Roland has just rolled out a Jupiter 4 in their software panoply. Appears to be an ACB design, and is available on their cloud thingee.

While the J4 is my favorite Roland, I'm not keen on their software ecosystem, so probably not high on my list, but would be interested in hearing comparisons from J4 owners who get it.

Long time coming....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhJ1...=RolandChannel

Sounds wonderful! Those saying ACB was dead were wrong - great to see the System-8 still getting new models

I’ve used a JP4 but not for years, so I’m not going to comment on authenticity

Lastly, that was a really nice video from Roland

Like it a lot, wish they would let us buy these things outright instead of the stupid cloud manager etc.. a lot of people would cough up the $ to buy these plug ins outright in one go, not all of us wants to be tethered to the annoying Cloud manager.

It's cool that Roland has released an ACB version of the Jupiter 4. I have a Roland Cloud subscription so I will definitely check it out. However, I'm not so sure the semi-photorealistic, skeuomorphic interfaces of the "Legendary" (aka ACB) synths are the way to go. Even though the Zen-Core models don't sound as good as the ACB versions and are missing all the new parameters like velocity sensitivity and the three FX inserts among others, I think I like the more modern Zen-Core interfaces better.

It just doesn't make sense to try to recreate an archaic hardware interface in software (although this is Arturia's stock in trade - to fool you into believing that their plugins sound authentic just because their interfaces look so much like the original instruments). There are so few people who have even seen a picture of a Jupiter 4 let alone played one, that trying to recreate that hardware experience actually requires users to learn all the idiosyncratic features of the original instrument rather than just programming a non-skeuomorphic interface that is more understandable and compact (and which doesn't have a big stupid keyboard that serves no purpose).

You can purchase a "lifetime key" for the Jupiter 4 for $199 and then use it without a Roland Cloud subscription. However, you will still need to authorize your purchase periodically online via the Roland Cloud Manager. That blows. No doubt about it.

As much as I would like to buy this, Anything connected with Roland Cloud is a no for me.

Have to say I have really been enjoying Cherry Audio's JP-4 emulation. I am not sure the Roland is better and in terms of price and licensing Cherry clearly has the edge. Also a better GUI and has the RE-201 built-in which is super useful.

I have an OG JP4, also the Cherry Audio and now Roland VSTi.

I haven’t done anything resembling scientific testing but feel the RC sounds more authentic ‘out of the box’ than the CA - quickly A-B-C-ing the original factory presets certainly suggests that.

I find the UI nicer on the CA - some things on the RC seem too fiddly, even with scaling at max.

Both sound too polished against the OG - increasing their respective and equivalent ‘vintage’ controls always seems ‘not enough, not enough… too much!’

The portamento is not subtle enough on either VSTi - on the OG you can have a tiny but effective amount whilst using the arpeggiator - not so in software.

I do really like both - the RC shades it in authenticity - but is a CPU hog on my decent Mac (especially with the UI open). RC is getting slicker but it’s still painful to use.

Someone posted an a-b comparison of Mercury 4 to their Jupiter 4 and it seemed to only sound similar in a very superficial way. Kind of like Arturia Synths circa 2005. When they showed a comparison of the VCA being driven to the max, Mercury 4 did a massive face plant and couldn’t even attempt it. I imagine that’s where Roland is excelling in, though I’ve not had the chance to try it yet. That’s where the CPU cycles get gobbled up, I’m sure.

I was deep in MPowerSynth yesterday, and it was barely touching my CPU until I started adding some saturation. To get the quality I was after I had to bump up the quality and oversampling quite a bit and all of the sudden, my CPU meter was pushing what seemed to be at least 30% and I’ve got a pretty screaming new computer. Totally worth it, though, as the quality was amazing. I suspect that Roland has to have that kind of running all the time to get a natural drive sound over the span of the VCA parameter. You’ve got to pay the piper, but it’s definitely going to be cheaper than an actual Jupiter 4.

