-----Original Message-----
From: Alistair Wilson [
awilson@...]
I signed up yesterday.
I have a Jupiter 4, miss computronic.
I use it on practically all my tracks for ambience, funk leads, and
percussive
spice.
Here's my question to throw out:
What is the best sound to use to externally trigger the arpeggiator? The
manual
doesn't mention the best frequency nor decibel range. I use a basic rimshot
right now, but it's nowhere near as smooth as the internal trigger.
Late, Alistair
--------ends here----------
I've been searching the AH archives and found the following messages. If
this doesn't help, I'm afraid you'd need to get your hands on a service
diagram and a user manual. With those you must be able to find out which
frequencies trigger at best response. Please share your findings with the
list.
Later,
RVe
---------------------------
---------------------------
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 03:20:26 -0700 (PDT)
From: Tom Moravansky <
tmoravan@...>
To:
carl.hulten@...Cc: analogue heaven <
analogue@...>
Subject: Re: Jupiter-4 - two versions?
>=20
> hey everyone ,
> I=B4m on the lookout for a Roland Jupiter-4 , but there are hints in the=
=20
> archive about two versions. Are the differences mainly on the surface of =
the=20
> thing (the wooden ends) or are there internal changes as well?
> I should think that there were no changes , but just to be on the safe si=
de=20
> it would be nice to know what to look out for , you know.
>=20
>=20
There were a number of revisions to the voice cards. This is only
important if you need to replace a voice card or want to buy
an extra one. The service manual details which revision can replace
other revisions. It also shows how to modify a card to be
compatible. I believe (although I haven't looked at the schematics
in a long time) that the latest rev (D) cannot be plugged into an
early motherboard that supports the early (rev A) cards. Once again,
it's only important if you need to replace a voice card (or buy a
second JP-4 for parts).
Functional differences are 0. The presets may sound slightly different,
but I don't spend a lot of time listening to the JP-4 presets so....
Also - if you buy a JP-4, get a service manual from Roland. It is
essential for tuning and for adding any mods like separate cv/gate for
each voice.
Service manual aside: I know that Mark Glinsky, myself, and others
provide copies of service documents when asked, especially for out
of business companies or out of print manuals, but I still feel that
if the synth company is still in business, and they still have originals,
that is the best thing for you to buy. Don't try to save $15 by getting a
copy from the net folks. The main reason is that the original is often
multi-colored to show the various circuit paths and components and the
printing is often very fine and some of that is lost when you go to a
black and white copy. Also, some companies (Roland, Yamaha) love to have
very large foldouts. Sometimes these foldouts are larger than 11x17.
I know I would easily pay $30 for an original set of Jupiter-8 schematics=
=20
because I can't read all the part numbers on my circuit board layout pages=
=20
on either of my copies (one from Roland, one from Mark).
From
fEEd@... Tue Jan 17 10:08:53 1995
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 95 03:48:54 CST
From: fEEd <
fEEd@...>
To:
analogue@...-state.edu
Subject: Re: Jupiter-4 info wanted
On Mon, 16 Jan 1995 17:36:34 -0800 (PST),
Mike Perkowitz <
map@...> wrote:
>(feed, you have one of these, right?)
10-4.
> is the architecture essentially the same as the 8?
Lets see. The rambling rundown of jp4 architecture is:
1 VCO (triangle, square, square with PWM) and a switchable on\off sub osc.
1 LFO (sine, square, ramp up and ramp down)
1 switchable on\off noise source (no level, just on or off)
HP filter (like jp8)
LP rez filter
2 env (adsr) one for the filter (which you can invert), one for the VCA
All the regular modulation routings you would expect (lfo->VCF, LFO->PWM,
etc...)
Lets see, what did I miss....alot of odds and ends. It has an "ensamble"
switch whihc adds a chors much like the juno 106 chorus which can be quite
nice. You also can VERy easily overdrive the amp and get a good bit of
distortion, it even has a little light that goes one when you do so.
neat-o. ;> The pitch bend lever can be assigned seperately to VCO\VCF\VCA
and can do regular bends or apply LFO modulation. This all might not seem
like very much, but it really can be a a great synth. It is like getting a
nicely programmable, 4 voice sh-series, and I don't mean sh101.
There are 8 memory locations for your patches and 10 presets (ranging fro
"piano" to "the force" ;). The patch\arp\etc switches are all located on
the front of the jp4 BELOW the keyboard, so be careful while playing or you
might bump a switch and goof up your 3rd encore of "Breaking up is hard to
do" big time!
>how about the
>sound? is it
>8-like?
To me, the sound is much more akin to the early sh series, like the sh2.
Much more of an "old time" analog sound than the jupiter 8, which makes
sensesince it is older! ;> It also has the worlds slowest LFO, at least I
haven't found any slower.
PERSONAL OPINION ALERT: I like the sound of jp6 and jp4 MUCH more than the
jp8. I have never been much of a jupiter 8 fan, especially after I played
"comparable" synths like the jp6, memorymoog and ob8. I put the jp8 with
the XPander and Pro-one in that select class of analog synths that i
just don't get along with real well. When I first start using them I
expect big tings, but for some reason they rarely pay off for me. Then
there are synths I am just plain sick of like the sh101 and juno 106, but
that is for another day.
>(i have a jp6 -- is it different enough sounding to
>be interesting?)
Oh yeah, definitely. It has its drawbacks, like there is no range
function on the stupid arpeggiator (up, down, up\down and random), so it
runs the length of the keyboard, but at least it can be synced up via a
click it. The click in can also be assign to triger some filter modulation
which is nice.
>can you split the keyboard?
Nope. But the mono mode can cause involuntary bladder leakage. ;>
>and finally, does it have
>cv-gate ∗inputs∗? i hear that it has one cv/gate pair for each of its 4
>voices. yes? interesting.
Nope, no dice on the cv\gate inputs. I had mine modded to have this, so it
can be done. Tho mine seems to be rather sketchy at times. CV input on
the filter tho which is nice.
I would like to get mine midied at some point, any suggestions?
Rob
"The patch in fig. 2-23 gives the sound of a cracking whip. (Why
don't you try to synthesize some screams to go along with it?)"
- Roland Model 104 Sequencer Manual
From
jupiter4@... Tue Jan 17 10:12:40 1995
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 10:21:31 +0000
From: Dave's Synth account <
jupiter4@...>
To:
analogue@...-state.edu,
fEEd@...Subject: Re: Jupiter-4 info wanted
>
Hi gang,
Thought I'd chip in about my namesake
:
I bought mine in 1981 for 1050 UK pounds. Cut down from RRP of 1800!!!!!
Its a beast. Heavy to lift.
I dropped mine once after a gig pissed up.... It never noticed .....
I have also completely stripped it down and rebuilt it (1987)
And I have backed up the 2 Intel 8748 Micro controllers in it.
There are pots inside you can twiddle as well on each of the voice boards if
I remember right.....
Roland should be able to supply the Service manual....
Rob how could you say it has triangle wave, when you know its a sawtooth on
the VCO :-) Have you been drinking ???
The synth is also split into 2 sections one for programming and one for
modifing
previously saved or preset sounds.
The VCO, VCF, VCA and ENVS are the programming section and the modifier
section
contains the LFO, VCF mod slider and rate for arpeg/VCF mod. The VCF mod is
actually sample and hold (you know random modulation type thing) don't know
wht
Roland called it that, OKAY so it only works on the VCF ......
THE LFO is not only the slowest but also one of the fastest. It goes right
into FM. According to the manual I think it goes up to 100Hz.
It has two modes of operation normal and bend. One is for normal and the is
hyper
fast or mega slow!!!. It has two sliders for rate. One master and one in the
modifer section. I think the LFO shape is non modifiable when programmed
but the rate can be changed.... Good fun can be had twiddling both
rate sliders :-)
> 1 VCO (triangle, square, square with PWM) and a switchable on\off sub osc.
> 1 LFO (sine, square, ramp up and ramp down)
> 1 switchable on\off noise source (no level, just on or off)
> HP filter (like jp8)
> LP rez filter
> 2 env (adsr) one for the filter (which you can invert), one for the VCA
> All the regular modulation routings you would expect (lfo->VCF, LFO->PWM,
> etc...)
>
> Lets see, what did I miss....alot of odds and ends. It has an "ensamble"
> switch whihc adds a chors much like the juno 106 chorus which can be quite
> nice. You also can VERy easily overdrive the amp and get a good bit of
> distortion, it even has a little light that goes one when you do so.
I remeber the manual saying,, don't let the red light come on. Wise words
from
Roland. But then check out the Bass Preset. Blatt a few keys and the RED
ligfht is dancing....
> neat-o. ;> The pitch bend lever can be assigned seperately to VCO\VCF\VCA
> and can do regular bends or apply LFO modulation.
Yea its great!!!! Total maddo crazy out!!
This all might not seem
> like very much, but it really can be a a great synth. It is like getting
a
> nicely programmable, 4 voice sh-series, and I don't mean sh101.
Bloddy hell no! The SH101 is a ...... stop before you start there Dave ...
> To me, the sound is much more akin to the early sh series, like the sh2.
> Much more of an "old time" analog sound than the jupiter 8, which makes
> sensesince it is older! ;> It also has the worlds slowest LFO, at least I
> haven't found any slower.
Yea nice old sounding. MAd noises, to Basses, to Strings. And a seriously
SLOOOOOOWWWWW LFO
>
> PERSONAL OPINION ALERT: I like the sound of jp6 and jp4 MUCH more than
the
> jp8.
The Jupiter 4 is definately in a different ERA to the 6 or 8.
According to the service manual the earliest release was 1978....
The legending on the Panel is also quite moving in a seventies space age
writing kinda way.....
>
> Oh yeah, definitely. It has its drawbacks, like there is no range
> function on the stupid arpeggiator (up, down, up\down and random), so it
> runs the length of the keyboard, but at least it can be synced up via a
> click it. The click in can also be assign to triger some filter
modulation
> which is nice.
Yep .....
> Nope. But the mono mode can cause involuntary bladder leakage. ;>
Yes quite gutty ....
>
> I would like to get mine midied at some point, any suggestions?
I would like to get mine CV'ed or MIDIed....
Just my 10 shillings and sixpence worth .....
Cheers, Dave ........................
BTW mine still has the original Nicad for the Battery back up in. It was
once
left standing for a year without being switched on. All my patches were
intact
and still are... By heck they don't make 'em like that anymore guvnor,
munch,
chew, spit, ...... ting,,.. widdle....