also scream but that's not really a frequent weapon in my sonic arsenal ... )

The MKS-80 has no sub-oscillator, just a bass boost circuit to fix the JP-6 lack of bass... they both use the same "voiceboards".

[plikestechno]

Originally Posted by Diametro

JP6 was Roland's penultimate great analog synth ...

Didn't stop me from selling it recently though ...

A common complaint about JP6 is that it lacks heft at the bottom end ... It's true ... (Of course, you can run it through an EQ but I never felt it really remedied the situation to my liking, and no doubt it's the reason MKS-80 added the sub-oscillator, which really would have made all the difference in the world and put it much closer to JP8 in terms of desirability as an all-rounder ... But silk is not a word I'd apply to JP6)

Still, the sounds it does exceptionally well at (bright high-pitched wonders but still retaining analog smoothness) it seems to be the only analog synth to do those like that ... (The unison leads also scream but that's not really a frequent weapon in my sonic arsenal ... )

You lose a lot of features going to a MKS-80 though. Also depends which MKS-80 you buy. I auditioned a late model one locally and it reminded me more of my old JX-10 than anything else. And I wasn't about to pay 1500 when I could just buy a MKS-70 for 500.

The bright highs of the Jupiter 6 are what keep it here. I've got enough things that boom and layered with my Juno 60/MD-8? Well...

[Ghosted]

Originally Posted by plikestechno

You lose a lot of features going to a MKS-80 though. Also depends which MKS-80 you buy. I auditioned a late model one locally and it reminded me more of my old JX-10 than anything else. And I wasn't about to pay 1500 when I could just buy a MKS-70 for 500.

Because the rev5 MKS-80 used some of the same chips as the MKS 70. The same filter chip, and a custom VCO designed to sound more smooth like the JX.

Try a rev4 MKS-80, much different.

[TheBrightSide]

Another way of stating the original question is:
"When did Roland start going downhill?"

[Ghosted]

Originally Posted by TheBrightSide

Another way of stating the original question is:
"When did Roland start going downhill?"

Well, they did the D-50 after the MKS-80.

That was still going uphill as far as sales go...

But I don't own a D-50. Never wanted to.

[audioconsult]

Originally Posted by TheBrightSide

Another way of stating the original question is:
"When did Roland start going downhill?"

they was pertty much on top of the game all the time.. just not in favor of the customers anymore..that happened when theire 80´s machines went way more popular than theire 90´s machines..and the answer on that..the mc303 ..a little ugly preset monster targeted to newbs made them loose the face... the mc 303 marks the downfall.. the jd 800 was still not a bad synth..just a bad looking one.. A big flop.. they try them out at ridicolous low prices in the end.. less than 1000...

[groundbass]

@ brightside Ya see, not this again...

'Cos in the wake of the overwhelming popularity of the DX series and digital synths they should have just kept making analog synths like,err everyone else?

I mean thats what Korg did, and Yamaha and Kawai etc etc didnt they? More companies that went downhill?

edit - same things being posted ad infinitum