I have a well furnished studio. 25 years in the synth game. The JD-XI has been my go to synth now for over 4 years. Sketch pad, performance & recording. It’s a fantastic synth. Incredible audio quality. An absolute bargain. I do not use computers generally in the studio. Use the Akai MPC Studio Black only (Another fantastic underrated tool). I’ve created some great work using JD-XI. It’s earned it’s original purchase price multiple times over & over. Reliability - Perfect. Flawless reliability. Never failed a note in thousands of hours use. Roland created the perfect compact synthesiser. Really looking forward to Rolands next generation of portable sub £500 synths. Topping the JD-XI will be hard work. PS - Love the vocoder mic position face Nick at 4 minutes. Very Alan Partridge. Funny.
reliability flawless? Oh man, keys are a shame, knobs (filter, “envelope”) are quirky and unprecise, sequencer glitches happen... that being said, its a great concept and Id pay a 1000 if it was built properly with some added features
No one realises how much of a beast this thing is. At first, I thought this thing was rubbish. Then, after about 2 or 3 months of getting to learn how to use it. Let me tell you. Oh my sweet Jesus. I love this thing. I would by another one definitely.
just bought one and i love it! mine came with an alternative cover with the parameters written in white, so the words being red was not a problem, I just put the cover on.
It's crazy how its all come on over the decades you now have a small keyboard that allows sound manipulation in endless ways and the ability to create music right there with it, also people may say these types of keyboard are toys but toys are fun and that's what music is meant to and always should be so sod all the miserable snobs :P great job Roland. Can never go wrong with Roland really.
Well i agree the jd-xi great value for money, but the reality is that you can in fact go very wrong with Roland.. Their customer support is abysmal, there is no online forum presence and there is no support for older products at all. They are the absolute worst in maintaining driver support for (very expensive) flagship products like the Fantom and V-Synth.
If anyone doubts how awesome the JD-Xi is, watch the video by Yohan Kim using it. It is probably the best at mastering it. Especially his cover versions of Billie Jean, Cantaloupe Island and Run For Cover.
Honestly, they could have left off the analog portion and this would still be an incredible synth for the price. Everything exciting on this comes from the modeling, the drums and the sequencer.
Nick thanks for reminding that digital is legitimate synthesis and quite capable of its own synthy warmth and character. Let's not do to digital in the 2010's what we did to analog in the 1990's. Anyway, nice review of a really cool product. Not for everyone obviously, but, as you pointed out, of this had been my first synth, I'd have been in heaven. Still have my 106 I got in 1985, and it's great, but it sure ain't this.
Digital wasn't so much of a problem in the 90s because people still recorded in big analog-multitrack studios onto reels of Ampex tape. So even the DXs could sound lush. I blissfully rediscovered analog filters in 1991/2, about the time people started to mainstream digital multitracking. I don't think that's a coincidence.
@@scottbirch968 Oh, DX FM synths never sounded remotely "lush". I had various 4-op cheap FM Yamaha synths in the 80s and they were really only good for bass and percussive sounds. I ran a small studio which used Ampex 406 tape. Compared to, say, a Korg DW8000, no FM synth could produce anything approaching warmth without a lot of external processing.
@@musicandfilms9956 Sure, but the big studios could bring some warmth to the DX's glassy Rhodes soundalike. Bung it through some valves and it does sound better.
id never sell mine. its sequencer is excellent and great for sequencing other gear. this synth help rocket my music production into another dimension tbh. the super natural engine is fine by me and there are beats galore to choose from. top affordable synth
Just got mine for US$375. After messing about with it for hours I can only say I wish it had a jog wheel to scroll faster. Sounds wonderful and it's loads of fun. Good Job Roland.
Pretty impressive for the price.. It seems like this is a great ambience / pad machine to complement an analog / monosynth for leads & basses. The sequencer alone is a huge win.
i bought this last week, you are all right, its plastic, keys are small, analog sound and filter are not mopho or moog like, and the corpus is not solid, i wanted to give it back, but i don't becaz for me as a beginner this thing has a bit of everything and realy easy to produce a song. my doughter said you got finally somthg which makes music:) so dont expect much.
It looks good! At least to my eyes. ;) But I already have an Ultranova and tons of stuff on my MacBook Pro (+ Fantom G & Integra & V-Synth + X). I don't really need that thing. And because of the small toy keys, you need an external master keyboard anyway. I will rather spend my money for the JD-Xa when it arrives. Have fun with your Elektron stuff!
He he.. At least Korg made a really, really great, playable mini keyboard on the MicroKORG XL. These keys look a bit underwhelming.. But yeah, looks is a lot about taste. But some looks seem to please more people.. like the OP-1. The unmistakable touch of a mastermind designer. The Roland design probably works just fine. To my eyes it looks a bit messy..
I have that synth, at first i was a little puzzled whether i liked it or not but after jamming with it and testing its midi connectivity, it is quite actually a very useful machine. the sounds can be modded to death (even the drums pcm) and the sequencer is quite nice and responsive (i even use it as master with other synths and it works fine), large keyboard velocity. The digital sound engine is NOTHING to bitch about because it sounds phat. It has its limitations, like any synth but for that price, c'mon... i love it.
Update, I bought one and I love it! I've owned a Virus, Nord, Pro One AN1X, Novation and more and this thing is just so much fun. I've been making some synthwaveish 80's type tracks and it totally shines for that.
Hi, in your opinion how does the Roland JD-XI compare to the Novation Mininova (if that's what you own) with regards to sound design capabilities, and real time control over this process? I really can't choose between these two synths and even a quick comment would help a lot, thank you!
Roland should really think about a midrange version of this technology that sits between the jdxi and jdxa. It should have the majority of the supernatural sounds from the integra 7, in particular much better pianos, keyboard and pad sounds. Also the analogue engine should be more powerful and at least in the sh101/juno ballpark. Could also do with having the Tr8, Tb3 and other Aira sounds that could all be passed through analogue filters with better built in effects. All in a small 3 octave keyboard but with full sized keys or even better a desktop module format. I'd buy that in an instant especially if it could load the Boutique synths!
You have 16 banks times 16 patterns that you can chain together. I can prepare my patterns and then store them as Favorites. Not Perfect but not Bad either. Marc
And three years later we all learn that this keyboards menu diving is extremely simple. IT comes with different face pads and you can tune the master frequency not to mention it comes with all the famous drum kits that are fully customizable. the synth is phenomenal. Call me crazy I don't care. This is the best synth on the planet for the money. When paired with a good daw it's true potential is unlocked and you can find yourself expanding very quickly.
This looks like a great synth. So many possibilities. Just bought a second hand model and can't wait for it to arrive.Perfect for my up and go lifestyle.Great vid again. Thanks
Fantastic instrument. Last OS update added some valuable functionality, like transpose and chord mode. Would be even better with odd meter capability (last step function like on the system8) and song mode. Let's hope for another OS update!
I don't know what people want for the price. It's not gonna beat an access virus and it's not gonna beat any analog synth but it's got a great start to synthesis for a newbie or someone on a budget. Just because people are used to having other stuff on other synths doesn't mean this isn't great value. If u want rubbish look at akai's recent "wolf" series.....
Drum part editing it's actually really interesting... It's a shame that apparently there isn't a knob to edit the parameters value in the menu but only buttons...
@@bv83x Well, I got mine secondhand for almost 1/4 of the retail price so yeah, it's worth it ! Just be aware it's really small so it's got mini keys, which isn't great, but the true power is in the huge Roland Sounds and Drum library. If there's an 80's or 90's song you loved, this machine has the original sounds to recreate it !
Sounds pretty cool! Shame it kinda hurts my eyes to look at. Also I'm pretty much done buying synths with mini keys, I've always ended up selling the mini key synths I bought.
Brilliant little synth not a toy but a EDM Darkwave beast .do not underestimate this synth .fantastic drum sounds better than some drum machines .never regretted buying it .fab pads basses the lot with a sequencer .
@@sonicstateI was surprised this same awful 2-line display was used on the flagship version. Roland, still including 1986-level displays on the vast majority of their instruments, even in 2024, even their flagships. I guess they assume people only ever use presets.
@@sub-jec-tiv Roland is run by cheapskates. When the display is good (Juno-DS, MC-707 as examples), we are bloody lucky. It sure would be nice to be less reliant on luck with this brand.
Really like the look of this but I can't help thinking that it should have been released as a kind of workstation keyboard for the AIRA range. The demos I've seen also make this sound like it's come right out of the early nineties as opposed to the very current sound of the AIRA gear. Still looks very cool though.
there are a lot of limitations that are turning me off but it seems like you could write simple songs with one or two drum patterns and basslines and play lead over it, effectively making it an incredibly stripped down and limited songwriting studio, but a songwriting tool nonetheless--am I correct in that?
No Shuffle was the straw for me, but I kept it Roland and picked up a System 1 that has been a pleasure to work with. It's not fashionably analog but sounds great, has two oscillators, external controls, a pitch envelope and a creamy sounding cutoff filter.
