There had been quite a bit of speculation in the lead up to Musikmesse 2011 as to what the new synthesizer from Roland would be - and now we know it's the new Jupiter-80.

BTW - Roland Jupiter-8 fans have me to personally thank for this new synth, because way back at Winter NAMM 2001 I suggested to the nice people at Roland that, "Wouldn't it be great if you brought back the old Jupiter-8 - it would be a great 20th anniversary"... True Story!

I'll forgive Roland for their 10 year delay and I won't even charge them royalties for the idea - here's the official Roland 30th (10th) anniversary announcement:

In 1981, Roland created the JUPITER-8, with the goal of creating the most expressive synthesizer possible. Equipped with the leading technology of its day, the legendary synth's unique character and rich sound has remained iconic in the popular musical landscape ever since.

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Today, Roland is extremely proud to introduce the JUPITER-80 Synthesizer, a keyboard that represents an unprecedented leap in the pursuit of the most realistic and authentically expressive electronic musical instrument, just as its namesake did when it was launched 30 years ago.

With a sleek industrial design that pays homage to the original JUPITER-8, the 76-key touchscreen-driven JUPITER-80 integrates the highest calibre of analogue modelling, digital synthesis, and SuperNATURAL® expressiveness available in a live performance synthesizer.

This combination of Roland's most advanced synthesis technologies gives keyboard players not only an amazingly realistic and organic sound, but a truly authentic performance.

The JUPITER-80 Synthesizer also features a complete suite of SuperNATURAL sounds—piano, brass, strings, guitar, and more—resulting in the most realistic array of acoustic instruments ever assembled in a keyboard. The SuperNATURAL sound engine constantly analyses the player's natural keyboard performance to produce continuous authentic performance of the selected sound - all without altering the player's normal keyboard technique. These meticulously crafted SuperNATURAL instruments, now under the control of behaviour modelling, provide the most authentic acoustic playing experience for live performances and studio recordings.

For more information go to www.rolandconnect.com/product.php?p=jupiter-80

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