ROLAND Jupiter 6 // Let's pretend it's a new analog synth!

[@StarskyCarr]

Check out Jupiter 6 vs UDO Super 6: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3_SgIGnjbiHos0 and the Prophet 6 kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKu1io14e5Z1rbs

[@tranceemerson8325]

Starsky attempting to bring the price of synths down to normal. *bravo*

[@StarskyCarr]

haha.. just this one - so I can afford it :))

[@audreyazwell]

@@StarskyCarr lol fr tho, as a newer enthusiast I cannot believe what I was walking into. I happened to pick the perfect time because Korg had just put out the Minilogue XD and Behringer was starting to do their thing full swing, otherwise I never would've gotten into it because of the price of entry, so I appreciate sentiments like what's being expressed in this video. I feel like you don't really see bigger synth channels talking about this much.

[@kadiummusic]

Can he bring the Roland Jupiter 8 down to the original price I paid for it please! 😢

[@JorbLovesGear]

Completely adore the framing of this review, because it IS fair, in many ways, to compare vintage and modern gear. As always, great work.

[@audreyazwell]

Jorb over here preachin the gospel as usual (this is WHIPTY btw, I made a channel for my music lol). Your videos have helped me a lot!

[@MrIanfurniss]

I'd pay the 4k: It does have a beauty of its own and if you like those sounds, sure you can get them on a vst, etc, but that's being unemotional and totally the opposite (imho) of what music is about. It's like saying "Here's a Citroen DS in showroom condition, but I'll only give £50 for it because it's not got all the accessories that come with my new Ford Focus". It's art, it's history, it's beauty, and it comes with a spirit and soul that you can't put a price on.

[@korkyk6901]

Pretty cool 808 state style intro there. Nice one

[@SacSynths_Jack_Z]

I adore my JP-6! I have a Voyetra 8, Matrix 12, Prophet 10... I still adore my JP-6!

[@StarskyCarr]

A Voyetra 8!! Cool.

[@Borismill]

wow. Voyetra would be so cool. Found one years ago and wanted to buy it but it was beat

[@SacSynths_Jack_Z]

​@@Borismill made a video if you are interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJKnpmyiqJiHpdk

[@ZozillaThaGreat]

I do think the Jupiter 6 is even better than the 8 since we can combine Waveform while not possible in the jupiter 8 knob base wavefomrs selector !! Great Video as usual !!

[@leftmono1016]

I had both many years ago. Enjoyed both, no particular favourite.

[@mvdp3993]

not a single combination will sound as good as a raw waveshape of the jupiter-8's oscillators. It's quite metalic and thin sounding in comparison. But there are Roland synths far warmer sounding than both of them.

[@kadiummusic]

The Jupiter 8 is the Ferrari of synths, I owned a brand new one when I was 19 years old and I cannot beging to tell you what the synth means to me, even before you played it just siitting down, switiching it on and looking at that gorgeous front panel was awe inspiring and then you had all the tools laid out in front of you to make any sound imaginable, with layers, with splits, with memories, with an arpeggiator plus all the rest. No other synth anywhere near it. Magical. 😎

[@MIDERA]

This is the first, and only, time I've heard the Jupiter 6 sounding good. I've never thought it sounded good. Looks lovely. And now, you've shown that it sounds great.

[@corrosiveabuser]

I've had one since 1990, cost me £350. Personally, i wouldn't pay any more than £1000 for a new one today, - taking into account what else is available. It was built to last though, the only issue i've had with mine is a blown CEM3340 chip. - It is still my favourite Jupiter for un-sync'd cross-modulation sounds, love the detune knob, and it has a tearing. biting quality that the other JPs are just to fat to replicate, - just my opinion. love to ALL, feel no hate

[@iaamusic1121]

I had one for years, in the 80s - never liked it much, ended up using it more for its midi connectivity. Wouldn’t buy one again ever!

[@GNeuman]

Wow, 350 quid, good for you! 👍👍👍

[@bjharvey3021]

Would you sell yours for £1000? No you wouldn't. CEM chip replacement is routine in vintage synth maintenance.

[@MegaBadgeman]

You are correct. The Jupiters were from the beginning supposed to sound different. Check out the Roland Documentary Land of the rising sound.

[@robinsss]

@@MegaBadgeman doesn't the Jup 6 , even in the first song, sound like the D 50?

[@ELEKTROGOWK]

It is like an old car, where you pull the yoke and pray to get it running. Nostalgia has its price.

[@leschwartz]

Starsky I appreciate this review and the comparison review of the JP6 and S6. However, you started out really negative about the JP6, which seems to be all about the price they are going for now, and I can understand that most people are never going to feel good about spending 4 - 11k pounds on a 40 year old synth. I got my JP6 when it was brand new and I think I paid something above $2k USD for it when I lived in an apartment in Reseda with no furniture. I stayed up many nights sitting on the floor with it, exploring its sounds, and it was fascinating to me. it is as you mentioned in the comparison review sometimes both gritty and harsh and thin and weedy at the same time, but it is easy to get past that and get some really ballsy deep and weighty sounds from it as well, and some lovely sounds from it, and some extraordinary sound effects from it that are really unique. To my hearing the JP6 has way more character and complexity than the S6 has in many comparable patches, and the JP6 can do things the S6 apparently can never do. When I hear these sounds I try to imagine which one is going to project more convincingly and really be noticed by people over a massive sound system in an arena, or in a theater. Here again I think the JP6 has a lot that is unique. But if your budget for a synth now was like mine in 1984, when there was no way then I could afford a Jupiter 8, many people will be happy with the S6.