Excellent review by Nick as usual, thank you! I really, *really* wanted to like this synth, but I just could not get over the number of corners that had been cut to keep the price down. Programming the synth using that tiny LCD display and those awful rubber buttons feels like performing keyhole surgery. The analog engine is extremely limited and poorly integrated with the rest of the unit, and that shiny plastic panel is a choice between two evils: dust and fingerprints on one hand and a plethora of micro-scratches on the other. While looking attractive on photos, it is not a very successful design in real life. The sounds are basically divided into two categories: one being various acoustic emulation spinoff sounds from the Jupiter series, while the rest are heavily trance-oriented contemporary supersaws and electronic squelching stuff, which I feel in a couple of years might sound as dated as the DX7 harmonicas from the 80's.All in all, the JD-Xi feels like a weird mixture of various technologies from the Roland labs, all jumbled up in a small and affordable package. A digital synthesizer riding on the current retro-analog craze, it might be a good first foray into hardware from the world of software based instruments. But for more experienced musicians, it may be a bit of a letdown.
I've had my JD-XI for a good while, and it's been a pretty worthwhile purchase. It's a hefty little synth that has a lot of bang for your buck, but my God is this thing cheaply built. The minikeys don't bug me since I have smaller fingers, but it just doesn't have much body to it; I keep worrying that it's going to fall apart at any moment. The analog also isn't as nice as it could be, and I've found myself using the digital patches, the sequencer, and the drum kits more than anything else (it also works as a pretty good midi controller, but you can get way better for less). The vocoder is absolutely awful, though.
Wow - a very capable little synth indeed! Might be interested in a used one as a sketch pad in the future. The kit layering sounded very cool Nick! I wonder if you could use the audio input thru the FX section? Add class compliant (midi at least) drivers and an (iOS) editor & it could be a nice portable rig with an iPad! Very interesting!
As a songwriter I think this would be really great. I always record my synths to audio parts in my DAW so the amount of parts isn't a worry for me. Anyhow, it's pretty cool if you ask me.
First off, I'm not a Roland fan but this thing is impressive for a change. Its not a newbie synth and defiantly not at pro level. Roland hasn't really made anything impressive for about 15+ years now except the V Synth. This was a surprise to me.
Huh?! Send level is global? Can you explain that a bit more clear please..? The drums have individual sends per key ..and then the delay and reverb is global for everything? Or do you mean that you can switch it on and off for each of the drum hits and then for each of the three synth parts? Can the drums go through the insert effects 1+2 as well? (distortion)
THEMASCHINER I'm wondering why you snidely asked him if he buys audio products for their aesthetics immediately after implying that people are buying Roland for exactly that reason.
Fante247 Because everything has to look like a shiny iPhone. It's because they want people to see their own reflection on it and instantly fall in love with the product on a sub-conscious level.
Hi, I can't seem to get my settings to save "per key" as you mention during the drum and effects part of the video. Whenever I switch between synth 1 and 2 or between drum sounds within a kit, the effects i set (ring mod, fuzz, etc...) seem to stay the same for all sounds. Jd xi will save on/off status it seems but if the effects are enabled, they remain in whichever setting for all sounds. Is there a setting I need to be in to enable the "per key" setting? Also, is there a way to isolate the click to send to a drummer via the click out so it's not coming through to the PA or amp? Thanks, I'm loving this thing, but it's new to me and can't find much about these subtle settings anywhere. Great video!
Hey Nick- thanks for the really nice review. I have this synth already and I definitely miss a sustain pedal. I use it as a second synth to my stage piano and sometimes its impossible to handle two keyboards if a sustain pedal is missing. And like you mentioned a sound editor software would be very good as well. Anyway good job with your review ; )
My band is looking for a keyboard/synth to compliment the Microkorg we already have. Something with more piano/synth pad sounds. Something with less lead synth sounds since the micro korg covers that area. The jdxi has a lot of great sounds, but we don't necessarily need the drum machine/lead synth sounds. Any recommendations?
I will buy this one, not the JD-XA. Small enough to carry around. Link it with my MPC4000 , sonic cell and my DR880 and I will be in great shape. Well done Roland.
Is it just me, or is there from 05:38 an incredible high screetching tone coming from the synth. Is pierces my ears like never heard before. All in all the synth looks pretty damn decent. But still think the mininova has got more possibilities (right?)
Used mine in a live setting for the first time the other night. He's completely right about the red writing on the black faceplate... pretty much impossible to see. I was familiar enough with the unit that I didn't need to see exactly which button was for "arpeggiator" and which for "hold hey", or which knob is which, etc, but I would've been lost if I needed to.
PLEASE Nick, if you possibly can..get ahold of the JD-Xa for review and give it's 16 track sequencer a full workout..i'll be VERY interested to see/hear just how many parameters are recordable with the sequencer onboard the bigger brother - JD-Xa compared to the JD-xi....just throw in a bass drum sound for drums either internal or hook up a drum machine like a tr-8
I love my JDXI but I'm fed up with the mini keys now. Don't know whether to midi it to a cheapo full size keyboard just replace it with something similar. Don't wanna spend shit loads or loose the pattern sequencer buttons. Any thoughts?
Thanks for the review Nick. I'm surprised that you made no comparisons to similarly priced (and vaguely similarly featured) synths like the Ultranova. Any views anyone? Also I assume the polyphony is only not available on the analog part. Is this correct?
Hi Nick - i found this little intro , to one of my .... more "Stale"(unused ) synth´s - really a shame , cause it sound really decent ... IN YOURE HANDS ! Now , how is it , that every unit you as much as LOOK at , sounds so goddam fine ????? (its not envy , its a fact ! ) Cheers, Old Geezer , and thanx again , you simply rock ! ;-D
I was wondering how sounds could be edited on this synth, because panel doesn't have any parameters for that. Now it is clear for me. Lack of comfortable synth editing and time spent on menu diving sometimes kills inspiration. I will wait for its big brother, hoping there everything will be ok.
Awesome vid. I'm a synth novice, but that drum looping feature seems like a strong selling point. Do any other synths in this price range (or lower) have this feature? Can it loop chord sequences too?
In 2022, is there any synth on the market that is like this with full size keys, more keys, and more multitimbral abilities along with an arp and sequencer?
one item I wanted to know is whether there is a facility to string together all your patterns to make a long song - I cant tell from the keyboard and no mention on any review or in the pdf manual - I hope someone doesnt say you have to manual press each pattern one after another - is this poss or is it another under the hood item that may be provided in the rumoured "EDITOR"
I'm considering buying the Korg Minilogue 4voice over the Roland JDXI. BUT, the Korg doesnt have 4 track sequence-recording like the Roland has. Is there anything like the JDXI that has the sound manipulation capabilities of that Korg? I know I wont be able to create blue-monday-like tunes with the KorG, BUT, I know for sure I will be able to create very awesome sounds on the Korg the Roland cannot make. 2 different, awesome devices for 2 different styles of music I guess. No I cannot afford both. And I cannot afford a Moog either :(
Nice Review, Nick! It reminded me the AKAI MINIAK/ALESIS MICRON with a Much Better Interface and sort of Easier way of Sketching! It's a Shame it doesn't have full Size Keys, but I'd love to have One. Or Maybe the JD-XA, depending on the Price!
I do not want to sound to negative but I would take any older second hand synth with full control over ADSR and OSC's.quicker access to tweak.This can be a pain because number of buttons pushed to get to particular option.
Thank you very much for all your amazing reviews, What other synths would you recommend me who have this PART SELECT option available. I am having so much and really like how I can switch the drum sets so quickly. Any tips are appreciated, thank you!
not for me but i am sure someone will get use out of it. The analog section really feels like just a throw on rather then an actual feature and the fact that you have limited editing puts this in the category of just slightly better then a keyboard for me. it is probably more for competing with the microkorg and supernova market then anything. for me that never really had any appeal. It was better then I was expecting though so that is a plus.
Hi, thanks for this great and deep review. I just have one question regarding live performance, is it possible to chain different programs in real time so as to be able to use those programs like patterns in a playlist? So as not to be stuck with just 4 bars of looping and be able to change chord progression and baselines all at the same time. Thanks!
some of these companies should hire nick to do a review of the initial prototypes and tell them what they need to put in , he knows his shit
I have a well furnished studio. 25 years in the synth game.
The JD-XI has been my go to synth now for over 4 years.
Sketch pad, performance & recording.
It’s a fantastic synth. Incredible audio quality. An absolute bargain.
I do not use computers generally in the studio. Use the Akai MPC Studio Black only (Another fantastic underrated tool).
I’ve created some great work using JD-XI. It’s earned it’s original purchase price multiple times over & over.
Reliability - Perfect. Flawless reliability. Never failed a note in thousands of hours use.
Roland created the perfect compact synthesiser.
Really looking forward to Rolands next generation of portable sub £500 synths.
Topping the JD-XI will be hard work.
PS - Love the vocoder mic position face Nick at 4 minutes. Very Alan Partridge. Funny.
reliability flawless? Oh man, keys are a shame, knobs (filter, “envelope”) are quirky and unprecise, sequencer glitches happen...
that being said, its a great concept and Id pay a 1000 if it was built properly with some added features
May i ask for an info i can't find , can we have a stack mode instead of regular multitimbrality ?
No one realises how much of a beast this thing is. At first, I thought this thing was rubbish. Then, after about 2 or 3 months of getting to learn how to use it. Let me tell you. Oh my sweet Jesus. I love this thing. I would by another one definitely.
just bought one and i love it! mine came with an alternative cover with the parameters written in white, so the words being red was not a problem, I just put the cover on.
It's crazy how its all come on over the decades you now have a small keyboard that allows sound manipulation in endless ways and the ability to create music right there with it, also people may say these types of keyboard are toys but toys are fun and that's what music is meant to and always should be so sod all the miserable snobs :P great job Roland.
Can never go wrong with Roland really.
Well put. I hate gear snobs.
