@@jfphotoandlife8287 I think so too. Some virtual emulations are very good nowadays and even more so when coupled witha solid hardware innterface like the Sysrem 1 and System 8. I think these machines really cappure the Roland "vibe" - though I'm sure many will disagree 😊
Yes, I had one several years ago and foolishly sold it. Now I am trying to reacquire it 2nd hand, but they are really, really rare. People seem to stick to them.
23:17 - this was fixed in version 1.20 for anyone reading this now The lack of aftertouch was a huge miss to be honest, especially since there’s an unpopulated aftertouch ribbon controller port inside it - but it’s still an excellent synth.
Hi, so they fixed the problem so you can now save the state of the entire sound you made? Is that what your saying? I'm thinking of getting one but I if it can't save a patch fully I make then it's a no go for me.
The great unsung synth of the past 10 years. Sonically beautiful, still being updated. If they would only put that ACB engine into a JP-X build quality case, with Zencore as well, they'd have the greatest synth on the market right now
I am not disappointed with the system 8. It is an unusual machine and I love it. I get all the best Roland Machines in one unit. Very Happy with what Roland gave me. Love your reviews. It shows me much more of what I have in my system. I have a classic synth to take with me in my journey.
I think Roland did a good job on it and just followed their own strategy. I had the chance to test it in a store for an hour or so and found it quite intuitive and fun to play. Lots of options. It's finally a worthy successor of the JP-8000 with a higher digital resolution.
@@cylonik Not new but in absolutely mint condition. Boxed with all original wrappings. Couldn't believe it when it arrived! FB marketplace was on my side that day
Many of the sounds I've heard coming out of this synth have a unique and interesting character. My ears are a fan of this synth. Ultimately the sound is what matters most to me, and I think designing sounds with this will be a great experience.
Nick, great review once again - top job! As you know I've recently got one too. The reason for the comment tho, is to point the finger at the people here who think this synth sounds "digital", "thin" or "like a VST". I'm not sure what rock they crawled out of - but this synth doesn't even come close to sounding like that, and I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinion. There are plenty of us who will quite vocally beg to differ! However, if you're basing your opinion on watching a few videos (or even just this one) - this is going to be trouble for you. Even playing one in a store for 5 mins wont do it. I did that a few months ago - and wasn't amazed either. The presets are poor. What you need to do is grab a loan machine and take it away for a weekend - noodle your way into the depths of this. It is really deep and surprising. I agree with Nick, the plug-outs aren't needed to give this synth it's own character. But they certainly are a bonus.
Now THIS is what I call a gear review. Not like some other rather popular channel where every "review" is just a string of distracting animations before finishing a sentence. And at the end you're none the wiser. So yeah, subscribed 😄
Only just venturing into the world of outboard synth gear and I could honestly watch your demos for hours and hours!!! Even gear that I have no intention of ever buying or that is miles out of my price range. I just love how knowledgeable you are and in depth and thorough your videos and the sounds you get are insane! Subbed :)
Sync of Delay - just hit the on panel tempo sync button - zero sub menu activity there Nick. This gives you the option of using synced or non synced LFO's and Delays with a tempo locked sequence.
I think it’s a perfect compliment to an actual analog synth like an OB6. I think the FM update and the purely digital sounds really give the System 8 its own voice. It certainly is high on my list as far as my “next buy” list.
The Fantom does something similar when you save scenes. When you edit any of the voices in a scene, it won't save your changes to them as part of the scene--you have to save the voices individually and then make sure that the scene uses the newly saved versions. It's a bit annoying in a synth this sophisticated. Incidentally, the Fantom also supports plug-outs, although it calls them "Model extensions". Currently, the Jupiter 8, JX8P, Juno 106 and SH101 are supported. Unlike the System 8, all are fully polyphonic (up to the Fantom's limits.) including the SH101. But you can run up to 16 of them (in any combination) in a single scene, split and/or layered (or layer them with any other Fantom voices from any other engine).
I love this synth!! The sound is amazing and a very big plus - it includes the Jupiter-8, Juno-106 and JX-3P! What more could a Roland synth enthusiast want? Oh yeah, you can download even more Roland vintage synths too 🎹🎹🎹
Its a hard synth to appreciate without studio integration and your introductory points of it feeling like a coherent instrument do hold true. It has that lovely "Roland Sound" in spades and quite a few tricks up its sleeve. Never thought it would be my go too synth with some nice semi-modular analog, analog (both vco & dco) and Elektron kit in the studio but it is a lot of fun to use. So very odd assumptions and suppositions in many of the comments below but thanks for a well balanced review Nick.
That sequencer + Nord style knobs would look absolutely amazing with all the lights moving around and all the numbers changing. Impressive board all together. Shame of the no after touch but aside from that this is an incredibly versatile instrument.
Can't save your edited patches? That's a deal breaker for me. That aside, Sonic State has become the go to channel for reviews. Well done Nick, love your show!
You forgot to mention one thing on the back on the synth: the power cord anchor, the horizontal thingy next to the DC-IN. You loop the power cord through it so the cord doesn't get yanked out and damaged.
True...Plastic doesn't automatically mean less solid. BUT this one is less solid. Frankly it's quite crappy. There is one at my local reseller which has been on the floor for a few weeks and it's quite beat. And cheap. Sounds good though. But with so many good synths Ill get something different.
