JX-8P without patch names here... have it like 20 years... someone once said that i have the better version of it but honestly I don't know. Wish I'd have PG-800, but I don't... even clones are out of my budget ATM. It's great ppl still talk about JX,
Hi Zach! Sorry for the (mega) late reply. I wish I was working with the circuit modelling team, but I work in patch and sound design with Roland Japan. Essentially they build "the car" and my job is to "drive" it thru the race track.
I don't hear the difference between Rev 1 and Rev 2 (except for a patch with a sweep resonance). It would be interesting to hear the comparison of (JX-8P VS JX-10) , (JX-8P VS MKS-70), (JX-8P VS PG8), (JX-8P VS Boutique) -- with bright and reso sweep patches .. Because they usually peoples make demo with sounds that are not pronounced, and it seems that there is no difference ... THNX ... very interesting and important theme
i have an early rev JX8P, a JX10 and an MKS70, and have noticed a significant difference in filter resonance especially with long slow sweeps: the 8P filter does not self oscillate so the effect is more subtle; the 10 *does* self oscillate, and with long envelopes you can get wonderful evolving harmonic effects. now it gets weird: the MKS, even though it's supposed to just be a "rack module JX10" they tweaked the voicing just a little, thus the filter modulation response sounds different: playing the *exact* same patch (transferred via cartridge!) on the JX the resonance proceeds through the harmonic series and sounds very musical, whereas on the MKS it's a direct modulation sweep, a continuous curve that you can tell sounds "wrong" for the patch! that's why i keep all 3 - yeah they're technically the "same" synth engine, but each one sounds very different.
@Martin Demsky yea ... I saw Espen Kraft comparation... but also he use not extreme reso settings.Such a comparison is not interesting. Plugin PG8 great ....I use it since 2014 ... but when I try Kontakt library from JX-10 .. I understood that the difference is very big
My main concern with the 08, and the Boutiques in general, is not related to which 8P revision it was modeled on. Far from it. My general concern is that the Boutiques has a stale, dead sound. Period. They're lifeless. I've had at least 6 different 8Ps throughout the years, and played even more, so I know the 8P.
@@asoundlab Thanks for saying! Just keep at it yourself and your skills will improve. I started my channel mainly to help inspire and help other people to appreciate the 80s, and anyone doing the same, as yourself, is awesome in my opinion. With exposure we will always polarize opinion, that's the name of the game and different personalities will handle comments and opinion different as well.. :P Cheers
I agree. While the Boutiques do an avarage job when playing one key at the time, the chords reveal a harshness where the individual tones together collide or clash.
There were many technical revisions, as well as with the Alpha Juno 2s. I have the starting version with noisy chorus and slightly beige buttons with presets' names, I have the revision with presets' names but almost white labels and more shiny silver paint of the body. I had the version with blank white buttons. I know there were versions with attached power cable and power socket and detachable power cord, depending on market. All Japanese units are with attached power cord. All UK and European are with power socket and detachable cord. Probably part of US marketed JX-8P are also with detachable power cord. Later revisions have slightly different keys feel, but I'm not sure, maybe this was just because of different condition of my synths.
Great video and interesting theory! However there is no evidence in the service notes of changes to the analog signal path. The JX8P sold over 15,000, so different op amps could be sourced over time. There is evidence of an OS change that enables higher volume, this could be the reason. The 4558 op amp is in the bender circuit and not the audio path, so thats a dead end. Changes in Op Amp in the final audio stage might make a change, but unlikely. The BBD noise reduction is simply an age issue and newer chips in the production run having less noise. The only audio path trimmer is for the VCF and this would really change the high end if set differently at the factory. To establish the truth we need serial numbers and OS number of the 2 versions and interior pictures of the analog board. Aging caps in the audio path might also cause changes. I suspect the change in panel overlay at SN 554250 is a red herring, it enabled Roland to change the factory patches when they ran another 10,000…happy to investigate further…I loved my JX-8P ☺️☺️
The PG-8X is stunning. I've had my MKS-70 since 1990. Got a JX8P about 6-years ago and was blown away by how much warmer it sounded than the MKS-70. Looked for a software editor and stumbled across the PG-8X. Sold the JX8P but wish I had kept it, because they're increasing in price and there's no guarantee the PG-8X will be supported in the future. Only downside to the JX-8P is the aftertouch issue, which they all suffer from. The Boutique sounds great, but is too different from the original sound.
