Played the J8 when i was a child in a local shop and was wow! A few years ago i had 2 MKS80s by accident, but i always thought they were much different to the J8. Looking your video they seem much closer than i thought. So i learned , when you are a child the world is much bigger every thing more shiny and the sound is also much bigger!!!
I do agree… and preferring rackmount synths as I do, the only thing that may give my 2 MKS-80 rev5 units some stiff competition is the forthcoming VS-1 (Oberheim OB-X inspired) synth… I'm VERY interested in it. My Roland JD-990 units are my next favorite in line after the MKS-80… just fortunate to have access to instruments that sound so amazing/inspiring.
I have the JD 990 too, sold it once but bought one back, such a special machine. Have a MKS 30, 50 and 70 too, but the 80 (Rev4) is the king 👑 of them all. At the moment I have a OB6, have to say its sound fat and juicy too, but I love the Roland sound 😈
I'm Brazilian, i play guitar, started with my first digital pedal that emulates analog amps and cabs... well, i started my love with music. I came here after seeing a picture of Hans Zimmer with a hack with "super jupiter" behind him, i searched and... jesus christ, amazing. I mean, i play sometimes things on FL studio and some digital instruments, but its amazing how analigs are, created in their era, made super amazing songs we have today... if i get rich someday i'll buy every thing
Thank you for this demo and going in depth of this iconic synth. Years ago I used to have one. And it was my first Jupiter before my wife gave me a Jupiter-8 for Christmas ❤️
Great video Espen. Nice Blade Runner theme! I mostly couldn't tell the difference between the MKS-80 and the Jupiter 8. Sounded like a little more resonance on the MKS-80 on the brass patch demo, but I assume it's hard to get the patches dialled in exactly the same on the different hardware.
The story about Anders driving all that way to hook you up is amazing. The synth community is my favorite thing about the internet. I agree that the mks is not that far off from the jupiter although you hear it in the filter and PWM especially when sweeping. But it's still a solid instrument especially w the programmer.
Brilliant review and comparison Espen. My favourite JP8 player/programmer was Mick MacNeil of Simple Minds. The sounds he could get of that synth were extraordinary. And as far as I'm aware, it was the only synth he kept in his rig throughout his career with SM. And he was a fantastic player, and a very, very nice guy, as well. He used to do a triplet with his finger and thumb in the song New Gold Dream, it was so fast it was almost impossible to catch it. Anyway, I digress. Keep up the good work.
Very few will make it so far into the video (stats show me that), something I deliberately set out to find out here, so happy you got it. One of the few so far. ;-) Cheers
Fantastic video! just wanted to say that my financial situation changed and I can no longer be a monthly patron, but I'm gonna support ya again once I'm financially secure! P.S: you also inspired me to make vids with my monomachine! So thank you for continuing to make consistently great synth content that inspires others to make vids of their own :)
Another amazing video, Espen! The concept, certain features, and convenient footprint of the MKS-80 are all so great, but the SOUND of the JP-8 is just unrivaled by any Roland product to my ears.
I'm glad i was made aware of this phantastic video by a comment on Reverb. You nailed it: The Jupiter 8 might have its advantages with its immediacy as an instrument. But the ideal of the fat Jupiter sound is always close enough with the MKS-80.
I loved my MKS80 but I ended up selling it about a year ago. Why? Because I got tired of having to tune it! lol. And also because I was losing sleep worrying about if it was going to turn on the next day - lol. I miss the sound but I'm hoping Roland will release a Model expansion for my Fantom like they did with the Juno106, SH101, Jupiter8, etc.
The only thing that drives me crazy about the MKS-80 is the tone s patch structure. Patches contain “pointers” to tones rather than the tones themselves, so if you change the sound of a tone, it will change the sound in any patch that uses it. So if you want to experiment with a tone you have to check if any patch is using it. I’ve had to keep a manual list patches and which tones they use so if I want to work on new sounds I won’t destroy a whole bunch of good patches. Since you are by default in patch mode it does make things quite awkward when that nice piano pad split suddenly becomes a piano screaming sound effect patch.
It's true. I've never been very fond of that either. The new MPG-8X is great in that you can save tones and patches directly on that and mess around as you want.
I love the early simple Roland machine. Easy. Everything sounds great. I almost nabbed a System 100 locally right after XMAS, but I spent to much on a guitar and was in wife ordered gear rehab.
Excellent episode Espen! 👍👍 You managed to get the MKS-80 to sound closer to the Jupiter 8 than I thought was possible! IMHO, the Jupiter 8 is a little more 'silky', especially when pads are played. However, to some degree, I like the bass sounds from the MKS-80 more. The MKS-80 has a bit more of a punch in each bass note . And yes, given the price difference, the MKS-80 is the better option for mere mortals! 😎
Many thanks Derek! I agree the JP8 sounds more smooth, at least the one I have here. If you take a MKS-80 and a JX-8P/MKS-70, then you've covered it all, and you have 10K to spare. ;-)
Mks-80 has a bass boost circuit in the filter, so it's always boomy unless you set the high pass filter to around 40 or so, like the Juno 106. Plus it has the 32' setting in the VCOs, unlike only 16' on the Jupiter 8
The demos were great on this Espen! Very mid 80s Tangerine Dream circa Logos to Le Parc! Beautiful strings esp... I have to confess I found both of them very similar to one another... after 20 years of reading debates on HC and Gearslutz on these I assumed they were radically different but like you say... they give you that classic Roland sound! :D. Nice to see Brynjulf too :D
Yes, when you read the debates you get the idea that they're worlds apart, which they're not. That basically only happens with people more interested in electronics and components than actually making music. ;-) Cheers
They made a controller for it? And of course Espen has it. I'm wondering when you're going to show us your flux capacitor. I don't know how else you get your hands on every cool, rare, expensive piece of gear.
@@jamesmeeker6933 Yes we all know what money is. But unfortunately most of suffer from a condition known as Family-Life which tends to make money disappear quicker than we make it.
At last someone did a direct A/B comparison and for me certainly dispels the long standing myth that "nothing sounds as good as a JP8". The MKS80 Rev 5 is close enough for me and better in many respects. The indisputable downside is that the MkS doesn't look as pretty as a JP8 but that's a lot of $ to pay for something just for its look!!
Ah, the JP8 - happy days! For me, there's definite overlap in sound character between the JP6 & 8 - they both have a definite family Roland sound but the JP6 (and MKS80) can go to a grittier, brasher place that the JP8 can't, and the JP8 can be super silky smooth in a way the others can't quite get to. I tend to regard the MKS80 as "JP6+", with it's slightly "harder" character, compared to the lush smoothness of the JP8, which is still unique imo. You can get beautiful, useful musical sounds out of all of them of course. What can I say, I've always been Team Roland! What a priviledge to get the JP8 in-house, you must be having a blast! Thanks for sharing...
Thanks Ben! You sum it up perfectly. They can all sound great and they're highly capable. Can't really understand those that say the MKS-80 is "crappy". ;-)
Anytime you play Blade Runner soundtrack I wish there was a way to like your video more than once! :D I can not wait for the video about Brynjulf Blix! 👍
Oh my... a MKS-80 and a Oberheim Matrix-1000 or 6R would be my 80s analog synth rack bliss... (of course, having two of each wouldn't be too shabby either :D)
This is some seriously great stuff! ...I can imagine myself sitting though a whole night and then some, just playing around with all of those sounds, some nice chord progressions, melody lines... xD
Great video Espen, love the reveal of the Jupiter 8! Also to show the sounds and control of the MKS-80 is as good if not better than the Jupiter 8 itself!
You know some really great guys Espen ,and one of them ist Anders Enger Jensen who has also a lot of great Instruments. I watched his Studio Tour Video some time ago ....amazing
As Espen said below, they are same but different. I've got an MKS80 and MKS70 right here and have been comparing them - since the MKS70 can self oscillate, it hits a point where it howls in a very dissatisfying way. Other than that, the envelope curves and times are very different. the MKS80 seems to have somewhat exponential curves while the MKS70 is fantastically linear. Also, the attack/decay/release stages on the MKS70 are loooooooooong compared to the MKS80.
Didn't think they would sound so close but they do indeed although there is some difference and J8 is bit smoother sounds and has more detail. Congrats for getting a hold of the real one, my dream synth ;)
Man, do I regret not jumping on this when I had the chance (at a reasonable price, that is)... These days, I can't hope for much but Behringer cloning it eventually x)
Amazing video and comparison, great sounds! All thoose modules are often pretty much 99% as awesome soundwise as the "real big thingies" and with some luck, still quite affordable for "smaller scale" musician. Since im huge fan of Oberheim sounds, I was lucky enough to get Matrix6R last year... and oh god... that thing have crazy punch and warmth and if needed can sound pretty much just like OB-8 or Xa really for fraction of price.
Great video. Sounds fantastic, definitely a desert island analog poly. Shame Roland won't release a desktop module like the Prophet 6 for the MKS-80. It would sell like hotcakes I'm sure.
Absolutely incredible synth! It's odd that MKS-80 prices have not come up respectively with their Jupiter keyboard siblings. It is certainly not inferior in any way. The velocity and pressure sensitivity alone make this instrument expressive on an entirely different level. Here is the US, an MKS-80 rev 5 (without the programmer) can be found for about $2,000 as of March 2021. I can't think of many other vintage Roland synths that offer this sort of polyphonic VCO based sound for the $. Awesome video as always!
prices probably are going to rise now. it's how it always happens. someone makes a video on a synth that isn't as popular or expensive as one that it's similar to and sellers start asking for more. rinse and repeat. no offense, espen. love the channel!
@@EspenKraft Very very close I'd say, almost imperceptible on several of the sounds in your demo! I have a Jupiter 6 to compare my MKS-80 Rev 5 to and they do sound slightly different, but the punch and core Roland VCO sound is 100% there on both. Like the JP-8, the filter on the Jupiter 6 has more range on the high end and consequently is more "crisp" sounding than the MKS, but I can't say I prefer one over the other overall. They both sound absolutely freaking fantastic. I often find myself playing one while at the same time convincing myself that I've finally decided that it's the one I prefer... However, I then inevitably go and turn the other one on, only to end up right back at square one. I can't decide. So, get an MKS-80 or JP-6 while prices are only slightly insane! Otherwise, you'll end up regretting it just like that Jupiter 8 you came across back in 2010 for $3,500.
This demo is well done and offers a glimpse of the overall character of the synth. I had the MKS-80 for a few years, it was okay, but the hype is greater than the actual synth. No regrets selling it all those years ago. There are other synths I do regret selling.
Great video as always. I've had my MKS fro many years still love it. I think the MKS has just slightly more weight to it versos the JP8 but the JP8 filter is slight more sweet, if that makes sense. Both are amazing synths. Keep uo the good work my man!
I have the rev 4 MKS-80 and MPG and it remains my favourite synth. Am just worried now after this video that the price of them on Reverb will go up 😂 it’s the affordable Jupiter 6. Btw this, an M1 and a 909 and you’ve basically got every PSB song from 90/91 to 95 or so, especially where the streets have no name and was it worth it and the sweeps.
Great video, as always!!! During the strings section the MKS has something like PWM or filter steps audible, while the JP8 doesn't... is this something possible to 'avoid' or is it inherent to the MKS ?
Apparently something to do with the controller having some stepping going on. That's the bane of old rack synths sometimes. Something similar happened with the Matrix 1000 until Bob Grieb made an updated firmware to help eliminate much of the delay from the controller. I wonder if something similar could be done here?
No, this is the MKS-80 when swept from the programmer. Not a big issue for me as I never use "live" fader sweeps. I prefer to use LFO or Envelopes to modulate my sounds. Cheers! :D
In 1985 we were all tired (literally) of hauling 4, 5 o 6 heavy keyboards to every club just to have a decent palette of sounds. I worked at a sci-fi and comics bookstore across the street from the biggest gear dealer in Boston Wurlizers and the famous Newbury comics record store. Everybody played in local bands and we all spent time hanging out in other shops. Aside from the DX7 (and the unobtainable Tx-816) the Super Jupiter was the dream machine everybody wanted. Spent many a lunch hour playing on that machine. Yeah we all liked the Jupiter 8, but it was big, heavy and full of fussy discrete electronics. The SuperJupiter was small, fixed the JP-8s lack of dynamics and sounded huge, with a particularly fat bass sound. Armed with that and a DX-7 you could cover a lot of bases and load in and out in one trip. At the time of course I could afford neither, but now 40 years later I have both (and a TX-816) and there are no gigs because of the pandemic). Sigh.
wow the sync on that box sounds really unique. And the pitched noise using the cross mod was a new one for me too. I wonder if other Roland synths can do that.
@@SyncdAlien i was thinking more of the JX-8P. I tried it on the PG8X VST and it definitely didn't do it. The Alpha Junos only have one oscillator though so what would it cross moudulate against?
$6500 on Reverb. Amazing piece of machinery but I could get so much more for that price. Maybe one day when I start making money with my music. Thanks for the demo!
I have both, and currently working on fixing up a DEP3 and SDE2000 I just found at a thrift store. Great units, never let them go! That modulated infinite reverb on the DEP5 is something else, huh?
@@IanSaxman oh yes! the infinite reverb is something unique to create modern textures in 3 seconds. Mostly I use the DEP5 to stereoize drum sounds and vocals, it is unique! The true sound of the 80s. And when "modern people" listen to it: "oh my god, which plugin can do that?" ehehehe
Thanks! It's a well known joke/fact on my channel that I prefer Dr.Pepper over any other soft drink, and Anders used to take a six-pack of that (to me) whenever he'd come back from the states. :) We have Europe-made Dr.Pepper here, but it's not the same.
Nice video. Thanks for sharing. One comment though: when comparing both, I think selecting the 24dB/oct filter on JP8 would have been nice, as the MKS80 only has de 24dB/oct filter.
