AN1x vs. JP-8080 Hi guys,
Here's my (un)biased opinion:
I don't have a JP-8000 but I do have Roland's JP-8080 (Rack) which essentially is (but not exactly) the same as the JP-8000, and I think it compliments my AN1x very nicely. Excluding the obvious Vocoder stuff, they essentially both have all the same features.
The "Saw" waveforms on the AN1x and the JP-8080 do sound different - and dare I say it, the JP-8080 is more reminiscent of the natural raw 'saw' in the TB-303 (not that that should be the deciding factor, but simply an observation). It also features "Control1" and "Control2" knobs for both of its oscillators which depending on the oscillator, alllow different alterations to the waveform. There is also a Feedback Oscillator with Harmonics control making some interesting sounds (not unsimilar to those wonderful lead sounds used by Oliver Lieb in his LSG work - just for our German AN1x'ers!).
The Effects section on the JP-8080 is by no way as sophisticated as the AN1x. For example, there is only a single Distortion FX, and its only adjustable parameter is a Level control (Does the JP-8000 even have Distortion???). Other than the rest of its Multi-FX (one at a time), there is a separate Delay section, but NO REVERB!!!! What!!!!! There is however, a pair of simple yet useful dedicated knobs for Bass + Treble Tone control. The Effects is one area where the AN1x really shines. The AN1x essentially has a fully-featured FX engine. It seems that since they (Yamaha) have already designed the chips, they pop them into all their gear. For example, Yamaha's A4000/A5000 Samplers feature 96FX-types and you can even route any external audio through it and use the Sampler as a dedicated FX unit!
BUT, how do the AN1x & JP-8080's overall sounds compare??? Well, there is no doubt about, they're both capable of producing sonic textures unique to each other. If you want my opinion on which is the "PHATTEST"??? (Oh, how I hate that term!!!) Well, my answer is.... wait for it.... it's coming..... insert another 20c into the phone before I get cut off..... the AN1x!!! There, I thought that would make you all happy! BUT let me just say tht I love sounds from JP-8080 that I can't dream of reproducing from my AN1x, so I won't be running out to sell it for another AN1x. You can still get great floor-shaking bass from the JP-8080 and but my observation has been that sometimes when comparing two similar patches side-by-side, the AN1x seems bigger with a certain degree of 'warm darkness' to it (what ever ∗that∗ means!) ;-)
The JP-8080 wins hands down on knob/slider per parameter - nothing beats that! My biggest gripe is that the MIDI Rx channel is saved within the patch. It's a bit of a pain to go into a menu and reassign a new MIDI Rx channels when playing around with different patches that may be sequenced from the same MIDI Tx channel, but if using a computer sequencer always set to Tx on channels 1 and 2 you won't have too many problems.
Well, that's about it. I like them both pretty much on even par. And we haven't yet got to the fun that can be had by passing drum loops through the JP-8080's external inputs!
The verdict:
AN1x - 1
JP8080 - 1
Oh dear, we have a tie! But if you want my opinion over the JP-8000 and the JP-8080, I'd definately go for the JP-8080 - it is the better featured of the two (minus obviously a keyboard). In fact, there is even an option to even re-load the JP-8080 with the sounds of the JP-8000!
Hope you like my (un)biased opinion. We're still comparing 3 year old virtual-analogue technology here. I really would like to get out and do some A/B testing between the AN1x and the newer stuff that's coming out eg. Virus, MS2000, Waldorf, even the Novas?????
Cheers guys,
Phil :-)
From: "Peter Korsten" <peterk@...>
Reply-To: AN1x-list@egroups.com
Date: Tue, 1 Aug 2000 23:39:00 +0200
To: <AN1x-list@egroups.com>
Subject: Re: [AN1x-list] Re:Fairlight/ An1x Vs. JP-8000
From: "tspeer" <tspeer@...>
> > From: "Peter Korsten" <peterk@...>
> >
> > Interesting to note, however, is that one friend of mine prefers the
JP8000
> > sound over the AN1x, while the other one (who happens to have a shitload
of
> > 'real' analogue synths) is of the opposite opinion.
>
> Hmmm... another comparison of a superior sounding instrument(An1x) to one
> with a superior interface (JP-8000).
Well, I think we can agree that the JP8000 has a far better interface
(except for selecting patches, I think), but this was actually about the
sound.
Both of my friends have played with the JP8000 of a French friend of theirs,
and both have played with my AN1x. Now friend #1 thinks that the sound of
the AN1x is mostly based on its effects, and that the JP8000 sounds better.
Friend #2, however, didn't really like the JP8000, and thought that the AN1x
sounded really analogue (and he should know, since he's got some 20 analogue
synths, including a CS60).
So that's something that has got me wondering. Now this list probably is
'kind of' biased, so I won't be asking which one you think is better. But
perhaps beauty is in the ear of the beholder, as well as in his eye.
>From a pure technical view, the AN1x is better specified, and that at a
lower price. But no longer for sale, though. :)
- Peter