Comparison: The Classic SH-01 GAIA vs the new GAIA 2
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- Опубликовано: 29 июл 2024
- Roland has released the new GAIA 2 synthesizer, and it's a good one. The original SH-01 GAIA was an absolute classic - it was in production for 13 years! How worthy a successor is the new GAIA 2? I compare the two synths, show the lineage the new GAIA 2 has inherited from the old GAIA, and demonstrate some of the new features. Then I explain WHY I bought the new GAIA 2!
My original SH-01 GAIA Review: • Scott's Synth Stuff Ep...
The SH-01 GAIA Has a Dirty Secret: • The Roland SH-01 GAIA ...
Top 10 Best Synths for Beginners: • Top 10 Best First Hard...
The Scourge of Tiny Synth Screens: • The Scourge of Tiny Sy...
Roland GAIA 2: amzn.to/3LN6gsI
Roland GAIA SH-01: www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinm...
My keyboard Z stand: amzn.to/3Ix5xuF
Z stand extra tier: amzn.to/3XtVpa6
My keyboard A frames: amzn.to/3YwAPav
My silver keyboard covers: amzn.to/40VySFx
My black keyboard covers: amzn.to/3Gt5oXz
0:00 Intro
1:40 The original GAIA
5:33 GAIA 2 Unboxing
7:30 Power Cord Differences
7:49 Yet Another Boring Zen-Core Synth?
8:40 Model Expansions
9:47 Why Did I Buy It?
12:12 Comparison
12:24 Back Panel
13:11 Upgrading Firmware
16:37 Backups and Restores
18:29 Patch Storage
21:37 Tone Differences
22:30 LFO's and Functions
23:17 Sequencer & Chord Mode
23:40 Other Differences
25:01 Wavetable
25:24 Control Quality
26:34 Keybed
26:54 Effects
27:56 Arpeggiator
28:22 Pitch/Mod Wheels
30:01 Presets
#Roland #GAIA #GAIA2 
Видеоклипы
Thanks for this comparison! It’s just what I was hoping someone would do! Nice job!
When i got my Gaia SH-01 it was 10 years after its release and despite it being just a VST (with sampled waveforms) in a Plastic case, is still love this freaking thing so much for the awesome direct approach and the fact that it's 3 layers of the same synth that you have available with full polyphony. And yes the only real gripe i have with it is the abysmal digital filter and some of the effects but i'm glad the effects are still there. It also has one of the very rare keyboards i can actually really play on. When i got mine i directly went into the User Bank mode and started working on my own presets and completely disregarded the factory presets because it's really a synth that invites you to do your own stuff due to the direct access to all parameters. The Gaia 2 definitely tickles my curiosity but i'm not sure if i can justify the asking price for yet another VST in a Shell, especially when Korg, Behringer & Arturia offer actual analog synthesis and new wavetable and FM synthesis for the same price. And Roland gear is just notoriously overpriced.
Thanks Scott for such a great review!!
I wish Roland had kept the original 3 tone concept of the original Gaia, as it was so fast to duplicate/detune tones, edit things in tandem, etc.
Me too!
The original with the 3 filters and layering allows some incredibly intricate sounds. I made a spookily realistic choir using white noise and 3 tuned resonant filters to create the harmonic layers.
So it doesn't stack 3 oscillators w 4 indep envelopes like the OG?
@@htechdance No, it does not. All three oscillators share the same filter and amplitude envelopes.
@@WibblyWobblyBob Juno-DS61 is the vastly superior ROMpler, and it has four layers as opposed to the simpler Gaia1's three. It also used to go for the same price, but ever since the pandemic, it is a bit more expensive now.
Enjoyable video! I liked your comparison between the old and new.
Actually this intro is awesome. 🙂My Gaia 2 is on the way.
Very good review.
Not a review. Actual review is coming!
The presets are really awesome as you noticed. This is an amazing little synth. Maybe my 2023 Christmas gift :) I got an MC-707 recently and I think they'll do a perfect pair. The only gripe really are the tiny mod / bend wheels. They look very weird.
17 mins - 'upload/back-up files..blah, blah' im ready to slash my wrists. Males and complicated tech operations - not for me. Spending hours fucking about. Google bar - nice and simple.
Thanks Scott! Great review. I had it in my head that the Gaia 2 was hardly different to the original, much like Korg's re-release of the Opsix, Modwave and Wavestate. But you've made me realise how different the old and new Gaia are. Much like yourself I might have to get them both! 😄 All the best!