Haha am I the only one who likes the System 8??? :-D Seriously there is something about the ACB-Technology that I really like. Its hard to describe but the System 8 has a very pristine, clear sound quality. It is not for everything and certainly not for everyone but I got instantly excited when I heard the pads and bass patches. Looks and price are completely different subject but I'm sure Roland will have to drop the prices drastically for this, in order to be competitive on the market. The only VA that can afford to be more expensive is e.g. the Nord Lead 4 which has 20-Voices and far more capabilities.
I also love the latest ACB stuff. I appreciate Roland is trying to do something new with it and make classic designs even better. At the end of the day I just like the way it sounds.
Since you own one "does it only have one lfo? Or did I mishear him? I'm thinking of getting one but some things about it seem a little limiting. I'm not so worried about after touch but with one lfo idk
Nick, you should get your commission because I think you just sold one of these too me. Excellent demo and I loved your honesty. When your biggest complaint is being a few hundred over priced you know it's good!
Under rated synth. It's a great instrument, as Nick says. I've a Rev 2 and a Virus and the System 8 stands its ground in my studio. It sounds fresh and has it's own identity.
I think this was meant to be a live performance synth, which is why its made of plastic and slighty smaller and lighter than your average synth. Still built super solid though. Also, can you name any other poly synth with such a fast fully featured built in sequencer? That also offers real time recording and editing? The only other one I can think of is the minilogue. and this definetely is worth 3 times that and sounds much better. Plus performance mode, plugouts, this is a dope ass synth. That's where this synth shines, It's one of the greatest live performance synths ever
It does sound pretty good. The color and variation knobs on the osc are pretty cool. Unfortunate that there is only one lfo, and the condition parameter didn't do anything for me. The effects sound pretty average, but definitely increase the stereo image. The sequencer seems very capable, especially if they could implement an option to separate it from the keyboard. The patch system seems terrible. I think the high price is because of the vintage plug outs. The Aira range has something strange about the sound though, which is most noticeable on the TR-8. Almost as if they have already been put through a compressor. I definitely think a lower price would make this more appealing, but pretty good if you want a bunch of Roland sounds in one box.
Aarrghhh, finally this review showed me how to transpose a sequence with the unit as this info was missing in the printed manual. Nearly drove me crazy as i was all the time trying to find some button combination with help of the 'transpose'-button, thanks Nick! As I got the System-8 as a replacement for my loved but recently broken JP8000 I felt home right away at first sight, including the mess with saving performances/patches. Anyways, other vendors face this kind of issues as well, hello Elektron? Price is ambitous indeed, but the sound quality is out of question and it's really fun and straight forward to shape rich sound scapes with it.
Make sure you go to the Roland website and get the additional "System-8 Reference Manual". -- goo.gl/Khl8vU -- It's 38 pages as opposed to the Owner's Manual 24 pages, and covers things like individual parameters, transpose, SD card, and the sequencer in much more depth than the printed Owner's Manual. Both have been updated as well, along with supplements for the Jupiter and Juno.
Another brilliant review Nick, thank you kindly. This is certainly a capable and malleable sounding synth workstation and deserves to sell. Though lack of aftertouch and being slightly overpriced is typical Roland, really.However, the moment Nick had the Erebus playing, I couldn't help but feel "nope, that sounds far superior". Anyone else Have a similar reaction?
3:58 on the System 1M they become polyphonic. i.e.: the SH101 is 4 voice polyphonic when System 1M is set to polyphonic. Does this truly not happen on the System 8 or was this an early firmware problem?
Brandon Ryan Think of it this way. this basically a slightly enhanced boutique. The biggest cost here is the larger case and the front panel controls. A very limited vst with excellent controls. The price should reflect that this is basically a controller with a faster cpu. No AT at all is beyond ridiculous
I could think of it like that,but then I wouldn't be correct.:-) The SYSTEM-8 uses an entirely new custom chip that is magnitudes more powerful than what's in a Boutique. Double the polyphony at more than double the samplerate while running multiple simultaneous engines with multiple layers of multiple effects plus multiple layers of motion sequencing etc. Boutiques don't do any of that. Then there's the casing and the keybaord, the step sequencer, the analog inputs, the vocoder, the insane number of knobs and sliders, the extensive CV/Gate control etc. What you also may not know is that, aside from the DSP modeling - which has precious few contemporaries when it comes VST plugins BTW - it also has controls that are double the resolution of MIDI. It's far better than a typical MIDI controller in that you get 256 steps for every control versus the relatively low resolution of MIDI's 128 steps. It's partly what makes analog synthesizers feel "smoother" than "VSTs" because you get more granularity in your controls. The value proposition is not so cut and dried when you really look at it.
