Vintage Synth Nut Tries Roland's Latest Gear!
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- Опубликовано: 16 июл 2024
- Roland sent me a couple of their current flagship instruments to see what a lover of their vintage gear thinks of their modern stuff.
Before filming anything, I gathered viewer questions on social media which I've attempted to the answer in this video. Let me know if you have any more!
Further Jupiter-X info: www.roland.com/uk/products/ju...
Further Fantom info: www.roland.com/uk/products/fa...
Loopop Fantom deep look: • FANTOM Version 2 // Re...
Synth Mania Jupiter deep look: • Roland Jupiter-Xm review
0:00 Intro
0:57 What do you want to know and what is Zen-Core?
1:38 Part 1: Does Zen-Core sound good?
4:17 Part 2: Model comparisons with vintage counterparts
6:04 Part 3: Programming comparisons
9:00 Part 4: Features practical demos
12:39 Part 5: Suggestion Improvements
14:20 Summary
15:21 Outro Jam
With thanks to Andrew and David at Roland and Conny at Asteroid Killer Music.
Asteroid Killer: / asteroidkillermusic
Social:
/ alexballmusic
/ alexballmusic
My Music:
alexball.bandcamp.com/ 
Видеоклипы
Well, well, well. Roland have listened and brought in suggested changes in the latest firmware. Excellent.
ruclips.net/video/N9o8Pr36KqM/видео.html
now up to ver 2.0 - ruclips.net/video/PYsqxcX0boM/видео.html
now up to version 3.01 - ruclips.net/video/HTAlu7VQwnM/видео.html
'Polymetric Shenanigans' is the name of my Irish math rock band.
😂
I saw you guys open for Cheetah Deleters and Mogwai that one time- brilliant set! (though I did end up there accidentally- I was supposed to be at the Polynomial Charcuterie show...)
Roland manager after seeing the video: aight you can keep them
Deal.
Just move house and take them with you... Tell no one your new address.. Run 😂👍
I don't need to use spilled soup as an excuse to lick my phantom...
🍵😛
I feel like that could be a new , intensely niche innuendo ......and I fully support that .
@@6pin66 I’m just trying to imagine someone who has not seen the whole video reacting to the comment. 😳
@@wingflanagan heheh out of conetxt stuff is often so much better/worse ;)
No matter how many likes, this comment will always be underrated.
The A:B edits are epic and show how good the new stuff can sound in a musical context. Hats off to you - I appreciate how much work that must've been and it makes me want to keep coming back for more.
Thank you. Yes, was surprised how close they were.
Increasingly, this becoming the synth equivalent of Top Gear, in that it could be concievably watched and enjoyed beyond it's core consumer audience. Which is good thing, in case you were wondering.
Alex 'punch a producer' Ball?
Slander! :)
@@stevew4910 Alex has never been without a sandwich for any length of time. So, who knows how he would react if denied his lunch time yummies or afternoon nap.
In that it’s presented by idiots who I’d like to throw in a lake? Harsh. I like Alex.
Thanks Adam!
I own no synths. Just a bunch of guitars and tube amps. But Alex’s work on the Roland documentary and the old Terminator video are some of RUclips’s finest works.
I love all of this!
1:47 - Big yes to aggressive racing music!
4:57 - I literally didn't notice the transition. 😲
11:58 - Little known fact; those glasses are known to increase vocoder skills by up to 78%.
Loved your comment tho
The sounds of the vintage ones and the Jupiter-X, I could not tell the difference at all. Im amazed.
Yep.
@@AlexBallMusic Did Roland give you these for free?
@@torarinvik4920 They're demo units that I have on loan for a couple of videos.
@@AlexBallMusic Nice ;D
My number 1 question is does the arp or int seq sync tightly with other gear. Jupiter x is a massive fail in this department. I find I-arp unusable in a studio setting with other gear. Thank god Squarp Pyramid means I can just leave it off forever.
As a classical trained pianist I want to express my immense gratitude to you Alex, your youtube channel had an important role in cultivating me and waking up my passion about Roland synths and why not, synths in general. 🎹🙏
Thanks very much, that's lovely to hear.
Classical music with synths! Classical music with synths!
ruclips.net/video/igHOaMOzzUo/видео.html a little classical synthmusic classic, played by a classy artist if you don't already know of it :D
Maybe a little bit Switched On Bach by Wendy Carlos too? Yeaa :D
"speaker troublers" -- instantly added to my vocabulary
"Hey Randy, can we have a speaker troubler and a couple of face melters?"
@@AlexBallMusic yikes, ..."All speaker troublers and no face melts makes Randy a dull boy." ugh
Speaker troubler ... been using that from the 90s I used to build my own amps when I was training to become an electronics engineer!
When I watch Alex's videos I experience brief glimpses from time to time of what it must be like to understand music
Thanks. Well, music is infinite and there's always more to discover and learn.
I stopped playing music a while ago, but every time I run into your videos, I feel a pressing urge to go back. You're extremely inspiring
Thank you! I hope you do, music is wonderful for the soul!
Same happened to me. Two years without having created anything new. All started because of my inability to handle criticism, weak personality and other private stuff which happened in between, leading to some sort of an artistic breakdown / burnout and a general feeling of being fed up with music (production) and the disappointment that during a time of over 10 years, I've pretty much went nowhere. I sincerely hope that I'll find a way out of this, spending many hours a day reading and watching synth related stuff, but this hasn't made me opening my DAW and actually doing something so far.
@@thedoublek4816 your story mirrors my life in the past two years as well. Eerily the same.
@@AlexBallMusic "Music is wonderful for the soul!"
That is the single most important reason I started playing music again actively after a break if over 15 years. Covid and lockdowns made me realise I will go nuts if I don't do anything else than sitting at home watching tv in my spare time. Then I realised, hey those synths I have in the basement storage... what did they sound like? Great, I can tell you. Many synths later, now playing in a couple of bands again. Lots of fun!
Enjoying your videos a lot, Alex!
Purposeless play. The simple love of sounds. I can’t think of anything more fulfilling and spiritual than that.
it kinda elaborates on how a lot of early synth music, groups' sound was down to which synths they possessed and their capabilities within
JUPITER X LOOKS SO GOOD
but not good sounding compared to system8
Zen-core sound good? Oh hell yeah. I laughed so hard when that big fat meaty sound in the initial demo smacked me straight in the face. I don't think there's any debate on that, sounds so sweet. That's an amazingly hearty sound for digital. The rest of the video could be an anticlimactic thing after that..... But no, no it's not. Thanks for taking us out on a spin in the latest Rolland gear. Always a fan of their synths.
Even the badbsybths sound good usually they just have digusting controls
@@illford6921 badbsybths?
@@lucasc5622 I think they meant to type "bad synths" but initially hit the B key instead of the spacebar the first time and but the B key instead of N the second time.
I soooo look forward to your longer video's like this!!! I think its time you did an hour long one like the "land of the rising @@@" ...please lol
Cheers. Hopeful will do something along those lines at some point, yep.
Phenomenal amount of work you put in to your videos - and that last tune was cool. 😎😎
The Jupiter X demo was super inspiring to me. Thank you!
I'm catching up on loads of these videos, they are always absolutely spot on and lots of fun too. Never self indulgent or too long! My go-to synth channel.
Thank you. I can do both self indulgent and too long if required. ;)
Alex, you are one of the best presenters of such information. What I like most are your incredible musical skills, far more better than 90% of other review vids on yt. Also the making of the vids is gorgeous - I can measure what it means to do that in such professionality. Anyway, just bought a Jupiter x after seeing/hearing this.
I like that you're honest about this being sponsored. Clear, to the point, and fun
I’ve been a proud owner of a Jupiter X for about a month now, and I can’t say enough great things about the sound, versatility, look, and feel of the instrument. However I do agree that the whole “always in a scene” thing, along with some menu-diving makes initializing patches a bit tedious, and I hope Roland will take your feedback to heart. Great video as always, Alex. ✨
It's all there, it just needs that little tweak. Theoretically possible, so hopefully it happens.
@@AlexBallMusic it happened! There is now a quick button combo that will set the Jupiter up in one part mode. Effectively turning off all the other parts and disabling the scene effects.
@@davidknight754 Yes indeed. I put a pinned comment above last month. 🙂
awesome... sometimes simiple is better !!! Thanks !! @@davidknight754
Great suggestion !!
@@AlexBallMusic
Love the programming comparison, well demonstrated!
