Weekend Leak: New Roland Boutique line digitally recreates the classic Jupiter 8, Juno 106, and JX-3P in small modules for under $400! Full pics and specs!

Over the weekend, eagle eyed reddit user Leviathant found that  Zzounds had accidentally posted the new Roland Boutique line early complete with high resolution photos and full specs, after Roland had teased last weekend that something new and retro-inspired was coming on their website.  While it was clear that the new line would be small and modeled after the Jupiter 8, Juno 106 and JX-3P, no other information was available besides some desperate attempts to make out what the keyboards looked like.

With the cat out of the bag before the big reveal from Roland, I've decided to post a quick brief of what the new devices are.  Each is a 4 voice knobby module (with an optional detachable 25 key mini keyboard) with MIDI, USB, battery or USB power, patch memory, built in speaker, and a sequencer.

The JP-08, modeled after the Jupiter 8, is slightly more expensive than its two siblings at $399, but the JU-06 and JX-03 (Juno 106 and JX-3P recreations, respectively) are $299.  The emulations of these new keyboards are based off the same technology used in the TR-8.

The modules are said to be limited edition, although how limited remains to be seen.  I can't help but imagine that this is a test to see how well they'll sell, and perhaps we'll see full 8 voice versions in the near future with a regular size keyboard.  Speaking of which, you can grab 2 of the Boutique synths and polychain them together to get an 8 voice synth.

The new Roland Boutique line is expected to launch November 8th.  Full specs just below.  For all the pictures, scroll down further.

Roland JP-08 Synthesizer Module

The legendary Jupiter-8 synth is back - as a limited-edition module no bigger than a book. Part of the Roland Boutique series, the JP-08 is all about hands-on control and that iconic Jupiter sound. With an array of 36 knobs and sliders from the original Jupiter-8 front panel, the 4-voice JP-08 is highly programmable and encourages sonic experimentation, especially with the built-in speaker and battery operation. Using Roland's acclaimed Analog Circuit Behavior (ACB) technology the JP-08 faithfully reproduces the original Jupiter-8 sounds and adds a few new twists in the form of extra LFOs and expanded VCO range. You can even slide the JP-08 into the K-25m keyboard unit (not included) for a self-contained, go-anywhere synth experience.

Huge Synth. Small Package. The Jupiter-8 was a big synth in every way; physically imposing with loads of knobs and sliders, and most importantly, a huge sound. The JP-08 retains the big sound of the Jupiter-8 but shrinks everything else - including the price - into a module measuring under 12" across.

Hands-on control With such an expressive sound engine, you'll want to shape the sounds to match your mood. With 36 of the original parameters accessible from the front panel, the JP-08 is all about hands-on control, and even users of the Jupiter-8 will quickly feel at home as the user interface and programming 'feel' is highly reminiscent of the original.

New Sound-Shaping Options Even though the JP-08 is an authentic recreation of the Jupiter-8, Roland also included a few extras. The JP-08 adds several new waveforms to the original architecture, including TRI and NOISE for the LFO and SIN for VCO-1, and both VCOs have an expanded range for even more sound shaping potential.

Develop Your Ideas with a 16-Step Sequencer The onboard 16-step sequencer is a sonic scratchpad that lets you try out new ideas without bringing lots of gear - it can even be used without a keyboard. And if there's no keyboard connected, the ribbon controller lets you preview the sound, making it an ideal way to program patches quickly and easily.

Optional K-25m Keyboard Unit The JP-08 works especially well with the K-25m, an optional 25-key velocity sensitive keyboard that takes your music making to the next level. Once docked in the keyboard, the module's front panel adjusts to three positions for convenient access to the knobs and sliders.

Chain Mode One of the killer features of the original Jupiter-8 was its ability to create huge pads, splits and layers using its 8 voices of polyphony. The JP-08 features a chain mode that allows you to connect two JP-08 modules using the MIDI ports and create one, 8-voice synthesizer, just like the original. Adding additional modules adds another 4 voices of polyphony with each module. This is especially great when controlling the JP-08 from a larger external keyboard. You can even edit the sound from the master module and control both units. Great for real-time filter sweeps and LFO effects.

Battery or USB Bus Power Some of the best music is made away from the studio, so the Roland Boutique series runs on 4 x AA batteries, ready for when inspiration strikes. Alternatively, you can power the JP-08 via USB bus power.

USB Audio Interface for Direct Recording Into Your DAW The built-in USB port also functions as a high-quality 24bit, 44.1 kHz audio interface, for a fast, simple and reliable way of recording directly to your DAW application. You can keep your favorite patches and sequencer patterns safe too, via the USB data backup function.

Going forward to go backward: Will Roland's AIRA series be a major hit or total miss?

The AIRA series, over-exposed to show detail

Rumors have been bouncing around on what Roland's new AIRA series could be, but I've been staying off the topic since Roland's mysterious unveils have not been what the synth community wants.  Furthermore, the initial news that the AIRAs would be digital quickly crushed the hopes that the line would be analog recreations of their popular 80s analog drum machines and synths, a la the Korg MS-20 Mini.