19:29 ... well, Dianne and Stevie (+ Gladys & Elton) said it best - 80s style: ruclips.net/video/HyTpu6BmE88/видео.html. ^_^ But a seriously fat rig you have there now mate - quite envious myself, hehe. A JP-8 would have been nice, but I'll make do with my MKS-80 and MPG-8X. :D
I could be mistaken, but it sounds like there was some kind of LFO modulation running on the MKS during the strings portion of the JP-8/MKS-80 comparison. They both sound glorious, just an observation is all :)
silly question do you know what Rev the mks-80 was that you are comparing the jupiter8? awesome video..especially loved the part about the journey your friend took to help make it happen
@@EspenKraft rev5 got it! thanks again totally agree with your assessment...pleasantly surprised. the more i use synthesizers the less i care about these minute difference around filter chips etc..your video just confirms my evolving feelings on this
This video really demonstrates the community that has grown around these instruments. Thank you for sharing, Mr. Espen, great video! 🎹🎶
Thanks Daniel, cheers! :D
They are surprisngly close sounding, much more than I expected.
Played the J8 when i was a child in a local shop and was wow! A few years ago i had 2 MKS80s by accident, but i always thought they were much different to the J8. Looking your video they seem much closer than i thought. So i learned , when you are a child the world is much bigger every thing more shiny and the sound is also much bigger!!!
I know exactly how you feel! ;)
@@EspenKraft ;-)
MKS-80 is a beast! 😈 One of the synthesizers that will never leave my studio (except if it needs to be serviced ;))
I do agree… and preferring rackmount synths as I do, the only thing that may give my 2 MKS-80 rev5 units some stiff competition is the forthcoming VS-1 (Oberheim OB-X inspired) synth… I'm VERY interested in it. My Roland JD-990 units are my next favorite in line after the MKS-80… just fortunate to have access to instruments that sound so amazing/inspiring.
I have the JD 990 too, sold it once but bought one back, such a special machine. Have a MKS 30, 50 and 70 too, but the 80 (Rev4) is the king 👑 of them all. At the moment I have a OB6, have to say its sound fat and juicy too, but I love the Roland sound 😈
Not one but two MKS-80. And a Jupiter 8!
How can we compete? 😍
Great video with great machines, Espen.
Thanks! :D
Awesome video Espen, thanks for the comparison with the Jupiter 8 at the end! That was a pleasant surprise and was very cool to see!
Thanks! :D
You know your stuff, Espen!
Great review, as always!
Many thanks! :D
This was the one we were given to play with in high school by Roland when it came out. And a MC500 and a MKB1000. 👍🇨🇦😎
I'm Brazilian, i play guitar, started with my first digital pedal that emulates analog amps and cabs... well, i started my love with music.
I came here after seeing a picture of Hans Zimmer with a hack with "super jupiter" behind him, i searched and... jesus christ, amazing. I mean, i play sometimes things on FL studio and some digital instruments, but its amazing how analigs are, created in their era, made super amazing songs we have today... if i get rich someday i'll buy every thing
Very enjoyable, thank you! I love the way you present your videos and the passion you show.
Many thanks Andy! :D
Two MKS-80s in one video? That's just showing off!! Great video!
Thanks! :D
Thank you for this demo and going in depth of this iconic synth. Years ago I used to have one. And it was my first Jupiter before my wife gave me a Jupiter-8 for Christmas ❤️
That's a nice Christmas gift! :)
Nice! I love all those sounds! Great video! Take care, Sam.
Cheers Sam! :D
Soooooooo good brother. Nothing touches these glorious sounds!
Cheers my friend! :D
It's fantastic I had the pleasure of "testing" one few months ago after I repaired it for a customer.
I'm sure you needed to test it extensively!
Another great demo, Thanks Espen!
Thanks! :)
Great video Espen. Nice Blade Runner theme! I mostly couldn't tell the difference between the MKS-80 and the Jupiter 8. Sounded like a little more resonance on the MKS-80 on the brass patch demo, but I assume it's hard to get the patches dialled in exactly the same on the different hardware.
Thanks man! Yes, two different Jupiter8s would have sounded different as well due to aging components.
The story about Anders driving all that way to hook you up is amazing. The synth community is my favorite thing about the internet. I agree that the mks is not that far off from the jupiter although you hear it in the filter and PWM especially when sweeping. But it's still a solid instrument especially w the programmer.
Cheers! :D
Brilliant review and comparison Espen. My favourite JP8 player/programmer was Mick MacNeil of Simple Minds. The sounds he could get of that synth were extraordinary. And as far as I'm aware, it was the only synth he kept in his rig throughout his career with SM. And he was a fantastic player, and a very, very nice guy, as well. He used to do a triplet with his finger and thumb in the song New Gold Dream, it was so fast it was almost impossible to catch it. Anyway, I digress. Keep up the good work.
Yes, a very cool player. Cheers! :D
Wowzers! Super Synth!
Powerful! Thank you for making this enjoyable video. cool retro sounds
Many thanks! :D
You've just shown me a piece of the super Jupiter 8 I never knew existed. Your videos are so informative. Thank you 😊
Cheers! :D
One of my biggest synth regrets is passing up a great deal on this synth/programmer combo in the early '90's. The seller was asking 500 USD.
A good price, even then.
That Jupiter 8 sneak attack!!
Very few will make it so far into the video (stats show me that), something I deliberately set out to find out here, so happy you got it. One of the few so far. ;-) Cheers
@@EspenKraft I like it that you dont't klickbait the JP8 but just sneak it in there ;-)
@@MayolBlue I can be quite stealthy. ;-)
Fantastic video! just wanted to say that my financial situation changed and I can no longer be a monthly patron, but I'm gonna support ya again once I'm financially secure!
P.S: you also inspired me to make vids with my monomachine! So thank you for continuing to make consistently great synth content that inspires others to make vids of their own :)
No worries man. Thanks for the support! :D
yes, love my superjupiter, makes no sense to pay so much for a jupiter8
What an outstandingly brilliant bassline and sound at the end.
:D
always thought these sound great - that jupiter 8 is such a high price - but hey the jupiter 8 still sounds really amazing - it has a spiritual sound
Another amazing video, Espen! The concept, certain features, and convenient footprint of the MKS-80 are all so great, but the SOUND of the JP-8 is just unrivaled by any Roland product to my ears.
No shame in that, we all have different ears. ;-)
Fascinating demo, thank you!
Cheers! :D
Great video and one of the hard to find comparisons between MKS 80 and Jupiter 8. Joakim didn’t tell me, he had a Jupiter 8 !!
He's full of surprises! Cheers :D
How wonderful. I envy you !! You can "play" with all these nice toys. Greetings from Italy.
Cheers! :D
I so miss my MKS-80 (with programmer, of course!) and MKS-20. Of course the MKS-80 didn't LOOK as cool as the Jupiter 8, but, man...what a synth!
It looks cool for being a module though..👍
My greatest synth wish is for Roland to remake these analog classics.
I'm glad i was made aware of this phantastic video by a comment on Reverb. You nailed it: The Jupiter 8 might have its advantages with its immediacy as an instrument. But the ideal of the fat Jupiter sound is always close enough with the MKS-80.
Cheers!
I loved my MKS80 but I ended up selling it about a year ago. Why? Because I got tired of having to tune it! lol. And also because I was losing sleep worrying about if it was going to turn on the next day - lol. I miss the sound but I'm hoping Roland will release a Model expansion for my Fantom like they did with the Juno106, SH101, Jupiter8, etc.
I never have to tune mine after it warms up.
The only thing that drives me crazy about the MKS-80 is the tone s patch structure. Patches contain “pointers” to tones rather than the tones themselves, so if you change the sound of a tone, it will change the sound in any patch that uses it. So if you want to experiment with a tone you have to check if any patch is using it. I’ve had to keep a manual list patches and which tones they use so if I want to work on new sounds I won’t destroy a whole bunch of good patches. Since you are by default in patch mode it does make things quite awkward when that nice piano pad split suddenly becomes a piano screaming sound effect patch.
It's true. I've never been very fond of that either. The new MPG-8X is great in that you can save tones and patches directly on that and mess around as you want.
I love the early simple Roland machine. Easy. Everything sounds great. I almost nabbed a System 100 locally right after XMAS, but I spent to much on a guitar and was in wife ordered gear rehab.
Very cool. It's got such a wonderful sound.
Excellent episode Espen! 👍👍 You managed to get the MKS-80 to sound closer to the Jupiter 8 than I thought was possible! IMHO, the Jupiter 8 is a little more 'silky', especially when pads are played. However, to some degree, I like the bass sounds from the MKS-80 more. The MKS-80 has a bit more of a punch in each bass note . And yes, given the price difference, the MKS-80 is the better option for mere mortals! 😎
Many thanks Derek! I agree the JP8 sounds more smooth, at least the one I have here. If you take a MKS-80 and a JX-8P/MKS-70, then you've covered it all, and you have 10K to spare. ;-)
Mks-80 has a bass boost circuit in the filter, so it's always boomy unless you set the high pass filter to around 40 or so, like the Juno 106. Plus it has the 32' setting in the VCOs, unlike only 16' on the Jupiter 8
Nice one as always and wow! Two! Super Jupiters AND a JP8 🤩
14.05 is the sound of fuelling the aircraft in Falcon Patrol on the C64 😁
I have Falcon Patrol on original cassette, for the C64. ;-)
@@EspenKraft I only have it as a d64 file on my 1541 emulator 😊
What a beauty, thank you for sharing !!!