Thanks, was interesting to do from a personal note.
"All synths in safe hands" - video
Funny you should say that as I very nearly dropped that Jupiter doing the thumbnail. 😬
@@AlexBallMusic Alex, only thing I can say...if I were a synthesizer I would feel safe in your hands. I'd trust you would always catch what you'd drop :D
I have owned a Jupiter X for a few months and I love it.. I owned Roland Juno 106 for years and the two of voices died and I decided it was getting expensive to keep the synth serviced.. went to eBay.. I bought the Jupiter X after owning a system 8 but wanted more polyphony… fours months on and I am so impressed with the Jupiter.. such a shame that it doesn’t get much love… and I discovered the Zen core section recently, bloody hell four oscillator madness !!!
@@giddygoon73 Zen Core kind of busted I mean, you effectively will only need 1 Roland synth for forever and then you just change it in software. Whilst digital may not sound the same it's way more portable and easy to change
Quality ... informed and considerate. Unbiased enlightened information as always Alex. Love your streams - you're a class act, and hard for others to follow 👍👌☺️
Thank you! I'm glad it came across that way.
He demonstrated so many Roland synths, he exploded a beached whale. I cannot lie.... there's a part of me that wants to at least try a Jupiter X. Those A/B comparisons caught me off guard.
Yep, when I dialled in that Jupiter in particular I had raised eyebrows.
The SH-101 is uncanny too and it's polyphonic!
You can try it out for free if you use the Zenology pro trial month.
I have „only“ the MC-707 and the Software but I love the sound.
@@mudi2000a There's one line I will never cross..... Subscription-based software. *Especially* cloud-based, subscription software. No sir.
@@AdamBorseti you can also buy a full license you don’t need a subscription.
@@AdamBorseti you can buy licences out right.
I don't mind subscription style if it's temporary. Like how splice enables monthly payments for a year and then you own the software. I think it's neat way if spreading the cost
amazing job Alex, wow, I love your synth work! Some of those comparisons were mindblowing!
Thanks!
wow that was an awsome paid video! it just did feel like a regular test to me. well done. Also i totally forgot the time a week ago watching your Roland docu, awsome! keep up the good work!
You have the most engaging reviews. Well done once again.
Thanks for this very informative stuff. The workflow comparison was so great.
Thanks Rudiger, glad it was of use.
Those two demos were 🕺🏻🥷🏻🦎🧨💋🌝
👍
Another great video. Thanks for taking the time to dig through the old archives and doing the comparisons in a musical context! The new stuff, especially the Jup-X, sounds great. But alas, and despite just having bought a JU-06A, this video did NOT alleviate my GAS for the Juno-6, so thanks for that. :p
Damn, the harmonies of that Jupiter-X jam gave me some lovely YMO-vibes, well done!
:)
Great video content Thanks...and right-to-point comparisons of each synth.
Great video as always, Alex!!! Love your 1980’s movie soundtrack synth riffs!!!
We're always in an 80s movie in my mind.
Another great video Alex. I love both vintage and modern gear. Ok the vintage will always have a place in my heart that the modern gear will never have but it still sounds great
Yep, vintage and modern are both great for different reasons. We have the luxury of being able to enjoy both.
The more modern the synths you get to play with, the more your music starts to sound like anything from the YMO. I like it!
BGM is often my Saturday morning pick me up.
@@AlexBallMusic Back Ground Music rules !
YMO?.... asking for an old git
Ok, just realised Yellow Magic Orchestra
BGM by YMO is a totally outstanding album,maybe that's why I like your demo's Alex.
Your playing and humor are always a great treat. Zen-core makes me feel too much like the hardware is just software controllers. Maybe someday I’ll grow up and computers won’t be so scary.
Because the resolution is so high (1024 steps), they really don't have a VST feel or sound to them. And some VSTs can sound really great anyway.
I honestly think it's amazing time for gear generally. So many approaches and choices.
@@AlexBallMusic I can imagine that it could bring the right artist to the moon and back with all of its capabilities. in the future I think people will be doing remarkable, unimaginable things with synthesizers.
@@AlexBallMusic As a vst designer. To my ears Zen core is 20+ year old dsp techniques with modern fpga. Using more modern techniques on a desktop computer will go much farther.
