Analog vs Digital Synths: Roland System 8 vs Prophet 6 - A Modern Classic vs Classic Emulations 

"would i be satisfied...?" Scans the room to see 30 other synths... No... No you would not be.

I love my System 8. Last night I recorded knob changes in the sequencer, set it to random playback. Then I would play notes while the sequence plays random blips and bloops and screeches. It sounded like a Richard Devine track. Try it out. My friend said it sounded like modular synthesis.

The green lights on the System-8 is ingenious - on stage you can spot it from miles away.

Thank you so much! You're my new favorite channel on RU-vid!

I forgot to add on a previous comment. Your videos are really helpful and entertaining because they're authentic. Cheers dude.

This was awesome with some great insight. Would be great to get a studio tour too!

What a great video comparing the Roland System-8 to the Sequential Prophet 6! Thank you very much. You really came incredibly close to copying the sounds of your patches on the Prophet 6 on the System-8!

Excellent work as usual.....very enjoyable and informative.

Great stuff mate. Love your videos...whatever you feel about the synth is real. I mean sometimes it can go the other way and you like the sound (or look) of a cheap piece of gear, sadly often it's the more expensive one :)

Great vid Starsky! I really appreciated all your Voyager comparisons. That was my dream synth and I finally just got one! Now looking for something to cover my analog poly needs. I definitely overlooked the System 8 at first a few years ago. It just seemed like another gimmicky digital synth. But since learning about it's vintage emulation of synths I've always wanted - it's getting more and more tempting. The Prophet Rev2 is also a contender. We'll see what I end up buying..... but regardless, your videos always prove influential in that decision. So thanks again!

I've had the System 8 for a few years and I love it. It saves a lot of space having 4 synths in one that covers the early 80s Roland sound, as well as the modern features in the S8 engine. I still want a Prophet 6 (or OB), but they are all different enough to compliment each other.

I have both sitting behind me right now. I bough the System 8 first, back in 2017. I love it and wont part with it. But as soon as I heard the P6 I was in love. S8 has a lot in its favour though: FM is just brill Performance mode Menu system (it's a lot of diving but after living it with a while its like muscle memory and actually works well) Sequencer (especially motion sequencing)

Nice work! System 8 hangs in there on most of those patches. I'm pretty surprised really. Very cool!

The system 8 is simply stunning especially when you program a sound in performance mode which gives you two system 8s albeit 4 note polyphony.the menu FX don't make any difference to the front panel FX controls,which I think is a bit daft.at the end of the day,they are two totally different synths and shouldn't be compared to each other,just know that the s8 sounds fantastic.

very cool video !!! I have System-1, which is a much more humble version of System-8, I compared it with my Prophet08 and it sounds amazing !!!

I actually like the lights but I'm vision impaired so this is a big plus for me. Any chance of a vid showing how you made the patches?

Part of it is psychological, you know it's digital so you question the authenticity of the sound you're hearing. At the same time there is something to be said for a waveform passing through an analog filter- in my case it really does seem like pleasing sounds come easier with analog. That's why the perfect solution (for me anyhow) is digital analog hybrids like the summit, korg dw800, ensoniq ESQ1. Having the flexibility of digital oscillators and analog filters is the best of both worlds. Plus it kind of puts your mind at ease lol

Like I have said on previous Starsky Carr Videos - Starsky Carr Visuals should make you realise your ability to program is more important then the gear acquisition syndrome we have or are currently suffering from. He consistently proves once you can program, while you may never sound exactly the same, you can be in the ballpark to the point that even other professionals will struggle to hear a notable difference. Overall I am buying 2 more synths, making 4 analogs in total and then I am done! I need to work on my programming ability and understand how Filters, envelopes, LFOs, etc all work together to create a sound. That is far more important than working hard at my job for another synth to sit in my room lol.

