Roland SH-32

I just picked one up yesterday...second hand...ofcourse at first I couldn,t get around it....but after a couple of hours I was making patches....the presets to me are rubbish! the manual...so so.

the FX are good...especially the Distortin for basses...arpegio like any other...everything is layed out pretty logically....back up via midi...which I have never done yet....if only it had a card slot it would be perfect..

the Sounds???like I said the presets are rubbish but when you start programming it's killer....
Bass,Leads,Pads and FX.....Excellent!

Looks amazingly tough....very sturdy metal chassis...mine looks a bit rough around the edges but very good for a unit that's 6 years old....I would use it live.....no problemo...!

never ever had a problem with Roland gear....have owned a JX3P,Juno G,Sp-404....

if it were stolen i would buy it again....I wish it had a proper back=up system....

This review is for Roland SH-32 analog modeling synth. The unit is made in Japan. It has the latest software edition. I downloaded from the Roland web site along with the owners manual. The factory presets include SH-101, TB 303, GR 300 sounds. As well, as many analog lush juno sounding strings. It includes 3 sampled drum kits: TR 808 (excellent!) TR 909, and CR 78. About half the factory presets duplicate vintage analog the other half showcase all the sonic possibilities of the units. I am more a patch person than special effects, but this unit definitely out of the box does all sorts of "blips" "bleeps" and "gurgles" any analog unit will do with the added advantage of no worries about capacitors or ICs failing. I have about a dozen analog units. I've owned/own Rolands, korgs, yamaha, moogs, oberheims...so first hand I know what I am talking about. I would describe myself as advanced in editing programing. This unit has all the knobs that my juno 106 or Yamaha cs 10 does. They respond EXACTLY as an analog synth would in real time. I would say editing on this is easier than on my Yamaha cs 10 which is an unbelievably user friendly vintage synth. This one is as easy to program and tweak the knobs in real time. The manual is massive and like a text book. I found it very confusing and relied more on my experience with vintage synths. This works very much in the same way and if you are comfortable with old junos, sh units and others. This one will be a breeze. I use the manual mostly for exploring all the features this unit has: Vintage analog modeling synth, vintage Roland drum machine, arpeggiator, analog modeled effects unit. I love the effects on this. OUTSTANDING. I think these originally listed for $595. It's worth twice that and I would put it at the top of the food chain for virtual analogs. It's sad people are just now catching on to these after they discontinued. There awesome

let's discuss what this is and what it isn't. First off, the wave forms are sampled. The analog filters are modeled. The effects are analog modeling. You may think that using samples instead of analog modeling for the waveforms would work against it but actually I think wave synthesis is a plus. The samples are actually from a Roland SH 101 and others. The drum samples are actually from TR analog drum units. The analog modeled filter section is one of the best I've hard so far as VA are concerned. Smokes Nord, I know I ditched mine after I got this. Sometimes paying more means getting less. I think a lot of people that would say Nord and a few other high end units are superior probably haven't used a Roland SH 32. This little desktop module seemed to fly in under the radar and was gone before anyone knew it. Really a shame. This has more of that old classic early 80s Roland MIJ feel than anything they've made in years. They should put this back in production. I love the effects unit on this. It's really hard to do analog modeling of flange/chorus/phase effects. You wouldn't be able to tell the difference on this one between it and vintage boss pedals. Has tremolo built in (I believe you can do two LFOs at once) built in analog modeled compressor or limiter where can add the amount to each patch. Even analog drift. The delay is awesome! If you can dream it up you can do it with this unit and it's half the size of a cereal box. Hehe. I love it

Sounds? Honest, when I first got this for the first month or so I struggled even with my analog synth background mainly because just testing all the features and sounds on the unit is a several week job. A fun one. I've never seen any synth that has more stuff and knobs. It's like they took a Roland Juno 106, a Yamaha CS mono synth, a TR drum unit and bunch of old MIJ boss pedals and put them all together in a tiny box. The sh 32 really does sound like them! Why they stopped making this unit and how know one knows about it is so amazing. Really superior to the JP-8000. I like the filter better in this. The analog modeled filter gives you a choice of 12 or 24 low pass. So, what that translates into is that you can do Roland analog sounds and you can also create patches that perfectly duplicate Yamaha CS or mini korg sounds. Plus, you get knobs! YAY! Within seconds of getting the sh 32 I felt so at home. When I put it in the 12 db low pass mode it sounded exactly the same and responded the same as my Yamaha CS 10 and it's a roland! Put it in 24 db can do all those juno 106 or sh 101 sounds. It has band pass, high pass and a peaking filter that allows you to do auto wah effects-or can go with no filter at all. Endless combinations. I don't care what vintage synth sound your going for-this unit can do it. I think where Roland screwed up was in the marketing. Yes, it does look like a piece of hospital equipment because of the coloring. Yes, people think it's a groove box-it's not. It's a vintage analog modeling type synth with real time knobs and controls. In some ways the sh 32 sounds more classic juno than my 106. Not an overstatement. Get one and try it

I think this unit is going to be around a long time. All metal contstruction. Old school big red LED instead of yucky quartz you can't read. It's made in japan. The thing I love about this unit is it sounds analog and has knobs like my analog units-zero worry about chip failure (which I had an experience with a oberheim unit) If something ever goes out on this guy no big deal I have my patches all backed up on computer. Just buy another off ebay and reload and I am back in business no big deal. Great unit

roland is the best and there equipment is indestructible. I own tons of roland gear for this reason it's really professional stuff

well deserved 10. I would buy the roland sh 32 again. I paid $300 for mine I notice these are really starting to go us so there must be some kind of buzz about them. I am hoping to pickup a second one if I find a deal on one. I would pay $300 for another one. Like I said, I had a voice chip fail in an analog unit (oberheim) This unit sounds as warm and organic as the matrix 1000 that went out on me and I never have to worry that happening with this. What do I own? Everything. God, the whole Roland Juno series, a few MKS, an SH unit, what else? Oh, RS 09. Put it this way. I own so many analog units right now I can't remember the all. I love the SH 32 because when I sit down with it sounds and responds like my vintage analog units but it's new and I never have that worry about it going out on me. In addition, you have the TR/CR drum machine, analog modeled effects and arpeggiator. I think the Roland SH 32 is a perfect synth if there is such a thing. Shame they discontinued. I think the thing I love most about the SH 32 is it has everything I need and more. If you are on a limited budget by this. You get analog modeling, analog modeled effects, TR/CR drum section, real time knobs and controls for tweaking in performance and easy editing, and arpeggiator. The unit reminds me a lot of a juno 106. Right now SH 32 are avg. about $250-350 on ebay. They are worth it. I just hope the price stays there so I can scoop up another. My friend with his Nord borrows this all the time to play out with

I am using the latest software version for the Roland SH 32. There is no "zipper noise." I own and collect vintage analog synths. In addition, I own several VAs and softsynths. This is a totally bogus remark in my mind. Just reinforces the belief in my mind most of what you read on HC and sonic state is not very accurate. I will keep my Roland SH 32 forever for 4 reasons: 1.) does great TR 808 and 909 sounds. 2.) Does good SH 101/tb 303 sounds. 3.) made in japan. 4.) just a swiss army knife full of more uses and applications that I can ever unravel. Persets sound great. No real bad ones. I've tried so many VAs and also own a Alesis Micron. Of all the VAs out there I would say Micron and SH 32 are the best and plan to keep them indefinitely. Really cover all my VA needs. The manual I believe is longer than the great gatsby and not very readable. I have a college graduate and background with analog synths. Most of what I know about the SH 32 comes from my backroung using analog synths and experimentation. It's probably the most difficult synth I've ever used and if I didn't have experience with old Junos, JX and poly 800s I would struggle with it. I am still going to give it a 10 though because this unit is awesome

I am real picky about analog effects but actually the digital ones built into this are pretty good and if you don't have a collection of analog pedals/rack gear lying around you will be okay. I especially like the analog button where you can vary the amount of drift I think. The first thing I do before I use any of the presets is turn off the effects and run the unit through analog pedals. Sounds very analog to my ears then. Close enough that it would be hard to tell it from the real thing recorded or live. Software upgrade was very easy. Just downloaded it and the applicator from roland. It doesn't have an onboard sequencer which in a way I am glad because it probably would have been impossible to use. I am still learning this unit. I also own a Roland Juno 60 and the arpeggiator on there is magical. So far, I have not achieved the same results on the SH 32. I wish they would have did without the arpeggiator on this and put in single analog filter or analog chorus like on my juno or JX-8p.

Well, I have a Roland Juno 60, a juno 106 module and a JX-8p. Even without editing any of the presets I hear a lot of familar patches in this. The SH 101, tr 808, tr 909 sounds are dead on. Enough so I am not buying those now as the SH 32 covers them. One of these days I am going to through all the patches on the SH 32 and tweak them to mimic my Juno 60 and use it for playing out if I need too. Whoever was behind the design of the SH 32 really loved early 80s Roland analog synths. Juno 60s, jx-3 and 8p, SH 101, TR 808 and 909. This is a good permanent addition to anyone's set up and I totally echo so many of the comments allready here

Roland made in japan. This has the same build quality as a Roland MT 32 I used to have. I expect it to be around at least as long Roland has awesome support

Roland has awesome support

Definite 10. I can't think of anything I am really dissatisfied and I think if I could only keep one VA it would be a toss up between this and the micron. The micron has slightly fatter/smoother sounds. But God, I love those TR 808 and 909 drums on this things. The knobs are great too. Those two things really make this unit worth owning. I've heard that the filters/emulations in this are actually superior to the Roland Jupiter VA model they made. I would take this over any Korg VA. I think the reason the SH 32 did not sell when it came out was several reasons: It was pushed as a groove box and it's definitely not. It's damn good Juno 60/106 type synth and as close as you will come to one except for the real thing. The demo and presets in this are sort of "trance" and "dance" type stuff. I hate the flashing lights. I like the LED versus quartz display. Real old school and will last longer. The build quality on this is better than my made in china Micron. Another reason this didn't do so hot is the color scheme. It does look like a piece of hospital equipment. No one except those who are looking for one know what the they are. The only things I wished it had was a usb out and a arpeggiator like my juno 60 but maybe it does on the last one. I am still learning the arpeggiator. I notice these are starting to shoot up so people are catching on I would get one as soon you can afford too

Firmware v. 1.00

All presets for the Roland SH-32 sound excellent. The user bank has 128 pre-configured patches, including a basic beginning patch for starting from scratch. there is no way to fully initialize an existing patch other then an overwrite with the template patch [B or D 88].

Patch editing is very fluid and intuitive. nearly all basic parameters- Osc tune, filter cut and Q, filter and amp EGs and EG sensitivity, LFO rate and depth- are accessible in real-time via sliders and knobs. Osc and LFO waveform, filter type and slope, LFO destination, and a handful of others, are button-toggled and indicated by LEDs.

Arpeggiator, chord, and effects editing are slightly more complex, but the manual is very thorough and easy to reference. Anyone can figure out the interface and the finer points of editing everything within an hour or two.

My main attraction to this synth is a very respectable polyphony for a VA. Up to 32 audio oscs can be used at once. Normal polyphony for a two-osc patch is 16 notes. there are also solo, unison, and oscillator sync modes that make the synth monophonic. There is no proper keyboard, so you'd better have a controller if you want to do more then just drone with the one-octave "preview" display.

The SH-32 has a TON of built-in effects. in the insertion section are 35 types of effects including phasing, flanging, distortion, downsampling, panning, filters, pitch-shifters... Only drawback is that there may only be one used at a time. There is an independent reverb/delay section with ten very flexible algorithms, again, only one active at a time. parameters are set using a selector knob, an intensity knob, and value keys.

I'm not an expansion-happy kind of guy, so i'm not about to try messing with the firmware, although i believe the Roland site has upgrades for it.

