(see rating details)

Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.

Highly recommend the Jupiter XM! There are 7 main model banks to choose from, with many presets: Jupiter-8: 116 presetsJuno-106: 122 presetsJX-8P: 117 presetsSH-101: 102 presetsXV-5080: 896 presetsRD-Piano: 005 presetsJupiter-X: 158 presets This comes to "1,516 presets" of unique Synth timbres! Many sound sculpting controls as well: different Oscillator choices, Vintage Filters (basically EQ shaping), Reverb, Delay, Chorus, Drive, and a Vocoder option (just plug your microphone into the back and you're good to go)! If you've heard the songs "Space Age Love Song" by Flock of Seagulls, or "Catch Me I'm Falling" by Real Life, then you are familiar with the amazing range of high-energy sounds from the Jupiter-8. That being said, I have not heard an original Jupiter-8 Synth in person, so I can't judge how close the Jupiter-8 presets are to the original. I have been recording songs with 80's style arrangements using this Jupiter XM, in conjunction with an original Yamaha DX7 as a second Synth. I take my chord progression and play through every setting on both keyboards, auditioning the sounds I like, recording a sample verse & chorus, scrolling through many possibilities to find what works best for each song.Both have very different "flavors", and although the "EP" Electric Piano sounds are decent on the Jupiter XM, they don't equate with those from the Yamaha DX7 (more crystalline and features "Percussion Decay" in the sound). That being said, one area where the Jupiter XM really excels and outshines the Yamaha DX7 are the "pads". Sounds I've favored in my recordings so far:-Jupiter 8 "002: Dirty Little Pad" -Juno 106: "024: Ambient Pad"-Juno 106: "113: Soft Strings" [Vintage Filter: "R"]-J8-XP: "082: Soundtrack"-XV5080 "817: Jupiter21" [Osc: PCM || Vintage Filter: "S" Sequential /Oberheim)- XV5080: "558: Warmth Pad" [Vintage Filter: "R"]-RD Piano 001Jupiter X: "041: Siren Pad"Also if you want to buy an "expansion", there is a Roland-D50 download option from their website.

Musical Background:

Musical Style:

(see rating details)

Verified Purchaser zZounds has verified that this reviewer purchased this specific product from us.

I tend to be a Roland fan, starting with my first synth a 106 that still graces my home studio. More recently I enjoy the JD-XI (despite the cheap build quality) because it is immediate and fun. The limited sequencer is a joy to use. With the advent of Jupiter XM I was hoping would be more of the same, except with more sounds, and better build quality. Maybe a song mode for the XI type sequencer. Instead the XM is quite a weird little beast.The new Zen Core engine seems to me to just be ACB with a new name. It emulates classic Roland synths fairly well, although it does better with the less complex models like the SH and 106. The Jupiter part lacks the authority of the original. None of the sounds actually has the analog “fatness” or “warmth” to my ears. At no point, did it ever seem anything but a digital synth engine. The presets make good use of the digital effects and this seems to be the source of whatever fatness the XM possesses. To me, the biggest waste of memory and money is the “I Arpeggiator.” Basically it is auto acompanyment and seems kind of cheesy. I have been messing around with one preset, playing some chords and I heard a guy on Youtube jamming pretty much like me. This is not a feature I want on a 1k synth. Meantime the sequencer on the XM seems pretty limited. Sadly, it is not simple to use like the XI, but a complicated afterthought. So it’s not exactly a workstation due to the sequencer being rather obscure. Nor is it really a flagship with the mini-keys and cheesy “i arpeggiator.” The build quality is light years from the JD-XI, but also a long way from Roland’s classic synths. It has a couple of decent digital emulations of Roland’s biggest hits. In the end, I think Roland tried to cram too many ideas, none thoroughly fleshed out, into one chassis. The XM does many tricks, but is a master of none.

Musical Background:

Musical Style: