All about the Roland Jupiter-series

-----Original Message-----
From: Ernie Deakyne [mailto:ernie@...]
Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2000 11:10 PM
To: analogue@...
Subject: [AH] Need some Jupiter 8 Advice/Help


OK, here's the situation, I've found a rustic old JP-8 here in Portugal.
The seller wants $1000, which is fair, but it has some problems. I'd like
to know if, with the problems, that's still a fair price... Regarding the
problems, I'd like to know if anyone has ever experienced them before and
might know how difficult/possible it is to fix them. (Especially #8)

1. Cosmetics - not bad, but not good. Some rust, a few chunky crusty spots
on the paint job (old dried coffee??) very dusty/dirty... I haven't looked,
but I assume it's not the cleanest site inside.

2. Volume knob is really scratchy.

3. Headphone jack is dead.

4. Memory protect button is missing and memory protect is ON. There is no
way to save patches unless that is fixed :(

5. Tape Memory buttons are GONE! ... Can't use the cool Encore MIDI dump
features.

6. OSC leakage quite apparent. Almost as bad (but not quite) as my SID
Station. Is this normal?? I can live with it, but I want to know if it's
normal.

7. HIGH Frequency ringing from all outputs even when the volume is all the
way down. Might be a grounding issue/power supply problem??

****8. Biggest problem!!! - OSC 1 for the LOWER patch is very unstable. It
sounds like there is a ghost LFO or envelope on the pitch. It modulates
randomly and erraticly (sp?) ... If you play a few notes, it might sound
fine, but on the 6th note you play, or on the 4th note of a chord, that note
will sound totally off like it was just hit with a quick 5v saw lfo.
Essentially, 75% of the sound engine is working fine (I tested it for a few
hours) , but OSC 1 on the lower patch has very strange problems. Any ideas??
Yeah I know, I'll search the archives too :)

Other Info:

It has the DCB slot... 220v Euro version
Serial # 151436 ... Is this an early or a late JP-8 and which is good/bad??

Many thanks for any and all help.
--- -- -
Ernie Deakyne --- DJ Ernie D. -- Techno etc. - ernie@...
--- -- -
"This Existence of ours is as transient as autumn clouds. To Watch the birth
and death of beings is like looking at movements of a dance. A Lifetime is
like a flash of lightning in the sky, rushing by, like a torrent down a
steep mountain." - Buddha
--- -- -



[This message contained attachments]

-----Original Message-----
From: Caloroso, Michael E [mailto:CalorosoME@...]
Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2000 11:38 PM
To: '[*AH]'
Subject: RE: [AH] Need some Jupiter 8 Advice/Help

> OK, here's the situation, I've found a rustic old JP-8 here in

Portugal.

> The seller wants $1000, which is fair, but it has some problems. I'd like
> to know if, with the problems, that's still a fair price... Regarding the
> problems, I'd like to know if anyone has ever experienced them before and
> might know how difficult/possible it is to fix them. (Especially #8)
>

<snip>

OK, let's look at this from another perspective...

Someone wants to sell you a Harley Davidson with a wheel rim that is
severely bent, a handlebar that is twisted, a two-cylinder motor with a
broken piston shaft and leaking gaskets, and you're asking if the blue book
price is fair for a machine that is far from being capable of its designed
function?

This is a handyman's special. There are some serious problems that would
probably cost near as much in repairs.

> MC
>

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Opinions (and mistakes) expressed herein are my own and not those of my

employer.


[This message contained attachments]

-----Original Message-----
From: Kevin Lightner [mailto:heaven@...]
Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2000 11:44 PM
To: Analogue Heaven
Subject: Re: [AH] Need some Jupiter 8 Advice/Help

>2. Volume knob is really scratchy.

Possibly cleanable.

>3. Headphone jack is dead.

Often a resolder job on the molex-like connector that goes to this jack.

>
>4. Memory protect button is missing and memory protect is ON. There is no
>way to save patches unless that is fixed :(

Is the switch on in the back?
Good luck on finding buttons though :(

>
>5. Tape Memory buttons are GONE! ... Can't use the cool Encore MIDI dump
>features.

Other buttons or caps can be substituted, even from the same unit.
A matter of priorities sometimes. :(

>6. OSC leakage quite apparent. Almost as bad (but not quite) as my SID
>Station. Is this normal?? I can live with it, but I want to know if it's
>normal.

No, that's not normal. Sounds like it's been thrown around a lot.
Possibly bad grounds and other connections.

>7. HIGH Frequency ringing from all outputs even when the volume is all the
>way down. Might be a grounding issue/power supply problem??

Yep or moisture.