I love the instruments as well as your cat cameo
Being a fan and owner of juno's i found the original gaia pretty easy to get around on. This was a pretty informative video.
If you have the Wi-Fi adapter that Roland makes, you can also add model expansions and do updates using an app on your phone
I often regret selling my GAIA.... Thanks for the great review!!!
You still trying to get everyone to boycott Espen Kraft's channel?
How's that working out for you?
I was able to load the expansions straight from the roland cloud app on my phone - no faffing about with usb files back and forth - maybe they added that since the firmware update?
Gotta love how people imagine a lifelong collection of synths could somehow materialize in a single night due to the magic of sweetwater sponsorships lol
Also yeah, my first synthesizer was the predecessor, the SH-201. Great interface for learning how synths work, what waveforms are and why they matter, why notes pitches are more complicated than just their fundamental pitch, etc etc. Lots of useful stuff for more complex synthesis topics too.
(And shoutout to ASM, nice shirt lol, hedge off the haters with company worth shilling for in any case lol)
((Aaaand, lmao I too have a cheat sheet still taped to the empty spot above the pitch/mod knob on my SH-201, for stuff like messing with the delay's extra parameters))
We went to Guitar Center Hollywood yesterday and there it was , a beautiful piece of machinery the GAIA2
Wow on your review.
Not a review - just a comparison. Full review is coming!
Hi Scott. Very useful video. We do not much hear about the JDXA, how does it compare and how does it ranks in the Roland range ? Seems nice on paper Thanks
Hoping you can share some more videos with the Gaia 2. I own a few synths, but any help with learning is greatly appreciated!
Coming soon!
@@ScottsSynthStuff There are some comments about the Gaia 2 sounding flat for some videos. Worth pointing out that in the distortion section there is a the distortion makeup control which adds a fair amount of beefiness. Also, the tone knob at the amp filter, and the really nice master eq with master gain, low end eq, etc. Some of the wave table waves add a huge low end as well. Looking forward to your review. So far, really enjoying the Gaia 2!
Thanks for this. Gaia 2 vs KingKorg next? 😊
How do you compare the Gaia 2 to the ASM Hydrasynth as far as sound and control of the synth?
For this side by side comparison, I appreciate how honest you are about the things you like and dislike. What this video is telling me is that I REALLY slept on the original Gaia, had no idea It was 3 part multi timberal. Did each part share the same stereo out puts?
Yes, only one set of stereo outputs.
@@ScottsSynthStuff when I had the sh-32, which was 4 part multi timberal I noticed that if you had 4 patches the mix was incredibly compressed, like each part was fighting for space. Never had that happen on the Nord 2x
It's how Roland did VA back then, the JD-800 works this way too, with four layers.
Which of the Zenology based boards compliment the whole Cloud eco- system best as a controller?
does it really cost that much more to add aftertouch? we can build skyscrapers but we cant figure out how to get keyboard aftertouch into a trivial cost range?
Is it just me or is the pitch envelope from the Gaia 1 missing? Maybe in menus somewhere?
Love the kitty! Though I’m a bit ambivalent about the Gaia 2. A few misses by Roland there, especially the pitch/mod wheels. I have a SH-4d so I don’t think I’d gain much adding a Gaia 2.
You can tell they “borrowed” design cues from the Korg Minilogue as well.
i had the same cat. it is a calico type, 99% female ... so cute...thx 4 the review....
She's a sweetheart :)
Shockingly, Roland actually put some modern sounds in the Gaia2, they've been rehashing '80s sounds for too many decades, it is way past time that they join modern times.
That was exactly the concept behind the engine in the GAIA 2, apparently.
@@ScottsSynthStuff I don't like the pricetag for what we get. I am very interested in the presets, nonetheless, so I may get a used one for cheaper later. The build quality looks neat, though. I see you have a MODX going by your video thumbnails, how does the Gaia2 keybed compare?
What is that thing to the right of the power supply unit’s connection? Is it for grounding the unit?
Yes, it's a ground point in case you have a ground loop on the audio that you need to get rid of.
Are there any type of sounds where youre like, ok gaia 2 definitely can not do those sounds? If so, are there a lot? For example, most people say the iridium can do anything. But Im wondering if its more like pianos and guitar. You can do anything on a decent guitar and piano that you can do on super experience pianos and guitars.
How good does Gaia2 respond from a good external midi keyboard with 61 or more keys ?
I just did some recording with it last night, sending it MIDI data both from my Montage and from my DAW, as well as recording MIDI played on the GAIA 2. It works perfectly, no lag, no jitter, perfect timing, without having to change any MIDI parameters at all. That's a first for me, for a piece of Roland gear.
So Scott, - is the new Gaia an actual synth, or is it essentially a sampler like the old Gaia? Does it have true oscillators? Is the sound actually being generated by the chips?
From the testing I've done, it's actually generating the tones dynamically, not playing back samples.
Does the Gaia 2 play the same supersaw shenanigans that were found in the SH-01?
Nope. It's a true, modelled supersaw this time.
Just curious, why do you order from sweet water instead of a local Canadian shop? I know l&m will match sweet water prices. Wondering what are the benefits?
Well the main reason is, I don't live in Canada! Sweetwater is actually relatively close to where I live.
@@ScottsSynthStuff oh, that makes sense, I thought you were in Toronto. My bad my:)
@@scottfrost317 I grew up there 🙂
I got the candy too! LOL
Dude. Love the Kitty Shots. 😺
Don't Call your Self an idiot. 🙂
Hmmmm, at its pricepiont this in direct competition against the Korg Modwave (which it basically is), and the Arturia Minifreak and also the 49 key Hydrasynth and the desktop.
For me the Hydrasynth kicks it all the way back to China, and both the Modwave and Minifreak are significantly cheaper.
Not sure WTF Roland is thinking here.
I would put this at no more than $499.00 of your beer tokens.
Only $500 for a front panel like that and metal/plastic build and good keys from Roland is a ridiculous fantasy. $700 makes sense for the combination of build quality and the sound engine, in my opinion.
Minifreak also sounds great, is similarly versatile (if not more), and the build is pretty awesome if you ignore the garbage keybed. But it is also much smaller.
Modwave is likely more loaded on features, but the build quality is mostly rubbish overall and the keybed is trash.
It would be nice if you compare the real SH-101 with the SH-101 model on Gaia 2?
I will definitely do this.
@@ScottsSynthStuff Very curious about that too.
Cool
If you think about it, most synths these days could come with solid state memory for you to upload into it whatever synth software you may like. They are closed hardware computers, just like game consoles.
I'm not sure I'll ever by another piece of roland gear again ever... I just got an sp404mk2, and apart from the shaky warping algorithm was a joy to use.... Until I hooked it up to my other gear and it is the only thing that won't accurately receive clock.
I also just find the sounds of most of the gear, while occasionally impressive, aggressively digital. As far as virtual analog goes, I still find my ancient yamaha an1x one of the best implementations to my ears even if it's more limited than the Gaia. But it's 26 years later so you'd think so
Yes but I can't hear any fat supersaw stacked Jp-8000 type patches on the Gaia 2 or stacked bass sounds. With the OG Gaia Roland had a bunch of free user patches with massive supersaw sounds. The screen and whole Minilogue look make me think it's a VST in a box.
"Minilogue"
*Alesis Ion
A Like for you and your video(s)!! I really don’t like the new Gaia 2, tho’ … 😕 I really don’t get the least bit excited for Roland releases, anymore … maybe for the System-8 successor, however long that might take … … …
Me either, which is why you don't see a Jupiter X or a Juno X in my studio. However...the GAIA 2 is a bit different.
@@ScottsSynthStuff I guess you’ll be selling your Juno and SH-101, then … 😉
It’s weird they didn’t keep the separate filters, etc. per voice as that was really THE feature for the original Gaia.
That would have required re-engineering the entire engine. Roland doesn't do re-engineering anymore, they just take Zen Core and refit it into different synths. The Gaia 2 is not full Zen Core, but it is a cut-down version of it - and Zen Core supports just one signal chain through one filter/envelope.
It would be interesting to see direct sound comparison of Gaia 1 and Gaia 2. To me this is two completely different sounding synthesizers. But maybe i'm wrong?
Yes, completely different sounding!
Drastically different sounding synths
Original Gaia does not have wavetable. On the plus side as mentioned, G. 1 has 3 individual osc. ( "3 synths" as he put it ) EACH with 2 ADSR's ( filter & amp ) which you can layer together. G. 2 ALL osc. go through one set ( filter & amp ) of ADSR.
@@treetopjones737😮
@@treetopjones737 The original gaia has wavetables.
Thank you for being an "idiot". I'm thankful for the pics of Chibi. Very cute little booger.
Would be nice to hear GAIA2 supersaw. I hope this time its the real deal.
It is a proper, modelled supersaw that can be shaped, detuned and modified.
The original VA from 95 was 4 way full multi and is still the best.
