One of the best sound synths imo. There is just something just so smooth and creamy that none of my other synths can replicate. And the form factor is perfect for me. I control mine natively using an old Novation X-Station 25, which is an absolute powerhouse of a midi controller, with an intuitive layout.
I had a Jupiter 8, which died and sold off for parts. Still have an MKS80 rev 5, and briefly had a rev 4 at the same time. The rev 4 does sound different, mainly in the Curtis chip VCOs, which have a whiter dryer sound. And it does better techno bass sounds, but the strings are harsher and more on the cold side. The rev 5 has Roland VCO chips which have more of that wetter Roland sheen. They are probably chip versions of the JP8 VCOs. The PWM on the rev 5 is what makes it worth owning, they are smooth/creamy and much closer to the Jp8 here, which IMO is it's signature sound. Nothing does PWM like a Roland, Jp8 and Mks80 rev 5
Sounds great. Always has. With the modern VCO polys so plentiful now, and all having amazing UIs, huge patch memory, MIDI cc, its harder to justify something like this these days.
That’s true, theres loads of new great polys around but not that many 8 voice VCOs - prophet 5/10, OB6 OBX8, i think the prologue is VCO and the PolyBrute is… then there the UBXa maybe there is quite a few after all… and their Pro800 - but this still holds up well at around £3k, except versus the Behringers which will be hard to beat on price.
@@mitchelstephen7536 yeah Jupiter 4/6/8’s traded hands for nothing. Australia is in a funny position as Japan sent a disproportionate amount of synths onto our market. Sadly a handful of people made a lot of money selling them off overseas 20 years ago where they could command higher prices. I try and tell myself they are 40+ year old electronics that need servicing
@@EscapeMCP maybe for the trip itself! I was thinking about the slice of the profit HMRC will want declared ;) if you’re officially doing Professional Trading to claim tax relief on the flight then there’s no way to try and sneak the trade itself past them as a Personal Sale!
I gigged mine a lot in the late 80s early 90s. I got a lot of good earthshaking bass out of it but overall I was disappointed because it wasn’t a Jupiter 8 in a box and that’s how it was marketed.
I’ve got the Stereoping Programmer for my MKS-80. I would have probably got the Retroaktiv if it came out earlier, but I am happy with the Stereoping. I prefer rotary over faders. Both units have many of the same extra features. Retroaktiv has patch storage over the Stereoping but I have one of those M-64C compatible carts that has 16 selectable banks, so patch storage is covered.
Yeah I showed just the voice boards as I wasn’t feeling brave enough to unscrew more than I had to😂- I only opened it to change the display. It was calibrated last week so I was nervously trying not to accidentally touch anything. 🪛
I’ve probably commented elsewhere that, if I didn’t have an MKS-70 and wished for a Jupiter model, this module would be it. With me, it’s about function, practicality and bang for the buck (or the quid to employ British vernacular). I never lusted after the Jupiter 8 the way I’ve longed for an OB-8 or a Prophet T-8. In the hypothetical world, if I got a fully-functioning MKS-80 without the original MPG-80, the 8x would definitely appeal to me.
Love and hate relationship with my MKS80+PG. It can sound just perfect aside with my TX816 and D550 - the 80ies dream rack. But you’ll definitely need some good mixing skills to get decent overall sonic pictures. I truly admire the folks at PWL, like Phil Harding and friends… Lots of knowledge about arranging, sound design, EQing on the classic SSL 4000, effect usage on those AMS reverbs and delays and so on! I mean, give an MKS80 to some modern bedroom producers, and I‘m quite sure they will struggle…
I was lucky enough to get a Rev 5 in mint condition is 2004 for $1600. I love the smoothness of the Rev5 which sounds warm rich and lush. In my experience there really is extremely little difference between this version and a friends JP8. But the Rev 5 has more memory, Sens and After Touch and midi over the JP8. Remember that back in the day folks sold their JP's to upgrade to the MKS and with reason. But there are less JPs around making them more collectible and they certainly do look nicer.other than that there really is no reason to pay for a JP8 over this if you want that 80's Roland sound. Come on Roland, the world needs a new Roland VCO poly, not a digital rehash......as much as the JP X looks and sounds "nice", it really doesnt have the warmth and organic feel of analogue.
I like this much more than the Jupiter-8. First, this has velocity sensitivity. Second, it has many improvements over the Jupiter-8 because of its modulations and controls which the Retroaktiv brings out. I own the MKS80 and have had my hands on all the classic synths. The MKS80 has an amazing palette of good rock solid real analog synthesizer sounds.
A few Rev 3s made it out into the wild. I have one. But as far as I understand it, it's exactly the same as the Rev 4, just with a slightly earlier firmware. I recall reading somewhere that this just affects how the autotune works.
Nice info. I'd seen a couple of posts with people saying they had a Rev 3 and others saying there never was one - so it's good to hear it from an owner.
@@StarskyCarr I was curious so I went hunting for my original source. So the correct answer lies, I think, in the service manual on page 23: it turns out there were were 6 versions of the PROM firmware. In the service manual it says versions 0-2 were installed 'in a few MKS80s'. It also confirms that V3.0 is the version where autotune was improved. It recommends that all MKS80s up to serial 511799 (commonly referred to collectively as Rev 4) should have their PROMs updated to V4.0 although mine is still at 3.0 and is fine. Rev 5 start from 511800 and need PROM V5.0. So I deduce from all this that there are 6 Revs in total out there, determined by PROM version, but 0-4 are collectively referred to as Rev 4 because other than the EPROM, they share identical hardware, with the term Rev 4 presumably derived from the most recent PROM firmware for that hardware, which ideally all should have been updated to (although obviously not in practice as mine proves). And then Rev 5 corresponds with Ver 5.0 firmware.
The system 8 doesn't have the warmth, musicality or the organic feel of true analogue but is indeed a great imitation that will meet the needs of many folks - but not me. I tried it and the Jupiter X and whilst they do sound high quality, there was a flat nothingness to the sound I just couldn't move beyond. I hope Roland will see the light and recreate a true analogue polysynth again soon.
Love my MKS-80. Was thinking about the Retroaktiv controller instead of my MPG, but I find if I need to do more, just use a CTRLR panel over sysex. Nice to see one on a channel going into depth! Ps forgot to mention - I still haven’t figured out if there’s a real difference between the rev 4 vs rev 5 (I have a 4)
I have a rev 4 and a rev 5. The main difference is that the rev4 has much beefier bass. The character of the sound is almost identical, but the bass on the rev4 has that same kind of ballsiness as a minimoog.
I had a 4 and a 5, i loved the 4 a bit more. My 4 had a more "analog" sound than the 5. my v5 sounded much cleaner. used both with the mpg80, back then there were no alternatives...
I like it - but will say that the Super Jupiter and Super JX sound completely different, so wouldnt want folks to think that one could replace the other.
The factory patches were mostly crap, but the sound is amazing, even with no effects. Not sure how it compares to the 6 or 8, and it doesn’t matter to me..I would love a hardware programmer for mine, but for $1000, it’s low on the list. I found a free software programmer interface for the computer that allows you to program like a plugin, not as elegant as the hardware but way easier than the front panel!
You didn't seem very enthusiastic about the JP6 in your review, so I didn't expect you to be so positive about the MKS-80. Yes, they are different from each other, but they're from the same family though.
It wasn't that I didn't like the JP6 - I went and bought one - that video was more about how new synths have so many cool new features, don't have maintenance issues, feel nicer to use (keybeds and pots feel better than old ones), and come with warrantees - so why do we. still love the old ones so much, and why do they cost so much? I did later put it up against a SUPER 6 and realised it held up extremely well. But, I'm as bad as anyone! I did take a punt on a broken JP6 that I managed to get working, but wouldn't have spent the £7k some are now asking. These don't cost anywhere near as much, so still quite valid in that sense - £3-£4k ish which is similar to some new synths.
@@StarskyCarr I get it and I also have a lot of old stuff including the MKS70 and MKS80 and I sometimes wonder whether I should have bought new gear instead of those vintage machines because of the warranty. I'm glad I was able to buy my vintage gear for a reasonable price compared to today's prices. From that perspective, I would never buy anything like a MKS, Juno or Jupiter again these days. I haven't seen the video with the Super 6 yet, but I am very curious so I will check it out. Thumbs up, it's always fun to watch your videos!
I already have a bank of 64 I’ve programmed for this, but will have to work out how to get them out of the mpg8x in a format others can use without it.
Hey, thanks for that. I forgot about the polarity switches for the VCOs. If I had to guess, yours is a rev 5, it sounds a bit smoother than my rev 4. (for better or worse)
Yes it's a 5 - I chose it because I Have the JP6 which uses the same chips as the Rev5. (although they're a lot cheaper and being manufactured again - so the Rev4 is probably better buy overall)
@@StarskyCarr I think you meant the Jupiter 6 and the rev4 have the same chips. I have a Jupiter 6 too. I bought the MKS-80 originally to replace the Jupiter 6, but they sound very different. So I just kept them both.
I know that someone made a daughterboard that switches between a 24dB and 12dB, but I think the switching was manual, and not controlled by a parameter in the patch (Which would require a firmware modification to do).
It's not a rack mount JP6. Some of the circuitry is shared with that synth, but Its a common error to call it a JP6 in a box. Perhaps it's the use of CEMs in the Rev4 that makes folks think it. The Rev 5 uses propriety Roland ICs and many say the Rev 5 VCOs are ICs of the original JP8 discrete VCO. Regardless, the Rev 5 sounds extremely close to the JP8 and there really is very little difference let alone when in a mix. Espen Kraft did a direct A/B comparison which highlights this quite well. Some folks think of the MKS as a JP7, but for me, with its after touch, and velocity sensitivity, included midi and extra storage over the JP8, the REV 5 is more of a JP9 which was certainly the design philosophy of the MKS by Roland during its design at the time, this fact has been lost over time and don't forget that in the day, folks were selling their JP8s to buy this synth. Hence the "SuperJupiter" name.
I used to have one with the MPG-80 in the early 2000s. I kept it for about a year as I never quite liked the sound and the interface. I tried many times but it would never sit quite right in my mixes. I am big fan of Roland sound, but this one didn't do it for me. Personal opinion. I would take a 106 or J6 anyday.
I was the same with my SE-1 - it was too fat for my mixes. Years later I worked out how ir worked.. or at least how to fit it into a mix. Never looked back, but some things just don’t work the way you expect or need.
Nice presentation but please, press the auto tune button, especially after the initial warm up. These instruments have a considerable VCO drift (yes that analog thing).
This was well out as I had knocked the tuning knob - you can see it on the left. I haven't got perfect pitch so don't notice when they're not tuned exactly - also I programmed the presets I played in bank 1 programmed before I realised it needed calibrating - the pulse width of VCO1 detuned VCO2 - when I was programming I set the detune to work with the issue without realising. So when I ran through some of them they were quite out and would've needed retuning rather than autotune.. I just ran with it!
Unless you have unlimited funds or own a synth museum no Jupiter is worth its price except maybe the Jupiter x. They sound really nice but so does the 3rd wave, moog muse, Prophet 10, obx8, Prophet 6, Jupiter x etc for a fraction of the Jupiter 8 prices. Its really nice to see that most people agree with this since you see the same overpriced classics month after month unsold on reverb, ebay etc.
This one’s within the price range of most of those. You can get them for around £2k, which is cheaper than all of those I think. Although adding the controller adds about £850 … but still nice at the price. The reason I got it was to check it out in those terms, which ‘ planning on doing in another video.
For me, the main down-side of the MKS-80 is the slow update rate of the envelopes and LFOs, as they are digitally generated. IIRC it is 12Hz or something. (That's Hz, not KHz.) So, some envelope settings have a sluggish or "zippery" sound.
I thought the CPU was 12 MHz … but I’ve no idea if the envelopes and LFOs run off that. 12 Hz seems super low. I’ve not noticed anything g odd, but then I’ve not had it that long. I bought it out of interest to make some demos and comparisons. I’ll keep an ear out for it.
@@StarskyCarr I couldn't find my notes from way back when, but I do remember that it was less than 20Hz. Perhaps Roland chose that so as not to be audible as an artifact tone. You're right about the CPUs running at 12MHz, however, those 8051 CPUs require 12 to 24 clock cycles per instruction, so not super fast. My MKS-80 is not "accessible" as the moment, but if I get a chance to do some testing, I'll update with a more accurate value. You might be able to hear the stepping more clearly by applying a medium attack to a resonant filter cutoff.
The MKS80 Rev 5 indeed sounds better than expected. If your JP-6 has the Europa upgrade installed it offers hardsync in both directions simultaneously. Otherwise it can't.
@@Gerald_Danielyeah they’re nice and cheap these days. I bought the first and it was never right, so ended up going back . Then the same with another with Europa, and finally bought the one I have now and stuck with it - it too was knackered but I took it to Soundservice near Leeds and bingo.. it’s good as new.
Nope, I haven't seen the video yet, BUT, I really wish Roland would reissue these long sought-after real analog synths instead of leaving us up in the cloud somewhere. I had one of these (with original programmer, as well as the MKS-70 and its programmer) back in the 90's, sometimes we do stupid things when we are young...
oh we've all done stupid things... I won't mention my system 100 or Jupter 4 or the £100 they went for!! .. but then again the Supernova they paid for was much more useful and paid for itself many times over.
He is saying that on Jupiter 6, you can select simultaneous oscillator waveforms at once (Like Saw + Square + Sine), whereas on MKS-80, only one waveform per oscillator can be selected at a time. The controller can control every single parameter on the MKS except for the DYNAMICS AMOUNT, which doesn't have any midi implementation, which means that one thing can only be controlled from the front panel. Fortunately, that slider just acts as a toggle between no velocity sensitivity or velocity sensitive.
@@retroaktivsynthesizers5075 Ah I see, thanks. I got excited, because thought there might be all these extra parameters on the MKS-80 I didn't know about. ie above and beyond those controlled by the er.. controller.
WOW, for a brief instance I thought that Roland descended from the cloud, and once again created something delightful that might actually go after my wallet, ....sadly they haven't, and my wallet's not deep enough for the has beens :(
Used to have one, its really pretty limited compared to todays analog monsters, used it on a few tracks, but I don't regret selling it at all. Annoying to program, very narrow sound palette, better options available for less money
Yeah all those vintage 80s classics are limited. None have the flexibility of something like the PolyBrute which has an insane amount of mod options. This has a similar sound palette to the other jupiters. You can replicate almost any Jupiter 8 time with jt - except any relying in the 12dB filter. Same for the prophet 5. But programming it is a real pain, hence the retroaktiv is a must.
I learnt it specifically to do just that 😂😂 I hate synth brass but enough people asked to demo brass sounds that I went with the flow. But what to play 🤩🤓
@@StarskyCarr I don’t use mine often enough and I’ve restricted myself now to 8 old synths and a couple of rompler racks. Found me self using hardware samplers more these days. Having less gives more!…..
MKS80 is not a JP6 or JP8 whats even more peculiar it's not even the same synth from serial number 511800 and up, gone are the CEM VCO VCF VCA now its Rolands own chips! VCF for instance are same used in JX10 and JX8P. Even the PCB's are redesigned and so the firmware. Roland even mentions the 2 versions sounds different in the documentation.
The Jupiter 6, 8 and MKS-80 are all very over rated with bog-standard sounds that are just so bland and uninspiring. These 3 are just not really needed in a studio set up as there's just so many cheap alternatives these days. There's plenty of other synths that can deliver much better usable sounds of that type, blowing theJupiters away. That said, the Retroaktiv MPG8x certainly makes the MKS-80 a lot more interesting to play with..The Jupiter 4 was by far the best and the only one worth having, it's is a classic. I've owned the MKS-80 and Jupiter 4. Hopefully Behringer will do the synth world another favour and do a Jupiter 4 remake.
@@sebastiandior1315 I'm not sure what that even means! Do you? My view is that people are seduced and become cultists about the Jupiters because they are rare, expensive and owned by their 80s pop idols. No a single studio would miss the Jupiter 6 or Jupiter 8 from their collection/line-up. For just the very odd occasion they might use a Jupiter plugin voice, but only to emulate an 80s track with the equivalent gear setup. But who would really want to! They just never sounded that unique or useful compared to other available synths of that era or in fact any era.
The Roland alpha Juno 2 and Jx3p can give you the bulk of the Roland Esq sound for a fraction of the cost. I will agree the Jupiters are way over priced… all of them! I am a Roland fan .. but a realistic one. I mean I could remake this Madonna song on. 3p and you couldn’t tell the difference
One of the best sound synths imo. There is just something just so smooth and creamy that none of my other synths can replicate. And the form factor is perfect for me. I control mine natively using an old Novation X-Station 25, which is an absolute powerhouse of a midi controller, with an intuitive layout.
I had a Jupiter 8, which died and sold off for parts.
Still have an MKS80 rev 5, and briefly had a rev 4 at the same time.
The rev 4 does sound different, mainly in the Curtis chip VCOs, which have a whiter dryer sound. And it does better techno bass sounds, but the strings are harsher and more on the cold side.
The rev 5 has Roland VCO chips which have more of that wetter Roland sheen. They are probably chip versions of the JP8 VCOs.
The PWM on the rev 5 is what makes it worth owning, they are smooth/creamy and much closer to the Jp8 here, which IMO is it's signature sound.
Nothing does PWM like a Roland, Jp8 and Mks80 rev 5
Oh, this is so great thank you for this. I’ve really been wanting to see someone really go through the MKS 80, It sounds so heavenly.✨
Sounds great. Always has. With the modern VCO polys so plentiful now, and all having amazing UIs, huge patch memory, MIDI cc, its harder to justify something like this these days.
That’s true, theres loads of new great polys around but not that many 8 voice VCOs - prophet 5/10, OB6 OBX8, i think the prologue is VCO and the PolyBrute is… then there the UBXa maybe there is quite a few after all… and their Pro800 - but this still holds up well at around £3k, except versus the Behringers which will be hard to beat on price.
I don’t usually air regrets but I regret passing one of these up in the late 90’s for not very much at all. C’est la vie
Aww, I passed up a Jupiter 8 with the Kenton MIDI for $800 back then. So don't feel bad.
@@mitchelstephen7536 yeah Jupiter 4/6/8’s traded hands for nothing. Australia is in a funny position as Japan sent a disproportionate amount of synths onto our market. Sadly a handful of people made a lot of money selling them off overseas 20 years ago where they could command higher prices. I try and tell myself they are 40+ year old electronics that need servicing
Rev 3 actually does exist! Same hardware as Rev 4. Diff firmware. Can be upgraded with an EPROM swap. No idea what happened to 1/2 though 🫠
Prices for the synth range from 4000-6000 USD, so I have to skip, but lovely to hear those sounds again.
I may have to bring it to the US to sell it in that case … get a free holiday 😃
@@StarskyCarr and then sacrifice some percentage to HMRC when you get back of course ;)
@@kaitlyn__L It's a business trip to sell it, so totally tax deductible 😉
@@kaitlyn__Lof course 😂
@@EscapeMCP maybe for the trip itself! I was thinking about the slice of the profit HMRC will want declared ;) if you’re officially doing Professional Trading to claim tax relief on the flight then there’s no way to try and sneak the trade itself past them as a Personal Sale!
