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Roland System-8 - Which synthesiser will you use today
- Jonathan Dean
- 6 hours ago
- 4 min read
What Is the Roland System-8?
The Roland SYSTEM‑8 is a modern performance synthesiser built around Roland’s ACB (Analog Circuit Behavior) modeling. In addition to its own engine, the System-8 supports up to three “Plug-Out” slots, meaning you can load software synth models into the hardware itself and play them without needing a computer.
This hybrid architecture gives you both the tactile, hands-on interface of physical hardware and access to a library of vintage Roland synths rendered in software.
Understanding “Plug-Out” Technology
What is Plug-Out?
Roland developed the plug-out technology to allow the musician to play their legacy instruments using new technology. Once the plug-out instrument has been loaded the musician can play the legacy instrument, develop patches based on that instrument and save them to the System-8 without being connected to a computer, as would be the case with a more traditional VST based soft synth.
What comes as part of the package?
When you acquire your Roland System-8 the three Plug-out slots on the synthesiser should be pre-populated with a Jupiter-8. Juno-106 and JX-3P synthesiser engines.
Each of these plug-out slots should have 64 factory patches stored in the synthesisers memory. Combined with the System-8 synth engine that proves the musician with 266 patches.
If the System-8 is acquired with different plug-outs installed, the factory plug-outs can be restored by simply following the Roland System-8 Factory restore process. This video shows how to undertake this process.
It should be noted that if you have other plug-outs installed prior to the factory reset then these will be erased and replaced with the factory configuration, together with any associated patches.
Plug-Out / Plugin Engines Available for the System-8
At the point of writing Roland has released the following plug-outs.
Roland Jupiter-8 - Included with the System-8
Roland Juno-106 - Included with the System-8
Roland JX-3P - Included with the System-8
Roland Jupiter-4 - Available to load via the Roland Cloud
Roland PROMARS - Available to load via the Roland Cloud
Roland Juno-60 - Available to load via the Roland Cloud
Roland SH-2 - Available to load via the Roland Cloud
Roland SH-101 - Available to load via the Roland Cloud
Roland SYSTEM-100 - Available to load via the Roland Cloud
Roland SYSTEM-8 - Included with the System-8
To load the additional Plug-out engines Roland require the musician to create a Roland Cloud account and then depending on the level of membership the plug-outs can be purchased and/or downloaded to the Roland System-8 while attached to the computer used to access the Roland Cloud account.
In some instances Roland has implemented the plug-out to allow other features to be accessed e.g. running a mono-synth in a polyphonic mode or applying effects like re-verb to the sound which were not available on the original synth without using an external effects unit.
How These Plug-Outs Work in Practice
The way Roland has implemented the Plug-outs on the Roland System-8 platform allows the combination of any patch from any engine to be combines with other patches from the same engine or any of the other engines that have been loaded onto the Synthesiser.
This in effect allowed the sounds to be layered on top of each other, remembering that the synth is only 8-note polyphonic so this would reduce the polyphony to 4 notes. Or split with one sound on the bottom of the keyboard and one at the top. Again remember that the synth can only play 8-notes so 4 on the lower part of the keyboard only allows 4 on the upper part to be played.
Advantages & Considerations of the Plugin Ecosystem
The Positives of this configuration:
Vintage authenticity: Because these are ACB-modelled, you get very accurate behavior (oscillators, filters, modulation) of the original hardware.
Flexibility: With three slots, you can mix classic polysynths (Jupiter, Juno) with monos (SH-101, PROMARS) for complex setups.
Hands-on control: Instead of using a mouse in your DAW, you get physical knobs, sliders, and the sequencer to control everything.
Offline capability: The hardware allows you to use the soft synths without being connected to the cloud or computer.
The Considerations of this configuration:
Cloud dependency: To acquire many of these Plug-Outs, you need to use Roland Cloud Manager.
License model: While some (like JP-8 / Juno-106 / JX-3P) come with the Roland System-8 firmware, others require buying a “lifetime key” via Roland Cloud.
Performance limits: Because you're loading software models into the hardware, you’re limited to how many voices each Plug-Out supports, depending on the model.
Learning curve: Each Plug-Out has its own architecture – different envelopes, filters, modulation sources – so mastering each requires effort.
Sound Libraries & Expansions
There are several sound libraries or patch collections that have been created directly Roland or other sound designers. Some of these are free and need to be purchased.
In both instances the patches need to be loaded on to the Roland System-8 and will over write the patches that are already insitue. So remember to backup any patches prior to loading new ones if they are important.
Until next time!
About the Author
Jon describes himself as a frustrated musician with a passion for the electronic instruments that help him and other musicians be creative. He started playing keyboards in his late teens and re-ignited his passion, building a new studio following his separation.
About the Blog
The Music Tech Guy UK's Blog, Website, and YouTube channel were started to share Jon's experiences and views on the industry at large, how they affect small musicians, and provide technical tips on configuring and maintaining the equipment he owns.
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