[@dslavin]

Thanks for this. As another original owner of a JP6, I feel it’s unfairly maligned sometimes. It definitely has its own character.

[@LF0]

@@dslavin It's completely unique, people don't spend enough time with it to explore the all important in betweens.

[@wolfpackpresets]

Yeah, I have one too! Such an awesome, organic synth!!! My favorite. Thanks 👍

[@TrevorWierzbowski]

Oh man, this is such a convincing style, waiting for your reviews/materials each time with equal impatience, thank you loads for everything you do.

[@gautrstafr]

Thought the same, I really enjoyed having this one and the Super 6 back to back.

[@amossingleton7921]

I have one and love it. It’s raw and PHAT. Through my Boss CE-1 and Specular Tempus it’s even PHATTER and heavenly. Yes the prices are ridiculous rt now, but it’s a great tool.

[@torbenanschau6641]

oh my these demo sounds at the end are gorgeous

[@AlexBallMusic]

I always wondered why it was a 4/2 split until I saw inside one and the voices are physically split 4/2 across two boards. A quirk of the JP-6. I do like it having played a couple of them, but I'd take a Super 6 all day.

[@StarskyCarr]

It’s a really clever trick. Not much point in 3/3 .. so if you’re only going to have limited options 2/4 is inspired. Bass and pads or pads and lead. I wonder if 1/5 was too radical!

[@infindebula]

In fact the original Super Jupiters use the same voice boards, but they fully populate both of them to get 8 voices. Legend has it that back in the early 1980s, Roland service centres had a secret hacked "Jupiter 6.8" firmware. A user could bring in a JP-6 and the service centre would swap out the two-voice board for a four-voice board, and this firmware would turn it into a full 8-voice synth (and the splits would always be 4/4).

[@maxgomez9459]

@@infindebula I wonder if this could be achieved now a days via Homebrew and a spare 4 voice board.

[@infindebula]

@@maxgomez9459 I’m sure it could, but JP-6 firmware is pretty hacky if I understand correctly. It could be quite a challenge without the source code. TBH I would not be surprised to see Kiwi do something for this synth, since the makers of Europa have ghosted us for some years now.

[@McN4styFilth]

The Jupiter 6 sounds pretty great. Don't know where the negativity comes from. It's not worth the obscene prices vintage stuff sells for but none of them are.

[@StarskyCarr]

It’s OK but nothing great. You can definitely get some lovely warm tones … but couldn’t do much with the cross mod in this one. I think maybe it needs a decent service.

[@originalorbist]

I think the cross mod isn't working on that one. The JP6 eats the CEM3360 chips in the xmod circuit. Had to replace all of mine. Xmod in unison detune and you get some crazy sounds. There are two simple tweaks to fatten the filter, adds the cv back to the amp to boost the volume as you increase resonance. And the Europa mod opens up new areas where you can sync in both directions and a fully programmable arp/seq. But clearly those are all mods ontop of the base you tested. It's the quirky cousin of the JP8 for sure and does take some experimenting but as above comment, great for techno strangeness. It's not a typical poly machine which is part of its charm.

[@McN4styFilth]

@@StarskyCarr I mean when I compare it to my new Rev4 it definitely sounds weak and cold but there are good uses for that in a mix. I'm a heretic though cause I feel the Rev2 is one of the best synths ever put out and there are some characteristics that sound similar to the Jupiter 6. Rev2 can be taken much further though especially using the analog voice modeling technique. Always enjoy your videos and I hope you get to do more reviews in this style. I think the Rev4 vs Prophet 6 (especially with the update) feature vs sound comparison would definitely piss some people off even though there's a ton of overlap between the two now!

[@robinsss]

@@McN4styFilth doesn't the Jup 6 , even in the first song, sound like the D 50?

[@marmite-land]

It's because whatever you do with the jupiter 8, out of it only comes beauty. But when you do that with its younger sibling who doesn't like being compared to its bigger brother you only get dystopian cold sounds. People just need to take the jupiter 6 as its own thing. As a younger brother, i get that. I relate to this synth 😂

[@balajirao8426]

It's perfect for techno, bright brash raspy dirty, can get weird quick, icy pads, dirty bass, the wide mode on pitch bend is wicked, Europa mod modernised it full cc control ,velocity, aftertouch, effects bring it to life Not a synth for classic warm patches Good compliment to your traditional p5s obs etc

[@s_9878]

Agreed, it’s a beautiful weirdo. If the Jupiter 8 is drinking Champaign in a swanky members club, the Jupiter 6 would be necking pills and snogging someones significant other at the rave. Messy and dirty; perfect :)

[@lobit12]

yes in the context of a track it really shines. early 90s ambient techno vibe. can almost sound digital at times in a cool way. I hated it when I first heard one on its own in the 90s but now its a go to synth. seems to be alot of options now for big american sounding poly synths, this one doesn't do that sound well.

[@payt01]

Behringer or Roland, are you listening? This synth needs to come back in one form or another asap!

[@tooomasz]

Starsky, amazing review, as always!!!

[@mikeh892]

20:23"Let's try something a little bit acid-y, shall we?" I like where you're going with this, Starsky.

[@amsynths]

I loved my JP6 at £500 in 1995 but prices are silly now. You can get more out of the multimode filter but the lack of velocity and aftertouch dynamics is a downside. A modern OB-6 is a much better synth for less money or the MKS80 if you like vintage. With so many modern analog synths available today, I think vintage is best left to collectors. ☺️

[@Carlfitz0703]

i love the jupiters from the 80s, massive all of them!

