The Roland RS-09 - Forgettable Turkey or Forgotten Gem?
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- čas přidán 4. 12. 2019
- The Roland Organ/Strings 09 (RS-09) was released in 1978 and then updated in 1980 or 1981.
It's a divide-down, paraphonic poly with sounds grouped into Organ I and II (with octave divider sliders) and Strings 8' and 4'.
There's a basic low-pass filter, an LFO (with delay, rate and depth), stereo ensemble with two speeds, envelope release control (with two modes) and a separate attack control on the strings only.
You can use the audio and gate out to run the RS-09 through another synth's filter with control of the filter envelope and you can also run external audio through the RS-09 to add stereo ensemble to it.
Whilst the Roland RS-505 from the same era now commands a high price (as do other 70s string synths), the RS-09 has remained at the cheap end of the analogue vintage synth market.
I wanted to find out if that was because it's crap or whether it's because it's been overlooked, partly for my own curiosity and partly because I often get asked about suggestions of more affordable vintage synths.
I've put my opinion in the pinned comment below, let me know yours!
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Turkey 🦃 or Gem 💎
My opinion is that it's both; the Roland Turkey/Gem 09 if you will.
Some sounds are thin and uninspiring and it's certainly limited tonally and in terms of articulation.
However...
Dial in the right combination and, crucially, play the right kind of parts and you have some swirling vintage tones coming back at you. The thin sound actually becomes an asset as it sits in a mix pretty well.
The vintage organ tones are pretty cool too and being able to run things through the stereo chorus is a nice bonus.
Given the price of vintage analogue synths, this might be one you consider if you're on a budget.
I concur. Limited but can punch above its weight. Vintagey strings more (late)70s-80s than something like a Solina. Love my later edition although I wish Roland had kept the earlier graphics & Wurlitzer-style rocker switches!
That SH-1000 so fatticus! Those early Rolands...
I had friend's one at my home for a day for testing. Especially organ using ensemble is really sweet. Pretty nice piece of gear for decent prices for someone looking for vintage vibes. Also that line input is gold, everything you put through it sounds awesome. :)
Great demo, Alex... what about the Behringer VC340?
I actually find a lot of the best sounds are when I play with the octave switch in the high position and the tone control most of the way down.
As far as turkey/gem, I've had one of these and a Juno 6 for about 5 years and the Juno didn't make the RS-09 redundant at all RS-09 chorus is subtler but more organic than the Juno chorus and a lot less noisy, too, which is nice).
As you demonstrated, any tool can be useful in the hands of a skilled tool user.
Love it. The gem is however YOU Alex Ball! ❤️
Coming from you that is very high praise!
Definitely a gem. I have an RS-09 and RS-202 and for both being old stringers made by Roland, their sounds are worlds apart, and both magical in their own way.
Nice! I’ve got an RS-09 and an RS-101
I honestly love the sound of that "choked" attack.
Yeah, you can embrace it and use it as a deliberate effect.
Same here.
Ed Straker he used a Solina I think
Yeah, I m using the paraphonic choked attack. Good reason to get one, it's surreal
The Cure "Funeral Party" strings sound. Parliament " Dr funkestein" album introduction.
I often play with my organ.
Very shexy
... If you know what I mean
You must be very organized.
Willy Wonka
The only thing nicer than roses on a piano is tulips on an organ.
This is THE Disasterpeace sound! Especially for Hyper Light Drifter / Fez. Really cool man
Dang! That Surf rock demo was WICKED!! 😱😱😎💪🏼 Just love how creative you are mate!
Cheers buddy.
I used to own one of these. Sent through a Roland RE-201 tape echo the sound was glorious. For lead I used the monophonic Korg MS 20, another cheapie at the time, i.e. before it became 'vintage'. I used an MXR 100 phaser on the strings.
cool, i have one i bought for around $200,,, i should have bought a Space Echo, its one of the things i regret,,, i could have gotten one back in 2004, now no way,,, i used to record the Roland stright into an UHER report, oh and through an ibanez analog delay,,, the sound was glorois as well, very organic and decaying in a nostalgic way,,,
That ensemble effect is huge and really pushes it’s usability up. Brilliant playing as always. Looking forward to seeing more old turkey/gems demoed 👌
Definitely a Forgotten Gem for me! It may not be the most versatile, but I loved the sounds we heard, from kitschy to spooky. But I think the beautiful chord changes you choose were a good reason for that. Cheers!
