Does the System 8 Spftware Synthesizer Come With Hardware
Analog modeled synths have come a long way over the past couple of decades. Where the term analog modeling used to suggest "sounds but similar an analog synthesizer," synths like the Roland System-8 continue to redefine the term to mean "behaves just like an analog synthesizer." Historically, modeled synths digitally recreated the overall audio of a particular instrument, merely Roland's Analog Circuit Behavior (ACB) engineering science is far more accurate. ACB models the individual components of an analog synth and so combines those virtual circuits, oscillators, and filters into the resulting tone car.
| Category | Value | Rating |
| Features | 20% |  |
| Usability | 25% | |
| Sound | 25% | |
| Documentation & Back up | 10% |  |
| Price | xx% | |
| OVERALL RATING = 3.five Stars 3.6 stars or meliorate: Outstanding, WIHO Honor | ||
The Organisation-viii isn't without a few pesky issues hither and in that location, but sonically speaking, you go a great sounding, all-new synth (the actual System-8), a archetype Jupiter-8, and classic Juno-106 in one box, plus room to add a fourth contained audio engine, all for less than the price of virtually modern analog polysynths.
Historically, we've played analog synths that sounded common cold and thin and digital synths that sounded warm and fat, so a blanket argument almost which has the better sound is a moot point. After spending a few months playing with the Roland System-eight, we don't fifty-fifty retrieve well-nigh the real analog vs. modeled analog event. Rather, we simply think about where in the rig we want to permanently locate this classic sounding, easy-to-employ, and inspiring synthesizer.
Features
The start thing you notice about this synth upon unboxing the unit is how extremely light weight information technology is, merely barely breaking xiii pounds. And while the housing is primarily plastic, we'll tell you earlier we even get to the Usability department that the keyboard does non experience entry level. We love the green backlit colour scheme, too, and afterwards not touching any controls for a few minutes, random light patterns sweep across the controls, disappearing every bit soon as you bear on any knob, fader, or cardinal. You tin can adjust the setting for when this color sweep starts upward, or completely eliminate it.
At that place has been enough of talk about the Roland System-eight as a virtual Jupiter 8 or Juno 106, and not nearly enough talk almost the actual System-8 synth. Then allow's start with what the Organisation-eight synthesizer really is, and so what the Plug-Out technology is all nearly.
Kickoff and foremost, the System-viii is its own, unique, eight-voice, modeled analog synthesizer. Roland calls their modeled analog technology Analog Excursion Beliefs (ACB), which, equally the name indicates, models the variable nature of the circuits that information technology emulates.
The audio generation department features 2 primary oscillators plus a third sub oscillator, and in addition to familiar sine, triangle, saw, and square waves, there are 12 boosted waveform variations that provide an expansive range of sonic variety (including super-saw, super-square, and more).
The LFO section includes single LFO, dual LFO, and resonance pulse LFO, plus three different variations on those, with half-dozen types of variations apiece. That'southward far more than your daddy'due south analog synth!
The Organization-8 synthesizer generates both white and pink dissonance, has an arpeggiator, and also features a 64-stride sequencer that records both note and functioning information (like filter sweeps, etc.) in footstep recording mode or realtime.
The System-8 includes a diverseness of effects, and y'all tin can employ upward to three of them at once. Some are models of classic analog filibuster, chorus, and flanging, while the reverbs include a diversity of digital rooms, halls, plate, and ambience. The more modernistic effects additions include overdrive and distortion, metal, fuzz, bit crusher, and a phaser.
Office of what people honey about classic analog synths is their unpredictability. Analog circuits dethrone in various, random ways over the years, which is why no two classic analog synths sound exactly the same despite being of the same make and model. Roland has included an actual crumbling feature in the Organisation-8 that lets you manipulate the virtual age of the sound you lot've created! This setting is saved individually with each patch, though we might take preferred a global option to historic period the entire synthesizer. There's no real right or incorrect for that determination, though, equally in that location are equal benefits to having some sounds that seem to exist more "classic" (i.east. unstable) aslope others that stay perfectly in tune or in sync as needed.
