Is It Worth It? The Roland Jupiter-4 

The first time I remember hearing the Jupiter 4 and taking notice - I had great seats to an Elton John concert in 1980. They were playing the song "All the young girls love Alice." Right after Elton sings the title phrase, there is a very low synthesizer line, it looked like keyboardist James Newton Howard was playing it on a Jupiter 4 (unison mode no doubt) and it shook the whole auditorium.

Hey don't worry, this channel is off to a good start! I appreciate all the effort you put into your videos. You'll keep learning and improving, things are only gonna get better and better!

Excellent detail in this video! thank you for making it. I have a Jupiter 6 and now I have some baseline as to the differences between the different synths they made in that era!

Thus far I think, the last thing in my life I will give away one day, will be my JP-4... I love how it is a Jeckyll and a Hide in one. Most of the times, it sounds thick and fat as pig, and is able to blow off the roof, but to be honest, the times that I tweak it to the very subtle point, where I use only the VCO without the SUB, use an inverse filter envelope with a bit of added resonance, a fast attack, the noise generator and add on top of that a little bit of delayed sine wave modulation to the vco pitch, are the ones that I love it most and consider marry it... The fact not being able to edit the saved patches makes it that I use the memory banks sparingly and write the patches down on a patch sheet... Abertronic's demo on youtube, a few years ago, did convince me to buckle up, and drive to Berlin and back in one day to get mine. The LFO is fe-no-menal, I measured that the slowest cycle takes 10 minutes and 7 seconds to go around... On it's fastest, it's instant Doctor Who klang... A very fast fast fast attack on the envelope... Using the arpeggiator is even more strange, it behaves like a wild animal. You can force it in the direction you want, but it will do it on it's own way... Depending on which octave you play, it'll choose the range of notes it'll use and even random is a strange kind of predictable... Probably one can write a complete book on that amone. It has a preset that is called The Force. I mean, they had to rename that preset on the Promars to Synth II cause it started to make cracks in the foundation of the Roland HQ... The prototype was named PO-44 Spacebird, and there was one for sale a few years ago... The colourways of the SH synths... I lay the RE-201 over it, and it is Valhalla to me.

It's the best and least appreciated analog Jupiter at least until now but I think that's going to change... first poly by Roland with VCOs instead of DCOs, sounds like an angel's harp and the devil's organ at the same time... People were put off by it's organ like design but it fits a CR-78 like a Jupiter 8 fits an 808 and to me that's equally cool. The frequency range of it's LFO is crazy, the envelopes are as snappy as it gets and the parameters interact in an extremely pleasant way. Tons of character. I think this could become Roland's next "late big success" like we've seen so many times before... and I feel so very lucky I just managed to buy one for a good price!

Great vid as always! UVI has a Jupiter 4 in their JP Legacy collection (along with a 6 and 8).

Thanks for giving the Jupiter 4 some attention. The Jupiter-4 was first, the Jupiter 8 was second, and the Jupiter 6 was last.

Love videos on synth history, the technology, cultural impacts and practical demonstrations! Great video !!! Love it!!

I had two of them and sold the one of them. I am happy for having kept one of them. It sounds very good an d warm despite it only has single oscillator but it has t´s chorus to fatten the sound up.

For me, the most outstandig synth ever made ! I realy love my JP4 and I hope I neber have to sell it ;)

A great demo and I think an honest discussion of this classic synth

Great job as usual.

The JP 4 is a very unique sounding instrument. Nothing will sound like it unless Roland decide to do a zen core or act remake. Is it worth it hmmmm.... Still can't quite answer that question myself tbh. Loved the video and great points you raised. Would love to see you get your hands o some oberheims very soon or some of the older yamaha cs monosynths. Look forward to the next installment. Take care.

Always loved the jp4 sound - totally unique!! I first heard it on The Human League ep Dignity of Labour in 79 + Part 3 is the track that features it - arpeggio + bass combination is amazing as this is still one of the best instrumentals ever recorded!. When they are interfaced to midi they take on another dimension as the power can be harnessed within a DAW environment. Keep doing these vids and don't take any notice of your critics - as they need to put money where mouth is and step up to the you tube podium to produce the "perfect" video!!!

I love mine - a special synth almost unique with the best LFO in this galaxy / the fact that you cannot edit your own presets is criminal though....