Has some character for sure!
I have the 78 Version of the rs-09 in mint condition......it's one of my favorite vintage piece of gear!
For me it's a gem!
Thanks for the cheerful and nostalgic sound Alex, as always it manages to inspire me to create something after your delightful tunes. Vielen Dank !!!
A gem-encrusted turkey!
Excellent video, as always!
Holy crap. this was my first Analog synth. 65 bucks from just good stuff in Portland. Sounds like dark wave and has a cool vintage chorus which you can run a guitar through for that early 80's alt sound. OK now I'll watch the video.
Glittering (if not exactly blinding) Gem for sure! Was not familiar with this particular relic, but as always, you find a way to educate & entertain your viewers - thank you Alex.
Great demo! I’ve got one of these that was given to me years ago. Mine has a few quirks but everyone once in a while it’s just the perfect thing for a song and whenever that is, I find it sits so well in a mix with little work.
Nice! I got one of these as payment for helping a friend clean out his basement, it's lovely!
Gonna be a jem for me. The end song could honestly pass a really good Christmas song. Awesome content Alex!
A Christmas turkey!
Use to have one in the 90´s I sounds so beautiful,..It is very underrated but suits many styles,... Thank you Alex for shareing
Thanks Alex, creative use of the RS-09. I found the best use of it was on slow attack for the strings. I bought it to go with my SH-09, CSQ-600 and Rhodes 73. (Still have them all). The RS-09 cost about $900AUD (Australia) in 1980 when I bought it but it was the best string synth around at the time that one could afford. The input gave you the most expensive Chorus pedal on the market but the stereo effect was so worth it. For it's day it was an affordable gem and combined with the right gear and songs it was very useful and it fit on top of my Rhodes with the SH-09 together. Great video as usual Alex.
Thanks Kevin, very interesting to hear from someone who bought it new!
Do you hook yours up to the RS-09 to use the filter?
@@AlexBallMusic I have never tried the filter, just the input on the RS-09 for the chorus
Funny i did play my rs09 trough my sh 09 filter with lfo. 1 hour ago at a jam with my friends. Than this pop up on my CZcams :D
Incredible video as always, loved the music in it... I guess it's a gem!
Cheers Jef!
Oh this is definitely a gem. I will be looking forward to a behringer version in the spring time 😅🙌🏽
Behringer VC340 covers some of the same territory.
With a SH-1000 filter routing box extra extended feature,. Going to be hard to choose between this and the SH-5 they teased as a possible clone. :-) Whatever though just give me a SH filter and I'm back listening to late John Peel shows.
I have the real thing 🥰🥰🥰
This video actually made me buy one! I'm having a ton of fun with it. It came in mint condition for 400€. It had to be converted for Euro voltage though, which cost me 60 bucks. However, everything worked well. My other vintage synth is a Korg MS-10, which I got for 500€ - a good price in theory, but it turned out to be in need of repairs. Keyboard, capacitors, jacks - that was around 200€ 0_o That's really sth you should keep in mind when you buy vintage gear. Even the "budget" stuff may cost you much more than you think.
This was my very 1st keyboard. I still miss it !
When did you get rid of it?
NeuronalAxon years ago , to buy my first real synth . Which I can’t for the life of me remember what it was . Been using midi controllers and DAWS now for so long
@@chrislittlefield9999 How can anybody not remember their first "real" synth?!
It’s a great little synth for the money. Awesome video as always. Cheers mate
I love that sound and track is really cool , congrats dude .
It s a gem
Thanks. Glad you liked it.
Synth techs know these kind of machines as “organ donors”.
Haha!
Just as real organs,. they should get rejected if not put into the right kind of mix/song though, like the good ones Alex made here
One hundred per cent nicely good for your musical 'and style 'démonstration , realy ! You give a temporary travel uper the day ...🙏✋👍👍👍
You are such an incredibly Intuitive and intelligent musician, Alex...thank you!