The differences are on page 7 of the service manual which goes through the changes across the serial numbers. The biggest change is the different gate array and new software across 2 eproms. The new gate array uses ROM A of ver 3.0, with corresponding ROM b V3/V3.1. Old gate array uses ROM A V2.2 and below, and ROM B v2.1 and below.
I currently have both revisions of Roland JX-8P earlier SR#503884 (this version has preset name on buttons) later SR# 592949 (this version has no preset name on buttons) and I think you are sort of right about sounds different.
Maybe differences aren't due to the revision but just component tolerances, since most resistors are like 5% tolerance and capacitors 20% tolerance it can make a significant difference from one unit to another
You might be right, actually I had a early revision 20 years ago, it sounded colder than my later revision model. I own a grey button (no names on them) model now and it sounds great!
For a synth that has been in production for such a short time, one would expect there would be no revisions. The JX-8P started life in 1985 I think and the D-50 (wich can be seen as its follow-up) came out in 1987. The JX-8P was sold alongside the D-50, but that was probably no longer than a year.
The clue is in the 4558 bit. They're all actually the same op amp the number in front is just a manufacturer code. Sharp tend to have a 9 in them so for example TL022 is a 922 and the 4558 is a 94558. I really doubt you can hear the difference between them if you said that they used something like the Mitsubishi M5218 like they did on the JX10/MKS70 then I'd be more likely to believe there's a noticeable difference. The 4558 is still made today eg Texas Instruments.
I have the original with the patch names in the buttons - love it, noisy chorus and all. The grey button model is ever so slightly flatter in the midrange but the difference is almost not worth mentioning.
Very nerdy, I love it! Three questions: 1. You said you wouldn't have fallen in love with the JX-8P if the second revision was your first encounter. Can you elaborate on the sonical differences? Warmer? Different filters? More noisy? Edit: I guess you're trying to explain it at the end of the video. 2. Which of the revisions do you think the JX-08 is closest to? As a JX-8P nerd, you like the sound of the JX-08? 3. There's a setting in Part settings for the JX-08 that controls degradation. I think it randomizes the filter decay and some other things, making it sound a bit more organic. Have you tried it and does it bring something to the sounds?
It's an interesting point but I'm not sure it works exactly like you think it does with these latest boutiques. If we were talking about an ACB boutique then one would imagine the final revision to be the model, since the revisions are usually made to improve upon a slightly flawed design. But from what I've been told (bearing in mind I'm not a good coder myself), the Zen Core really doesn't have that much accuracy from a coding perspective like ACB. It's more like a collection of preprogrammed modules you can just group together in a kind of synth builder app under the hood. It doesn't really model stuff that accurately. Like maybe there's a model for say 'curtis filter' and then you just drag and drop that into your JX-8P build, or maybe you could use it as part of your Alpha Juno build too, then you can tweak these a little bit. But I was quite reliably informed that 'you won't believe how much of this crap is the exact same under the hood'. I.e from synth to synth built in zen core. the Zen core is meant to be almost like an audio Unreal Engine or something with 'assets' that can be reused nomatter what synth you are building. I think they can be tweaked a bit but not to the level of specific revisions and stuff. I think with Zen Core you're getting 'sounds like a ballpark JX-8P' and probably none of the revisions are the specific model, they are just trying to get into the zone.
No discernable difference to me! Are they in the same firmware version? Would the firmware version have any changes that impact sounds? I would've loved to see this with identical midi info coming to each unit one after another. Without knowing for sure, if the opamps are just the output stage, then maybe there could be some difference in response curves, or (MAYBE) a bit of character when driven hard. But in my opinion, if the only hardware difference is brand of the op amps, most of the sonic difference between 2 units is going to be from different components drifting out of spec.
Not the same firmware - there’s apparently quite a few different firmware versions - some allow for unison detune, others do not. Not sure on the impact on sound. The differences are definitely subtle, didn’t translate on TH-cam as much as I’d hoped. Almost didn’t publish because of it lol. The question really is whether or not it’s aged differences or actually revision differences. If you look up forum threads on the subject, anecdotes seem to be lead toward actual revision differences. The chorus spec is definitely different as is the final volume output. In general, the latter is cleaner. Good question @ midi!