This was my first purchase on Ebay long time ago from a british guy. Still own it with its precious controller
I gigged mine a lot in the late 80s early 90s. I got a lot of good earthshaking bass out of it but overall I was disappointed because it wasn’t a Jupiter 8 in a box and that’s how it was marketed.
I’ve got the Stereoping Programmer for my MKS-80. I would have probably got the Retroaktiv if it came out earlier, but I am happy with the Stereoping. I prefer rotary over faders. Both units have many of the same extra features. Retroaktiv has patch storage over the Stereoping but I have one of those M-64C compatible carts that has 16 selectable banks, so patch storage is covered.
There's even another layer under the 2nd voice board, that has the main CPU and UI drivers. Is a dense box.
Yeah I showed just the voice boards as I wasn’t feeling brave enough to unscrew more than I had to😂- I only opened it to change the display. It was calibrated last week so I was nervously trying not to accidentally touch anything. 🪛
@@StarskyCarr Understandable! The new OLED display looks great. Really pops compared to the original, even with a new backlight.
I’ve probably commented elsewhere that, if I didn’t have an MKS-70 and wished for a Jupiter model, this module would be it. With me, it’s about function, practicality and bang for the buck (or the quid to employ British vernacular). I never lusted after the Jupiter 8 the way I’ve longed for an OB-8 or a Prophet T-8. In the hypothetical world, if I got a fully-functioning MKS-80 without the original MPG-80, the 8x would definitely appeal to me.
Love and hate relationship with my MKS80+PG. It can sound just perfect aside with my TX816 and D550 - the 80ies dream rack. But you’ll definitely need some good mixing skills to get decent overall sonic pictures. I truly admire the folks at PWL, like Phil Harding and friends… Lots of knowledge about arranging, sound design, EQing on the classic SSL 4000, effect usage on those AMS reverbs and delays and so on! I mean, give an MKS80 to some modern bedroom producers, and I‘m quite sure they will struggle…
I was lucky enough to get a Rev 5 in mint condition is 2004 for $1600. I love the smoothness of the Rev5 which sounds warm rich and lush. In my experience there really is extremely little difference between this version and a friends JP8. But the Rev 5 has more memory, Sens and After Touch and midi over the JP8. Remember that back in the day folks sold their JP's to upgrade to the MKS and with reason. But there are less JPs around making them more collectible and they certainly do look nicer.other than that there really is no reason to pay for a JP8 over this if you want that 80's Roland sound. Come on Roland, the world needs a new Roland VCO poly, not a digital rehash......as much as the JP X looks and sounds "nice", it really doesnt have the warmth and organic feel of analogue.
Jupiter's funky cousin. Nice bit of kit for oldschool vibes. Schweeeet
A pity, that it’s so expensive. I‘d buy one if the prices were lower. Great sounds, great video.
Fantastic controller
I like this much more than the Jupiter-8. First, this has velocity sensitivity. Second, it has many improvements over the Jupiter-8 because of its modulations and controls which the Retroaktiv brings out. I own the MKS80 and have had my hands on all the classic synths. The MKS80 has an amazing palette of good rock solid real analog synthesizer sounds.
Love the MKS-80! The MKS-80 and Jupiter 6 are my favorite Roland of the time. (more-so than the Jupiter 8 even) Nice!
Oooh have to tune in for this!!!
I really really want one of these, sadly out of my price range. Perfect 80s sounds
The last of Roland’s great analogue beasts. Wish I had bought one back in the day.
Surely not, that was the Roland JX-10🎉
MKS80 Rev 4 uses Curtis chip 3340 VCO's same audio boards as a Jupiter 6
It’s the reason I went for the Rev 5 - I have the JP6
Love the programmer, they should do a version of the PG1000 for the D50/550
A few Rev 3s made it out into the wild. I have one. But as far as I understand it, it's exactly the same as the Rev 4, just with a slightly earlier firmware. I recall reading somewhere that this just affects how the autotune works.
Nice info. I'd seen a couple of posts with people saying they had a Rev 3 and others saying there never was one - so it's good to hear it from an owner.
@@StarskyCarr I was curious so I went hunting for my original source. So the correct answer lies, I think, in the service manual on page 23: it turns out there were were 6 versions of the PROM firmware. In the service manual it says versions 0-2 were installed 'in a few MKS80s'. It also confirms that V3.0 is the version where autotune was improved. It recommends that all MKS80s up to serial 511799 (commonly referred to collectively as Rev 4) should have their PROMs updated to V4.0 although mine is still at 3.0 and is fine. Rev 5 start from 511800 and need PROM V5.0. So I deduce from all this that there are 6 Revs in total out there, determined by PROM version, but 0-4 are collectively referred to as Rev 4 because other than the EPROM, they share identical hardware, with the term Rev 4 presumably derived from the most recent PROM firmware for that hardware, which ideally all should have been updated to (although obviously not in practice as mine proves). And then Rev 5 corresponds with Ver 5.0 firmware.
