ROLAND SH-5 Analog Synth 1976 | DEMO

[eldorado303]

very unique sound.

[Chaosga]

I want one!

[Yoshigotraped]

09:53 Amasing bass

[clarius1973]

It is FAR more powerful than the classic Minimoog... it can do almost everything. But the Minimoog timbre (filter) is (imho) a little better.

C.

[coolshit28]

Looks like you're having a lot of fun!!

[keyboardjeff]

Very nice demo.

[AlainHubert]

Who wants to go back to menus and pages and virtual knobs after seeing this ?

The more knobs there are, the happier I am! Thanks for a great demo.

I wish I had a Roland like this in my collection.

[r5t6y12]

@AlainHubert,

Yeah AH, I never really did anything with the 1 POLYSIX that I had (and never really did anything else since) but just on sight I hated when companies started coming out with stuff where the entire number of knobs, sliders, wheels, and buttons was reduced from more than 30 to less than 6.

IMHO opinion everything built between 1984-2000 was for studio work (not live performance).

[MetallNYX]

ohh shit... that synth is fucking awesome :)))

[ROoooo80]

sounds amazing

[navojoARISTOCRAT]

thanks, this helped!

[Boefkick]

i need this so bad! damn

[turquoisecapricorn]

Fantastic good video! Of a synthesizer with also unlimited possibilities as my Solton Project 100.My Solton has also 2 VCO's. Greetz Jason from Ghent, Belgium.

[Desmaad]

Like an Odyssey without the suck!

[daztay]

i had one of these a few years back but never achieved much success with it as it was faulty on arrival. what a great demo of the sounds i missed out on.

[aimoriizumi]

ローランド、最高！



[biospark64]

I MUST HAVE one of these, even if only for the sound at 7:30!

[frenzexperiment]

AHAH....at the start it looks like the beginning of a sci fi movie! I thought it was the enterprise!

[br00talKidHxC]

I'd trade my dick for that

[Galidorquest]

AWESOME

[kbutman1]

wow this is wicked... i really like the sci-fi wave mod stuff... thanks for the post

[dimana123]

awesome!!!!!! i want that instrumen!!!

[coketherealthing]

Freakin Awsome!

[KARKUSisususiuscDMK]

you make the noise with synth?

the sound to synth is demon babies abortion!

[nondescriptman]

does it have the sh 2000 presets such as the frogman?

[CoolColJ24]

where's tha Minimoog? I saw it in the tags :(

[LFO3001]

what a powerful beast it is! *WHOA*

[ferfookssekelad]

Its 1974 and it is used 4 one of the most iconic synth intro's ever. Fly like an eagle by Steve Miller (1974). You can do that whole intro with 3 different sounds at once in one take on this!! Pure magic, love it!!!! (yes i have one :)

[litlgrey]

Eleven minutes long... and fer crissakes I couldn't look away !!

[skyprop]

BTW Take good care of her too! :)

[skyprop]

6:56 Sound is like something off of Genessis "And then there was three" Album"

[skyprop]

A great early Roland Specimen.... HOLD ONTO IT! Rolands of this vintage are only going to increase in value over time. Nice One!!

[CoolColJ24]

Similar character to my SH-2

[RainforestRay]

I have one of these - it still works. No MIDI, no presets, which makes it harder to work with, but that is part of the aesthetic. I LOVE IT.

If you like the sounds at about 5 mins in, you might appreciate my original electronica music. See RICOCHET: You And Ray on myspace.com

[joyoussound]

@RainforestRay But who would need MIDI or presets? :-O

[TheGodParticle]

Kind of reminds me of those 70's sci fi sound effects from Dr Who.

[YousefKawar]

nice

[lobit12]

I have one as well. love it.

the AD envelope is slower than the adsr . seems at first like 'why did they do that?' but its useful as a quick way to go between a soft sound and a punchy sound.

[TheJetexproductions]

I WANT ONE!!!!!

[TheRichmole]

sounds fantastic,,, and from the 70s,,when thinks were built right,, unlike all the modern stuff,,,

[Farout397]

7:57 AWESOME! I love that sound!

[z3z4z3z4z3z4z3z4]

caralho !!! que som!!!

[Altair8801]

Can you control it with MIDI? How many inputs and outputs does it have? Last but not least, how much do you want for it? ;)

[boswachtersrule]

@Altair8801 cv gate in and out cv for filter and a extra cv for VCO's it has also

mono and stereo outs

[1200x2]

DO WANT

[zowlyfon]

You can never beat analog synths.

[mesmoland]

02:36 what a great sound !!

[stingrrr1]

lol how much does this weigh, if you could buy it, to your wallet?

[chairdude1]

Long live moogs and old synths

[camouflage81]

there are 2 of those on ebay atm. They're in japan and about $2900.

What do you say about them? =)

[devmiles]

breathtaking

[greg0716]

ill give u 500 for that

[metalcore929]

Was this filmed in the 70s too? 

[AnalogAudio1]

@metalcore929 No :-) the movies only look like made in the 70s, but they are not...

[pabloaza]

@metalcore929 Sarcasm xD

[Synthdude13]

damn i want to play such synthesizers .. lucky ones ;@

[sepulchre10]

Love those big knobs, switches and sliders! Sounds Great. You're lucky to have one, especially a working one.

[TomZentra]

The SH-5 sounds way better than a MiniMoog. And the sound can be modified in more ways too.

[TomZentra]

The SH-5 sounds way better than a MiniMoog.

[hafstrat]

Brilliant. Bring it back roland.

[tarheelbball081]

the sound at 6:54 is the best thing i've ever heard.

[sadalite]

i wish you would save the last part of your demo for an actual "playing" such as a well known song or maybe even one you wrote. Just hearing sounds gets kind of boring.

[Rizilo]

I love it. I'm looking for a synthesizer that has that 8-bit sound. For example, NES games. Does anyone know where I can get one for cheap?

[hyretech]

@Rizilo Are you looking for an 8-bit programmable sound generator?

AY-3-8910 is one example. Many Yamaha chips from that era (1975-1985) are also capable. The SN-Voice system is another system.

[RainforestRay]

@Rizilo -- You could also pick up an old Mirage or similar 8-bit Sampler and crunch some sounds that way.

[kellyssa3]

Great demo. This synth sound really good. Thanks for posting ;-)

[bjkaboom]

FOR ME....with a pitch bend and volume pedal.....I use it for the BEST Keyboard COUNTRY FIDDLE in the business.

Great Demo!

[tomerx4]

your FX sound much like echo the dolphin

[myrmur]

Great demo, as always.

How do you like the keyboard action?

It's really possibile to play keys fast without breaking fingers? :-)

[AnalogAudio1]

@myrmur the keyboard is typical Roland of the seventies. Sometimes double triggers. The KB action is not too heavy, it feels good.

[ServeYHWH]

This old machine sounds better than the new ones ..

[sweetestperfection90]

music kinda got in the doldrums in the late 70's, surprising when this thing existed all along!!!:) ah well the eighties happend so its ok! 3:00 sick with desire!!

[Stnibar]

Great demo. Finally someone who actually masters his synth.

Not too common on Youtube...

[MordaciousFilms]

Around 9:37 that sounds alot like The Thompson Twins' "Doctor Doctor". Did they use this synth at all?

[HYPNOTIKINFEKTED]

Beautiful! ..I would trade every synth I own for this beast! Everyone says MOOG is where it's at,..Obviously they've never heard the SH-5 or SH-7.

Analog Audio,..Can you tell me which came out first? The SH-5 or the SH-7?

thanks for the upload!

[AnalogAudio1]

@HYPNOTIKINFEKTED  The SH-5 came first - 1975 or 1976 I think.

[bangulo2012]

@HYPNOTIKINFEKTED seriously anything roland is just top notch

[The7thBeatle]

I'll tell you another very cool technique you can do with these. As far as I know, I'm the only person who ever did this. You can run the white noise generator through a slow phase shifter to create a wind sound, then add a guitar talkbox and become the "speaking wind". This is they keyboard I use when I want people to say "Oh my God, how did he DO that??" :-)

[schellebel]

Hardsync is one of my favorite effects and it sounds pretty good on this one! BTW what a huge spectrum of sounds this mother can produce! No wonder it's so expensive!

[schellebel]

Hardsync is one of my favorite effects and it sounds pretty good on this one!

[seifukusha]

there is a dead one sitting in a reapir shop near my house. ive tried to get him to fix it and sell it to me, but he doesnt want to be bothered with it.

[ddominict]

Brillant demo, well done. Cant believe that I sold mine!

[ddominict]

Well done! Brilliant demo of one of the best synths on the planet - why did I sell mine?

[kennykeyboard]

When I was in high school (1980) I rented this synth for a week over Easter holidays. This and the Sh3a were popular alternatives to the Moog and Arp monos. Little did I know that the 5 would become one of the coolest vintage synths. The look and the sound quality are wonderful. The Roland oscillators and filter are so smooth.

[1981analog]

What a beautiful synth *sighs*

[hamhamgo]

beautiful sound!

[ivysomething]

what a beautiful lil dude!!!

[Synthdude13]

At 9:32 sounds like JMJ nice! I love this fantastic synth! I'd like to play one but to buy it? Quite expensive and not in my price range :S

[xnonsuchx]

THANKS for having a direct feed demo instead of all the other synth demos online that are through an amp and having a mic in a room picking up all sorts of noise! ;-)

[MaxMusicOne]

Excellents....!!!!

What more Say..??

Compliments for your Jewel,

CIAO to Max from Milan.

[JelteTuinstra]

i want this thing so bad.....

[plasmaforce11]

Phat! :D

[ledheavy26]

Wish they still made them this way, sigh, oh well, time for ebay or modular.

[PaulRoberts]

Now that's what I call a synth.

[simulbee]

O. M. G.

[watcherfromtheskies]

Beautiful synth and really great demo, thanx

[RLW1967]

I would love to get one but I wouldn't spend 2,000 dollars. I would spend 1,500 dollars to get one.

[mynmyself]

wow... seems SUCH a powerfull synth! wish it had some patchable capabilities... in a semimodular way... but even so, it sounds amazing!

[karmafarm]

you can't patch it with cables, but there are little switches all across the top that let you route LFOs, S/H, Envelopes, Noise, etc, to different places. So in that respect you could call it semi-modular.

[GCom67]

Fantastic synth and great demo!!

Thanks for sharing 5 Stars.

[justwaving]

Wonderful! That's a beautiful synth, I so wish I had never sold my SH-7

[Desmaad]

Sounds like a SID.

[ajuskovic]

Want to sell it?

[DyNaMoMaRv]

mitikoooooooooooooooooooooooo !!!!!!!!!!

[KaslarProductions]

very metallic sounds at 3:40.

i love it

[VintSynth]

Great! I'm amazed to hear what this oldie is capable of!

[neptune9]

Good gawd man! I had no idea Roland made anything like this. Thanks for helping to pull my head out of my rear end.  Great demo!

[Robis2349]

what do these things cost used?

[AnalogAudio1]

I think 2000 dollars or more, but they are quite rare.

[The7thBeatle]

@Robis2349 Actually it's $4000, I'm getting ready to sell mine since I'm getting out of the music business due to injury. They are very hard to find: not many people wanted to be bothered learning to use them so not that many units were sold. It's easily the coolest and most fun keyboard I've ever owned. All the rest were just keyboards to me, but selling this one is gonna hurt because it can never be duplicated or replaced. All the things digital keyboards can't do, the SH-5 excels at.

[Jimmyspin11]

Sounds like Steve Miller Band used this model.

[intervenous]

seriosuly good. I'd give anything to own one of these. Thanks for the demo. I'm green with envy.

[SjoerdDekker]

I am still ashamed that i once swapped this wonderfull synt for a new Korg poly 800 in 1984 at Saris rotterdam. yes I know, I was a fool lol

[MacXpert74]

Wow! thats like swapping a Ferrari for a Yugo! :)

[SjoerdDekker]

Right!! but you have to bear in mind that the sh5 was about 100euro worth in 84 and a poly8oo polyfphonic and a 1000euro

but yeah, stupid is stupid does LOL

[maccagrabme]

Well a Korg Poly 800 might sound reasonable but it looks like crap compared to this. How could you?

[SjoerdDekker]

At the time I was fed up and explored the SH5 from top to bottom. When you know all the parameters/components and the effect on sounds the magic is a lot less. the sh5 has a keyboard that rattles like a snake. The POLY was well...poly. Playing chords gets you in bands.

[anstonian]

Fantastic synth, Great Demo. I'd never seen one of theses babies before, but boy, do I want one. LOL .

[pacosaidso]

Bought mine in oct 1996. Man it's a fun instrument. I love just setting the envelopes to trigger from the LFOs and let it play on its own. Then you can focus on shaping the sound. Instant Trans Europe Express.

It doesn't have a strong signal like a Mini or Obie, but it can sound really mean and aggressive. I love that it has a separate section for the BPF.

Nice video, thanks for uploading!

[griff500grr]

Great demo of probably the best looking, sounding mono. Now have deep, aching gear lust - and yours is in better nick than my girlfriend of similar vintage! Does it have CV/gate ins n outs?

[AnalogAudio1]

thanks...

yes, the SH-5 has all the jacks you would expect from a serious mono synth: CV / Gate In & out, Ext. signal in, Mono/Stereo Out (left / right), Expression Pedal...