Love my system 8.. 😃😃😃 great vid thanks

I really liked the System 8. Sounds great for what it is. But as a player, the slightly smaller keys soured me to the point that I sold it to a friend. Also the construction seemed so light that I felt like I was about to break it just playing normally.

Here's my two pence. Most people listening to music won't be able to hear a great deal of difference and when they are dancing with their friends, they are not going to get their coats and go home because someone used a VST or a behringer on a track. There is however a difference, but is it typically significant enough? The differerence between a vintage analog system and a modern replication is the same difference you will find between two different vintage analog systems of the same brand and model. The thing is with these old synths using old components, is over time they become unique through wear and tear until each one ends up with its own characteristics unique to that particular machine - its not to far off what would make the sound of a guitar unique over the years or any instrument.

This is great. Thanks so much for this. It *seems* like Roland might be losing the S8 in favor of all the Zencore stuff. It kind of bums me out in that I was just hoping to get an S8 and they would optimize their PLUGOUT plugin versions so they would't be CPU-heavy. I don't like all the menu stuff in the new Jup X. Basically I just want HW and SW Jup and Juno with patch compatibility. I am interested to hear your thoughts on the new Jup when you get it. Good thing I'm Subscribed! 😀

Wow! I love the green lights on my System-8. I even don a black and green suit whilst playing shows.

Great stuff!

Possibly there is no such thing as a musical or none musical sound. It all depends on context , arrangement and composition. Therein lies the skill of the musician and the openness of the listener. Possibly.

I spent almost 20 years developing synths for Yamaha R&D, and would have killed (at the time) for the power in the System-8. Having sat with a ton of synths of late, comparing... I have forked out for a System-8 (already had a System-1). IMHO it is one of the greatest synths of the last 30 years, and a worthy successor to the JP8/Juno106 etc. Owned a real JP8 and Juno 60 for years in the 90s, and the emulations are next to flawless, plus, with the green "dialled down" it's not as offensive :-). Great video Starsky, keep it up. Hopefully see you at Synthfest in Oct

I would really love a video from Starsky Carr about using a synth in a band and cutting through the mix. I absolutely love the OB6's of the world etc. in isolation or in tracks and with reverb pedals etc., but when you're in a band playing in a mix, it can be very hard to get it to cut through. VA Synths like Nord tend to send a bit less pretty/luscious, but they cut through mix like a knife. Would love to have a better understanding of why that is and if there's way to program around/account for that when using a thicker analog synth etc.

Per buck the system 8 is one of the most FUN and useful sounding synths i have ever used. Getting somewhere with your sounds is just so easy and satisfying with it. Only gripe is the cheap plastic case, but it is ridiculously light.

There were for sure differences in how the oscillators sounded or how the patches were set up. Usually I preferred the Prophet 6, but I think a little more tweaking, normally to throw the oscillators out of tune to each other would have improved some of the S8 patches. But the drum sound you came up with - I THOUGHT was coming from the P6 when it was actually the S8. So, I’m impressed with the S8.

Are the patches you created available to download for the Roland System-8?

I prefer the Prophet in pretty much every case. It has more life to it. Sure they're close, but you can tell which is which pretty easily.

I love the Prophet 6. My fav synth of all time. Warm AND transparent! It’s pure money to me, worth every cent. Thank you Dave Smith, the gentle giant of the synth world!

Thanks for taking the time to wring out a range of sounds for us to enjoy. The LED colour on the System 8 did put me off when I was on a shopping trip to Absolute Music in Poole. To my eyes it was ugly, more computer based game than a musical instrument. If it had been Casio branded it would have been passed off as a toy, despite the sound capability. If System 8 proves reliable it will make a good secondhand purchase down the line.

I had a similar issue with the filter knob audibly stair stepping on my bass station. I noticed it didn't do that over midi from the sequencer. So I use a midi controller to play it live.

The system 8 is a powerhouse I love mine

I like your vids, and your dedication to the subject. Try to giggle less :p. Keep up the good work.

