ROLAND Jupiter 8 Analog Synthesizer

Jupiter 8
Filters: lpf 24 and 12dB/oct.,
2 PWMable VCOs but you can use ONE waveform per VCO only,
crossmodulation, no midi but some have dcb (a roland interface), very classic roland "mid" & 80ies kind of sound (meant positive here!), it is more "phat" than the jp6 - jupiter 8 has no midi, but can be retrofitted, so there are midified jupiter around:
if your ju8 has DCB (this depends on the release date) you can get a DCB to midi interface ( http://www.chd-el.cz/index.php?id=138%26lngid=en )
some are already equipped and some have non of these.. in that case it's not impossible but more expensive to midify your jupiter.. (service tech!) same situation for old juno users. a jupiter 8 can be expensive these days, it a bit below 2k€. only ebayers pay 2500€ ;) there are 2 LFOs - LFO is 64Hz max, LFO2 is 16Hz max. so it is "fast" but not as fast as the Ju 4-6's - the racked version mks80 came later and has midi (the ju8 had not midi, later it had DCB under the jupiter8a name). the mks80 has env1 mod for Xmod.. it's been said: it seems not to sound absolutely the same.. as close as those rev. versions of the prophet 5 ;) so better see the mks80 as a revisited jupiter8 with influence of the ju6 mod capabilities but no more 12dB/oct filter mode (and still no multimode filter like the jp6 has).. but it hasn't the ju6's way of choosing ALL waveforms per OSC.. but it has Xmod modulation.. but: try to get one with programmer (pg80 / mpg80) or use mark strijbos' editor ( http://home.hccnet.nl/mark.strijbos/mks80/software.html )
how does it sound? remember Axel F (Harold Faltermeyer)? big fat and somewhat "in" sound in the 80ies.
there have been some versions, find it out by power on & patch 1+3 held down.
Both: Jp6 and Jp8 and ( mks-80 ) are "so to speak" 2 times multitimbral ;) dual, split, unisono modes.. quite a lot for it's time..

Jupiter 8
MKS80 vs. JP8?
mks cons: no 12dB/oct filter mode, needs programmer or computer remote (not easy to edit on the box)
mks pro: more mod, bit like the jp6, same mods exept all mod switches being ONE of each destinations - on the jp6 you can have both., midi! the key follow was a slider in the jp6, in jp8 it's just a switch (on/off)

- LINK
Jupiter 8
http://www.chd-el.cz/index.php?id=138%26lngid=en
(DCB to midi interface)

http://home.hccnet.nl/mark.strijbos/mks80/software.html
mark strijbos' editor (mks80)

AUDIO FILE (download)
AUDIODEMO some audio by myself on the mks-80 (racked jupiter 8)

AUDIO FILE (download) by: Frank / MC4 (X)
more audio here at visiomedia


( all Tracks, including drums are Jupiter-8 only, Demo produced 1983 by Frank Luchs)