Brandon Ryan I just have to ask what the point is here when you could put a picoatx board in this same case with a higher end atom processor. The bom would be like $50 for the cpu/ram/motherboard and have a vast amount more polyphony. If arturia did this how much polyphony could they run with their jupiter 8 vst? I'm sure it would be a whole lot more than 8 voices. If this thing was coming out when the Alesis Ion came out - sure good deal. For 2017 I'm just not seeing the value unless you are strictly using it for gigging
Brandon Ryan I have a ton of softsynths and hardware synths. Its the VAs like this one that its hard for me to understand why they exist. When the MS2000 came out, absolutely a high end VA. when it was reincarnated as the microkorg.. ok cheaper version - cool. You get to 2017 and the new version still has 4 voices something has gone terribly wrong. I know this is going on and on. I don't mind that the system 8 exists, I just hate that Roland's high end is gone. I don't care if its digital or analog just make a new powerhorse with the latest and greatest. How about a hybrid sampler filtered by the ACB emulations? At least that would be new and not a compromosed version of 30+ year old tech
Been procrastinating about this synth since it came out. Kept thinking "wait for Nic's review". Watched the review this morning, bought a System 8 this afternoon. Thanks Nic! :-)
the erebus as master filter is actually the smart addition, considering the digital filter, this is just what makes it sing smoothly. and i´d still use a waldorf microwave over most of todays analog synths when it comes to certain sounds.
I have been testing every single flagship synth released these last years (up to the Quantum and the Prophet X). And I have to say that the system 8 is probably one of the best sounding, if not THE best sounding of the lot. It looks cheap and ugly... but the sound is breathtaking. Really good.
Nick, why is it we use to have synths with 20 note polyphony and now we seem to getting synths that only can do 4 or 8. seems to me these synths could easily be 20 note polyphony but they artificially restrict them. yeah?
The idea of removing the notes from a sequence to leave the automation animating away is a touch of genius! :) To sync delays... did you try the tempo sync button next to the tempo knob ???
They aught to have at least included after touch as a modulation source for people that had other midi keyboards or want to control it with things like push.
I know it's fairly old now but I would have loved to have seen a review on the Roland sh-201 or didn't you take it seriously enough? There are quite a few user reviews already which are pretty good actually but I would like it given the Nick treatment
I have the SH-201 and the System 8. The newly purchased System 8 has replaced the SH-201 in my live rig. Have read a LOT of criticism of the SH-201 but I have to say I love it. Easy access to parameters and a really gritty low-fi sound. I used to own an original ARP Odyssey back in the day and I wanted to recreate that hard-sync Billy Currie lead sound... I got pretty close with the SH-201 and I think its "lo-fi" character was a factor in that. A great little synth. I'm also a Jupiter 50 owner which everyone slated at face value but, again, if you are prepared to dig a bit deeper, it's an incredibly capable synth (3 oscillators, 3 LFOS per patch etc). Its architecture in terms of how sounds are structured and organised takes a bit of getting used to but I find it a great performance machine as the foundation of my rig with so much split and layering capability. So many people are quick to judge based on a handful of reviews. I borrowed a JP80 for a few months so, when a JP50 came up for sale at a bargain price in pristine condition, I grabbed it.
oh no! not the patch in a preformance thingy again! .. the JP-8000 had it and the V-Synth GT had it and i hated it both times. And it might seem like a small thing, but in effect it just ment i never used dual layerd sounds as the hastle of trying to remember what patch goes into what preformance and if im not overwriting something that is used somewhere else and so on.. But it sounds really nice... but seems very expensive. It seems like a modern day JP-8000.. but the price is just a lot higher.
No the JP-8000 did NOT have it! On the JP-8000 if you saved an edited performance then you safed all your settings and all the sound editing. And it didn't had any negative effects on the patch level (means that a change on a patch used in a performance did not affect the patch when recalled in the patch mode).
***** I've never own a XP-80, so therefor I cannot say anything to that synth. For the JP-8000: It does not behave like the System-8. The review states that when saving a performance on the System-8, it does NOT save the whole state of the synth and that changes in the patches used in a performance have to be saved on the patch level in order to really be saved properly. Not so on the JP-8000. There if you use a patch in a performance and edit this patch in the performance and then safe the performance, it safes the whole state of the synth including the edit in the patch. But this change will not have any effect on the patch itself. That means if you recall the patch you use in the performance in the patch mode, the patch will still be in its original form. But when recalling the patch in the performance mode, your edit is still there. At the end the real positive effect of this behaviour is: Any changes you are making on patches in patch mode will NOT have negative side effects on the sound of any safed performance. If I understand the System-8 review correctly this is NOT the case on the System-8. Because performances are not saving the patches directly, any change you are making to a patch will automatically change the sound of any performance this patch is used in.
ah very sorry to misinform.. its been many years since i had the jp-8000. So good of you to correct me. But i can assure you the V-synth GT does have this issue :)
Just to confirm that it does work flawlessly with the MX-1 mixer... Like most I was a skeptic of the look and sound of this synth and the MX-1 actually... Until that is, I got them both in the studio and I have to say they're worth every $$... Both sound and feel amazing, extremely versatile... There is no use comparing this synth with anything else, it does what it says it does extremely well, its not a Moog, its not trying to me a Moog, it is its own beast and pulls its weight both in the studio and on stage... And you do grow to love the green glow after a while...
I agree. I started with a System-1, then got a System-m, and finally also got the System-8. Those green LEDs are not my favorites but they have grown in me. The sound is the reason to buy a synth and I love the System-1/8 synth engine.
I've rented this unit, and it sounds fantastic. HOWEVER, it does feel like an expensive, plastic toy. It's very expensive, yet it uses cheap materials. The best thing to do is go with Roland Cloud, you can try the plug-in versions.. they sound exactly the same.