One of my best mates use to have one. I absolutely loved it. And the chorus is absolutely beautiful. I want another one one day, the earlier version.
Ha, I've not seen one of these reviewed before :) My first poly keyboard back in the eighties. I used to send the raw output through an Odyssey and then, when I got my DX9 I used send that through the chorus of the RS09. This combination kept me happy for several years.
As used very well on Talk Talk's debut album.
Very interesting little synth! I can't say I'm a big fan of how the strings are supposed to sound, but the organ, despite how simple the concept is, sounds great. Great work!
Exactly. And the SA09 expands on that so that's why I kept my rarer SA and sold the more ubiquitous RA
I fell in love with your channel.
GEM - you said the choke effect was 'clunky', I love it! It's like a weird gate effect. Excellent demo and cool tunes, thank you!
Definately a gem. Just like this video. A true gem of a demonstration.
Great video! You could have used the delayed vibrato to add another dimenstion, making the sound even less static. Your composition at the end makes a point: When you hear the RS-09 in a musical context, it makes so much more sense. On its own it sounds rather cheesy, but in a mix it can do a lot of good. Well done! :-)
Thanks. Yes, I was using the delayed vibrato at a slow rate to modulate the sound in the final demo, you can see it on the panel. Agree that it just adds a subtle bit of modulation.
And yes...a cheesy synth that then does have some use when put into a context (as you say).
Great track at the end alex! Nice work
What a great and engaging video on this awesome synth! Next time you should start with the surf rock tune. Love it
Thanks Learson!
definitely a hidden gem. very solid stringer, decent transistor organ type sounds as well, the ensemble is lovely, all around lovely piece of kit. been lusting after one for quite a while now after finding out robert fripp used one on the 1981 king crimson tour as well as their 1982 album beat.
Yeah! It actually appears on a few "Discipline" cuts as well, I think most prominently in 'Frame By Frame'. Brought out in the remix, it seems!
The sounds he got out of it were pretty cool - the 1981 versions of 'Sartori In Tangier' which use it during the extended intro are a trip
That SH-1000 synthbass sound is unbelievable
yes I agree, that bass sound really stands out, it's fantastic, and played so well too!
I need to watch a demo of the SH1000!
I need to clean my RS-09 up and get it going again. I bought it from a pawn shop in '97 for $60.00 and haven't had it out in awhile. Thanks for the playthrough!
I picked up an RS-09 about a year ago and think it's a pretty solid string machine for the price. I've been able to get some good results pairing it with other effects and blending the organ + strings as you demonstrated!
Yeah, agree. The right blend and some effects and it's got something to it. But it's not a classic by any stretch.
@@AlexBallMusic Or even Streichfett of the imagination! I've made mine sound wonderful with effects.
Gem, definitely, owned an RS-09 MkI in the late 70s early 80s, used it for two records and tour, sold it (cos I needed money) in 84, dearly regretted (as I regretted selling my system 100 too), so bought a Mk II a few years later, still have it! Perfect on the road thanks to its light weight and small form factor, tho with real size keyboard, knobs and sliders. Nothing to do with Roland crappy boutique toys of now
You had a System 100!?
Awesome sound! I'd love to own one
Foot would kick that one to the curb, along with the Moog Opus. Your playing technique and mix made it better than what it is. Good job.
I found a really mint one in Japan and bought it purely for nostalgia reasons (I had one in 1981). Has ended up on a few tracks to my surprise. Thanks for the video (and music!) :)
Echigoya music or 5G??
@@rachelar I honestly can't remember which store. I tried to look it up but ebay only goes back a couple of years. It's still on 110V! I also bought an Oberheim Matrix 6 from them though...
I love the track in the end. Great vibe, great bassline.
Thanks!
Great track man, and I love that bass guitar tone you got there. I've learned here that 1978-82 Tony Banks' swirly organ and strings comes from this family of synths & that infamous Ensemble effect. I keep coming back to this video. Thanks again for all you do :) Have a great day!
Thank you! Was Tony Banks a user of the 505?
@@AlexBallMusic That would have been my guess, but a little bit of research proved me wrong. The sound I'd thought had Roland Ensemble on it was actually a Prophet 10 through a Boss CE-1 Chorus pedal!