[sidewalkpilot]

play SUPER SIDE OF THE ROAD by INXS

[marcelarp]

one of the best sythesizers...

[mixmastermonte]

Thanks!! Nice job in running through a variety of functions and sounds. I have an SH101, Juno 60, and Juno 106. I was trying to watch the video to see what this could do that my SH 101 could or could not! Thanks again! Sounds great!!

[schellebel]

You lucky bastard, this synth is ubercool, underground and has the looks and i wish i had one.

[supasizzle123]

good demo. that's a versatile synth... nothing my memorymoog can't do but it's cool.. i surprised i haven't heard much about that model

[AnalogSweden]

Can you tell me about the multimode filter you've installed in your Memorymoog?

[AnalogAudio1]

thanks! But you're wrong... the Memorymoog has not Multimode Filters like the SH-5 (Highpass, Bandpass).

[supasizzle123]

Multimode filter is cool but i wouldn't by a synth just because it has nice filter would you? The Memorymoog can make all those sound and much more! It's just my opinion. This is not a high school test:)

[douglascain]

I would...

[dr3tri]

No Moogs and the Rolands sound same, no way. And it's much about personal taste but still i have never had any kind of moog fetish.. . .

[Gazdatronik]

an important question, does this unit have an IR3109 for its filter, or is it discrete?

It really sounds like the 3109 to my ears.

[PWMaarten]

I think the filter is discrete, They did'nt use the IR3109 filter/amp chips back in '76, did they?

Great video. Thanks for posting.

I would definitly buy a synth for its filter.

[baward]

Very nice (and I would seriously like to own one), but I still rate the Korg DV800 higher than the SH5.

[AnalogAudio1]

I had a Korg DV800 once... a nice synth with interesting sounds, but there where also features that I didn't like:

only 3 intensity steps for ENV to affect VCF, no Filter resonance, and HighPass & LowPass filters where not controlable independently by ENV - only both together. With this architecture you can't produce usable bass sounds - a big limitation. In spite of this, it is a crazy synthesizer with some interresting sounds!

[douro20]

Reminds me almost of a Minimoog in appearance, but I'd imagine this thing is a lot more flexible.

[AnalogAudio1]

The sound structure of the SH-5 is rather similar to the ARP Odyssey - but with some more flexibility. The basic sound however is completely different to Moog or ARP. It sounds like a Roland!

[tekkentool]

wow, awesome synth bass sounds.

[shanestt]

I have owned lots of monosynths and for a non modular this has to be the most versatile. It has two LFOs, a separate clock for the S/H, two filters, an ADSR and an AR, and a ring mod. The routing on this is almost modular. I think that for what you get for the money that it's a relative bargain. The only cons are- only has two oscillators, the square wave isn't that fat, the filter is 12db, and the bandpass isn't voltage controlled. The bandpass is however, one of the best filters I've heard

[WaffleTron]

some people say the envelopes aren't puncy but they don't sound too bad to me in this vid.

[WaffleTron]

thanks so much for the demo! I'm buying one tonight woo hoo! muah hah hah!

[AnalogAudio1]

congratulations, they are quite rare... have fun! :-)

[WaffleTron]

thanks again for the vid, I would say yours is the best traditional demo on the interwebs!

[magevers]

Great sounding SH-5! Interesting demo!

[synthpro]

Great demo!

[rubyconem]

Nice demo! Very relaxing those sounds.

[br0therl0c0]

Such a beautiful sound. Nice demo!

[Tayl0NP]

God damn my life! This is the coolest thing ever and I don't have it!!

[Dovinia]

Excellent!

[Thalassa77]

Another great demo , I'm jealous of your synth collection ;) . I've posted this video on switchedonsynthesizer.blogspot . com

[retrosound72]

Schön ist er ja nicht, aber der Klang ist fantastisch.

[AnalogAudio1]

Nicht schön? Er sieht doch geil aus... :-) naja, Äußerlichkeiten sind halt Geschmacksache...

[retrosound72]

Ja, ist Geschmackssache ich weiß. Einige halten ja auch einen Minimoog für eine Brotkiste. ;-)

Tolles Demo auf jeden Fall. So ein System-100 wäre noch was für mich.

[AnalogAudio1]

danke... der SH-5 hat gegenüber dem System 100 übrigens ein paar nicht zu unterschätzende Vorteile.

[crazycarl69]

you're lucky! great demo also

[AnalogAudio1]

thank you...

[DeathByDinSync]

Great video.... I miss my SH-5

[AnalogAudio1]

thanks... :-)