Cheers!
really this is the synth that does unison bass lines like no other
Great video and performance 👍👍👍 Have a wonderful day and all week 😉 Greetings Adam 😎
Thanks Adam! You too! :D
• Great video Espen, thank you :))))
Thanks! :D
The demos were great on this Espen! Very mid 80s Tangerine Dream circa Logos to Le Parc! Beautiful strings esp... I have to confess I found both of them very similar to one another... after 20 years of reading debates on HC and Gearslutz on these I assumed they were radically different but like you say... they give you that classic Roland sound! :D.
Nice to see Brynjulf too :D
Yes, when you read the debates you get the idea that they're worlds apart, which they're not. That basically only happens with people more interested in electronics and components than actually making music. ;-) Cheers
@@EspenKraft 100% agree!
They made a controller for it? And of course Espen has it. I'm wondering when you're going to show us your flux capacitor. I don't know how else you get your hands on every cool, rare, expensive piece of gear.
I have my secrets. Cheers :D
He’ll show it to you yesterday.
There's this exciting new thing called money. You use it to buy things. It's really fun and you should try it! :)
@@jamesmeeker6933 Yes we all know what money is. But unfortunately most of suffer from a condition known as Family-Life which tends to make money disappear quicker than we make it.
@@mickricksbsc I don't trust people that put family before synth!
The basses in that box are 100”% pure Legit!
At last someone did a direct A/B comparison and for me certainly dispels the long standing myth that "nothing sounds as
good as a JP8". The MKS80 Rev 5 is close enough for me and better in many respects. The indisputable downside is that the MkS doesn't look as pretty as a JP8 but that's a lot of $ to pay for something just for its look!!
Ah, the JP8 - happy days! For me, there's definite overlap in sound character between the JP6 & 8 - they both have a definite family Roland sound but the JP6 (and MKS80) can go to a grittier, brasher place that the JP8 can't, and the JP8 can be super silky smooth in a way the others can't quite get to. I tend to regard the MKS80 as "JP6+", with it's slightly "harder" character, compared to the lush smoothness of the JP8, which is still unique imo.
You can get beautiful, useful musical sounds out of all of them of course. What can I say, I've always been Team Roland! What a priviledge to get the JP8 in-house, you must be having a blast! Thanks for sharing...
Thanks Ben! You sum it up perfectly. They can all sound great and they're highly capable. Can't really understand those that say the MKS-80 is "crappy". ;-)
Thank you, wow, what a great friend!
Anytime you play Blade Runner soundtrack I wish there was a way to like your video more than once! :D I can not wait for the video about Brynjulf Blix! 👍
Thanks man! It will be some time before that is done, but hopefully things will calm down enough, out there in the world....
In the late 90s I was sitting in my student dorm playing my Emax II and MKS 80.. Damn.. I miss those days.. And I miss those instruments!
Oh my... a MKS-80 and a Oberheim Matrix-1000 or 6R would be my 80s analog synth rack bliss... (of course, having two of each wouldn't be too shabby either :D)
Hey my friend Espen...well, this machine is really dope, i love it's lows...\\
Thanks Patrick! :D
This is some seriously great stuff! ...I can imagine myself sitting though a whole night and then some, just playing around with all of those sounds, some nice chord progressions, melody lines... xD
Cheers! :D
This was very cool to see and hear. They sound identical to me
Cheers! :D
The stacked sound was awesome. That synth is powerful.
I picked up a synth from a guys house with a Jupiter 8 in his studio. I wish i played it.
Love you and you're work, thank you very much🙂 Mvh. Alio Stian
Many thanks! :D
Man have I been looking forward to hearing the JP8 😍
There's a vst version of the Super Jupiter from Manx Synths .I downloaded a demo version (free version).
Great stuff!!
Cheers! :D
Awesome as always! Thx!
Cheers! :D
I love the MKS-80! It does have that classic Roland sound. I would love to know more about the different revs.
Great video Espen, love the reveal of the Jupiter 8! Also to show the sounds and control of the MKS-80 is as good if not better than the Jupiter 8 itself!
Thanks Damon! The video was fun to make.
String sounded a lot better on the JP8 though.
Thanx Espen...great demo!
Cheers!
You know some really great guys Espen ,and one of them ist Anders Enger Jensen who has also a lot of great Instruments. I watched his Studio Tour Video some time ago ....amazing
A very good friend! :D
Would die to get my hands on a Super Jupe
Very enjoyable episode. So how does the MKS-80 sound compared to the Super JX? I saw a vid with a Jupiter 8 and a JX8p and they sounded pretty close.
Thanks! It compares well. They sound different, but in the same ballpark for sure.
As Espen said below, they are same but different. I've got an MKS80 and MKS70 right here and have been comparing them - since the MKS70 can self oscillate, it hits a point where it howls in a very dissatisfying way. Other than that, the envelope curves and times are very different. the MKS80 seems to have somewhat exponential curves while the MKS70 is fantastically linear. Also, the attack/decay/release stages on the MKS70 are loooooooooong compared to the MKS80.
Didn't think they would sound so close but they do indeed although there is some difference and J8 is bit smoother sounds and has more detail. Congrats for getting a hold of the real one, my dream synth ;)
Cheers! :D
nice comparison. and travel footage :-)
Cheers! :D
Man, do I regret not jumping on this when I had the chance (at a reasonable price, that is)... These days, I can't hope for much but Behringer cloning it eventually x)
it ain't gonna sound cloned
Sounds beautiful!
Into The Groove!! Love it!
Cheers! :D
The Jupiter 8 sounds a little brighter to my ears... but probably couldn't tell the difference in a mix.
Cheers! :D
@mysynthlife Oh my
Amazing video and comparison, great sounds!
All thoose modules are often pretty much 99% as awesome soundwise as the "real big thingies" and with some luck, still quite affordable for "smaller scale" musician. Since im huge fan of Oberheim sounds, I was lucky enough to get Matrix6R last year... and oh god... that thing have crazy punch and warmth and if needed can sound pretty much just like OB-8 or Xa really for fraction of price.
Cheers :D
Time to study the schematics of these monsters !
I heared at least 10 or more super very ultra good songs from 80s on this video
Great video. Sounds fantastic, definitely a desert island analog poly. Shame Roland won't release a desktop module like the Prophet 6 for the MKS-80. It would sell like hotcakes I'm sure.
They'll probably never do it. Cheers! :D
Excelente video. Me encanta este sintetizador modular.
Cheers! :D
Absolutely incredible synth! It's odd that MKS-80 prices have not come up respectively with their Jupiter keyboard siblings. It is certainly not inferior in any way. The velocity and pressure sensitivity alone make this instrument expressive on an entirely different level. Here is the US, an MKS-80 rev 5 (without the programmer) can be found for about $2,000 as of March 2021. I can't think of many other vintage Roland synths that offer this sort of polyphonic VCO based sound for the $. Awesome video as always!
Cheers! How did you find the comparison between the two? Not far off uh?
prices probably are going to rise now. it's how it always happens. someone makes a video on a synth that isn't as popular or expensive as one that it's similar to and sellers start asking for more. rinse and repeat. no offense, espen. love the channel!
@@EspenKraft Very very close I'd say, almost imperceptible on several of the sounds in your demo!
I have a Jupiter 6 to compare my MKS-80 Rev 5 to and they do sound slightly different, but the punch and core Roland VCO sound is 100% there on both. Like the JP-8, the filter on the Jupiter 6 has more range on the high end and consequently is more "crisp" sounding than the MKS, but I can't say I prefer one over the other overall. They both sound absolutely freaking fantastic. I often find myself playing one while at the same time convincing myself that I've finally decided that it's the one I prefer... However, I then inevitably go and turn the other one on, only to end up right back at square one. I can't decide.
So, get an MKS-80 or JP-6 while prices are only slightly insane! Otherwise, you'll end up regretting it just like that Jupiter 8 you came across back in 2010 for $3,500.
This demo is well done and offers a glimpse of the overall character of the synth. I had the MKS-80 for a few years, it was okay, but the hype is greater than the actual synth. No regrets selling it all those years ago. There are other synths I do regret selling.
Is the MKS-80 hyped? ;-) Cheers
The bass sounds in unison almost sound like DX7 sounds.
I have an MKS-80, thank you for showing what it sounds like against an actual JP-8.
Cheers!
Great video as always. I've had my MKS fro many years still love it. I think the MKS has just slightly more weight to it versos the JP8 but the JP8 filter is slight more sweet, if that makes sense. Both are amazing synths. Keep uo the good work my man!
Good summary! Cheers :D
I have the rev 4 MKS-80 and MPG and it remains my favourite synth. Am just worried now after this video that the price of them on Reverb will go up 😂 it’s the affordable Jupiter 6. Btw this, an M1 and a 909 and you’ve basically got every PSB song from 90/91 to 95 or so, especially where the streets have no name and was it worth it and the sweeps.
Great video, as always!!! During the strings section the MKS has something like PWM or filter steps audible, while the JP8 doesn't... is this something possible to 'avoid' or is it inherent to the MKS ?
