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Average rating:
4.3 out of 5
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The JX is NOT the best synth ever made.
But it sure is one of the BEST damn values you can get for your money. It does alot of things high end workstations do, on the cheap. And it sounds fantastic. Even though it's pretty much sample based, you have alot of room to shape sounds. And nothing beats it for pure compositional purposes.
I would wear the Roland "GROOVE" sticker on my ass with pride. Screw the haters.
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This synth is a tricky one. It falls between being excessively untapped, and highly underated. What does it take to be a real music Engineer and Producer?, skill, exploration and Patience. Whats that got to do with this review you might ask?, quite alot actually. The JX-305 is about 6 years old, its preset soundset is no longer used among newer models and it says "groovesynth", back to the days of 1996 etc. Thats the first impression you get when you first see this thing, and of course listen to a few presets. The presets are highly untidy compared to today's latest, but when this synth was made, they had no idea what type of music would be on air today. Who uses presets anyway?. The JX-305 is seriously untapped. Meaning, its bite is worser than its bark, the presets and commercial side of it drowns the fact that this synth is actually a highly decent workstation. It comes with 10 knobs and greatly expanded editing features. User power can be greatly achieved with patch rebuilding and of course Patch editing. It has a sequencer, 8 tracks can do wonders. This synth can actually quite easily be brought upto the same standard as today's newer synths, such as the MC-909, CSR6x and nord's. How?, why?, well these synths basically do the same, except they offer that user potential on the surface, as in, switch it on and be blown away instantly. The 305 is a highly decent solution for its time, and is still more than capable of producing today's cutting demands. In a synth competition for the "best user dance sequence" held by spacesound last year, the JX-305 user came first with an undoubtably winning performance. The JX-305 is a blessing really, because it comes with a standard soundset aimed at dance music, but the user scope is so much more, your find yourself using this thing for hours...weeks...and many more years, seriously, its really really sweet. And for the price?, i'd say buy a JX-305 and drop your triton.
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This board is one of the best insanely killer values out there. If you have room for another, add this one. Its soooooooooo much worth it.
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I have been using the JX-305 for about three years now, buying it used for an obscenely low price. It is a great idea machine so long as you recognize that the built in sounds and patterns are a place to start and not really an end in themselves. I use it mostly to build melodies and beats for trance and dance. As an all in one keyboard, synth, rythmn machine and sequencer I don't have to go much beyond it to get my ideas down. It is also an interesting instrument for live performance once you master its capabilities. The build quality is fantastic as it has held up to shipments to and from Europe, Asia and the USA. User memory upgrades could be better as the optional SmartMedia Cards use an early 5.5v form. You can still find these 4MB cards out there on Ebay and in the used marketplace so do pick a couple up if you get this machine as the added memory becomes essential eventually. I still own and use every piece of equipment that I buy. This synth is a great place to start composing and, you know what, it has the legs to last waaaay beyond your first couple of albums. 4 out of 5 only because Roland is no longer supplying the special SmartMedia cards this machine requires. In use this is probably the best value piece of equipment you will buy and looking it like that 5/5!
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A synthesizer is only as good as its programmer makes it. A limited producer will get limited results, a versatile programmer will get the best results. The 305 is actually a decent machine if you know how to work it properly. Its like driving a car, you need to know how to steer before you can drive. This synth has undeserved hate. However, every producer is different and will either find this synth good or bad. But I think all the arguments that this synth is actually a "groovebox kids toy" is totally over rated by its name. Its not a groovebox, but technically you can groove with it. The sequencer, being the main focus is designed for your use. So its down to you to make something good. You have everything there apart from your ideas which you will need to create your music. All in All this is a decent machine. If you don't wanna use presets, set the default pattern to your own, and you wont ever have to use them again. The soundset is just as quality as any other product from Roland, including the new MC-909. Most synths these days are using older patches combined with modified ones, and effects such as chorus and multi pan to create fresh new sounds.
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