Got the System-8! My thoughts (Take it with a grain of salt)

Forum for Roland's System-8 synthesizer
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Synthtron
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Got the System-8! My thoughts (Take it with a grain of salt)

Post by Synthtron »

After some consideration and a good price I purchased a System-8. I got my System-8 in yesterday and just put the Aluminium Side panels on it. Also I updated it to the latest Firmware 1.12 so I now have the Juno-106 Plug out. I had the Boutique JP-08, JU-06, and JX-03 but sold them. I like the form factor and features of the System-8 better. Maybe Roland will produce a JX-3p Plugout for it. With 8 voices and what I consider a better performance set-up all in one synth keyboard I hope to learn all the ends and outs. It is pretty easy to navigate, I have yet to crack open the manual. I look forward to using it in my music along side my old Junos (60 & 106) and as the top synth on my stand for live performances.

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TapedTogether
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Joined: 18:59, 27 May 2017

Re: Got the System-8!

Post by TapedTogether »

Congrats, lots of sonic fun to be had!
Synthtron
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Re: Got the System-8!

Post by Synthtron »

TapedTogether wrote:Congrats, lots of sonic fun to be had!
Indeed.
Synthtron
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Re: Got the System-8! My thoughts (Take it with a grain of s

Post by Synthtron »

I have had the System-8 a few days now and thought I would share some of my initial thoughts.

Pros to me:
The Design is Awesome. I love the Layout and the look.
The Sound is Awesome!!! The System-8 and Jupiter-8 Plugouts sound good but I am more familiar with the Juno-106.
I updated the firmware which includes the Juno-106 Plugout. This is what I was really waiting for. I am really impressed and relieved to see how well this creates the sounds of the Juno-106 Synthesizer. I had the JU-06 but I was not able to faithfully recreate my favorite Juno-106 patches on it. It seemed to lack the sweet spot of my Juno-106's filter and its associated parameters I am not sure but it was not doing the job as well as I would have liked even though it definable has that Juno character. Is there a difference in the Plugout and the JU-06? I do not know. Maybe the sliders were to small for me to dial in the sound I do not know. Anyway, with that and the lack of polyphony I got rid of it and I do not miss it because so far I have recreated 5 of my Juno-106 patches and they sound like a real Juno-106! Kudos to Roland!

Cons to me:
The Build is OK. The jack for the DC in is weak. My Jupiter-50 has a nice solid socket but the System-8 does not and it is a bit wobbly and seems fragile.
The red LEDS for Tempo and LFO are a bit smaller than the panel holes they fit into and there is an annoying gap on the right side of them. Picky I know, but my Akai Timbre wolf has many LEDs and all of them fit nicely with no cheap looking gaps.
I added the Aluminium side panels. They do enhance the look and even make the System-8 seem for more sturdy but I hate the way they feel because they are brushed aluminum. They actually have a texture that you can feel. To me it is not pleasant to the touch because it feels too rough. Too bad they were not polished.
There is no random function on the arpeggiator? Maybe I have missed something but that would have gone good with the Jupiter-8 plug out.

My Verdict:
The system-8 is an awesome synthesizer. With Roland's ACB, their classic synths and engines can be recreated pretty faithfully with some additional functionality added. I think it would be to difficult or even impossible to produce re-issues of those classics (because of some of the discrete electronic parts that are no longer supplied). But what do I know.

The System-8 is a keeper! I will be incorporating it for live use (and recording) with my Jupiter-50.

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rsaintjohn
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Re: Got the System-8! My thoughts (Take it with a grain of s

Post by rsaintjohn »

Synthtron wrote:There is no random function on the arpeggiator? Maybe I have missed something but that would have gone good with the Jupiter-8 plug out.
Actually, the arp is different for the Jupiter-8, and does include a random mode. You'll want to grab this, the JUPITER-8/SYSTEM-8 Parameter Correspondence Table.

Here's the JUNO-106/SYSTEM-8 Parameter Correspondence Table.

Congrats on the addition of the System-8 to your gear!
Synthtron
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Re: Got the System-8! My thoughts (Take it with a grain of s

Post by Synthtron »

rsaintjohn wrote:
Synthtron wrote:There is no random function on the arpeggiator? Maybe I have missed something but that would have gone good with the Jupiter-8 plug out.
Actually, the arp is different for the Jupiter-8, and does include a random mode. You'll want to grab this, the JUPITER-8/SYSTEM-8 Parameter Correspondence Table.

Here's the JUNO-106/SYSTEM-8 Parameter Correspondence Table.

Congrats on the addition of the System-8 to your gear!
Thanks!
I have yet to study the Jupiter-8 correspondence table so that is great news about the arpeggiator, Thanks for sharing that!

I snagged the Roland Correspondence table earlier today and I have programmed 9 patches from my Juno-106 onto the System-8. I am really amazed at how good it sounds.
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