Getting started on the Jupiter 80

Forum for JUPITER-80
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Macker62
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Getting started on the Jupiter 80

Post by Macker62 »

Hi I'm new to the forum and the proud owner of a new Jupiter 80. Although I already own a Gaia, I'm looking for some hints and tips on getting started from scratch with this true beast of a machine!
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cello
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Re: Getting started on the Jupiter 80

Post by cello »

Welcome to RC :)

First of all, much should be familiar in terms of parameters as they're very similar (on the synth) side to the Gaia - except you basically have ten of them in the JP-80!

Plus there's SN acoustic tones to add in the mix :)

Livesets is where all the action happens (each liveset holds 4 Gaias)- so go ahead and create a few and then add them to a new Registration (nothing much happens at that level other than putting them all together). However (in Registration view) tap on the liveset edit button and in the next screen press on common. You now get taken to a screen with tabs along the bottom - Layer, Effects and Modify. These then affect the whole liveset as a single entity, although they may have 4 tones in each one. This is where the magic happens :)

In fact the whole board is magical. It's is largely misunderstood and whilst it is not perfect (show me a keyboard that is!) it absolutely one of the finest and most powerful synths ever made.

On the downside you may get frustrated with the filing system and lack of librarian but there are workarounds in terms of workflow.

Enjoy your JP-80 - it's amazing; have fun :)
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Macker62
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Re: Getting started on the Jupiter 80

Post by Macker62 »

Thanks for your reply Cello. Wow four Gaia's, that's incredible! I'm very interested in following your advice and I'll be doing so once I get some free time. My ultimate aim is to learn some new songs to play and perform them (although I'm unable to read music) I have plenty of music books and learning tools to hand, I just find reading music quite difficult. Tell me please, do you read music or play by ear? I'd like to program a bass line, a backing arpeggio and some drums to allow me to play a lead riff once I have them saved. Something simple to start with, I like 80's style music so something along those lines would be perfect. Obviously I'll have questions and problems as I'm learning to work with the Jupiter 80, but I hear these forums can be very helpful.

I'm pretty sick of reading negative comments about the JP80 online, so it's nice to be amongst positive owners who clearly care about and love this beauty of a machine. The richness of sounds I've heard at even this early stage have been breathtaking, believe me I was shaking after my first encounter!

Hope to hear from everyone in due course.
Devnor
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Re: Getting started on the Jupiter 80

Post by Devnor »

I'd like to program a bass line, a backing arpeggio and some drums to allow me to play a lead riff
You'll need a computer & sequencer.
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Macker62
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Re: Getting started on the Jupiter 80

Post by Macker62 »

Thanks for that, I guess I'll have to do some research, hints and tips most welcome!
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cello
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Re: Getting started on the Jupiter 80

Post by cello »

Macker62 wrote:Thanks for your reply Cello. Wow four Gaia's, that's incredible!
It certainly is! In fact - the total is 10 Gaias :) 4 per 2 livesets (upper and lower) plus 1 solo and 1 perc layers (both of which can play synth tones) = 10
Macker62 wrote:Tell me please, do you read music or play by ear?
I read music - I started playing piano when I was three and had a classical training for a further 16 years or so. It is not mandatory to be able to read music so don't feel pressured into learning it - it will take a while. Your ear is your friend - if it sounds good to you, then you are going in the right direction! Music notation is a bit like a dictionary. A dictionary contains every book that has been written and every book that will be written. Same goes for notation and music theory. Knowing it helps in some ways (for example harmonic progressions, etc) however music is an art form - which is all about the extra dimension of emotion. So go with what feels good :)

Macker62 wrote:I'd like to program a bass line, a backing arpeggio and some drums to allow me to play a lead riff once I have them saved.
As devnor posted you'll need a computer/iPad with a sequencer (or DAW) to do that. Bear in mind that the JP-80 is a synth - it is not a workstation (ie records sequences/songs/backing tracks). The JP-80 strength it is built to do one thing - create stunning sounds.
Macker62 wrote:I'm pretty sick of reading negative comments about the JP80 online, so it's nice to be amongst positive owners who clearly care about and love this beauty of a machine. The richness of sounds I've heard at even this early stage have been breathtaking, believe me I was shaking after my first encounter!
I agree about the negative comments - but most of such comments come from people who don't even own one and/or simply don't 'get it' - or they read the specs and decide 'it's cr@p'. Superb that your first encounter was such a significant event - trust me it gets better and better the more you delve more deeply into the JP-80.
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PauloF
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Re: Getting started on the Jupiter 80

Post by PauloF »

Macker62 wrote:Hi I'm new to the forum and the proud owner of a new Jupiter 80. Although I already own a Gaia, I'm looking for some hints and tips on getting started from scratch with this true beast of a machine!
Welcome to the Clan!

