Roland AIRA Compact S-1 // a mini synth with a hidden super power!

[@EKbassmusic]

this little machine is an absolute joy. love that it fits in your pocket and have something to play with when away from home. even my 10yo daughter will play with it for hours.

[@juxty3102]

An extra 2 notes of polyphony would have been the icing on the cake.

[@vytispuronas]

Thanks, I really appreciate your effort to demonstrate the S-1's sound design capabilities which goes way beyond factory presets. Sounds excellent. Cheers.

[@dubdoodle7191]

Like always you are #1 synth advisor / influencer ! Very good camera presence, pleasant vocal formant, clear cinematography, concise product review storyboard.

[@BoBeats]

Thank you!

[@erikberglund6959]

Thanx for your great work Bo!👍 As an old time 101-user (had 2 of them yeeeaars ago) I think there's one point that should be pushed a bit, the basic 101-sound wich it does without flaws. Same as the SH-1a but with a very low pricetag. As I'm missing that sound but never thought it was really worth it with the 1a, this is a nobrainer..... They're practically giving that sound away and you're just paying for som nice extras🙂 Roland is really coming back with their new stuff and people (like me😬) who's been complaining about "It's not real analog" can eat their hats because sound and play-/tweak-ability is what counts. And Roland is delivering!👊

[@K_aj_ja]

Absolutely adding this to my battery powerd lightweight setup. Tack Bo!

[@darkambience]

I just sold my T-8 and J-6 as they were just to limiting but no denying they were fun. This on the other hand looks amazing, the ability to create your own waveforms is probably the best feature I´ve ever seen on one of these mini synths. Ordering this now.

[@MS7.7]

Same. I had little fun with it but just little, then I went back to my MPC and Ableton then sold it, then I used Men In Black flash to erase it from my brain.

[@morangak]

The t8 is nowhere near limiting but yeah the j6 is pure trash haha

[@TheMakingofChannel]

@@morangakit’s nice for those who want to make beautiful sounding chord progressions pretty fast and then maybe triggering a bigger/better synth with it (that’s how I use it)

[@hataproofrecords]

@@morangakit’s a chord synth, it’s is very inspiring in a whole different way.

[@WyattLite-n-inn]

It looks cool but I think I’ll just stick with Koala on my iPad

[@kelleywave4012]

I love how poppy the sounds were toward the end. Perfect for upbeat music 😊

[@Tiger.Arcade]

Seems like the best value Aira Compact. Glad they are continuing to make these. Can’t wait for what’s next. Perhaps we will eventually see a mini semi modular 😱

[@hoover2615]

A great little machine with lots of power. Well done Roland. 👍🏻

[@manuelsteinmair]

A nice little box! I'd say Florian will happily include this in the near future in his bad gear series 😅

[@synthetic24]

Yes like he also did with the Behringer Model D 😁

[@Manerr]

@@synthetic24 not only that one , he done almost 50 hardware reviews I think

[@WVandellHarris]

I keep seeing this tired “bad gear” comment. No one is saying why though. This is actually a nice piece! But by now half of the synth community is just drones waiting for someone else to tell them what’s good and what’s not.

[@annother3350]

@@WVandellHarris Thats the point -- many things in the bad gear series are actually very good and loved by many

[@AndrewTSq]

@@WVandellHarris they are mostly awesome gear actually.

[@CTraviesoMusic]

Muchas gracias a roland por hacer llegar estas herramientas a manos de todos.... Ya tengo t8 y esperando que llegue S1... Me encanta como unas cosas tan pequeñas tienen un corazón tan grande ❤❤❤

[@alanredversangel]

I was going to buy a behringer ms-1 but this, with battery power, portability and effects kind of seals the deal for me. I have the t-8 and I love it.

[@juergensutter521]

You are a real expert! I bought one. Thank you for this good video !

[@johngalvin6352]

Hi Bo I have recently bought the S-1 so I'm still getting my head around the workflow. So thanks for explaining the OSC draw and chop. Love that sound at about 17:30 min into the video. Many thanks.

[@artephank]

I didn’t expect I would be interested in roland synth. Great sounding and innovative. Great job. Bo as always stellar.

[@otisobl]

From a synthesist's perspective, this is the most interesting Roland thing since the D50.

[@stereodeee]

this was the first purchase from my disappearance bo! - you did a nice job introducing this little machine. i'm excited to add it to my microstation. hopefully we will reconnect soon.

[@AndrewTSq]

i think i will get one! thanks for the review. tack så mycket!

[@shubear5465]

Just received mine, very helpful video. Thanks!

[@johngalvin6352]

Looks more versatile than anything else in that price range, got to get one.

[@UrbanGarden-rf5op]

An important finding, if you’re a Logic Pro user. Since Roland doesn’t seem to know this (May 2024), I will post this through my favourite electronica KZbinrs. Having owned the S-1 for about 5 minutes I began thinking about how I could integrate it into my UA/Logic Pro set up. USB-C connection to the Mac. First try resulted in the S-1 taking over completely, no access to UA. The Roland “support” site said that it wasn’t possible to use it with multiple audio interfaces! Accepting the challenge I created an Aggregate Device in the the Mac’s Audio MIDI set up, with the UA as master device. Let there be audio! The MIDI part was a brain twister though. Audio still working fine when I started the S-1’s internal sequencer. But no MIDI triggering the S-1. Double checking the MIDI setting on the S-1 revealed that I had adjusted the chorus, Cho, mistaking the o for a zero. The correct parameter is called CH. Why it wasn’t already set to channel 1 is anybody’s guess. Cool box, lousy support site, as usual. Roland, please fix your extremely slow and unhelpful site Thank you for sharing a helpful video.

[@BoBeats]

Thanks for letting all of us know

[@hataproofrecords]

Try using the unit is battery only mode when trying to use MIDI notes with Logic. Same for J6

[@UrbanGarden-rf5op]

@@hataproofrecords What would be the benefit of that?

[@hataproofrecords]

@@UrbanGarden-rf5op for one because you eliminate USB noise, but most importantly, that was the only way I could get the notes played by the sequencer to be recognizable and recorded onto Logic.

[@UrbanGarden-rf5op]

@@hataproofrecords i would suggest investing in a high quality USB cable. There is a reason why Apple's and certain other dealers cables are so expensive. And it's not (just) about the quality of the wires, there are electronics involved in the connectors. I run the unit through a powered USB hub and have no noise problems. As for recording MIDI, in the setup I described there was no problem with the MIDI from the S-1 through USB. Logic just informed me it had added a MIDI input and output when I connected the S-1. Plug in and play, literally. Take note that the audio output of the S-1 is a headphones output , not a proper line output. I would use it for transfers only if there was no other solution. Sure, you'll get audio, but it's not the right impedance feeding the line input of your interface. And you have to be careful with the level since there is a power amp on the output of the S-1. Furthermore you'll introduce an unnecessary D/A - A/D conversion, which is not optimal. The USB connection is a (lossless) digital transfer. But it's horses for courses. Do it any way you prefer. I still stand by my original posting and method. ✌✌

[@paulbiagan9286]

This is EXACTLY what I've been looking for. I have a Roland T-8 & J-6 and been meaning to get a sequencer, a mixer and a Midi thru box. You answered all in one video. Please do more videos where you set up, connect all the various Roland Aira Compacts. What setup makes sense? Does a Zoom L6 make more sense than a BlueBox for a mixer? For this setup, would a Torso T1, Korg SQ-64 be good alternatives to the Novation Circuit? I also want to see a set up where it covers the connections for a CircuitTrack, Circuit Rhythm and Launchpad (in addition to the Roland Aira compact devices). Many thanks! Keep doing what you're doing!

[@sandrodellisanti1139]

Ciao, this sounds really good.. personally i've own my roland JD-XI Synth.. many greetings from Brunswick in Germany and please stay safe 🙂

[@mikemeengs5720]

This will fit right in with my E4, TR-6S, and JD-08. Yes!