[@Fluxwithit]

As someone who recently did pay rather high price for a Jupiter 6, I can give some context. I own a lot of modern synths , a few vintage classics as well. The JP6 gives me something that I really love in a synth. quirks and unique tone. I have mine sitting just under my prophet 10 rev 4 and love comparing between the two . both have 3340 vco chips both have a similar idea in the poly mod /cross mod. yet both sound completely different from each other. not just in the filter, but the raw tone, the envelopes etc. the polymod vs cross mod sounds quite different between the two and the Jupiter's filter is totally alien compared to the two on the rev 4. I paid very close to what a prophet 10 cost and I am very happy with the purchase. its a brilliantly character filled synth that certainly stands apart from my other synths. those who got them for cheap hang on to em... the value is already reaching above $10k and not likely to stop too soon. To me its kinda vintage Tele vs Vintage Strat both are great at different things.

[@StarskyCarr]

I ended up buying this one! :)... after all that. It does have a certain charm. It then broke... so its gone again... argh!!

[@nickhaldin8674]

I don’t understand why Roland hasn’t taken the hint yet and released reissues of the juno and jupiter series. They would sell INSANE. Analog tech is cheaper than ever to make. And everyone loves analog. Love them or hate them, Behringer is doing it for super cheap. A juno reissue could sell for well under $1,000. Keep it stripped back like the original, no BS wifi, lcd screens, digital effects or other fancy crap. Everyone would buy one.

[@mechuniversal]

Korg has been more active on this front - just released a remake of an early synth of theirs, 700FS I think, with minimal but nice modern touches. I would consider going for it but it is a mono synth and I am not looking to add another of those.

[@DigitaleAnalogue]

I have three great vintage polys. Obxa, prophet 5 rev3 and the jp6 and honestly if I should choose just one of them it will be the JP6, everything I need is pretty much there.

[@TheNAPSince2005]

The SUPER JUPITER MKS-80 (1984-) was a sound module version of the JUPITER-6, expanded to 8-note polyphonic. Surprisingly, many people mistakenly believe that the JUPITER-8 is packed inside the MKS-80.

[@raelic3]

The mks-80 really was its own synth... not quite a jp8 or jp6. I've had both a mks-80 and a Jupiter 6 and they are not the same either. The MKS-80 can't even do the multiple oscillator shapes at once let alone other differences.

[@marcochirico7504]

It sounds AMAZING! I own a Juno 6, but this one belongs to another category.

[@Attenuverter]

I had a Jupiter 6 in the 90’s and ended up getting rid of it. About 10 years ago I got an MKS80 Rev 5 with a MPG80 controller, which is basically an 8 voice Jupiter 6 with different filters (the Rev 4 uses the same filters as the JP6) and some other features added and/or taken away. One super cool trick you can do with the MKS80 and a program like MIDI OX is you can route the modulation wheel to control the after touch level. After touch can control filter cutoff, which is waaaaay smoother sounding than the stair case effect you get when using a slider on the JP6 or MPG80. Overall, a JP6 or MKS80 takes a long time to grow on you. They are kind of ugly sounding in general, but when you hit a sweet spot they really sound fantastic.

[@andyallan2745]

Hi Starsky. Great vid. Yes I should have watched this before I shot my mouth off on the Super 6 video. I think I’ve eaten enough humble pie now. If you can borrow it again and get your hands on a JX3P with the PG200 (My favourite Roland under £20,000) that would be an awesome comparison video.

[@Aetila]

Nowadays a Korg Prologue/Minilogue XD can do all that...and more, for less. :-)

[@juno6]

😂😂😂

[@fjfrancois]

Yes I have a Prologue 8 and a Minilogue XD module and both kick ass 😊👍

[@Aetila]

@@juno6 You can laugh...but in a mix nobody would care about what synth you used, one can barely hear if it's a VST or a real synth. Oh wait, you can add Motion Layers to a sound on a Prologue/Minilg. and install own oscillators that would sound like a PPG. I have an XD and it kicks rear. I admit though that the Jupiters looks very classy, they have a wonderful layout, I wouldn't say no to it for a small amount of money... lol

[@juno6]

@@Aetila I had a Minilogue. I was fortunate enough that someone traded me his M.I. Ambika for my Minilogue. I hated it. Based in your comment all synths sound the same in a mix, and I definitely don't agree with that at all .. unless your music is pure reverb. My Jupiter 6 is alien. It moves the speakers in a different way. It's unpredictable, it can split a concrete wall. I used to use my Minilogue in unison mode all the time to make it sound alive.

[@mallery7]

Yep have a mini xd module and just got a P16.. New stuff is the way to go know with vintage prices being what they are.

[@SamLowryDZ-015]

It is budget - if you look inside you can see the compromises it could clearly have been an 8 voice replacement for the jp8 but they clearly wanted to bring it in at a competitive price. At launch it was over a grand cheaper than the main 2 Osc competition of the Prophet5 and the OBX and only a couple of hundred more than the Prophet 600 which doesn't compare in features and was monotimbral

[@cjk-28-JockeK]

Thanks Starsky, for this new video of a synth I had for 10 years. The JP-8 went up to 3800 €, and JP-6 to 2700 € in modern current, in 1984. I bought a second hand JP-6 in 1990, for 500 €. One of the best synths for it's time, to mimic Fender Rhodes, metallic sounds, electric bass, as well as different brass instruments. The multi mode filter, Oscillator sync and crossmod, added quite a few options in sound sculping :-) The very long envelope times also makes it splendid for evolving sounds. Keep up the good work, Starsky :-)

[@SynthgodXXX]

I'd pay up to $3000. Any more would be overkill for 6 voices etc

[@TheJonathanlewis1000]

J6 are fantastic synths- Sasha , Paul hartnol from orbital , so many good producers love them. If you can’t program good sounds on a J6 it’s you- not the synth. I use mine along side my m12 and my prophet t8 and it easily stands up- it’s just not massively phat/ but it sits beautifully in a mix which is why it’s so popular. Try one if you can ….