As for MIDI, it's very capable. it accepts system and editing messages like a dream, has velocity, modulation, and aftertouch sensitivity, and a goodly array of routable actions. As i said before, it hasn't got its own keyboard, but it responds gloriously to the controller i'm using.

It has, rather than a sequencer, a built-in arpeggiator which is very flexible and programmable. There are 64 editable styles and it can be programmed step-by-step or in real-time. Also included are rhythm styles with 808 and 909 sounds and a chord generator.

The SH-32 is... LUSH. It's phat. It's creamy. It's every over-used synth rave and more. This is probably the most expressive instrument in my studio because it offers such flexibility and precision in velocity and aftertouch programming. It'll probably be "only as good as your controller," but with proper tweaking, you can make this baby sing like nobody's business. Once you get into editing for yourself, you'll be amazed at the palette available to you.

The oscillators on the SH-32 are based on digital samples. BUT-- do NOT make the mistake of thinking it'll sound thin. each oscillator is tunable up or down three octaves, detunable by up to 50 cents, AND- here's where it gets sweet- each oscillator has two sub-modes, a regular octave-down square wave OR a lower, smoother wave that thickens without sharpening.
There are 66 different waveforms to choose per oscillator, organized into groups. Sawtooth, square, pulse, PWM [via LFO 2, disables subs], tri/sine, spectrum, and noise, all but PWM with variations. Oscs are mixable, ring-moddable, syncable in mono mode, and each have an independent AD envelope with intensity.

The filter section has four filter types [Low-pass, band-pass, high-pass, and peaking] and a bypass. The filters are switchable between -12 and -24 dB/oct slopes. Controls include cutoff, resonance [no self-oscillation here], ADSR, envelope depth, and cutoff key follow. Cutoff and resonance have aliasing when edited on the board, but are very smooth with external editing or modulation.
Yes, it crunches. No, not like a 303 or a System 100. But it's definitely Roland. Rawr. Only disadvantage is you can't use it with osc sync.

Amp EG's good and can be assigned key-following too. The two LFOs are basic and routable to osc pitch, cutoff, amp, and panning. They can be tempo-synced and key-synced as well. The LFO section contains a few juicy tidbits too. there's a basic compliment of waves and S&H, but there's also a smoothed S&H called "random" and a funky trapezoid wave. there's also a depth/rate fade-in control with settable value.

Effects are FABULOUS. the reverbs and delays are beautiful, every effect is clear and pristine with an occasional golden morsel of sonic nirvana. Notable nuggets of goodness are the rotary speker simulator, the step-flanger, a gloriously smooth hexa-chorus, a crunchy lo-fi decimator, and an outrageously messed-up feedback pitch-shifter.

As for reactivity, i've said before that the SH-32 is my most expressive instrument, and i'm not kidding about this. Just the pads i've made are so rich and lush and so dyanmic, i wonder why i've even tried to call settings on my other synths "pads." These take the cake. For acidic performances, i can only proclaim glory again as i blow out the monitors with cutoff-to-velocity routing. you'll be amazed.

I bet i could turn it on and just let it do the playing. it's absolutely glorious. It can have up to four patches going at a time, chords, arpeggiators, rhythm.... Glorious. Its sounds can stand alone or just back up, but it certainly is a very performance-friendly instrument, and i'd not be surprised if it takes center stage in most cases. My only gripes are that there can be noticeable aliasing without a controller and you DEFINITELY need to sound-check because it can easily distort both internally and externally.

Never had any dealings with Roland directly.

Whoo. What to say...

Get it. It's worth every penny of the $250-300 USD you'll pay for it, especially if you've got a keyboard you can use as a controller already. It's almost a studio in a box.

The only things, in all honesty, i would like to see in it are a multi-timbral sequencer, accent controls independent of velocity/aftertouch, and maybe an audio input and/or independent sample memory for processing and mixing external signals/samples. Enabling some polyphony in unison and sync modes would be sweet too, especially if you could actually use the filter for sync mode.

However, the pros MASSIVELY outweigh the cons. Get it, you'll love it.

Software version: Present is as it was new. I've just downloaded the update to version 1.06 from the RolandUS website, but it's not installed yet.