The Roland System-eight includes iii synths to kickoff: The System-viii, Jupiter-eight, and Juno-106.
Plug-outs are a two-headed hydra with different behaviors that y'all may take reward of or non bother with at all: Commencement, optional/additional Roland virtual synths can be loaded from a library of bachelor synthesizers into one of three synth storage locations within the Organization-8. If you ever added specialized cards to classic Roland synths, like installing a D-50 or Vocal Designer card in a JV-serial synth to aggrandize the range of synthesis options available, you'll embrace the idea right away. Just in this example, it's all washed via software. Load the other synthesizers into the Organisation-8 and they provide completely dissimilar sounds generated by alternating synthesis methods, each with its own banking concern of memory for patches/presets.
Roland includes two Plug-outs with the System-8: a virtual Jupiter-8 and a virtual Juno-106, with one boosted Plug-out "slot" bachelor for synths that can exist purchased and downloaded from the Roland website. Some of those optional synths include re-creations of the classic SH-101, SH-2, and PROMARS synthesizers. Then to starting time, yous're purchasing three distinct Roland synthesizers in one box, with a free slot into which yous can install a fourth totally unique synthesizer.
Roland's neat sounding boutique JP-08 and JU-six instruments were limited to only 4 voices apiece, making them somewhat limited vintage synth re-creations. Plug-out synths in the Organisation-eight accept eight voices, though, so the aforementioned underlying technology that fabricated the boutique instruments sound great now delivers a more than realistic Jupiter-8 experience (eight voices) and a Juno with more voices than the original, which was merely a 6-voice instrument.
Now for the other head of that hydra: Plug-outs are also software virtual musical instrument plug-ins that provide remote control of your System-eight synth when information technology is connected to your computer. In your favorite plug-in host or DAW, you lot go a virtual representation of the synth just every bit you lot would with any virtual instrument on the computer, only rather than running a audio engine on the computer, the plug-in (or Plug-out, every bit is the example) is simply providing direct remote control of your Arrangement-eight. If you were to press a fundamental on the keyboard, hitting the Concord push, then first tweaking knobs and sliders on the calculator, your audio would alter in realtime. The absurd thing about this is that you can automate realtime control of your physical instrument from your figurer, very handy for recording. And, you can even tape the Organization-8's sound direct to the computer via the keyboard's USB interface. Just this fancy connectivity stuff is non at all essential—the Organization-8 runs perfectly fine in its ain, self-independent world like any other keyboard.
The Organization-8 likewise includes another Roland classic: a vocoder! Nevertheless, this is vocoding in its almost basic implmentation, with but a single style of vocoding and no programmable options. Connectivity is only provided on a ¼" input, with no phantom ability option.
The Roland Arrangement-viii has a two-line, xvi-character LCD display that shows the proper name of selected patch as well as various menu options. There is an SD card slot for bankroll up/loading sounds, and also traditional DIN MIDI ports, a USB MIDI port provides both reckoner connectivity for MIDI data and also acts as an audio interface.
Each synthesizer—the Arrangement-8, the Jupiter-viii, the Juno-106, and any optional quaternary synth, has storage retentivity for 64 patches (private synth sounds) and 64 performances. This is pretty cool: You can split or layer two sounds at a time, and dissimilar some previous Roland synths, you lot can fully mix-and-friction match sounds from each of the sound engines together. Thus, yous can create a stacked sound that has a Jupiter-8 underneath a Juno-106 and salvage it equally a Performance, or create a split with a Juno-106 bass in the bottom and a modern System-8 synth sound upwards top.
Additional connectivity for sound designers includes CV and Gate outputs, and a Trigger In jack. The outputs send both note/pitch data as well as pace sequencer events, and then you tin utilise the System-8's pace sequencer with other modular gear lacking such functionality. The Trigger Input enables you to drive the step sequencer from outboard gear similar a rhythm motorcar.
On the subject of outputs, you'll too find mono/stereo outputs, MIDI In/Out over DIN-five and MIDI-USB, a set of 1/4" input jacks, SD memory slot for bankroll up sounds, and a headphones jack.
