## Clone of a Roland System 100

Device/Module Wishlist

Original topic on PlanetZ: https://forums.scopeusers.com/viewtopic.php?t=29884

#### Clone of a Roland System 100

Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2011 4:51 pm
by dynamixii
Clone of a Roland System 100

#### Re: Clone of a Roland System 100

Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 3:50 pm
by fraz
yes this would be lovely - I've never used a real one but one of these with all the modules - Please someone very clever could do this.... ...... I'm suprised that Arturia or Native Instruments haven't already done this - Korg made the M1 in software so why not the System 100 - while you're at it why not all of the old synths like JX3P etc........ list would be endless...............

#### Re: Clone of a Roland System 100

Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2011 1:42 am
by HUROLURA
Better listing the special modules available in the System 100 that have no equivalent under scope modular and focus and these ones ... No ?
And maybe similar process applied to Doepfer Modular or other ...

#### Re: Clone of a Roland System 100

Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 4:55 am
by HUROLURA
So no special module ?
Just the look ?

#### Re: Clone of a Roland System 100

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 2:05 pm
by astroman
to be honest ... I find all that cloning ridiculous, boring and uninspiring.
...with a little smell of loosers that can't afford their tools
Express your appreciation of a certain type of gear or sound aesthetic by aquiring that stuff in it's original form.
It's a kind of discipline...
Technically 'clones' may have been a valid option during times when (almost) all digital algorithms delivered 'non-smooth' audio... as prototypes so to say, but that's past for a long time.
cheers, Tom

#### Re: Clone of a Roland System 100

Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 3:03 am
by HUROLURA
My idea was more to find what module could be added to the HUGE SC and 3rd party modular list.
So focus on cloning the modules that add a special flavour available in other systems.
I congratulate SC to have add the CZ Osc already in Mod IV as this was my favourite missing OSC (and yes I DO have a CZ-101 !!!)

#### Re: Clone of a Roland System 100

Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 11:47 am
by jksuperstar
It's easy to say that using emulators is an unworthy or uncreative pursuit. But I've found over and over the practice of going through the process of re-creating a module, a sound, or other is much like going through school and learning that 2+2=4. Yeah, it's been done before. But going through a process that teaches me how someone else was thinking, only adds to one's skill.
How problems get broken down into modules is more of what defines various modulars from each other...Buchla has a large collection of unique modules, and has made an impact on many other designers. Serge has unique features that very few module designers thought of, and has a dedicated following because of it. Miller Puckette took any idea and broke it down into MAX/Pd and ran in a completely different direction with it. It would be just as unique to have access to Roland modules, as they are long gone from production, and availability.

#### Re: Clone of a Roland System 100

Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 1:36 pm
by HUROLURA
You made a point there.
I also noticed that often, while trying to reach some target you can accidently find some other "new" nice things that can taste just different ...
So this can be an idea to achieve thoose but then once again a big task as the available modules are so vast.
PS: just noticed you are talking about System 100 and not the System 100m I was thinking about ... this is the first accident !!!

#### Re: Clone of a Roland System 100

Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 2:09 pm
by astroman
well, I didn't mean to condamn emulators in general... having a couple of them on the iPad myself...
but that's a different story...
a virtual Fairlight CMI brings back a lot of what we'd call severe limitations today, even adds noise and delay from the original floppy drives to make it feel more 'realistic'.
The Korg iMS20 has patch cables at your fingertips, the iElectribe is as interactive as the hardware.
From the user interface Scope cannot even come close to these devices, but the main point is that the iPad is a sonic desert in comparison to Scope.
We already HAVE so much synth modules in so many different (package) variations that not even Scope4Live will be able to exploit half of this in a lifetime. And please... no jokes about age...
There's nothing to say against a specific filter model or some oscillators, but a System-100 clone is an entirely different approach.
Or it wouldn't be a 'true' clone - the usual fake approach of cute screen graphics...
Afaik hardware analysis before the MiniMax code could be implemented was a significant part of the project... regarding duration and cost, and that was just a simple mono-synth.
My thoughts were (like Hurolura) about the 100m, but I'd apply them to the 'half modular' as well.
cheers, Tom

#### Re: Clone of a Roland System 100

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 4:34 pm
by dynamixii
Tom, I have a plethora of vintage trophies sitting all around my studio. The best part of having the SC system and vst architecture is that the VST's don't go out of tune, they save presets and they never need servicing. The system 100 is a well known simple modular I've always had my eye on but at this point I think it would be way more stable to have a cloned vsti of it that could be a part of my sonic core system. More than half the vsti's available for the sc system are emulations so emulations must count for some draw to this system. Another instance of emulation paying off is uad if people didn't like or want to shell out money to have emulations UAD probably wouldn't exist, neither would sc imho
Cheers

#### Re: Clone of a Roland System 100

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 4:35 pm
by dynamixii
http://www.vintagesynth.com/roland/sys100.php

#### Re: Clone of a Roland System 100

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 4:41 pm
by dynamixii
here is a complete manual explaining all modules
http://fa.utfs.org/diy/roland100/

#### Re: Clone of a Roland System 100

Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 3:11 am
by astroman
sure you have a point in the economic effect of 'true' emulations.
A 'Synth & Sampler' pack literally saves you a 5 figure amount of cash while getting audibly really close, so it was a no brainer for Creamware back then to jump the train... well, actually they more or less started it...
As mention it was a big effort (in developement), but payed off (imho) because the devices were well selected according to popularity, causing a lot of attention and establish some reputation in tone quality of the overall system.
I don't think that single device sales would have ever made it across the red line of financial balance.
Such emulations paid off by making a system purchase more attractive - and it was about 10 years ago... (?)
Now you have a million options, in particular in the Modular area...
It's a sheer (economic) impossibility to create the device you have in mind with the same accuracy that was spent on the MiniMoog emulation.
You may buy it, and probably 10 other folks - but that's about it.
I know some sales figures of synth devices on this platform and I can asure you they are frightening, to say at least...
Mind you that Stephen Hummel aka Wavelength can 'afford' to give away all(?) of his former developements as 'freeware' (at least that's how I understood it). And those ARE some synths...
Anyway, as a 'collector' of vintage gear you certainly don't deserve the looser diss from my former post.
But such requests are more than frequently by people who talk big and act low.
Today there's also a strong competition from the sample world in devices like Omnisphere, which seems to be extremely convenient (and powerful), as far as user comments suggest.
Imho SC should focus on sound reproduction as synthesis is so well covered already.
But (to slightly extend the topic...) it's even more important to have an analog frontend well integrated (including remote control) and a more ergonomic GUI approach.
The XITE with it's modular preamps and the new A16 are a good start in that direction.
Afterall it's still analog performance, that really opens people's wallets...
cheers, Tom
(tnx for the doc links, will have a peek...
reminds me that I need one of the MS20 myself for that iPad thingy)