When Roland announced Boutique model JU-06A in 2019, it didn't go unnoticed that its description eschewed any mention of Analog Circuit Behavior (ACB), the down-to-the-component design approach that had powered several earlier Boutiques as well as certain Aira-branded instruments, and when Boutiques JD-08 and JX-08 followed suit in 2021, the Boutique enthusiast community reasonably concluded in the absence of any official statements that Roland had moved away from the resource-heavy, polyphony-limited, dual-DSP-powered ACB design to rely instead on its homegrown Behavior Modeling Core (BMC) CPU+DSP system-on-a-chip engine that powers other Zen-Core hardware instruments.
On JX-08 in particular, Roland noted that its patch architecture and sound characteristics aligned directly with the Roland Cloud JX-8P Model Expansion software, further indicating a unified, Zen-Core-flavored relationship among more recent, ACB-bereft Boutiques, Roland Cloud software instruments and hardware-compatible Model Expansions. Now, with the release of two new Boutique models and on the N/Vision Wavetable Synthesizer in particular, we can see that Zen-Core lineage once again inasmuch as N/Vision sure seems to be based on / derived from Roland's N/Zyme Model Expansion for Fantom workstations.
Among other differences N/Vision may not match N/Zyme's functionality for drawing waveform shapes right on the Fantom touchscreen, but functional differences aside the basic voice architecture of two wavetable oscillator layers with a prominent Layer Mix control remains, and on the N/Vision panel Layer Mix gets its own dedicated crossfader slide pot.
Meanwhile, on Jupiter-08 – notably Roland's second kick at the Boutique Jupiter-8 cat after 2015's ACB-powered, 4-voice JP-08 – we can see the benefits of a shift to the BMC/Zen-Core platform in its massively enhanced polyphony and resultant increased fidelity in voice architecture and parameter control to the vintage 1981 original.
Shared Zen-Core/BMC foundations aside, there are other similarities just between these two new Boutique instruments that would seem to indicate a parallel development and canny reuse/repurposing of certain voice and panel design elements. While at a high level – modern wavetable synth vs vintage recreation – they might be pretty far apart near the ends of the digital vs (virtual) analog spectrum, they nevertheless share a dual-layer, bi-timbral voice architecture and therefore also share top-panel Upper/Lower Panel Mode buttons along with Dual/Split Key Modes.
The two models have matching lists of onboard digital effects – both including a new shimmer reverb algorithm – and similarly-equipped onboard polyphonic sequencers replete with two parts, 64 steps, 8 notes per part and support for motion sequencing. They even share a Hold button/function that Roland makes some hay about and seems to be not just for the arpeggiator but also for holding notes/chords to enable 'hands-free experimentation while performing.'
These inside-baseball ruminations about shared designs and the ongoing evolution of both the Boutique line and the Zen-Core/BMC platform are interesting, but what's even more interesting are the great sounds coming from these new synths and the approachable, thoughtfully designed control panels that let players tweak those sounds and create their own. Please visit our listings to learn more, hear sounds, (as always) check out our exclusive bundles and get either or both on order and on the way to your studio today!
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