"I bought a DFAM but it doesn't have USB. How am I supposed to load drum samples into it? And why does it make weird noises when I turn the dials and press the trigger button?" - Someone, somewhere, probably.
The JX-8P holds a special place in my heart. I picked one up in 2012 the day my mother died. I recall having a rather mundane conversation about buying the synth, little did I know it would be one of the very last conversations with my mother. It's been since loaded into a case in favor of other hardware but I will never part with it. It reminds me of her every time I play it. It's been long enough now that there isn't sadness, but a soft smile and happy memories. Love your show man, keep doing your thing.
Honestly, as an owner of both the JX-8P and PG-800 since 1994, I have to say I've coaxed every possible sound out of this synth over the years and love it. Maybe it's because it was my first ever synth, but largely I think it puts more revered synths through their paces. It can do snappy bass! It's full of bass a plenty. It can do amazing pads and brass. It can do drum sounds. It can do leads. It can do FM-y sounds thanks to the aforementioned cross modulation. There's very little it can't do really. Despite what people say about the envelopes not being that snappy or punchy, I beg to differ. I actually think its biggest drawback is the filter. The bottom end disappears when you crank up resonance and it's not that great sounding compared to other Roland synths of that era. Yes, it's also a pain to program without a programmer but there's so many aftermarket programmers out there now that's now a moot point. Obviously I never experienced this, but I do own a JX-3P and up until recently didn't have a programmer for that and it was still easy to program. Unfortunately that's not the case with the JX-8P sans programmer. This is still a dark horse synthesizer. Out of the 20-odd synths I have in my studio, this one is the one I know inside and out and I am not afraid to say I'm an authority on this particular sound generating product!
@@djfantomcat hehe. It's a long list. Roland JX-3P with Organix MIDI mod with DT-200 programmer, Roland JX-8P with Vecoven mods & the PG-800 programmer, Yamaha CS-20M with MIDI2CV MIDI mod, Yamaha AN200, Roland SynthPlus 50 (an Alpha Juno-1 in disguise), Korg micro-preset with MIDI2CV MIDI, AKAI AX73 with Tauntek OS mod, Korg Prophecy, Korg Z1, Korg EX-800 with HAWK-800/AtomaHawk/circuitbenders.co.uk mods, Behringer Model D, Behringer Pro-One, 2 Behringer TD-3s, Behringer RD-8, Behringer RD-6 that's modded out like crazy to allow tuneable/decayed/attack/sustained voices, MeeBlip Anode, Korg Monotron Delay and a Yamaha A3000 sampler with SCSI2SD drive mod. I also am the caretaker of a friend's synths and currently have his Roland Jupiter-6, Roland Juipter-8 with MIDI mod, Roland SH-3, Korg Mono/Poly with Tubbutec mod, Arturia PolyBrute and ISLA Instruments S2400. The Jupiters are basically on semi-permanent loan. On top of that I have various MIDI controllers and outboard gear.
@@djfantomcat I have the Novation UltraNova 37-Key Analog Modeling Synthesizer - This is the Additional Add ons i use for Background Synth Sounds: The Ensoniq ASR-10 1991 Synth Sample Keyboard - Low end Beats + Synth Sounds & FX i Programme but with Audio Sample (CD's Library ZERO-G) going through the Behringer Virtualiser Pro for the FX: Fantom G6 though the sound is very compressed & weak! going through the Behringer Virtualiser Pro for the FX = I.0:73 TUBE SIMULATOR for that SMACK! Well Kind of.
Heyy hello! My first Synth is also the JX-8P with PG-800 (so lucky to have them!) and I also bought them in 1994! Which is kinda late though. But I could only afford it by that time. In other words, the JX-8P is my first love...made a cover of St. Elmo's Fire with a Fostex 4 track recorder for my girlfriend (now my wife 😉) and still trying to find where I stashed that cassette! Cheers!
@@amonster8mymother "Ticking all the boxes" is an expression meaning "checking off everything on the list" or "meeting all the requirements/expectations". Tick boxes are those little squares for putting a checkmark or X in. ☑
Holy shit my old high school band teacher has one of those PG-800's stored away in the school "recording studio", he doesn't even have any gear that's compatible with it. It's been almost 5 years since I graduated, but I think it's time I paid him a visit.
I think Espen has earned his place on TH-cam as a respected individual. Not only is he a fantastic purveyor of information about the classic models such as this one, but he also is a fantastic musician like you are. even if you can say that your keyboard playing skills are limited, there’s no debating your musicianship. I have a JX-8p w/ PG-800. It might not have been the first analog synthesizer I got my paws on (that honor going to original ARP Axxe from ‘75), however it was the first that I got to play more than once. It belongs at the time to my mentor and represented one of the best teaching tools a beginning synthesis could turn to for info about sound shaping and how an analog polyphonic worked. This guy had received it from his protégé, a pianist extraordinaire that was naïve enough about synthesizers to get this one and discovering that he wasn’t as into it as he thought he would be. I suspect he was looking for the DX7 but wasn’t discerning enough to choose it. When this teacher we both had in common passed away, this other student of his repossessed the JX and then sold it to me for a real paltry sum.
Happy Christmas sir. I saved this delight for boxing day. Your video reminded me that I grabbed JX-3P back when they were cheap and then had to pay almost the same to get the controller! Ha. Sold the pair 18 months ago. Funnily enough, my old PG-200 has since appeared in a video by a certain Mr Kraft. And yes, he will be after you. 😉
My mother was a musician in the 80s and this is one of the first synths she purchased. I loved playing on this thing and it made me want to make music XD The "Soundtrack" preset is a classic
My dad's workhorse synth. He's used it in practically almost every piece of music he's ever done by himself... and still has it! Complete with the PG-800 permanently stuck on it like a fridge magnet.
I’m not sure where you’d be without Roland. Great vid once again. If nothing else I think that synth would be awesome for making 80’s video game music.
I love that Christmas Bad Gear reviews a good bit of gear. Our present for sticking with the show :D The SOUNDTRACK preset is still probably one of the all time greatest and most usable pad presets of any synth.
Nice video! The JX-8P is my favourite synthesizer of all time. Yes slow envelopes, and the nice chorus can make everything sound a bit 'samey', but the strings and pads are so good. A great organic and spacious sound! The PG-8X VST is a fantastic free virtual emulation that nails the sound - I used that a lot while my 8P was in for repairs (replacement of the elusive FIP display coil). Thanks for another great video!
I'm in the middle of making a track, and what you did at 4:07 inspired me to do the same thing in my track for my lead sound, and it made it sound way better, so thanks for that!
If you can play - the JX8P is a fantastic synth. Throwing down those weighty keys against filter = velocity and aftertouch = vibrato is a aynth players dream. If you want to twiddle resonance for half an hour look elsewhere, but I agree this grey lady was for a more elegant age.