Well i agree the jd-xi great value for money, but the reality is that you can in fact go very wrong with Roland.. Their customer support is abysmal, there is no online forum presence and there is no support for older products at all. They are the absolute worst in maintaining driver support for (very expensive) flagship products like the Fantom and V-Synth.
and great job , Nick ! he´s such a fine musician ,-
Try buying parts for Roland gear. That said, I do like Roland's stuff.
If anyone doubts how awesome the JD-Xi is, watch the video by Yohan Kim using it. It is probably the best at mastering it. Especially his cover versions of Billie Jean, Cantaloupe Island and Run For Cover.
Back when I started out this would have been a little dream machine.
Honestly, they could have left off the analog portion and this would still be an incredible synth for the price. Everything exciting on this comes from the modeling, the drums and the sequencer.
Even in 2022 knocks the socks off everything else I've got
Analog is unique kid
@@beesting6135
Analog is the best
Nick thanks for reminding that digital is legitimate synthesis and quite capable of its own synthy warmth and character. Let's not do to digital in the 2010's what we did to analog in the 1990's. Anyway, nice review of a really cool product. Not for everyone obviously, but, as you pointed out, of this had been my first synth, I'd have been in heaven. Still have my 106 I got in 1985, and it's great, but it sure ain't this.
Digital wasn't so much of a problem in the 90s because people still recorded in big analog-multitrack studios onto reels of Ampex tape. So even the DXs could sound lush. I blissfully rediscovered analog filters in 1991/2, about the time people started to mainstream digital multitracking. I don't think that's a coincidence.
@@scottbirch968 Oh, DX FM synths never sounded remotely "lush". I had various 4-op cheap FM Yamaha synths in the 80s and they were really only good for bass and percussive sounds. I ran a small studio which used Ampex 406 tape. Compared to, say, a Korg DW8000, no FM synth could produce anything approaching warmth without a lot of external processing.
@@musicandfilms9956 Sure, but the big studios could bring some warmth to the DX's glassy Rhodes soundalike. Bung it through some valves and it does sound better.
id never sell mine. its sequencer is excellent and great for sequencing other gear. this synth help rocket my music production into another dimension tbh. the super natural engine is fine by me and there are beats galore to choose from. top affordable synth
It’s great how your reviews are great years later. ❤️
Just got mine for US$375. After messing about with it for hours I can only say I wish it had a jog wheel to scroll faster. Sounds wonderful and it's loads of fun. Good Job Roland.
Can u save the recording to pc has mp3
@@baronvonmaximillionsnell2757 I should imagine you can save any audio to mp3 on a PC. It's mostly down to what software or app you're using.
7:53
"Attack, Decay, Sus... Depth"
Lost my shit there
Pretty impressive for the price.. It seems like this is a great ambience / pad machine to complement an analog / monosynth for leads & basses. The sequencer alone is a huge win.
i bought this last week, you are all right, its plastic, keys are small, analog sound and filter are not mopho or moog like, and the corpus is not solid, i wanted to give it back, but i don't becaz for me as a beginner this thing has a bit of everything and realy easy to produce a song. my doughter said you got finally somthg which makes music:) so dont expect much.
For the price, not too shabby! If it looked good it could instantly steal the mini keyboard crown from the MikroKORG XL.
It looks good! At least to my eyes. ;)
But I already have an Ultranova and tons of stuff on my MacBook Pro (+ Fantom G & Integra & V-Synth + X). I don't really need that thing. And because of the small toy keys, you need an external master keyboard anyway. I will rather spend my money for the JD-Xa when it arrives. Have fun with your Elektron stuff!
It looks cheap
He he.. At least Korg made a really, really great, playable mini keyboard on the MicroKORG XL. These keys look a bit underwhelming.. But yeah, looks is a lot about taste. But some looks seem to please more people.. like the OP-1. The unmistakable touch of a mastermind designer. The Roland design probably works just fine. To my eyes it looks a bit messy..
cuckoomusic too much glossy plastic! looks like a damned fingerprint/scratch magnet.
jam something with this synth if u have bought it yet cuckoo!
I have that synth, at first i was a little puzzled whether i liked it or not but after jamming with it and testing its midi connectivity, it is quite actually a very useful machine. the sounds can be modded to death (even the drums pcm) and the sequencer is quite nice and responsive (i even use it as master with other synths and it works fine), large keyboard velocity. The digital sound engine is NOTHING to bitch about because it sounds phat. It has its limitations, like any synth but for that price, c'mon... i love it.
Update, I bought one and I love it! I've owned a Virus, Nord, Pro One AN1X, Novation and more and this thing is just so much fun. I've been making some synthwaveish 80's type tracks and it totally shines for that.
Hi, in your opinion how does the Roland JD-XI compare to the Novation Mininova (if that's what you own) with regards to sound design capabilities, and real time control over this process? I really can't choose between these two synths and even a quick comment would help a lot, thank you!