Presets: The sounds are unique. Don't expect GM MIDI on this synth. You can use the existing 128 preset patches and 2 rhythm sets or design your own using any of the 63 waveforms that are onboard into the user locations.

Editing patches:
There are 128 user patches, 2 user rhythm sets, and 64 user performances.
Editing is a delight, with knobs, sliders, buttons etc., and akin to exploring a familiar land with lots of hidden corners. I am not aware of a computer tool that will do the job, but maybe Unisyn will bring out a module if it's not already available. As I say below, though, the manual is essential if you intend to be serious about editing. There is information that only the manual will tell you.


Manual: Comprehensive. The manual is an absolute must for serious users. If you didn't get one with a used model, there's a PDF version of the manual on the Roland website, and additional info is easy to find there too. I have both versions; the PDF file is searchable and a good supplementary aid.

I've given this a rating of 9, only because many people seem to not want to get into the manual. But if you are prepared to, the rewards you will reap will justify a 10.

Polyphony: maximum 32 voices.

Keyboard: You can use some of the onboard buttons to simulate a limited keyboard. An external keyboard is essential, preferably one that's designed as a controller rather than one with its own sounds. That way you can alter the settings as you play.

Built-in effects: Insertion effects: 35. Reverb/Delay: 10. There will always be some that I want but don't find. But this has oodles to play with, some you don't find on other synths, and they are well controllable.
There are also Arpeggio Style, Rhythm Style, Chord Forms, Patch parameters, and Rhythm/Performance settings that can be changed.

Expansion capabilities: Nope. What you buy is what you get. Software upgrades are available at Roland's website: current version in October 2005 is 1.06.

MIDI capabilities: MIDI IN, OUT. As this is not a "usual" GM type synth don't expect the usual patch changes from an external keyboard or sequencer to have the same effect as it otherwise would.
There is a comprehensive list of the MIDI Tx/Rx settings in the manual. Although the usual Portamento, etc. control changes are included, most of the commands are related to the bespoke "analog knobtwiddle" style of this synth.

On-board sequencer: None, but there is enough to do with what it's got. Leave the sequencer to the computer.

The only "standard" kinds of sounds that this synth produces are in the Rhythm Sets, which include some TR808/TR909 drum/percussion sounds.

This isn't a synth to produce imitations of other sounds, although it's possible to do that to some extent. It's more like an analog synth.

Types of music: Anything. Really. Pop, through to avantgarde electronic via Rock, techno, and the rest. Very versatile as you would expect.

Onboard effects: I think they are good, as an additional way of producing the sounds. External effects post-FX are always useful no matter what your synth is capable of, though.

I use an external keyboard to play this synth. Works fine. Reacts the way I want it to. No problems at all.

Velocity and aftertouch: It reacts. As you aren't using it to produce traditional styles of instruments, it's open to you to use how you wish.

Some of the sounds that you can produce might include low frequencies that tend to be a little bottom heavy or highs that are top heavy. But that's not the synth's fault. Read the manual, and use your ears.
It will do what I want, within those limitations LOL.

I have never gigged it. It is in a good strong metal case, robust and rigid, just the way I like them Hahahaaa. I only use it for recording, so this is academic.

I have never had any problems with it. The connectors on the back of the box are very good quality, better than some modules that are several times the price.

Never had to deal with Roland other than downloading the software upgrade and the electronic version of the manual. A breeze.

Never had to have it repaired.

SO this is academic again. I'll give it a ten based on that.

I would seriously consider buying another one to run alongside this, to give me more flexibility.

If it was lost or stolen, I would definitely buy it again. It is worth more than I paid, and I have a feeling that in years to come it will appreciate in value.

What do I love about it? The sounds, and what it can do. BIG BIG Bang for the buck.

Anything I wish it had? Just one: a vocoder.

It has helped me realize a few musical dreams I had for ages and fought the urge to spend many more dollars to get. So I'm a happy chappy LOL.

Anything else? I love this synth. If it was a woman, it would almost be Six (Tripping the Rift), and all mine mwahahahahaaaaaa!.

Last software version I know of..not got any "zipper",but not at all sure what people think that is?? (enlighten me)
some of these presets are fantastic,some are shite..BUT..with a synth of this age (i.e..last ten years)some some are simply fantastic,while others sound crap,but the beauty of the sh32 means that shite sounds can be tweaked into great sounds in no more than ten seconds,then saved..
at first (if you don't know analog,It can be daunting)
but if you have ANY previous knowledge,you will be tweaking to the high heavens...boy, does this kit tweak!!
never got a manual,but not really needed..this type of synth was never a groovebox,etc..it wa a simple powerful standalone synth.
which is why its the heart of my setup..and will continue to be..
long gone are my old Jupiters and Junos...this is the same or better engine in a box!

try it..it kicks this really is the power of (and more) a jupiter 8 in a box (believe me,I had one,fantastic at the time but this box sounds BETTER and is easy to control,unlike the JP8!!

nostalgia says..old analog
common sense says..virtual analog
I pray you never had to suffer "tuning" or various "synth" issues when you play live ;)

Does it all..and then some..faultless kit

will and can sound like ANY synth it wants to (if you know anything about progranmming)

can whinny,can roar..FFS..Its a ROLAND!!

faultless..Roland synths NEVER die

Roland..only thing you may need are new keys..Rolands live forever

Don't know what software. I got this for bass sounds....let me tell you right now...BIG HAIRY BALLS...I could not believe the fatness of some of the bass presets. Editing them is a breeze. Manual is killer.

Great Polyphony, the preview buttons are great to use without a keyboard. The effects are hard to get to but after a while it's easy.
Midi is solid. The sequencer is very good.

Instruments are not to organic but not the point with this.
It's for sure a prog rock thang.

It's Roland it's made well. Heck yeah I'd use it without back-up.

I've called Roland, they are helpful.

My only gripe is the massive wall-wart you have to deal with. Overall it really is a great piece. It will tear your speakers apart if you are not carefull.

I'm not sure what the software version is, but the presets are more usuable than most synths i've played with, they kick the ms2000 presets out the window. Editing the patches is no problem, just twiddle the gliders which is also helpful in visualizing especially with ADSR. The manual is crazy, it has 50000 different section, the first half is an over view and the rest is really in depth, its pretty confusing sometimes, especially the parts with the arpegiator functions. But if you have questions you can get them answered in the manual, you just have to look and take the time. But i still love it!

32 note polyphony, which is good for programming sequences i guess but to tell you the truth, i really don't see the point, because i only have 10 fingers and usually only play with 8 or less, but its always fun to play an arpegio with all the keys and then mock the people that cant. The preview function is a nice thing, basically it makes an octave keyboard on the function buttons, its a good feature. I use that sometimes if i dont want to hook up my keyboard to make sounds, no velocity but its all good.

The effects! wow. most of them are crappy but there are some that are great, i'm digging the resonant feedback delay it reminds me of the delay on the Korg EA-1, so if you know what i'm talking about, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! The distortions are crappy,(wheres the fuzzzzz?) not sure why there is an auto wah but there is, the reverbs are ok. delays are nice, phasers are cool too.

There are some cool midi capabilities, suchas you can set the mod wheel to do different functions and i think that is a great help since my controller doesnt have a plethora of knobs. It's velocity sensitive and all that good stuff, you can also set functions for the velocity like cutoff and amp attack and some other neat things.

The arpegiator is insane, its very difficult i think, but you can sorta use it at a sequencer i guess, there are preset drums sounds from classic roland drum machines that can be programmed which is an awesome feature. It's very flexible but not very easy to use. That section in the manual is crazy weird and i dread that part of the manual.

The sound are veryyy cool, there are plenty of waveforms, i think like 57 or something like that. You can use 2 oscillators, a filter, an amp, effects, and 2 lfos to create sounds. You've also got sync and ring mod in the osc. section. You can really use this for almost any genre of music, i've used it for spacerock/noise/hiphop/post rock. you can make some weird ass sounds with it but you can make some classic synthesizer sounds too because everything can be turned off, if you want just a gated saw wave, you can do it, if you want a fifth string-section, you can do that too, the possibilities are pretty endless.

