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The Roland Jupiter 4 was an analog synthesizer
Analog synthesizer

An analog or analogue synthesizer is a synthesizer that uses analog electronics and analog computer techniques to generate sound electronically....
 manufactured by the Roland Corporation
Roland Corporation

is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on April 18, 1972, with ?33 million in capital....
 of Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
 between 1978 and 1981. It was notable as the company's first self-contained polyphonic
Polyphony (instrument)

Polyphony is the property of an electronic musical instrument which describes how many notes it can sound at one time. An instrument which can produce multiple notes at a time is said to be polyphonic....
 synthesizer, and for containing digital control of analog circuits (termed "Compuphonic" by Roland), allowing for such features as programmable memories and voice assignment modes.

Priced at around US$2,000, it was cheaper than polyphonic machine from its competitors (such as the Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 and the Oberheim OB-X
Oberheim OB-X

The Oberheim OB-X is an Analog synthesizer Polyphony synthesizer. It was the first Oberheim synthesizer that was created with internal prewired modules and not with the bulky SEM modules....
) however it did not sell well in comparison.






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The Roland Jupiter 4 was an analog synthesizer
Analog synthesizer

An analog or analogue synthesizer is a synthesizer that uses analog electronics and analog computer techniques to generate sound electronically....
 manufactured by the Roland Corporation
Roland Corporation

is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on April 18, 1972, with ?33 million in capital....
 of Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
 between 1978 and 1981. It was notable as the company's first self-contained polyphonic
Polyphony (instrument)

Polyphony is the property of an electronic musical instrument which describes how many notes it can sound at one time. An instrument which can produce multiple notes at a time is said to be polyphonic....
 synthesizer, and for containing digital control of analog circuits (termed "Compuphonic" by Roland), allowing for such features as programmable memories and voice assignment modes.

Priced at around US$2,000, it was cheaper than polyphonic machine from its competitors (such as the Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 and the Oberheim OB-X
Oberheim OB-X

The Oberheim OB-X is an Analog synthesizer Polyphony synthesizer. It was the first Oberheim synthesizer that was created with internal prewired modules and not with the bulky SEM modules....
) however it did not sell well in comparison. (These poor fortunes were reversed on the release of its successor model in 1981, the popular Jupiter-8
Roland Jupiter-8

The Jupiter-8, Roland Corporation's flagship analog synthesizer of the early 1980s is an eight-voice polyphony synthesizer and is considered one of the greatest synths of all time....
.)

The Jupiter 4's basic architecture was 4 identical voice cards, each with a VCO
VCO

VCO may refer to::* voltage-controlled oscillator an electronic component* Voluntary and Community Organisations - Organisations in the UK Voluntary sector...
 (with sub-oscillator), resonant low pass VCF
VCF

VCF may refer to:*Vaginal contraceptive film, a type of spermicide birth control*Vapor cloud fire, a deflagration fire*vCard, a file format standard for electronic business cards...
 (which could self-oscillate), and VCA
Variable-gain amplifier

A voltage-controlled amplifier is an electronic amplifier that varies its gain depending on a control voltage .VCAs have many applications, including audio level compression, synthesizers, and amplitude modulation....
. Modulation included an ADSR envelope and LFO. The LFO, routable to oscillator pitch, pulse width, filter cutoff and amplifier, was notable for being able to reach audio frequencies, allowing for crude FM and AM
Amplitude modulation

Amplitude modulation is a technique used in electronic communication, most commonly for transmitting information via a radio carrier wave....
 synthesis.

The Jupiter 4's two most distinctive features were provided by virtue of its "compuphonic" digital control of the four voice cards:
  • An arpeggiator
    Arpeggiator

    An arpeggiator is a feature available on some hardware synthesisers and virtual instruments. It allows the player to automatically step through a sequence of notes based on the player's input, most often from a keyboard MIDI controller, thus creating an arpeggio....
    , with a choice of up, down, up/down, or random mode. The arpeggiator can be prominently heard in Duran Duran
    Duran Duran

    Duran Duran are an English music group from Birmingham, United Kingdom. They were one of the most commercially successful of the 1980s bands and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States....
    's 1982 hit single "Rio
    Rio (song)

    "Rio" is the seventh Single by Duran Duran, released on November 1, 1982.The song was the fourth and final single lifted from the band's album Rio , and was edited for its release....
    ."
  • Four voice assignment modes, which, as well as simple 1VCO-per-voice polyphony, included the ability to effect 4-VCO unison
    UNISON

    UNISON ? the Public Service Union is the second largest trade union in the United Kingdom, with over 1.3 million members.It was formed in 1993 when three previous public sector trade unions, the National Association of Local Government Officers , the National Union of Public Employees and the Confederation of Health Service Employees merg...
     when one key was pressed, 2-VCOs per voice when two keys were pressed, and 1-VCO per voice when three or four keys were pressed. This effect can be heard on tracks such as "Seconds" by The Human League
    The Human League

    The Human League are a British people synthpop band. Formed in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1977, they achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s....
     and "I Dream of Wires" by Gary Numan
    Gary Numan

    Gary Numan is an English singer, composer, and musician. He is considered to be one of the pioneers of commercial electronic music and has been described as the "King of synthpop." Numan is widely known for his chart-topping 1979 hits "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars "....
    .


