System 8 end of life???

[matje123]

The System 8 is now 4 years on the market. Last firmware update was 2 years ago.

In this moment there is a big price drop on the S8. In Europe normally the S8 costs around €1450. In more and more shops the price is dropping to €1175.

Does somebody know if the last batch is produced? When a product is end of life you see mostly a big price drop to sell the last pieces.
I want to buy one but am waiting till the shop has a 10% discount. They do this normally 4-5 weekends per year. So I hope when the discount comes, the S8 is still available.

[KeytroneK]

I just bought a new one from Guitar Center for $1249. It had the latest firmware update and (3) plug-outs.
I've wanted one for a while, so when the price dropped to the price point of used ones, I pulled the trigger. Since I already own the JD-XA, navigating and programming are similar, and I was able to get right to it the first day. Highly recommended!

[Happy]

Roland not updating the F/W is no indication for EOL. Major updates slowdown from Roland start about a year or so after release of new products. My best guess is that the S8 will be Roland's ACB-only milk-cow synth for many years to come, like the Integra 7 for PCM/Supernatural (no updates for years but still sells well) which retail price dropped 25% several years ago and got no updates after that as well.

[Stormchild]

It’s already an amazing synth. Doesn’t need any more updates, other than minor updates to the Mac/Windows driver for compatibility with OS updates.

[Happy]

The system 1m has been on long wait times it changed from 3-4 week to 9-12 weeks again. EOL ?.. who is next ..?

[amcguign]

So I downloaded the new https://www.roland.com/uk/products/rc_juno-60/ VST from Roland Cloud yesterday, and I noticed it was PlugOut.

When I tried to send it to my System 8 I got a message telling me to update the system firmware... and whaddayaknow:

Update history
[ Ver.1.31 ] FEB 2021
Additional Function
JUNO-60 PLUG-OUT is now supported.

Looks like there is still life in the old dog yet - and the Juno 60 sounds great in the System 8 !
(I replaced the factory PLG-2 slot with it... that's right: the 106...)

[johnxyz]

It certainly needs an update to its stupid short keys...

[Saxifraga]

..
Since I already own the JD-XA, navigating and programming are similar, ..

Wow. No. These synths are different in any meaningful way possible. They are both synths. That's it.
Even the connectors on the back are in reverse order. The storage of patches is comlketely different. The architecture is different. The sequencer is completely different. Everything is different! lol

[Daphnis]

No i don't know about the last batch. I just hope that https://e-piano.bernaunet.com/ has not yet been "written off" because I bought a used one a week ago

[Manic]

New Jupiter-4 ACB plug-out incoming!!

System-8 is certainly not EOL! :)

[Nhanyaro]

Don't think so... ACB is not in his EOL, right, but a new firmware with no fix on the System-8 "issues" for me is very similar to an EOL. We still have the same petitions than years ago, mostly on the System8 engine: lack of memory slots, sequencer with "you have to press two keys" transpose, only one LFO, only one wave shape to modulate the Color parameter... and the list is long.
Don't get me wrong, the new Jupiter4 its a fantastic PlugOut and i'm glad to get it, but its an ACB stuff. Sadly, the System-8 is finished as is and don't think we will see some of the old requirements fixed never.