SH-201 or JP-8000

[fvogado]

Hi !
I need a good arpeggiator for trance tunes, so I was reading that these 2 keys have one.

What do you think is a better choice ?
A new one 201 or a second hand JP ?
Advantages / disadvantages ?

best regards.

[Re-Member]

Seeing how you need the PC software to edit the arpeggiator on the SH-201, I'd probably say that the JP-8000 is much better from what I've read. The patterns on the SH-201 are fairly cheesy, you need the editor to split the arp to a lower or upper tone, plus there's no option to key sync the arp whatsoever. I really don't like trance and modern dance music, but some of the patterns might be ideal for those genres.

[Atziluth]

Ok, I would say go for the JP 8000!

If you need those trance sound it is just the synth you need.

You have to decide:

- VST-Editor
- New synth (not 2nd Hand)
- USB-Port
- logical designed front panel
= SH-201

------------------------------------------------------------------------
- The trance sound
- was a top line range synth in 1996 (like the V-Synth today)
- lots of trance sounds aviable on the net
- a lot of knobs and sliders
- Display
= JP-8000

Cheers

[dbijoux]

I don't know, buying either for just the arpeggiator seems a bit of a stretch. Also important in Trance are nice pads, so this might be something to add to your list of considerations.

Personally, I'd find more use in the SH-201, then go for the JP-8080 rack.

However, if you find an unbeatable deal on the JP-8000. That might just solve it.

You could look at the Motif series too.

[Re-Member]

Either synth will get you that "trance" sound since both have the Supersaw waveform. The JP has a few more things going for it programming and playing wise (ribbon controller, better arp, phrase sequencing), but the SH-201 is laid out more logically for beginners and has more polyphony.

[argomax]

you cannot find easily a JP8000 or 8080, whomever owns it will keep it or sell it dearly. It will cost you about twice the price of a new SH201.

[rbarkhouse]

I own both the SH and JP, they are each great in their own way...

CONS for the SH-201 (which are better on the JP)
- No screen to display patch names
- No independent up/down pitch bender range (only one value for both)
- No way to change modulation depth when pushing up on the pitch bender
- No knob to change Portamento time
- Keys are smaller than normal synth keys (but not as small as a MicroKORG), and the action kind of sucks

CONS for the JP-8000 (better on the SH)
- No Overdrive!!!
- Less polyphony
- Cannot have two supersaw/feedback oscillators at once
- Cannot play the Feedback Osc polyphonically (the JP forces mono mode when using the Feedback Osc)
- No External input

Once I get my JP fixed (the SH purchase was an emergency Plan-B when my JP died right before a gig) I will probably sell the SH, just because it's not giving me THAT much more than the JP... and the JP is just way cooler

- Rick

[Re-Member]

The SH-201 also doesn't have cross modulation, only sync and ring mod. Cross modulation can get you some really, really freaky sounds.

[rbarkhouse]

Yep that's true... if I actually knew how to use x-mod I would have included it in my list of cons

[Xpander]

I had them both side by side and I let go the JP-8000.

The JP-8000 is the better synth, hands down. However, every time I copied a great sound from the JP into the SH I felt the SH sounded better. After all, they do not sound identical as many people stated. My impression is that the JP is a more polite sounding synth with a very nasal sound. Also the effect combination of delay and chorus give different results as the SH effect unit with Modulation Delay/Reverb.

The JP is a great sounding synth, no question. However, every time I copied a sound from the JP into the SH I thought the sound improved. The overall sound of the SH is more raw and rich. The SuperSaw sounds more noisy and I like the filter of the SH better. The effect is more useful too. Even the cool tuned noise and cross modulation I could recreate with the internal filter and the ring modulation.

What I like better with the JP is the faster envelopes (I liked the click of the JP envelopes in some instances) and the velocity assignment. Surprisingly I didn't think the whole crossmod/LFO1 section was more worth than the two real LFOs of the SH. It was either/or and that limited the sound creation a lot.

BTW, the retrigger function of the SH is just great to create a fourth envelope, especially of parameters that are not available to be controlled by the ENV (e.g. PWM). Maybe it was that I started with the SH-201 before buying the JP-8000 that makes me feel the SH-201 is just the better synth to my ears. Anyway, the JP-8000 is gone and I am not sad about that.

[dumeril7]

BTW, the retrigger function of the SH is just great to create a fourth envelope, especially of parameters that are not available to be controlled by the ENV (e.g. PWM).

What is this "retrigger" function? I'm not familiar with it (and I thought I knew my way around the 201 pretty well )

D7

[Nutrient]

to rbarkhouse :

- independent up/down pitch bender range
- way to change modulation depth when pushing up on the pitch bender
- knob to change Portamento time

It is all available!

[rbarkhouse]

Yes it's all available on the JP, but not on the SH

[Artemiy]

Nutrient, nice to see you here again brother

[Xpander]

What is this "retrigger" function? I'm not familiar with it (and I thought I knew my way around the 201 pretty well )

If you press the LFO1 or 2 button and the tempo sync you activate the retrigger function, so that the LFO retriggers the waveform with every keystroke. Thus using a slow sawtooth waveform gives you a simple envelope (your modulation has to be set to negative values though).

Great for PWM control or pitch control, adding additional pitch changes towards the pitch envelope, since the envelope is limited to 1oct pitch swings only. That is great for serious sync sounds!!