Roland MKS-80

Robert L's Analog Synths

Roland MKS-80

Exhibited at
Robert L's Analog Synths

Haven't heard of the Roland MKS-80 --- the ultimate analog module from the mid 80s? How about the famous Jupiter 8, the top of the Roland line of analog synthesizers at the end of 1970s. At its time Jupiter 8 cost as a mid-sized car. It was played by keyboardists in many famous bands, while the ordinary folks could mostly only dream about it..
After the production of the Jupiter 8 as the Roland top model was stopped, the MKS-80 was introduced as a "compact version of Jupiter 8". It has exactly the same architecture and modulation matrix as it famous predecessor. The sound, although not exactly the same, is quite similar to the original. It is fat, warm, refined, no-compromise analog sound, produced by Roland's superb filtering section. The comprehensive MIDI implementation makes the MKS-80 more flexible in studio and stage use than the old Jupiter 8. It enables you to route almost any MIDI controller to almost every parameter of the sound.
As a remainder, the MKS-80 is 8-polyphonic, with 2-VCOs, 2 envelopes per voice, 2 LFOs etc...

MKS-80 is also 2-multitimbral, with two separate high level balanced outputs which enable you to simultaneously play two different sounds.
Earlier versions up to the ser.no. 511800) had CEM oscillators and VCA chips (16 CEM3340 VCO, 8 CEM3360 dual VCA), and 8 Roland IR-3R09 VCF chips, which are also found in Jupiter 6, and Juno-60. Later versions had the CEM oscillators replaced by Roland's custom chips. Also the filter chips are changed to IR-3R05, the same as on JX-10 and MKS-70. The change produced a slightly softer, mellower sound. Although many people would say that the older version was better in all respects, it seem that this is true only for the robust sounds, like synth leads, basses, brasses, sounds with filter-sweeps and alike. For the synth pads, strings and other mellow sounds, the newer version works slightly better.
An comprehensive MIDI-manager for Cubase is included. (Send your email.)
(The picture is gratefully taken from Vintage Synth.)

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