I love my Jupiter X. The Oberheim does sound better in this single sound comparison you created, but each bring their own personality to the table. Roland Jupiter X suffered the same as the System 8 upon release. Each were misunderstood and those who didn't take the time to learn them will regret it when they finally decide to and both are discontinued.
I need to do a much more in-depth A/B between the JPX and the Oberheim & Prophet 5. My "logic" was lost in this video because most missed the point that the OB was in 8 voice unison mode - that's why it sounds so massive - while the JPX was just in single voice mode. Of course they're never going to sound the same, especially like that; I should have shown a truly 1:1 comparison. ;-)
Amazing demo! Jupiter X is a beauty. I bought mine 4 years ago and it is the most versatile synth I have, and I have a small collection of analog and digital synths (and had/tried more since I started making music in the late 80s as a teenager). I think the problem with people hating the Jupiter X (and Roland) is the digital synthesis, like if digital were something bad or impure lol Is true that the 1st versions of the firmware was a bit painful to understand, but 3.0 makes the X a completely different beast. The new Jupiter X model sounds huge and having the option to play 5 synths at the same time (4 synths and a drum part) gives you a lot and it sounds and feels like a classic Roland synth. I tried replicating sounds from my OB-6 and the Polysix, Prophet 5 and so many others, and you can get pretty close, so it can give more than just Roland sounds. Thanks for the video!
Jupiter X does exactly what i needed to do for 80's funk! And i was blessed to get it used way under what they cost today, no complaints. Ignore any hate about it. Get one, you will love it.
All I can say is thank you to Dave Smith for the Prophet 5/10 reissue, Tom Oberheim for the OB-X8 (and TEO-5), and Arturia for the Polybrute. They've delivered what we've been asking for years and not followed in Roland's footsteps.
Wow. Your ability to turn this thing inside out and put together a fun track is a pleasure to watch, Jim! As a piano player turned synth-enthusiast, it's just so helpful to see. I first starting looking at synths as a way to "fill out" songs and quickly found out that the kind of expression these things offer guys who have been whacking hammers on strings through a keyboard their whole lives is kind of life changing. Thanks for the time you put into this! I always learn something new and appreciate the RU-vid synth community. Cheers!
I am with you! I love my Jupiter X. It continues to amaze me after a year. My suggestion to anyone is start with the first preset and wiggle all the knobs and slides for at least two weeks. You will be amazed.
Dude honestly I've been unable to play music for quite a few years I sold my gear to raise a family and it has been a rough go without music my first keyboard as a kid was the yamanha PSR 500 and I upgraded to the SY85, I moved to the korg karma and then migrated to Roland synths with a fantomX and V synth I am a synthesis junky and love building massive patches that have velocity layers and linked matrix controls to play and tweak sounds live. I've been looking at the fantom 6 and the Jupiter xm - they are my dream studio - I literally got so excited seeing the Jupiter x played so well. I'm a fan now and will be watching all your videos I can’t wait to get a Jupiter Xm now so I can explore all the possibilities! I'm really excited about iarpeggio for building complex textures like I did on the korg karma. Thanks for the inspiring sounds brother!!
@@Jasonthebaldguy comments like yours, make my day. Thanks so much for simply enjoying it! I can't do videos as often as I would like because I'm so busy building Arcade Orchestra, but we should be starting to put out a lot more content consistently really soon ;-)
NICE demo! Love my Jupiter X. Have not used my System 8 since getting it. Picked up an Xm which fits in very nicely in my little DAWless setup. So it is a VST in a box. A box with lots of controls and a great keyboard. People gonna hate. That makes me love it even more.
I hate the whole "vst in a box" framing. "WhY WoUld I sPenD mY mOnEy oN tHaT?" they say, implying that it's irrational to buy hardware if you can make the same sounds in software. They don't realise what's at the end of that road = All hardware synth purchases are irrational. If your goal is cost efficient music production, you should be working 100% in the box. No hardware synth on earth makes a sound that can't be emulated in software to a degree that is good enough to make a hit record. These people imply that they buy hardware for 'sounds you can't make with software', but they're lying to themselves. They, like us, buy hardware because of how it makes you feel / inspires you when you work with it. And that inspiration comes every bit as much if you're playing a "vst in a box" or a vintage analog.
PREACH!!! And then there's the elephant in the room: even if you just use a generic controller and a computer to house all your VSTs, you are still using "VSTs in a box" and a decent computer full of good software isn't cheap. It's a dumb argument all the way around, and you couldn't be more right about the inspiration factor when it comes to hardware synths and the reasons we use them. 😁👊🏻
@@JimDaneker Also in the case of the Jupiter X specifically, they forget that it's an awfully nice box, with an audio and a midi interface in it... and controls that are higher resolution than most if not all 'midi controllers' on the market... and it's a box that boots up instantly and never had any latency or sync issues or dropouts if you have a browser window open at the same time. So even _as_ , a box to run a vst... I still see the value in it.
Everyone who is stuck with the thought that digital recreations can't sound as good as the originals are really stuck in the 80's and really missing out on the benefits. I celebrate these digital versions from Roland every single day.
