Jupiter X ?

[Arpangel]

I posted about the Jupiter XM awhile back, still haven’t done anything about it.
It would make an excellent one-box jamming keyboard, but there are a couple of issues with the XM, the keyboard size is compact, but can I put up with it for playing pianos? Also the operating system, it seems over-complicated.
Enter the Jupiter X, a bigger more usable keyboard, but the OS is the same.
I’m drawn to this keyboard from the sounds I’ve heard, and it does have good pianos, Rhodes etc, I like the character of them.
After reading the SOS review of the JX, it stopped me moving forward, the OS did seem to be a major issue.
I like the sounds of this keyboard, and I’m having trouble thinking of any other contenders in a similar ball park, sound wise, there are a few things, like the easily accessible arpeggiator, and general layout.
The XM is expensive, and the JX is a serious purchase, it’s not my Prophet, it’s not like anything I already have, it would be primarily for jamming, it has a versatility that isn’t in anything else I own.
I do need a good all round keyboard, I have to take all sorts of things to jams, having just one keyboard would be ideal, I could look for something older, like a Triton, or similar, that would be cheaper, and the sounds are good, but not as good as the piano and EP sounds in the JX, and the JX has a great synth engine.

[Eddy Deegan]

I'm not going to give you any deep insights into the Jupiter X but a friend of mine has one, I've played it a lot, and I think it sounds fantastic.

Other people may disagree but I really like it. It's not something I'm likely to buy because my existing collection covers the ground I'd ask of it but if I was starting with an empty room and a budget it would be high on the list. Having said that, I wouldn't rule out grabbing one for myself if the price was right.

Reviews are well and good, and in the case of SOS exceptionally so, but when it comes down to it it's all about you and an instrument. I found it inspiring, intriguing, delightful and with hidden depths I'd like to explore even though currently I feel I have it covered between the dozens of synths I already own.

If I could swap my Korg M3 + Radias for it, I would in a heartbeat. The Radias, especially, is capable of superb sounds but I find it difficult to program and navigate and for the purposes I'd use it for I find my KingKORG covers all of them.

The KingKORG has a silly name but it's a hugely under-rated synth and sounds fantastic. It has one arpeggiator and no step sequencers but I have a Korg SQ-64 hardware sequencer which more than makes up for that. The M3 is a very capable board and sounds wonderful but it's a subset of the Kronos, which I also have.

I'm mulling over selling my Korg M3+Radias in the 73-note keyboard frame in order to get some more Eurorack modules or to minorly offset the cost of an OB-X8. I don't think I need any of those, but hey: it'll be the first gear I've sold in decades if I do.

I am as of yet undecided as to the best course of action for me but I'm in no hurry. If I do sell the M3+Radias, I might just get a rush of blood to the head and grab a Jupiter X after all. I'm not a big fan of the 'Roland' sound but having played my friend's my worries are qualmed on that front.

It's more about space than budget as I'm now operating the 1-in-1-out policy although of course cost is a consideration to factor in.

[Arpangel]

I'm not going to give you any deep insights into the Jupiter X but a friend of mine has one, I've played it a lot, and I think it sounds fantastic.

Other people may disagree but I really like it. It's not something I'm likely to buy because my existing collection covers the ground I'd ask of it but if I was starting with an empty room and a budget it would be high on the list. Having said that, I wouldn't rule out grabbing one for myself if the price was right.

Reviews are well and good, and in the case of SOS exceptionally so, but when it comes down to it it's all about you and an instrument. I found it inspiring, intriguing, delightful and with hidden depths I'd like to explore even though currently I feel I have it covered between the dozens of synths I already own.

If I could swap my Korg M3 + Radias for it, I would in a heartbeat. The Radias, especially, is capable of superb sounds but I find it difficult to program and navigate and for the purposes I'd use it for I find my KingKORG covers all of them.

The KingKORG has a silly name but it's a hugely under-rated synth and sounds fantastic. It has one arpeggiator and no step sequencers but I have a Korg SQ-64 hardware sequencer which more than makes up for that. The M3 is a very capable board and sounds wonderful but it's a subset of the Kronos, which I also have.