I had no clue about this as I give my original JX-8P a sideways glance. My first synth that I got for my 18th birthday. I’m 54 now. Great video and great info.
Very interesting topic regardless of what causes the actual differences! I can hear a difference on several of the patches, specifically lo strings, soundtrack, & psychomello.
Regardless the JX’s all sound lovely. I only ever had an original version of the JX8 so I can’t say about the sound differences however the JX10 sounds slightly different but still sounds nice. I had all 3 JXs at one point and that is hard to beat for sonic warmth.
I’ve seen Aspen’s video comparison of the JX8P and the JX08 and what he did is really smart, instead of comparing the presets he compared his own patches. I’m pretty sure that Roland are tweaking the Zencore engine to make the presets sound really close but when you design your own patches, this is where it falls apart because the circuit emulation isn’t really good.
I wonder when the changes were made. I have a grey button (no patch names) model which I've discovered was built in December 1985, which is really early. The JX-8P only came out in '85.
I wasn’t frankly aware till watching this video that this synthesizer went through that many revisions and modifications during its production run. I was aware that there were some that didn’t have the preset names and laid on the button selectors, but I wasn’t conscious that there were physical amendments that were also made. The one I owned dates from Wendy asking for included on the button. What I think happened with the original owner (who soon gave it to a teacher we both have in common) got it without doing his homework about which synthesizer he wanted. (I like to imagine he was after the DX7.) By the time it came to me in January 2010, the outputs were shot and the square wave generator on Oscillator 1 had turned itself off somehow. I have read about some of the modifications to the innards that would remove the lag time in the attached section of the amplifier, dedicated pulse with modulation for both oscillators that won’t require the second one to modulate the first and improved Keyboard touch response. Those are things I could imagine having installed on my 8p, along with fixing those defects I mentioned earlier.
Interesting video. In the intro you made it seem as if there was a clear difference in the sound between the two revisions of the JX-8p. But in the demo to me the difference was very small, almost non existent. I doubt anyone in a blind test would consistently pick which is which. Certainly the difference is much smaller between them than the difference is between the JX-08 and both JX-8p.
Interesting, & a very enjoyable Synth nerd fest 😁. Inever had jx8 - but did have a jx10, as much as I liked the keybed/extra features, played an jx8 few times and thought it made my 10 sound “flat”, you described it exactly way I did- the 10 was almost digital ( for an analogue). Never had them side by side but thought I was imagining it. Wonder if there really was a difference (& didn’t regret selling the jx10).
I've had 3 JX8Ps in the past at different times, I never really noticed any differences apart from the chorus when I was running 2 at once. I also had a Jx10 later which to me always sounded better, and after I changed the ROM out for the Colin Fraser, of Sequentix fame, ROM to sort out the MIDI on it I kept until I finally managed to find a perfect condition MKS-70, which I still have. The 10 and the 70 have better quality output components than the 8Ps, and to me just sound a bit nicer. Interesting video nonetheless, but I did mot hear any jarring differences, listening casually. Perhaps if I was at my studio and listening more critically... I don't know.
When you start making comparisons, what is the first sound? From the JX master or the one triggered via Midi, in this case the first version without the name in the patches?
What an interesting video! I have that older version and I love it. Yet the video is quite disappointing... You could at least have shown which sound corresponds to the older/newer revision. Or is there any way to find out which sound You play corresponds to which JX-8P??
Always enjoy your nerdy vids! I can talk myself into hearing a difference... but honestly you might be playing it slightly differently knowing you're playing an r1 vs r2 (kind of like the subliminal moving of a Ouija board planchet haha). A pristine condition JX-8P with NO preset labeling on the buttons is on the way. I have a JX-10 but the difference between that and a JX-8P is decent enough to warrant both. That Soundtrack preset, or anything in the pad range, is so unmistakable - rewatching Miami Vice it sounded like Jan Hammer used it quite a bit for filler. Twin Peaks is another favorite of course.