Here's a short, to-the-point article about Tony's gear through the year. It doesn't list all of his fx, though it's still a great read! www.radioswissjazz.ch/en/music-database/musician/15431972c14861c60db1dd92bb09b6ff95bfd/biography
@@AlexBallMusic I think he had the VP330 vocoder for the choir and strings
Starting from Wind & Wuthering, Banks ran his Hammond through an MXR Phase 100. It sure set the mood for the next couple albums indeed.
@@Rubycon7th sure does!
Everything played on it sounds like early The Cure. And that, that is a very good thing! ❤️❤️❤️
I have the old VK09 which I bought because I wanted something different and also I love the look of old Roland stuff from this time. I do recognise a similar organ sound on this RS09.
Although this is a video about a Roland Turkey/Gem synth I've watched the whole video very absorbed.
A synth is a tool and we are the turkeys if we ain't able to do something creative with it, IMHO.
My synth geekiness is growing exponentially because of Alex and his talent of presenting and performing.
Resistance is futile! 🙏💯🎹
If you can't get good music out of a kazoo you are a turkey
@@reecedeyoung6595 that might be a bit of a stretch
Lovely track at the end👍
I nearly picked one of these up last year, but sort of forgot about it after I grabbed the Streichfett. Nice demo, as per!
Cheers Scott. Streichfett probably has more flex.
Omg! I have one of these in brand new condition. It’s one of my favorite Roland “character” synths of all time. Right up there with the Juno 60. Just wish I could add a MIDI in to it.
It's a fun little synth, although I have a Juno-6 and when I went back and forth between the two the Juno utterly wipes the floor with it (for me personally).
Being able to run audio through it is pretty cool though, which you can't do on the Juno.
@@AlexBallMusic - I think there's a mod for the Juno that allows Line In IIRC.
Alex,
I believe your skills as a composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, etc. would make a gem out of a turkey.
Thank you. I've heard the RS-09 described as "almost good" and I think that's about right.
Bit of both, I guess too. It's palette is pretty limited, but using its effects makes it a little more usable, even if you don't need an organ of cut off strings! :D Great video Alex! Lovely music!
Totally agree. Doesn't compete with the classic string synths of the 70s (including Roland's other models) and isn't a great organ either. But...the combination with the chorus does have something of worth.
@@AlexBallMusic and it's always good to have a synth that you can let go off, if you need the space! :D
Def a gem . . I had one of these in the 80s and loved it. At the time it was the cheapest way to get polyphony. It actually sounds smoother when the tone slider is moved down a bit. I coupled it up with a Roland SH09 (the original SH-101) and eventually an MC202 as well which sequenced 2 mono synth tracks. You could great affects by taking it sound through the SH09 filters or using RS09 audio in for chorusing. All pre MIDI though. I sequenced the synths with a Spectrum and MIDI to CV converter (which I made) for a while but I swapped the whole lot for an piano electric piano and an Atari. What would they be worth now? My next synth was a Casio CZ101 as it had MIDI and 4 note polyphony, and a miniature keyboard. Ah the good old days.
This brings back some interesting (comical) memories.
I had many opportunities over the years to buy one of these. At one point, nearly every music shop i knew of had them AND a couple of bric-a-brac shops had them too; they were literally here, there & everywhere!
The lowest price was about 25 pounds for a slightly wonky looking one and none were above 90 pounds if i remember correctly. And i never bought one.
The main reason being that they palled significantly against other vintage gear that was also on sale around the same time, which wasn't much higher in price. SH101's, Juno 6/60s , moog prodigy, and even the jx3p (without programmer) were all available for 200 or (much) less.
This is the most thorough (and fun) video of these ive seen/heard yet. And i still wouldn't buy one 😀
Thanks for uploading.
Haha that's amusing to hear. I think its drawbacks have throttled its price as SH-101s and Junos have steadily climbed. Not surprised that people don't dig it, but it has its fans.
I did a back-to-back with my Juno and the Juno wiped the floor with it, but then guess that's not surprising as the Juno shares a lot of electronics with the Jupiter-8.
@@AlexBallMusic I think the chorus unit from the junos is the same as the one in here, albeit perhaps a later revision. Its the boss pedal, the CE something, which in the last 5 or so years someone has produced as a standalone effects pedal (t.c. electronic i think). The rest of the voice architecture is dissimilar to.the jupiter 8 and even the jupiter 4 and 6, which again had completely different sounding filters and gain structure.
The mks 80, which was supposed to be a rackmount jupiter 8 (with the mpg programmer), sounded more like a jupiter 6 than an 8, but had useful midi and if i remember correctly, the programmer sent out data (sysex) to allow patch movements to be recorded into your sequence.
All in all, there's an abundance of choice, both old and new. There's something for every budget and set up, which means more opportunities for music making (and sonic mayhem).
When was this about?
Late 80s?
A small, uni-purpose gem. Definitely. Most like the VP330, which does only 3 things, but beautifully. I love the fact that there is 2 modes for both the Chorus and Release on the RS-09. I wish my VC340 had that. The fact that you can run an external audio signal through the internal stereo chorus is a neat idea. Freeze frame @6:02 and I found it funny that Master Osc is spelled Mastar, it sounds more Japanese this way. lol! Anyway, great review of a rather limited but beautiful sounding turkey stuffed with a forgotten gem. Leftovers from thanksgiving ?
As demonstrated by your good self, a talented musician can make worthwhile music with anything! In the same manner, a good chef will make beautiful food with a turkey that a bad cook would ruin.
If you had a SH-09 you would appreciate this little creature
I’ve had my SH-09 since 1982 (still use it now) and the Sequencer too, err, the oh yeah, it still works 😊 CSQ-100
Fantastic as always.
love the sh-101 at the end, makes it so peaceful :)
I've read this is the synth on the Cure Seventeen Seconds, and if that is correct, this is a gem. There's a warm, old, faded sound there that has shades of psychedelic Kraut rock.
Wow what a Gem 💎 I barely have a VC-340
I would really call for a turkey but in your hands it is a gem. You can really find the true-to-its-soul potential in any piece of gear!
Thank you for the video.
A real turkey from Roland.
Even though its a niche which could join the "unused gear pile", I have a soft-spot for old string machines. There's an EP-09 at the local used shop by my place for $150. Wouldn't touch it with a 10ft pole. If it was an RS-09, I would have bought it by now, even with the lack of midi to reserve it as a classy showpiece / occasional creepifier for goth jams.
Tubbutec offers a MIDI kit. My RS-09 just got one installed last night. 😎
Forgotten Gem - 100%! The Cure used the RS-09 a bunch. Pretty sure that's it on "Close to Me".
No I don't think it is but they certainly used it on their Faith album. As someone else posted; it can be clearly heard on the track, Funeral party.
Layered with MiniKorg 700 on A Forest
Nope its a DX7 on close to me, all sounds
I'm not sure what to make of it. It sounds like it has potential, but that it takes a lot of work to reach that potential, unlike other synths that are more flexible to start with. Great vid and music!
For sure. When I did an A/B with my Juno the Juno wiped the floor with it with the minimum of effort. But the RS-09 does some things of its own that have some charm I think.
@@AlexBallMusic - It certainly does have a certain charm. You musicianship helps bring that out.
This is most definitely a forgotten gem.
Alex, the Track at the end was Ace. The SH-101 Lead sound OMG.
Cheers. High speed LFO modulating pulse width and filter cutoff and then envelope mod of the filter so the filter modulation changes frequency as the notes decay. The 101 is always good for simple but effective sounds.
@@AlexBallMusic Thanks Alex, I'll give it a try. Stay Awesome.
Love the track at the end!
Amazing video! Subbed!
I believe I have the original 1978 or 1979 model. It’s under my bed covered in dust. With a broken key, and a huge scratch on the front. I still am inspired to revisit it though.
Defiantly a gem it sounds awesome
Fantastic strings, really under rated
I bought a Mk1 in 1995 or 1996 at a flea market. I still have the synth, but unfortunately it no longer works as it should. I'm looking for two AMI S10430 divider chips to restore it. Until that time, I just love to look at it and can still use it as a chorus machine.