[@StarskyCarr]

I know I know I know… :) but how it stacks up as a new release is the question. We all know how famous it is and the people that have used it… generally before softsynths we’re comparable etc. It’s not me… it’s the question

[@FotoxBr_nl]

Already bought a deepmind 12d some years ago.

[@clivemathieu9386]

It’s a class instrument. Roland USED to know how to do it. Sh09 is the best synth I own, but far from the most expensive...

[@stacybigfoot4801]

SH09 is as good as it gets - beast mono

[@nilsvanderplancken]

I sold my Jup-6 around 2019 right before they became more expensive. I thought the Juno-60 sounded warmer. I did miss it however and just bought it again. It might be the most unique of the jupiters with all it's bells and whistles. People are starting to really like it for all the things it was hated for before.The jupiter-8 does sound warmer but it's for sure not as organic as a prophet 5, Oberheim or memorymoog. The jupiter-4 has the best pure sound by far out of the three, but is more limited feature-wise...wish they had released a 5-voice version of it: the Jupiter-5.

[@michaelmitchell8218]

Well it’s not new, it’s a classic that will go up in value, just check out it’s brother the Jupiter 8, so if you want the real sounds and not software crap. Then you will pay. It’s a classic synth and still holds its own today.

[@StarskyCarr]

that's why we're pretending it's new! :)

[@AdamTheAd-vanc3d]

Ooooh fo@#kin yes now thats what I'm talking about. What a great aquirement . Very underrated . Beautiful peice of engineering . P.s I feel scratchy at times , I put that down to age lol

[@Flat8G]

Great video! Used to drool over that one when I was a kid, now I'm happy to have a couple of Behringer clones, and other cheap modern analogue synths. There's no point from a purely musical perspective to invest in expensive vintage synths today and here you communicated that very clearly!

[@jmcbeady8210]

Awesome intro. Great sounds!

[@mvdp3993]

I owned a jupiter 6, I have three juno-60s now, wouldn't trade one back for the jupiter. It looks great, nice modulations. But the Juno-60 is pure magic, all sweet spot, plenty of low end. Roland's golden age stopped at the time when midi was introduced.

[@sonicultura]

@20:26 love that!! ❤

[@spiralizer]

Really enjoyed this fair minded review of my favourite analogue polysynth Got mine back in 88, also for £350, and still love it, it really is a great machine once you get into its various 'nooks and crannies'. One thing Starsky may have missed is using osc 2 to Xmod osc 1 in low frequency mode - this gives you an additional LFO that can utilize triangle, ramp, pulse and noise waves simultaneously to provide complex and unusual LFO shapes. This can get particularly interesting when sync is brought into the mix as well, and unlike the JP-8 the 6's standard LFO can go right up into audio rates for some cool robotic FM tones as well. I enjoy making sounds using the LFO as an oscillator and osc 2 as an LFO - this puts it in an entirely different area sonically. Historically the interesting thing about the JP-6 is it's the only two oscillator per voice analogue polysynth Roland ever made that had multiple waveforms available on both oscillators simultaneously - all the others were either 2 oscillator with single waveforms (Jups and JXs) or one oscillator with simultaneous waveforms (Junos etc) The JP-6 was also the only analogue poly they made with a true multimode resonant filter if I'm not mistaken - the others all used the classic Roland non resonant high pass plus resonant low pass combo, so you'll get sounds out of a Jup 6 that none of the others are capable of. I do love the JP-8 but I have to say the JP-6 is capable of creating much more intriguing and complex sounds IMO - it bombed when it was released in 83 thanks to the DX-7 so it never quite attained the classic status it deserved and so is still a bit of a 'secret' classic However, we now seem to be at a stage where I could sell it and then buy both a Prophet 6 AND an OB 6 with the proceeds, or indeed that fabulous sounding UDO Super 6 - hmmm....

[@seeyouintheeighties]

the synth that did all the sounds on the ghostbusters track

[@prototek4187]

Instant Drexciya!!

[@matthewjessup8584]

Bigger balls and sharper teeth than the Jupiter 8. I auditioned both and took the jp6 home. Used it for 14 years for everything, best synth I ever had. A one off legend that Roland have totally sidestepped on their cloud, Superb synth. Modern synths may do more but I've yet to come across with the balls of the jp6

[@Howdy606]

I believe the multi waveform architecture of the JP6 is not do-able on the Zen core engine. Atm it just can't do it, (I think its the same with ACB) hence no boutiques, System 8 or JPX versions.

[@analogsynthaficionado6027]

I'll give you the sharper teeth, but I wouldn't classify the Jupiter 6 as having bigger balls than a Jupiter 8. Not that the Jupiter 8 is huge sounding, it isn't. The JP-6 is a great synth, but if you think it has big balls you haven't experienced an Arp 2500/2600, Oberheim FVS, OB-X, Memorymoog, or Voyetra 8. You are correct that most modern synthesizers do lack the balls of their vintage counterparts.

[@matthewjessup8584]

This synth is capable of so much more than this. We haven't even scratched the surface here. But as far as its basics go, Nice little review .

[@StarskyCarr]

Yeah.. thanks. Just going through the basic functions. It's on loan so would take a lot longer to dig deeper - plus the x-mod and filter aren't working as they should! needs a little TLC.

[@matthewjessup8584]

@@StarskyCarr I think the UDO super 6 is going to be the closest we'll get unless Befringer Clone it, jp6 was such a great synth, Thanks for the vid.

[@StarskyCarr]

No problem… been putting a JP6 vs the Super 6 so watch this space 😉 the closest we have.. but doesn’t match exactly.

[@samprock]

Sounds nice, enjoyed the demo, Starsky! I would not buy it (and few too many instruments I'd like to have), but Verselab gives good illusion you owning Roland synth(s). The only thing, take you for example. Would you come up with the same jam on Verselab? I don't mean technicalities and sound match to J6 + FX. I mean inspiration factor and tactile controls to make the music with. This was a very beautiful piece at the end. Love it man!

[@tomadeney8860]

Got the Mercury 6 from Cherry Audio from your review - even better as it has all those fabulous effects in addition and the whole thing costs a fig! 😊 Still the actual machine would be nice certainly if one had the room...

[@renethalund]

"Nothing really jumps out…" Paul Hartnoll has entered the chat. °😉°

[@lesliemakin]

So 1year on from this video, Cherry Audio released the Mercury 6 which sounds great. The UDO Super 6 has become teally popular as it should cause it’s great and I’m looking to buy one. As for the Jupiter. 6 these are more sought after than ever and costs 6k plus. Thanks for the video 👍

[@ssssssssssss885]

Probably around $1000 +/- $200 for a used contemporary multi-device setup that can do what the J6 can do and more. There are so many options.

[@Kung_Fu_Jesus]

I used a JP6 for a few years and remember the high pass and band pass resonant filters to ge really musical and a lot of fun for the time. Saying that, the Oscar filter is even better.

[@yallimsorry5983]

I don't think this idea applies once you're in the 1000k+ range, but the limitations of old instruments can really be charming, and make you think about things outside of the box. Sometimes, having too many options is the enemy of creativity. On the other hand, you can really get some amazing (free!) plugins with the same basic controls/limitations, and newer budget analog synths. If anything, it's a lot of fun to try to capture the sound of a synth you can't afford on the one you can.

[@yallimsorry5983]

i say this an insane person who's tried to figure out simulating filter resonance on a DX7

[@earlsfield]

I own J6. I never saw it as a vintage synth, although i have it for more than 20 years now, except when it needs service and some MIDI headaches - I have Europa mod on it too. It is such a monster of a synth and criminally underrated to its 8 brother. It is a beafy, beautiful synth with a great filter and tons of cross mod options. I also got Super 6, and only after I realized it is not a knock off, but a brand new instrument inspired by J6. In terms of raw oscillator power, filter and amp, I have a few f100% analogue synths in my arsenal that can compete with it, Prophet 10, OB6, Polysix maybe , the rest is tiny compared to this monster. Oh yeah I challenge you to find that beefy of a triangle osc. I always found this multi wave form thing so great, with pw on any wave shape combination, it can be wild, but also can bring up extremely nice and warm overtones. Also one more rthing - yes cross mod can be brutal, but it can also be very nice for lo-fi kinda sounds if you turn both filter modes on and get a band pass mode. You can get a lots of unstable, trembly, raspy ambience keys and drones.

[@StarskyCarr]

Such a shame the one I had died.

[@earlsfield]

@@StarskyCarr oh no what happened? I had mine seriously fixed twice. Once it was power suply, the other time it was one oscillator chip.

[@ewanstefani]

That's the last time Tez lends him a synth ;)

[@StarskyCarr]

😂😂

[@infindebula]

Hey Starsky, maybe you didn't know you can play chords in unison mode. It's one of the JP-6's coolest features IMO - play a 3-note chord, you'll get two voices per chord. Play two notes, and you'll get 3 voices per. It is very useful for certain things ... :)

[@StarskyCarr]

Well I never knew that! I’ll be sure to demo it when I put it against the Super6

[@infindebula]

@@StarskyCarr :) I bought my JP-6 about 15 years ago for $1000. At first I did not fall in love, so it sat on my stand for a couple years, rarely even switched on. Then I spent a bit of time with it, looking to fall in love. I installed the Europa mod, which brought the stock Roland patches with it, which gave me some starting points and a frame of reference - this synth can sound really beautiful given the chance. I can't think of everything off the top of my head, but here are a few things I like to do: 1. I find the best-sounding cross-mod usage is to bring it in via envelope. Very short attack, short decay. Try a saw wave on both oscillators, detuned slightly, with mix so you can hear both oscillators. Play some chord stabs - you end up with a very punchy sound with a really cool attack transient, maybe a little like a the buzzy attack of a brass instrument. You can use the same envelope for a bit of filter punch too. It's also cool in lower registers for funky bass stuff. 2. Like the other vintage Jupiters, hi square waves sound particularly nice on the JP-6 for some reason. Try square(s) through LPF with some resonance, an inverted filter envelope, and an amp envelope with lots of release, and maybe a bit of delayed vibrato from LFO 1. It's 80s gold, and a very Roland-y sonic character (somehow different from the Greg Hawkes/Prophet square sound) 3. Split + arp. Easily arpeggiate just one side of a split - sounds beautiful when clocked from a drum machine. Maybe octaves on the left for a bass line, or 16th-note chord arps on the right with dotted-8th delay.

[@carriersignal]

The Europa upgrade added quite a bit.

[@ChrisSmout]

I'm not sure I would spend £4k on an old synth that needs external effects. Most of those demos would be very dull if it weren't for the reverb and delay. Good run through the keyboard though!

[@leo.nordmann]

I can't reccomend the deepmind enough. The oscillators and filter sound just so damn good + external fx.

[@leo.nordmann]

@null Not on the deepmind though, they are ace. Reverbs are not the most "modern" like an eventide Ultraverb, but they have a great sound nontheless. Loving the phaser in it.

[@leo.nordmann]

@null And what about the Novation peak? The FX are top notch. Even the delay on my minilogue is cool because it's fun to play with even if it has some noise and quirks.

[@leo.nordmann]

@David Attenborough it might sound a bit thin compared to some jupiter 8 or juno, but I really like the raspy quality of the osc 1 pulse. The saw sounds solid and the tone mod of osc 2 makes for some dope vocal qualities.

[@LF0]

@null Exactly this, turn off the effects on a Prophet 6 or OB-6 and they sound so much better.

[@malkytrance]

always amazed these are mono outputs

[@StarskyCarr]

I know… it’s nuts 🥜

[@BooronovichPimponski]

We gotta Retrobrite all those knobs and buttons!

[@MacXpert74]

This it their original color. They were never white or beige. EDIT: except the patch selection buttons, they were probably whiter originally, so I guess you could retrobrite those if you really feel like it. 😅

[@jeffevansmusic]

I have owned Jupiter 4, 6 and 8. They are all different and sound a little different too. Jupiter 6 is highly under estimated in my opinion. In some ways you have only scratched the surface here as well as to what it can do. When I had mine many years ago a music teacher gave me a set of JP6 patches (on cassette!) They were all really complex atonal textures. Never heard anything like it. It is way powerful. But yes they are NOT worth what people are asking for them though. Plenty of better options nowadays.

[@StarskyCarr]

I wish I’d kept my Jp4 - sold it for £100!! Duh.

[@TheMachinesWon]

@@StarskyCarr omg 😱

[@purpl3t1m3]

Slam made Positive Education on this using the "Wula Wula" preset (or maybe that's just what they called it). I still need to watch your video in its entirety (it's 8AM and coffee hasn't kicked in)... I'm just wondering if you reset to known factory patches. Supposedly, this synth is also notorious for massive variations in the way each one sounds, even more than other early 80s / late 70s analogue. Additionally, Slam's article discussing it said that after warming up, there was no guarantee it would sound the same each time. I want one no matter what!

[@jamesgibbs572]

Hi Starsky, love your reviews. I believe that JP6 needs a really good service! I have one in worst condition cosmetic surface wise, however sounds great though. I picked it up for $2000 Australian a few years back then self installed the Europa kit, nerve racking soldering on board that old, but not so scary in the end. I wouldn't pay $10,000 for one, however once europa kit installed, it's an incredibly powerful synth and surprises me. It surpasses most modern synths I try and consider trading for when you dig deep into what Europa upgrade does for it. I wished it had stereo outs, poly aftertouch, etc, but this is not what this synth is about, it takes you into very interesting realms. I considered trading for UDO 6, what a lovely synth, with change for something else, but for me it doesn't replace JP6. A lotto win and both would be lovely :)

[@yoerivanspankeren834]

The only synth I kept for 20 more years .. The Jup-6 isn’t perfect but it has that structure & sound that makes it a reliable workhorse for for over decades 🩶💜

[@StarskyCarr]

I bought one in the end.. however much I showed the reality it’s got a charm.

[@gautrstafr]

I don't know how much I would paid if it was updated with more modern features (more patch storage, better midi and modwheel), I think it could be about the same price as a prophet 6 desktop and it would see some people buying it. But it is just such a basic synth that it is hard to justify a bigger price than the DeepMind 12. If it was actually improved upon to fix some of the shortcomings, then I think it would do great in the Prophet rev2-08 price range.

[@StarskyCarr]

Interesting. The Prophet 5 Rev4 while not as limited as this is going for over 3k… but compared to new stuff it’s a bit basic. All very curious if you ask me 😂 if it’s a remake of a vintage people will definitely pay more than if it’s released as a ‘new’ synth. The Starsky 6.. maybe that’s what I’ll do. £150 and undercut Behringer for a few weeks before making myself bankrupt 😆

[@gautrstafr]

@@StarskyCarr Yeah I always thought the P5 r4 is more of a nostalgia/collector thing. After all I've heard, I still think the Prophet 6 is much better all around.

[@KulshanStudios]

made some sick EDM risers at 14 minutes

[@MarceloAlcantaraX]

Behringer is coming for it.

[@electrosonicnebula]

I like the no-preset Juno 6 best of that whole line.

[@jjrtech7806]

I remember seeing one for sale in the classifieds in SOS back in 1996 for £300.

[@jgk381]

I wasn't paying attention at the beginning when you were listing the features and I thought "midi control" said "mind control" lol

[@StarskyCarr]

I think it has that as well!!! Its definitely playing with mine

[@jgk381]

@@StarskyCarr 😂

[@lundsweden]

Note to self, budget $8,000 for synth, $4,000 for future maintenance and repair!

[@StarskyCarr]

Yep :)

[@richardanderson8696]

Given the Korg Prologue models, and the Behringer Deepmind options, I would pitch this at no more than £600-£800, and that would mainly be because of the size and the keyboard. Of course, stepping out of planet synth, £600-£800 is still a lot of money for a piece of electrical equipment.

