Analogaddict Posted June 17, 2022 Share Posted June 17, 2022 https://www.musicradar.com/news/roland-jupiter-4-synth-plugin The good stuff: This seems legit. The JP4 is one of my all time favorite synths. The bad stuff: Available for the System-8 only..? I have a Jupiter-X. IMHO this ought to be available for the Jupiter series since - well, it is indeed the first Jupiter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherScott Posted June 17, 2022 Share Posted June 17, 2022 2 hours ago, Analogaddict said: The good stuff: This seems legit. The JP4 is one of my all time favorite synths. The bad stuff: Available for the System-8 only..? I have a Jupiter-X. IMHO this ought to be available for the Jupiter series since - well, it is indeed the first Jupiter. Well, System 8 is ACB, and Jupiter X is ZEN-Core, so they don't run any of the same stuff. But it's not inconceivable that they could come out with a ZEN-Core version in the future. Quote Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threadslayer Posted June 17, 2022 Share Posted June 17, 2022 2 hours ago, Analogaddict said: The JP4 is one of my all time favorite synths. Curious about this. What was it about the JP4 that made it a favorite? Not being snarky, this is a legitimate question. I bought one around 1978 and gigged it for years, and learned a lot about synthesis and sound design in the process, but I always felt I had settled for second best because I just could not afford a Prophet V or an Oberheim. I always wondered what that synth could have been if they added a 2nd oscillator per voice. The added a pretty nice chorus effect in an attempt to emulate detuned oscillators but it didn't come close to the real thing IMO. What was your experience? 1 Quote Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. -Mark Twain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherScott Posted June 17, 2022 Share Posted June 17, 2022 1 minute ago, Threadslayer said: Curious about this. What was it about the JP4 that made it a favorite? Not being snarky, this is a legitimate question. I bought one around 1978 and gigged it for years, and learned a lot about synthesis and sound design in the process, but I always felt I had settled for second best because I just could not afford a Prophet V or an Oberheim. I always wondered what that synth could have been if they added a 2nd oscillator per voice. The added a pretty nice chorus effect in an attempt to emulate detuned oscillators but it didn't come close to the real thing IMO. What was your experience? I empathize with you... I so wanted a "real" poly-synth I could afford, and kept playing the Jupiter 4 at the store, wanting to like it and buy it, but just could never warm to the sound. The later Polysix is what finally scratched that itch for me. But some people apparently really did like that Roland. 1 Quote Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Analogaddict Posted June 17, 2022 Author Share Posted June 17, 2022 I’m usually more into Oberheims and Prophets and big, lush sounds, but I did a session many years ago where I borrowed a Two-Voice and a JP-4 from a friend and ended up using the JP-4 more… the envelopes sound really good to me and it has a great ability to sit perfectly in a guitar heavy mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Emm Posted June 17, 2022 Share Posted June 17, 2022 I think answering the obvious questions will require a mild shootout between this version and Cherry Audio's Mercury-4. Both improve on a few of the original's lacks, so it depends on the basic tone. It never feels like a real synth to me without 2 oscillators and 3 are better. I sometimes link two Logic tracks to get the third one. It also depends on your feelings about the Roland Cloud, which operates fairly dependably relative to my D-50. There are enough substantial polys around that you should be able to get that one-osc. thing readily enough. I'm not seeking to diss mono or one-osc. synths in total; many have their memorable spots. The Korg Prophecy was an emotive beast. This particular Roland is just a bit thin for my needs. Quote "Stay tuned for a new band: Out Of Sync." ~ "The Vet Life" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obxa Posted June 17, 2022 Share Posted June 17, 2022 I've always loved the early Roland stuff, but never owned aJ4. Not sure how authentic the Cherry Audio version is, I first passed on it, but have ended up using it more and more and the price is right. https://cherryaudio.com/products/mercury-4 Quote Chris Corso www.chriscorso.org Lots of stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Schmieder Posted June 18, 2022 Share Posted June 18, 2022 The ProMars is quite nice, and some feel it is a fuller sound than the JP4. The latter's claim to fame is that it formed the basis of the arpeggios on early Duran Duran material. I don't recall if later Jupiter models had equivalent sequencers or if they had fewer variations and modes. 1 Quote Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1, Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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