The final signal path also included a simple high pass filter and a stereo chorus effect
Chorus effect

A chorus effect is:* A condition in the way people perceive similar sounds coming from multiple sources.* A simulation of this effect created by signal processing equipment....
. The Jupiter 4 had 10 preset sounds and also featured 8 memory locations for user-created patches.

Despite not being incredibly popular, it did manage to find its way into the hands of some musicians, most of which were associated with the New Wave
New Wave music

New Wave is a genre of rock music which originated from the late 1970s. It emerged from punk rock as a reaction against the popular music of the 1970s....
 and synthpop
Synthpop

Synthpop is a subgenre of New Wave music and pop music in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It is most closely associated with the era between the late 1970s and early to middle 1980s, although it has continued to exist and develop ever since....
 music scenes (see below). Phil Oakey of The Human League eulogised that despite its limitations "the Jupiter 4 will be tatooed on my heart for ever".

Promars

In 1979, Roland released a monophonic version of the Jupiter-4 called the Promars. The Promars did not have the arpeggiator and the chorus effect, but introduced a second oscillator. It had the memory and preset selection buttons above the keyboard, which were less clumsy to use than those on the Jupiter-4. It also had 37 keys, making slightly smaller than the Jupiter-4.

The Promars was used by Depeche Mode (around early-mid 1982), Vangelis (early/mid 1980s), The Enid
The Enid

The Enid is a United Kingdom Rock music band founded in 1975 by Robert John Godfrey, Stephen Stewart and Francis Lickerish. Another early member was William Gilmour, who subsequently founded his own band Craft and now plays keyboards in Lickerish's band Secret Green....
, Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)

Jethro Tull are a United Kingdom rock music group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the songs, vocals and flute work of Ian Anderson , who has led the band since its founding, and guitarist Martin Barre, who has #Lineups....
, Landscape
Landscape (band)

Landscape are a United Kingdom band , best known for their 1981 chart-topper, "Einstein A Go-Go" and "Norman Bates". Formed in 1974, they toured constantly during the mid to late 1970s, playing rock music, punk rock and jazz venues and releasing two instrumental gramophone record on their own Event Horizon record label....
 and Spandau Ballet
Spandau Ballet

Spandau Ballet are a popular United Kingdom band famous in the 1980s. Initially inspired by the New Romantic fashion, they quickly steered in to a mixture of funk, jazz, soul and synthpop, then eventually mellowed into a mainstream pop music act....
 (synth lead on 'To Cut a Long Story Short').

Notable musicians/bands known to have used the Jupiter-4

  • Devo
    Devo

    Devo , often spelled DEVO or DEV-O, is an American Rock music group formed in Akron, Ohio in 1973. They are best known for their 1980 hit "Whip It", which made it to #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart....
  • Late of the Pier
    Late of the Pier

    Late of the Pier are a four-piece indie electronic band from Castle Donington, England, currently signed to Parlophone Records. They have released five singles to date....
  • Duran Duran
    Duran Duran

    Duran Duran are an English music group from Birmingham, United Kingdom. They were one of the most commercially successful of the 1980s bands and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States....
     (Duran Duran
    Duran Duran (album)

    Duran Duran is the first album by the British band Duran Duran. It was originally released worldwide in 1981 in music, and reissued to greater success in 1983 in music....
    , Rio
    Rio (album)

    Rio is an album by Duran Duran, originally released worldwide on 10 May 1982, but re-released in November 1982 in the United States. It reached #2 in the UK and #1 in Australia....
    , Medazzaland
    Medazzaland

    Medazzaland is the ninth album by British pop group Duran Duran. It was released by Capitol Records on in the U.S., where it reached #58 on the Billboard album chart....
    )
  • Wolf Parade
    Wolf Parade

    Wolf Parade is an indie rock band from Montreal, Quebec....
  • The Unicorns
    The Unicorns

    The Unicorns were an indie pop band from Montreal, Canada, formed in December 2000 by Nicholas Thorburn and Alden Penner , who were later joined by Jamie Thompson in December 2003....
  • Gary Numan
    Gary Numan

    Gary Numan is an English singer, composer, and musician. He is considered to be one of the pioneers of commercial electronic music and has been described as the "King of synthpop." Numan is widely known for his chart-topping 1979 hits "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars "....
     (Telekon
    Telekon

    Telekon is the fourth studio album, and second album under his own name, by electronic music pioneer Gary Numan, released in 1980.The album debuted at the top of the United Kingdom charts in September 1980, making it his third consecutive no.1 album....
    , Dance
    Dance (Gary Numan album)

    Dance is the fifth studio album, the third under his own name, by electronic music pioneer Gary Numan, released in 1981. It is his first release after announcing his retirement from touring in April 1981 ....
    )
  • Meat Beat Manifesto
    Meat Beat Manifesto

    Meat Beat Manifesto, often shortened to Meat Beat or MBM, is an electronic music outfit originally consisting of Jack Dangers and Jonny Stephens formed in 1987 in Swindon, United Kingdom....
  • Stevie Wonder
    Stevie Wonder

    Stevie Wonder is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. A prominent figure in popular music during the latter half of the 20th century, Wonder has recorded more than thirty US top ten hits, won twenty-two Grammy Awards , plus one for Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, won an Academy Award for Best Song, an...
  • The Cars
    The Cars

    The Cars were an American Rock music band that emerged from the early New Wave music scene in the late 1970s. Members of the band were singer and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, singer and bassist Benjamin Orr, guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson ....
  • Thomas Dolby
    Thomas Dolby

    Thomas Dolby is an England musician and producer....
     (The Golden Age of Wireless
    The Golden Age of Wireless

    The Golden Age of Wireless is a 1982 album by Synthpop pioneer Thomas Dolby. The album is notable for containing the pop hit "She Blinded Me with Science" in its later resequencings ....
    )
  • Level 42
    Level 42

    Level 42 is an England pop rock and jazz-funk music band who had a number of worldwide and UK hits during the 1980s and 1990s. The band gained fame for its high-calibre musicianship - especially that of Mark King , whose percussive Slapping guitar technique provided the driving groove of many of the band's hits....
     ("Last Chance" from The Pursuit of Accidents)
  • David Bowie
    David Bowie

    David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and Arrangement. Active in five decades of rock music and frequently reinventing his music and image, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s....
  • The Human League
    The Human League

    The Human League are a British people synthpop band. Formed in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1977, they achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s....
     (Reproduction
    Reproduction (album)

    Reproduction is the debut album released by British synthpop band The Human League. The album was released in October 1979 through Virgin Records Ltd....
    , Travelogue, Dare
    Dare (album)

    Dare is the third studio album from British synthpop band The Human League.The album was recorded between March and September 1981 and first released in the UK on 20 October 1981, then subsequently in the U.S....
    )
  • Heaven 17
    Heaven 17

    Heaven 17 are a British synthpop band originating from the city of Sheffield in the early 1980s....
     (Penthouse and Pavement
    Penthouse and Pavement

    Penthouse and Pavement is the debut album by the group Heaven 17 and considered one of the first concept albums of the 1980s.The first single, Fascist Groove Thang, best demonstrates the left-wing outlook of the lyrics, criticising United Kingdom at the beginning of the 1980s under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the rise of t...
    )
  • John Foxx
    John Foxx

    John Foxx is the stage name of England musician Dennis Leigh. He was the original lead singer of the band Ultravox, before embarking on a solo career in 1979....
  • Isao Tomita
    Isao Tomita

    , is a renowned Japanese electronic music composer....
  • Simple Minds
    Simple Minds

    Simple Minds are a rock music band from Scotland, who had their greatest worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band, from the south side of Glasgow, produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s, and later went on to produce some politically inspired and critically praised work....
     (Empires and Dance
    Empires and Dance

    Empires and Dance is the third album by Simple Minds, released in 1980. It reached #41 in the UK Albums Chart.The opening track "I Travel" was released as a single in 1980, failing to chart....
    , Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call
    Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call

    Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call is the current common title for what were once two technically separate releases by Simple Minds, both assembled from the same sessions and released at the same time and, in some instances, sold as a double-LP set....
    )
  • Moog Cookbook
  • Depeche Mode
    Depeche Mode

    Depeche Mode is an electronic music band formed in 1980, in Basildon, Essex, England. The group's original line-up was Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andrew Fletcher and Vince Clarke ....
     (Speak & Spell
    Speak & Spell (album)

    Speak & Spell is the debut album from the British synthpop group Depeche Mode, recorded and released in 1981. The album peaked at no.10 in the UK Album Charts....
    )
  • Yazoo
    Yazoo (band)

    Yazoo are an England synthpop duo from Basildon, Essex, England. They had a number of top ten hits in the United Kingdom charts in the early 1980s....
     (Upstairs at Eric's
    Upstairs at Eric's

    Upstairs at Eric's is Yazoo 's first album produced by the band and E.C. Radcliffe with assistance from Daniel Miller . It reached # 2 in UK and # 92 in US....
    )
  • BT
  • Spandau Ballet
    Spandau Ballet

    Spandau Ballet are a popular United Kingdom band famous in the 1980s. Initially inspired by the New Romantic fashion, they quickly steered in to a mixture of funk, jazz, soul and synthpop, then eventually mellowed into a mainstream pop music act....
     (Journeys to Glory)
  • Tangerine Dream
    Tangerine Dream

    Tangerine Dream is a Germany electronic music group founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. The band has undergone many personnel changes over the years, with Froese being the only continuous member....
  • Vangelis
    Vangelis

    Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou , is a Greek composer of electronic music, Progressive music, Ambient music and neoclassicism music, under the artist name Vangelis ....
  • Saint Etienne
    Saint Etienne (band)

    Saint Etienne are an England indie dance act, fronted by Sarah Cracknell . Former music journalism Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs are the other regular members of the band....
  • Soft Cell
    Soft Cell

    Soft Cell are an England synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. They consist of vocalist Marc Almond and David Ball on synthesizers....
  • Le Le


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