[@gnarlysoundscapes7210]

It's funny to me that people complain about the build quality on Behringer's synths, when they're actually a lot more solid than the average vintage one. Everything in the 80's was built out of that flexible-yet-brittle plastic and all the parts were loose and wobbly. Microwaves, TV's, pushbutton phones, car interiors, and synths were all like that.

[@analogsynthaficionado6027]

You're joking right? Perhaps if you are comparing Behringer's build quality to that of a Korg Poly 800 or Siel DK80. The Prophet 5/10, OB-X, OB-Xa, PPG 2.2/2.3, Jupiter 6/8, Voyetra 8, Chroma, CS-80, etc., use metal and/or wood that would cost more to manufacture than all the parts combined in any current Behringer synthesizer. This doesn't even take into account the knobs, sliders, capacitors, or resistors. Back in the day, Alps and Bourns were the primary supplier of sliders and pots and the cost was quite high dependent upon the part grade. You aren't likely to find a high quality Bourns or Alps metal shaft pots or sliders in any Behringer product. Behringer produces decent products at the price point they are intended for to reach the masses. However, don't fool yourself into believing a Behringer product is on par with the build quality of the Jupiter 6/8 or any other 80's counterpart in their price range.

[@pizzagogo6151]

Thanks Starsky,! really enjoyed looking at this through “new synth eyes” and as a value proposition...rather than relying on the nostalgia factor. ( I had an mks80 for years and sold it as I thought it was a good synth but could get something much better for the money). I know how rare they are I’d like to see you do a similar review on the Alesis Andromeda if you can get you hands one. Always thought it would be cool but just don’t know if they are worth the asking price now. Great channel as always!👏

[@peterjones596]

i used to own a jupiter 8 anwas toying with the ideo of getting a 6 to replace it... Phew! Thank god I didn't it's not even close to being the same beast. I now have a System 8 and a Jupiter 80, and between them I get all I had and much more..

[@christianholmstedt8770]

If the J6 was a new release today: $399 tops. It really doesn't have much to offer.

[@StarskyCarr]

Controversial :) !!

[@christianholmstedt8770]

@@StarskyCarr Considering how much the Jup 8 boutique release is/was. $400 is on point. Also, if it was released today it would not have the pedigree & cult status it has built since the 80's. Peeps forget that part of the argument.

[@davidbanner9001]

Pacific State!

[@fjfrancois]

If the top price is $799.00 why not Mr. Starsky.

[@sonicultura]

Also split mode with two different midi channels totally independent isn’t so common? Even though it’s only one mono out.. 😊

[@jppagetoo]

If all you want to do is play, new gear these days can do the job at a fraction of the expense. Yes, these old synths sound great but the come with a lot of problems that offset that. If this was new gear, I'd compare it to the PolyBrute. I'd expect to pay around $2400.00 ?

[@MusicZeroOne]

Polybrute? Way too many features on it to even come close, just the matrix makes this look it's beyond it's age. I'd honestly put this lower than 1000 in modern standards.

[@jppagetoo]

@@MusicZeroOne I was thinking more along the lines of voices. Even the DM12 has too many modulation choices to compare. All the electronics advances have made the Jupiter-6 a weak synth by todays design standards.

[@MusicZeroOne]

@@jppagetoo Yeah that's a fair comment. We live in a great era for synths, so many great choices!

[@AtonalMeasureRecords]

Had a few of these over the years, in the 90s and early 00's when they were cheap, all less than £1k i never thought it was special enough at the time to keep it as a forever synth, so i kept rebuying every now and again because i missed the crazy cross mod and unison, its a lovely synth and i slightly regret letting go of the last one, but no way would i part with 4 grand.

[@tranceemerson8325]

friend of mine has one of these. it's absolutely beautiful

[@StarskyCarr]

I know… I was a bit harsh at the start but it’s grown on me. I don’t want to let it go - but don’t want to spend over £4K on it 😩🤫

[@maccagrabme]

@@StarskyCarr So have you revised what you would be prepared to spend if its was new? £500 seems a bit low, I'd say £999 is reasonable.

[@StarskyCarr]

@@maccagrabme Yes I have :)

[@soniklink-WKD4496]

Great to see this, though being inspired by my synth god 'Mick McNeil' from Simple Minds, the JP-4 is the for me. Hopefully Behringer may try to do the Jupiter range one day. They did very well with the MS-1 and I'm sure the DS-80 & their OBX will be amazing too. Love the Jupiters, was not so fussed about the UDO though. Keep it up fella, love this stuff :)

[@ModernDevotion]

I think part of it will be recreating the filter ICs that were used by the jp8. They were roland proprietary chips. So if cool audio can get those recreated then it’s on. Black Corp appears to have a solution for their new Jupiter inspired synth that’s in the same size case as the deckards dream but at 3800usd that’s not much of a “deal” 😂

[@soniklink-WKD4496]

@@ModernDevotion Yea Adam, Behringer found the right folk to recreate the ARP series. Bringing these old synths to us so well. I know AM synths do JP4 stuff, but again too expensive for folk like me. Here's hoping :)

[@drsamurai009]

Some of that cross mod around 16:00 in sounded sweet! Getting close to the old OB-X cross mod sounds there for nasty grit.

[@StarskyCarr]

Definitely. I’ve got some more on the way ;)

[@samjones4570]

I wish my Grandads friend would come over to mine

[@kgbinfo]

The filter “doesn’t have the power that we have come to expect these days”. What does that mean? Is this your first vintage synth? My own experience has been that vintage filters (and synths in general) tend to be more powerful (thicker and heavier sounding) than anything modern. I’m curious what your experience has been. What modern synth do you think of as having a powerful sound?