@@BELLRECORDINGSTUDIO thanks for the kind words. I need to do another one that's actually a legitimate comparison with some of my other analog synths - most people misunderstood this one 😁
Thank you Jim, you speak from my soul. I also hear this criticism of Jupiter X again and again and consider it completely unjustified. It sounds fantastic, versatile and has character and has a fantastic keyboard that I absolutely love. And OS V3.0 was really a big step. I love my JP-X. Thank you for your awesome videos!! ❤❤❤
The Jupiter X is a BEAST. The people who talk bad about this synth simply never owned one or are just frustrated they can’t afford one lol This thing can single handily create an entire album on its own. It sounds GREAT isn’t that what it all comes down to at the end? 😂 LOVE THE VIDEO! You’re the goat bro💯
I own a jupiter x. It’s been odd to me to see the weird assumptions some people seem to have about this synth. Let me say this. It hasn’t ceased to blow my mind. Whoever put it together was a bloody genius. ✌🏼
I agree. The Jupiter-X is hands down the best and most inspiring synths I have ever played or owned (I cannot count how many). I don't really care about the various legacy synth recreations (I already have the System-8 for that), but the native Jupiter-X engine absolutely blows everything out of the water. There is just no end to its sonic potential. The Zenology Pro software may sound identical, but it completely lacks the tactile interface which make the hardware synth into an actual instrument.
I really love my Xm. I may get the full size X or the Juno X soon. There are so many positives to this synth. All that you mentioned plus the JD & vocal designer expansions, Bluetooth capabilities, audio interface features, & XLR outputs. The Roland Cloud resource and integration installs are so worth the investment and expands the Jupiter Xm. It took some time for me to understand the “scenes” approach and the step sequencer. Probably one of the best boards Roland has put out in a while. Best keyboard investment I’ve made since my Fantom X8 & X6 years ago.
I have an XM and recently picked up a Juno X when they were on sale. No regret. The Juno X is a bit smaller than the Jupiter X, which is great for my tight studio space l.
The patch at 26:15 sounds like a perfect patch for Betty Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes. Btw Jim, great video, as usual, and analysis of one of my fav synths. I'm with you, once they updated to 3.0, it became a new synth on its own. 4 Osc etc., now it was like having two JP-8 synths under the same hood. The fact that Roland includes so many other sounds/features, I think makes people overlook the fact that the JP-X sound engine alone is something worth having, and for a lot less $ in comparison to the other synth companies out there. I've owned everything, vintage to new, by every major player, and the JP-X is one of the best for sound and potential of sound creation.
Thanks for the kind words! And 'Bette Davis Eyes' - I've gotten to be friends with Bill Cuomo who wrote that tune (among several other whopper hits) - what a gem of a human being. Between that and the intro to 'Oh Sherrie' - the guy is a wealth of knowledge and FANTASTIC stories of working in the heyday!
So, thanks for confirming. The Jupiter X IS just a bunch of VSTs in a box. Though there are exceptions, the same is true for most current hardware synths in production today. Both hardware and software synths have their place in music production. We are blessed to have so many options that bring synthesis to those of us without the $$$ or the space available for hardware synths. Use whatever works for you....
I own a Jupiter-X. I programmed sounds from favorite factory patches also. Rather than pay $5000-25000 for an old analog, this keyboard is even better with the new technology it offers.i really love the effects and its actually easy to program once you spend time understanding the interface. I love the sound quality. I could listen to this video all night. The sounds are strong and full. Well worth the money I spent. Just wish bands used it more. Its really all you need. I do love the keybed, not chinsy and flimsy. The keys are a joy to play on. Definitely helps people play better.
Thanks Jim. I always love your practical thoughts and great demonstrations on synths. The Roland software based synths do sound really good, and Roland deserves some credit for what they have done to make Zencore, ABM, and ACB available in so many various packages (hardware keyboards and software on a computer). Choices are good. Like many, I wish they would release some proper analog synths (re-issues or based on past Roland analog tech) like Korg, Moog, and Sequential/Oberheim have, but I don't consider it a requirement to get that Roland sound. I have several vintage Roland synths, but I am just as happy to use my Fantom or even my MC-707 for those sounds as they offer other benefits.
The problem with the Jupiter-X, is that it’s overly complicated for the controls given and 95% of it is behind the postage stamp display. If they had just made a 1:1 replica of the Jupiter 8 using the ACB plugout, that would have been great.
I definitely have my complaints with it too - it can be a real head-scratcher at first. But once I really grasped the architecture (the Zenology plugin was a HUGE help, ironically), that made sense of it. But yeah, what I would give for a doubled System 8 in the Jupiter-X body!
