Roland JU06A

[Guest]

I just bought a Roland GW8 and am slowly learning my way around it. Ill be using it for live gigs and have a question: Is it possible to use the style player and then turn on the song player without having to stop? For example, if I want to jump from a style to a sequenced song or an mp3 song without any pauses, is it possible to do so? Thanks for any help and suggestions.

[Arpangel]

I'm just trying to remember the last truly great Roland keyboard that stuck in my mind ?
The Jupiter 8 ?
Kong had better luck, M1, Wave Station (AD) Even things like the Triton workstations were cool, and Kong did release the KARP Odyssey Full Size.
Roland have lost there way to a certain extent.

[The Elf]

Roland have lost there way to a certain extent.

Roland have certainly produced some great devices since the JP8! Let's not forget the Junos (not my personal favourite, but much loved by many), JX (including my beloved MKS-70), JD, JV, XV and even the Integra 7. The JP-80 is a decent performance keyboard, though calling it a 'Jupiter' was, at best. misguided, IMHO.

But Roland do seem to make some odd design decisions. Emulations of classic synths are one thing, but to then package these in tiny boxes, with half the voice allocation of the originals is, to me, very odd. Along came the System 8, with its fabulous synth engine and innovative 'plug-out' concept, but locked inside hardware more suited to a home keyboard.

The Jupiter X seems worth a look, but why take a step back from full ACB for this one when the hardware seems finally worthy of it? And the XM - I don't get it. Yet another mini keyboard and built-in speakers!? Does the world constantly travel backwards and forwards with these things tucked under their arm? I'm unconvinced. If they sell by the bucketload, then good luck to them.

If they didn't sell they wouldn't make them, so somebody's needs are being met - just maybe not yours and mine.

[Arpangel]

Roland have lost there way to a certain extent.

Roland have certainly produced some great devices since the JP8! Let's not forget the Junos (not my personal favourite, but much loved by many), JX (including my beloved MKS-70), JD, JV, XV and even the Integra 7. The JP-80 is a decent performance keyboard, though calling it a 'Jupiter' was, at best. misguided, IMHO.

But Roland do seem to make some odd design decisions. Emulations of classic synths are one thing, but to then package these in tiny boxes, with half the voice allocation of the originals is, to me, very odd. Along came the System 8, with its fabulous synth engine and innovative 'plug-out' concept, but locked inside hardware more suited to a home keyboard.

The Jupiter X seems worth a look, but why take a step back from full ACB for this one when the hardware seems finally worthy of it? And the XM - I don't get it. Yet another mini keyboard and built-in speakers!? Does the world constantly travel backwards and forwards with these things tucked under their arm? I'm unconvinced. If they sell by the bucketload, then good luck to them.

If they didn't sell they wouldn't make them, so somebody's needs are being met - just maybe not yours and mine.

The question, what does your average pro gigging musician want from a keyabord these days? A good piano/organ sound, some classic synth stuff, and that's about it.
Most manufacturers have got things that cover all that, and most of the stuff that comes with the flagship synths from the major manufacturers probably never, ever gets used.
These types of people are the main marketing area for keyboard products.
I think "people like us" are a minority, and alternative or experimental players who are into exploration and programming aren't the main thrust for Roland etc, we aren't their main income stream, although, at the same time, it could be said, that the majority of sales goes to amateurs, not professionals.
Modular and stuff like that is aimed at us, made by people who's bottom line isn't the balance sheet, we know the amazing range of bizzare and wonderful instruments out there that are available to us, but that's not the Roland or Yamaha market.

[The Elf]

To some extent - maybe even the greater extent - I wonder if what we are seeing is the difference between the passion of Mr Kakehashi and those now in control of Roland...

[blinddrew]

I suspect it's all about market shifts. When a lot of the 'classic' synths came out they cost a fortune. So they were designed and built for serious professionals because they were the only ones who could afford them.
Fast forward a few decades and professional musicians have less money than the amateurs and Behringer are knocking stuff out to the hobby market for £300.
Different audience, different use-case, different design decisions.
Maybe...

[The Elf]

The Jupiter XM costs over 1300 quid. Three octaves of minikeys, miniwheels, no aftertouch, external PSU and built-in speaker.

[blinddrew]

very rich hobbyists?

[The Elf]

very rich hobbyists?

Very rich hobbyists with no house-room for a full-sized keyboard.

Should sell well in Monaco...

[Arpangel]

Should sell well in Monaco...

Or Japan.

[Tomás Mulcahy]

The Jupiter X seems worth a look, but why take a step back from full ACB for this one when the hardware seems finally worthy of it?

What's the step back? I thought it was an improvement on the System 8 (which I thought was a wonderful synth apart from the silly keyboard on it) in that it has the "plugouts" "pluggedin" permanently?

I'm a different sort of curmudgeon though LOL, because: What about those of us who like the weighted controller we have and would rather have desktop modules stacked up nicely on the A stand with it, and not loads of crappy semi-weighted keyboards?

And in defence of Roland: they have the Aerophone. There's a niche product! Brave.

[The Elf]

The Jupiter X seems worth a look, but why take a step back from full ACB for this one when the hardware seems finally worthy of it?

What's the step back? I thought it was an improvement on the System 8

It is a simplified version of the System 8 engine - but uses the processing saved to do more things at one time.

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