That was absolutely awesome! I was able to get a JX-8P in 2009 or 2010 for $200 in almost perfect condition when no one really liked them. It was my first synth.
I love how you're going through some synths that I own. The microbrute, minibrute, and now the 8P! Just beautiful! I'm looking around my room and I see my Ensoniq SQ-80 and VFX. Please do a video on one or both of these!
@@AudioPilz only hate you’ll find is people without the programmer saying its hard to program. with the programmer JX-3 and 8P are the best DCO roland synths
@@filippobuccianelli4606 I never understood that argument. So what, DCOs are bad because they don't drift? Sure, I like a little tuning drift as much as the next guy, but there's a fine line between pleasant drift and just out of tune. The Juno 6, 60, 106, JX-3P, JX-8P, JX-10, all used DCOs but you don't hear people shit-talking the Junos, so what gives?
now that im more familiar with your channel and recognize your intro theme, its always fun paying attention to the featured gear in the song before the video starts. very engaging little bit
My first analog was a JX-8P 😊 sold it when I got a Juno-60 and regretted it so much that I got the JX-10 as a replacement. I, too, love that Soundtrack patch... While not a punchy set of machines (8P and 10; the 3P is a different machine compared to these two), having 24 oscillators in one machine is just incredible (and I got my Soundtrack back 😅). The JX-10 was 2 8P's in one package, but was also intended to be the successor to the Jupiter-8, so it became Roland's last flagship analog before the advent of the D-50. The stock JX-10 has some serious MIDI issues - maybe a nice thing to dive in to at some point? 😉 Thank you for a nostalgic flashback for me and merry Christmas 😊
@@AudioPilz Both are valid machines, I think - it all depends on what your needs are. The 8P is a good 80s 6-voice polysynth akin to all the others of the era with MIDI, memory and 61 keys. The JX-10 has 73 keys and twice the engine - perfect as a master/main board back in the day, but maybe not so much nowadays?
I always enjoy your content Florian so thanks for all the work that goes into putting them up. I look forward to more controversial bad gear next year!
Just a bit of trivia… The JX8P can be heard on the 80s hit “The Final Countdown by Europe”. The lead brass synth (factory patch 28 I think). Still own my JX8P w/programmer I bought back in 1986 and it still works!
I just watched the 13 year old Jexus demo video of this synth (and programmer breakout box ) . I remember the eighties , and the edit menu frustrations associated with minimal control surfaces . I had never noticed outboard gear like the programmer until the 2000s and didn't understand the added complexity once I did notice them. This is the reason that it took until my exploration of reason , and Fruity loops to really find my way into synthesis , and electronic music . Membrane buttons are so unkind to timing changes , and expressive playing, musicality in general that I explored guitar effects and also acoustic tricks like miking an amp through rubber heater hose and oscillating fans in my early sound designs .THIS INSTRUMENT design is repellant as a creative inspiration, but amazing sounding . Your jams are astounding , and the videos are iconic art . Thank you for doing what you do , how you do it . Merry Christmas 🎄
I have one... Picked it up "broken" but just needed a 10 cent voltage regulator. I will say that the attack on the envelopes is slow and thus creates a 'bubble' synth sound. It's great if you don't need fast envelopes. Only gripe is that it doesn't have master transpose but rather you have to adjust each DCO tune separately... maybe it's a feature? Lol Have a good one!
This is definetly a Synth for keyboard Players, because the control over the keyboard with aftertouch and Velocity - not many analog synths actually had this. Which probably also was why sliders weren't seen as needed as in other synths. So and if people can play they don't need a master transpose.
The JX-8P has its place. It has some very inspiring musicality for some types of sound classes. I bought a used one in great shape for $150 a few years ago. Guy had to sell eveything quick and get out of town. Best deal I ever got. So I have a lot experience with it, and even with an external controller mapped to eveything, you will not get the true "poly analog synthesizer" experience from this. It's too well behaved. Now for those of you who had used a Jupiter 6 for example, you will instantly know what I mean by having the "proper synthesize experience" or even if you messed around with the SID chip on a C64, or just a few other classic synths out there that have the same essence, those synths that most of the newer generation of synth nerds never laid hands-on before. It's these few first generation of un-refined synths where the magic is, as only these can do because of their imperfections that will most often lead you down those rabbit holes, losing time you'll never get back, but worth it just for the "experience". It's these rare few that qualify for a proper synth experience. The JX-8P or ones like the JX-3P or JX-10 , and even a real jupiter 8, OB-xa or many modern Behringer analog clones I've used/or own, or the many emulations. It goes without saying not one of the best modelling software attempts to date, as good as some of these have becone, can touch a Jupiter 6 experience. While the Jupiter 8 or Juno 60 are some of the best and musical synths in their own rights, they are still too tame, too well designed and refined to do what the Jupiter 6 can give you in terms of simply moving a control around and instantly hearing the most interesting but unexpected results that reach deep into your soul. Yet at the same time you're hearing something you've heard all over classic records, but you never could quite get close to achieving it on any of the other synths you own or extensively used. And these things in my opinion constitute the core definition of what makes for a "proper analog syntheszier experience" I would to see a bad gear episode on the Roland Jupiter 6 since this channel seems to be running out of truly bad gear to talk about. Lets start talking about the bad gear that turns out over time to be the best gear.
What??? bad gear??? I got this board in 85 and it has such a warm sound, the bass is ridiculous. The Pads too!! It’s got the classic bubbles sounds in it!!!! A beast in the studio! Still works a never had to put in the shop!!!!!!
Yes it is blasphemous to put it under bad gear but it's good to have a proper rendition of what you can do with it. I got this thing around 2003 for maybe 200 Euros. It might be good if prices may sky rocket after this, but I'll still keep mine. BTW the Aftertouch on mine still works perfectly.
This is a surprisingly nice sounding synthesizer, and you really did it justice with that Rick 'n' Roll grand finale at the end!! I hope you had a lovely Christmas as well :)
It still sounds awesome! Love those big soundtrack strings and pads. Ive got the Roland Boutique JX08 Synthesiser which I use in my techno jams hooked up to my beatstep. Happy days.🤘🏼🎹=🎶
P17 forever!!! Worth it for that patch alone. Really comes alive, too, using the Unison 2 and Solo 2 modes. Aftertouch is notorious for going belly up on these. But it’s become one of my favorite synths ever!
I had one of these when I started the rabbit hole of synthesizers, back in 2008, got it for NOTHING and I am very sad I let it go a few years later, mainly because I was frustrated by the lack of programmer but miss the sound!