"VST in a box" is irrelevant - My problem with the Jupiter-X is that it's not designed for their Zen Core engine. Instead it's designed with a layout to pander to the Jupiter-8 ABM template (a subset restriction of Zen Core).. but then they go and use their _second best_ Jupiter-8 engine in there. This thing has the same horsepower inside as the miniscule MC-101 (single BMC).. it just seems crazy to me that you'd go to the trouble of making a huge case that looks like a Jupiter-8.. but then not use your best Jupiter-8 engine (ACB) So this is a Zen Core synth.. but stray off the beaten path from the Jupiter-8 controls and you'll quickly find yourself having fun menu diving on a tiny screen. The Juno-X has the exact same issue. Zen Core itself is not a bad engine, it's a very nice sounding oldskool style virtual analogue (with some extras) affair. Roland's idea was to try lots of polyphony and layering rather than a heavy and accurate simulation. The problem is they already released ACB in the boutiques/System-1 and System-8.. it's much more CPU intensive but also more accurate. You can't put the genie back in the bottle, Roland They're using quad core ARM chips in all their products (from about 2016 still?).. and I think the real reason they decided to use a lighter VA engine for a while.. was to extend the life of these chips, and respond to people moaning about the ACB boutiques only having 4 voices (which is only as Roland put a single chip in them.. System-8 has three) It's really time they upgraded to a new 8 core or 16 core chip If this was a big synth with all its controls _designed for_ Zen Core.. then it'd be an excellent machine. But it's neither one thing nor the other. The MC-707 has a better (higher res) screen on it for Zen Core.. let alone the Fantom An ABM template is a set of restrictions, macros and scaling parameters on the full Zen Core engine. The JX-8P template is a travesty and all JX-08 boutiques should be thrown on a pyre for having a picture of the JX-8P on the box.. not that it in of itself sounds bad.. but because it's pitched as a JX-8P and they are just nothing alike The Jupiter-X should have had 3xBMC inside like the System-8. Ran ACB.. maybe even pair it with analogue filters for something special if you're going to have a big Jupiter-8 style case (although the ACB ones sound fine). Do something similar for the Juno-X running their 106/60 ACB plugouts Then there should have been a big Zen Core synth.. crammed with all the controls you need to directly operate Zen Core with minimal menu diving. ABM templates should have been an end user community feature, so users could have fun sculpting Zen Core to sound _somewhat_ like a variety of different synths. That would have added a nice fun factor into patch design. There is no way on Earth that ABM can replace a well crafted ACB simulation Maybe none of it matters if you forget about the details.. and like hearing the sound of Zen Core everywhere. At least with Gaia 2 (which I don't like the sound of for now) or SH-4D they are trying to code fork the Zen Core engine a bit to make them a bit more unique. But to me the Jupiter-X/Juno-X was just an extremely disappointing set of choices from Roland.. and I can't get on with those things I have an MC-707 for Zen Core and love the System-8 though (which you could argue is also a "VST in a box") despite the fact it doesn't run on electricity, but Predator blood.. anyway roll on the Jupiter-6 ACB plugout! :)
Good explanation. Back when I was still confused about what Jupiter X was vs. a Fantom (and the Juno X hadn't come out yet), I completely didn't get all this. Now that I do, I am glad I bought a Fantom and not a Jupiter X (personal choice). Since Zencore is more like a VST (meaning deep feature set like a VST) the Fantom is the better hardware UI to take advantage of it all. I think Roland does a disservice to the users by not making this more clear (what Zencore is vs. ACB vs. ABM, and the hardware synths vs. the actual VSTs). That generates a lot of unnecessary backlash.
Zen is only good on powerful systems with a lot of BMC chips, it sounds good on Phantom (coz it was designed for Phantom in mind i believe) but on less powerful systems it's kinda bland... Some people believe that Zen plugin gon give them the same sound...
@@djkanyon Zen Core was actually designed for the AX-Edge keytar originally. It just found uses elsewhere as a fairly lightweight engine. More chips for Zen Core means you could have more polyphony or for layering etc.. but in general it's ACB that is too heavy (it's simulating the original analogue circuits to be very accurate to the original synth) to run on the weaker hardware synths with much in the way of polyphony. Jupiter-X running ACB would manage 4 voices like a boutique The plugin should sound the same - but in the case of the Fantom, it has an analogue filter onboard too
@@djkanyon Zencore sound quality isn't related to number of chips - that only affects how many models you can run. The patches that you can run in common on both sound identical on my Fantom.
@Wagoo you make a lot of great points, and I share many of your complaints. Several of those are the reasons I gave up on this synth initially. It does have some really vexing aspects for sure, and I'm hopeful Roland has learned from a lot of the pushback they've gotten on it. The irony is that the Jupiter X was the answer to the pushback they got on the System 8 - when I think what people really wanted was an expanded System 8 in a Jupiter body! Here's hoping 😁👍🏻
The intro and demos sound epic. I'm actually surprised if the pro's of the Jupiter-X don't, in many ways, outweigh the cons for most people. This and TEO-5 are top of my wishlist, for my needs anyway. Either one is likely more than I'll ever need and desire! Until then, I'm more than happy with Arturia Pigments! Glad to see someone with experience put some perspective on Jupiter-X
Since Jupiter X came out I have much better monitoring. This video sounds fantastic, bass like an earthquake. I'm really impressed with this synth now. Lush, massive and, just wonderful.
I'm going round and round in circles trying to decide which synth I'm going to buy next - think this is bringing me back full circle to the Jupiter X! Superb demo and comparison, Jim!
Thanks Doug! Glad you enjoyed it. It really is a fantastic synth that covers a much wider ground than so many others - it's like a whole anthology of Roland's greatest hits in one box. It's not without its frustrations, but once you learn the architecture, it pays lots of dividends!
@@JimDaneker Looks like it can do the "classics" extremely well (to my ears anyway) - my only slight reservation at the moment is how flexible the architecture is, especially with the latest firmware...
@@dougjamesberwick2625 not sure I'm following what you mean by reservations about the architecture? It's probably the most flexible I've ever seen on any synth... do you mean the complexity concerns you, or? Happy to answer any questions!
@@JimDaneker Ah no, quite the opposite, was wondering if it was complex enough! Think I've mostly just heard demos of the classic Jupiter/Juno sounds, e.g., using that lovely chorus, etc. I guess I'm just concerned that if I bought it I'd just have a one-trick pony that could only sound like a Jupiter....In your experience, is the synth engine flexible enough to sound like "modern" subtractive synths, like the Novation Summit (excluding it's wavetable stuff) for example?
@@dougjamesberwick2625 oh my word yes - forgive me if you knew this already, but those vintage engines are just narrow slices of what it's capable of - but even within those, there are tons of capabilities because they've added modern features to those engines. In addition to the Jupiter, Juno, JX, SH, and XV models, it has its own native engine called Zencore, which is insanely powerful - I would put it on par with almost any modern soft synth. It's got 4 completely independent oscillators, each of which can be virtual analog, modeling, or sample based. Plus, you can tie it to a Roland cloud account (which isn't mandatory), and download all kinds of expansion content. In short, it's easily one of the most flexible and wide ranging synths on the market. If anything, more conventional synths like the Summit, etc. are the more narrow/limited ones with much smaller "sweet spots." Hope that helps!