We had a SH09 and so looked down on this!!!
Just in time for Christmas!
AWESOME ✨🤗🤗💗💗💗💗👍👍👍👍👍✨🎶🎹🎵🎸🎷
I definitely agree that has some character, and can be played nicely as evidenced by your song at the end, but I definitely feel that other synths are better and that this definitely provided a niche for what people might have needed at the time for a lower price. Is it awful? No. Should it be considered a legend?? Not really. Definitely enjoyed the video! Question: do you own any EMS synths?? Would you consider doing a documentary??
I had both the RS-09 and the SH-1000 back in the day. You guys are getting a lot more music out of them than I ever did.😎
my initials are RS so i've always gravitated toward this thing, but it does sound good! i can imagine it through a space echo.
you can find it inside Omnisphere, too and the digital version has the advantage that the gate/organ out jacks have, you can run it with multiple things, other fx too.
I run it through my suitcase rhodes speaker to utilize the eq and trem and its an amazing sound. Mic it with vintage Reslo ribbons and I love itS Its the cheapest synth I own but I use it a lot
Good stuff again. Love the jam.
Prominently featured in the 1981 live clip of Ozzy performing Mr. Crowley.
Thanks, I'll check that out!
I was wondering if this was the same instrument used for either the performance on the record, or live. Brilliant!
Great video. It seems to do one thing really well. For a few hundred quid it's great. 400 plus na forget it
The jam at the end reminds me of Todd Terje.. quality stuff!
Cheers!
I like it.. Skinny on a few functions people might want these days but it's most definitely usable in a load of cases and can be enhanced with some processing. Could well be a 'go to machine' for a load of sounds for the right genre of music. A few non-destructive mods would put a lot of shine on this too.
It constantly amazes me when I see a video like this, and a few people give a thumb down vote?
Why thumb down a video like this? It just doesn't make any sense? I'm sure the same people would thumb down pizza and puppy dogs.
I hate puppy dogs on my pizza
This video is definitely another gem.
The way I see it is like an old rusty and unreliable MG that can't even reach or struggles to get to 100km/h and is horrible to drive, smells like someone died in it, but in that ONE day you get in it and have the roof down on a sunny day, and there's no other car that will be able to put a big grin on your face like that one does.
The perfect description. Love it.
The RS09 doesn't smell
@@group-music 💩?
@@group-music BTW what have you been doing since SHADO? Still a TV producer? See much of Gayle or Alec?
Could you do a video on the eminent/arp solina if possible? Great video keep it up :).
Finishing up a huge ARP documentary at the moment and the whole Solina story is in that, told by the people who were there. :)
tbh I think it's a kooky little gem, perfect for making Boards of Canada type sounds and pads, put it through the right appropriate pedals or effects it could sound really trippy, ethereal or moody. Great little vintage board for Ambient, drones and like I say Boards of Canada type stuff.
Not ever having heard anything by Boards of Canada, I'm slightly curious as to why just about every synth demo on CZcams, that I've seen, has at least one comment with someone saying something along the lines of how a particular sound is very Boards of Canada. But I digress! Yes, I put my RS09 through a Digitech Polara reverb pedal and was very pleasantly surprised with the results. On the reverse setting, I was getting sounds that I thought were very Mellotron like. Unfortunately, I went to use mine yesterday, for the first time in months and it lit up for a fraction of a second and then died on me. I really didn't want to go down this route but having only recently having had him replace a fuse, I think I might strip this thing down and sell the parts off as spares. I think that would be a real shame but I have enough unreliable "classic" analogue synths already without this one playing me up as well.
I almost bought one but I ended up going with a Crumar Performer. Very happy with it for string sounds
Crumar is great. I've played one of those. Do enjoy a string synth.
I'm very happy with Crumar Multiman brass sounds through RS-09 ensemble chorus.
It's Thanksgiving and I found this video. Talk about Synchronicity. 🦃
It's got some cheese but the things it does right it does really well. The patchable ensemble chorus and the strings are pretty good. I use it to add dirt and warmth to modern equipment myself :). Running a DX7 through it makes the inherently cold and digital eighties sound of the DX7 a bit more dreamy and hazy... like the seventies :D.