SH-201

I bought one a week or so ago from AC Hamilton in Preston for £410 and I'm pretty pleased with it. I bought it because the demo's sound good and I wanted something that was easy to construct sounds. I do find it a little rough around the edges and I would have preferred some extra FX, rahter than just Rev, Delay and Amp Sim....but overall it's pretty good.

I'v also just bought on ebay a V-Synth...actually did a Buy it Now last Sunday, but the bloke has buggered off on Holiday...Damn! I also own an Alesis Fusion (now that is a good synth, with added Hollow Sun sounds), Fantom Xa, Yamaha EX5, Yamaha AN1x...Oh and an old Roland D10 (My first real synth, not worth anything, not used, but sentimental).

The SH201 Seems to fit quite well after I got rid of my Korg Gear (Trinityand Triton) and I also replaced my Novation KS Rack...I've had many other synths over the years, but I always like Roland Stuff.

It's difficult to realise what any synth is like by listening to a few demo's or going into the shop for an hour or so, it's not until you try it with your own music, is the time you tell if it's any good...I always had difficulty integrating my Korgs into a mix, because they just swamped everything.

Anyway, it's a good synth

Hi Eric,

I understand your point and I hope you understand mine.

I'm just curious on what "other" synths you are referring to in this comparison.

I agree with the velocity parameter but that's all Japan.

Bye the way, Thanks for being a Roland fan!

Jim Stout
Roland US

One comment...OH MY GOD!

How sad it is to read people's comments on this forum. Has everyone lost sight of what the world of synthesizers was (I won't say "is", as it just doesn't seem right to say it anymore) about, because after reading (most) peoples (I want to put something offensive here, but I won't) comments, I think everyone has seriously lost the plot!!!

...lost for words!

P.S.: EricNS - If the SH-201 is "as an analog emulation synth, not very good", it's damned funny that I can make it sound 100% the same as my old SH-101 patches! Also, if you'd used any of the synths used on JMJ's Oxygene (I have owned some of them), you would know that these synths (without mixing, effects and so on) can also sound weak, thin and (it has to be said) horrid.

SekondThought
"Computers are cool, but hardware rules".

Bought my 201 on Tuesday from Turnkey for £360 and am loving it. The primary reason I got one was because I missed the supersaw from the jp8080 I sold a while back, and the 201 does not disappoint.

Yea the hardware component quality is dire, but the keyb is ok, the software is a great addition and the sound is just how I remember it....lovely Nice new overdrive effect to. Very cool for the asking price!

On a side note has anyone got it to send both midi and audio over the usb, not using analog cables at all? The documentation suggests it can but for the life of me I cannot get the vsti editor to output sound in sx3 at all :-/

...anyone in the UK who wants to purchase the 201, Turnkey will price match any european price.
Send them an email and ask them to price match here...
http://www.keyboardshop.com/product.lasso?pr=044149
And you can pick up the 201 for £360!!! Even more of bloody bargin!

Krokodilen - You may like to know that there is an update that can be downloaded from Roland at the following link:

http://www.roland.com/products/en/_support/dld.cfm?iCncd=1076&ln=en&SearchBy=RcId&dst=P&iRcId=0000012181&dsp=1

If you buy an SH-201, this download is an update for the software editor, but it also contains new artist patches for you to load into 201, programmed by people such as Richard Barbieri, Jordan Rudess, Hisashi Saito and, oh yes Jean Michel Jarre!

I guess anyone telling you that the SH-201 can't do vintage or Jarre sounds is way off the mark here, as he actually owns a 201!!!!

Enjoy!

SekondThought
"Computers are cool, but hardware rules".

Hi SekondThought,

Thanks for the headsup

I will get a 201 ...
Ehhh, that is when I can persuade my whife. A year ago I had to give her an arm an a leg to get a X6. Thumbscrews and hot coal? No, dosen't work. Flowers? ... maby, but the amount of flowers it will take probably will leave me bankrupt and without the 201...

Problems, problems

But I will get a 201 ... somehow!

One has to suffer for the sake of the art

i just picked up a sh-201, only because my jp8000 is broken and i needed a replacement. i have to say, the sh-201 is way cooler than my jp-8000. neg LFO's are a plus, its cheap, cool interface, sounds just as good if not better than the JP. I was suprised when I turned it on there was a dist 303 patch that sounds really good considering this is VA. After hearing that I started messing around and was able to create some really wicked acid sounds. I don't regret the buy at all, its not meant to do everything but what it does it does really well. I have a Virus for more complex sounds, and I think this was a great addition to my studio.

I would definately say this thing killed the resell market for jp8000s unless u want a rack 8080, i dont see any reason to not go for a 201 instead.

just my 2 coppers...

binaryrevolt - I used to own a JP8000 many years ago and you're right, the SH-201 is way cooler and can make some wicked sounds.

The Virus is a great synth too, but as you say, the 201 does do some things really well and it's good to see that even people who have far more expensive (and some would say far more capable) synths are open minded to what the 201 can do. I find the 201's sounds sit in a track very well, no matter if it's a lead, bass or pad, unlike some synths that just want to take over the whole mix!

Your "2 coppers..." are very welcome!

SekondThought
"Computers are cool, but hardware rules".

hi all i want to purchase the sh 201, and can some1 correct me if im wrong but has the synth only got 32 patches/
i find this hard to beleive that this synth keyboard only has 32 sounds in preset and 32 user.?

First this synth has no display so all patch selection is done via dedicated buttons - useful for live work BTW. But using the software editor/librarian you can store as many patches as you like on your computer.

ahh i get u, so i take it all the sounds are kept on the editor? and how many sounds are on there could u tell me, and how many can the editor hold. will it hold more than 32 PRESET and 32 USER

many thanks jason.

I played a 201 last Saturday. For $600, you can't go wrong. It's got balls, punch, fatness, whatever you want to call it. The money I spent on my Prophet V back in 1982 would have bought around 6 SH-201s. And not to mention all the cool USB interfacing, etc... Now we see there will be a huge third-party push to create sounds.

I agree, it is a 10 out of 10.