Now that’s what I call info
I owned both a Rev 4 and a Rev 5. After listening, the Rev 4 is what I kept and I sold the Rev 5.
Same for me.
I miss mine for sure.
Nice what a treat.
So this is where they got system 8 💡 sounds from 👀..sounds exactly a like except higher quality 🤔
Its the Jupiter 8 model in the System 8 - I'll haver to put them together and have a listen how they compare.
The system 8 doesn't have the warmth, musicality or the organic feel of true analogue but is indeed a great imitation that will meet the needs of many folks - but not me. I tried it and the Jupiter X and whilst they do sound high quality, there was a flat nothingness to the sound I just couldn't move beyond. I hope Roland will see the light and recreate a true analogue polysynth again soon.
Love my MKS-80. Was thinking about the Retroaktiv controller instead of my MPG, but I find if I need to do more, just use a CTRLR panel over sysex. Nice to see one on a channel going into depth!
Ps forgot to mention - I still haven’t figured out if there’s a real difference between the rev 4 vs rev 5 (I have a 4)
I have a rev 4 and a rev 5. The main difference is that the rev4 has much beefier bass. The character of the sound is almost identical, but the bass on the rev4 has that same kind of ballsiness as a minimoog.
I had a 4 and a 5, i loved the 4 a bit more. My 4 had a more "analog" sound than the 5. my v5 sounded much cleaner. used both with the mpg80, back then there were no alternatives...
I once had the MKS-50, warm and silky
Shmexy circuit board show in the intro.
Used to own one… I was sad when I had to sell it.
They mustve been found in clearance bins at one point
Yeah, I bet.
It’s a Super Pre Jx
I like it - but will say that the Super Jupiter and Super JX sound completely different, so wouldnt want folks to think that one could replace the other.
The factory patches were mostly crap, but the sound is amazing, even with no effects. Not sure how it compares to the 6 or 8, and it doesn’t matter to me..I would love a hardware programmer for mine, but for $1000, it’s low on the list. I found a free software programmer interface for the computer that allows you to program like a plugin, not as elegant as the hardware but way easier than the front panel!
I heard John Bobbit was a 90’s nobless classic 😂
✂️
You didn't seem very enthusiastic about the JP6 in your review, so I didn't expect you to be so positive about the MKS-80. Yes, they are different from each other, but they're from the same family though.
It wasn't that I didn't like the JP6 - I went and bought one - that video was more about how new synths have so many cool new features, don't have maintenance issues, feel nicer to use (keybeds and pots feel better than old ones), and come with warrantees - so why do we. still love the old ones so much, and why do they cost so much? I did later put it up against a SUPER 6 and realised it held up extremely well.
But, I'm as bad as anyone! I did take a punt on a broken JP6 that I managed to get working, but wouldn't have spent the £7k some are now asking. These don't cost anywhere near as much, so still quite valid in that sense - £3-£4k ish which is similar to some new synths.
@@StarskyCarr I get it and I also have a lot of old stuff including the MKS70 and MKS80 and I sometimes wonder whether I should have bought new gear instead of those vintage machines because of the warranty. I'm glad I was able to buy my vintage gear for a reasonable price compared to today's prices. From that perspective, I would never buy anything like a MKS, Juno or Jupiter again these days.
I haven't seen the video with the Super 6 yet, but I am very curious so I will check it out. Thumbs up, it's always fun to watch your videos!
25:18 still nice sparkles ✨
Better would be a Starsky MKS-80 preset bank! There's so few
I'd pay for presets for mine!
I already have a bank of 64 I’ve programmed for this, but will have to work out how to get them out of the mpg8x in a format others can use without it.
Yes I agree 100%. There really isn't much difference between the Rev 5 and JP8 in sound let alone in a mix.......
Hey, thanks for that. I forgot about the polarity switches for the VCOs. If I had to guess, yours is a rev 5, it sounds a bit smoother than my rev 4. (for better or worse)
Yes it's a 5 - I chose it because I Have the JP6 which uses the same chips as the Rev5. (although they're a lot cheaper and being manufactured again - so the Rev4 is probably better buy overall)
@@StarskyCarr I think you meant the Jupiter 6 and the rev4 have the same chips. I have a Jupiter 6 too. I bought the MKS-80 originally to replace the Jupiter 6, but they sound very different. So I just kept them both.
Haha yeah fat fingered typo!
Please make starsky presets based on that preset maker!
haha
Love the chord mode pads, so moody...
I frequently try to replicate Arturia JP-8 sounds with my 80, and think it does a great job. No 12db filter though which would have been nice.
Certainly no space or money for a JP8
I know that someone made a daughterboard that switches between a 24dB and 12dB, but I think the switching was manual, and not controlled by a parameter in the patch (Which would require a firmware modification to do).
Roland MKS-80 is a rackmount module containing an 8-note polyphonic version of Roland JUPITER-6. In other words, it is not a substitute for JUPITER-8.
Not quite, watch the video and you’ll find out why.