@@Pianet tge difference is the fact you don't really get the same experience. At that most modern Costs can't sound like Roland gear tbh. Serum and Massive definitely don't and the other can get close but it's noticeable. I will give a shout-out to Reactor because some of the emulation do sound really nice but not 100.
@@Pianet secondly you have to own a computer which I can't even lie isn't always fun, sometimes I wish j could just have synthesisers with the VSTs as opposed to the whole computer, they're expensive and they can get noisy with the stupid fan. At that Software has the issue of piracy and scams so software ends up usually not making as much money as it should
Very nice rundown on the new gear versus the old. Sounded spot on to the old stuff.
Thanks. Yes, it can sound so similar I thought.
Cheers Alex, lovely overview and comparison. Listening to YMO BGM as a follow up ... wow. :)
....and a dedicated editor for Jupiter-X and Xm has just been launched.
Hopefully a tweak for a panel / simple mode will also follow but this is a great update.
ruclips.net/video/_hTxNZtkooY/видео.html
Pretty cool demos there, mate!
Thank you ! Was looking exactly for this !
I've been dying to see your thoughts on the Jupiter X!! Dreams do come true!
Glad to have finally got one for a feature!
@@AlexBallMusic i'm planning to pick one up in July! i can't wait to mess around with it!
I second a lot of the nice comments said here, and want to compliment you on the vintage appearance of the video. I love the yellow on-screen subtitling and VHS quality of the presentation. It just adds to the charm of your overview and performance!
Those A/B comparisons, WOWZERS! Really impressed.
Quite suprising isn't it!
What the hell?? That SH101 patch had no right to be identical. Roland is trying to single-handedly destroy the used market for their own instruments, they're too powerful.
I had a 101 for years and it's uncanny. It's also polyphonic and has unison stack!
I really enjoy Roland's modern direction. Very much inspired by their old synths but still able to sound fresh and new
The 101 is actually not that hard to emulate. I have had both the original and more or less all the clones and software versions, and they all sound more or less identical. I finally settled for the Behringer version because of muscle memory.
I didn't think the 1st demo of the 101 sounded identical (In case there's another demo later that I've not got to yet) but the Jupiter and Juno 106 blew me away with how much they sounded alike
Sound was thinner on the fantom
Awesome video. Very informative and to the point. Kudos!
Thanks Ellis.
People should really stop banging on about Roland not making vintage reissues. ZEN core is amazing. I don’t have the hard wear but have lifetime keys for it, and all the model expansions that I play with a controller. I then have all my analog hardware to compliment it. I love mixing analog vintage sounds with natural pianos and hyper modern wave table etc…. I love it all. I’m no purist.
Not to mention that vintage synthesizers are ludicrously expensive these days.
I love the new synths because I'm so used to the digital sound that I prefer it in most cases. I have a soft spot for vintage gear but most of my love goes to synths that were made in the UK. And the Korg M1, I require that synth
@@illford6921 my first hardware was a Kong O1Wf/d. Then a Triton. Pre DAWs…..😉
@@illford6921 What synths are made in UK, besides Novation? That comment jumped out at me because I’ve never heard anyone say that.
@@79Glitch Modal Electronics
Another top notch production! Damn you, now I want a Fantom!
:)
That was fantastic, Alex! I love vintage synths from Roland & I think the new Jupiter-X/Xm do an excellent recreation of the Jupiter-8, Juno-106 etc :)
Cheers Rik. Yes, I have to agree.
Your videos always make me smile! 😃
Thanks Robert!
This is the greatest synth review of all time. Bang on tone, speed and information.
Thank you!
Came for the Isla S2400, stayed for the awesome channel content! Instant subscribe! Love your channel!
Thanks John!
Great video, thanks for posting. I like the way you approached these synths as it's different to other YT reviews.
While I always appreciate comparisons of new gear like the Fantom and Jupiter-X to old gear, it has the side effect of Roland-bashers who complain that their new stuff is just a re-hash of the old stuff. It would be great to show off some more of the new tricks Zencore has up it's sleeve that were never possible with the old gear and demo some really modern sounds these synths can make that vintage gear can't. We got glimpses of new features like the step LFO, but covering other things like the huge effects section, the 4-partials which can do a LOT more each that just emulate analog oscillators, cross-partial modulation, vocoder and multisampling, the multiple filter options available, some of the interesting aspects of the pattern sequencer, and so on.
