All user reviews for the Roland SH-101

Keyboard very comfortable to play in relation to competitors and korg yamaha of the time;
Controllers easy to use and above all quick to switch or toggled: Portamento / LFO mod ...
No MIDI, no FX, no memory => normal for analog.
Monophonic
Ability to stack as triangle wave, square + pwm, subosc and noise

USE

Super simple to use and very fast to modulate the sound

SOUNDS

Its Top and vintage

NOTICE GLOBAL

The arpeggiator is simple and powerful at the same time:
manual up / down and especially the notes are sequenced according to the chord played on the keyboard, all this combined with a really stable and powerful LFO and legato mode, making it a formidable tool;

The qualities of the machine stand out when it is passed in the external effects of good quality, including Dlay a distortion etc.

I think everybody knows the features...and if you don't they are easy to find.

The features might seem limited, and yet it's incredible what you can do with it.

UTILIZATION

Is it easy to make settings? The basis of subtractive synthesis.

Is the user's manual clear and comprehensive? ...never read it

Is it easy to edit sounds or effects? No effects. Editing is über-easy, every knob controls a single function. It couldn't be easier.

SOUNDS

Do the sound presets fit your music style? It's a mythical sound for electronic music, if it didn't suit me, I would be the problem.

Which sounds do you prefer / hate? ...
I love the basses, leads, distorted effects

Don't look for realism

I love the expression of the filter, as well, it livens up the sounds wonderfully

OVERALL OPINION

How long have you been using it? Used often, resold and rebought.

Did you try any other models before buying this one? Yes, everything, except analog or modeling units.

Which feature do you like the most / the least?
+ The ease of use, depth, soul, arpeggiator, mini sequencer.
- Nothing. When you buy this type of gear you know you'll have constraints: A brief warm-up time, no midi, no way to save presets... But who cares!!!

I always smile when people bad-mouth its sound qualities. Just remember this synth was chosen by the pioneers of electronic music and still is a favorite among some of its most venerated representatives, even though that wasn't Roland's intention... As with many Roland products, this product wasn't conceived to please the people that ended up using it, the latter are artists that decided to hijack it for their own purposes, because it SOUNDS GOOD!

Smooth and precise keyboard, 2 octaves shifter.
arpeggiator and built-in sequencer, cv & gate outputs, it allows you to control a modular synth effectively.

UTILIZATION

Easy and clear editing

SOUNDS

I totally agree with the previous review.
Especially the noise is amazing, much better than the Yamaha, for example.
I use it mainly for leads with an old boss chorus and a SE70

OVERALL OPINION

I bought it in the early '90s and have never let go of it.

Often imitated, never equaled, the SH101 has no competitors...I also like the new analog Vermonas, which have a similar color to analog gear of the early '80s.
I also have a pro one, same technology as the sh101: The sound is more raw and the lows more punchy, but, in my opinion,, when it comes to effects, arpeggios and leads, the sh101 is better!...I think it's due to a Roland filter.

The Roland SH 101 is a analog monophonic synthesizer that can be purchased online for just under 1000 usd, now I feel that price is a little to expensive. Yes it is a great piece of vintage gear, but anytime you purchase vintage gear you are taking a risk because it is so old that there will be something wrong with it when you get it. So I don’t feel the Roland SH 101 should be that much, I think it should be worth around 700 dollars. But if you purchase it you wont be upset, you will love the sounds and the ease of use with the Roland Sh 101.


UTILIZATION

Its pretty easy to use, really nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to vintage gear. The more you use this unit the more you will love it. that’s one thing that I can say that is good about it. Each time that I get a chance to use it I fall more in love with the sound and warmth of the machine.


SOUNDS

The sounds are great, some really good techno stuff, you can have all the control of the pitch and lfo with the pitch bender. Also the arp is pretty good too, you can use it to arp up and down and all in real time. The Roland SH 101 reminds me of a few other boards that have been used over the years in some recent music and it seems like this board gave a lot to the sound of the Juno line that roland has created years ago.


OVERALL OPINION

You will be happy with this boards sound and quality, but the price could be a little too much. It is a Very popular piece of vintage gear, and that could be why its so expensive but to me its just not worth that amount of money anymore. I wish I could have bought one for a lot cheaper than what they are asking for them.

SH101, "small" ynthé analog hides his game
No polyphony
No MIDI

Two octaves and a half to feast

UTILIZATION

The manual does not exist, it is found on the internet in pdf. but it was not used much.