Apparently something to do with the controller having some stepping going on. That's the bane of old rack synths sometimes. Something similar happened with the Matrix 1000 until Bob Grieb made an updated firmware to help eliminate much of the delay from the controller. I wonder if something similar could be done here?
No, this is the MKS-80 when swept from the programmer. Not a big issue for me as I never use "live" fader sweeps. I prefer to use LFO or Envelopes to modulate my sounds. Cheers! :D
I'm sure some DIY-guy could come up with something. Not a big deal to me though.
In 1985 we were all tired (literally) of hauling 4, 5 o 6 heavy keyboards to every club just to have a decent palette of sounds. I worked at a sci-fi and comics bookstore across the street from the biggest gear dealer in Boston Wurlizers and the famous Newbury comics record store. Everybody played in local bands and we all spent time hanging out in other shops. Aside from the DX7 (and the unobtainable Tx-816) the Super Jupiter was the dream machine everybody wanted. Spent many a lunch hour playing on that machine. Yeah we all liked the Jupiter 8, but it was big, heavy and full of fussy discrete electronics. The SuperJupiter was small, fixed the JP-8s lack of dynamics and sounded huge, with a particularly fat bass sound. Armed with that and a DX-7 you could cover a lot of bases and load in and out in one trip. At the time of course I could afford neither, but now 40 years later I have both (and a TX-816) and there are no gigs because of the pandemic). Sigh.
Cool story and setup, both now and then!
Lovely Sound!
wow the sync on that box sounds really unique. And the pitched noise using the cross mod was a new one for me too. I wonder if other Roland synths can do that.
The Roland Alpha Juno line does not do cross modulation.
@@SyncdAlien i was thinking more of the JX-8P. I tried it on the PG8X VST and it definitely didn't do it. The Alpha Junos only have one oscillator though so what would it cross moudulate against?
@@orthoooo Good point!
Incredible, never seen the controller being used, just pictures.
$6500 on Reverb. Amazing piece of machinery but I could get so much more for that price. Maybe one day when I start making money with my music.
Thanks for the demo!
What a beast! 😁 Never put my hands on this, should be amazing. Just the knobs reminds me about my Roland vintage delays: dep5, sde 3000 ecc...
I have both, and currently working on fixing up a DEP3 and SDE2000 I just found at a thrift store. Great units, never let them go! That modulated infinite reverb on the DEP5 is something else, huh?
@@IanSaxman oh yes! the infinite reverb is something unique to create modern textures in 3 seconds. Mostly I use the DEP5 to stereoize drum sounds and vocals, it is unique! The true sound of the 80s. And when "modern people" listen to it: "oh my god, which plugin can do that?" ehehehe
thoroughly enjoyable video as always! (What's with the "Dr. Pepper" reference, besides being a tasty, frosty beverage??)
Thanks! It's a well known joke/fact on my channel that I prefer Dr.Pepper over any other soft drink, and Anders used to take a six-pack of that (to me) whenever he'd come back from the states. :)
We have Europe-made Dr.Pepper here, but it's not the same.
@@EspenKraft How have I missed that? ! I need to pay more attention!
No worries man! :)
Nice video. Thanks for sharing. One comment though: when comparing both, I think selecting the 24dB/oct filter on JP8 would have been nice, as the MKS80 only has de 24dB/oct filter.
Thanks! Good point, I did use the high-pass filtering a whole lot throughout the comparison though. ;-)
Someone’s got a lot of new gear! And a Jupiter 8 is there too! Come on!
Exciting times. ;-) Cheers
Nice video!
Thanks! :D
19:29 ... well, Dianne and Stevie (+ Gladys & Elton) said it best - 80s style: ruclips.net/video/HyTpu6BmE88/видео.html. ^_^
But a seriously fat rig you have there now mate - quite envious myself, hehe. A JP-8 would have been nice, but I'll make do with my MKS-80 and MPG-8X. :D
You're well set with that combo! :D
Those things are great.
I could be mistaken, but it sounds like there was some kind of LFO modulation running on the MKS during the strings portion of the JP-8/MKS-80 comparison. They both sound glorious, just an observation is all :)
Could very well be. ;-)
It would at least be a good reason to rob a bank... Great video as always! Enjoyed it a ton!
Do you actually get CASH out of a bank today? ;-) Cheers my friend!
silly question do you know what Rev the mks-80 was that you are comparing the jupiter8?
awesome video..especially loved the part about the journey your friend took to help make it happen
As always, and I say this in the video too, check the video description. I have much more tech info there. ;-)
@@EspenKraft rev5 got it! thanks again
totally agree with your assessment...pleasantly surprised. the more i use synthesizers the less i care about these minute difference around filter chips etc..your video just confirms my evolving feelings on this