I can watch sound demos for days... Or just one Starsky Carr video and completely understand the sonic capabilities.

I do love my green machine - the sounds are pretty awesome. The only thing I dislike is the lack of aftertouch. To be honest - I have a 106 and an MKS-80/JX-10 and can get very close to the original hardware as ACB is awesome, but there’s something about playing the originals if you already have them or they’re reasonably priced. If you don’t own originals or if they’re expensive to buy - the System-8 will easily get close to doing the job well. Fancy sharing your presets one day? 😉

I have noticed that it is a lot easier to get pleasant tones with analog synth because of its limitations. They overdrive more gentle than digital. If you dont know how to make certain sound i think its easier to overproduce and mess it with digital. First when i tried my System 8 i was stunned how harsh it sounded. Then i realized there are so many things that overdrive the sound. Not so pleasant in my opinion. But then i learned how to dial knobs back and control them it started to sound nice! Slightly overdrive multiple things will lead you to places that analog synth cant (volume, osc mix, amp, tone, fx level). Hundreds of different harmonics with same tone. I think System 8 would be great if Roland add same kind of modulation style like nord and Dave smith (Press lfo and turn destination knob the amount you want it to affect example) Or just add little modulation options under the menu 🙊 lack of fm modulation is a shame too.

I actually picked up a sys-8 the other day and I love it. But one thing that's strange- the jp8 plugout seems to not sound as plucky as the Roland Cloud version? It's almost like the envelope doesn't open all the way?

I don't know about you guys but I can hear the real analog synth from the System 8 a mile away. Doesn't mean the system 8 doesnt sound good but it still aint foolin me.

The last pad is very nice! ;)

I have the Virus and Rev 2 and S8 The System 8 is just different. It has its place and I like the contrasting green with black and grey of the others.

Great video! I would like to know, on the System 8 when you put SH101, System 100, Pro Mars, SH02, thoses are monophonic in the VST, but does the System 8 is able to play it Poly or they still Mono even in the synth?

I definitely want a prophet (possibly a rev 2, just seems like a timeless unit) but I do own repro 1/5 and it does satisfy me to a degree but I find using hardware gives me different results

Are you lusting over a P5R4 because its a P5 without service issues and the general vintage wonkiness? I have to admit I was also intrigued with the P5R4, but I have a P6 which ticks the analog-poly box for me very well. For me, the P6 is only missing a 5 octave keyboard. For us synth aficionados I suspect that in a mix it's probably very very difficult to tell the P6 isn't a P5R4 when using the P5 patches on the P6. Now, perhaps if I wasn't in a vintage FX unit acquisition frenzy I might consider the P5R4 because I just love the P5 interface and mystique. Thanks for putting this video together!

Would love to see a comparison video with the Novation summit vs an analog synth. It seems like such a great synth but it doesn’t get mentioned much or receive the same kind of love and admiration others do, I’m guessing bc it’s a hybrid.

Yes, they sound similar, but I can hear differences and I'm pretty sure the Prophet would inspire me a lot more. Music consumers won't hear this, but that's not the point. Creating and playing music (not consuming it) has a lot to do with feeling good and inspiring about playing an instrument. And there the Roland simulation box doesn't convince me.

I really love those custom patches, is there somewhere I can download them for my System 8?

One thing's for sure - even if it sometimes looks like they don't... Roland DOES know what they're doing (usually)! :) Still thinking about this one now that System-1 is discontinued. Just finally got a TB-3 and it's so much power packed into the form factor, I love it, really wish I'd gotten it new when it came out (loved the TR-8 and TR-8s, just was never 'sure" about the TB-3 since it seemed limited and on video it didn't look so nice, much different in person as many things are).