The most recent pictures unveil the true nature of each of the AIRAs, however-- a synthesizer called the System-1, a 303-like synth called the TB-3 Touch Bass, a vocal effect called the VT-3 Vocal Transformer, and a drum machine called the TR-8 Rhythm Performer.  The System-1 seems to be knob encrusted, with every standard synth knob accounted for, albeit with a 25 key keyboard.  The TB-3 appears to be light-up with a 16 step sequencer and some form of memory (I actually think the look of the keys is pretty cool-- see the picture below).  The VT-3 is the most mysterious, with some faders and a large knob with settings like "Vocoder", "Lead", "Bass", and "Auto Pitch'.  Finally, the TR-8 looks like a drum machine with volume-per-part faders, parameters for each sound, but also with a large knob that looks like it changes sound banks.  It's also worth noting it's called the "Rhythm Performer", not "Rhythm Composer" like the traditional 808 and 909, so perhaps it's hiding some nifty performance secrets.

So why does all of this matter to me, as a pretty analog-biased blogger?  Well, the AIRAs are a new technology for Roland, called Analog Circuit Behavior, or ACB.  ACB is not the standard "sample the instrument!" technology we're used to.  ACB works by modeling each component of the source of the sound-- so if Roland wanted to do a new 808 kick drum, they wouldn't sample the kick drum at different levels and settings and extrapolate in between those settings-- they would write equations for each resistor, capacitor, and transistor that goes into making the sound on that drum.  This same sort of technology was used for U-HE's Diva, which was heavily praised for its ability to capture analog-type sounds all within a plugin.  The AIRA series might just have a shot at doing the same, but instead of having this all in your computer, it's locked in the box of each of these new sound modules, with no ties to CPU, and portability, and immediacy for use live.

The most troubling question I find myself asking through all of this is, can Roland really do it at a good enough price?  Analog has become a huge standard in the past couple of years, and so many other synth companies have jumped on the bandwagon, so to speak-- Novation has the Bass Station II, Korg has the Volca line, Arturia jumped from pure digital lineage to the analog world.  The people crave the sound of analog, whether they think they know that it is or not.  So how can digital Rolands, which seem to be marketed at the same consumer base, make a splash?

My hope is that the fact that Roland is a big enough company with good enough R&D to find a good enough way to code all of this rich analog lineage into a chip inexpensive enough to shell out the AIRAs at a bargain.  The knobs and case are pretty much what you'd expect from a Korg or Arturia, so Roland is fighting on the inside, and it seems like a really tight race, considering there is a $300 MicroBrute out there.

Roland is trying to outsmart the industry with the AIRAs-- they've always said that they refuse to go backward, and always want to look forward to new technology.  The AIRAs are in some way a contradiction of that, but in the true spirit of looking forward.  Can the coded version of analog circuits beat out true analog competition?

What would you pay for an AIRA?  I can only think these stand a change if they're at the $300 level.  But I am hoping for the best-- the AIRAs look like a great design from the outside, and if they sound good and are fun to play, they might just restore some faith in the former synth giant.

Be sure to check out some videos below on the AIRAs and ACB.

(Pictures via CreateDigitalMusic)

Korg to announce a new product on 9/4. Will it be a MiniBrute competitor?

Via Matrixsynth

While the above are only renders, Korg is set to announce a new product on September 4th.  Because the MiniBrute is selling so well and no retailer can keep it in stock, could Korg be finally stepping in to capitalize on some fans who are tired of waiting?

Roland is also set to announce a new instrument tomorrow, but due to the company's track record with new analogs, it seems unlikely.  But again, perhaps the temptation of seeing companies do well will open their mind.

The above renders are an unlikely but awesome reality, so let's hope we get something close to that.

Pure Analog Synthpop by Synthjunk - Awesome Youtube Videos

Just came across this YouTube channel for a user named Synthjunk.  This guy has some awesome videos showing off his synth gear.  Lots of cool vintage synths-- Korg Monopoly, Roland Jupiter-6, Moog Prodigy and plenty of others.  His videos are also stylized very well, as all he lights the room with is a head lamp, which leads your eyes around the video.  Check out more videos below, or check out his channel for the complete collection.

Zenhiser's Roland CR-78 The Machine Sample Pack Review

CR-78 The Machine - Zenhiser Sample Pack Demo by The Synth Symp

The Roland CR-78 is a classic drum machine. Whether you've heard of it or not, it greatly influenced the sounds of the 80s and is featured on many famous tracks. Some of the artists who used it include Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Hall & Oates, Blondie, Ultravox, OMD, Roxy Music, and Gary Numan. While the CR-78 lacked full programmability like the Roland TR-707 or 808, it still had enough customizability to make it a great addition to any musician's studio. Unfortunately, eBay prices for this collector's item have forced it well past the $500 USD range. If someone wanted its classic sound for a new recording, they'd have to pay out a pretty penny for it.

When I heard Zenhiser was putting together a high-quality sample pack of the famous drum machine, I'll admit, I was pretty excited. The samples I had before this pack lacked any low end and needed desperately to be tampered with in order to make them come to life at all, so much to the point that I've never gotten anything I like out of them. With this new sample pack, I would be able to enjoy the sounds of the CR-78 without tampering with them or putting a massive hole in my pocket. But would it actually live up to such a classic machine?

Michael Jackson's Keyboards

Hey readers, hope you're all doing well.  Make sure you check back tomorrow (Thursday) for another big interview!

Have you ever been curious about what type of synths Michael Jackson used?  The King of Pop's sounds are incredibly famous and synonymous with the 80s.  Keyboard Magazine has put together an article on what types of sounds were used in Jackson's old records and have a comparison to what would have been used on his This Is It tour.  While it's always sad MJ is no longer rocking, talking his synths is a good way to pay tribute.  The article is here, but here are some of the cliff notes: