All about the Roland Jupiter-series

I've read through the install instructions for Europa, and am 
surprised as to how reasonable the install fee is.

Although the procedure is very well documented and fairly 
straightforward, the potential for someone of less than mil-spec 
skills to hose the processor board is quite substantial. The issue 
here is not completely based upon your skills, we're talking about 
boards with two decades of use. It's not like you can find one at the 
local Shady O' Rack.

Anyone that has spent time inside the JP-6 can vouch for it's 
relative simplicity - no stacked boards like the MKS-80 or OB-8, 
orderly cable routings, and some degree of slack. I've been inside 
mine a bunch of times, mainly for the semi-annual calibration.

And there's absolutely no way I can justify the $30 savings in time 
and potential screw-ups. I'm not sure as to whether Synthcom actually 
mods the exact board that a client sends in (never asked), but I 
can't see this mod taking less than 45 minutes to an hour to complete 
and drop into a test jig. It seems too cheap to pass on. The only 
downside I can see in letting Synthcom do the mod is in the shipping 
of the processor board. If the shipping companies hose the board en 
route, you have one dead JP-6 and not much hope. I plan on sending 
mine insured full boat, both ways.

You can also have the mod done locally, by a competent shop. I'm 
guessing the install cost is closer to $150 via that route, and 
there's the added delay as well.

Other than that, I'm absolutely drooling at the potential for JP-6 
sysex. Oooohhh, sysex. Not to mention software potential for up to 
255 patches onboard (last time I emailed Synthcom, they alluded to a 
beta version that would have this. If this is not correct, don't 
blame Synthcom, I probably heard it wrong).

Now, if they could work their magic with an MKS-80...