>****8. Biggest problem!!! - OSC 1 for the LOWER patch is very unstable. It
>sounds like there is a ghost LFO or envelope on the pitch. It modulates
>randomly and erraticly (sp?) ... If you play a few notes, it might sound
>fine, but on the 6th note you play, or on the 4th note of a chord, that

note

>will sound totally off like it was just hit with a quick 5v saw lfo.
>Essentially, 75% of the sound engine is working fine (I tested it for a few
>hours) , but OSC 1 on the lower patch has very strange problems. Any

ideas??

>Yeah I know, I'll search the archives too :)

Ain't worth $1000 now.... :(


K


[This message contained attachments]

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Kent [mailto:mikekent@...]
Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2000 5:45 AM
To: analogue@...
Subject: RE: [AH] Need some Jupiter 8 Advice/Help

> OK, here's the situation, I've found a rustic old JP-8 here in Portugal.
> The seller wants $1000, which is fair, but it has some problems. I'd like
> to know if, with the problems, that's still a fair price...

That Jupiter sounds like it needs a lot of work. So $1000 is too high. Maybe
$600 is okay, based on the fact that it needs more than a simple repair, it
needs rebuilding. If that unit there was about $600-$800 I might say go for
it if you are willing to take a bit of a risk.

You should also realize that there is a chance that some parts are simply
not available and in the end you may never get it to 100% condition.

I own one in mint condition. I'm currently rebuilding my second one that has
had major problems. When I'm done it may be worth about $1300 because I'm
replacing parts and in the end it should be in pretty good condition. But it
will only live again because I don't mind investing my own time and I have
another tech friend who is also putting in time at no charge. If I had to
send it in for repair, the restoration. would cost more than it is worth.

On the other hand you are in Portugal. I assume Jupiter-8 is going to be
even harder to find over there and probably worth more than here. So maybe
it is worth the price. But some of those missing parts may be a challenge to
find.

Regards,
Mike.

_______________________________________________............................
|Roland JUNO-60 |PERSONAL: .................
|------------------------------------=========|mikekent@... ....
| oo o..|||.||.ooo|||||.|||.| ||||oo 88 ooooo |members.xoom.com/mikekent/ .
|------------------------------------oooooooo |............................
||| xx . ___________________________________ |BUSINESS ..................
| == |UU|UUU|UU|UUU|UU|UUU|UU|UUU|UU|UUU|| |mikekent@... ...
|_______|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||_|............................



[This message contained attachments]

-----Original Message-----
From: Christian Hofmann [mailto:chris@...]
Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2000 1:47 PM
To: analogue@...
Subject: Re: [AH] Need some Jupiter 8 Advice/Help


On Wed, 16 Feb 2000 22:09:49 +0000
"Ernie Deakyne" <ernie@...> wrote:

> OK, here's the situation, I've found a rustic old JP-8 here in

Portugal.

> The seller wants $1000, which is fair, but it has some problems. I'd like
> to know if, with the problems, that's still a fair price... Regarding the
> problems, I'd like to know if anyone has ever experienced them before and
> might know how difficult/possible it is to fix them. (Especially #8)
>
> [...]
> 7. HIGH Frequency ringing from all outputs even when the volume is all the
> way down. Might be a grounding issue/power supply problem??

I have this too with my JP. I appears to come from the LED digit
display. It varies with the number of segments lit, and almost
dissapears when switching to manual, i.e. the digits showing "--". Might
be a shielding problem.

Christian


[This message contained attachments]

-----Original Message-----
From: Ernie Deakyne [mailto:ernie@...]
Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2000 4:45 PM
To: analogue@...
Subject: Re: [AH] Need some Jupiter 8 Advice/Help



Thanks for all the help thus far. I'm having the owner take the unit to
Roland for a repair estimate. I've also talked him down to a much more
reasonable trade which costs me almost nothing... Well, except for the
repair bill!!! But, it still sounds great even with all the problems, so if
Roland wants $1500 to repair it, then it will just have to be a 70%
jupiter.. Or a Juptier 6.8.

For future reference, is there anyone in Europe on the list that knows
where to find old parts?? I have this feeling that Roland Portugal might
not know too much about repairing such an old beast. Unfortunately I can't
do it myself and don't know anyone skilled enough, but if I can gather more
information/part suppliers contacts etc. then it might be an easier
process.

Thanks again,
--- -- -
Ernie Deakyne --- DJ Ernie D. -- Techno etc. - ernie@...
--- -- -
"This Existence of ours is as transient as autumn clouds. To Watch the birth
and death of beings is like looking at movements of a dance. A Lifetime is
like a flash of lightning in the sky, rushing by, like a torrent down a
steep mountain." - Buddha


[This message contained attachments]