Cello already said everything to describe this beast

I'm not a owner of a JP-80 (I'm a happy owner of an INTEGRA-7, a JP-80 Cousin), but from playing a bit with one and from owners positive comments, JP-80 (although not perfect) it happens to be one of the most powerful synths that Roland has made until today.

cheers,
Paulo
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Macker62
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Re: Getting started on the Jupiter 80

Post by Macker62 »

Thank you Cello and Paulo for such wisdom and passion for the Jupiter, I only wish people like you guys lived closer to me so we could exchange ideas and skills. I don't know anyone who lives close by who owns a Jupiter. The musicians in my town tend to prefer 'traditional' instruments and traditional Irish music. I'm very much for modern sounds and technology, not necessarily rap and trance music just modern sounding. I loved the 80s style: Ultravox, Gary Numan, Human League, Thomas Dolby, Howard Jones. I'm also rather particular to the band, The Chvrches. I'm doing well with Jupiter now and I can get in a reasonable amount of practice.
thunderkyss
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Re: Getting started on the Jupiter 80

Post by thunderkyss »

Macker62 wrote:I like 80's style music so something along those lines would be perfect.

I was 7 years old January 1, 1980 (my birthday is not Jan 1) & I was 17 years old January 1, 1990. My wife is the same age as me. When she says "80s music" it means something totally different to me. She's thinking Duran Duran, New Order, Howard Jones. I'm thinking Bon Jovi, Skid Row, WhiteSnake. Recently I've also come to associate "80s music" with the SOS Band, the Gap Band, & Zapp.

All good stuff, but very different... heck, we haven't even talked about Bobby Brown, Prince, Madonna, or Cindi Lauper.
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cello
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Re: Getting started on the Jupiter 80

Post by cello »

Macker62 wrote:Thank you Cello and Paulo for such wisdom and passion for the Jupiter, I only wish people like you guys lived closer to me so we could exchange ideas and skills. I don't know anyone who lives close by who owns a Jupiter.
No problem - you may not have anyone locally but you always have us here. I don't know anyone personally in Glasgow either that has a JP-80 but I know there are plenty out there. But that's the great thing about the JP-80 - you can just get on with it! My best advice would be to experiment. Either take an existing sound that you like and then tweak the life out of it and see where it ends up. Or start with an INIT sound and create something from scratch.

The action happens in livesets, so build up the tones (remember there are great possibilities by mixing SN acoustic with SN synth tones) and then work on the zoom edit parameters of livesets. Serious synth sonic power is available... :)
Macker62 wrote:I'm also rather particular to the band, The Chvrches.
They're a recent discovery for me too! Really great little band.
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Macker62
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Re: Getting started on the Jupiter 80

Post by Macker62 »

Great advice and tips here. The Jupiter lives up to its name and it seems to grow larger in content and sounds the deeper you delve into it! Even the instrument emulations sound real enough, especially my favourite instrument, the Clarinet. You can almost feel the players breath as you depress each key, clever stuff. I'm mainly listening to the Jupiter via headphones as unfortunately I'm not able to get any sound via my amp and existing cables. The company I bought it from have offered an exchange for me, but I'm suspicious of the cables I'm using, as I can plug in my headphones to each socket and get sound? I've asked the company to loan me a certain cable called a 'TRS Jack' which I think is the solution to the problem, well I'm hoping it is anyway! I'll be looking to invest in a stereo roland amp later, does anyone use an amp they can recommend please?
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Macker62
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Re: Getting started on the Jupiter 80

Post by Macker62 »

Just found out, the cable I was using was fine, the Jupiter was at fault. Unfortunately I have to post it back to Germany, they check it's condition and post me another. I'm gutted actually could be three weeks before the replacement arrives!
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