I had the cold sounding JX-8P years ago, turned me off them. I now have one of the warmer sounding revisions, sounds like the same synth only better! Plot twist: I had an early revison 20 years ago and a later one with grey buttons (no names on them) one now.
great video! apparently I read the Fletch theme song and Neneh Cherry's song Buffalo Stance both have an ascending synth riff that was said to be done on the JX8P. would you happen to know what the patch name was? the sound comes in at 20 second mark of the Fletch theme song video and the Neneh Cherry song it comes in at the 45 second mark. (if you were so inclined to check) thanks
check out my reply to EuroDJ above - i have all 3 (8P, 10 & MKS) and they all have a different sound; the MKS being the most "utilitarian" or "sterile" in comparison to the more "musical" JXes
Soundtrack sounds sublime on both synths. Case closed :) Do see what you mean about the older revision being a bit warmer, but I think I prefer the chorus on the newer revision. Maybe bias, I have the 8P without patch names. For software emulation, the PG-8X is fantastic, better than the JX-08 in my view.
Very hard to hear any differences, maybe heard some slight differences on one or two patches. I can't see the difference mattering in any but this kind of context, definitely wouldn't matter in a mix or any other standard use case. If its your favorite synth that you love every detail on then maybe it might matter?
Yes, it’s not super noticeable via TH-cam and, depending on whether you’re listening through headphones, speaker, cellphone, potentially inaudible via the playback method. I debated whether publishing this video even made sense after listening to the recording via a few devices - in the end I thought, why not? It’s my own love letter to the jx8p :)
@@asoundlab. Presumably, you played the earlier version (labeled buttons) first, and the later version (unlabeled buttons) second, in each of the sound test pairings … though I don’t think you mentioned this/made this clear, anywhere … ?! 🤷🏻♂️🙃. Cheers! 🙂👍🏼
Différent op amp models, but the sound… should be exactly the same. Second difference : the keyboard matrix chip (justifying the two OS versions on the Jx8p) But here again… no deference at all !
are you playing the early revision first and then the later revision? or vice versa? anyhow: the second take of each preset sounds warmer and richer to me
these differences are really minor, and indeed if at all chorus is the only significance. If THAT was the difference Espen has shown us, noone would have been complainining. But the JX-08 was MILES apart really disappointing. Especially when compared to PG8X, which came really close as a vst for almost nothing. So Roland sucked with the 08 period. I just couldn't recognize my 8P at all and i have the version with the preset labels and very noisy chorus. So if Roland went after that - they just failed.
Reupload the video with the revision number and patch titles you're playing during the demo. Having "JX-8P" on the screen the whole demo made it seem like you were just trolling us. Cheers
i wanted to just hear the patches but you kept going to an outside unrelated machine to switch the soundings so never mind...i learned nothing from this video.
Interestin topic indeed. I myself have had a JX8P and a JX10 at the same time in the studio....and was wondering as well. Proably already known, but here is a serial number decoder to identify the version or year: serial-number-decoder.co.uk/roland/roland.htm
JX-8P without patch names here... have it like 20 years... someone once said that i have the better version of it but honestly I don't know. Wish I'd have PG-800, but I don't... even clones are out of my budget ATM. It's great ppl still talk about JX,
Hi Zach! Sorry for the (mega) late reply. I wish I was working with the circuit modelling team, but I work in patch and sound design with Roland Japan. Essentially they build "the car" and my job is to "drive" it thru the race track.
I don't hear the difference between Rev 1 and Rev 2 (except for a patch with a sweep resonance). It would be interesting to hear the comparison of (JX-8P VS JX-10) , (JX-8P VS MKS-70), (JX-8P VS PG8), (JX-8P VS Boutique) -- with bright and reso sweep patches .. Because they usually peoples make demo with sounds that are not pronounced, and it seems that there is no difference ... THNX ... very interesting and important theme
i have an early rev JX8P, a JX10 and an MKS70, and have noticed a significant difference in filter resonance especially with long slow sweeps: the 8P filter does not self oscillate so the effect is more subtle; the 10 *does* self oscillate, and with long envelopes you can get wonderful evolving harmonic effects. now it gets weird: the MKS, even though it's supposed to just be a "rack module JX10" they tweaked the voicing just a little, thus the filter modulation response sounds different: playing the *exact* same patch (transferred via cartridge!) on the JX the resonance proceeds through the harmonic series and sounds very musical, whereas on the MKS it's a direct modulation sweep, a continuous curve that you can tell sounds "wrong" for the patch! that's why i keep all 3 - yeah they're technically the "same" synth engine, but each one sounds very different.