Roland System-viii Plug-Out Synthesizer rear console
No obvious love affair is without its challenges, and the Organisation-viii has a couple of missing features that evidence thorns in our side. The keyboard itself has 49 keys with velocity sensitivity, and while nosotros tin can lament that Roland brusk inverse us one time again by an octave, this won't be every bit big a deal to some of you. However, the System-8 keyboard lacks aftertouch, as well as related programmable parameters that could accept been utilized via another MIDI controller keyboard.
Further, the keyboard lacks an internal power supply, relying on a two-slice, external PSU that sits in-line betwixt two halves of the power cable. This may be fine for your studio, but cables like this are a disaster waiting to strike any touring or actively gigging professional.
Usability
The Roland Organization-8 is a musical dominatrix, bringing untold guilty pleasures with only an ounce of pain. But before we talk nearly the controls, let's talk about the keyboard itself.
Despite the lack of aftertouch, it feels great, and as practiced as anything you would want to play in a professional keyboard rig. Roland may have saved a few bucks hither and there, simply they didn't skimp on the quality of the keyboard itself. At that place are many products in the Organization-8'south price range that play similar dirt. The System-8 feels similar typical Roland, and that's a great affair. So, let's go playing!
Selecting sounds was simple. First, select the desired audio engine by pressing ane of the Model buttons: System-8, Jupiter-8, Juno-106, or the fourth Plug-Out if you've loaded an additional synthesizer. Next, you select a audio bank, lettered A through H, and then a patch number from 1-8. This handy approach made it like shooting fish in a barrel to jump from one sound to another within a bank with just a single button press.
Setting up splits and layers was besides a breeze, with dedicated keys for the upper and lower parts, and our splits/combinations were saved to a dedicated Functioning retentiveness area. It was easy to combine parts from two different audio engines, as well. Picking a sound from a second sound engine was a simple every bit just striking the desired model button first, followed by the letter/number choice of a patch. Once playing a Operation, defended Panel Select keys permit yous choose which part of your split or layer is manipulated by the various synthesis controls.
When information technology'southward time to tweak, having a one-knob-per-function design makes the System-8 a total pleasure to manipulate. If y'all take a solid grasp of analog synthesis, y'all'll exist whipping up new sounds in record fourth dimension here, and we establish ourselves easily customizing sounds while performing with a alive band, mid song. This synth is large on delivering immediate results. It's also great for the novice sound designer, because with 95% of its controls existence direct under hand control, yous can merely explore, tweak, and observe the results.
The knobs are not infinite rotary encoders, thus the dark-green LED lighting that surrounds them never indicates the value of your selected control. However, as before long as you begin to move a knob or slider, the display shows you the name of the control and its numerical value. The lights serve other critical purposes, though: When yous are playing i of the Plug-Out synthesizers, the Organization-8 turns off the backlight surrounding controls that are non utilized by the synth nether hand. The Jupiter-eight Plug-Out has a less complex audio architecture than the more modern System-8, for example, then it makes sense that certain controls are disabled (similar the sub-Oscillator, for example).
Does the Arrangement-8 deliver the playability of a classic Jupiter-8 or Juno-106? Not entirely. 1 deviation that can't be ignored is aesthetics. The Jupiter-8 is arguably one of the most attractively laid out synths of all fourth dimension, with color-coded buttons and clearly bundled graphics indicating the signal flow, providing visual cues as to function and functioning. The System-viii has a more universal user interface, and while you lot have the same controls over sound, non simply is the appearance difference, but there are some operational differences. The classic Jupiter-viii has more faders than knobs, for example. Information technology even utilized a slider for the oft-manipulated filter cutoff, just that'due south a knob on the System-8 (equally it is on many newer synths). Then while you've got the archetype audio, you don't have the archetype vibe.
We appreciated the easy-access Key Concord push button, which fabricated information technology a uncomplicated task of playing a few notes, hit Central Agree, and then tweaking abroad. And the arpeggiator was a pleasure to use, besides, providing plenty of opportunity for sonic mayhem. In fact, it's and then useful that we often forgot all about setting up patterns in the stride sequencer.