I dropped it once when i was first setting it up. i dont think it did anything, its made of metal, not like STEEL but its pretty solid. I'd gig without a backup!

If it were lost or stolen, i dont know what i would do, i like it alot, but i might cut my losses and buy like a korg ms-10, i know the functions are nothing alike but ms-10's are really cool! But if i found another one for this price when it got stolen, i'd pick it up in a heart beat. I havent seen one for this price in a while, but i'm glad i have it.

I've been playing synths for about 2-3 years and have been playing other instruments (guitar mostly) for about 5. I'm 17 and this is my second synth (my first is a cheesetastic fb-01) I also own: Ibanez HD-1500 delay/harm.,Ross Time machine delay, and a pedalboard filled with lots of pedals (15 or so) i'm into weird effects/synths/music and this fits well into both my homestudio and my live rig. (my studio is based around a Teac Model 10; the original homestudio module recording console!)

I love how you can make a wide spectrum of sound with this synth, but i hate that using the 24 pole filter sometime makes it crack and that pisses me off.

I compared this to a lot of synths in the same price, from the ea-1 to the poly800(and ex800) the ms2000, the micron, the microkorg, not so much the ion, but out of all of them minus maybe the micron, i thought the sh-32 was better. But all those synths are really cool, and if anyone is selling any of them for less than 100 hit me up!

I wish it had a keyboard. and an easier arp interface.

it definately helps make music.

Very easy. It's all there in front of you, if you can remember the LED acronyms. Effects, ADSR's, LFO's, Bank navigation, everything. This is the perfect Virtual Analog for the beginner. Presets aren't bad at all. No matter what style you like, you'll find at least 18 presets to fall in love with.

I'd like to find a patch editor for it but there's no worry. The Manual is very in-depth and makes it seem more complex than it needs to be. If you trust your ear and your instincts, you won't need it.

32 note polyphony supplies all my needs. Too many synth musicians like to flood the audio and fill every last octave past the brim. If that's your bag, this beauty will help you substantially. If on the other hand you have common sense and don't want to torture your audience, each note is rich and powerful.

Effects are a dream. The delay is not quite as clean and precise as the Korg EA-1 Mk 2, but just as tweakable, and better yet, BPM syncable. If the onboard arp isn't enough, there's a Slicer (and 2 LFO's besides) for more groovin'. You can even double your delay, or rotary pan it. There's a Limiter, Wah, Distorion, EQ, Isolator, Chorus, Flange, extra Filter, Resonator, LoFi... what more can you want? The effects are the one thing that keep me from trading it in for the Roland JP-8000, where the SH-32 got its engine.

Expansion? None. Midi? The customability for your keyboard (I use an Edirol PCR-50 with this) is gorgeous; several features for pitch and mod controls, and full response to aftertouch as well as velocity. Sequencer? no, just rhythm patterns (for the drums) and arpeggiators. I still haven't grokked the arps, which don't respond to live programming enough for me. The only disappointment there. Also, the "Performance" mode does not allow splitting or assigning, simply stacking. I didn't know about it when I bought it, so I wasn't really upset.

This is a VA tabletop, created to get the tranceheads and newbies into analog synthesis. It works for any form of electronic music. You can go the full range from Industrial to Pop strings to Avant Garde weirdness a la Radiohead, Air or Depeche Mode. I adore it. The waveforms plus double oscillators plus variations allow for a lot of choices, and sorting through them will open up many avenues you never knew.

The effects are very rich, and while lacking a certain sonic resolution have wonderful colour and thickness. Almost "warm", really.

Again, velocity and aftertouch are very customizable and have a very extensive sensitivity range. Be your fingers weak or strong, you can make this sing through your hands with power and subtlety.

The drum sounds... enh. Usable, but nothing to sample. You can effect them and create your own patterns, but not really practical for much except noiz, or a quiet spare breakdown pattern. The sound engine is so sweet that I'll only allow that to take off one point.

