All about the Roland Jupiter-series

From: ndkent
Subject: [AH] re:Q: mks-80 vs. jp8: help me


> I know this has been bandied about. . . maybe too much.  But this question
> is giving me an ulcer.  I'm inbetween ordering an mks-80 or a jp8.  I've
> read the archive. . . and I'm not convinced that people liking one over
> the other are fully informed.  This makes sense. . . what person in their
> right mind own both at the same time? 

well they do not sound the same. I think you should just try them both.
I doubt you can at the same time, but still, they are not that rare. Who
knows, maybe something about one is a turnoff.

And of course there are the CEM MKS-80s and the Roland Chip MKS-80s, no
where near as big a difference than them and a Jupiter 8 but enough to
consider.

 But that's what I'm hoping for:
> somebody who knows both synths very well.  I have questions about envelope
> speed, midi-lag, "warmth", "fizziness," "fuzziness," "buzziness,"
> "bloopabiity," distortion, bass repsonse, midrange, etc.  Maybe a
> comparison of "standard" sounds: ie, square wave bass, pulsewidth lead,
> sawtooth bass, string sounds, etc.  

all that stuff is subjective. I think when you get some of these things
on decent synths it gets real subjective. Like when you start talking
about a Pulse and a MiniMoog. To some the Pulse simply does a lot more.
To some the Pulse simply doesn't have the important sounds they crave.
While to others the pulse is "just as good" or better on the basis of
Mini's being "overpriced".

to me it boiled down to something big and heavy with no velocity and I
never have run across one with SYSEX on the all the parameters, but a
hall of fame synth sound.

or something easily liftable and rackable, with velocity, aftertouch and
SYSEX on everything, but only a nice big analog synth sound.

So I've still got my MKS-80 (Roland Chip version) though a few months
later I just had to buy a MemoryMoog+ to get those big sounds I was
after (and far squelchier too)

Also, not that its a common synth, I feel a Voyetra 8 does all my
favorite sounds to my subjective viewpoint just a bit better than an
MKS-80. There is far less overlap in sound ability with a Jupiter 8 in
my opinion, it has that extra umpf whenever I've used it... but of
course no velocity, something I do use seriously.

tom m.:
> I could be a happy guy with a Jupiter-8 and a MiniMoog

see, I'd love that combo but without velocity... well I'd another
synth... but anyway I'd agree with tom.


> 
> P.s.: I just got my peavey pc1600 and it's a real studio saver.


though it works okay its awkward. I am quite happy with a Drehbank as an
MPG replacement after using the PC1600 for a while. I have to stick some
labels on it of course.

nick kent