Roland Jupiter-50

The Roland Jupiter 50 is a very expensive board to me. I just don’t understand why it needs to cost so much with the other boards on the market like the Fantom that too me is better. This board cost around 2,000 but if you can find an authorized dealer with a cheaper price most local stores will price match. that’s the only good thing about the price. But about the board its self, its pretty sleek and comes stocked with a ton of good quality usable synths.


UTILIZATION

Its not hard to get started and up and running, but if you are use to using the fantom like I am it can be a little different mainly because of the screen. The screen is so small and isn’t color it’s a little harder on the eyes to me with that darker background and the words and stuff are in a lighter color. But I cant say I had any issues with it, it works great and everyone else seems to be writing good reviews about it. One of the new features of this board is that it has an on board USB slot. I don’t think I have used another keyboard that had that option.


SOUNDS

Sounds are good, I am usual not a fan of the Rolands boards outside of the fantom. But this one is actually really good, just too expensive. It has some very good effects and I love the reverb on it. When you purchase this it comes with Sonar, it has a plug in for sonar so it syncs right up and works great.


OVERALL OPINION

Overall, a great board but the price is a little bit too much for me. Good thing that I found an authorized dealer with a cheap price so I got a good price match as a local store. Because if I didn’t get that discount I would not have got this board. But it is a good quality board and you will love the sounds and functionality of it.

Difficult to go after Lekanut, an expert in synths and especially Roland, but I'll make a little "summary" of this beautiful synth.
6 octave keyboard, synth type, with a very nice touch (but not aftertouch). Very good build quality, metal. I wish he had the wooden sides!
Sounds about 1500, more than 2,000 "live sets". Arpeggiator not easy to tame without a computer (prohibitive for me who does not use it).
Large enough screen, enough for a live game.
Very light for a keyboard of this type (11 kg).
I think it is a very beautiful instrument, with all colored buttons.

UTILIZATION

This is a synth made to live. It is very rich in sounds of all kinds. Can of course edit in depth, but in this case use menus, sub-menus, sub-sub menus ...
It therefore contains two categories: raw sounds themselves, and live sets, which are, as their name suggests, made to live. They include between one and four sounds, usually enriched by effects. Opportunity to create their own live sets (2500 personal sites) and call them quickly.
Front, only 2 knobs for the filter (cutoff and resonance), but it's something.
And on the right, a USB music player, very practical, with the possibility of loops. I'm used to play arpeggios including 2 songs Muse (Bliss and Map of the problematique) because I could not do it with the arpeggiator.
Small defect, the volume of presets is very different from one sound to another, so think about adjusting the volume before playing in a group or live.
Fatal flaw: no aftertouch

SOUNDS

The strong point of this synth!
The raw sounds are divided into Supernatural Supernatural Acoustic and Synth.
The acoustic sounds are excellent in all categories. For example, the string sounds, either guitars or violins, how to play an enormous impact on the velocity, and suddenly makes the nuances that a real guitarist or violinist to bring his game
As for electronic sounds, they summarize 40 years of history of synths, with hundreds of patches of old Jupiter, Juno, SH and other brands. There is something for everyone.
And Live Sets are very very powerful.

OVERALL OPINION

I'm not a purist analog, and I did not know the old synths, so I was not shocked by the name of this synth. But from what I understand from reading the forums, the Jupiter 50 and its big brother the 80 suffered from this marketing coup. I think if Roland had appointed otherwise, they would have been more successful because they are really beautiful machines. I got it for € 1,590, whereas initially it was 1990. But I think even the price at which I got high, € 1,200 would seem to me more accurate (especially with the new Roland FA that are more complete and have as many sounds).
I sold six months after purchasing it, as pure keyboardist, lack of aftertouch has bothered me a lot. I opted for the Kurzweil PC3LE8 (nine for only € 1,100), which by itself has replaced 3 of my keyboards (Jupiter for the richness of sounds, the Roland FP 4 to touch piano - a little less hard, however, - and arranger Yamaha PSR 1500 for the sequencer).
I do not have that choice today, but I'm still happy to have possessed, because as I said, it's a nice keyboard with great sounds. However, before buying, think 2 times and properly assess their real needs.

Before anything else, I must clarify that I did not buy this keyboard.
In general, I do not put an opinion on a keyboard that I do not possess, however, this keyboard is disregarded and I think it can be useful.
Why?
Well, simply because I am a posseseur jupiter 80 I know very well (I shoot with soon since 1 years) so I know exactly what this technology represents roland supernatural.

I went to try expression in detail what the keyboard while mastering already at its parameters (since they are virtually the same in my edition jupiter 80).
I listened to the sounds in an attempt to identify differences, and my perspective was not what it was 50 in the stomach, but rather to understand its differences compared to mine.
I think it is legitimate to give an opinion here ..

Here, to begin a 76-key like that makes 11 pounds, it does not grow on trees!

If you look at the quality of finish:
It is a pleasant surprise.
The top panel is aluminum, and plastic finish on hand is below does not at all cheap.
Of course this is not the jupiter 80 (how to do better, a real tank!) But it is not cheap at all like the M50 series or korg yamaha mox (value at attractive prices, however).
I raised a good look from every angle (I can dir I tried the little beast) and it's really good we can say!
I think that apart from the north electro NORTH, you will not find better finished, even if the new home of Krome korg is better than the previous M50 (but I have not yet got hold of it.)

Another wonderful surprise touch:
excellent.
Quite close to that of 80, nothing to do with the low-end again.
That which is on this point quite the J50 as an appropriate choice for a keyboard player that does not sacrifice the touch.
This is also one of its main assets: report gaming pleasure / lightness and compactness is at the top of the market and is an alternative to training 73 north, north electro.
(There is no 150 keyboards on the market that are light and which exhibit a feeling not too cheap.)

Yes, because as this keyboard is a little disregarded, it is unclear how to locate his touch .. Well this is a really good touch as we do not find on any other Japanese keyboard that the weight (because you know all the keyboards very lightweight suffer plastocs touches, and well it's just almost at his big brother Jupiter 80 .. surprising!)


UTILIZATION

His problem was that jupiter 50 is that it does not have the same mode of selection that the big brother (jupiter 80), just 4 buttons Registration more selection buttons choice of bank.
That's a problem: the 80 is calibrated to provide several modes of selection of sounds rapid scene (the touch screen 50 does not, no buttons on the keyboard like a big .. and use this is not the same thing at all.)

The screen and the menus (which ergonomics)
2 ways of seeing things:
1-If you have not jupiter 80, he returned to competition with the screens of the same type as those in the mid-range series roland (junos) yam (mo) and Korg (m 50)
Take the shot, forget the touch and think like we do with what type of screens for years.
And it's going, it is playable and has the same edition as the means of big brother.
But it's not super exciting if it was used to work on the 80!

2-Yes, because here is the order in time of posseseur 80, ca makes you not want to go into this type of ergonomics is something else .. and not as pleasant and straightforward (you wanna get into layers by clicking and you have the impression of being punished was not able to do so.)
After, you know that if you have an ipad you can to get to in the types of screen edition of big brother in this way, and it is getting more pleasant for once (it is rather the lies in my opinion the interest the ipad because otherwise I do not see too when you have the interest to 80)

In resumé, a use it does not give the same pleasure as the big brother is on, but at least he has the majority of its capabilities!
Simply, it will go through the menus and tabs .. no classic touch.
It is playable though.

After, if one considers its synthesis, its various parameters .. nothing complicated in absolute terms because of the VA series jupiter 50 and 80 is very simple to identify its potential edition

After it is weaker than the 80 to switch on stage in the set list setlist .. (or the 80 is just a killer)

SOUNDS

-Sound:
You know if you analyze its structure it presents some architectural differences (missing a live set has 4 layers from the layer 80, and some supernatural acoustic tones)
In the end, all the main sounds and 80 are the grain, which is more than positive.
Against by stacking layers (and with a live set additional 4 layers) on 80 can get a bigger sound, and keeps the advantage!

Regarding pure analysis of what makes the sound of the keyboard, I invite you to read my opinion very big on jupiter 80, because 85 percent of its sounds are similar (supernatural synth are the same, the acoustic supernatural are the same engine with a few less.)
I did not go my copy expression further notice, but read it felt exactly the sound of 50!

In summary, grain 80, but fewer layers thus less big sound!
In practice, however, except a stack 32 oscillators want the 50 will make all the amenities including a keyboard player needed (good pianos and eps, the potential of synthetic sounds .. short, good for service)

OVERALL OPINION

In conclusion, my feeling '
Shared for several reasons:
Positive, because it is a very good keyboard that sounds good and has grain, and especially very light which makes it very attractive if you want a keyboard to take everywhere with great sound and not break your back!
From this point it is the top.

-An opinion less favorable if we consider it does not return the pleasure to use his big brother .. of course it is below the range, but say it is something else.

Those who are not 80 do not necessarily soufriront however, there is no trap no longer in ergonomics should not exaggerate.
Say what makes something unique 80 does not exist on the 50's all.

In the end:
Despite its sound quite interresting compared to its competitors upscale, its main problem is in my opinion the price:
A 1990 euros, you get back almost in competition with one motif XF .... and when it is hot to the characteristics.
It should be around 1500, and my reasoning more measured soar.
Nevertheless, a good touch, good build quality, good sound ... and all this lightweight ca us a good keyboard and it is the prinicipal.
Its big advantage is that a lot of synth sounds supernatural tear to death .. and it is in the box!
And if you like it hot roland kernel (which I find superior to its competitors personal) and well it sends the 50 steak!

Anyone who wants a keyboard with a very light touch pro will not find much better for big synth sounds and a great touch on the market.
There will be the electro north will be higher on some organs .. on pianos and eps ... but the rest is the jupiter 50 which torn.
It is still necessary that people are discovering ..
(May be that the success of the integra 7 will discover this grain roland supernatural .. and he will want to discover some of the jupiter 50)

See data sheet of the manufacturer.

UTILIZATION

Very fast adaptation to the construction of live set, editing is simple from the screen, but with an Ipad is a pleasure!

SOUNDS

I hesitated a long time before my purchase, my priority was to get the sounds of instruments and sounds! SuperNATURAL acoustic sounds not only reproduce the sound of an acoustic instrument but also expressive playing techniques that are own! SuperNATURAL synth sounds realistically recreate a wide range of sounds ranging from vintage analog synths (Roland SH JUPITER, D-50, JD-800, Fantom) with keypads. The JP50 helped me threw my sound libraries and plugins to my basket, become useless and obsolete in terms of quality.

OVERALL OPINION

The sounds are really great, the possibilities of layering and editing as the effects are at the top, I'm not a pianist or keyboardist, and I do it again the same choice without hesitation.