19:41 THX Theme 😮😮😮 You're a genius, thank you for demonstrating the depths of this thing, it's literally all of Roland's synth greatness in one package
PS, I own several of the boutiques, and I can say for a fact, having owned the originals, that they sound just as good...Roland's ACB, ABM, and Zencore emulation technology are top notch.
Nice to see you, Jim! Lived in Nashville for 28 years, surprising we never crossed paths but glad to find you here. I agree on all your comments around VSTs and the quality of this synth. I have the Juno X, and the Fantom 8 EX. It's an explosive combo. For those of us who truly used the OG keyboards back then, I think most of the players from that time agree that the obsessive addiction to analog is overblown. For those that know, they know. Analog can be problematic, especially live. Tuning was/is always an issue with analog oscillators unless you add the digital circuits to correct them, at which point the analog vs. digital debates kind of get "blurred" to me, as with the Juno 106. I remember having to let my boards warm up for at least 15-20 minutes before tuning for a show, especially if they had been in the cold truck in the winter. They sound really fat in the studio too, but sometimes can get lost in the mix live - I've found the digital versions cut through the live mix much, much better, and have felt that for years. Thanks for posting this Jim, look forward to more content!
Great video! I’m an owner of both the Xm and Juno X & love them both. I do prefer my Juno X though….since I cut my Roland synth teeth in on a 106 back in the 80’s
@@alice1547 I’d have to go with the Juno X. The X can make every 106 sound plus thousands more….and you have to consider reliability issues with a 40 year old 106. (But some people like to go that vintage route)
Man I love my Jupiter and like you fell out of love didn’t sell it but kept in a case. Then the JD-800 expansion came out. I owned a JD-990 and regret selling it years ago. I pulled it out the case and loaded the expansion and WOW‼️‼️. I’ve watched your video comparing it with the System 8 I believe. I didn’t subscribe but after today I’m a subscriber. Us older vets recognize a classic. And the Jupiter is just that. I almost got a Prophet X from Sequential. I’m back in love with my Jupiter
I had all the original analoge ones including the 8 and I‘m totaly happy with the X. It sounds great and all the buttons and sliders do the same and make me feel I‘m back in the old times. And then the other possibilities… just Wow!
Phenomenal video, as always! I am not 100% sold on it sounding analog. Even in your comparison between the OB-X8 it has a little too much of that fizzy digital character and more of an Alpha Juno character to the PWM (which I know is analog but something about the PWM doesn't hit for me.) Granted your demo song sounds SPECTACULAR but I'm pretty sure you could make even Behringer's new Vintage plugin sound good. Does it sound great? Absolutely. I played with a friend's once and was immediately impressed with the build quality. Definitely something you could take on tour. For the price? Well it can certainly do more than a Polybrute-6 or Prophet Rev2 in terms of sound design. But in terms of getting you that analog sound which the casing and marketing clearly imply, I think the Rev2, Polybrute-6 or even something like a Novation Summit will get you there for less money. What do you think? And once again, just stellar playing / video production / sounds! 👏
Thanks as always, my brother! Admittedly, I didn't flesh out the "comparison" portion of this one (if you can even call it that!) - and looking back, I picked the wrong sound on the OB. The point I was trying to make wasn't that they sound alike (which I clearly said in the preface, but that went over a lot of peoples' heads) - but more to demonstrate an overall analog-type character: random pitch instability, overall low end warmth/tone, etc. So, that's on me, and I'll definitely do a follow up at some point that does a much better job on that. As for its overall sonic signature, I've heard it next to the originals more than once, and once people close their eyes and just listen rather than assume based on visuals, things get a lot murkier. I do think the System 8 (ACB) is Roland's pinnacle modeling tech for absolute accuracy, but the JPX completely stands up in any real world context. Alex Ball did a video that is a much better comparison with the originals... I'll do one as soon as I can. Got a buddy willing to loan me his Jupiter 8... stand by! Appreciate you my friend!
Great Video! I love the sounds on the keyboard. Ver 3.0 was very great IMO. Hopefully a 4.0 sometime soon. The ARP/Drum functions are great! However, I did not see a mention of the vocal processor. The Vocal processor is a massive feature IMO. To me, Jup-X is a lot of fun to play. Either recording or live. This can be a stand-alone or with other keyboards live. Love your equipment list! Thanks for that. Roland Cloud is great as well, the App USB dongle is a great way to go through sounds IMO on the Jupiter-X . From a mechanical standpoint, Jupiter X is solid. No Issues moving it around.
I appreciate your amazing skill and I don’t want to negative in any way-the patches sound great - but I can hear something in the high end that does not sit right with me. The best way to describe it is that it feels cold / fuzzy. It is not a lack or too much highs in any way. I kept hearing that on the Oberheim comparison. And I do love Vsts - GForce, Moog and the new Synapse audio Hz. On the Roland JX-8P - I have a original one and love it - again, I can hear the difference in the high end on the Jupiter-X. I really want to like it, but I can’t bring myself to do it
Thanks for the kind words! I fully expected someone to make these sorts of observations - it happens every time on threads like these. And yet I have to wonder, if it were just an audio demo with no reference to digital modeling, would someone say "man, something just doesn't sound right here - the high end is off somehow." I have extreme doubts that would be the case. I've done a LOT of comparing in the last few years between iconic analog synths and "recreations" of them, and while some are certainly better than others, our biases or preconceptions *always* inform what we hear. Always. Lots of double-blind tests have revealed that over and over again. Fascinating stuff. Hopefully the point comes across that at the end of the day, it's the music that matters, and if a synth inspires you, that's what counts. Thanks for weighing in! ;-)
Tbh, I'd ignore the naysayers. So many of these people are neither musicians nor songwriters and the differences between contemporary VA synthesizers and "Real Analog" only becomes more negligible. These people are cork sniffers and when you release your next video showing damn near identical tones from these two machines, they'll still find magical differences. You could literally just copy the Jupiter X tone and say it's a classic analog synth to fool them and they will still find "differences". You can bet on it.
@@JimDaneker Glad I could be a voice of reason lol. I think the Synth community is pretty bad with this. If I listened to online commentary, I would've never gotten into Roland or hardware synths at all without getting a vintage synth. I went and purchased a SH-201, SH-01 Gaia, JDXA and a Roland D-10. I love all of my synths but per the internet none of these machines are "worth it" and worse than a Juno 6 (not even a Juno 60 or Juno 106). But in practice, the features they offer, the tonal possibilities that come from those features on top of the price easily puts all of these machines over many "vintage" pieces of hardware. Daniel Fisher and the patches he programmed on the Gaia really opened my eyes and pushed me away from lusting Vintage gear. Plus, I think many of these people aren't interested in learning to program their synths and instead judge the hardware based on their presets not the actual capabilities of the machine.
Haters gonna hate. Truth is, I don't really care too much what's under the hood, it's the best sounding synth I have ever owned, and I've been through a couple, starting with my SH2 and Juno 60 in the '80's, through the DX7 madness, and then falling in love with the JD800 in the '90's, which I still own and adore. It took about 31 years for me to find a synth that I thought could compete with my JD. It's a matter of opinion, I guess, but as a working studio and live musician, I think it's a most excellent synthesizer.
Great demo of the Jupiter-X! I have the Xm and went through a similar journey. I got it 2nd hand 3 years ago, and did not really get it. I wanted to like it but it just felt confusing. Then came the OS version 3 and I installed it. I could not find any high quality sound demos of the Xm at that point, so I started playing though all the sounds and posting videos on YT, just noodling around. And the synth started growing on me. When I figured out how to navigate the system I really started liking it a lot. The Xm is great, light and easy to carry with me. But I'm consider switching to the X just to get the full size keys, 5 octave keybed and more hands on controls.
@@JimDaneker Oh, very fortunate having both of them. Actually the Xm grew on me so much, so I'm using as part of a live rig, the other one being a Nord Stage 4. Works nicely together!
Part of what is amazing is the fact the models are all of the ABM variety. The ACB models add a little something more in terms of authenticity, but it’s sooo close. Comparing the ACB vs ABM models on my Fantom EX, I sometimes PREFR the ABM!
Yeah, the System 8 just OOOOZES "vintage vibe" - those ACB models are the cream of the crop. What I'd give for a half-n-half ACB/Zencore monster all in one big Jupiter-style box, with the direct pure synth approach of the System 8!
Hi Jim ✋🏻… I’m new to your channel and you made up my mind for me !.. I am buying a Roland Jupiter-X … great demonstration.. thank you .. I’m am kind of a newbie to the world of synthesizers .. used to playing hammonds and a Vox Continental… these videos help . Now if I can find a decent piano tab book with the music from the 80’s .. I’ll be set .. 😊
Absolutely stunning playing and a synth that pretty much kills all others that are available new today. Also capable of reproducing the same sounds as vintage synthesizers.
I think most synth player border on snobby. But as a gtr player who augmentation and songs w synths. .. especially the juno. I think its a massive architecture driven composition tool. With top drawer sound. I just wish it had realtime recording for the sequencer. Like the juno x. If you can help me on this... a editor? Or another synth midi in while using the sequencer.... ? GREAT VID!!!!
For every knob-per-function Roland synth out there. PWM was enabled by a front panel button. In the Jupiter and even Juno X, it’s a menu dive. That is just infuriating.
To me there's absolutely nothing wrong with having virtual analog in a hardware box. The Nord Lead was a revolutionary instrument back in the day, and things like the ASM Hydrasynth build on that with further innovations (I own the latter and I think it has some of the most gorgeous filter emulations I've ever heard). But here's the problem: the latter two as I say were innovations from new ventures and brought something brand new to the synth world. In contrast, by sticking a lot of software in a box at a price level where all-analog instruments are readily available, and slapping the Jupiter name on it, suggests Roland are leaning on their heritage to drive sales. What Gibson have become to the guitar world, so Roland are now in the world of synths. Once you realise there are better, cheaper options (or that you can step up to analog at almost the same price point) then all you're left with is that name on the back panel.
I agree with some of that, but it's not about other options for me… It's about what each synth brings to my studio, and the JPX along with the System 8 cover pretty much the entire history of Roland in two great keyboards. The JPX is far from perfect of course (I wish it were more like an expanded System 8), but it's quite the workhorse all by itself.
I agree. I am really surprised at how many players do not value “the box” anymore. “The box” is the most important part to me. I absolutely hate that most gear has max 8 knobs on it nowadays, and companies seem to think the software is the most important part.
Thanks Jim! Agree on all points made. Such an inspiring instrument to work with. Endless functionality. Amazing sounding! Love that the design recaptures the JP-8 (that I´ve owned and loved more for its design than the sound). It takes some time to adapt to the thought of Tones (patches) residing in Scenes. Using the editor helps understanding. Moreover, the JPX integrates so nicely with the computer (DAW, editor, Roland Cloud).
Most importantly people need to spend more time becoming better players than worrying about what keyboard sounds best. Including me. I have a Roland Fantom 8 ex, Jupiter xm, and RD2000, I have had so many keyboards over the years, they’re all good in there own way, what’s cool about the new Roland gear, loads of sounds, great work flow and easy to use, yes maybe some people find issues etc and negatives. You have to look with better eyes than that.
Jim, really fantastic playing and the Jupiter X sounds so good that I have to ask this...are the effects I am hearing coming from the Jupiter or are you using external gear. Thanks a lot for your great demo and the time you put into making this video!
Thanks my friend! It's pretty much all from the JPX. I think I used a little Valhalla Ubermod on one or two accent lines if I recall, but just a touch!
I think the problem is that Roland has announced so much synths in the past which shall sound like the originals but the don‘t e.g. Jupiter 80. Juno-X and Jupiter-X sound like the originals and the poeple don‘t believe it. So I totally agree with you that the Jupiter-X is really underrated although Roland finally keeping the promise that a successor product sounds like a previous original. I know what I am talking about, because I have both.
I learned my mistake with the JD XA/Xi, where menu diving became the norm. It doesn't matter how well something sounds, if you have to surf menus, count me out. One of the reasons I sold my MC707 too.
Menu surfing is not required for any of the kind of thing I showed in this video. And even if you do want to dive deeper than the surface, there are all kinds of shortcuts for getting around using the Shift key - it's really quite fast once you learn it. I do agree the screen placement off to the side is just dumb, but I hardly have to look at it now that I know how to quickly navigate.
@@JimDaneker I never watched your video because I find them uninformative. I Joke I joke. I will watch the vid, I was pressed for time. I am sure you make some seriously valid points, the $ of an X is the same as a UDO S6 desktop here so I would go for that instead, even though it has no screen.
I love your intro track!!! Very nice!!! Analog or Digital is a futile discussion IMO.. as if analog is the only beauty that exists in music... total hype! A lack of perfection (the main perk of analog) is more of a pain than a blessing in sound-design. If you would want unintentional behavior, you can create it intentionally in the digital domain. The truth is: we don't need any hardware anymore nowadays to achieve any sound thinkable... But hands-on hardware just feels good sometimes... and has a big wanna-have factor... That (and for live performance of course) is why hardware still sells, not for it's synthesis possibilities nor for it's sound. Thanks for the beautiful demo of the Jupiter X!
I couldn't have said it better, and I definitely love my analog synths! But I would readily admit that on a purely sonic level, every one of them has been matched in software. Thank you for the kind words!
That's an all-time tough choice… I wouldn't want to be without either of them. For a straight-up time machine back to the glory days of the 80s, the System 8 is really tough to beat - it's 100% focused on all of those sounds. In fact, I love that thing so much I've seriously pondered getting a second one to have more plug out slots available!
The System 8 is much smaller - that may be a plus or a minus depending on your studio situation and key-bed preference. The System 8 is also the most intuitive synth I’ve ever used as almost every function is on the front panel. But it’s also green. The Jupiter X is so much better looking. Many say ACB of the System 8 is superior to the Zencore of the Jupiter X, but from this (amazing) demo I can’t tell.
@@dirkfierce2525 yep, it's a tough choice between the two. As much as I love the Jupiter X in lots of ways, I'd go to the System 8 first for the absolute best analog modeling - and for the straight-ahead ease of use you mentioned.
@@JimDaneker I'll probably start with the System 8, but after this video I'm very interested in the Jupiter X. It sounds huge and very analog, but super hi-fi. Reminds me of an 80s classic movie remastered in 4k, where you can make out the detail of the film grain. Really cool!
This is a fantastic presentation of the Jupiter-X. Did you edit the music with your DAW (e.g. layer multiple takes of the JPX) or was it right out of the JPX? Either way your video is fantastic.
I'm an audio engineer who has been interested in synths and synthesis since the 80's. I started making recordings with analog tape and analog consoles. I've used digital reel to reel decks, dedicated hard-disk recorders and DAW's, of course. Software CAN sound as good or better than hardware. BUT, if I'm working on a physical console, and it doesn't have to be an analog one, either, I will get a DIFFERENT result than thru using software; oftentimes that result will also be better. I'm not a hater; I use DAW'S daily and don't long for any hardware in my process(es). For me, there's just "something" about getting my hands on something that changes the way that I work. Software has come a LONG way! There was a time when I wouldn't use a plug-in EQ or compressor; I would even entertain it! Nowadays, I don't think about it at all. I'm always looking for a better, more "hands on" approach to manipulating software.... PS: This Jupiter X sounds spectacular to my ears! Thank-you for making this video.
Thanks for the kind words and the COMMON SENSE! ;-) And same here - for me, I love hardware purely for the tactile experience and the results that tends to inspire ;-)
Love you man, and support you to death. But it's absolutely clinical and tight to a fault; not loose enough. It's a working man's Roland, not an enthusiast's Roland. It's high-fidelity, surgical, clinical, digital. Prob sounds fantastic in the mix. Keep up the good work.
Appreciate the kind words! I would gently push back though and just say this: while the System 8 is the one that truly nails the vintage stuff, I've compared 'em both to some serious icons: Prophet 5, the OB, Jupiter 8, JX-10... and I would put both of the moderns within the same margins as any two vintage specimens. So much depends on the life the old ones have lived, how they were maintained, etc. So one man's "loose" is another man's "too wonky." 😂 Never fear though… I will be doing an epic true comparison video sooner than later where I get all of those legends in the room and really go at it. That will be a fun one. Stay tuned and thank you for the kind words! 👊🏻
I have the xm, and it sounds awesome. By issue is that I wish they did better with the reference manual and their education/tutorial videos. I mean, this synth is not a couple hundred bucks. They could have easily made the onboard "sequencer" as good as the jdxi. Im not selling this little synth as I got a fantastic deal on it. I just wish the documentation made it easier to understand this lovely instrument. Im probably going to get a system 8 or gaia for that knob per function UI.
Yes, it is definitely a very deep synth and takes a minute to wrap your head around it. There are also some operating system choices I wish they had done differently too. Once you learn it though, it's an absolute monster! Having said all that, the System 8 is an all-time favorite of mine. I wish the Jupiter X used all the ACB models of the System 8, and with the knob-per-function interface!
The people who are mocking the synth dont have one and have the knowledge in the back of their mind this not being analog. I just purchased it. Its a dream synth for life. It blows my Korg Prologue away, and I have owned several Juno from the 80's. It does match that vibe., It has a lot of movement in sound. I think this is their best synthesizer up to date. People hating on it are mostly the people who hate Roland for not making pure VCO analog synths.
And apart from the sound, Juno X (more or less the same engine than Jupiter X) is my Logic bestfriend when using a very light configuration : Juno X using audio over USB, makes the 3 (Logic on my laptop, including many Uhe, GForce, Synapse softsynths, a headphones and the Juno X) the only 3 pieces of hardware i need to have a very strong composition tool, with plenty of direct pots and sliders at fingertips, but a very little to carry
I still want the XM. It's like having 4 "almost" boutiques, all of their drum machines although I already have samples of most of them if not all, a top of the line piano model and the XV5080 all in one box. I'll get it one of these days
@@JimDaneker forgot to mention that. Quick question. With the ability to add other models, what's the maximum amount of models you can have installed simultaneously and will those erase any of the ones that come with it? I really wish they would do a D-50 model for it
@@avace917 I don't think there's a limit on number of expansions - it just depends on the amount of memory they use, which isn't much. Even the JD-800 expansion only uses about 350kb due to data compression!
I had 4 boutiques at one time and it was mess of cables and power supplies. Sold them all for around 300 each and voila, had a war chest for a used Jupiter XM. One of my best decisions ever.
What a seller, beginning the video by A/B-ing the Jupiter X with the OB-Xa. Not that I’ll get one, but the OB-Xa is the only better comparison I could imagine bouncing the X off of than a JP8. The inclusion of digital synth & piano emulations is probably for the same reason that Korg included DW-8000 waveforms on the MS-2000, Radias and microKorg models. There’s no escaping the fact that it’s in a digital mainframe, so why not include tones from digital instruments? Makes some sense.
Yeah, Jim, that’s what I like about my own digital Roland model, the VR-09, despite it being much more “slender” than this. It’s about accessing those ROM sounds and having them at your disposal just to play. The only time I’ve even attempted writing and saving one of my own patches on it (so far) was when I attempted to use the Dyna-My-Rhodes tone to emulate the piano sound performed by Robbie Buchanan on so many ballads during the 80s like the Laura Brannigan version of “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You”, the Sergio Mendes recording of “Never Gonna Let You Go” and the Whitney Houston versions of “The Greatest Love of All” and “Saving All My Love for You”. Then, there’s the “SA Piano” preset which is straight out of the RD-1000. That tone by itself is one of the juiciest things I’ve had access to in my adult life. I cannot underestimate how cool it is that you duplicated the THX sound bite at 19:39.
@@Shred_The_Weapon yep. As for the THX sound, I can't claim total credit for that… I stumbled on a Zenology patch that did that, but I just tweaked it a bit to more closely match that sound ;-)
I bought my JPX when it was first released. I absolutely love it. I can use it for 80's cover band sounds or for digital sounds. It's a synth I will never sell. The cons: It's way too heavy. It needs the organs that are in the new Fantom series..Upper left screen is too small. I also believe it's time for a Roland system 16 or 1000 with lots of polyphony and 61 keys.
Absolutely agreed on the System 16 - LOTS of people asking for that! I don't mind the weight though - it makes it feel like a real, substantial classic Roland synth ;-)
I like how you can split zones and program scenes. You can even route that to external midi. For example one zone could trigger a Prophet 5, the other a minimoog, the other could be internal sounds, and other zone something else. For live performances I love that option. As far as the sounds they are good. For certain sounds I prefer the analog synths I have. It’s like the Jupiter x is too clean… although I did menu dive to get the Jupiter x dialed in and it sounded great. You are also correct how it has that “Roland” sound to it. Since I don’t have any classic Roland synths I liked that. The rhythm/step programming I hated. I couldn’t figure much of it out. It would be awesome if the iarp could be ironed out and was easier to use.
Not gonna lie, this sounds good. Over the last 3 years or so "analog" VSTs moved up in quality a lot. The first one that blew me away was Softube's Model 84 (Juno 106 emulation) In 10 years VSTs are going to sound more "analog" than analog 😄
Haha, indeed... I've owned the Fantom too and especially with the EX version, it too is a monster! In fact I enjoy editing even more on the Fantom, ironically ;-)
This sounded damned good. I have the JP8 and 106 expansions in my Fantom 07 and they sound great. I own a real 106 and I’m impressed. The JP8 sounds great though I can’t compare it to a real Jupiter.
I find it that it depends on the sound when comparing to a Jupiter 8. For the kind of stuff I gravitate to (like many of the sounds I show in this video) it's essentially interchangeable with a JP8. Alex Ball did a fantastic video directly comparing the two and they are essentially identical.
