The instrument
The Roland Jupiter-4, released in 1978, is the first synthesizer in the iconic Jupiter series. It is a four-voice polyphonic analog synthesizer known for its warm, rich sound and innovative features. The Jupiter-4 was among the first to include a built-in arpeggiator and a unique preset storage system, allowing musicians to save and recall sounds easily. Its sound has been used by artists such as Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, and Gary Numan.
Details
The Jupiter-4 features four voices, each with a single Voltage-Controlled Oscillator (VCO), providing sawtooth, square, and pulse waveforms. It includes a 4-pole resonant low-pass filter, ADSR envelope generators, and an LFO for modulation. One of its standout features is the built-in arpeggiator, which adds rhythmic complexity to performances. The synthesizer also offers patch memory for storing and recalling presets, a significant advancement at the time of its release. Compared to later Jupiter models, the Jupiter-4 has a simpler architecture but remains highly regarded for its distinctive sound.