Also missing was mention of things like the V-Piano in the Fantom which sounds fantastic, the supernatural expansions, the drums (which I believe has Roland's full V-Drums library on the Fantom but might be wrong) and more.
I thought both sounded great. Your suggestions are spot on. I was kind of shocked that those options were not standard on the instruments. Thanks! Really enjoy your channel.
Thanks. Yes, it's all there, just needs a little tweak or two.
10:05 Somehow that System 700 patch reminded me of Hyperborea... Great stuff as usual! Greetings!
As for "does it sound good"... It's 2021. If someone can't make a modern synth sound good, the problem isn't the synth.
The elephant in the room...
well it's more about what the workflow nudges you into doing, or the kind of sound you gravitate towards
like do you want a trance machine or an analogue warmth time capsule from 40 years ago?
It all depends on what is "good" for you...
The question should be....does it have a distinct, special sound....that I can not get anyhere else....
@@Raydensheraj the real question is how capable is the musician?
Well done comparisons and assessment. I have an Xm and it’s been a well-worth-it purchase.
You may have just sold me on the Jupiter X. Nice work!
Great video as always Alex ! ❤
Thanks Mr shook!
That sound at 3:32! Just amazing!! Would love a song built around that!
Very helpful! Thanks again!
Thanks for stopping by!
I absolutely love the orange back of this Fantom! It's much nicer to work with than an all-black connection panel. I wished they had used that on the Jupiter, although I do like that its back is angled.
Really nice, funky-chunky tune in 7/8 at the end! Cheers from Carlsbad, CA.
Cheers! I'm glad the chunk followed the funk.
I’m from Carlsbad too haha
Great video comparison. Thank you!
Cheers!
I want the Jupiter-X . Nice songs you played with these :)
Yep, very cool synth.
Again with the awesome music video with great analysis and reviews sandwiched in. What is it with you, man!?!
Thank you Elsinore!
You work magic on those synths, my man. My entire family gets down when Alex grooves!
Cheers Dave!
nice coverage as usual - and yes a panel button should have been a 'no brainer' for Roland, lots of stuff has it
Great video and now a subscriber, got a Jupiter Xm but not had a time to play it much as I keep using all the Roland cloud stuff which sounds great too.
Gorgeous sounds. 😍
I will never stop thinking of Prince the second I hear those LinnDrum claps.
Especially when tuned down!
Always superhappy when you pop up on my feed with a fresh video : Coffee is ready, ears are clean, PLAY !
Thank you! Hope the coffee was nice?
@@AlexBallMusic even better!
I enjoy your musicality and creativity as a matter of fact I am having a ball. Please keep up with your ideas and inspiration to the rest of us.
Thanks very much Christopher!
So many possibilities on these modern synths, it would stifle my creativity. Fortunately we have talents like Alex Ball to crank out the amazing tunes anyway! Thank you!
"I dunno... lick it?" Words to live by
There's one fundamental difference between the Jupiter-8, SH-101, Juno-106, JX-8P, and the Jupiter-X and the Fantom. The latter two are not made in Japan.
Made in Malaysia
@@mesuterol3216 Korg is still supposedly made in Japan. Although it's hard to say where the components are coming from. The components for Moof, Sequential, and Oberheim come from China.
@@dvamateur woahh did not know this
was eagerly waiting for this :)
I hope I delivered!
@@AlexBallMusic you did, as usual :) to the point, and without wasting too much time on vintage vs digital comparisons... as a fantom 6 ownwer I'd add the rhythm patterns are not that many/that exciting.
On a different note, are there any chances we get to see you perform live at some point - london or elsewhere?
Those new instruments sound dammed good. The 101 and the Jp-8 were outstanding.
Update: I got a Fantom 07 for quick throw n' go gigs and added the JP8 and 106 expansions. I have a real 106 and an MKS-80 and I gotta say their software sounds pretty damned good. I also find it pretty quick to get around the interface - you can use dedicated buttons to jump to various sections, and the screen is quick and responsive while adopting many of the slick features of my old V-Synth XT. This instrument is exceeding my expectations.
great review
I actually like some of these modern Roland Synths. Obviously the vintage gear sounds more wonky . However I think the diffrence is not really worth rattling on about. What a great video, this has really opened up my ears to the modern Roland tech.