I am having real trouble getting the JP4 vst imported into the System 8 as a plugout. It has been years since I actually added the ProMars into the keyboard. I have it open in my DAW (Cubase) and every time I click the "Plugout" button on the silly vst window it tells me I don't have the System 8 hooked up correctly. I have tried USB and MIDI routing but so far, no good.

To be honest, if I didn't like the sound of the System8 so well I'd sell this thing off tomorrow. Roland's idea of the future of music marketing is epic bad. You have to be a tech engineer or rocket scientist to use their gear anymore. I have bought Roland synths since 1980's (I owned the JP4 new) but have lost all confidence in their vision.

Anyone game to try to coach me through this tooth-pulling exercise?

In cubase you have to go to midi setup and set System-8 and System-8 CTRL to inactive. Basically Cubase is blocking the connection by monitoring it. Switch it off then press plugout again. You should now be asked which plugout space you want to install it to. If it's already occupied you will be asked to cancel or overwite what's already there.

PS I am not a Cubase user - Ableton here, but this is what I did and worked like a charm.

Thanks CelloJP. I finally got it to load over. Part of my trouble was the System8 didn't have the latest operating version. Also there was a little confusion about the port (USB or MIDI) in Cubase. Thanks again for the help.

The sound of it so far is very close to what I remember from years ago. There are a couple of functions I haven't figured out yet on the S8. The octave range for the arpeggiator is one. Does anyone know which knob on the System8 is mapped to that function?

I loved my Jupiter 4, so this interests me despite my RCloud reluctance. Haven't had a chance to comb through the manual yet, so did they add some cool modulation bits? Does the random arpegiator behave appropriately?

I think the Cherry Audio emulation sounds better, more raw and alive, the Roland versions sounds more precise and controlled imo.

Blows hard in fact, that cloud manager is the most intrusive, obnoxious piece of software I've ever used. I have a Reason subscription and I never hear or see it unless I open it to write or record. Cloud wants to take control, be first load and let me know about this update and that update, really fkn annoying I tell you. If you buy just about any other plug in out there outright, that's it, apart from the licensing if you change computers etc, done, even the annoying iLok is not so bad anymore. Imagine buying a hardware synth and every few months you have to lug into to the retailer so they can send it back to the manufacturer just to check you own it and test it for updates. What nonsense is this?

I'm actually going to cancel my Roland Cloud Premium subscription for these very reasons. I just can't in good conscience support such intrusive business practices.

Originally, I thought I might buy one or two of the "Legendary" (ACB) instruments. But I can get pretty much everything I would want from Softube, Arturia, and TAL for less money and arguably equal or better results.

That's half the fun! and it leads to sounds you might not have thought of arranged differently.

Yep - that’s where I’m at as well. Cancelled first of the year after repeated RCM issues. Even the ones I own are still a pain to use due to having to log into to RCM every now and then. The GUIs also look crappy in comparison to the competition. IMO Softube have the best 106 and 101 emulations. Arturia and TAL have the best JP-8 and JU-60 and I quite like Cherry’s JP-4. For 303 you can’t beat D16 Psychoson or ABL. All of these plugs cost a fraction of Roland’s versions and don’t come with ANY of the licensing BS.

TAL are amazing, so simple and straight forward ownership and they sound on point.

I used to own an SH-101 back when they were brand new. I loved the sound of it but it drove me crazy that I couldn't save my patches the way I could on my Juno 60 and JX-3P.

Anyway, it's been so long ago that I have forgotten how the hardware SH-101 sounds. I'm not sure if the TAL Bassline 101 totally nails the sound. But it is very musical and adds a lot of really useful features. The "de-click" feature is priceless when you have the Amp envelope in Gate mode. As I recall, the real SH-101 clicks like crazy (as does the Alpha Juno / MKS-50) when you have that abrupt cutoff on release. But the TAL sounds totally smooth.

Speaking of the MKS-50, I would love to have an emulation of that. Diva includes an Alpha Juno-style oscillator, but without the distinctive Alpha Juno / MKS-50 filter and multi-stage envelope, Diva patches don't sound totally authentic.

I second that.

I tried all the Roland cloud stuff and don’t get the hype to be honest. TAL is just as good.

Try the new Softube 101. Nails it

That “someone” may be me. :-)

As I said in the Roland Cloud thread… can the Roland version saturate like the real Jupiter 4? If not, everyone is entitled to like it or not for hundreds of reasons, but if the plugin can’t saturate like the Jupiter 4 on the video, the emulation is a failure:



(Sorry for cross posting)

I’m hoping there will be a boutique version at some point. I’d rather have hardware than the cloud. Even if it’s a little more expensive.

Jesus, what was that? That was not a pleasing saturation/thickening of the sound. That was full blown distortion. And it sounded awful.

I'm assuming if you dial it back you could get something more musical.

As it stands, I think I'd rather use the Cherry Audio Mercury-4 and run it through SoundToys Decapitator or maybe Softube's Saturation Knob at moderate levels.

The hardware is the key for me too. I can't deal with a mouse and connectivity to the cloud thing when trying to sculpt a sound to go with everything else. The System 8 is the only way I can possibly justify a plug (out/in).

Well, I guess I am stretching just a bit. I do still use some GForce clones for the rare string machines and MTron, but that is due to not having anything around here close except JV1080 patches which aren't totally convincing but useable to a degree.

Anyway, the System8 is a key tool for productivity for me compared to a vst version. I'm still on the fence about whether I like all the additional features added to the stock JP4 in this release. There is something vital about having the constraints that the OG synth place upon the player. It's totally part of the magic.

I bumped the ProMars off the third slot for now to have room for the JP4. I will have to buy a lifetime key to use the vst (if I ever decide to again) and that's a bunch of diddly I doubt I'll ever do. I''l probably die with the Sys8, JP8, Juno106 and JP4 on the System8. Can't see ever changing that combo.

“pleasing” is in your ears. :-)

Now seriously: I included a cleaner and a dirtier version of every setting on the video. Of course you can get full control of the effect with the VCA level slider. If the slider is very low, the sound is very clean.

Tbh it doesn’t really sound pleasing to me. And it sounds like distortion on top of the full mix, not per voice.

You made me curious though, so I tried this with the Jupiter-4 plug-out in my System-8. At first I was surprised to hear that they actually did emulate it. Turns out: I was driving my audio interface (Focusrite Octopre MK2) inputs too hard. It had a very similar distortion sound than the sound of your video.

So maybe Roland thought this was an undesirable effect and left it out intentionally.
Or maybe this only happens in a certain batch of JP4 units and Roland has modelled a unit that has its gain staging “fixed”.
Or maybe you were actually unintentionally driving your next device in your signal chain too hard like I did, but I assume you know for certain that you didn’t?

Anyway, I don’t really care about it. It sounds very good to me.

Only 3 minor things bug me:
1) It would have been nice if they added a proper mono mode.
2) It would have been nice if they added an option of last note priority (instead of low note) for the unison mode.
3) It would have been nice if you could turn off the Ensemble noise.

About the ensemble noise: I did find out you can turn it down significantly by lowering the condition parameter. At -128 it is almost silent. However, this does also affect other things like voice tuning. At -128 the tuning of each voice is almost perfect. Luckily, you can compensate for that by raising the Circuit Mod parameter, which adds voice dispersion This also affects envelope time dispersion per voice though (amongst maybe other stuff as well), so be carefull.

This sh|t again? Man, they really can't get a clue on things... Sure, emulate the original behavior, but give option for modern and more expected behavior too. It's what everybody else does in their emulations. Goddamn RC hacks.

Not you, the thing I’m talking about was audio only. The software does get nice and thick, but they seemed to have purposely limited the amount of overdrive from the VCA. Shame, really, though it still sounds great.