I gotta say; i've been searching for the right poly.synth for me, for a while now, and i've been pretty sure about getting both the Prophet 6, the Rev 2 the Prologue etc., at different times - all these analog synthesizers that are all really nice, very cool, and get great reviews. But theres something about the sound of this, that just speaks to me. It might just be a matter of the presets being to my liking, but it seems to have this "simple-but--effective" quality, that i really really dig. The patches aren't overly complicated sounding, yet they sound huge. It would have been REALLY nice to have an extra LFO and Aftertouch! However, despite it's shortcomings, it also seems practical for live use, with multiple "engines", and the split functionality. I never thought that I would go for an all digital synth that looks as horrible as this does. I was really put of by the looks of it, initially - but it just seems to do simplicity much better than a lot of modern analog poly-synths IMO. Also, i've always wanted a Juno-106, and i think this sounds very close and convincing, and without the risks of using it live. Would have been cool to have all the original Juno and Jupiter patches though! In any case, the preset-people knew what they were doing with the new patches. I Think it sounds great!
It looks like you can use the third oscillator as an LFO on the mod section of the other two oscillators, so having only one LFO isn't so bad, or am I dreadfully mistaken.
As it's all just software anyway, I really don't understand why they couldn't have more than 1 LFO, even hidden as an option in a menu for the 'wild experimentalists'..
Bit expensive at the current price, but I think they'll be sub €1k within a year or so. I think this format works better as a System 8 than it did with the System 1 (which I never really got on with). I was considering a second JU06, but this would be a better solution for that I think.
No. System-8 chipset is more advanced and updated, and the Jupiter 8 and Juno 106 plug-outs are not made available as downloads. They are part of the S8 firmware.
Appreciate it man. I want to buy the System 1. (Which I probably well since it's $500) Also even though I like this System 8 so far, I torn between this and Elektron Analog Keys.
Years later, I think this still looks and sounds like a nice synth.
Yes 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 l'ACB is very good !
@@jfphotoandlife8287 I think so too. Some virtual emulations are very good nowadays and even more so when coupled witha solid hardware innterface like the Sysrem 1 and System 8.
I think these machines really cappure the Roland "vibe" - though I'm sure many will disagree 😊
@@mcshafty1 Because it is green in color,
in a more sober color, they would have sold millions 😆
Yes, I had one several years ago and foolishly sold it. Now I am trying to reacquire it 2nd hand, but they are really, really rare. People seem to stick to them.
The new jupiter 4 plug in sounds really nice.
for god's sake Nick make an ambient album!! Love that intro jam, great work
this
AGREE...... maybe he already did
Get yur chops around this !~ th-cam.com/video/Ewd-oZLU880/w-d-xo.html
That you can so thoroughly learn these machines and spit out quality vids like this is simply astounding! Kudos on another great job!
23:17 - this was fixed in version 1.20 for anyone reading this now
The lack of aftertouch was a huge miss to be honest, especially since there’s an unpopulated aftertouch ribbon controller port inside it - but it’s still an excellent synth.
Hi, so they fixed the problem so you can now save the state of the entire sound you made? Is that what your saying?
I'm thinking of getting one but I if it can't save a patch fully I make then it's a no go for me.
The great unsung synth of the past 10 years. Sonically beautiful, still being updated. If they would only put that ACB engine into a JP-X build quality case, with Zencore as well, they'd have the greatest synth on the market right now
I am not disappointed with the system 8. It is an unusual machine and I love it. I get all the best Roland Machines in one unit. Very Happy with what Roland gave me. Love your reviews. It shows me much more of what I have in my system. I have a classic synth to take with me in my journey.
I think Roland did a good job on it and just followed their own strategy. I had the chance to test it in a store for an hour or so and found it quite intuitive and fun to play. Lots of options. It's finally a worthy successor of the JP-8000 with a higher digital resolution.
Interesting. I just dug out my old JP-8000 and am plain amazed by the modulation options. Its friggin insane. Will look at this..
This video cost me $1600. I've had a System-8 for a year and it's still my favorite piece of gear in the studio.
@BlindGuyProductions I just scored one for £850....
@@mattevans7884 new? where from?
@@cylonik Not new but in absolutely mint condition. Boxed with all original wrappings. Couldn't believe it when it arrived! FB marketplace was on my side that day
Hi, do you still recommend this after a year ? or should I go for the JDXA ?
@@Charlyaraya Yes. Still one of my favorite synths. The plugouts are excellent.
Many of the sounds I've heard coming out of this synth have a unique and interesting character. My ears are a fan of this synth. Ultimately the sound is what matters most to me, and I think designing sounds with this will be a great experience.
Mike Savi Why are you thinking about music? Dont you wanna argue about digital vs analogue? 😀
@@garyabbot4659 eww, music, who wants that? ;p
cowbell is nice, never have enough of it. Every synth should have one!
Thanks for another honest and balanced review. For my money, your reviews are the best around today. keep the good work up!
