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Average rating:
4.7 out of 5
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Finally picked one up after years of searching for a mint JP8 I found a 12bit with no dcb or midi just because of the factory condtion it was in,Maybe its luck but my JP8 is rock solid stable,Anyway in my opinion the JP8 is the king of Roland Analogs,The sound and layout is Unsurpassed.The sounds can go from airy atmosphere heaven,To Thick and Meaty and evil with a extra flare.A Ambient producer dream synth.A true classic.
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Addendum to my JP8 review.
The 12-bit problem on early models causes the Autotune to be innacurate rather than making the synth unstable, it can actually knock the synth slightly off kilter even if it is perfectly set up inside, thesedays it is less of a problem than when new as a bit of voicecard bandiness can give character, Fine on a CS80 but on the JP8 it annoyed me so I sold it and have now got a tidier late one with MIDI. Don`t worry about getting an 8A, anything with a 14-bit DAC will tune up just fine and quite a few remove the DCB board when Midifying anyway.
Groove MIDI seems to be the best specified one of the lot as stated in a previous review BUT the problem here is that it pushes the JP8`s weedy Z80 CPU to the limits and can make the panel controls slightly sluggish when moving them fast, the Arpeggiator is slightly less responsive than on a stock machine too. there is a bug in the Groove firmware, the allocation for routing pitch bend to bend both VCOs has the same effect as the fine tuning one. All in all I`d rather have old Groove MIDI, warts and all compared to the lame expensive Kenton kit as the MIDI tweakablilty is a godsend and nullifies the desire for a weedy MKS80/MPG80 (which is NO Super-Jupiter). the synth won`t send from it`s own sliders but easily tweaked from a Peavey, AN1x, Mixermap etc.
The old 12-bit JP8`s VCF self oscillated, the newer one (and every other JP8 I`ve used) doesn`t, and proves at least that it`s capable as the voice cards are the same.
After spending a lot of time with the things, I`ve come to the conclusion that the Jupiter-8 is definately the best all round analog poly, it ain`t got the waft of a MemoryMoog, the Organicness of a CS80, complexity of a Chroma, or the unlimited bandwidth of an OB-X but it offers a bit of each without all the problems those machines have, wrapped up in one smart reliable easily servicable package. People knew this when new so beware, 90% of the JP8s I`ve used have been "Right SHEDS", these things were dependable and therefore people gigged the tits off them, don`t be suprised to see big dents, writing missing, push buttons hanging off and scratches/rust that look like modern art.
betcha it still works though, you only have to breate on a MemoryMoog for it to have a cardiac arrest or a CS80 for it to go out of tune. The ultimate BEST analog polys ARE the least reliable ones but the JP8 treads a very fine line, a very fine line indeed.
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This keyboard is the best that Roland has ever made ! It's sounds are suited for a large variety of music styles and there's something there for everybody. Guaranteed to give you years of unending bliss. If you don't have one, get one !
No digital synth or sampler can even come close at doing the JP8 justice. Every synth manufacturer on the planet has tried to duplicate it's awesome sound without succes (including Roland). It is truly the King of Keyboards !
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Roland`s first megasynth (and many would say their last) which found a big niche in the Newromantic movement in the early 80s and although still very sought after, rarely if at all used by the dance fraternity for no apparent reason. snappy envelopes (with decent attack/release times unlike the Juno-60), liquid filtering, plenty of memories and programming options for the age and a reputation for doubling up as a burger grill,, a hot synth in more ways than one.. I see it as a sort of Japanese OB-Xa, similar power levels (IE- way beyond wheezy prophets and bland JP6s), similar functions and even has similar quirks. it don`t sound like an Xa though, smoother, lusher and less brassy. the JP8 can create a wide range of timbres for any occasion (even DANCE). forget the "avoid 12-bit dac ones" syndrome which causes concern in JP8 circles, mine`s a 12-bitter (one of the first few) and is as stable as any I`ve seen. 8a`s are preferable more for the DCB port than any software or Dac based improvements.. though these things run really hot so component ageing may be a problem in early ones though.
If you`re running a JP8 and are electronically minded.. here`s a big tip.. BUY a tatty JUNO-6.. the sliders, slider-tops, toggle switches, keyboard parts, EG, VCA and VCF chips, captive mains lead and bend lever are all Jupiter-8 compatible, other chips, pots, knobs are the same too, an excellent source of spares for very little dosh (and you get a fun synth to use until you need something). if the push buttons go intermittent or hanging off, the innards (the hinge bit and the switch itself) are the same as on a Korg Polysix. the tops are different,, shame, you`ll have to scrap a TR808 for those :(. hope this helps.
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Well. How do I explain I bought mine for $250 Australian Dollars (A old lady bought it to learn piano?!). The Midi retro fit cost me more. Here's the sacred info: If you own a Jupiter 8 find a 'Groove Electronics' (in England) Midi Retro. You can Put the Jup in Split Mode and it becomes 2 part Multi-Timbral!! Also, All sliders recieve controllers, Vel/aftertouch ect can be assigned to filters and more, It allows sys-ex Loads/Dumps and it send out note info when using the appeg. Great Stuff Indeed. So why do I Give Mine Top Marks?
Theres just nothing like its power and sound.
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