This is highly doubtful. I said all the same things when the first boutiques started appearing.
Agreed. A boutique line of synths, which are still technically very overpriced for what they are does little to satisfy the needs of musicians with little disposable income. My advice to those looking for gear on a budget has always been to get something second hand. As long as it hasnât been abused you canât really go wrong
Curious tho, what are the options at $300 for even a second-hand, modern-USB-enabled, battery powered, built-in speaker-having, almost exact 303/909/101 clone?
To be broader, are there ANY clones of classic gear with USB interface and battery powered? At any price?
Sure that might not matter to some, but I think itâs an awesome update to a vintage piece, and at a very reasonable price.
Anyway Iâm not trying to sell these things, Iâm just happy the point we are at in music tech right now and am not complaining about the route any of the manufacturers are taking. So many options to fit so many styles.
I am a big fan of the boutique range, ironically I think these and the Aira range are the most interesting things Roland have done since the V-SynthXT, yes they are small (good news for me), yes they are digital (so what, they sound good) and yes some of the ergonomics are a bit questionable, but they fill a niche and quite frankly they sound better than some modern analogs do (in my opinion)
I am lucky enough to have owned and used the originals, and still own some, and the boutiques still make me smile and inspire me, simple, direct and fun.
I hope the 101 has the sequencer and clock input, and I hope they do the 808 too!
5 Likes
Yes, although I hope this does a better job, the plug out version did not sound very good to me, by contrast the JU06, JP08, JX03 and other boutiques sounded much closer to the target machines, the TR09 sounds better than the TR8 909 to me, I read somewhere that the boutique team are not using Aira groundwork and that they are working from scratch, although this could just be an internet rumour 
1 Like
The other thing to consider is that the CEM3340 VCO chip used in the original SH-101 has been re-issued, so maybe it will be analogâŚ
4 Likes
totally agree. the boutique series is a total winner in my book. ergonomics might be questionable, but still much better than the âergonomicsâ of vst plugins. i think the size hits the sweet spot: small enough to take out for a gig, big enough to get a decent enough synth layout with all parameters. and the sound is indeed pretty good and they record straight from usb.
2 Likes
Yeah itâs sad times when the Roland boutiques are regarded as the best thing Roland has done since the V-Synth range 
What a synth that was when it was released. Incredible
Can we have some innovation please Roland, not mass produced repackaged old synths in tiny little lunch boxes.
What about the A-01? That was a totally new synth with some awesome modern features (bluetooth?!) that seems to gets overlooked.
No itâs tiny also, and basically sounds terrible from the demos.
Itâs a million miles from a modern V-Synth equivalent, or even an old old one
Waiting for Roland to release their take on the proposed Waldorf Quantum.
Now that thing is a real innovative synth. Letâs just hope itâs not vapourware
The knobs on the A-01 are a lot bigger to be fair (too big imo). As for the sound, I guess thatâs all preference. I have really loved mine - mostly for the bluetooth.
I never meant to suggest it was a modern v-synth, just that it was an instance of Roland innovating or trying something new that seems to get overlooked.
1 Like
that thing costs as much as a brand new car and takes almost as much space. if thatâs what youâre in the market for then obviously you wonât be getting a roland boutique. apples and oranges.
Yeah itâs a shame Roland are using all their resources for this line is what I am saying. If Roland had a decent flagship synth I wouldnât be complaining about the boutiques
Not really, more like the other way round. The TR-8 has many more features than the TR-09. Sidechain effect on the external audio input; reverb; delay; custom kits from different TR machines; independent kick & snare compression; assignable physical outputs; scatter functions; etc.
The TR-09 has more patterns, and a trigger sync out, thatâs about it. The TR-09 also has a lot of features hidden behind shift functions which make it harder to use.
Anyway, I think the SH-101 plugout sounded pretty accurate, it was that it was shoehorned into the System-1 interface that meant it didnât quite work the way youâd expect - the sequencer and LFO are really fundamental to the 101. I would expect that the boutique addresses that.
1 Like
Aside from the return of the touch ribbons + battery compartment, I really donât see much reason to complain if the price is right.
Actual SH-101 sliders are about as short throw as JU-06.
The main thing I disliked about my Atlantis was lack of patch memory.
This could be a great budget synth for many people.
It could be the best part of the plug out Sh-101 (the sound) , and free of the worst parts (awful green leds and paint + circular controls).
2 Likes
Havenât used tee JU but the slider on the JP were minuscule.