@@chrisienni8798 THNX :)
@Martin Demsky yea ... I saw Espen Kraft comparation... but also he use not extreme reso settings.Such a comparison is not interesting. Plugin PG8 great ....I use it since 2014 ... but when I try Kontakt library from JX-10 .. I understood that the difference is very big
My main concern with the 08, and the Boutiques in general, is not related to which 8P revision it was modeled on. Far from it. My general concern is that the Boutiques has a stale, dead sound. Period. They're lifeless. I've had at least 6 different 8Ps throughout the years, and played even more, so I know the 8P.
Thanks for clarifying! Appreciate your videos - you’re a better player and do these instruments more justice than I ever could :). Cheers 🥂.
@@asoundlab Thanks for saying! Just keep at it yourself and your skills will improve. I started my channel mainly to help inspire and help other people to appreciate the 80s, and anyone doing the same, as yourself, is awesome in my opinion. With exposure we will always polarize opinion, that's the name of the game and different personalities will handle comments and opinion different as well.. :P Cheers
I agree.
While the Boutiques do an avarage job when playing one key at the time, the chords reveal a harshness where the individual tones together collide or clash.
There were many technical revisions, as well as with the Alpha Juno 2s.
I have the starting version with noisy chorus and slightly beige buttons with presets' names, I have the revision with presets' names but almost white labels and more shiny silver paint of the body. I had the version with blank white buttons. I know there were versions with attached power cable and power socket and detachable power cord, depending on market. All Japanese units are with attached power cord. All UK and European are with power socket and detachable cord. Probably part of US marketed JX-8P are also with detachable power cord. Later revisions have slightly different keys feel, but I'm not sure, maybe this was just because of different condition of my synths.
Great video and interesting theory! However there is no evidence in the service notes of changes to the analog signal path. The JX8P sold over 15,000, so different op amps could be sourced over time. There is evidence of an OS change that enables higher volume, this could be the reason. The 4558 op amp is in the bender circuit and not the audio path, so thats a dead end. Changes in Op Amp in the final audio stage might make a change, but unlikely. The BBD noise reduction is simply an age issue and newer chips in the production run having less noise. The only audio path trimmer is for the VCF and this would really change the high end if set differently at the factory. To establish the truth we need serial numbers and OS number of the 2 versions and interior pictures of the analog board. Aging caps in the audio path might also cause changes. I suspect the change in panel overlay at SN 554250 is a red herring, it enabled Roland to change the factory patches when they ran another 10,000…happy to investigate further…I loved my JX-8P ☺️☺️
The PG-8X is stunning.
I've had my MKS-70 since 1990.
Got a JX8P about 6-years ago and was blown away by how much warmer it sounded than the MKS-70.
Looked for a software editor and stumbled across the PG-8X.
Sold the JX8P but wish I had kept it, because they're increasing in price and there's no guarantee the PG-8X will be supported in the future.
Only downside to the JX-8P is the aftertouch issue, which they all suffer from.
The Boutique sounds great, but is too different from the original sound.
Qual o valor de um jx-8p hoje ?
The differences are on page 7 of the service manual which goes through the changes across the serial numbers.
The biggest change is the different gate array and new software across 2 eproms.
The new gate array uses ROM A of ver 3.0, with corresponding ROM b V3/V3.1.
Old gate array uses ROM A V2.2 and below, and ROM B v2.1 and below.
I currently have both revisions of Roland JX-8P
earlier SR#503884 (this version has preset name on buttons)
later SR# 592949 (this version has no preset name on buttons)
and I think you are sort of right about sounds different.
Maybe differences aren't due to the revision but just component tolerances, since most resistors are like 5% tolerance and capacitors 20% tolerance it can make a significant difference from one unit to another
You might be right, actually I had a early revision 20 years ago, it sounded colder than my later revision model. I own a grey button (no names on them) model now and it sounds great!
@@lundsweden I heard the same from someone else with these two models. I have a no name button version, and it sounds very warm indeed.
For a synth that has been in production for such a short time, one would expect there would be no revisions. The JX-8P started life in 1985 I think and the D-50 (wich can be seen as its follow-up) came out in 1987. The JX-8P was sold alongside the D-50, but that was probably no longer than a year.