Same question!
I midi mine through the JDXA. You then forget the toy like looks and appreciate how good it really sounds. The drums are fantastic.
Roland should really think about a midrange version of this technology that sits between the jdxi and jdxa. It should have the majority of the supernatural sounds from the integra 7, in particular much better pianos, keyboard and pad sounds. Also the analogue engine should be more powerful and at least in the sh101/juno ballpark. Could also do with having the Tr8, Tb3 and other Aira sounds that could all be passed through analogue filters with better built in effects. All in a small 3 octave keyboard but with full sized keys or even better a desktop module format. I'd buy that in an instant especially if it could load the Boutique synths!
Great review. I have a JD-XA on order. Cant wait!
You have 16 banks times 16 patterns that you can chain together. I can prepare my patterns and then store them as Favorites. Not Perfect but not Bad either. Marc
Up vote if you want to see a jam session by Nick!
Nick is and amazing synthplayer, and knob-tweaker !
Great review nick. I have tons of more powerful gadgets but still now want one of these. So your job is well done!
Thinking of getting this, just to replace my TR-8, filtered and stacked drums and 32 kits...instead of the measly 2 kits on the TR-8 as standard.
GEOSynths tr-8s
Brilliant Hoover and pad sounds
Playable synth
Good fun
Cheap
Gratifying
lovely lovely sounds there at the end, this looks pretty great to me
And three years later we all learn that this keyboards menu diving is extremely simple. IT comes with different face pads and you can tune the master frequency not to mention it comes with all the famous drum kits that are fully customizable. the synth is phenomenal. Call me crazy I don't care. This is the best synth on the planet for the money. When paired with a good daw it's true potential is unlocked and you can find yourself expanding very quickly.
This looks like a great synth. So many possibilities. Just bought a second hand model and can't wait for it to arrive.Perfect for my up and go lifestyle.Great vid again. Thanks
Fantastic instrument. Last OS update added some valuable functionality, like transpose and chord mode. Would be even better with odd meter capability (last step function like on the system8) and song mode. Let's hope for another OS update!
Nick you are a mighty fine electronic musician - Love the tracks you make at the end of reviews. You should make a album of it all release it.
real honesty and review rarely coincide. real thorough mister
Thanks for the great review Nick, I just bought one on the strength of it. I too still have a D-110 in the loft.
The jd-xa sounds good and looks fun, but the xi's sound is much better, it carries a raw punch, i love it.
Jimmy Figueras you think this is worth 300
I don't know what people want for the price. It's not gonna beat an access virus and it's not gonna beat any analog synth but it's got a great start to synthesis for a newbie or someone on a budget.
Just because people are used to having other stuff on other synths doesn't mean this isn't great value.
If u want rubbish look at akai's recent "wolf" series.....
I don't care what the stupid purists think.. This is a really cool synth.
Loving the simple sequencer!
Bannazkit What purists, the digital purists?
Fj Francois ... Im pretty sure you know what i mean
Bannazkit Nope sorry
Bannazkit I agree, that whole "analog>digital" war is getting a bit old. All of them have positives and negatives.
Bannazkit I'm a purist but I still like this synth (Analog and Drums section only)
Thnx so very much for this review. Bought one and having loads of fun.
Drum part editing it's actually really interesting...
It's a shame that apparently there isn't a knob to edit the parameters value in the menu but only buttons...
Shift also works with the Cursor up/down buttons to skip through the categories of parameters (OSC, filter etc.) instead of single parameters.
the shuffle/swing function. press enter and then use depth for the amount of shuffle you want
I will probably get this baby as it ticks a lot of boxes for me.
If you love 80's Roland sound & drums it's got EVERYTHING !
We love ours ! Fantastic for the price.
@@edwardfletcher7790 is it still worth it 6 years later? i might get it
@@bv83x Well, I got mine secondhand for almost 1/4 of the retail price so yeah, it's worth it !
Just be aware it's really small so it's got mini keys, which isn't great, but the true power is in the huge Roland Sounds and Drum library.
If there's an 80's or 90's song you loved, this machine has the original sounds to recreate it !
@@edwardfletcher7790 oh thank you
Sounds pretty cool! Shame it kinda hurts my eyes to look at. Also I'm pretty much done buying synths with mini keys, I've always ended up selling the mini key synths I bought.
Brilliant little synth not a toy but a EDM Darkwave beast .do not underestimate this synth .fantastic drum sounds better than some drum machines .never regretted buying it .fab pads basses the lot with a sequencer .
Its just the build quality was a bit dubious. Amazed its still in production and available - they obviously did something right
@@sonicstateI was surprised this same awful 2-line display was used on the flagship version. Roland, still including 1986-level displays on the vast majority of their instruments, even in 2024, even their flagships. I guess they assume people only ever use presets.