Nick, you are the best! I really like that little bit you did at the start of this video. Your reviews via Sonic State are #1 for me. Thank You!
sounds fucking beautiful IMO
beautiful review, sounds amazing
As always with Nick ... :)
Nick, great review once again - top job! As you know I've recently got one too. The reason for the comment tho, is to point the finger at the people here who think this synth sounds "digital", "thin" or "like a VST". I'm not sure what rock they crawled out of - but this synth doesn't even come close to sounding like that, and I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinion. There are plenty of us who will quite vocally beg to differ! However, if you're basing your opinion on watching a few videos (or even just this one) - this is going to be trouble for you. Even playing one in a store for 5 mins wont do it. I did that a few months ago - and wasn't amazed either. The presets are poor. What you need to do is grab a loan machine and take it away for a weekend - noodle your way into the depths of this. It is really deep and surprising. I agree with Nick, the plug-outs aren't needed to give this synth it's own character. But they certainly are a bonus.
Now THIS is what I call a gear review. Not like some other rather popular channel where every "review" is just a string of distracting animations before finishing a sentence. And at the end you're none the wiser. So yeah, subscribed 😄
Only just venturing into the world of outboard synth gear and I could honestly watch your demos for hours and hours!!! Even gear that I have no intention of ever buying or that is miles out of my price range. I just love how knowledgeable you are and in depth and thorough your videos and the sounds you get are insane! Subbed :)
sonicstate is closing in on 100k hard earned subs! Can't wait to see the Arturia MatrixBrute review. Love this channel.
Great review Nick. I am absolutely loving my System 8.
Agree with the point about decoupling the sequencer from an individual patch.
The intro you played was supper cool. This is why I’m buying this unit.
this had me going over to nick batts bandcamp and damn that klang track give's me chill's
Sync of Delay - just hit the on panel tempo sync button - zero sub menu activity there Nick.
This gives you the option of using synced or non synced LFO's and Delays with a tempo locked sequence.
was wondering about that too, thank you
What a beautiful sounding synth!!
Agreed!
I think it’s a perfect compliment to an actual analog synth like an OB6. I think the FM update and the purely digital sounds really give the System 8 its own voice. It certainly is high on my list as far as my “next buy” list.
I can confirm this. I have both and they sound incredible together, especially when stacked.
15:50 Sounds so much like the Final Fantasy 7 soundtrack, it's amazing. The song from FF7 is 'Mako Reactor'
The Fantom does something similar when you save scenes. When you edit any of the voices in a scene, it won't save your changes to them as part of the scene--you have to save the voices individually and then make sure that the scene uses the newly saved versions. It's a bit annoying in a synth this sophisticated. Incidentally, the Fantom also supports plug-outs, although it calls them "Model extensions". Currently, the Jupiter 8, JX8P, Juno 106 and SH101 are supported. Unlike the System 8, all are fully polyphonic (up to the Fantom's limits.) including the SH101. But you can run up to 16 of them (in any combination) in a single scene, split and/or layered (or layer them with any other Fantom voices from any other engine).
I'd like a synth between the JD Xi and the JD xa. Any ideas what would suit ?
I love this synth!! The sound is amazing and a very big plus - it includes the Jupiter-8, Juno-106 and JX-3P! What more could a Roland synth enthusiast want? Oh yeah, you can download even more Roland vintage synths too 🎹🎹🎹
The new jupiter 4 plug in sounds really good.
Yeessss please make an album!! ur always tossing in these sweet intro's, n we want more[=
Its a hard synth to appreciate without studio integration and your introductory points of it feeling like a coherent instrument do hold true. It has that lovely "Roland Sound" in spades and quite a few tricks up its sleeve. Never thought it would be my go too synth with some nice semi-modular analog, analog (both vco & dco) and Elektron kit in the studio but it is a lot of fun to use.
So very odd assumptions and suppositions in many of the comments below but thanks for a well balanced review Nick.
Nick, It does work with the MX-1. Just need to ensure you have the latest MX-1 update. Ver. 1.05 I believe.
"I chose the Erebus because the colours match"
I like the way you think.
Nick is so good at these. I'm looking at a used one and this is a thorough heads-up to the possibilities.
Nick's reviews are excellent, but have cost me quite a bit of money.
That sequencer + Nord style knobs would look absolutely amazing with all the lights moving around and all the numbers changing. Impressive board all together. Shame of the no after touch but aside from that this is an incredibly versatile instrument.
Can't save your edited patches? That's a deal breaker for me. That aside, Sonic State has become the go to channel for reviews. Well done Nick, love your show!
You forgot to mention one thing on the back on the synth: the power cord anchor, the horizontal thingy next to the DC-IN. You loop the power cord through it so the cord doesn't get yanked out and damaged.
Plastic does not mean less solid. There are plastics stronger but lighter than steel.
True.
Plastic does not shout 'flagship' though. I would expect more for the price.
Perry Pelican i have one. Build quality is quite flimsy. Sounds great though.
True...Plastic doesn't automatically mean less solid. BUT this one is less solid. Frankly it's quite crappy. There is one at my local reseller which has been on the floor for a few weeks and it's quite beat. And cheap. Sounds good though. But with so many good synths Ill get something different.
Perry Pelican in this case, the plastic is very flimsy.
Nice to hear you mention The Blue Nile in the review, Nick :)
great review too.