The step sequencer had some cool features, too. We loved that once we had established a design, we could agree the Kickoff Step or Last Step button in combination with any of the xvi step buttons to instantly arrange the range of our pattern, and there were multiple fourth dimension values we could select to change the feel of our design while it was playing.
A Chord Memory push button worked as predictable. We held a few keys in a chord; and so hit this button. Subsequently, unmarried notes that we played triggered the appropriate chord. It's clever, and fun for playing wacky synth leads with harmonized notes, though non essential given our ability to play actual chords.
The vocoder works with all iii of the sound engines, only the lack of an XLR jack on the keyboard is a disappointment. It would have been useful to accept a real microphone input on the acme of the synth as with Roland'southward JD-Eleven synth, gear up for easy connectivity of a gooseneck microphone. We had no trouble connecting a Howdy-Z/Lo-Z transformer adapter to the cease of a mic cable for use with a Shure SM-58, but we worry about the weight of a heavy adapter like this putting stress on the plastic input jack. The merely controls provided for the vocoder function were On/Off and Input, with a peak level indicator lite.
Every bit we alluded to earlier, the System-viii brings you lot close to edge of enchantment and then slaps you hard enough to make you see stars. In this case, it's the lack of a defended Tap Tempo button or footswitch input that disappoints, making it extremely challenging to utilise arpeggiated sounds or sequences in alive performances with a drummer.
Tip: You can set up Tap Tempo by holding the Shift key plus the Bill of fare primal to get to the Tempo screen, then hold Shift and tap the Enter primal to set. Merely by requiring ii hands to tap the tempo, you're forced to cease playing. It would be far more useful to allow users re-assign the "of express appeal" Chord Memory button to serve equally a Tap Tempo button without any special Shift/fundamental modifiers (and it's in a useful, easy-access location on the synth), or re-assign the Trigger In jack to support a standard pedal input for this part.
Sound
The nice affair most the Roland Organisation-8 is that if you don't like the sound yous hear, you can just load new synths into it. But if you're a fan of archetype Roland synthesizers, this won't exist an issue. Shipping with three sound engines—System-8, Jupiter-8, and Juno-106, you lot've got a treasure trove of classic (and modernistic) sounds at your disposal, and we suspect most people won't even carp adding a 4th audio engine to the already capable machine.
The System-8 is an excellent sounding virtual analog synth. Nosotros're not going to diameter you with avant-garde audio blueprint details, but we tin say assuredly that the variety of waveforms in the Organisation-eight audio engine provides far greater sonic variety than classic analog synths are capable of. Functionally, nosotros found the System-8 sound engine reminiscent of the classic Korg DW-8000, a hybrid synth that featured a variety of digital waveforms married to an analog filter section, though in this example, the keyboard is full of classic Roland waveforms and virtual analog oscillators and filters.
Sonically, the System-viii is pretty beefy sounding as well every bit varied, and can cover a broad range of territory from classic analog to bones FM-synthesis. Across typical keyboard pads, leads, and faux brass sounds, you lot get a variety of spacier, bell-similar sounds from this audio engine. Combined with its highly useable baloney effect, nosotros found lots of cracking sonic potential here for mod pop and EDM performance beyond classic analog basics.
We loved the pad sounds in particular, which had more of a archetype Oberheim vibe to them than classic Roland fare, with that slightly metallic edge that inspires y'all to play an entirely dissimilar set of '70s and '80s hits. We're glad the filters sound dissimilar hither, because the other two included Plug-Out synths give y'all plenty vintage Roland tone to satisfy your '80s popular music cravings.
Speaking of filters, Roland did a great chore with their analog excursion behavior modeling. Concur a chord, tweak filters and resonance, and sweep the sound all yous'd similar. You lot won't encounter any stair-stepping or other digital artifacts.