[@mikemeengs5720]

Just ordered!

[@TechGently]

I have the Roland SH-4D and play around with the SH-101 engine a bit, but was needing. Then I found that the S-1 is essentially the SH-101 with extras and after seeing your video, just placed the order. I had opted between buying the groove box MC-101, but when I already have the Circuit Tracks, I just felt that the S-1 was a better deal. I'm a guy that doesn't connect anything to my synths and I think this will help me learn to do such a thing, fooling around with it. I like that the save feature is much better than the SH-4D is. My only gripe about Roland as they tend to push out product then not really support it with updates as much as Yamaha or Korg does.

[@xammai9679]

The tilt function absolutely blows my mind.

[@maxfattori5540]

Great video Bo! As usual!!!

[@BoBeats]

Thank you Max!

[@BarryGrueter]

Nice, thanks for sharing 👍

[@yakfisha24]

Thanks for the demo, brilliant job. Looks like a winner. Will get one to use during work breaks / whilst travelling to experiment with at least, although can quite easily see it fitting in amongst the rest of my gear to contribute to the 147 as yet unfinished tracks I have on the go.

[@wajnlikewine]

don't know how they did it but damn it sounds good. Just tried it out irl and blown away...

[@PaulWhitingQuirk]

I have always considered the SH 101 to be predominately a Bass synth, just wondered how a mono bass patch and a unison patch sounds. Good to hear all the wonderful bells and whistles but I can't find one video that concentrates on bass sounds. I'm surprised no one else has bought this up.

[@lundsweden]

It's an absolute bass monster. It's virtually a SH-101, a legendary bass synth (I've seen them A/B- they are identical sounding) plus some extra waveshaping features that make the palette even broader. The sequence and motion sequencing is another bonus!

[@osrthejourney]

Great job Bo! This will go right along with the three others I bought😂. I love these little powerhouses.

[@incaroads001]

Hi Bo, it's me again. I would just like to add one thing to what you said: "Buy one of these". If you're into synths, you can't justify not owning one. And if this is your first synth, you can't justify not owning one. It's simply too inexpensive and too powerful to ignore. I have a lot of synths because of you; but this one has been with me constantly since I got it. I can't really say the same for the XD or the Hydra or anything else that I have. They may be amazing, but they're not as convenient and capable. Just sayin'. Thanks for making me purchase one. 🖖

[@Marcin___123]

With screen showing waveform it would be total banger

[@theorize999]

I just got one today it’s pretty awesome

[@goshavino9831]

i was always into VST and nots sytnhs, few weeks ago a friend came from canda and broguht this one with him. oh boy what a joy , amazing little machine with great sounds

[@kekethetoad]

Hoping to see a layout-improved JD-Xi 2.0 of sorts using ACB + some digital synth plugins from cloud. A JD-Xa 2.0 featuring the same would be very cool. With nice oled oscilloscope would be 🔥

[@CedricSatterfield]

I think of the SH-4d as more of JDXI 2.0

[@kekethetoad]

@@CedricSatterfield except it's stripped down zencore ABM which is 🤮and those pill buttons are tacky af cringe. Also no keyboard

[@mastaboog749]

honestly i just picked this up on a whim, i got a volca bass given to me some what recently and i was thinking of hooking both of these up to my MPC One. maybe try to sequence thru the MPC? Or just use the mpc as drums and additional layers IDK! I just think it could be fun to have a couple small external boxes hooked up that I can tweak live. umm editing this part in after. The Waveshaper is freaking AWESOME!

[@SWLDguitar1]

Would you recommend this to a beginner? Guitar player for 24 years - good understanding of music, haven't played keys in a long time.