Haha am I the only one who likes the System 8??? :-D
Seriously there is something about the ACB-Technology that I really like. Its hard to describe but the System 8 has a very pristine, clear sound quality. It is not for everything and certainly not for everyone but I got instantly excited when I heard the pads and bass patches. Looks and price are completely different subject but I'm sure Roland will have to drop the prices drastically for this, in order to be competitive on the market. The only VA that can afford to be more expensive is e.g. the Nord Lead 4 which has 20-Voices and far more capabilities.
Phable I love mine. its my main synth. I use all 4 plugouts
great to hear :-) wish you a lot of good music with it!
I also love the latest ACB stuff. I appreciate Roland is trying to do something new with it and make classic designs even better. At the end of the day I just like the way it sounds.
Since you own one "does it only have one lfo? Or did I mishear him? I'm thinking of getting one but some things about it seem a little limiting. I'm not so worried about after touch but with one lfo idk
Nope, I love mine.
beautiful sounding synth, oh baby
Nick, you should get your commission because I think you just sold one of these too me. Excellent demo and I loved your honesty. When your biggest complaint is being a few hundred over priced you know it's good!
Under rated synth. It's a great instrument, as Nick says. I've a Rev 2 and a Virus and the System 8 stands its ground in my studio. It sounds fresh and has it's own identity.
sounding great
i like the green lights. i like the non-imposing menu, i like the sounds..did i mention the green lights?
I like the look a lot. Don’t understand the green hate. Most synths have red lights only. It’s nice to have some different colors in the studio.
Love the little jam at the start
Is there a way to pan osc 1 to the left channel and osc 2 to the right channel at the same time
I think this was meant to be a live performance synth, which is why its made of plastic and slighty smaller and lighter than your average synth. Still built super solid though. Also, can you name any other poly synth with such a fast fully featured built in sequencer? That also offers real time recording and editing? The only other one I can think of is the minilogue. and this definetely is worth 3 times that and sounds much better. Plus performance mode, plugouts, this is a dope ass synth. That's where this synth shines, It's one of the greatest live performance synths ever
Ali Afkhami i have one. NOT physically solid. Flimsy plastic.
i have two airas, the tb 3 feels a lil flimsy but the tr8 is rock solid
It does sound pretty good. The color and variation knobs on the osc are pretty cool. Unfortunate that there is only one lfo, and the condition parameter didn't do anything for me. The effects sound pretty average, but definitely increase the stereo image. The sequencer seems very capable, especially if they could implement an option to separate it from the keyboard. The patch system seems terrible. I think the high price is because of the vintage plug outs. The Aira range has something strange about the sound though, which is most noticeable on the TR-8. Almost as if they have already been put through a compressor. I definitely think a lower price would make this more appealing, but pretty good if you want a bunch of Roland sounds in one box.
Great points on performance mode and I totally agree.
Conditioner sounds like a sonic conditioner? For augmented or attenuated transients perhaps?
Definitely adding to our rig. It's complete.
The System 8 sounds mint, easy to use, feels good and evidently can make FF7 sounds
I always watch your videos when I should be making music....oh well.
worth of meme?
victor piscue I don't understand.
I consider that your phrase would be applied to one meme for that facebook synth memes group: facebook.com/groups/synthmemes/
Such beautiful sounds.
Aarrghhh, finally this review showed me how to transpose a sequence with the unit as this info was missing in the printed manual. Nearly drove me crazy as i was all the time trying to find some button combination with help of the 'transpose'-button, thanks Nick!
As I got the System-8 as a replacement for my loved but recently broken JP8000 I felt home right away at first sight, including the mess with saving performances/patches. Anyways, other vendors face this kind of issues as well, hello Elektron?
Price is ambitous indeed, but the sound quality is out of question and it's really fun and straight forward to shape rich sound scapes with it.
Make sure you go to the Roland website and get the additional "System-8 Reference Manual". -- goo.gl/Khl8vU -- It's 38 pages as opposed to the Owner's Manual 24 pages, and covers things like individual parameters, transpose, SD card, and the sequencer in much more depth than the printed Owner's Manual. Both have been updated as well, along with supplements for the Jupiter and Juno.
Unrelated, but I'd kill to have a SAW2 style album from Nick.
Sign me up for that too.
14:00 I had no idea there was that much difference in the shape of waveforms on vintage synths!
Great review as always thanks Nick.
Another brilliant review Nick, thank you kindly. This is certainly a capable and malleable sounding synth workstation and deserves to sell. Though lack of aftertouch and being slightly overpriced is typical Roland, really.However, the moment Nick had the Erebus playing, I couldn't help but feel "nope, that sounds far superior". Anyone else Have a similar reaction?
Nice shout out to The Blue Nile! My favorite band, along with Prefab Sprout.
3:58 on the System 1M they become polyphonic. i.e.: the SH101 is 4 voice polyphonic when System 1M is set to polyphonic. Does this truly not happen on the System 8 or was this an early firmware problem?
OK, now that you've done the System-8 review, let's get to the most eagerly awaited Sonicstate review: the MatrixBrute !! ;-)
This the first I've heard its without aftertouch. Really it should be around $699 max and they would still make a very healthy profit.
HAHAHAHAH. Source?
