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Roland System-8
Updating the Firmware
Like many of the other instruments released under the AIRA and Boutique lines the first thing you need to do when you acquire your Roland System-8 is check what version of the firmware you are running.
During the first few years after the release of the System-8 Roland were active in releasing firmware updates to the keyboard. Some of these were to fix bugs that had been found by the users that bought the keyboard and others added in support for the plug-outs that were then released.
You need to load the latest version of the firmware to get the latest features the System-8 has to offer.
Patch Releases:
V1.02 Sept 2016 (released version)
V1.11 Dec 2016 - Juno-106 Plug-Out added to position 2
V1.12 Apr 2017 - Bug fixes
V1.20 Jun 2018 - New functions and bug fixes
V1.30 Aug 2018 - JX-3P Plug-Out added to position 3
V1.31 Feb 2021 - Support for Juno-60 Plug-Out added
V1.32 Jun 2022 - Support for Jupiter-4 Plug-Out added
To get the most out of your Roland System-8 you really need to be on V1.32 of the firmware. However, if you want to enjoy the Juno-60 or Jupiter-4 Plug-Out's you will also need a Roland Cloud subscription which includes these or the option to purchase them outright.
Part of the reason that I purchased my Roland System-8 was for the plug-out synths of the Roland Jupiter-8 and Roland Juno-106. However at launch, and despite being included in the promotional material the Roland Juno-106 plug-out was missing from slot 2.
This update released 3 or so months after the launch of the synth and maybe some would say as a Christmas present, installs this missing plug-out synth together with a series of classic Juno-106 patches.
Click anywhere in the image or title to see the work undertaken on this synthesiser