[@thedeepblueskys]

Honestly for a beginner I’d recommend something with more hands on controls and full sized knobs. Behringer has some really good options that won’t break the bank and offer the full experience. Just think you would learn synthesis better and it would be more fun to not have to use shift functions and menu dive as much. A used Korg Minilouge might be a good start as well because of the synth layout and built in oscilloscope. If you go that route you definitely wanna use your cool guitar pedals with it too. Reverb is definitely a must. Other than that this little synth would still be fun. I have a ton of synths and I’m thinking of getting one because of the portability. Plus it does sound great too. So if you end up getting one, I think you would enjoy it. I would definitely use a midi keyboard with it so I can properly play the thing.

[@thequakevids6827]

@@thedeepblueskysYou mention Behringer, do you think the Pro VS Mini is similar to this Roland? I learned the basics with a minilogue but had to sell it, now I'm looking for a cheap way to get back into the game.

[@HappyQuailsLC]

​@@thedeepblueskysI'm sorry, but did you mean the Korg Monologue?

[@thedeepblueskys]

@@thequakevids6827 not similar, but just as fun for the price. The S-1 is more like the minilogue. The pro vs mini is a different kind of synthesis, but I’ve been wanting one my self. For that price you can’t loose. Especially when you put it threw guitar pedals.

[@thedeepblueskys]

@@HappyQuailsLC No, I ment the Minilogue, but the Monologue might be better.

[@Александр-й7б9и]

With this box I feel like all the aira compact line designed just right for me ❤

[@88Spint]

Sounds great!

[@Charlieboy2680]

Once you get this playing through some nice monitors and synced up with a drum machine or groovebox or both , it sounds great and is alot of fun, especially for the price!

[@leewightman8619]

Got my t8 yesterday getting the s1 next month

[@disconnectpub]

Nice work thank you very much

[@DominicJacksonFilm]

Sounds pretty good

[@tommyk88888]

Really looking forward to playing around with the high cat 😁

[@gaborb6577]

Just the product i need🎉

[@Decoy303]

Just ordered one today.

[@eldontyrellcorp]

Where do you ordered it ? It's still not available at Thomann and other stores.

[@Decoy303]

@@eldontyrellcorp Sweetwater

[@VJFranzK]

11:17 drum synthesis possible! good.

[@Pocket_Stuff]

I really like the aira s-1. It sounds great, is affordable and has a lot of powerful features. Just wish it was a bit more user friendly. If I haven't used it for awhile I have to google/youtube how to change things lol

[@aseomg]

Bob dropping the eats...I mean "heats" all Superbooth weekend!! What's coming Friday & Saturday?? 😎

[@disconnectpub]

Nice cheap synth. Sounds very clean. Own it & appreciate it for the good sounds - it’s so not a friendly synth to work with. Bad decisions have made it quite hard to work with / unfriendly. Anyone wanna buy mine hundred bucks. Maybe Roland can come up with a companion app that’ll open up all its features on a iPad. This is neither an ergonomic nor simple device. It’s quite clean and well done but at the same time too its deep menu dives do impead creating

[@SebastianBeyer]

10 min ! best point

[@AndrewPRoberts]

Oops I've mysteriously misplaced 200 dollars

[@juicythedj750]

Same here 🤔🤔🤔

[@witchfindergeneral2504]

Me too😮

[@antschiari8000]

Mine should be here next week….

[@juicythedj750]

@@antschiari8000 mine tomorrow!

[@antschiari8000]

@@juicythedj750 Monday now, can’t wait… Pity I’m moving house over the weekend ☹️

[@MirlitronOne]

It's amazing. I've got one. I wish I could get my aged head around tweaking it, but so far I'm just confused.

[@wickeddubz]

Quite useful for mobile setup. I didn’t expect new mini device from Roland. Nice point regarding menus, they should remember last chosen menu option, like in other Aira devices. D-motion in my opinion is gimmick.

[@thethrillofnoskill4521]

This looks like the pick of the litter

[@mirkomontaldo]

Hello, great demo, my feeling from the very few material that is now available on line is that S-1 sounds a little bit crunchy, kinda dirty sounds, noisy and metallic. SH-101 on which it is based on, was a rough synthesizers, not exactly the type of sound i like more. I'd like to get on of these gears to play and sketch musical ideas, tho with no wasting time in programming the sounds. That's why J-6 is more attractive to me at the moment.