I'm mulling over selling my Korg M3+Radias in the 73-note keyboard frame in order to get some more Eurorack modules or to minorly offset the cost of an OB-X8. I don't think I need any of those, but hey: it'll be the first gear I've sold in decades if I do.

I am as of yet undecided as to the best course of action for me but I'm in no hurry. If I do sell the M3+Radias, I might just get a rush of blood to the head and grab a Jupiter X after all. I'm not a big fan of the 'Roland' sound but having played my friend's my worries are qualmed on that front.

It's more about space than budget as I'm now operating the 1-in-1-out policy although of course cost is a consideration to factor in.

Thanks Eddy, interesting.
Your view was unexpected, it’s made me think more about it, I think it’s a mistake for me to think about the OS negatively, I like the sounds so much, I can imagine wanting to really get into it.
It’s not so much the Roland sound, it’s just a "good sound"! I’ve been looking for a deep synth, plus, some good pianos etc, for ages, and this seems right, I think I don’t need to open the horses mouth any further!
Knowing my luck, the day I go to buy it it’ll be discontinued!

[MarkOne]

Knowing my luck, the day I go to buy it it’ll be discontinued!

This has been an affliction of mine for decades.

EMU Proteus Keys PK6 - Discontinued the week I picked up mine
Alesis Fusion - Discontinued within 3 months of getting mine
Roland Fantom G7 - Discontinued just BEFORE I picked mine up*

*OK the G6 and G8 soldiered on for another year but the ARX supernatural expansion program just stopped dead after the brass and EP boards, and all the good stuff they teased at NAMM when they launched it like the tone wheel organ and orchestra boards just never happened nor did OS V2.0 that was planned to fix a few bugs (like the infuriating lack of debounce on the 2nd pedal switch input!)

[Arpangel]

Also, have you seen the way prices are going up? It’s really scary, not just by a few pounds, but by a few hundred in some cases.
For instance, the Yamaha YC61 has increased by about £300 in the space of a couple of months.
You’re tempted to buy now, in case things get completely crazy, and that’s, if you can actually find what you want in stock.

[Richard Benn]

The Jupiter X software has evolved considerably since Gordon Reid's original review. This should hopefully list the changes: https://www.roland.com/uk/support/by_p ... 4868d7e07/

Part of the perceived complexity in the Jupiter-X comes from the fact that you can have up to four parts layered at once, and in this situation it can be confusing to know what you are tweaking when twiddling the knobs. The v1.5 update last year added a single model mode which gives just one layer and makes it feel much more like an emulation of the original models. It is surprisingly compelling.

The v3 software that came out earlier this year is even better. As well as making it much easier to get ordinary arpeggios (as opposed to the strange i-Arpeggio), it added a new synth model - the Jupiter-X. This is a four partial virtual analogue synth that maps almost exactly to the front panel controls. It's the synth that the Jupiter-X always promised to be. OK, you could probably do this via much menu diving previously, but mapping it to the hardware makes it so much more accessible. It's pretty much a new synth and wonderful sounding - imagine the Jupiter 8 updated to 2022. Probably the first time a synth gets an update to do what it looked like it did all along

The keypad is beautiful but the aftertouch requires a very firm pressure.

One downside thing the original review didn't delve into is the claim of Roland's marketing department that the Jupiter-X has 256 voices. It may have at a technical level but not in any way that an end user would understand it. I won't go into it here as it has been covered extensively on the thread over on Gear Space, but basically the way resources are allocated means the polyphony of the analogue models is way below that. The Juno and SH models are the worst for this. I find it's not ordinarily an issue, but if you are playing chords with layered sounds with long release tails and using unison, note stealing can still be a thing.

Overall, I love it and wouldn't be without it, but try and get a demo of a machine running the latest firmware to see for yourself.

[Arpangel]

The Jupiter X software has evolved considerably since Gordon Reid's original review. This should hopefully list the changes: https://www.roland.com/uk/support/by_p ... 4868d7e07/

Part of the perceived complexity in the Jupiter-X comes from the fact that you can have up to four parts layered at once, and in this situation it can be confusing to know what you are tweaking when twiddling the knobs. The v1.5 update last year added a single model mode which gives just one layer and makes it feel much more like an emulation of the original models. It is surprisingly compelling.

