Starsky Carr Throws Down: Behringer JT-2 vs Jupiter-8 – Clone or Clown?

Every waveform gets dragged into the ring: saw, pulse, square, triangle—the JT-2 mostly keeps pace with the Jupiter-8, even down to the weird quirks on the scope. The sawtooth is nearly spot-on, and the pulse width modulation is so close you’d need a microscope—or at least an oscilloscope—to spot the difference. The JT-2’s brightness is a hair louder, but dial it back and you’re in business. Even the infamous Jupiter ‘wobble’ makes an appearance, proving Behringer’s clone can do unstable as well as the original.

But it’s not all roses. Cross modulation and oscillator sync are tricky to match exactly, thanks to velocity sensitivity quirks and differences in modulation depth. The JT-2 can sometimes sound more aggressive or a bit tamer, depending on how you smack the keys. And while the LFOs, envelopes, and filter mod amounts keep things lively, the devil’s in the details: sometimes the JT-2 just can’t go as deep or as wild as the big Roland.

Here’s where the JT-2’s mask slips. The envelopes are shorter—set both synths to max attack, decay, and release, and the Jupiter-8 just sails on longer. If you’re chasing those classic, drawn-out sweeps, the JT-2’s not quite in the same league. The analog signal path is all there, but the timing just isn’t.

Now, the resonance… ouch. The JT-2’s filter is brighter, but crank the resonance and you’re left wanting. The Jupiter-8 howls and sings; the JT-2 sort of hums along, never really cutting loose. Even when switching to 12dB mode, the Behringer just doesn’t get nasty. If you’re hoping for that classic Roland filter scream, you’ll need to look elsewhere—or pray for a firmware miracle. Starsky doesn’t sugar-coat it: the resonance is feeble, and that’s a dealbreaker for the filter freaks.

Starsky wraps with a parade of arpeggiators, paraphonic tricks, and sonic quirks that you’ll need to hear to fully get. The JT-2’s duo mode is fun, the arp is tight, and the look is spot-on—even if the buttons aren’t JP-8 sized (so much for raiding spares). If you want raw sound comparisons, timing quirks, and the gritty differences, go watch the video—no article can capture the subtle wobble of a Jupiter-8 or the JT-2’s cheeky attempts to fake it. Bottom line: the JT-2 gets close, looks the part, and is a riot for the price, but the resonance and envelopes mean it’s not a full-on street weapon. Starsky keeps it honest, and so should you.