@@sub-jec-tiv Roland is run by cheapskates. When the display is good (Juno-DS, MC-707 as examples), we are bloody lucky. It sure would be nice to be less reliant on luck with this brand.
Really like the look of this but I can't help thinking that it should have been released as a kind of workstation keyboard for the AIRA range. The demos I've seen also make this sound like it's come right out of the early nineties as opposed to the very current sound of the AIRA gear. Still looks very cool though.
there are a lot of limitations that are turning me off but it seems like you could write simple songs with one or two drum patterns and basslines and play lead over it, effectively making it an incredibly stripped down and limited songwriting studio, but a songwriting tool nonetheless--am I correct in that?
Hmmmm, me thinks this is a beginners synths or a synth for guitarists...it's simple, so what? Nice to see something analogue from Roland.
No Shuffle was the straw for me, but I kept it Roland and picked up a System 1 that has been a pleasure to work with. It's not fashionably analog but sounds great, has two oscillators, external controls, a pitch envelope and a creamy sounding cutoff filter.
Excellent review by Nick as usual, thank you! I really, *really* wanted to like this synth, but I just could not get over the number of corners that had been cut to keep the price down. Programming the synth using that tiny LCD display and those awful rubber buttons feels like performing keyhole surgery. The analog engine is extremely limited and poorly integrated with the rest of the unit, and that shiny plastic panel is a choice between two evils: dust and fingerprints on one hand and a plethora of micro-scratches on the other. While looking attractive on photos, it is not a very successful design in real life. The sounds are basically divided into two categories: one being various acoustic emulation spinoff sounds from the Jupiter series, while the rest are heavily trance-oriented contemporary supersaws and electronic squelching stuff, which I feel in a couple of years might sound as dated as the DX7 harmonicas from the 80's.All in all, the JD-Xi feels like a weird mixture of various technologies from the Roland labs, all jumbled up in a small and affordable package. A digital synthesizer riding on the current retro-analog craze, it might be a good first foray into hardware from the world of software based instruments. But for more experienced musicians, it may be a bit of a letdown.
many here omit the drum machine part the sequencer and the multiple fx
I've had my JD-XI for a good while, and it's been a pretty worthwhile purchase. It's a hefty little synth that has a lot of bang for your buck, but my God is this thing cheaply built. The minikeys don't bug me since I have smaller fingers, but it just doesn't have much body to it; I keep worrying that it's going to fall apart at any moment.
The analog also isn't as nice as it could be, and I've found myself using the digital patches, the sequencer, and the drum kits more than anything else (it also works as a pretty good midi controller, but you can get way better for less). The vocoder is absolutely awful, though.
Is it worth 300 dollars or would you pass
Damn Mr. Batt! Drum Skills @ 13:47 ...right on :]
...thanks for all your reviews!
Wow - a very capable little synth indeed! Might be interested in a used one as a sketch pad in the future. The kit layering sounded very cool Nick! I wonder if you could use the audio input thru the FX section? Add class compliant (midi at least) drivers and an (iOS) editor & it could be a nice portable rig with an iPad! Very interesting!
As a songwriter I think this would be really great. I always record my synths to audio parts in my DAW so the amount of parts isn't a worry for me. Anyhow, it's pretty cool if you ask me.
The last loop at the end was delicious
it's the Groovesynth revisited...a Roland alpha-microkorg-o-novalogue
First off, I'm not a Roland fan but this thing is impressive for a change. Its not a newbie synth and defiantly not at pro level. Roland hasn't really made anything impressive for about 15+ years now except the V Synth. This was a surprise to me.
Huh?! Send level is global? Can you explain that a bit more clear please..? The drums have individual sends per key ..and then the delay and reverb is global for everything? Or do you mean that you can switch it on and off for each of the drum hits and then for each of the three synth parts?
Can the drums go through the insert effects 1+2 as well? (distortion)
It means that you can turn on combinations of FX per part or per drum, but not adjust the send/mix level - that is set globally
Wow...i actually would consider one of these. Lots of possibilities of sounds. Does it have midi in and out? Not usb midi.
Why do they keep making stuff in the glossy fingerprint magnet finish
Because nobody else is
It's called branding
And guess what? People are buying it
Do you buy audio products for their aesthetics?
THEMASCHINER I'm wondering why you snidely asked him if he buys audio products for their aesthetics immediately after implying that people are buying Roland for exactly that reason.
But thats exactly my point. How can that be branding when it looks like shit. Especially when they are at the store
Fante247
Because everything has to look like a shiny iPhone. It's because they want people to see their own reflection on it and instantly fall in love with the product on a sub-conscious level.
hahaha so perfect that your face showed up in reflection off the jdxi during the vocoder test
Micro Korg XL / Roland JD-XI Crossover / Novation Mini-Nova
What a hard choice ...... xD
Minilogue
Good job again Nick. Snuck in the Access T shirt as well...lol
correction for 1:05: SuperNatural is not in the Fantom Xa. It's in the FA-06/08.