The v3 software that came out earlier this year is even better. As well as making it much easier to get ordinary arpeggios (as opposed to the strange i-Arpeggio), it added a new synth model - the Jupiter-X. This is a four partial virtual analogue synth that maps almost exactly to the front panel controls. It's the synth that the Jupiter-X always promised to be. OK, you could probably do this via much menu diving previously, but mapping it to the hardware makes it so much more accessible. It's pretty much a new synth and wonderful sounding - imagine the Jupiter 8 updated to 2022. Probably the first time a synth gets an update to do what it looked like it did all along

The keypad is beautiful but the aftertouch requires a very firm pressure.

One downside thing the original review didn't delve into is the claim of Roland's marketing department that the Jupiter-X has 256 voices. It may have at a technical level but not in any way that an end user would understand it. I won't go into it here as it has been covered extensively on the thread over on Gear Space, but basically the way resources are allocated means the polyphony of the analogue models is way below that. The Juno and SH models are the worst for this. I find it's not ordinarily an issue, but if you are playing chords with layered sounds with long release tails and using unison, note stealing can still be a thing.

Overall, I love it and wouldn't be without it, but try and get a demo of a machine running the latest firmware to see for yourself.

Thanks a lot Richard Benn, the single model mode sounds what I would like to work with, I have to try this out, I’ll try and locate one today.

[Arpangel]

Ha Ha! none available, earliest times about two months.

[IAA]

There was one advertised in the selling gear section of the site…

[resistorman]

There was one advertised in the selling gear section of the site…

1400 quid!

[Arpangel]

There was one advertised in the selling gear section of the site…

1400 quid!

That sounds cheap, too cheap, and it’s a long way from me, wouldn’t trust shipping it.

[Guido3]

The ad is legit. The chap doesn’t live far away from me. I nearly bought it a while ago but had a change of heart/plan. At that price, it’s worth a trip out IMHO.

[resistorman]

The ad is legit. The chap doesn’t live far away from me. I nearly bought it a while ago but had a change of heart/plan. At that price, it’s worth a trip out IMHO.

Almost an excuse for a trip to Jolly Old for me

C'mon Arpy, go get it! You've been hemming and hawing over a synth for a long, long time!

[Arpangel]

The ad is legit. The chap doesn’t live far away from me. I nearly bought it a while ago but had a change of heart/plan. At that price, it’s worth a trip out IMHO.

Almost an excuse for a trip to Jolly Old for me

C'mon Arpy, go get it! You've been hemming and hawing over a synth for a long, long time!

Yes, I know I should, but diplomatically, regarding my partner, it’s a bit tricky,
boxes come in this house and no questions are asked, but a trip like this is pretty obvious, if you know the guy, I could get him to post it, but I’m not really happy with that.

[Guido3]

The ad is legit. The chap doesn’t live far away from me. I nearly bought it a while ago but had a change of heart/plan. At that price, it’s worth a trip out IMHO.

Almost an excuse for a trip to Jolly Old for me

C'mon Arpy, go get it! You've been hemming and hawing over a synth for a long, long time!

Yes, I know I should, but diplomatically, regarding my partner, it’s a bit tricky,
boxes come in this house and no questions are asked, but a trip like this is pretty obvious, if you know the guy, I could get him to post it, but I’m not really happy with that.

Whereabouts are you located in the UK?

[Arpangel]

Hi, I’m in mid Kent.

[Eddy Deegan]

... It's not something I'm likely to buy because my existing collection covers the ground I'd ask of it but if I was starting with an empty room and a budget it would be high on the list. Having said that, I wouldn't rule out grabbing one for myself if the price was right.

My friend is having a gear-shuffle and gave me first refusal on the Jupiter X today. Turns out the price was right. Picking it up in a couple of hours

[resistorman]

... It's not something I'm likely to buy because my existing collection covers the ground I'd ask of it but if I was starting with an empty room and a budget it would be high on the list. Having said that, I wouldn't rule out grabbing one for myself if the price was right.

My friend is having a gear-shuffle and gave me first refusal on the Jupiter X today. Turns out the price was right. Picking it up in a couple of hours

LOL

[The Elf]

My friend is having a gear-shuffle and gave me first refusal on the Jupiter X today. Turns out the price was right. Picking it up in a couple of hours

I'll be interested to hear how you get on with it. I had one here for a short while and it didn't gel with me - and my S8 sounded better as a (what I was looking for, TBH) JP8-alike.

But it's a powerful beast if you have the patience to work through that OS. The new JD-800 model should be a good 'un.

[Eddy Deegan]

My friend is having a gear-shuffle and gave me first refusal on the Jupiter X today. Turns out the price was right. Picking it up in a couple of hours

I'll be interested to hear how you get on with it. I had one here for a short while and it didn't gel with me - and my S8 sounded better as a (what I was looking for, TBH) JP8-alike.

But it's a powerful beast if you have the patience to work through that OS. The new JD-800 model should be a good 'un.

It's certainly not the friendliest or most intuituive synth to navigate and I've not had time to give it any proper attention yet but I do like the way it sounds (despite a large number of 'orrible presets!) and I think it's got a lot of potential, especially in a mix.

I'll add some thoughts in due course once I've got to know it a bit better and actually used it for something, which is probably going to be quite soon as there are two sounds in there I stumbled across which, with a bit of tweaking, are exactly the sort of thing I need for an up-coming track.

[Arpangel]

This is interesting, originally I was interested in the Jupiter XM, simply because it's small, has great samples and is a synthesiser!
I wouldn’t be buying it just for the synthesis, and that applies to the X as well, I’d be interested in what you think of this when you get into it more.

[junkmale]

The Jupiter X software has evolved considerably since Gordon Reid's original review. This should hopefully list the changes: https://www.roland.com/uk/support/by_p ... 4868d7e07/

Overall, I love it and wouldn't be without it, but try and get a demo of a machine running the latest firmware to see for yourself.

was up in Glasgow ten days ago and popped into Guitar Guitar to see if I could get a demo on a TR-1000 - the nice sales guy said if they had one I could have but they've all been flying out the door!

obviously couldn't help having a play with a few other bits while I was there, and was very taken with the Jupiter-X - I thought it sounded absolutely gorgeous!

now thinking about selling my Juno-60 to fund a JP-X - just wondering how any long term users on here are finding it?

also, having read Gordon Reid's review on here, one of the things that I might slightly baulk at is the device sending SysEx for a lot of the controls rather then CC - which to my mind seems like a slightly odd design choice, but then again I guess it wouldn't be a Roland if it didn't have some bizarre quirks to it!

The link Richard posted above now seems broken (404), if anyone with a Jupiter-X could let us know what updates the latest firmware rev(s) have given, and how they finding it generally, it would much appreciated

[Richard Benn]

It looks like the link I posted was to a specific version of the firmware and lasted only until the next update. This is the current link but will probably go out of date as well at some point in the future. Searching for "Jupiter-X System program" may be a more reliable way to get the latest version.

https://www.roland.com/global/support/b ... 62c4458b2/

Still loving mine, but I do find that if I haven't used it for a while, it takes me a while to remember how to access everything. I need to make myself a crib sheet.

[junkmale]

Still loving mine, but I do find that if I haven't used it for a while, it takes me a while to remember how to access everything. I need to make myself a crib sheet.

thanks for the update Richard, great to hear you're still loving yours
I see they're up to v3 for the firmware - has that resolved some of the SysEx vs. CC quirks that Gordon mentioned in his origial view?
I've had a quick look at the MIDI Implementation Chart for v3 and it looks as though a lot of the parameters are programmable via CC.

and as regards having to remind oneself how to access everything after a while of not using it, isn't that the same for anything?
(I know it is for me! )

[Richard Benn]

I see they're up to v3 for the firmware - has that resolved some of the SysEx vs. CC quirks that Gordon mentioned in his origial view?
I've had a quick look at the MIDI Implementation Chart for v3 and it looks as though a lot of the parameters are programmable via CC.

I don't believe much has changed, but as this isn't an area I have delved into much, I wouldn't place much weight on this opinion.

and as regards having to remind oneself how to access everything after a while of not using it, isn't that the same for anything?

Yes, but some synths are laid out so intuitively that they almost guide you back in. This isn't a reason not to buy it, just a warning that it might demand a bit more of your time to get the full potential out of it. It's still the synth I'd save if I could only save one thing.