The clue is in the 4558 bit. They're all actually the same op amp the number in front is just a manufacturer code. Sharp tend to have a 9 in them so for example TL022 is a 922 and the 4558 is a 94558. I really doubt you can hear the difference between them if you said that they used something like the Mitsubishi M5218 like they did on the JX10/MKS70 then I'd be more likely to believe there's a noticeable difference. The 4558 is still made today eg Texas Instruments.
I have the original with the patch names in the buttons - love it, noisy chorus and all. The grey button model is ever so slightly flatter in the midrange but the difference is almost not worth mentioning.
Nerdy videos like these is why I use TH-cam. Thanks
Very nerdy, I love it! Three questions:
1. You said you wouldn't have fallen in love with the JX-8P if the second revision was your first encounter. Can you elaborate on the sonical differences? Warmer? Different filters? More noisy? Edit: I guess you're trying to explain it at the end of the video.
2. Which of the revisions do you think the JX-08 is closest to? As a JX-8P nerd, you like the sound of the JX-08?
3. There's a setting in Part settings for the JX-08 that controls degradation. I think it randomizes the filter decay and some other things, making it sound a bit more organic. Have you tried it and does it bring something to the sounds?
It's an interesting point but I'm not sure it works exactly like you think it does with these latest boutiques. If we were talking about an ACB boutique then one would imagine the final revision to be the model, since the revisions are usually made to improve upon a slightly flawed design. But from what I've been told (bearing in mind I'm not a good coder myself), the Zen Core really doesn't have that much accuracy from a coding perspective like ACB. It's more like a collection of preprogrammed modules you can just group together in a kind of synth builder app under the hood. It doesn't really model stuff that accurately. Like maybe there's a model for say 'curtis filter' and then you just drag and drop that into your JX-8P build, or maybe you could use it as part of your Alpha Juno build too, then you can tweak these a little bit. But I was quite reliably informed that 'you won't believe how much of this crap is the exact same under the hood'. I.e from synth to synth built in zen core. the Zen core is meant to be almost like an audio Unreal Engine or something with 'assets' that can be reused nomatter what synth you are building. I think they can be tweaked a bit but not to the level of specific revisions and stuff. I think with Zen Core you're getting 'sounds like a ballpark JX-8P' and probably none of the revisions are the specific model, they are just trying to get into the zone.
Was it so hard to label every sound on the screen while playing?
Dude this is a great comparison and can def hear the difference. But which is V1 and which is V2 in your comp???
Right?! … Presumably he played v1 first, and v2 second, though … ?! 🤷🏻♂️🙃
No discernable difference to me! Are they in the same firmware version? Would the firmware version have any changes that impact sounds?
I would've loved to see this with identical midi info coming to each unit one after another.
Without knowing for sure, if the opamps are just the output stage, then maybe there could be some difference in response curves, or (MAYBE) a bit of character when driven hard.
But in my opinion, if the only hardware difference is brand of the op amps, most of the sonic difference between 2 units is going to be from different components drifting out of spec.
Not the same firmware - there’s apparently quite a few different firmware versions - some allow for unison detune, others do not. Not sure on the impact on sound. The differences are definitely subtle, didn’t translate on TH-cam as much as I’d hoped. Almost didn’t publish because of it lol. The question really is whether or not it’s aged differences or actually revision differences. If you look up forum threads on the subject, anecdotes seem to be lead toward actual revision differences. The chorus spec is definitely different as is the final volume output. In general, the latter is cleaner. Good question @ midi!
I’m surprised no one can hear the difference. It sounds almost like an HPF on the newer one to me. But I suck, so what do I know?
I had no clue about this as I give my original JX-8P a sideways glance. My first synth that I got for my 18th birthday. I’m 54 now. Great video and great info.
Very interesting topic regardless of what causes the actual differences! I can hear a difference on several of the patches, specifically lo strings, soundtrack, & psychomello.
Regardless the JX’s all sound lovely. I only ever had an original version of the JX8 so I can’t say about the sound differences however the JX10 sounds slightly different but still sounds nice. I had all 3 JXs at one point and that is hard to beat for sonic warmth.
Which jx8p are we listening to??????????
I’ve seen Aspen’s video comparison of the JX8P and the JX08 and what he did is really smart, instead of comparing the presets he compared his own patches. I’m pretty sure that Roland are tweaking the Zencore engine to make the presets sound really close but when you design your own patches, this is where it falls apart because the circuit emulation isn’t really good.