[@StarskyCarr]

Eh? I’ve got loads of vintage units. Have you tried the JP6? If so you’ll know what I mean.

[@kgbinfo]

@@StarskyCarr I have played a JP6, and I thought it was cool. Definitely not very Rolandy compared to the JP8 or Juno 6/60, but I think it sounds good in its own slightly less instantly digestible way. Of course it doesn't stack up well with modern gear from a functionality standpoint, but I don't think functionality is as important as playability, character, and overall sound quality. I think the JP6 holds its own in those areas very well, and it seemed like you sort of missed those points in the video, or perhaps we just disagree on the JP6 which is totally fine. I just get a little irked when people look at vintage synths and say "omg it only has one LFO"; "super limited modulation routings"; etc. This sort of misses the point of a musical instrument in my view, and I would argue that many modern designs are full to the brim with clever functionality but don't sound inherently musical the way a lot of vintage instruments do. I think the value in vintage designs like the JP6 is precisely the limitations that prevent us from getting too in the weeds with sound design, and remember to just make music. That's what they're for, after all! Sorry if that was a little long winder or if I somehow missed the point of your video. Just some thoughts.

[@StarskyCarr]

@@kgbinfo the point of the video was to ask these questions. Lots of talk about how amazing vintage synths are - as I said I’ve got quite a collection. but and it’s a big but… how do they really compare? Functionality is one thing but things like the prophet 6, ob6, super6 aren’t exactly endowed with loads of goodies but have great sonic qualities etc… is it just nostalgia or do they have something special. There’s such a lot in there, and subscribers to the channel will have then seen me put it up against the super 6 etc… and demo’d why it could be considered ‘superior’ - although it’s obvs just subjective (I feel I have to reflect on every comment sometimes as they can get picked apart). It’s hard to put everything into a single video - they just get either far too long and boring or you just skip over the surface and ignore details. Looks like I’m writing a long one too 😂 but check out the other videos (and the one where I bought it!) … and later when I mention it broke!!’ 😂😂👍

[@autoy]

There's something wrong in this JP6's filter. I think this one's modded or tamed down because indeed it's self oscillating and it starts as soon as 60% resonance or so.This is a common complaint among JP6 users, that the filter gets too wild to the point of harsh, and yours is definitely not behaving the normal way.

[@LF0]

I'd like to see him take a look inside. A lot of Jupiters get hacked. Mine is too, though I think it's just on the right side of hacked.

[@autoy]

@@LF0 This one probably has the mod proposed by Florian Anwander to compensate volume for high resonance, which is a simple 1MOhm resistor per voice.

[@mitchelstephen7536]

I have a Jupiter 6. I have to agree, I wouldn't pay more than $800 for a Jupiter 8.

[@elektroboots1670]

i had the fortune to repair one of these back in the early 2000s and the guy let me have it for a couple of months-was painfull giving it back -closest ill get to a jupiter 8!- come on behringer do your thing!!!

[@coolo73]

True, the price of vintage analog polys are currently inflated, but for all the complaints in the video, the demos are simply "that sound". Really what most would want from a vintage poly: warm, thick, takes FX well, and just sounds like a record to my ears. I did not get that feeling from the Super6 video, so I hope you create the same patches on each in the comparison video.

[@StarskyCarr]

I certainly will.. :) There’s a lot of people staunchly defending the JP6 here a but I’ve just rewatched it and see myself demoing something that’s not amazing but is giving me good vibes and I keep on saying how I’m Finding nice tones. OK the x-mod is knackered but overall I like it - just not a £4K like 🤔

[@perge_music]

think it has a great sound, and a proper 5-octave keyboard. The Udo 6 is 4-octaves, don't understand why they did that.

[@StarskyCarr]

It must be a difficult decision ... cost vs size vs portability etc.

[@dalelaushman8749]

I was happy yet sad with your review because I've been hunting for a nice a 6 after Paul Hartnoll spoke highly of it a few years back in a show and tell of his gear. I used to be a strict "vintage" guy mostly because didn't have money for new synths, but over the years after picking up some new synths here and there I've discovered that generally speaking, most new synths provide almost the same sounds as the old, with better interfaces, more functions, better MIDI, less noise and NO repair bills. Perhaps the Jup6 is no Jup8 and the neither are no Moog One?

[@LF0]

Paul is right, don't ever doubt him.

[@subs4794]

Maybe you can re-do a Jupiter 6 video if you get one that was calibrated properly. Also, separate timbres output mod is pretty basic. And no mention of Europa upgrade?

[@StarskyCarr]

There's lots more Jup6 on the way. This was simply.. if it was new, no history, no nostalgia, no provenance... xxx?

[@maccagrabme]

I'd be happy enough even if they made it ACB but at least 1 voice analog so that you could get the low end and if you wanted to you could record using multitracking to get your analog chords but use the ACB for the sounds where you can't tell the difference. Best of both worlds and not harping back to past, cheaper and Roland saves face.

[@denkom67]

I've never played one, but I thought some of the sounds you got out of it sounded quite lovely, actually...I agree 4,000 pounds is crazy, but 500 pounds seems to be selling it short. Even if it was a module as opposed to a keyboard, that sounds quite low. At any rate, thanks for the review - enjoyed it as always.

[@mallery7]

Still kicking myself for selling this a long time ago, these could be picked up for $300 back on the late 80s and early 90s. But not worth it today’s prices.

[@NickGalemore]

Love this, Thanks @Starsky. Btw, just got a new K-2, you wouldn't happen to be doing any more fun things with that any time soon would you? :D