Flawless episode as always, but for the love of Santa and all his elves I do hope Wendy has some Emu hardware laying around, poor old Roland :-). Merry Christmas Florian thanks for all the joy your have brought this year.
Merry Christmas to everyone here and of course Frohe Weihnachten an Florian und sein Team.... Ihr seit einfach spitze und eure Arbeit verdient größten Respekt... Keep going on‼️‼️‼️
@@AudioPilz uuupppssss, dann ist mein Respekt für dich und deine Arbeit gerade um nochmal 100% mehr gestiegen....😮♥️ Du machst da einfach einen mega guten Job und etwas ziemlich eigenständiges das heraussticht!!! Mein Dad fand dein Format auch immer super, er kannte viele deiner vorgestellten Geräte aus eigener Hand oder durch mich und meinen "Fuhrpark" Ich werde gleich mal schauen Patreon zu werden, das ist wenigstens eine der wenigen sinnvollen Investments heutzutage... Also nochmals: Respekt:100+100%♥️ Mach weiter so, ich hab schon jetzt lust auf nächste Woche!!!😬🤗🤦🏼♂️
The people that hate the JX8P are those who tried to make House and Techno with it. The people that love the JXP8 are those making Synthwave, Italo Disco, Spacesynth etc. It's how you use it that matters.
I really loved mine. Playing it always brought out these deep nostalgia feelings-like many nights watching 80s HBO Cinemax etc. Sold it simply because it wasn't versatile enough--used it less and less. Tempting to buy the JX-08 because it seems like an improved version of it.
As far as big roland synths go, juno 106 is a more apt candidate for bad gear than the 8p. Just one dco, walking the thin line between classic and bland/overdone sounds, crazy prices...
You need to package that final Xmas video with its own TH-cam link! That’s Xmas shareable social media gold right there! Merry Xmas dude and thanks for all the synths!
Love this channel. That would be an incredible synth for $200, but no way on the prices now. Truly ruined by the interface, but having a more subtle sound is a nice tool to have.
Bad Geaaaaar??? This is one of my synth Dreams.. It's so silky and gentle. I like it. Still doesn't seen your video, but I'm already shocked. So happy to see how u will perform and review this classic!
@@AudioPilz of course it's a matter of taste. It's very personal and subjective. Great video! That's the beauty of the different visions and aproachs to the same machine. Keep going! And thanks again for your videos 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Indeed, the JX8P sounds fantastic and is imo far more versatile than the 106. Not that the 106 is bad by any means, but I generally like synths that has more sound creation capabilities :P
A Merry Xmas to you Mr. Pilz! I love my JX8P .. the word that comes to mind to describe it is always 'grand' .. true it's not really at home with snappy bass sounds though the piano patches have reasonable attack and strings are lush. It has a very nice feeling keyboard too and solidly built. Your music samples are always so great, keep up the good work!
Nice video! The JX-8P is a real beast, but its UI isn't my thing. The new Boutique reincarnation is the first one, i seriously consider, cause they made the controls a bit bigger and extended the engine to 20(!) voices. Does anyone know, if you could use the JX-08 Boutique as a programmer for the JX-8P? Hope you had nice holidays! Until next year! I wish a "gut'n Rutsch"!
Those strings really are Delicious aren't they? There is a very good freeware version knocking about Internet Land, built by Full Bucket Music I believe. Praise be to the Dancing Reindeers!
My first hardsynth was a JX-10, and I am a big fan of it and the JX-8P. You did an awesome job showing what these can do. I especially loved the christmasy piece towards the end! I am extra inspired to fix my JX-10 now. Thanks! Also, Merry belated Christmas and Happy New Year!
Great video as always. The jams are brilliant, great 80’s vibe and the lfo-meme had me laughing so loud my wife was wondering what was wrong with me. Awesome! Merry Christmas Florian, be it a bit late, and keep spoiling us with these great videos in 2022!
You've done it again. You're pulling apart my rig to call everything I have "Bad Gear" and this time you hit the bullseye. I bought my JX-8P brand new. I was agonizing between it and the DX-7. Already though I started to feel the DX-7 was getting played out and having tried to program FM before I chose the Roland. I spent hundreds of hours programming this thing WITHOUT the PG800 (which I still don't have). I filled up three cartridges (I don't think you mention those in your video) with my own home grown patches. Eventually I bought a second hand MKS-70 (so called rack mounted Super JX) and retired the JX-8P. I still have the 8P and the original box, instructions and Styrofoam (Plus a case I purchased on the same day that fit the keyboard like a glove). I have now preordered the JX-08 which I am told is on the way to me as I type this. Once it is in my possession and I put in my (I want to say hundreds) signature sounds I'll be listing my JX-8P and MKS 70 on ebay.
Next up: The Juno 60... For real though, thanks for all the great episodes this year. This must be the most entertaining channel on TH-cam for us music nerds.
The JX-8P comes built into the Jupiter-X/Xm. Which is pretty awesome. Yet another user different interface! At least now you have several options to experience this synth without having to experience the actual synth itself.
I think one of my favorite things about you is you are on the millennial/genx cusp, but your jam videos are just dripping with that genZ dadaist insanity. I really love it a lot, you bridge the gap well.
Oh man, you've gone too far this time, lol! One of the most eerily beautiful sounds ever, although it's not Moog phat or Jupiter warm I'll give the critics that, happy holidays!
Very Fun Juno Sounding synth...love the history vid....the Choir/Pads/Soundtrack are pretty nice...the detune layer mode sounds nice......it has a lovely analogy sound def gives the Yamaha DX7 a run for the money and in some ways I like it better than the Juno 60/106......Thanks for the awesome video and demo's.....Best Wishes!
This machine is one of the best spacey synths. Best strings ever, and it can produce extremely deep and very evolving sounds. Even without the programmer, I find it pretty easy to program. You get to know which is where, and what everything does quite quickly. The aftertouch is damned good on this one. The filters can squeal pretty damn nicely, and this synth has some of the slowest LFO's I have encountered. I find this one, for a DCO synth, to have a very analog feel to it. I love it since the first day I had it. It is way warmer than most of its contemporaries, like D-50, DX-7, Kawai K1, Korg M1, etc. This was in the beginning of the sampling days, and most new synths would have sampled waveforms and all the standard samples of those days, which were pretty scratchy and had noisy loops due to them keeping the memory in these synths as low as possible to save production costs. The digital filters in those days were also not anywhere near the warmth of the analog filters, and the JX-8P was one of the very few which (still?) had analog VCA and VCO over the digital oscillators.
JX8P is a very soft sounding synth/pad machine with the same chorus circuitry as Juno-106, but is also let down by the slow CPU (as is customary with the mid 80s polys) which leads to envelopes lacking in punch (a price to pay for not freezing like American synth from Oberheim, Ensoniq and Sequential did). However, most importantly, it's let down by the worst analog filter ever, ironically made by the, supposedly, still "good" Roland, same as on Alpha Junos and MKS80 Rev5 - it absolutely lacks resonance and instead totally kills the lows. And it was the reason I had to let go of mine.
I love the Filter. It does not self resonate but I dont think it's necessary for polyphonic. It's one of these synths which can't Do everything, but what It can do but what It does just sounds good
The JX8P and Super JX are no 101 or mini, but man can it do pad sounds. I do mostly chillwave and there is nothing more laid back than the JX for that filtered layer of analog pad reverbed out bliss.
@@torbenanschau6701 oh it's a great pad machine alright and it does a lot of things in a unique way, DAW integration through Ctrlr is also great - but is also limited in many ways that simply didn't glue with me in the end.
@@thefrankly pads are its absolutely strongest pro and the Soundtrack patch is the highlight of how uniquely soft it can do them - there's still no competition for that to this day. However to me personally the lack of resonance is just too much, among other things, when knowing how absolutely awesome resonant pads sound through Roland's analog chorus on Junos/JX3P. In the end I found I wasn't using it as much and no instrument deserves to catch dust in a closet. It has to be in the hands of someone who will actually use it.
He'll never run out of "bad gear" because no matter what gear it is SOMEONE is complaining like it's the bubonic plague on some music forum
"Should have bought the plugin instead of that stupid CS-80. No midi? What were they thinking?!"
Truer words have never been spoken!
"I bought a DFAM but it doesn't have USB. How am I supposed to load drum samples into it? And why does it make weird noises when I turn the dials and press the trigger button?" - Someone, somewhere, probably.
He’s clearly running out of real bad gear this one is legendary
Lol
Lol
one can never run out of bad gear
All gear is bad.
This is a monster synth, just need the programmer.
The JX-8P holds a special place in my heart. I picked one up in 2012 the day my mother died. I recall having a rather mundane conversation about buying the synth, little did I know it would be one of the very last conversations with my mother. It's been since loaded into a case in favor of other hardware but I will never part with it. It reminds me of her every time I play it. It's been long enough now that there isn't sadness, but a soft smile and happy memories.
Love your show man, keep doing your thing.
Your mom is alive…100 percent proof. She just passed to the 2nd heaven and is with you.
@@Simbor-rh1dj you are an absolute pest 💀
Have a JX-8P - and it's one of the most underrated synths of all time in my opinion.
Honestly, as an owner of both the JX-8P and PG-800 since 1994, I have to say I've coaxed every possible sound out of this synth over the years and love it. Maybe it's because it was my first ever synth, but largely I think it puts more revered synths through their paces.
It can do snappy bass! It's full of bass a plenty. It can do amazing pads and brass. It can do drum sounds. It can do leads. It can do FM-y sounds thanks to the aforementioned cross modulation. There's very little it can't do really.
Despite what people say about the envelopes not being that snappy or punchy, I beg to differ. I actually think its biggest drawback is the filter. The bottom end disappears when you crank up resonance and it's not that great sounding compared to other Roland synths of that era. Yes, it's also a pain to program without a programmer but there's so many aftermarket programmers out there now that's now a moot point. Obviously I never experienced this, but I do own a JX-3P and up until recently didn't have a programmer for that and it was still easy to program. Unfortunately that's not the case with the JX-8P sans programmer.
This is still a dark horse synthesizer. Out of the 20-odd synths I have in my studio, this one is the one I know inside and out and I am not afraid to say I'm an authority on this particular sound generating product!
Computer software's don't come close to JX-8P or any Analogue Gears. It sounds way Better & FAT!
I'd love to know which synths you have. I mean you don't have to list them, but collecting 20 synths is pretty awesome.
@@djfantomcat hehe. It's a long list. Roland JX-3P with Organix MIDI mod with DT-200 programmer, Roland JX-8P with Vecoven mods & the PG-800 programmer, Yamaha CS-20M with MIDI2CV MIDI mod, Yamaha AN200, Roland SynthPlus 50 (an Alpha Juno-1 in disguise), Korg micro-preset with MIDI2CV MIDI, AKAI AX73 with Tauntek OS mod, Korg Prophecy, Korg Z1, Korg EX-800 with HAWK-800/AtomaHawk/circuitbenders.co.uk mods, Behringer Model D, Behringer Pro-One, 2 Behringer TD-3s, Behringer RD-8, Behringer RD-6 that's modded out like crazy to allow tuneable/decayed/attack/sustained voices, MeeBlip Anode, Korg Monotron Delay and a Yamaha A3000 sampler with SCSI2SD drive mod.
I also am the caretaker of a friend's synths and currently have his Roland Jupiter-6, Roland Juipter-8 with MIDI mod, Roland SH-3, Korg Mono/Poly with Tubbutec mod, Arturia PolyBrute and ISLA Instruments S2400. The Jupiters are basically on semi-permanent loan.
On top of that I have various MIDI controllers and outboard gear.
@@djfantomcat I have the Novation UltraNova 37-Key Analog Modeling Synthesizer - This is the Additional Add ons i use for Background Synth Sounds: The Ensoniq ASR-10 1991 Synth Sample Keyboard - Low end Beats + Synth Sounds & FX i Programme but with Audio Sample (CD's Library ZERO-G) going through the Behringer Virtualiser Pro for the FX: Fantom G6 though the sound is very compressed & weak! going through the Behringer Virtualiser Pro for the FX = I.0:73 TUBE SIMULATOR for that SMACK! Well Kind of.
Heyy hello! My first Synth is also the JX-8P with PG-800 (so lucky to have them!) and I also bought them in 1994! Which is kinda late though. But I could only afford it by that time. In other words, the JX-8P is my first love...made a cover of St. Elmo's Fire with a Fostex 4 track recorder for my girlfriend (now my wife 😉) and still trying to find where I stashed that cassette! Cheers!
This is so much the best TH-cam channel that I refuse to believe that there's a second best one.
Merry & Happy stuff, everyone!
Thank you so much, Rocco! Merry Christmas!
@@AudioPilz Merry Christmas, Florian! And thank YOU!
I'd say Alex Ball comes really close with his synth reviews (adding the fact that he always jams with the synth that he's going to review)
Just say Christmas. Anyone who gets mad is culturally/religiously intolerant
@@ThatFilmisGnarly uhhh, c'mon no need to make this political
I love how he says "at first glance, this synth is ticking all the boxes" --he literally says that IN EVERY VIDEO 🤣
I haven't seen any boxes what is he talking about?
And then the student was enlightened.
@@amonster8mymother "Ticking all the boxes" is an expression meaning "checking off everything on the list" or "meeting all the requirements/expectations". Tick boxes are those little squares for putting a checkmark or X in. ☑
@@Swenglish little boxes? Where?
@@amonster8mymother Re-read explanation above.
Holy shit my old high school band teacher has one of those PG-800's stored away in the school "recording studio", he doesn't even have any gear that's compatible with it. It's been almost 5 years since I graduated, but I think it's time I paid him a visit.
These have become quite pricey...
if its a PG1000, I will buy it
Tell him its a piece of worthless, obsolete 80's junk! 😅
@@lundsweden 🤣
Note, schools and churches are Gold mines for old classic gear and the operators have NO IDEA of the buzz in the hobby/pro market for those things.
I think Espen has earned his place on TH-cam as a respected individual. Not only is he a fantastic purveyor of information about the classic models such as this one, but he also is a fantastic musician like you are. even if you can say that your keyboard playing skills are limited, there’s no debating your musicianship.
I have a JX-8p w/ PG-800. It might not have been the first analog synthesizer I got my paws on (that honor going to original ARP Axxe from ‘75), however it was the first that I got to play more than once. It belongs at the time to my mentor and represented one of the best teaching tools a beginning synthesis could turn to for info about sound shaping and how an analog polyphonic worked. This guy had received it from his protégé, a pianist extraordinaire that was naïve enough about synthesizers to get this one and discovering that he wasn’t as into it as he thought he would be. I suspect he was looking for the DX7 but wasn’t discerning enough to choose it. When this teacher we both had in common passed away, this other student of his repossessed the JX and then sold it to me for a real paltry sum.
Love Espen's channel!!! Thanks!
Happy Christmas sir. I saved this delight for boxing day.
Your video reminded me that I grabbed JX-3P back when they were cheap and then had to pay almost the same to get the controller! Ha.
Sold the pair 18 months ago. Funnily enough, my old PG-200 has since appeared in a video by a certain Mr Kraft. And yes, he will be after you. 😉
Luckily... nowadays... you can just download an app for your iPad to control it
@@dreamix2007 True. Once I tried the Cloud JX-3P and it sounded basically identical, I figured I didn't need it any longer.
Deck the Halls with Alex Balls😂😂😂
@@AudioPilz Mr Schlanger will no doubt approve balls decking.
I DID pay more for the JX3p controller, by 100 bucks.
My mother was a musician in the 80s and this is one of the first synths she purchased. I loved playing on this thing and it made me want to make music XD The "Soundtrack" preset is a classic
Nice!!! The Soundtrack patch is so iconic!!!
It sounds amazing. It must only be bad gear if you don’t have a programmer
It does have a few strange quirks and it is really hard to make it sound in your face so I do understand the vitriol to a certain degree
It's not bad gear at all. I think he's running out of bad gear so he has to review good gear.
My dad's workhorse synth.
He's used it in practically almost every piece of music he's ever done by himself... and still has it! Complete with the PG-800 permanently stuck on it like a fridge magnet.
Same my dad too and his dad before him
Nice one!!!
Was habe ich wieder gelacht! Wie immer bis ins Detail perfekt recherchiert und mit erheblichem Aufwand produziert. Vielen Dank, A.P.!
Vielen Dank!!!
A truly worthy Christmas address, awesome tune too.
Thank you!!! Merry Christmas!
I’m not sure where you’d be without Roland. Great vid once again. If nothing else I think that synth would be awesome for making 80’s video game music.
Roland is the GOAT!!! Merry Christmas!
It would be great for making a music video review; breakdown history, features, and add a few clever yokes to round it out…Oh wait..
There's an old clip floating around somewhere from the 1990's of Nobuo Uematsu with one in his studio
@@sweepersmusic Ah! Well there you go.
Yeah, or any type music made since the 80s. Because this is what they used
I love that Christmas Bad Gear reviews a good bit of gear. Our present for sticking with the show :D
The SOUNDTRACK preset is still probably one of the all time greatest and most usable pad presets of any synth.
Yeah, it won't get any better than this preset
Nice video! The JX-8P is my favourite synthesizer of all time. Yes slow envelopes, and the nice chorus can make everything sound a bit 'samey', but the strings and pads are so good. A great organic and spacious sound! The PG-8X VST is a fantastic free virtual emulation that nails the sound - I used that a lot while my 8P was in for repairs (replacement of the elusive FIP display coil). Thanks for another great video!
So amazing you play the same intro track with every synth! Big up respect!
Thank you!!!
I'm in the middle of making a track, and what you did at 4:07 inspired me to do the same thing in my track for my lead sound, and it made it sound way better, so thanks for that!
Happy to hear that! Thanks!
If you can play - the JX8P is a fantastic synth. Throwing down those weighty keys against filter = velocity and aftertouch = vibrato is a aynth players dream. If you want to twiddle resonance for half an hour look elsewhere, but I agree this grey lady was for a more elegant age.
JX8P is a gorgeous sounding synth. I’ve had many analogue Polys and it’s up there in the top 5 🎉
Classic!
That was absolutely awesome! I was able to get a JX-8P in 2009 or 2010 for $200 in almost perfect condition when no one really liked them. It was my first synth.
I love how you're going through some synths that I own. The microbrute, minibrute, and now the 8P! Just beautiful! I'm looking around my room and I see my Ensoniq SQ-80 and VFX. Please do a video on one or both of these!
Years later and we’re still holding out for that Ensoniq SQ-80 review…
this one is actually good. I dont think I've ever heard describe this synth as bad. It sounds really good!
I was surprised to find a lot of hate about too
You know… the old (boring) DCOs thing
@@AudioPilz only hate you’ll find is people without the programmer saying its hard to program. with the programmer JX-3 and 8P are the best DCO roland synths
@@filippobuccianelli4606 I never understood that argument. So what, DCOs are bad because they don't drift? Sure, I like a little tuning drift as much as the next guy, but there's a fine line between pleasant drift and just out of tune. The Juno 6, 60, 106, JX-3P, JX-8P, JX-10, all used DCOs but you don't hear people shit-talking the Junos, so what gives?
@@AdamBorseti I don’t know man, I got a Jx8p and I like it a lot.
Bless Roland for keeping this show awesome!
Roland=best!!!
Festively plump episode, many thanks! Hope the new year finds ways to bring you all kinds of new and old bad gear!
cant wait until you inevitably review the boutique version of the jx-8p. merry christmas, florian!
Merry Christmas!!! REALLY looking forward to the Boutique version!
@@AudioPilz oh me too, i need to put an order in at the music store haha
for a while, the JX-8P plugin PG8X was one of my favorite synths to use as a pad sound in my songs. It's all over my first EP.
now that im more familiar with your channel and recognize your intro theme, its always fun paying attention to the featured gear in the song before the video starts. very engaging little bit
Thank you!!!
My first analog was a JX-8P 😊 sold it when I got a Juno-60 and regretted it so much that I got the JX-10 as a replacement.
I, too, love that Soundtrack patch... While not a punchy set of machines (8P and 10; the 3P is a different machine compared to these two), having 24 oscillators in one machine is just incredible (and I got my Soundtrack back 😅).
The JX-10 was 2 8P's in one package, but was also intended to be the successor to the Jupiter-8, so it became Roland's last flagship analog before the advent of the D-50. The stock JX-10 has some serious MIDI issues - maybe a nice thing to dive in to at some point? 😉
Thank you for a nostalgic flashback for me and merry Christmas 😊
The JX-10 seems to be the more interesting option!
@@AudioPilz Both are valid machines, I think - it all depends on what your needs are. The 8P is a good 80s 6-voice polysynth akin to all the others of the era with MIDI, memory and 61 keys. The JX-10 has 73 keys and twice the engine - perfect as a master/main board back in the day, but maybe not so much nowadays?
Andy Warhol: Everyone will be famous for 15 minutes
Bad Gear: Every electronic music instrument will be on my show eventually
😁!
Next week on bad gear: “TR-808: Cowbell almost usable?”
Great idea! Can I borrow yours? ;)
😂😀
I always enjoy your content Florian so thanks for all the work that goes into putting them up. I look forward to more controversial bad gear next year!
Thank you so much!!!
Look at us, watching Bad Gear on Christmas
Merry Bad Gear Christmas!!!!
Thanks for reviewing all of my studio gear like you have been in my studio personally.
Just a bit of trivia… The JX8P can be heard on the 80s hit “The Final Countdown by Europe”. The lead brass synth (factory patch 28 I think). Still own my JX8P w/programmer I bought back in 1986 and it still works!
True!!! Probably the most prominent use of the instrument
Cool. Never knew that. That track is #1 of '80's songs.
I just watched the 13 year old Jexus demo video of this synth (and programmer breakout box ) . I remember the eighties , and the edit menu frustrations associated with minimal control surfaces . I had never noticed outboard gear like the programmer until the 2000s and didn't understand the added complexity once I did notice them. This is the reason that it took until my exploration of reason , and Fruity loops to really find my way into synthesis , and electronic music . Membrane buttons are so unkind to timing changes , and expressive playing, musicality in general that I explored guitar effects and also acoustic tricks like miking an amp through rubber heater hose and oscillating fans in my early sound designs .THIS INSTRUMENT design is repellant as a creative inspiration, but amazing sounding . Your jams are astounding , and the videos are iconic art . Thank you for doing what you do , how you do it . Merry Christmas 🎄
Jexus is the GOAT!!! Thanks!
I have one... Picked it up "broken" but just needed a 10 cent voltage regulator.
I will say that the attack on the envelopes is slow and thus creates a 'bubble' synth sound. It's great if you don't need fast envelopes.
Only gripe is that it doesn't have master transpose but rather you have to adjust each DCO tune separately... maybe it's a feature? Lol
Have a good one!
This is definetly a Synth for keyboard Players, because the control over the keyboard with aftertouch and Velocity - not many analog synths actually had this. Which probably also was why sliders weren't seen as needed as in other synths. So and if people can play they don't need a master transpose.
I would call it a feature;)
The JX-8P has its place. It has some very inspiring musicality for some types of sound classes. I bought a used one in great shape for $150 a few years ago. Guy had to sell eveything quick and get out of town. Best deal I ever got. So I have a lot experience with it, and even with an external controller mapped to eveything, you will not get the true "poly analog synthesizer" experience from this. It's too well behaved. Now for those of you who had used a Jupiter 6 for example, you will instantly know what I mean by having the "proper synthesize experience" or even if you messed around with the SID chip on a C64, or just a few other classic synths out there that have the same essence, those synths that most of the newer generation of synth nerds never laid hands-on before. It's these few first generation of un-refined synths where the magic is, as only these can do because of their imperfections that will most often lead you down those rabbit holes, losing time you'll never get back, but worth it just for the "experience". It's these rare few that qualify for a proper synth experience.
The JX-8P or ones like the JX-3P or JX-10 , and even a real jupiter 8, OB-xa or many modern Behringer analog clones I've used/or own, or the many emulations. It goes without saying not one of the best modelling software attempts to date, as good as some of these have becone, can touch a Jupiter 6 experience. While the Jupiter 8 or Juno 60 are some of the best and musical synths in their own rights, they are still too tame, too well designed and refined to do what the Jupiter 6 can give you in terms of simply moving a control around and instantly hearing the most interesting but unexpected results that reach deep into your soul. Yet at the same time you're hearing something you've heard all over classic records, but you never could quite get close to achieving it on any of the other synths you own or extensively used. And these things in my opinion constitute the core definition of what makes for a "proper analog syntheszier experience"
I would to see a bad gear episode on the Roland Jupiter 6 since this channel seems to be running out of truly bad gear to talk about. Lets start talking about the bad gear that turns out over time to be the best gear.
Wow, that's a great price!
So true. Jupiter 6 is a king.
The Rez Lead patch became my signature solo sound for a decade. Straight up George Duke funky. Nothing else like it.
So true!
What??? bad gear??? I got this board in 85 and it has such a warm sound, the bass is ridiculous. The Pads too!! It’s got the classic bubbles sounds in it!!!! A beast in the studio! Still works a never had to put in the shop!!!!!!
You know the drill, one man's Bad Gear...;)
@@AudioPilz Facts!!
Yes it is blasphemous to put it under bad gear but it's good to have a proper rendition of what you can do with it. I got this thing around 2003 for maybe 200 Euros. It might be good if prices may sky rocket after this, but I'll still keep mine. BTW the Aftertouch on mine still works perfectly.
I know but it is after all Christmas ;) Prices already got out of control...
NEVER SELL IT!!!! Many years ago i needed money for a motorbike. Even had pg800. So sad to me still. I loved it. Nicknamed mine"uss enterprise"
This is a surprisingly nice sounding synthesizer, and you really did it justice with that Rick 'n' Roll grand finale at the end!! I hope you had a lovely Christmas as well :)
It still sounds awesome! Love those big soundtrack strings and pads. Ive got the Roland Boutique JX08 Synthesiser which I use in my techno jams hooked up to my beatstep. Happy days.🤘🏼🎹=🎶
Nice you already got the new Boutique
Great video! The tribute to the ghost of Espen past is a nice touch!
Thank you!!!
P17 forever!!! Worth it for that patch alone. Really comes alive, too, using the Unison 2 and Solo 2 modes. Aftertouch is notorious for going belly up on these. But it’s become one of my favorite synths ever!
So true! Absolute classic!
Also, good job talking about the unison detune function. Some owners don't even know about it. Amazing what reading the manual can reveal.
Merry Bad Xmas ❤️❤️❤️
Merry Christmas!!!
No way, you did it! A true Christmas present :D Thanks so much, I really enjoyed this!
Thanks! Merry Christmas!
I had one of these when I started the rabbit hole of synthesizers, back in 2008, got it for NOTHING and I am very sad I let it go a few years later, mainly because I was frustrated by the lack of programmer but miss the sound!
And a very Merry Crimbolio to you too sir!
May you bless us with more bad gear in the new year!
Flawless episode as always, but for the love of Santa and all his elves I do hope Wendy has some Emu hardware laying around, poor old Roland :-). Merry Christmas Florian thanks for all the joy your have brought this year.
Thanks for watching! I have to take another look at Wendy's collection;)
Merry Christmas to everyone here and of course Frohe Weihnachten an Florian und sein Team....
Ihr seit einfach spitze und eure Arbeit verdient größten Respekt...
Keep going on‼️‼️‼️
Vielen herzlichen Dank aber ich bin im Moment noch die Ein-Mann Armee;) Frohe Weihnachten!
@@AudioPilz uuupppssss, dann ist mein Respekt für dich und deine Arbeit gerade um nochmal 100% mehr gestiegen....😮♥️
Du machst da einfach einen mega guten Job und etwas ziemlich eigenständiges das heraussticht!!!
Mein Dad fand dein Format auch immer super, er kannte viele deiner vorgestellten Geräte aus eigener Hand oder durch mich und meinen "Fuhrpark"
Ich werde gleich mal schauen Patreon zu werden, das ist wenigstens eine der wenigen sinnvollen Investments heutzutage...
Also nochmals: Respekt:100+100%♥️
Mach weiter so, ich hab schon jetzt lust auf nächste Woche!!!😬🤗🤦🏼♂️
The George C Scott 1980's version of A Christmas Carol is my all time favorite. Probably came out the same year as the awesome JX-8p!
Almost, they're one year apart
JX-8P LUSH PERFECT WARM SOUND ANALOGUE PERFECTION!
1985: 6 note polyphonic DCO JX-8P analog synth 2015: 4 note polyphonic DCO analog section on JD-XA. That's progress!
Hey, the digital supernatural engine is pretty nice;)
@@AudioPilz Yeah, I have the little brother JD-Xi which I really like!
Happy holidays. Thanks for all the bad gear episode that keep my spirit up every week.
Thank you!!! HNY!!!
Lost it when I seen Uli's picture above the fire place. You got the best intros.
Thank you!!!
I don't mind if you run out of bad gear. I like your formulaic format and I appreciate hearing you lovingly critique synthesizers!
Thank you so much!!!
Merry Synthmas Everyone & a Happy Bad Gear!
Merry Christmas!!!
Your videos are very good edutainment. Danke schön! :-)
Vielen herzlichen Dank!
So this is where ALL my 80s dreams come from (my 80s dreams have an 80s soundtrack of course...!)
Cheers, and kudos on a great year of Bad Gear. May your oscillators remain on track for years to come.
The people that hate the JX8P are those who tried to make House and Techno with it. The people that love the JXP8 are those making Synthwave, Italo Disco, Spacesynth etc. It's how you use it that matters.
Agreed!
I really loved mine. Playing it always brought out these deep nostalgia feelings-like many nights watching 80s HBO Cinemax etc. Sold it simply because it wasn't versatile enough--used it less and less. Tempting to buy the JX-08 because it seems like an improved version of it.
As far as big roland synths go, juno 106 is a more apt candidate for bad gear than the 8p. Just one dco, walking the thin line between classic and bland/overdone sounds, crazy prices...
Thanks for the input, I'll have a closer look
No! Just no! Stop trying to badmouth a good synth...
Blasphemy!!! 🙂
I actually agree.
The editing and memes are getting so good. My favourite most consistent channel
Thank you so much!!!
You need to package that final Xmas video with its own TH-cam link! That’s Xmas shareable social media gold right there! Merry Xmas dude and thanks for all the synths!
Great idea, thanks!
why did i not find this channel sooner ? I am binging all bad gear episodes !
Nice! Stick around!!! New episode every week Friday 6pm CET
Jx8P is a damn good sounding synth!
Certainly has a fan base;)
I believe the Soundtrack patch was used on the famous Twin Peaks chords, as borrowed by Moby on Go
Thanks for the heads up!!!
Love this channel.
That would be an incredible synth for $200, but no way on the prices now. Truly ruined by the interface, but having a more subtle sound is a nice tool to have.
Sooner or later there will be a Behringer clone. Maybe with the programmer included.
@@strelokknoize I would be alright with that. Behringer does a good job on reissues. Especially where Roland is concerned.
I'd take a B clone too!
Bad Geaaaaar??? This is one of my synth Dreams.. It's so silky and gentle. I like it. Still doesn't seen your video, but I'm already shocked.
So happy to see how u will perform and review this classic!
Great synth but almost too silky and gentle for my taste
@@AudioPilz of course it's a matter of taste. It's very personal and subjective. Great video! That's the beauty of the different visions and aproachs to the same machine.
Keep going! And thanks again for your videos 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I really adore the JX8P. Sometimes I think it's been too overshadowed by the 106 that came before it.
Indeed, the JX8P sounds fantastic and is imo far more versatile than the 106. Not that the 106 is bad by any means, but I generally like synths that has more sound creation capabilities :P
@@1001-z2s Agreed. It does took more time to sculpt sounds on the JX but once you've done it it's worth it.
The 106 is certainly the more iconic synth
@@AudioPilz That I agree though!
You never fail to bring a smile to my face. Thanks for making christmas more bearable lol.
Thanks for watching!!!
A Merry Xmas to you Mr. Pilz!
I love my JX8P .. the word that comes to mind to describe it is always 'grand' .. true it's not really at home with snappy bass sounds though the piano patches have reasonable attack and strings are lush. It has a very nice feeling keyboard too and solidly built.
Your music samples are always so great, keep up the good work!
Thank you so much!!!
Nice video!
The JX-8P is a real beast, but its UI isn't my thing.
The new Boutique reincarnation is the first one, i seriously consider, cause they made the controls a bit bigger and extended the engine to 20(!) voices.
Does anyone know, if you could use the JX-08 Boutique as a programmer for the JX-8P?
Hope you had nice holidays!
Until next year! I wish a "gut'n Rutsch"!
Guten Rutsch, Erika!!!
No, I don't believe the JX08 can be used as a programmer for the JX8P.
What a wonderful Instrument.
Hopefully the boutique will do it justice. Considering to buy it as my first boutique.
Gotta get one of these too!
@ghost mall Hopefully you and all other S8 owners will be lucky. That would be cheaper and save some space.
@@AudioPilz I guess it depends on how much Twin Peaks the Soundtrack patch is going to deliver …. if there is any at all that is.
Those strings really are Delicious aren't they? There is a very good freeware version knocking about Internet Land, built by Full Bucket Music I believe. Praise be to the Dancing Reindeers!
Made by a guy named Martin Ludens!
My first hardsynth was a JX-10, and I am a big fan of it and the JX-8P. You did an awesome job showing what these can do. I especially loved the christmasy piece towards the end! I am extra inspired to fix my JX-10 now. Thanks! Also, Merry belated Christmas and Happy New Year!
Thank you! Happy 2022!
It's inevitable, if he keeps up the 'one each week' rate, he'll drop the DX7 video in early 2023 (it'll tick all the boxes)
The DX-7 video is already out there;)
Had one of these - loved it and had so many memory cards with great sounds.
A bad gear episode about Roland? The balanced has been restored.
Though I refute your claims the JX3P/JX8P/JX10P are bad.
You know the drill, one man's Bad Gear;)
@@AudioPilz There is one in the JX range that I can feel is truly bad gear that's the JX1.
Great video as always. The jams are brilliant, great 80’s vibe and the lfo-meme had me laughing so loud my wife was wondering what was wrong with me. Awesome!
Merry Christmas Florian, be it a bit late, and keep spoiling us with these great videos in 2022!
Nothing wrong with the 8P except for the mammoth size for the tiny 21st century homestudios
So true!
You've done it again. You're pulling apart my rig to call everything I have "Bad Gear" and this time you hit the bullseye. I bought my JX-8P brand new. I was agonizing between it and the DX-7. Already though I started to feel the DX-7 was getting played out and having tried to program FM before I chose the Roland. I spent hundreds of hours programming this thing WITHOUT the PG800 (which I still don't have). I filled up three cartridges (I don't think you mention those in your video) with my own home grown patches. Eventually I bought a second hand MKS-70 (so called rack mounted Super JX) and retired the JX-8P. I still have the 8P and the original box, instructions and Styrofoam (Plus a case I purchased on the same day that fit the keyboard like a glove). I have now preordered the JX-08 which I am told is on the way to me as I type this. Once it is in my possession and I put in my (I want to say hundreds) signature sounds I'll be listing my JX-8P and MKS 70 on ebay.
Those fucking membrane buttons.....just a horrible idea. Those JX strings still sound nice though.
Strings and pads on this thing rule!
Next up: The Juno 60... For real though, thanks for all the great episodes this year. This must be the most entertaining channel on TH-cam for us music nerds.
Thank you so much!!! Juno 60 - bold call! ;)
This synth can do things none of other synts can. Great fake pianos and strings, pads are killer too.
Agreed!
I like jd990 pad a lot more tho.
Dx7 can do them better and can take you to places (nearly) no other synth can - and you get the same kind of interface ;D
The JX-8P comes built into the Jupiter-X/Xm. Which is pretty awesome. Yet another user different interface! At least now you have several options to experience this synth without having to experience the actual synth itself.
Ah, didn't know that! Thanks for posting!
I think one of my favorite things about you is you are on the millennial/genx cusp, but your jam videos are just dripping with that genZ dadaist insanity. I really love it a lot, you bridge the gap well.
Thank you so much! That's a very nice definition!
I thought you'd be making cacophonies like wonderful Christmastime. Thank you so much for making an episode this holiday time.
Oh man, you've gone too far this time, lol! One of the most eerily beautiful sounds ever, although it's not Moog phat or Jupiter warm I'll give the critics that, happy holidays!
A little Christmas heresy;) ❤️Merry Christmas❤️
Awesome vid! The genre king returns for Christmas...YESSS!
Thank you so much! Merry Christmas!!!
WINtage
The perils of speaking a foreign language;)
Very Fun Juno Sounding synth...love the history vid....the Choir/Pads/Soundtrack are pretty nice...the detune layer mode sounds nice......it has a lovely analogy sound def gives the Yamaha DX7 a run for the money and in some ways I like it better than the Juno 60/106......Thanks for the awesome video and demo's.....Best Wishes!
Oh hey i own the brother of this thing, the JX-3P.
Nice one!!!
This machine is one of the best spacey synths. Best strings ever, and it can produce extremely deep and very evolving sounds.
Even without the programmer, I find it pretty easy to program. You get to know which is where, and what everything does quite quickly.
The aftertouch is damned good on this one. The filters can squeal pretty damn nicely, and this synth has some of the slowest LFO's I have encountered.
I find this one, for a DCO synth, to have a very analog feel to it. I love it since the first day I had it.
It is way warmer than most of its contemporaries, like D-50, DX-7, Kawai K1, Korg M1, etc.
This was in the beginning of the sampling days, and most new synths would have sampled waveforms and all the standard samples of those days, which were pretty scratchy and had noisy loops due to them keeping the memory in these synths as low as possible to save production costs.
The digital filters in those days were also not anywhere near the warmth of the analog filters, and the JX-8P was one of the very few which (still?) had analog VCA and VCO over the digital oscillators.
Agreed! Still an analog powerhouse!
JX8P is a very soft sounding synth/pad machine with the same chorus circuitry as Juno-106, but is also let down by the slow CPU (as is customary with the mid 80s polys) which leads to envelopes lacking in punch (a price to pay for not freezing like American synth from Oberheim, Ensoniq and Sequential did).
However, most importantly, it's let down by the worst analog filter ever, ironically made by the, supposedly, still "good" Roland, same as on Alpha Junos and MKS80 Rev5 - it absolutely lacks resonance and instead totally kills the lows. And it was the reason I had to let go of mine.
I found it very soft sounding too. Maybe too soft...
I love the Filter. It does not self resonate but I dont think it's necessary for polyphonic. It's one of these synths which can't Do everything, but what It can do but what It does just sounds good
The JX8P and Super JX are no 101 or mini, but man can it do pad sounds. I do mostly chillwave and there is nothing more laid back than the JX for that filtered layer of analog pad reverbed out bliss.
@@torbenanschau6701 oh it's a great pad machine alright and it does a lot of things in a unique way, DAW integration through Ctrlr is also great - but is also limited in many ways that simply didn't glue with me in the end.
@@thefrankly pads are its absolutely strongest pro and the Soundtrack patch is the highlight of how uniquely soft it can do them - there's still no competition for that to this day. However to me personally the lack of resonance is just too much, among other things, when knowing how absolutely awesome resonant pads sound through Roland's analog chorus on Junos/JX3P.
In the end I found I wasn't using it as much and no instrument deserves to catch dust in a closet. It has to be in the hands of someone who will actually use it.