The sound editing is very simple, just turn the knobs, remove the knobs and listen, try and listen, with a brief bit of practice it's OK

SOUNDS

No velocity, no after touch
Its totally unrealistic, if we find mêm are settings for trumpets, strings and other ... in the manual: o)

The bass sound is huge but it is more versatile than that to which the trouble to look a little

OVERALL OPINION

I have over 15 years, I paid a misery at the time, this was before the return of the "analog is really better."
I hesitate san referrai this choice but try the machine before.
in these older analog synths crachouille, are not very fair, or stable ... And all these symptoms nor the SH101 is not too sensitive.
Mine a little crachouille

Here is a super good analog synth!

Personal is the only synth I own, but he really a grain innimitable.

It has an arpeggiator {my taste that works very well} and a mini sequencer, which is totally useless!

It is obviously mono, but it is primarily intended for low to no problems!

For the waveforms {one called Random, too arrowroot if mimics are seeing R2D2! } Function noise and sounds really cool for very dirty!

UTILIZATION

Very easy after a few minutes to "hack" the settings we return to the head and use this little baby!

The handbook and does little clearer, but it is a machine so totu very intuitive!

SOUNDS

The Son Finally, it is wonderful, purely fantastic bass!

The warmth of analog basses and their inimitable grain makes a SH-101 Synthesizer that have must have!

If the moves were a little button "transpose" having fun with the settings may have lead sound out of many gloque!

Then as I said above setting "random" and a real treat for fans of R2D2!

OVERALL OPINION

I've had six months and I am fully satisfied and for the world el I sell, it did for me one of a good synth home studio must have!

These low, it was only fair merit the investment of a sh! {About 400 € which makes asses still affordable compared to some analog! }

It is the only synth I owned it true that if he e exel in the bass leads are clean and beautiful ...

But as I said before, it's a synth possessed!

A monophonic synth with a sub and a CSO CSO carractristiques same as the SH-09.
RSID Essenciel the difference in construction: the plastic and metal SH-101 or SH-09.
The HS-101 CHARACTERISTICS particulire the cre t have to play live in bandouilire, including his grip extension modulation and external power supply, even with batteries.

So the more lightweight, with blue or gray color Touge, the HS-101 stands out scne what will be a small rvolution the era.

UTILIZATION

We can not be simpler. 1 button = one function. This is probably the easiest to use synthe ever!

SOUNDS

This is THE synth fashion to make the acid is also very practical to take him on scne and play live. It is easy to find, so if you break it, we achte another.
Become the symbol of the synths to ACID's CTE rises excessively. Today it seems s'effontrer. Yet the SH-101 is capable of big sound, and 400-500 EUR adds a real vintage one grain setup.
His only problem is the background noise. It shhhhh. But hey did not vintage?

OVERALL OPINION

I possd an SH-101 in the 80's and I t. I also had a Korg Monopoly era and the SH-101 I used to add a few sales leads, and various noises.
I have purchased them for fun and I pltot t enjoyable surprise. In fact it allows you to add effects bass, lead an authentic trs trs shortly. Effective, probably the best choice for scne or first time synth.
But buy a device that verifies t because the filter is moving with time and is not always realize it ...

It includes the minimum that can be found on a synth .... and not much more.

UTILIZATION

Very simple, visual, good for learning "how it works" synthesis.

SOUNDS

Some would say "some good bass and leads ..", well .. uh ... it's still the least we can expect from a synth right?

OVERALL OPINION

It was my first synth, so I bought when he came on the market ... there are quite a few years. I bought it for the same reasons that a lot of people at the time, because I did not have much money and that it was an entry with all that this induces: look cheap (plastoc) and limited opportunities. I cut my teeth on it but soon found myself limited.

I'm actually very surprised at the premium of this vehicle today and see how it is praised. But it is true that everything is relative and depends on the budget and elements of comparison of each. Of course I will not compare it to analog monsters who were able to compose my set up, but still! I feel like any case, if it is stamped analog necessarily becomes a "must", which false.
I would not recommend even today to take his first steps in synthesis so its capabilities are limited and lagged price.

A good synth robust despite its cheapos plastok.
the keyboard is monophonic and enjoyable.