Thank you

May I make a comment on all of your videos… I generally like what the work you’re doing! It’s nice to see someone take the time and show the real instruments instead of talking about something the viewers can’t see. No one can expect to be 100% technically right or historically right however, I think some of the corrective comments you get on your videos, are simply because you don’t have a script and you make up a lot of facts as you go and sometimes trip up over your own errors? For example at time 05:58, you referred to the JP6 and the Juno’s as having chorus fitted, then contradict that statement a few seconds later!..The jupiter 8 came out in 1982?? Stuff like this... for what it’s worth, I like the work you are doing and in no way do I mean to impugn your work... With a bit of preproduction, I think you could certainly achieve better results… Anyway, well done and thank you for doing them

My favorite poly of all time, always looking for one...

Which you spend more time with Jupiter 4 or Trident ?

Who cares how you play? (you play just fine) It's your presentation and knowledge that's so good. These video's are extremely watchable and very educational. Even though I know most of it, I am reassured the future is going to ok with guys like this in it.

Hi. I have one of those, but I have been thinking about selling it for a while now. Any tips as to where to sell stuff like this...Ebay ?

Love mine.(part of my Jup collection) . even has a midi retrofit. Basic note on/off... but damn... love it

Definitely it's own sound, but you can hear that the Juno 60 and the JP4 share some synth DNA. Really hoping Behringer come to the rescue with a reissue!

If it helps, in the TV series lost in space the spaceship which resembled a flying saucer was called the Jupiter 2! I'm hoping the midiopolis IO midi mod is still available, but if not I hope I can still get the Kenton midi mod done.

Yes its worth it. I got a mint condition one for just $600. LFO, unison mode, random arpeggio is wonderful. Unique sound is the best thing. Hopefully they never make cheap software imitation.

Seeing this you automatically think about Nick Rhodes and his phased strings on first D.D album

I´ve played the Jupiter-4 in 1979 whilst serving in the German Navy. In those days I´ve had a Korg MS10 and a (very simple) Hohner-Combo organ. The Jupiter-4 was like a step into a new dimension ... the sound was amazing but unfortunately unaffordable for me. Nevertheless a fantastic synth.

There is a very good Kontakt library by Tronsonic and Synth Magic, I just use it everyday ! It's cheap and much closer to the sound of the real thing than the Promars vst from Roland !

Please do a video about the roland jupiter 80

Any chance of a comparison to the new Jupiter-4 ACB Plug-Out?

Wondering now if there every could be a jupiter 4 , 6, 8 comparison video lol

As you say, assigning VCA to the bender is quite cool, not even the JP8 has that - don’t you want me babyyyyyy don’t you want me oooooooooooo dan Dan da da dan Dan Dan da Dan

they are all unique anyone thats says they aren't doesn't know what they are talking about, i have the 4 and 6 and my friend has the 4, 6 and 8. i love them all.

Cherry Audio have a Jupiter 4, the Mercury 4.

Is it worth it? Not at the asking price of around 7k USD on the secondary market. People are paying it I suppose, but some people have a lot more money than most.

ALAMO MUSIC: Is it worth it? ME: HHHEEEEEEEEECCCKKK YEAH!!!!!!

you know you can touch the black keys too

Great overview thanks, never played one ( so rare I probably never will I guess)- it really is a fantastic sounding synth........but it big, lacks any connectivity, &( unusually for Roland ) even very ugly. nowadays not that reliable and wayyyy too expensive so a pretty silly synth to buy now.... Weird to me even Roland haven’t made an digital emulation? Long over due for a modern clone!

Cool, sounds like a System 8

Heyy I found your Instagram but seems like nobody takes care about it! You should put your vids into it!

Well, Cherry Audio proved otherwise and as far as sonic character goes, the Jupiter 4 is nothing like the 6 or 8. I'd say it's closer in sound to the MonoPoly or, like you said, the PolySix; or maybe even the SH10.

Good vid. Too bad for the Musk bait tho.

Got me with that Elon comment. :D

May Yahweh bless you thank you!!!

nice fake out lmao. i actually googled it

Unique and quirky describes it

I dont wanna hear about Melon Husk. Geez. 🙄

Of course it’s worth it, stupid question. It’s a classic synth and still holds strong today. All classic synths are worth it, best music was made on them, not like the shit they call music today. They have these new synths and do nothing special with them, only make the same sound.

Really lame to say that lie at the beginning. It’s just not needed anyone looking up Jupiter 4s are probably going to click on this video!

Nothing makes me Unsubscribe faster than click-bate bullshit/LYING. I was already watching the video because of MY interest in the Jupiter 4, you don't have to sink to sleazy tactics