I'm looking forward to the release of the new Roland SH-4d.
This is Roland's latest in the line of synths belonging to the SH family.
It brings memories of such legendary machines like the SH-101, SH5 & SH-7
So I thought it would be fun to make a SH list
Let me know if I've forgotten any synths belonging to this family.
SH-1000
This was Roland's 1st synth
1973. Monophonic,
Designed to complement an organ
Single oscillator feeding a lowpass filter, an ADSR envelope, and two LFOs.
It features 10 Preset sounds.
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SH-2000
Rolands 2nd synth
It's a single VCO machine. Preset only.
Thus its not as flexible as the SH1000
1973 - 74
Uses a transistor ladder filter.
Although most Roland analog keyboard synthesizers have 1V/1oct VCOs, this one uses Hz/V.
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SH-3
the year was 1974
I love this synth.
It was Roland's first synth that wasn't preset based.
Its uses a diode filter like on the EMS VCS-3
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SH-3a
1974
The later SH-3a uses a transistor ladder-filter and as a result can generate Moog-like sounds."
Both the 3 & 3a synths can do additive synthesis by mixing in up to five different waveforms.
The synths are both monophonic, having just one VCO & a noise module..
Interestingly there are two LFOs
LFO1 has a sawtooth waveform
LFO2 has a sine & square wave with a delay slider.
The LFO's can be assigned to the VCF, VCA, or the VCO.
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SH-5
1976 -81
This was pre-midi
CV/gate controls.
The styling is very close to the modular Roland system-100
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SH-7
1978-81
When I see this synth I think of INXS
Duphonic.
two Syncable VCOs. Two ADSRs,
VCO1 has 5 Sliders which control levels of 32',16',8',4' and 2' .
This is the flagship of the early SH series
CA3080 filter
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SH-1
It's a 32 key synthesizer
1978
One Oscillator & sub oscillator., LFO, HP & LP Filter.
White & pink noise.
It's the great grand-daddy of the SH101
Feels like a bulky sh-09.
I like the patch-bay being on the top. Easier to patch into a modular.
It's often over looked.
The filter is a 4 pole , 24db low pass.
It's OTA in design, based on the CA3080 (also used in the SH-7 and system 700)
The VCO has PWM and the subOSC that can work 2 octaves below the main OSC
CV/Gate input and output.
Trigger input.
There are 2 envelopes to control the VCA. (ADSR & AR)
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SH-2
1979
Two oscillators & a suboscillator
There is a total of 5 waveforms available across both VCOs
SINE, SAWTOOTH, SQUARE, PULSE-WIDTH and NOISE.
The MODULATOR section features a RANDOM (S/H) waveform that can be
used to modulate tone and pitch
Input & output Control : CV/gate
24dB filter (BA662 design... also used in the SH-09)
Wonderful creamy lead sounds.
I think this synth is hugely underrated
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SH-09
1980
Just one VCO, LFO, Filter.
2 &1/2 (32 note) octave keyboard
The envelope generator is a full ADSR design and doubles
up for both amplitude and filter modulation duties.
The envelope can also be pressed into service for PWM.
CV/gate
A stripped down version of the sh-1 ??
OTA filter : (BA662A design , also found in the jupiter 4, Promars, SH-2 & 100m)
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SH 101
1982 -86
Legendary synth.
CV/gate.
One VCO + sub osc, LFO
The SH-101 was based on a single CEM3340 oscillator.
Squenchy filter (four OTA-stages integrated in Roland IR3109)
The integrated circuit, Roland IR3109, is also found in the Jupiter 4, 6 & 8, Juno 6, 60, JX3P, the SH101, the MKS-10 and the early MKS-80 (1984)
Built in sequencer/arp. Love how you can make a sequence out of random notes
and then loop. Your fingers can now tweak parameters on the fly.
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SH-32
2001
Wave acceleration synthesis ???
The raw waveforms are sampled. (67 waveforms)
Does it belong with the famous SH synths of the 70s & 80s ?
I don't know !!! So different to what came before.
It's very groove box, but without a sequencer.
I guess Roland wanted to revive the famous SH line so this is what they came up with.
It uses the engines of the modern (at the time) JP-8000 so I think
it has more in common with the JP-8000 & JP-8080 than the earlier
SH-synths of the 70's.
It had been almost 20 years since the SH-101
This synth reminds me very much of the new SH-4d
Also a 4 part muti-timbral desktop module.
Lots of knobs and sliders.... no menu diving
32 voices
No sequencer but does have an Arp (64 arpeggiator types).
Each arp can contain up to 32 steps with 16 notes.
It has a chord memory feature making it useful for techno and trance.
There are 35 insert effects and 10 types of reverb and delay.
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SH-201
10 voices
2006
Its a analog modelling synth that has less to do with the SH-101
and more in common with the jp-8000
Features Roland's famous Supersaw waveform (introduced in the JP-8000)
Really easy to use.
No menu diving.
Features Roland's D-Beam technology
like the SH-101it has an arpeggiator function with 32 patterns.
Also a overdrive control & delay and reverb.
It's got a USB connection to allow communication with a software editor.
There are 32 presets and 32 user patches.
Bi-tonal not bi-timbral. ... can make two tones at once but receives midi on only 1 channel.
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SH-01 Gaia
64 voices
Analog modelling
Three oscillators with seven different waveforms (saw, square, pulse, triangle, sine, noise and super saw).
"D-Beam" sensor for live performance
MIDI In/Out and USB connectivity to store patches to a thumb drive.
There is a software patch editor
c.2010
Can be run on batteries.
sh-01a
analog modelling
2018
A mini-me sh101 in boutique format
note that the vintage SH101 was limited to a 4 oct range (16' to 2')
The sh-01a adds 32' and 64' to the osc's range
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