UTILIZATION

The edition is of logic and simplicity dconcertante

SOUNDS

Small but really tough, he can do everything, big bass, percussive sounds, the snare, the kick, hihat of synthetic well, leads soft or more hard, in short all the cosmic fx

OVERALL OPINION

At the 1984 era I possd two SH, one MC 202, 600 and a CSQ TR 707 and a juno 60 and it turns like a Swiss clock, in perfect sync cv gate in / out and yes the twelve o'clock arrived just

trrible sound as it is very difficult to find one today, nostalgia can be ...
I am DCID has found one, I lack both the SH

I have tested with other models since then but nothing comparable in this price range

Purely synth keyboard at the time (plastic feel), with the typical wheel Roland: Pitch X and Supplements Y. .. I always preferred the double wheels from Yamaha ...

The machine has an output line (normal) and a couple of I / O CV / Gate (in Volt / Octave, like all the Roland analos).

No effect, no editor PC / Mac, no polyphony is a monophonic analog sythétiseur the early 80's. At that time polyphony cost you an eye and the integrated effects were only fantasies for dreamers ...

UTILIZATION

I never had the manual ... But I do not really see its usefulness ...
Editing is always easy: a button / fader = function. The childhood of art ...

on the other hand, question structure, it is still a relatively basic: an LFO, a noise generator (white), a single VCO, a VCF (low pass ... but only capable of swinging) and an ADSR envelope generator.

The modulations are quite simple: no way (from memory) to the ADSR on the frequency of the VCO, for example ....

But hey: this is a good little monophonic. But not enough to cut off an arm! O)

SOUNDS

For not too strong leads (no sync or detune yeah ..: .. a single VCO), low BBW and electro blips, there's way.
But it will not come out the big sound that kills.

However, even then, it was not designed for that. It was a little synth solo for the stage (with the "fretboard"!). So we can say that has aged well: it is quite usable for what it was conceived over 20 years ... You can not really say that of all the synths! O)

OVERALL OPINION

It's a good little bike pretty nice: I discovered the subtractive analog synth "real time" (while I was typing on a migraine Yamaha V50 passing sleepless nights out sounds awful). For that, it's cool ... But this is not a feature of the SH101: analos all of the time worked like that.

However, when I see the bargain price, I thought I was dreaming. For just € 100 more, there are other vintage CS15 far more interesting .... So mef ': € 500 for SH101, I think it's a small price to pay ... That's why I put 5: the power / price.

But I repeat myself: this is a nice little analog mono.

- What is polyphony?

monophonic synth

UTILIZATION

- The general configuration is it simple?

Everything is so quick and easy I think

- Editing sounds is easy?

yes just to be at least curiously and hacker.

- The manual is clear and sufficient?

not need a manual, but there are even combinations of quantum key is to know, I found some tutorial videos on the internet for two things I did not know.

SOUNDS

- The sounds they are suitable to your style of music?

yes absolutely! to make his style AFX Analord is great nothing to do with my PC emulation (TAL BASS LINE)

OVERALL OPINION

- How long have you use it?

1 month intensively for a metrizable synth must seriously consider the above is no free even if the SH-101 is not complicated at all.

- What is so special that you like most and least?

I love all of the HS-101, the séquanceur nice but not easy against a metrizable by (100 notes) with the possibility of returning notes mute

Arpeggio also very convenient with this function transpose (in fact the transpose and is also very effectively on a séquance)

- How would you rate the quality / price?

bought 400 euros, but beware of scams! mine avai 6 keys that did not work, with the obligation to bypass the keyboard circuit and so on. remains a key gift I can not find the cause.
Finally, watch out for this smooth talkers that they believe are selling matoss niquel smoothly, quan happen at home we see the problems and by chance as possible to join the guy in question .

What type of keyboard (piano synth ...)? How many octaves?
monophonic synth touches plastic about 2 octaves 1 / 2
What Controller (pitch, modulation, sustain ...)?
paramtrable a pitch bend with vibrato function by pushing the middle of the wheel
What connection (Audio, MIDI, pedals ...)?
An output jack, connectors cv / gate non afternoon but easily modifiable
How many sounds, effects? What styles? Are ditables?
Oscilloscope 2 + 1 + sub noise
Via a utility Mac / PC?
What polyphony? ...

UTILIZATION

Configuration gnrale Is it easy?
simpler you die!
The edition of sound effects or is it easy?
All custom settings accessible: no external cable plug or any menu ..
The manual is clear and sufficient? ...
good manual but totally useless ...