It's not a rack mount JP6. Some of the circuitry is shared with that synth, but Its a common error to call it a JP6 in a box. Perhaps it's the use of CEMs in the Rev4 that makes folks think it. The Rev 5 uses propriety Roland ICs and many say the Rev 5 VCOs are ICs of the original JP8 discrete VCO. Regardless, the Rev 5 sounds extremely close to the JP8 and there really is very little difference let alone when in a mix. Espen Kraft did a direct A/B comparison which highlights this quite well. Some folks think of the MKS as a JP7, but for me, with its after touch, and velocity sensitivity, included midi and extra storage over the JP8, the REV 5 is more of a JP9 which was certainly the design philosophy of the MKS by Roland during its design at the time, this fact has been lost over time and don't forget that in the day, folks were selling their JP8s to buy this synth. Hence the "SuperJupiter" name.
@@Hoopheythis is all in the video if people want to watch 😮
@@StarskyCarr hi Starsky
I watch pretty much al, of your vids and really enjoy them. Thanks for these reviews.
I used to have one with the MPG-80 in the early 2000s. I kept it for about a year as I never quite liked the sound and the interface. I tried many times but it would never sit quite right in my mixes. I am big fan of Roland sound, but this one didn't do it for me. Personal opinion. I would take a 106 or J6 anyday.
I was the same with my SE-1 - it was too fat for my mixes. Years later I worked out how ir worked.. or at least how to fit it into a mix. Never looked back, but some things just don’t work the way you expect or need.
Nice presentation but please, press the auto tune button, especially after the initial warm up. These instruments have a considerable VCO drift (yes that analog thing).
This was well out as I had knocked the tuning knob - you can see it on the left. I haven't got perfect pitch so don't notice when they're not tuned exactly - also I programmed the presets I played in bank 1 programmed before I realised it needed calibrating - the pulse width of VCO1 detuned VCO2 - when I was programming I set the detune to work with the issue without realising. So when I ran through some of them they were quite out and would've needed retuning rather than autotune.. I just ran with it!
Unless you have unlimited funds or own a synth museum no Jupiter is worth its price except maybe the Jupiter x.
They sound really nice but so does the 3rd wave, moog muse, Prophet 10, obx8, Prophet 6, Jupiter x etc for a fraction of the Jupiter 8 prices.
Its really nice to see that most people agree with this since you see the same overpriced classics month after month unsold on reverb, ebay etc.
This one’s within the price range of most of those. You can get them for around £2k, which is cheaper than all of those I think. Although adding the controller adds about £850 … but still nice at the price. The reason I got it was to check it out in those terms, which ‘ planning on doing in another video.
For me, the main down-side of the MKS-80 is the slow update rate of the envelopes and LFOs, as they are digitally generated. IIRC it is 12Hz or something. (That's Hz, not KHz.) So, some envelope settings have a sluggish or "zippery" sound.
I thought the CPU was 12 MHz … but I’ve no idea if the envelopes and LFOs run off that. 12 Hz seems super low. I’ve not noticed anything g odd, but then I’ve not had it that long. I bought it out of interest to make some demos and comparisons. I’ll keep an ear out for it.
@@StarskyCarr I couldn't find my notes from way back when, but I do remember that it was less than 20Hz. Perhaps Roland chose that so as not to be audible as an artifact tone. You're right about the CPUs running at 12MHz, however, those 8051 CPUs require 12 to 24 clock cycles per instruction, so not super fast. My MKS-80 is not "accessible" as the moment, but if I get a chance to do some testing, I'll update with a more accurate value. You might be able to hear the stepping more clearly by applying a medium attack to a resonant filter cutoff.
@@thirstyCactusl’ll have a play. Cheers.
Sequentix is making a mod to address that. Will be much faster.
@@medwaystudios I saw that... still in prototype but will definitely be checking it out once its ready to go.
How would they use in the 80s? Would they need a sepa
rate midi keyboard as well?
Yes. Roland made one specifically for them but there were loads around at that time.
The MKS80 Rev 5 indeed sounds better than expected.
If your JP-6 has the Europa upgrade installed it offers hardsync in both directions simultaneously. Otherwise it can't.
Aah I’m getting confused - I had one with the Europa but replaced it with one that doesn’t when it died.
@@StarskyCarr Oooh mine is dieing too but I hope it's just the voice chips.
@@Gerald_Danielyeah they’re nice and cheap these days. I bought the first and it was never right, so ended up going back . Then the same with another with Europa, and finally bought the one I have now and stuck with it - it too was knackered but I took it to Soundservice near Leeds and bingo.. it’s good as new.
@@StarskyCarr Unfortunately, finding a good service in Austria is not that easy.
@@Gerald_Daniel ich such auch jemanden für eine reperatur hier!
Nope, I haven't seen the video yet, BUT, I really wish Roland would reissue these long sought-after real analog synths instead of leaving us up in the cloud somewhere. I had one of these (with original programmer, as well as the MKS-70 and its programmer) back in the 90's, sometimes we do stupid things when we are young...
oh we've all done stupid things... I won't mention my system 100 or Jupter 4 or the £100 they went for!! .. but then again the Supernova they paid for was much more useful and paid for itself many times over.
3:52 I didn't follow this bit - .. did you just say that there are additional oscillator shapes available if you program on the unit itself?
He is saying that on Jupiter 6, you can select simultaneous oscillator waveforms at once (Like Saw + Square + Sine), whereas on MKS-80, only one waveform per oscillator can be selected at a time. The controller can control every single parameter on the MKS except for the DYNAMICS AMOUNT, which doesn't have any midi implementation, which means that one thing can only be controlled from the front panel. Fortunately, that slider just acts as a toggle between no velocity sensitivity or velocity sensitive.
@@retroaktivsynthesizers5075 Ah I see, thanks. I got excited, because thought there might be all these extra parameters on the MKS-80 I didn't know about. ie above and beyond those controlled by the er.. controller.
WOW, for a brief instance I thought that Roland descended from the cloud, and once again created something delightful that might actually go after my wallet, ....sadly they haven't, and my wallet's not deep enough for the has beens :(
It is a JX-upiter 7P. ;)
😂😂
If Retroaktiv should offer onboard an arpeggiator like Jupiter 6/8 should be more interesting...
Nice idea.
Used to have one, its really pretty limited compared to todays analog monsters, used it on a few tracks, but I don't regret selling it at all. Annoying to program, very narrow sound palette, better options available for less money
Yeah all those vintage 80s classics are limited. None have the flexibility of something like the PolyBrute which has an insane amount of mod options. This has a similar sound palette to the other jupiters. You can replicate almost any Jupiter 8 time with jt - except any relying in the 12dB filter. Same for the prophet 5. But programming it is a real pain, hence the retroaktiv is a must.
Why does everyone have to play that Toto riff whenever they pull up a brass patch?
I learnt it specifically to do just that 😂😂 I hate synth brass but enough people asked to demo brass sounds that I went with the flow. But what to play 🤩🤓
Did you have it tuned down an octave? Tuning knob looks all the way left
No it’s not an octave - but it’s not in tune. I’ll have knocked the tuning knob when setting g up the shot.
Weird, sounds like an Obi Matrix 6R in places! 😅
That’s probably my matrix style patches … but yeah just shows how good the Matrixes are.
@@StarskyCarr
I don’t use mine often enough and I’ve restricted myself now to 8 old synths and a couple of rompler racks.
Found me self using hardware samplers more these days.
Having less gives more!…..
Oh dear. Buys MKS-80 stocks on Reverb now...
Oh my.....
I have a rev 5 but not the fancy controller
Great review..
I wish these were still $600 😢
Haha .. If only.
The MKS80 is NOT a jupiter 8...It s more like a Jupiter 7 (between the JP6 and JP8)
Exactly... watch the video, then come back and comment. :)
MKS80 is not a JP6 or JP8 whats even more peculiar it's not even the same synth from serial number 511800 and up, gone are the CEM VCO VCF VCA now its Rolands own chips!
VCF for instance are same used in JX10 and JX8P. Even the PCB's are redesigned and so the firmware. Roland even mentions the 2 versions sounds different in the documentation.
More like J-6.
they don't make them like they use to
The Jupiter 6, 8 and MKS-80 are all very over rated with bog-standard sounds that are just so bland and uninspiring. These 3 are just not really needed in a studio set up as there's just so many cheap alternatives these days. There's plenty of other synths that can deliver much better usable sounds of that type, blowing theJupiters away. That said, the Retroaktiv MPG8x certainly makes the MKS-80 a lot more interesting to play with..The Jupiter 4 was by far the best and the only one worth having, it's is a classic. I've owned the MKS-80 and Jupiter 4. Hopefully Behringer will do the synth world another favour and do a Jupiter 4 remake.
Roland fanboys hate it but this guy is right
@@theeventhorizon-valebridge9512 probably true, but people want gear that has hits under the belt. And the Jupiters have that.
@@sebastiandior1315 I'm not sure what that even means! Do you?
My view is that people are seduced and become cultists about the Jupiters because they are rare, expensive and owned by their 80s pop idols. No a single studio would miss the Jupiter 6 or Jupiter 8 from their collection/line-up. For just the very odd occasion they might use a Jupiter plugin voice, but only to emulate an 80s track with the equivalent gear setup. But who would really want to! They just never sounded that unique or useful compared to other available synths of that era or in fact any era.
The Roland alpha Juno 2 and Jx3p can give you the bulk of the Roland Esq sound for a fraction of the cost. I will agree the Jupiters are way over priced… all of them! I am a Roland fan .. but a realistic one. I mean I could remake this Madonna song on. 3p and you couldn’t tell the difference
Someone is currently trying to sell a JP8 for £18k near me
Eighteen pounds is heavy
What are these pounds you speak of? 😂 ⚖️🏋️
@StarskyCarr lol