Nice job. Of course there is a difference between the 2 synths. They are 2 different engines and one doesn't sound better than the other. However, blind tests at university level have long proven that people simply can not tell the difference between analog and digital. It's also the musical instruments industry that wants you to believe that analog sounds 'better'. Well, as soon as we have a calibrated measuring tool that indicates 'better' or warmth on a scale, we might continue the discussion. And finally, if there was a difference, modern FPGA technology finally closes that gap.Sound guru Andrew Scheps explains on RU-vid : "Analog is a myth". And I'm afraid that if this multi awarded sound engineer says this, he's not making a mistake...

Would be nice to make a topic about your studio i am really interested in your gear

Your P6 sounds fantastic! I had a Mopho X4 which should have been great but was quite disappointing. It look a lot of programming (modulation with the 4LFOs) to get a nice evolving organic sound, and the very limited slop meant it always sounded contemporary to me. I bought a System 8 and it takes me straight back to the 80s and sound much more lush and evolving. In a way the digital recreation sounds more analog / less sterile than my Mopho ever did! Thanks for the video. I'd be interested in your thoughts on your ARP versus the digital emulations too.

P6 sounds warmer. I’ve used VA synths a long time and there is a difference.

You are a patch wizard! It sounds like the Prophet sounds had sharper attacks. Was the Roland unable to get there, or just some differences in programming?

Thanks for your comprehensive approach of your selected piece of the comparison: the analog engines. But don't you think the real competitor would be Prophet 3 which, cost wise, is near the System 8 with a lot of Dave Smith flavours that we like ?

I think the prophet barely comes out on top in most comparisons, in some subtle ways. Still very impressive what the system 8 can do!

Nice video - it's amazing how similar you were able to make those two quite different synths sound. You can actually buy wooden ends for the system 8 if it makes you feel better about it. Haha...

The Halloween machine 😂🙏🏻

A more interesting question to me is - what is the difference between a digital synth and a VST equivalent. Soundwise, should they be identical unless the DAC's in the synth provide a particular colour to the synth? With the Roland Cloud you can now have access to the System 8 VST. Does this/ should this sound any different to the physical System 8 synth? Nowadays I would only consider buying a physical synth because it represents an object of desire in it's entirety - the whole being better than just it's sonic part.

The system8 and system1 are both great sounding powerful synths. I don’t have a problem at all with the green leds, I actually really like them.

For me I find it challenging to get a satisfactory consistent analogue sound from digital synths. That being said, I like how digital synths can compliment analogue synths. We don't drive cars designed for Grand Prix on public streets and the same can be said for synths. Digital gear is excellent for travelling and recording, but without analogue synths as a baseline it's not easy to make those micro mistakes that give new character to sound, um... something like that, I think we call all agree we are firmly rooted in the hybrid arena :)

They both sound fantastic, IMO. The £1000 price difference should not be forgotten. That's a lot of money.

Both sound similar to me. Sometimes one sounds better than the other. Your patches are nice. I have a similar taste which made me pause for thought. Dave Smith pioneered the MIDI standard. Why didn't he create a protocol to pass patches from one synth to another manufacturer's synth. Or would SysEx work?

With the Juno 60 and 106 being SUCH a big deal these days I would love to see a video where you try to do Juno on Rev2 and similar prices instruments. Can you get close enough to the Roland sound which to me had that more trebly/hifreq sound.

Thank you Mr Carr..You can take the quantising off the filter...

Im still waiting for quad-timbral, 16 voices, analog synth with 32slot matrix modulation. With P6 sound.

prophet seems more "crispy" ?

Awesome

I’d call both of these virtual synths , the prophet has a lot more analog though. You should def check out “Scott’s synth stuff” and his system 8 vs Juno vs Roland cloud comparison. He does a very good comparison and proves not only does the Roland cloud not sound like the Juno 8 , neither does the system 8 plug out. In fact each one is different in ways that will make your head spin! He also shows various oscillometric representations so you can see the differences or similarities. The best thing to do rather than spend years and 10-20k on synths , but cheap airfare or drive to Fort Wayne Indiana , where you can go to the sweet water showroom and actually try every synth on the market .

. The Roland System-8 really is superb and possibly underrated but certainly under-appreciated. .

Maybe I'm misremembering, but I thought in your Rev 2 vs Prophet 6 video, you decided to keep the Rev2 and sell the Prophet 6... did you end up rebuying the Prophet 6 because of it's allure, or did you keep your original?

I think the System 8 is all the more impressive, considering the lifetime key $129 price via Roland Cloud Manager. I kinda prefer the Prophet sound in a few ways, but I'm happy with my single voice Toraiz AS-1 (I could multitrack). System 8 would be a lovely compliment.

System 8 reverb is bad in most cases except last modulation reverb (They all have some "cheap" "digital" ringing sound). Better compare them with some external reverb.

Woah didn't know that about the P6 filter. Definitely no way around it?

For me a synthesizer has to look appealing then the knobs and sliders have to feel quality and just make you want to tweak. Talent will make any synth sound great with a bit of reverb and delay. These old school synths for me tend to satisfy a long fascination I had since I was a teen . Being in Ireland nobody had these 'alien' musical instruments. I would see them on tv and hear them on Jarre records. Wishing you could play on one. So getting my hands on an old analogue synthesizer would be quenching my thirst from the past. They still sound beautiful. The behringer crave will get me through for now. Great channel by the way.

22:20 Paraphonically closing?

Digital: Software running on Hardware Analog: Actual current shaping the sound Everything has its purpose. At the end of the day the only factors that matter are how well was the software written and what makes sense to you, your workflow and last but not least, your budget. When i got myself a Roland Gaia i fell in love with this instrument because it had everything i needed. 3 oscillators, easy direct access to all values through sliders and knobs and also some built in effects and having everything saveable. And also coming with a keyboard i can actually play on (which i sadly cannot with just every key instrument). Best thing was i could actually afford it as it was a fraction of the costs of something coming from Sequential Circuits, Moog or others. Yes, there are limitations and yes it cannot quite hide its digital origin but it has everything i need. Should i really wanna go real analog, there's thankfully affordable competition in town now thanks to Behringer and Korg. Analog Synth wise we are currently living in fantastic times with so much to chose from in all price ranges, for all purposes and we don't even have to rely on overpriced vintage gear. Compare that to approx. 20 years ago. So i cannot really complain. If there's people who wanna spend a lot more on gear, let them. They probably have their reasons. Either it suits a need or they always wanted to have an instrument from such a company or they just can afford it a lot easier.

17:55 so true! Prophet 6 holds his power ... 👌

I think the selling point of the System 8 is the digital and fm Oscs mixed with the emulations. The System 8 has wood sides available. Don’t get me wrong, I love analog, as I was brought up on real analog synths. The prices you can get a system8 for make it a worth while purchase for certain sounds. Stick a cheap analog mono through the S8 and mix in its digital goodness for some real interesting possibilities. Now Roland should be hung up for not having aftertouch imho! Also, they should have given the option to change the light colours. Nice look at two interesting keyboard synths.

I think there is space for both. Though when I’m in the mood for analog I don’t want to have to search through a load of digital patches to find the emulation. The beauty of an analog synth is that it can only ever sound like an analog synth. Yum.

Vintage gear is an investment in that in itself it has value. It’s like a diamond ring or gold. Digital synths are more utilitarian, they do the job but will never appreciate in value as software are basically identical. Just my observation and I could be wrong.

I think the Prophet 6 sounds more alive. On some patches I can hear it more int the stereo field while the S8 sounds more flat.

The difference to me is very obvious. Is it worth 3x the price? Everybody needs to decide this for themselves. Can you produce professional music with the System 8? Of course. But: I would go for the Prophet in a heartbeat.