SOUNDS

The sounds they agree your style of music?
I use it mainly for its low gnreuses (although, even when filtered) but colder than Micromoog example.
Are ralistes?
Dad is the synthse
The effects are they effective and responsive?
The expression is good? (Raction VLOC the aftertouch)?
VLOC but no possibility to adjust a little play with the filters
What are the sounds you prfrez, you dtest? ...
The percussive sounds are excellent with a sharp attack, I love it! Sounds like a killer on a bass amp / compression.

OVERALL OPINION

How long have you use it?
over 20 years! OCASI and bought for 150 euros!
What is the particular feature you like best and least?
All parameters are the excellent and re-enable the touch (nothing to do with all that has been APRS!) The least: its base a little cold.
Have you tried many other models before acqurir?
korg, moog, mainly Crumar
How do you report qualitprix?
overrated given its age, the synths DO NOT s'amliorent time!
Exprience with, you will do again this choice? ...
eyes closed

Synth super intuitive!

UTILIZATION

Fader = parameter, it is the dream ... One can not imagine more pleasant for a synth.

SOUNDS

Can be created fifteen billion sounds with eyes closed. A real pleasure.
Just let go hacking away!

If you start plugging it into a multi-effects pedals and guitar, we discover another fifteen billion of new sounds

OVERALL OPINION

I think it's my favorite synth of all categories (I prefer my MS20).

It's a mono synth, fully analog, without memory, where each parameter is directly accessible on the front panel. There is no simple and convenient.

Features:
A single oscillator at first, but you can mix the waveforms, and it has a sub oscillator and a noise generator. There is a detachable and adjustable portamento.
A resonant low pass filter, which can easily grow in self-oscillation.
One envelope, which can act on the VCF and VCA.
An LFO can act on the VCO, the VCF and the VCA. You can also use the noise generator as a modulation source, giving very good results.

There is also an arpeggiator and a small built-in sequencer.

UTILIZATION

Editing sounds is straightforward, simple and enjoyable. The calibration parameters are perfect. Everything reacts exactly as expected.

The keyboard is small: 2 octaves 1 / 2, luckily the little switch octave leap is convenient and well placed. It is controllable CV / Gate, and then access to five octaves, it is easy to control via MIDI converter.

The bender meets great, we arrive at a game very expressive, especially since the keyboard is nervous and reacts to a quarter of the hair.

SOUNDS

The sound of the SH101 is alive, not fat, I love it. Nothing to get rid of the oscillators are fine, the filter is great, the dynamic envelope is super!

One can only regret the absence of possibly a second oscillator for added versatility. At the same time, we would lose a little simpler and it's also what makes it to the point with this synth.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for more than 10 years, I never get tired.
The three things I love about this synth:
- Sound
- Expressiveness
- Simplicity

It is very difficult to talk price with machines that are 30 years old, so I did not venture

2 octave keyboard and a half (FA DO) with a switch for transposition of +1 / -1 octave.
pitch bend wheel (horizontal) / modulation (vertically) and dosed assignable to VCO / VCF and pitch separately.
arpeggiator and sequencer triggable by a gate signal is connected to the speed of the LFO.
I / O CV / Gate Standard (1V/oct). minijack in
main output and headphone jack 6.35.
HOLD pedal input jack 6.35.
Click on EXT jack 6.35: controls the speed of the arpeggio / sequencer

UTILIZATION

LFO: triangle, square, and random noise, from 2 to 20 hz. applies to the pitch with a slider and knob bender. VCF in PWM and the square of the VCO: a slider and a 3-position switch to select the source: LFO, ENV, or Manual (PW simple).
mixer section for the determination of the volume waveform of the VCO: SAW and SQUARE SUB with the oscillator and the white noise generator.
SUB OSC fairly complete: October square -1, -2, and PULSE -2 October October
then the section with conventional filter cutoff, resonance, depth ENV, LFO depth and Keytrack.
VAC: 1 switch to select between WRAP and GATE.
ADSR classic with a 3 position switch: Retrig or not, and trigger the LFO.

SOUNDS

that's the interesting part: Roland classic sound with silky Square, a pleasant SAW reminiscent of many TB-303. a filter that creamy little saturated self oscillates violently while being very musical, quite the opposite of PRO-ONE example. makes this filter ROLAND IR3109 (Jupiter 6, Juno 8 6-106, JX-3P) is my favorite filter in the world.
for a small monophonic (one CSO, one LFO ENV 1) it has a fairly comprehensive modulations, especially lack of ENV on pitch. Note that the NOISE shaped LFO can get very aggressive sounds unlike other Roland.
a standard brief recognizable at first listen.