The Jupiter can sound really wonky if you want, there's an aging setting in the menu and also a real temperature guage that causes the synth to drift in relation to the real temperature!
I just added a small bit of aging for a little wonk, but not much.
Agree though, these are very powerful synths with all sorts of modern benefits.
Well, if I had 10% of Alex skills I’m pretty sure I could make my toaster sound like a million bucks. Awesome as always. All manufacturers would do well to send their stuff this way...
Toaster music is the next video funnily enough.
great super video. I have all 3 in the video. thanks.
Great video. I've had my eye on the Jupiter XM for the portability aspect and different modes for a while. The new Fantom seems a bit much. Then again I'm in the box at the moment and considering the Jupiter and a MPC Live 2 to start a hybrid setup. Thanks
I was listening (without watching) the Phantom Jam and when the modular line came in I instantly thought, that does it, ‘soft synths have arrived!’
Needless to say, I was wrong.
Great video as always, Alex
That metallic arp type patch that starts at 15:38 is so class!
Cheers!
Great Video mate. Cheers.
Great video - absolutely agree about time sigs; would love compound/complex capabilities onboard.
Cheers, yes would be a great update.
Well...played sir!!!
Your reviews/demos are always on point!
I hope Roland will let you keep at least the X 😅
😉
You are unique, not only at the synth but in the way you do Reviews.
Thanks Manuel!
Agreed 👍
I love the Jupiter X especially with the version 3.0 software that added so many more amazing sounds. Keyboard is very well made and I like the action as well. The Fantom keyboards are also very excellent.
Nice to hear a bit of "Afterglow" make an appearance. One of my favorite tracks.
Thanks!
Awesome video!
Thanks Denver!
This *may* be a very silly thought (apologies in advance!) but given the breathtaking functionality of the Fantom, might it one day be an idea to simply (from factory reset) just have the bare essentials installed, with everything else available (as it's already been paid for in the purchase price of the instrument) via download from Roland, one-functionality-at-a-time? That way each owner customises the menu complexity of their instrument to match their taste.... as I said potentially a silly thought, but complex user interfaces can drive me nuts and maybe I'm not alone lol
That's a very interesting idea. You could then make it to fit you and spare yourself stuff you wouldn't use.
Could be the future.
Mr French, that is a killer idea. I would like to refine your idea one more degree so that it could be done quickly with a software update: send out Fantom stock like now, but have 2 factory reset options, the second being the bare bones version you described, then carry on as usual.
@@jjrusy7438 Yep that makes perfect sense, that way both sets of customers have the setup that best suits them :-)
@@jjrusy7438 Moreover, a set of Roland training exercises could be written that introduces a user to each function *incrementally*, building on what they have learned so far by downloading each new capability and using it. Yeah, could work nicely...
@@richardfrench7614 as opposed to the shear terror of the full PDF manual. even a video series walking people through the sections would be cool.
these manuals these days are daunting due to the vast amount of digital functions now.
Alex I love the jam with the output trigger to your modular wall Nice.
Thank you. The Fantom is great for running a show like that, was interesting to do.
Good stuff as allways!
Alex: thank you for doing an incredible job with your videos!
Loved the sound design speed runs! Think there's an entire series in there somewhere. Feel bad for the poor sap who has to speed design using a DX7 🤣
...or the DX1.
I wanted to name my last 2 boys Roland. The lil’ miss is dead against it :) Great video! Thanks for the comparisons, pretty impressive. I was looking away to see if I could hear the difference :) I did think the original JX8P sounded warmer and more musical in the mid-bottom but the Juno’s and Jupiter sounded spot on. Such a struggle! My entire signal path is analog but I’m so intrigued. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Alex. they are 2 great Roland synthesizers and so nice they have included emulations of some classic vintage Roland synths that are getting so hard to find and crazily expensive.
Indeed, it's awesome to be able to say "do I want two Jupiters or three poly SH-101s in this patch?"
You have the Fantom 8, right?
@@AlexBallMusic Yes I have the fantom-8 as my main keyboard that I use every day. If I could only have one keyboard that would be the one I would keep.
@@markusfuller I remember the keyboard action being amazing when I played it.