Roland JX-8P Synthesizer User reviews -Page 16

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Average rating: 4.5 out of 5

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Dj Calyx a part-time user from SLO Town writes:

The JX-8P is capable of producing some good full sounds, but all too often ends up sounding a bit tinny and weak. Don't even bother trying to use one without a PG-800. Mine took a crap and died and I wasn't too sad. I think the JX-3P makes a much deeper, fatter sound than the JX-8P. Save you money, get a different synth unless you like very 80's cheese-synth, airy sounds (which are useful in the right situation). Also I hate roland's sliders, they're so flimsy and go bad once in a while.

Rating: 2 out of 5 posted Wednesday-Jun-30-044 at 19:52

Con a hobbyist user from UK writes:

I've owned a JX-8P for several months and have not really done much with it. Until two days ago when I downloaded the user manual (http://www.vintagesynth.org/manuals/jx-8p.pdf) and a little software PG-800 emulator. Since then I can't leave it alone! The sounds coming out of this baby are awsome! Throw in some fast dancy midi loops and play with the sliders - FANTASTIC! Anyone know where to buy a real PG-800? - They seem to be quite rare.

Who Played This Instrument?

808 State, Aswad, Beatmasters, Biosphere, Coldcut, Steve Cunningham, Depeche Mode, Stock Aitken Waterman, Electribe 101, Simon Ellis, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Gas Chamber Orchestra, Go West, Roland Heard of Mr.Fingers, Human League, Brian Kehew and Roger Manning of The Moog Cookbook, Loose Ends, Jean Michel Jarre, J. J. Jeczalik, Marshall Jefferson, Jellybean, Nick Magnus, Man Jumping, Chris Newman, Gary Numan, One Dove, OMD, Praise, Sabres of Paradise, Kevin Saunderson, Shamen, Porl Thompson while he was with The Cure (w/PG 200), Paul Ward, Martyn Ware, Nick Wood, and Hector Zazou to name but a few!!!

Rating: 5 out of 5 posted Wednesday-Jun-02-044 at 09:03

andrew lund a hobbyist user from Australia writes:

I have gotten into this synth more in the last few weeks, and I've been surprised by the results of my experimentation. An experianced synthesist will easily coax Juno- like basses, Jupiter like strings and even resonable piano simulations out of the JX-8P. Such a beautiful synth. You really have to know what you're doing to get it to sound phat though. I have had analog synths for 7 years now, and have studied many synth tutorials in magazines such as Future Music and Keyboard, which have been indispensable to my ability to coax almost any sound i want out of this baby. The beauty of the JX-8P is that to an experianced synth user, the results of changing a parameter is quite predictable, unlike some synths where the smallest push of a slider changes the sound in a wild and unpredictable way. The presets are actually quite good in the JX-8P. Presets can almost always be improved on in any synth, but the JX-8P's are very good as starting points for further exploration. The synth editing system is layed out logically, and due to this its quite easy to program even without a PG-800 editor or computer program to edit the sounds. I find it easier than a Juno 106 to program, because it is easier to find the sound you are looking for with the much more powerful feature of the JX-8P. A fav technique of mine is to fool around with the Osc Sync features. It includes 2 levels of OSc Sync and a FM-like cross modulation setting. You can get all sorts of timbres out of the JX by utilizing these features that would be impossible on any other machine. Unison mode sounds Phat and musical on the JX too, unlike some synths where unison mode sounds terrible. Memory is a bit on the small side. I have 3 cartridges that came with mine though, each with the ability to store 32 patches. The JX-8P comes with only 32 user writable memories, so these carts are handy. (you COULD save your patches to a computer if you really feel the need too)Filters sound good on the JX, but different to the Juno 106 filters. The JX's filters don't quite sef oscilate either. You can hear them starting to self oscilate, but they won't completely "squeal" if i may use a technical term ;) All in all, a versatile if somewhat misunderstood synth. It takes time to get to know this beauty, and her quirks. For instance the supposed lack of punchiness described by some is probably a misunderstanding of how the envelopes work in the synth in my opinion. It would become a lot more intutive for the average analog synth programmer to program this using a PG-800 editor. However, I find it easy to program without the PG-800. I plan to buy on just because it is a little quicker and more pleasurable to use- we only live once you know! ;0 BUY THIS SYNTH NOW BEFORE EVERYONE WAKES UP AND REALIZES ITS A CLASSIC! I SAW TB-303's and TR 808's going out the door of music shops for half price in 1988!!!! It is only a matter of time before the prices of the JX-8P go through the roof. All it needs now is one big hit record with it on it an BOOM! prices will explode. Vangelis has one, J.M. Jarre has one even though he can afford anything!!!!

Rating: 5 out of 5 posted Tuesday-Feb-17-044 at 06:31

andrew lund a part-time user writes:

I just want to say a few things about some of the silly comments made about the Roland JX-8p. People who say that you could buy a better synth, what synth are you talking about!? Why don't people NAME the "better" synth?! Stupid. And personally I think Rolands are built quite well, metal casing, strong plastic ends. Sure the Keyboard blows chunks, but so do almost all 80's boards, except maybe the DX7 MkII, that has a nice action. Ok Ok, the JX8p has horrible membrane buttons instead of sliders, but is more reliable than Roland Juno's, Yamaha CS80's :| or Polymoogs, memorymoogs or comparable poly synths. I can't think of too many alternatives to a classic 70's or 80's polysynth that is reliable, has midi, dual ocillators and sounds phat. You can go on all day about Jupiters and CS80's being better, but they were also underated in the mid0 eighties when analog fell out of fashion for a while. Jupiter 8 has horrible tuning problems, parts are like hens teeth. They lack midi, touch sensitivity and cost a fortune. I think the JX8p in this light is pretty good. It has a better sound than the earlier JX-3p, and can be edited via a PC editor, which the later JX-10p could'nt. Although the JX-10p has a slightly more refined sound, the rougher quality of the JX-8p is more the sound most people are looking for. With a PC editor, the JX-8p's lack of sliders don't even matter, except maybe if you want to do live filter sweeps. The Pg-800 editor is very nice, but a Kenton editor probably makes more sense, as it can edit the JX8p, plus a whole host of other knobless analog and digital synths.

Rating: 4 out of 5 posted Tuesday-Jan-27-044 at 23:05

SYNTEX77 a professional user from Italy writes:

Cheap analog ibrid synth, width good midi and programmable in many ways ( panel, pg800, software), can is a best buy for have some classic analog sound ( ok is not a matrix 12 or memorymoog ) and safe money, at this price you can't buy a synth same at this...

Rating: 4 out of 5 posted Thursday-Jan-08-044 at 09:32

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