Sadly he didn’t program them the same though. You could hear attack/release all over the place between them. Not a great comparison.
@@MusicZeroOne Agree, he was hardly even trying to match them. The sloppy envelope matching gave his intentions away.
@@MusicZeroOne Wrong. I did program the as close as was possible. I know the 8P. I have been programing it since it was released.
@@EspenKraft Wrong, even a casual listener could hear they weren't the same. I'm not the only person to notice it either. Except you of course!
@@MusicZeroOne I think you have a learning disability then. Of course they weren't the same as it's not possible to get them to sound the same.
Didn't know Don got hired on at Roland. Nice.
I wonder when the changes were made. I have a grey button (no patch names) model which I've discovered was built in December 1985, which is really early. The JX-8P only came out in '85.
I wasn’t frankly aware till watching this video that this synthesizer went through that many revisions and modifications during its production run. I was aware that there were some that didn’t have the preset names and laid on the button selectors, but I wasn’t conscious that there were physical amendments that were also made.
The one I owned dates from Wendy asking for included on the button. What I think happened with the original owner (who soon gave it to a teacher we both have in common) got it without doing his homework about which synthesizer he wanted. (I like to imagine he was after the DX7.) By the time it came to me in January 2010, the outputs were shot and the square wave generator on Oscillator 1 had turned itself off somehow.
I have read about some of the modifications to the innards that would remove the lag time in the attached section of the amplifier, dedicated pulse with modulation for both oscillators that won’t require the second one to modulate the first and improved Keyboard touch response. Those are things I could imagine having installed on my 8p, along with fixing those defects I mentioned earlier.
Interesting video. In the intro you made it seem as if there was a clear difference in the sound between the two revisions of the JX-8p. But in the demo to me the difference was very small, almost non existent. I doubt anyone in a blind test would consistently pick which is which. Certainly the difference is much smaller between them than the difference is between the JX-08 and both JX-8p.
15:17 I know the 8P isn't old enough to be in the original theme, but this patch (which isn't on mine) is instant Tales From the Darkside fuel.
You’re not a lunatic! Lol I appreciate it. Might buy one today.
Interesting, & a very enjoyable Synth nerd fest 😁. Inever had jx8 - but did have a jx10, as much as I liked the keybed/extra features, played an jx8 few times and thought it made my 10 sound “flat”, you described it exactly way I did- the 10 was almost digital ( for an analogue). Never had them side by side but thought I was imagining it. Wonder if there really was a difference (& didn’t regret selling the jx10).
I've had 3 JX8Ps in the past at different times, I never really noticed any differences apart from the chorus when I was running 2 at once. I also had a Jx10 later which to me always sounded better, and after I changed the ROM out for the Colin Fraser, of Sequentix fame, ROM to sort out the MIDI on it I kept until I finally managed to find a perfect condition MKS-70, which I still have. The 10 and the 70 have better quality output components than the 8Ps, and to me just sound a bit nicer.
Interesting video nonetheless, but I did mot hear any jarring differences, listening casually. Perhaps if I was at my studio and listening more critically... I don't know.
When you start making comparisons, what is the first sound? From the JX master or the one triggered via Midi, in this case the first version without the name in the patches?
Right?! … Presumably he played v1 first, and v2 second, though … ?! 🤷🏻♂️🙃
Exactly. Should have put up a graphic labeling which revision he was playing.
What an interesting video! I have that older version and I love it. Yet the video is quite disappointing... You could at least have shown which sound corresponds to the older/newer revision. Or is there any way to find out which sound You play corresponds to which JX-8P??
Right?! … Presumably he played v1 first, and v2 second, though … ?! 🤷🏻♂️🙃
Always enjoy your nerdy vids! I can talk myself into hearing a difference... but honestly you might be playing it slightly differently knowing you're playing an r1 vs r2 (kind of like the subliminal moving of a Ouija board planchet haha). A pristine condition JX-8P with NO preset labeling on the buttons is on the way. I have a JX-10 but the difference between that and a JX-8P is decent enough to warrant both. That Soundtrack preset, or anything in the pad range, is so unmistakable - rewatching Miami Vice it sounded like Jan Hammer used it quite a bit for filler. Twin Peaks is another favorite of course.