Yeah watching this again, it is offensive to me. Just bought a Nord Lead 4 for the price of Gaia 2 so maybe that's it lol
G2 is a fantastic synth, has all the whistles and bells, great hybrid engine but almost no menu diving, which is brilliant for Roland.
If I don't remember completely wrong, model expansions were an early "promise" for the first GAIA - I remember using that as an argument when convincing my dad to buy one
Not everybody likes the Roland bender.. personally I prefer at least a separate mod-wheel that can be left in a set position, although the touch pad can somewhat make up for that even if in a awkward to reach position when playing keys, otherwise for pitch bending either is fine.
The wheels do look tiny on this one though. I'm surprised you mention the GAIA 1 feels more robust, I had the impression it was very plasticky feeling with a cheap feeling keyboard when I tried it. Seems this synth is only GAIA 2 in name, not really related synth architecture wise - but it's around a similar price point for an entry level synth with full-size keys if you take into account inflation - so maybe that's why they decided on the v2 name. It would have been nice to keep the same 3 path architecture as before with the better quality sound generation - and they probably could have squeezed out dual-timbrality given what the SH4D can do.
I haven't finished watching your video yet, but I'm almost certain that the Gaia 2 isn't running Zen core. Instead, it's using the FPGA ACB analog emulation Plug Out system found in the Aira System - 8 and System - 1 synths. That's why the different classic synth models sound so good. They're really emulations of the actual analog circuits used in the classic synths versus, effectively, sample / wavetable reconstructions of those models (which is what the Zen system does - essentially, PCM).
I could be wrong, but as someone who owns both the System - 1 and the System - 8, I can tell you that the Plug - Out synths available for the Gaia 2 and the Plug - Out synths are exactly the same...and I'm pretty sure that when I checked the Gaia 2 out on Roland's web site, they state this outright.
It's not fully Zen core - it's a new hybrid engine they developed, running on a subset of Zen core. The wavetable oscillator is taken from n/zyme, and the VA oscillators taken from the Zen core engine. There's enough Zen core in there however to run the model expansions. It is DEFINITELY not the FPGA ACB engine running in the System-8.
@@ScottsSynthStuffI just double checked. You're exactly right. Damn. That's disappointing.
Cheebie(?) is really cute. ❤. I confess that I liked my Gaia 1 and regret selling it now. The Gaia 2 🤷🏻♀️. Roland is in a real rut with these software engines. I actually prefer the Supernatural stuff. I wish Roland would make a modern ANALOG Juno 106/60 entry level to compete with Sequential, Moog, Korg, etc.
She (Chibi) agrees :)
Chibi is cute indeed! I also prefer the Supernatural emulations, they seem to have more body to their tone.
@@joseluishernandezseptien That is how I feel exactly. The software zen (or acb) sounds thin, (and lifeless) hence all of the needed effects. They don’t have the richness or character of other software based synths like a Virus. Roland is just churning out the SOS in slightly different boxes.
@@marial8235 I am glad I am not the only one. I couldn’t believe when I had JDXI and the Jupiter-Xm side by side how the JDXI was actually making the more realistic (to my ears) reconstruction of the vintage sounds of the Roland synths of the past. They were sounds with more authority and enjoyable to listen and play.
@@joseluishernandezseptien We must be twins. I have a couple of XIs, and I had the XM: briefly. I have a bunch of old Roland gear, 106, JX-10, 3p, alpha Juno, w30, d20, jv1080, s550, etc. But the XI is the last thing that I have really liked. I sold the XM and got a Rev 2. Much better.
Really interested in this but after comparing the modwave to G2. I'll have to go with MW and save a few bucks at the same time.
The Modwave build quality sucks - just be aware
@@novalogue that's what makes me really want the G2 lol
Any idea the sound difference between the MW and the Gaia2?
You have more and better filters in the Modwave - Effects is a win for the Gaia - Modwave is Multitimbral with Samples and Stereo panning - Gaia has more Hands on control - Gaia has different sound engines providing you Roland classics if you pay for something different than the sh01
Gaia has a better build quality - Modwave feels like a toy (but doesnt sound like one)
Basic sounds / vintage classics and the feel of the Synth is the Gaia
more in depth Sounddesign for going the xtra mile and being okay with shift + using Menu is the Modwave
@@amb13nt59
@@amb13nt59 just watching sound demos for me sealed the deal.
Mod wave: 4 ADSRs, can use samples, 4 LFOs, 32 voice multitimbral. Gaia 2 : wavetable on 1 oscillator, no samples, 2 ADSR and 1 AD, 2 LFOs, 22 voice monotimbral.
I'd think if I were in a position to receive free products in exchange for a review I would always have a giveaway to my subscribers. If I like the product I'll buy it.
With a very few exceptions (which I will always mention), I buy my synths at full retail. I don't get things for free (unfortunately!)
You get candy from Sweetwater?? One of the lucky ones!
Why sell the original? I'm hanging on to mine 😊
The new one does just about everything the old one does, plus a lot more.
@@ScottsSynthStuff Except that it has a shared filter and amp envelope which means complex patch modulation effects of the original can't be duplicated?
GAIA is NOT a VA. It's an SN Rompler more like the Viper, which was available for a short while around the same time. JP-8000 is a VA as is the V-Synth. The GAIA sounds pretty sterile and has a massive aliasing problem esp. with PWM.
I talk about all of those things in the video that I mentioned in THIS video: ruclips.net/video/rIZm-U-mGhY/видео.html
I prefer keyboards with no display.
I was more or less hoping for a floppy disk update scheme. No bueno...
You must have a slightly poorly assembled model, because the knobs on my Gaia 2 are solid and don't move like that.
The USB / dongle obsolete nonsense kills any GAS I have for this.
Scott is not so nice to Roland in this video😉 My Fa-06 is also a bit complicated to import/ export
The synth/cat venn diagram is just a circle.😂
Perfect circuit has much better candy! Ben Jordan conspiracy theory video not withstanding I too have liked sweetwater they have really hooked me up.
The old bender, also known as the Roland Paddle. 😂
They should have released a revamped JD XI with ALL KNOBS.... no menus. Ill keep dreaming.
I definitely won’t be selling my Gaia for this. I have a Cobalt and there’s nothing I have seen that would tempt me to replace either with the Gaia2.
They should have improved the oscillators and added 2 per layer. Make each layer independent with key splits and velocity mapping. Added better effects and a decent sequencer and that would have been perfect. This is just the same as every other synth out there.
It sounds WAY better than a Cobalt (I really didn’t like mine, returned it within a few days), the Gaia has a more powerful synth engine and much higher polyphony.
Gaia2 looks like a complement for Cobalt more than a replacement. Argon8 compares a little more to the Gaia2.
@@Jason75913 the Cobalt has lots of wavetable-like oscillators that stray miles away from standard oscs without ever really getting too metallic. Its a shame they didn't retain the 3 layers though on the Gaia 2. Even if it was still one layer per oscillator.
@@WibblyWobblyBob Cobalt doesn't cover the same sonic ground as the Argon, and Gaia2 has a very different sound to it, not to mention different wavetables
Gaia2 looks like most modern wavetable VSTs, but it sounds so very Roland at it, surprisingly. I do like it, but it is ~$300 too expensive for what it is, just like the Gaia1.
The triple oscillator, triple filter, triple envelopes design was the original Gaia’s super power. Ditching that design is just nonsensical. However, the reason I got rid of my original Gaia is that a button broke inside. I got a new one and when I opened it up to do the repair I was utterly shocked at the build quality - so very very flimsy. Roland amps - brilliant! Roland synths? I’ll pass.
Juno-DS and Juno-Di are the vastly superior ROMplers anyway, and boast four layers instead of three, much like JV1080, which they are descendants of.
Gaia1's only true strength was all the controls and very hands-on sound design experience.
I still don't understand who this synth is for. The Modwave already exists, and is better in every way. If you want Roland plug outs, a System 1 is like 300 bucks.
Sorry to put a downer on things but I really didn't like my original Gaia, it sounded way too thin and weak
Like every Roland products these days: maybe ok inside, but feel way too CHEAP outside...
Roland are finished as far as I’m concerned, their products are just synths on a computer chip, soft synths in a computer that resembles a keyboard, zen core, what’s next? Quad zen core.... I’ll pass. I was a Roland fanboy, my first synth was a Roland XP-10, Not a real synth, very humble beginnings. But I now own, an Alpha Juno 1, a JX-3P, a JX-8P, a Juno-106, culminating in the Roland JP-8000. None of their new synths interests me in the least.
Do you guys ever feel stupid buying all this gear when you can have it all with your laptop and a controller?
Fraud-Ex is the worst.. I wil, only accept UPS as the shipper. I have had too many claims for damages against Fraud-Ex to ever trust them for anything ....
Sorry, but 'Zen Core' sounds digital full stop. I've had several iterations, yech. GAIA 2; Another swing & and a miss from Roland. Perhaps their internal marketing arm shouldn't dictate what products see production. Finger crossed for the future.
Gaia 1 & 2....trash