[@BoBeats]

So the thing is that this can do the rough sounds, but the wavefolder functionality leads to it also being able to do more metallic/fm/wavetable sounding sounds. I think i definitely cared less about showcasing the legacy sound and more about finding new sounds

[@mirkomontaldo]

@@BoBeats Yeah, but I am not sure I'd like the 'type' of sound this equipment can make. From the demo, honestly I don' t like that much, as I generally prefer clean and crystal sound, pure electronic tone, without any noise or distortion, or overdrive. I'll wait to see other demo where someone create some pads and similar sounds...

[@Garnassium]

You can do some nice pads, some lush chords, some bells and "crystal like" sounds. The pretty decent reverb and chorus included help with that too

[@koskey06]

Also.....hoping they make one in this line that had finger pads..... Maybe a sampler? Or even just a controller to hook up to all the others that also has some basic effects on bored.

[@VJFranzK]

11:47 D-Motion = Tilt Control! (Do you have to hold down the button to make it modulate? or can you toggle it)

[@ultramet]

Returning my Crave still in its box now.

[@Bradleythr33P]

The gaia 2 needs more videos!

[@spoonclaymore]

Thanks for making a great video. I have been experimenting with my S-1 for a few weeks and the sound shaping you presented is something new to try. Is the sound shaping limited to the particular pattern you are in or does apply across all the patterns?

[@tommyk88888]

Interesting to see how much more hands on control there is on this little thing as compared to the verselab 😓. Would be cool if these devices could become midi controllers for devices like the verselab.

[@morpheoist]

I saw it right away from the green color on the tool which was something new and cool😅. I don't have any of the small Rolands, I have a few Volcas and it seemed superfluous to have anything else closely similar, but I think this S1 will be my next purchase!😏

[@Nonsense913]

The voice changer aira is cool.

[@thequakevids6827]

How does this compare to the Behringer Pro VS mini? I'm a beginner but they seem really similar to me.

[@vini_artist]

I have a not octave and not equal based scale that have 200 notes between 30 to 400hz, and i’m looking for a small machine to create beats. Do you believe that S1 can work with this type of semitones or have any suggestions? thank you!

[@alistairsheehyhutton4201]

Pattern+Patch saved together? Waveform editing? How very Sonicware 8-Bit Warps!

[@Patriotic_Eagle1995]

Every time i see a new compact Roland i'm interested. Then i look at my MC101 and just use that instead. This looks like an awesome little box though, with just enough wierd, annoying design choices to make it a proper Roland. Roland continues to be simultaneously my favourite and most hated instrument company 😂

[@poopoppy]

I'm deciding between the two also.

[@stoneytony9351]

How about the noise via usb ?

[@dubcotics]

Nice vids as usual. Are the effects digital or analogue, can it play midi notes from outside?

[@chipyliyp]

Trying to think what -3 and -5 will be, maybe a separate FX/mixer, or a sampler or a modular, depends what Volca gap they think needs filling

[@WillisZzz]

Thanks for this! Can the various d-motion destinations be recorded into motion sequencing in one take?

[@nexuzeb79]

Looks and sounds pretty nice! Zen or acb? Pricerange? Another good vid, Bo!

[@jesuscuadrado2920]

It'is ACB, not ZEN core.

[@thomasowens3135]

Bob is eating this one up 🤓

[@BoBeats]

Om nomnomnom

[@HappyQuailsLC]

Is key selectable?

[@isaachomuth1981]

Hi, I saw your video reviews for both this and the Roland SE-02. Which one would you recommend as the better unit?

[@snörre23]

I wish Roland would not make toys but these in a formfactor and quality that will work 20 or 30 years from now like the originals from the 70s and 80s. Bigger, more sturdy, real power supply input, definitely CV and gate in and out, quality pots and switches. Not throw away toys with a non replaceable battery.