Behind synthesizers there are not only musicians, but also lovers of electronics, from my point of view as an engineer, it is beautiful and fascinating to see schematics as complex as Roland's analog synthesizers, it saddens me to see everything now reduced to a CPU. with advanced technologies. Maybe for a phone or a computer they are great but for a synthesizer whose function is to output analog signals I don't see it appropriate, nor does it matter who says it, the X series will always be a VST in a box, in the few years they can be changed for other boxes with keys and cpu, not like the classic analog ones that are repairable and many modifications and clones can be made, as Beringer does by reviving the classic analog ones that will probably be sold, used and last longer than the current Roland synthesizers.
I get it. I too am an avid lover of electronics, and I fully understand the almost romantic nature of the old analog legends. I've owned many, and still have the Prophet 5, OB, etc. Having said all that, my over-riding priorities will ALWAYS be the end result: SOUND, and whether it inspires me. In that sense, I couldn't care less what's under the hood. And "VST in a box" is not a bad thing at all these days, IMO - there are some jaw-dropping software synths these days ;-) Thanks for your great input!
I could not agree more... A lost era of electronics engineering. Open a CS-80, or Jupiter 8, or OB-X and they are just as beautiful from an engineering and design standpoint as they sound.
@@robinsss manufacturing and shipping flagship-level hardware around the world isn't cheap; it's priced in line with any other top quality synth, if not cheaper.
So much to love about this synth, but so much to dislike for me as well. The screen position, awkward menu-diving, the poorly implemented aftertouch, and the synth action being just a bit too heavy for me. I just use Roland Cloud/Galaxias to get my Roland fix. 3rd Wave scratches my itch for sound design. Hard to have space for all these huge synths! Great demo, sounds huuuuuuge!
Yeah, it's definitely far from perfect, but I feel like now that I've really figured out its architecture, I can fly on it. And yeah, the 3rd Wave... one of my favorites of the last decade if not more. And now with the new sampling option, it takes it up another notch!
Heey, amazing review and video! Subscribed ✅👏 I have to disagree with you. When you make the comparison with Oberheim do you really think that Jupiter sounds as rich as Oberheim? Not to my ears. obviously the Jupiter X sounds good. but in my opinion it sounds bottomless, I can't express in words what exactly it is but it's far from the Oberheim sound for me. Anyway, thank you very much for this incredible video. Peace 🙏
As I said in the video, they are never going to sound anywhere near identical… they are vastly different. The point was to get them in the same ballpark, which I've done many times with different types of sounds - maybe I'll do another video that shows more of that at some point. The idea was to show that the JPX can indeed do a great job with analog-style patches. Listening on my large PMC mastering monitors, it is anything *but* bottomless… It has a massive, warm, fat low end like any good analog synth. Thank you for the kind words on the video! 😁👊🏻
@@JimDaneker Heey, for sure, the JPX definitely sounds warm, fat, analog. It’s very powerful. I just think the real analog just sounds better for what it was intended for (analog kind of sounds) 🙏🙏
Ha - I just made that comment to someone else - been saying that for years. The DX7 and every digital synth ever made are literally "VSTs in boxes" and it never stopped anyone from making great music ;-)
@@JimDaneker The first gen digital was lovely and grimy though, the DX7 A/D converter sounds great IMO, and hasn't been perfectly modeled yet. I have jettisoned the 14kg DX7 though, Dexed is almost as good and is lighter!
@@bengsynthmusic there's a big confusion in words department in synth world... the word "digital" used to describe both hardware synths with 5 grands worth of DSPs and cheap 5mb VST technology...
Cool demo...rich, nice arp, love it. Synth sounds smash a move a few yrs ago of workstation from Korg (blew up in storm) to MOTIF XF7. It does have a/e piano/orch/organ/FX/lead areas of versitility per the X. But as for a 6 sample/note source, XF misses tons in richness for what the X does in pads. Hoped the VSTi Ext would be a workflow plus in Cubase Pro...but big short comings in its functionality along w/the not great multi-timbral synth set up, and sound editor. The memory takes ages to UNLOAD let alone load up to a 2 GB platform, making organizing sounds to create flow/space=key, a hassle too. Even at 1/2 into a show/10+ minutes! I hoped someone would school me...but looking to move back to Korg for a WS. Model packs like vintage Roland/Moog etc aren't captured well. Uncomprehensive, 4 User banks, makes it difficult building up a efficient sound base (then there's its weird preloaded presets). Really nice sounds out of the Roland X. (A prog drummer 1st - TD-50)
Thanks so much for this eye-opening video. How does it compare with the Juno-X? Would a comparison video work for you? I am attracted to the Juno-X because it is smaller and lighter. Can it perform as well as the Jupiter-X? Do they both use the same firmware? Is the Juno-X up to date with the Jupiter-X at the game-changing V3.0?
The Juno-X is very much equivalent to the Jupiter-X in many ways; they both share a lot of the same vintage models (Juno 106, SH-101, XV-5080, etc.) - but they do have a few that are exclusive to each of them: the Jupiter-X has a new 4-oscillator "expanded" version of the classic Jupiter 8 engine, while the Juno-X has a similar model of that reimagines the Juno. It also has a fantastic Juno 60 model as well. And both can take advantage of all the Zenology content on Roland Cloud. So they definitely have differences, but one's not better than the other… It's just that they focus on slightly different things ;-)
Also an important thing to know is that the Juno-X has the cheaper keybed from the Fantom-06 series and the Jupiter-X has the way better keybed from the Fantom 6. I think Jupiter-X is the better choice, unless you're really focusing on Juno sounds instead of Jupiter sounds.
