Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Roland Jupiter-6 Synthesizer Filter VCF Build - Demo 01


This video demos a Roland Jupiter-6 synthesizer clone filter VCF. This breadboard build took two days, and for me is the largest one I've built yet. Does this circuit sound as good as the original? You be the judge. Anyway, I really wanted to hear what it sounded like before deciding about building my own module.

I came across schematics for the Roland Jupiter-6 at amsynths.co.uk. They actually sell completed modules and PCBs, however they seem to be perpetually out of stock. This will be a nice companion multi-mode filter to go next to my SEM module. IMHO the SEM sounds buttery and creamy, and the Jupiter-6 is a complete savage with outrageous low end.

The details: The sound source is the Pittsburgh Modular Synthesizer Box. I like to use a pulse wave w/ variable pulse controlled by LFO. The Synth Box filter is wide open, its envelope is passed to the JP-6 CV input #1. I don't have switches hooked up to the filter modes, so I'm pulling/resetting jumpers on the breadboard to achieve that. In this video I also crank the VCO to overdrive the pre-filter INPUT on the filter clone. I don't think you can do this on the original Jupiter-6, but you CAN push the post-filter VCA level into distortion much of the time.

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