[@impressionsfromthegarden1915]

Hey :) I want to start making synth sounds and I’m thinking about buying the S1 .. could you please tell me what else I need (apart from a laptop) to start making tracks?😊

[@davidbanner9001]

It's obviously a digital device. But it sounds super bright to my ears in this walkthrough? So not for myself. But it certainly adds a good number of features and sound design for the price and indeed size.

[@halcyondaystunes]

Check out the comparisons with the real SH101 on other channels. You'll hear they are pretty much identical in sound. You'll also listening through you tube 🤦

[@popcycles]

All the big youtube dudes releasing their vid on the s1 at the same time. Must be a contract with roland telling them when they can post

[@droussel7359]

Yeah, it's called a media embargo and has existed well before KZbin...

[@popcycles]

@@droussel7359 ahh...thank you for that term! I never noticed this before.

[@EliasNStuff]

Verkar det! Ha så kul i Berlin!

[@ToyKeeper]

Seems like a great little starter synth. I would have used the hell out of one of these back in the 90s. Instead, I used terrible samples I made from household items and a cheap mic.

[@steveclifford6893]

Got any Wok samples !? LOL

[@fuseblower8128]

Ah! A new Roland "Volca" :) Sounds nice. I hope they'll do a D50 next.

[@jimbotron70]

After the Boutique? Unlikely. I suppose.

[@Rafix-drummer]

how can i cancel the point next to the pattern?? and return to the previous state?

[@SteveMc870]

I historically find Roland gear more trouble than it's worth, but this has some really interesting/intriguing features that may make it worth getting. Especially curious about the drawing/chopping waveforms.

[@ludwinhooi6982]

You can play it like with controller and spits it left and richt?

[@butlerfactor1]

Will it respond to Pitch bend and modulation wheel information if i use a keyboard controller? I lot of these compact synths don't or only partially do. I'm Using a M-audio and a Arturia controller. I'd like to know before i buy. TIA

[@Tim.Traveler]

Can you plug guitar pedals into this?

[@ericsteffen6042]

How do you set it for the percussive sounds at 11:12?

[@NikosKatsikanis]

shame the knobs are stuck in the position when you change preset

[@k3nrgkaan920]

What do I do with my volcas now? 😢

[@maxwarfield6699]

I understand that you create your own/new sounds with this device but say I want to create a “song” using one sound for the lead and a second sound for the bass, can I do that and then use the sequencer to record them both [the lead on one track and the bass on a second track] and then listen to them, playing together as in a song? I ask this, because on all the videos I’ve seen so far on KZbin [regarding the S-1] everybody mentions how you can create and modify the sounds/waves to your heart’s content but it seems to me like, they then only sequence that ONE sound, yes they add different pitches and different waveform here and there in the sequence BUT it IS the same sound - am I hearing that right? Please clarify. Any insight appreciated. Thank you

[@vrsiboy]

anyone knows if it can be connected to Ableton and record its sound in Ableton? What do i need to do it? Tnx

[@plutostube]

can you have the parameters recorded in the sequencer but the notes to be sent from external midi (not coming from the internal sequencer)? ps: to work like a complex modulator for 8 parameters

[@ludwinhooi6982]

Hi it have spits?

[@CGI.VR.Producer]

Excellent! Will you also be making a video about the new Aira Compact J-6 Chord Synthesizer?

[@BoBeats]

I already made one a year ago :-)

[@CGI.VR.Producer]

@@BoBeats Great! The link? 😉

[@CGI.VR.Producer]

@@BoBeats Found it! kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5WpiaujfJWXaZY

[@incaroads001]

Why !?!? Why do I watch this CHANNEL !!!???!!! I'm not made out of money, Bo. Like, there has to be an end to the purchases at some point... Okay. Just this one last time. 🤑🤞 "Complexer"... You cheeky devil.

[@johnwethekylow]

But then you won't know the original setting of the previous step if you go back. I don't think that menu is too bad to mess with. I have a J-6 and now I want this one SOOOOOO bad. Also you can hold note, then draw and chop, then you'll see it live on the nts-2.