So how about the Jupiter-viii and Juno-106 Plug-Out synth engines? We're happy to say that when it comes to emulating classic Roland tone, nobody knows Roland like Roland. Although belatedly to the game—in that location have been classic Roland emulations available from multiple software companies for years—Roland got the sounds right from the start. If you crave these classic sounds in a concrete keyboard that has a modern feature set and doesn't carry a vintage synth price tag, look no farther.
However, playing these audio engines shouldn't be confused with playing the existent keyboards (we've played Jupiters in days gone by, and notwithstanding accept a Juno-106 in the studio). For starters, the output is cleaner from the System-8 hardware than you'll find in whatever 25 years old synth. Between that and the inclusion of digital effects, you lot're really getting somewhat upgraded classic synths, considering these can sound cleaner and brighter than the vintage models. And while a direct comparison with the Juno-106 reveals differences besides inconsequential to reflect upon, once yous place the Sysetm-eight in the mix with other instruments (live or otherwise), your ears will simply hear archetype Juno-106 (or Jupiter-8) tones.
Comparing keyboard pads and strings beyond the diverse sound engines, you can really hear the different character of their filter sections. The Juno-106's brighter sound has a very different vibe than the warmer and rounder sounding Jupiter-8, specially obvious when you move away from string territory into other types of sounds. Its brass sounds and quick, stabby, keyboard sounds are total of classic Juno vibe (until you sprinkle in some digital reverbs, etc.) that you lot don't hear in the Jupiter-8. Merely also, the Juno-106 doesn't have quite the same retro vibe as you lot get from many of the simpler Jupiter-8 sounds.
With all this pristine stuff happening, you may want things to get a piddling rough around the edges. The Organization-8 has a Condition feature that yous can fix on a per-patch basis, and it is supposed to introduce some level of quirkiness or randomness to the sound to simulate older analog synths. No 2 old synths always age exactly the same due to their analog components fading in unlike ways over time based on utilize, heat, humidity, and more. Roland doesn't really disclose details of how the feature works, and it merely has a value range of +/- 128.
While the feature looks exciting on paper, the real-globe implementation doesn't seem to have much effect. We spent time experimenting with this feature on sounds from both the Jupiter-8 and Juno-106, pushing it to extremes, working with stacked-voice monosynth patches, classic analog pads, and more. In our studio, we could not hear any difference significant plenty that anyone would always notice information technology exterior of a very specific critical listening test. There was zilch that made the states feel the audio was any ameliorate one way or the other. The timbre of our sounds simply didn't alter plenty to register whatsoever new observation on the tone.
All that said, if yous don't own a classic Juno or Jupiter, you'll become those sounds, plus an entirely new synth (the bodily Arrangement-8). Further, the ability to split or stack sounds from each sound engine makes this ane extremely useful synth. The vocoder is extremely basic in its implementation, but it does provide i fun, archetype sound. Consider information technology more of a bonus characteristic than something you'd deliberately seek out from this particular synth.
At the finish of the 24-hour interval, the System-8 is total of highly useful sounds and an intuitive player's interface. Yes, it has some shortcomings, only information technology's still a highly playable and great sounding synthesizer.
Video courtesy of Roland US.
Documentation and Production Support
An Owner's Manual is included, which provides a very bones overview of the operation of the System-viii, but it doesn't explain how to get upwardly and running with the Plug-Out technology. There is a Reference Manual bachelor for download, just information technology doesn't explain utilise of the Plug-Out technology, either, nor does information technology explicate the Status feature in any detail.
Fortunately, if you visit Roland'southward website, you'll find numerous System-8 videos that take you through getting started, updating the firmware, using the arpeggiator and sequencer and more. Again, not and then helpful regarding using Plug-Out technology with your figurer.
Cost
The Roland System-viii sells for $1,499. This is a very skillful cost for such a capable synthesizer, and if you accept been seeking classic Roland synth sounds, yous'll discover a great collection of them here without having to invest in some very price classics. It's hands a synth that a novice can grow with, as well, thank you to the extremely straightforward programming interface and corking connectivity options.
Contact Information
Roland
www.rolandus.com
0 Response to "Does the System 8 Spftware Synthesizer Come With Hardware"
Post a Comment