I have the one with the names 9n the presets and two banks of presets. 👍
I bought 3 korg poly 800 a few years ago and they also sounded about this much different from each other
I had the cold sounding JX-8P years ago, turned me off them. I now have one of the warmer sounding revisions, sounds like the same synth only better! Plot twist: I had an early revison 20 years ago and a later one with grey buttons (no names on them) one now.
I have dated my grey button (no patch names) to December 1985.
great video! apparently I read the Fletch theme song and Neneh Cherry's song Buffalo Stance both have an ascending synth riff that was said to be done on the JX8P. would you happen to know what the patch name was? the sound comes in at 20 second mark of the Fletch theme song video and the Neneh Cherry song it comes in at the 45 second mark. (if you were so inclined to check) thanks
So what's the one I've been using since the 80's?
I think that too. You're right!
I have that no1 rev. JX8P and it sounds better than MKS70 I use to have.
And this 2nd rev jx8p sounds a lot like it...
check out my reply to EuroDJ above - i have all 3 (8P, 10 & MKS) and they all have a different sound; the MKS being the most "utilitarian" or "sterile" in comparison to the more "musical" JXes
Which one you play first?
Soundtrack sounds sublime on both synths. Case closed :) Do see what you mean about the older revision being a bit warmer, but I think I prefer the chorus on the newer revision. Maybe bias, I have the 8P without patch names. For software emulation, the PG-8X is fantastic, better than the JX-08 in my view.
I have the MKS-70, which revision is it like?
In the pairings, the 2nd one tended to sound warmer, with the highs being a bit muted.
Other way around, imho.
which one is on channels 1-2?
Very hard to hear any differences, maybe heard some slight differences on one or two patches. I can't see the difference mattering in any but this kind of context, definitely wouldn't matter in a mix or any other standard use case. If its your favorite synth that you love every detail on then maybe it might matter?
Yes, it’s not super noticeable via TH-cam and, depending on whether you’re listening through headphones, speaker, cellphone, potentially inaudible via the playback method. I debated whether publishing this video even made sense after listening to the recording via a few devices - in the end I thought, why not? It’s my own love letter to the jx8p :)
@@asoundlab I was listening on my mix setup, so high end monitoring chain, but it is youtube.
@@asoundlab. Presumably, you played the earlier version (labeled buttons) first, and the later version (unlabeled buttons) second, in each of the sound test pairings … though I don’t think you mentioned this/made this clear, anywhere … ?! 🤷🏻♂️🙃. Cheers! 🙂👍🏼
Différent op amp models, but the sound… should be exactly the same. Second difference : the keyboard matrix chip (justifying the two OS versions on the Jx8p) But here again… no deference at all !
are you playing the early revision first and then the later revision? or vice versa? anyhow: the second take of each preset sounds warmer and richer to me
Other way around, imho.
👍
these differences are really minor, and indeed if at all chorus is the only significance. If THAT was the difference Espen has shown us, noone would have been complainining. But the JX-08 was MILES apart really disappointing. Especially when compared to PG8X, which came really close as a vst for almost nothing. So Roland sucked with the 08 period. I just couldn't recognize my 8P at all and i have the version with the preset labels and very noisy chorus. So if Roland went after that - they just failed.
Reupload the video with the revision number and patch titles you're playing during the demo. Having "JX-8P" on the screen the whole demo made it seem like you were just trolling us. Cheers
🥱🥱🥱
May Yahweh bless you brother
Please do a video on the
Roland jupiter 80
Mine has double clicks so it actually has 3 banks.
I dont like the sound of mine it sounds like a rock synth???
"... or a _re-imagination_ ..." - also known as _lazy ass poor clone_ ... :-D
Sounds same-ass to me
i wanted to just hear the patches but you kept going to an outside unrelated machine to switch the soundings so never mind...i learned nothing from this video.
Please do the Juipter 80
Nice video. Never liked this synth though, just average at everything. There’s never a wow moment with it.
Patch A34 on the JX-08 is a definite wow moment for me.
@@sinewaymusic Thanks, that is nice. I'm probably just trying to convince myself I don't need one ha!
@@MusicZeroOne Same camp as you. Only difference is I own one already, but could still return it. 😊
Interestin topic indeed. I myself have had a JX8P and a JX10 at the same time in the studio....and was wondering as well. Proably already known, but here is a serial number decoder to identify the version or year: serial-number-decoder.co.uk/roland/roland.htm
Please do the Juipter 80