Brandon Ryan Think of it this way. this basically a slightly enhanced boutique. The biggest cost here is the larger case and the front panel controls. A very limited vst with excellent controls. The price should reflect that this is basically a controller with a faster cpu. No AT at all is beyond ridiculous
I could think of it like that,but then I wouldn't be correct.:-) The SYSTEM-8 uses an entirely new custom chip that is magnitudes more powerful than what's in a Boutique. Double the polyphony at more than double the samplerate while running multiple simultaneous engines with multiple layers of multiple effects plus multiple layers of motion sequencing etc. Boutiques don't do any of that. Then there's the casing and the keybaord, the step sequencer, the analog inputs, the vocoder, the insane number of knobs and sliders, the extensive CV/Gate control etc. What you also may not know is that, aside from the DSP modeling - which has precious few contemporaries when it comes VST plugins BTW - it also has controls that are double the resolution of MIDI. It's far better than a typical MIDI controller in that you get 256 steps for every control versus the relatively low resolution of MIDI's 128 steps. It's partly what makes analog synthesizers feel "smoother" than "VSTs" because you get more granularity in your controls. The value proposition is not so cut and dried when you really look at it.
Brandon Ryan I just have to ask what the point is here when you could put a picoatx board in this same case with a higher end atom processor. The bom would be like $50 for the cpu/ram/motherboard and have a vast amount more polyphony. If arturia did this how much polyphony could they run with their jupiter 8 vst? I'm sure it would be a whole lot more than 8 voices. If this thing was coming out when the Alesis Ion came out - sure good deal. For 2017 I'm just not seeing the value unless you are strictly using it for gigging
Brandon Ryan I have a ton of softsynths and hardware synths. Its the VAs like this one that its hard for me to understand why they exist. When the MS2000 came out, absolutely a high end VA. when it was reincarnated as the microkorg.. ok cheaper version - cool. You get to 2017 and the new version still has 4 voices something has gone terribly wrong. I know this is going on and on. I don't mind that the system 8 exists, I just hate that Roland's high end is gone. I don't care if its digital or analog just make a new powerhorse with the latest and greatest. How about a hybrid sampler filtered by the ACB emulations? At least that would be new and not a compromosed version of 30+ year old tech
Has Roland fixed the patch saving issue?
Been procrastinating about this synth since it came out. Kept thinking "wait for Nic's review". Watched the review this morning, bought a System 8 this afternoon. Thanks Nic! :-)
How does this compare with the JDXA? Which is your favourite ?
Thank you nick for your honest review. You're the best!
Nicely played Nick!
the erebus as master filter is actually the smart addition, considering the digital filter, this is just what makes it sing smoothly. and i´d still use a waldorf microwave over most of todays analog synths when it comes to certain sounds.
The digital filters are stupidly smooth on this synth and some of the best I have heard in a long time.
I have been testing every single flagship synth released these last years (up to the Quantum and the Prophet X). And I have to say that the system 8 is probably one of the best sounding, if not THE best sounding of the lot. It looks cheap and ugly... but the sound is breathtaking. Really good.
Nick, why is it we use to have synths with 20 note polyphony and now we seem to getting synths that only can do 4 or 8. seems to me these synths could easily be 20 note polyphony but they artificially restrict them. yeah?
The idea of removing the notes from a sequence to leave the automation animating away is a touch of genius! :) To sync delays... did you try the tempo sync button next to the tempo knob ???
Yea, I got it for $999 on reverb. Love it at that price. It's fairly niche.
Beautiful intro piece. Could be one of those interludes on an early Depeche Mode album.
Great demo work mate !
They aught to have at least included after touch as a modulation source for people that had other midi keyboards or want to control it with things like push.
Which engine were you using for the opening music? Sounded incredible. Especially those low notes.
Ooooops never mind. I just realized that the system 8 light was lit up rather than any of the plug outs.
Juno 106 on the upper sound
I know it's fairly old now but I would have loved to have seen a review on the Roland sh-201 or didn't you take it seriously enough? There are quite a few user reviews already which are pretty good actually but I would like it given the Nick treatment
I have the SH-201 and the System 8. The newly purchased System 8 has replaced the SH-201 in my live rig. Have read a LOT of criticism of the SH-201 but I have to say I love it. Easy access to parameters and a really gritty low-fi sound. I used to own an original ARP Odyssey back in the day and I wanted to recreate that hard-sync Billy Currie lead sound... I got pretty close with the SH-201 and I think its "lo-fi" character was a factor in that. A great little synth. I'm also a Jupiter 50 owner which everyone slated at face value but, again, if you are prepared to dig a bit deeper, it's an incredibly capable synth (3 oscillators, 3 LFOS per patch etc). Its architecture in terms of how sounds are structured and organised takes a bit of getting used to but I find it a great performance machine as the foundation of my rig with so much split and layering capability. So many people are quick to judge based on a handful of reviews. I borrowed a JP80 for a few months so, when a JP50 came up for sale at a bargain price in pristine condition, I grabbed it.
Great vid. Why are there no vids of its real time sequencer?
How sturdy is the knobs and sliders?? Anyone thanks !
12:12
The side band filters are just + /- comb filters
Sounds as pretty as it looks....love Roland stuff
I'm looking at one of these today. Need a synth for my live rig that's not a DX7..
While I wouldn't buy this for its price, it was the synth I spent the most time on during a visit to the music shop.
oh no! not the patch in a preformance thingy again! .. the JP-8000 had it and the V-Synth GT had it and i hated it both times. And it might seem like a small thing, but in effect it just ment i never used dual layerd sounds as the hastle of trying to remember what patch goes into what preformance and if im not overwriting something that is used somewhere else and so on.. But it sounds really nice... but seems very expensive. It seems like a modern day JP-8000.. but the price is just a lot higher.
No the JP-8000 did NOT have it! On the JP-8000 if you saved an edited performance then you safed all your settings and all the sound editing. And it didn't had any negative effects on the patch level (means that a change on a patch used in a performance did not affect the patch when recalled in the patch mode).
Thomas Lehr :: Does the XP-80 do this, what the System-8 does, regarding patch/performance?
I think I recall this being the case on XP-80...
***** I've never own a XP-80, so therefor I cannot say anything to that synth. For the JP-8000: It does not behave like the System-8. The review states that when saving a performance on the System-8, it does NOT save the whole state of the synth and that changes in the patches used in a performance have to be saved on the patch level in order to really be saved properly. Not so on the JP-8000. There if you use a patch in a performance and edit this patch in the performance and then safe the performance, it safes the whole state of the synth including the edit in the patch. But this change will not have any effect on the patch itself. That means if you recall the patch you use in the performance in the patch mode, the patch will still be in its original form. But when recalling the patch in the performance mode, your edit is still there.
At the end the real positive effect of this behaviour is: Any changes you are making on patches in patch mode will NOT have negative side effects on the sound of any safed performance.
If I understand the System-8 review correctly this is NOT the case on the System-8. Because performances are not saving the patches directly, any change you are making to a patch will automatically change the sound of any performance this patch is used in.
ah very sorry to misinform.. its been many years since i had the jp-8000. So good of you to correct me. But i can assure you the V-synth GT does have this issue :)
Just to confirm that it does work flawlessly with the MX-1 mixer... Like most I was a skeptic of the look and sound of this synth and the MX-1 actually... Until that is, I got them both in the studio and I have to say they're worth every $$... Both sound and feel amazing, extremely versatile... There is no use comparing this synth with anything else, it does what it says it does extremely well, its not a Moog, its not trying to me a Moog, it is its own beast and pulls its weight both in the studio and on stage... And you do grow to love the green glow after a while...
I agree. I started with a System-1, then got a System-m, and finally also got the System-8. Those green LEDs are not my favorites but they have grown in me. The sound is the reason to buy a synth and I love the System-1/8 synth engine.
I've rented this unit, and it sounds fantastic. HOWEVER, it does feel like an expensive, plastic toy. It's very expensive, yet it uses cheap materials. The best thing to do is go with Roland Cloud, you can try the plug-in versions.. they sound exactly the same.
17:00 gosh this sounds so good
Blue Nile reference at 9:00. Awesome.
phenomenal review
I gotta say; i've been searching for the right poly.synth for me, for a while now, and i've been pretty sure about getting both the Prophet 6, the Rev 2 the Prologue etc., at different times - all these analog synthesizers that are all really nice, very cool, and get great reviews. But theres something about the sound of this, that just speaks to me. It might just be a matter of the presets being to my liking, but it seems to have this "simple-but--effective" quality, that i really really dig. The patches aren't overly complicated sounding, yet they sound huge.
It would have been REALLY nice to have an extra LFO and Aftertouch! However, despite it's shortcomings, it also seems practical for live use, with multiple "engines", and the split functionality.
I never thought that I would go for an all digital synth that looks as horrible as this does. I was really put of by the looks of it, initially - but it just seems to do simplicity much better than a lot of modern analog poly-synths IMO. Also, i've always wanted a Juno-106, and i think this sounds very close and convincing, and without the risks of using it live. Would have been cool to have all the original Juno and Jupiter patches though!
In any case, the preset-people knew what they were doing with the new patches. I Think it sounds great!
It looks like you can use the third oscillator as an LFO on the mod section of the other two oscillators, so having only one LFO isn't so bad, or am I dreadfully mistaken.
As it's all just software anyway, I really don't understand why they couldn't have more than 1 LFO, even hidden as an option in a menu for the 'wild experimentalists'..
How does this compare to the JD-XA and which is best for multitimbral combis (coming from Korg Triton Extreme).
Is the Jupiter 8 Plug out the same as a JP-08 (which is only 4 note poly), sound wise?
I can only assume so, cant think why it wouldnt be. Though the System-8 runs at 96khz so suspect it sounds generally better.
Bit expensive at the current price, but I think they'll be sub €1k within a year or so.
I think this format works better as a System 8 than it did with the System 1 (which I never really got on with). I was considering a second JU06, but this would be a better solution for that I think.
You were correct! Just picked one up for £850
Ok you mentioned that the system 1 plug outs work on this, but will the system 8 plug outs work in the system 1?
No. System-8 chipset is more advanced and updated, and the Jupiter 8 and Juno 106 plug-outs are not made available as downloads. They are part of the S8 firmware.
Appreciate it man. I want to buy the System 1. (Which I probably well since it's $500) Also even though I like this System 8 so far, I torn between this and Elektron Analog Keys.
I like honest reviews. Thanks.
Question: Can I "sync" the System-8 with a Jd-Xi? Or a TR-8S? Like plug them in together? I'm a noob, just wondering about the possibilities here.
Is there a desktop/rack version of this?
Ok so I have to buy this machine now, great!