Roland Synthesizer

Roland System-1m Synthesizer | Reviews
83
later. In terms of overall synth
architecture the 1m takes the relatively
conventional dual-oscillator, subtractive
analogue-style synthesis route with a
few interesting extras thrown in.
Let’s start with the all-important
oscillators. There are two main
oscillators, with an additional
sub-oscillator and noise source. Each
oscillator has three classic wave shapes
– sawtooth, square and triangle – and a
Color control for tweaking each further
The manual helpfully states that the
Color knob “result depends on the
waveform” – and that’s it. Delving
deeper, and with the help of my DAW’s
waveform view, the sawtooth wave’s
symmetry appears to change as the
control is moved. In sonic terms you get
a subtle phasing quality as the knob is
turned. With the square wave selected,
Color adjusts the pulsewidth, while the
triangle wave gets progressively richer
(with more harmonics).
The oscillators do have an analogue
feel about them (if that’s what you
want), with subtle drifting in evidence
when playing together. Where they
depart from standard analogue fare is in
the second set of waveforms, which are
effectively doubled versions of the fi rst
– with the Color knob now controlling
the amount of detune. This makes it
possible to create some very thick
textures that include, but are not
limited to, the ‘supersaw’ delights of
crossover EDM. A very recent OS
update expands the oscillators’ choices
with six new waves (Noise Saw, Logic
Operation, FM, FM + Sync, Vowel and
Cowbell) that really open up the sonic
territory the synth can cover.
The Color setting can also be
modulated by the LFO and three
envelopes or even the sub-oscillator
(which adds a little more grit in most
cases). Cross Mod, a form of inter-
oscillator Frequency Modulation that
has graced a number of classic Roland
synths, is implemented here, though it
is arguably a little more polite than that
found on my Jupiter-6. Ring Modulation
and Oscillator Sync are also possible.
Classic sync sweeps
Usefully, engaging Sync switches the
Pitch Envelope to control only the
second oscillator, allowing you to create
classic sync-sweeps with ease.
Oscillator 2 has a Fine Tune control,
though for coarse semitone changes you
need to dive into
the world of
unlabelled,
simultaneous
key presses and
knob turns –
all the more
frustrating as
there is no easy
way to do this and play notes at the
same time. This is perhaps one area
where having a more fully-featured
screen makes sense, or maybe just
having all functions available via
dedicated controls.
The native System-1m sound
engine offers 4-note polyphony, so you
can double things once again by
engaging the Unison mode. Be aware
though that this is not possible if you
SPECS
I/Os: Phones jack, Output
(L/MONO, R) jacks: 1/4-inch
phone type (Rear), Output
(L/MONO, R) jacks:
Miniature phone type
(Front), LFO Out, OSC 1
Sync Out, OSC 2 Sync In,
Ring In, OSC 1 Out, OSC 2
Out, Ext In, Mix Out, Pitch
Env In, Filter Env In, Filter
Env Out, Filter LFO In, Gate
In, CV In, Amp Env In, Amp
Env Out jacks: Miniature
phone type, MIDI (IN, OUT)
connectors, USB type B
(Audio/MIDI), DC IN jack
Dimensions:
427 x 129 x 70mm
Weight:
1.25kg
The new synth models available via
the Plug-Out system really extend
the System-1m’s sonic scope
The USB connector
passes both MIDI and
audio (though only at
96K) allowing the
synth to be
integrated with
your existing DAW in
a number of
interesting ways.
Make The
Connection
Although mostly
dedicated to
analogue modelling,
digital processing is
still very much in
evidence. The
Crusher and EFX
sections take care of
additional effects.
Effects
What sets it apart
from nearly all digital
synths is the array of
audio and control
patch points. These
allow you integrate the
synth into an existing
analogue set-up.
Patch Crazy
FMU296.rev_roland.indd 83 8/12/15 5:27 PM