You could fight your way out of Baghdad using this as a club and it would still play like a dream. No backup needed here. Just make sure you take off the bass boost, or you'll shake the club's PA apart.

Dealt with Roland once for my D2. Friendly enough, and very servicable.

I would have to buy it again. Worth every penny I paid.
I've been playing for almost 5 years. I also own a Roland D2, a Korg EM-1, and a Korg KP2. Once had a Yamaha CS2x, for my sins. And a Yamaha AN1X, for whatever sins the first one didn't cover.
My only complaint is not being able to do split patches. It would make composing a lot easier. But in every other way, it's an integral part of my studio.

My SH32 is using rev 1.06 software which is the latest (final?) version. Ease of use is a mixed bag. Basic synth voice programming is bone simple, grab the sliders and knobs and tweak away. It is a little tricky switching back and forth between the two oscillators or two LFOs since they share the same controls, but it's still miles beyond any menu-oriented synth, I'd give it a 9 for this, BUT...programming effects, arpeggiator, even setting up in multitimbral "performance" mode is messy because the only display is a two digit LED. I'd give it only a 3 for that part.

Polyphony is 32 notes max but that assumes you use only single oscillator patches and don't use sync mode which makes the patch monophonic; use all dual oscillator patches and you're down to 16 notes, stack up sounds in performances and you reduce it further although with four parts stacked for insanely fat sounds you still can play 4 notes. The sync and ring mod features are a real disappointment because using them limits use of other features (like you can't use the filter when using sync). The built in effects are very good especially since all the delays, flangers, phasers, etc. can be synched to the clock (tap tempo is also a plus for live use). Unfortunately there is only one effects processor which can be a real drag when using performance mode. The arpeggiator is insanely powerful but it will take you a while to figure out how to actually program it. It can be used in fixed pitch mode (for creating drum patterns or pseudo-sequencing of melodies) which is very cool. Another nice touch is that when using drum kits in performance mode, they can use a different arpeggiator pattern than the other parts use. The MIDI implmentation is excellent, most of the control settings are sent over MIDI so you can record real time knob and slider tweaks to your sequencer or tweak them from a master controller. The external modulation routings are also quite versatile.

With all the real time control possible from the front panel as well as via MIDI this synth is a tweaker's delight. Many other posts have complained about "zipper" noise in the filters, I have to report that my unit with SW rev 1.06 I don't hear noise even with radical knob tweaks of cutoff and resonance. I'm old enough to have actually used many of the fabled analog synths like the MiniMoog, Odyssey, etc. and the SH32 comes close enough in sound shaping to those but adds polyphony, patch storage, MIDI...what's not to like at this price????

The weakest link is the wall wart supply; at least Roland saw fit to put a strain relief on the case. It's not the stnadrd Roland/Boss AC-120, though so if you lose or break it good luck getting another one. I would worry a bit about bashing the front panel with all those sliders, after all how many times have you seen old electronics gear with snapped off silders? On the plus side, the metal case is far superior to the plastic found on most low-end modules. The inability to rackmount it is a real minus for giggers.

Roland's online support is fair; they only recently started posting manuals but other things like OS updates have been available all along. I have never needed to get this or any other Roland product repaired, so cannot comment at all about that aspect of support. I suppose that says something about reliability too, eh?

If lost or stolen, I don't feel it's irreplaceable; a nice second synth but not essential for me. I've been playing synths for almost 20 years now and have been doing various types of electronic music (tape and effect box manipulations, etc.) for 30 years. The other synths I own today are a Yamaha Motif ES and an Ensoniq SQ-80. What I love most about the SH32 is the ability to manipulate EVERYTHING in real-time; my other synths are limited as far as real time modulation (both mappings and number of simultaneous controllers). I looked at other "virtual analog" modules in the SH32's price range like the Korg EA-1, Yamaha AN200 and Red Sound Darkstar; none had as much polyphony, some weren't multitimbral, some lacked onboard effects, etc. I wish the SH32's ring mod and oscillator sync features worked better, I wish it could process external audio signals (like the EA-1), I wish it sounded more like a MiniMoog (ha ha).