I'm big fan of System 8 but, it will never, never find the attack of an analog synth. P6 has this raw (almost like some acoustic instrument) and present pluck sound at the first transient touch. That I can't get on the S8. Unfortunately.

I have to hand it to the system 8, it does sound great for analog modeling! Roland has done a great job with that! However, even via youtube, I can hear the difference between the P6 and System 8 - The prophet 6 seems to have more presence to it, sounds much more like an actual instrument in the room with you instead of an emulation of one. I know this sounds purist, but I can just hear the difference. I tried the P6 and OB6 vs a Novation Summit recently, and I could tell a BIG difference in sound quality. The P6 and OB6 were much thicker in tone and much easier to hit sweet spots on as well. Ultimately, you should go after what inspires you the most, and if your ears are not as sensitive as mine are, and you can find inspiration in the system 8 and the likes, all power to you! I will just say that objectively there is a difference, but subjectively you can prefer whatever you like!

Why not compare the System-8 models to their originals?

I think people just need to embrace the character of digital synths as a compliment to analog gear. I wouldn’t use the System 8 for its Jupiter or Juno emulations but I would absolutely use the FM oscillators to play alongside the Prophet 6.

After all my comments and searching.... I think I'm going to go for the System 8... I overlooked it because it was hecka ugly, and I thought it'd be really confusing with their reputation of Menu diving with all those knobs. After looking into what the knobs are for and realising there's really not that much menu diving (plus 1,2,3 patch changing) and the bonus that it has 3 synths in one (plus a 4th if I do) Should I not become weak and get that new snazzy looking black Minifreak. I really need to get a polyphonic advanced synth to compliment my monophonic Moog. I would prefer the Prophet 6, but hey, it's 2~ times the price. I just haven't found much of a reason to look at Roland because they don't give a vibe of what makes them unique. Moog has it. Behringer somehow has it. Sequential has it. Arturia has it. I don't know why Roland doesn't...

Hahaha, halloween machine! I definitely dig the look of the system 8, but if that green was red/blue instead.. ooft.

The System-8 is so low on my list, it may as well not be there … I wonder whether the next gen of Roland devices will bring us an ACB (or analog?!!) Flagship synth to really get excited about (with a full-sized, 5 octave, quality keybed with [polyphonic?!] aftertouch?!!) … 🤔

I think we are all fetishists that get turned on by seeing old analog gear with lots of switches and knobs. However, I find it humorous all the purists who talk about the "analog sound" but then process the synth's audio with a bunch of VSTs in their DAW or outboard gear. Don't even get me started on the trend of using "lo-fi" effects to inject faux dirty signal, hum, vinyl scratches & pops and tape wow & flutter into music. What's the purpose of that? Are there any audiophiles out there saying "Listen to how faithfully my $10,000 speakers reproduce the sound of dust on an old 33 rpm record"? 🙄

the snap is all what make the difference ahah

Roland is like a fine vsti... and the prophet warm and real synth! Pure and bright sounds 😍

I suppose the key thing to ask is how do they sound in a real world mix? P.S. I assume you do know you can change the green colour of the System 8 to whatever you like? 😎

No denying the Prophet and Oberheim polys sound the best but the System 8 is cheaper and gives you amazing analog emulation and I feel it looks lovely and sounds extremely good. I prefer the System 8 in the end.

I think having the ability to jam with a synthesizer is often undervalued. At first glance the Roland, being a fully DSP synth, doesn't make a whole lot of sense given that most plugin synths are far cheaper and more versatile. However, what plugins don't offer is the kind of tactile feedback and expression possibilities you get with a physical knob-per-function unit. The System 8 offers this experience while maintaining the depths of sound design that a digital system is capable of. I could easily see myself getting lost in it. The P6 not so much.

It would be interesting to see Jupiter x vs the system 8. 2 different acb against each other

shocked the system 8 sounds so amazing

I know it shouldn't matter, but adding the aluminium end panels to s8 makes it much more aesthetically pleasing.