OVERALL OPINION

past ten years that I practice that is my favorite bass machine. but it provides very good sound LEAD classic and sequenced sounds interesting. no complex modulations (or extreme) but a full, punchy, powerful and above all a shell prompt (analog), which ridicules the most recent synths.
I highly recommends that they though the rating used is overvalued (€ 350 seems a fair price)
Note that many changes can make very easy to turn it into the semi modular system 100.

Everything has been said above!

UTILIZATION

Very easy to use, it is a good way to get to analog. The only downside may be the arpegiator difficult or almost impossible to stall on a tempo ... Analog Analog!

SOUNDS

The range of sounds is not super wide but just for the bass that can come out, it's worth it!

OVERALL OPINION

For over 20 years, I always had at least one SH101, and I even had the handle at a time into a synthetic strap or the doc in Japanese! is a tireless and timeless synth, which I use mainly for bass sounds. It gave me this synth is pleased to spend days hacking away (and note my hacks on photocopied manual presets blanks!). That said, for some time, I went (oh sacrilege!) To more than honest emulation that fill the lack of control related to the analog ... it will make some jump, but I assume ...

- Keyboard 32 keys from an FA to an OD (about two and a half octaves)
- Monophonic
- The sounds are typical of a synthesizer, ie, unpredictable. The sounds that can modulate the Roland SH-101 are rather serious, and even then there is the possibility of transposing to higher octaves.
- There's a Pitch Bend (X, Y) adjustable pormento an adjustable one sequence and a ARPEGIO adjustable speed and "meaning" melody (ex: you can sequence DO-MI-SOL, and after play in the sense SOL-MI-DO)
- Works with a 9V or 12V adapter or with batteries (I do not know how, I just know they are very large and Cylinders)
- Possibility of adding a "grip modulation" to control pitch bend with an external control
- 1 Output, 1 Phones
- Outputs / inputs I do not know the value: "EXT CLK IN", "Hold", "CV / Gate = IN", "CV / Gate = OUT."

UTILIZATION

No need for a manual, this synth is very easy to use.
Of course, you have a multitude of potential given the number of adjustment possible!

SOUNDS

Analog sound.
To try to be clear, the sound of this synth can be used in progressive rock, it can be used as "Piano Bass" (that's what I did in fact, with electronic organ, and Hop, we go for the complete Doors!), one could even reproduce sounds at Daft Punk.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for a year now.
This is the first synth I have, and the only negative I have to proclaim is the mono ... I know, it's also a Minimoog monophonic and yet it is a great instrument, but the mono really limits us as to the total explotation of these little toys.
If I remake my choice, I rushed to a polyphonic synth.
Anyway, I will not complain, the Roland SH-101, I found it in the basement of a bar! :-P

Audio signal
CSOs with a PWM pulse sorting and mixable + Sub + Noise-> Q + VCF-> VCA
Control signals
1 LFO 1 ADSR + lever Roland Pitch & Mod + Porta
1 + step sequencer arpeggiator

Synthesizer features low

UTILIZATION

use could not be simpler. Just playing on the sliders!

SOUNDS

Interesting for a synth bass sound or two or even lead but without great originality: it is a Japanese synth (with some machines like the series MS / PS ...)
Filtering funny but too limited to modulation of the interesting things

OVERALL OPINION

soon purchased immediately I thought about selling it ... I still kept a good year ...

-Monophonic analog synthesizer.
-Controller core (mod, bend)
Noon-No .. it's CV / Gate synths like all vintage.
-A single audio output (mono)
Edit-developed enough .. it indeed the interest of analog synth.

UTILIZATION

-Wide configuration clear.
-Editing sounds not very simply the first quarter of an hour .. but with the doc ... in 30 minutes, we understand everything.
Manel-clear.

SOUNDS

TRANCE-SOUND .. a good bass sound, it quickly turn a TRANCE pace ... but you can do lots of other things with.
-The filter is very sharp ... very good, but ... there's only one ... sniff (a low-pass).

OVERALL OPINION

-Use for 4 days. But very happy.
-Strong point: price, sound possibilities.
Black-point: a single filter, plastic housing, bend fragile.
"I have also MS20 ... well, the MS20 is better ... but the sound of sh-101 is less dirty ... and then we can not really compare them.