How does this compare to the Gaia?
Reviewing the JD-XI while wearing a Virus shirt. I see what you did there ;)
Which is better, gaia or jdxi?????
Nice review - can you switch patches without hiccups while the sequencer is running ?
I found some really good Rhodes patches. I love this thing.
Hi, I can't seem to get my settings to save "per key" as you mention during the drum and effects part of the video. Whenever I switch between synth 1 and 2 or between drum sounds within a kit, the effects i set (ring mod, fuzz, etc...) seem to stay the same for all sounds. Jd xi will save on/off status it seems but if the effects are enabled, they remain in whichever setting for all sounds. Is there a setting I need to be in to enable the "per key" setting? Also, is there a way to isolate the click to send to a drummer via the click out so it's not coming through to the PA or amp? Thanks, I'm loving this thing, but it's new to me and can't find much about these subtle settings anywhere. Great video!
Nice demo, i wanna buy one, what do you think about drum kit? Are they a good emulation of classics tr sound?
Hey Nick- thanks for the really nice review. I have this synth already and I definitely miss a sustain pedal. I use it as a second synth to my stage piano and sometimes its impossible to handle two keyboards if a sustain pedal is missing. And like you mentioned a sound editor software would be very good as well. Anyway good job with your review ; )
My band is looking for a keyboard/synth to compliment the Microkorg we already have. Something with more piano/synth pad sounds. Something with less lead synth sounds since the micro korg covers that area. The jdxi has a lot of great sounds, but we don't necessarily need the drum machine/lead synth sounds. Any recommendations?
Will you be reviewing the Oberheim 2 Voice, the Prophet 6, Nord Lead A1, DSI Pro 2, Vermona 14, Dreadbox Erebus, Pittsburgh Modular 10?
I will buy this one, not the JD-XA. Small enough to carry around. Link it with my MPC4000 , sonic cell and my DR880 and I will be in great shape. Well done Roland.
with the sequenceur is it possible to ...overdub ? recording over a recording without erasing ? if yes that s mean 4 track can go 8 tracks ?
Is it just me, or is there from 05:38 an incredible high screetching tone coming from the synth. Is pierces my ears like never heard before. All in all the synth looks pretty damn decent. But still think the mininova has got more possibilities (right?)
I think it's just you. But if it isn't, it's probably the resonance
+James Wave Me too. Some awful resonance.
Excellent review of a very promising synth.
Used mine in a live setting for the first time the other night. He's completely right about the red writing on the black faceplate... pretty much impossible to see. I was familiar enough with the unit that I didn't need to see exactly which button was for "arpeggiator" and which for "hold hey", or which knob is which, etc, but I would've been lost if I needed to.
PLEASE Nick, if you possibly can..get ahold of the JD-Xa for review and give it's 16 track sequencer a full workout..i'll be VERY interested to see/hear just how many parameters are recordable with the sequencer onboard the bigger brother - JD-Xa compared to the JD-xi....just throw in a bass drum sound for drums either internal or hook up a drum machine like a tr-8
cresshead Its just big and more expensive, not very popular.
The manual says it can work as an usb interface. Can it output sound from the computer to the jacks?
Best synthesizer keyboard till now is Roland JD 800
I love my JDXI but I'm fed up with the mini keys now. Don't know whether to midi it to a cheapo full size keyboard just replace it with something similar. Don't wanna spend shit loads or loose the pattern sequencer buttons. Any thoughts?
a bit Microkorg and MicroX inspired incl. Hoover ;)
I'm thinking about change my MKXL+, do you think is better than a MicroXL+?
10x better
Thanks for the review Nick. I'm surprised that you made no comparisons to similarly priced (and vaguely similarly featured) synths like the Ultranova. Any views anyone?
Also I assume the polyphony is only not available on the analog part. Is this correct?
Hi Nick - i found this little intro , to one of my .... more "Stale"(unused ) synth´s - really a shame , cause it sound really decent ... IN YOURE HANDS ! Now , how is it , that every unit you as much as LOOK at , sounds so goddam fine ????? (its not envy , its a fact ! ) Cheers, Old Geezer , and thanx again , you simply rock ! ;-D
I was wondering how sounds could be edited on this synth, because panel doesn't have any parameters for that. Now it is clear for me. Lack of comfortable synth editing and time spent on menu diving sometimes kills inspiration. I will wait for its big brother, hoping there everything will be ok.
Can you save sounds or switch from sound to sound quickly during live performance? Can you make like a set list or something?
Awesome vid. I'm a synth novice, but that drum looping feature seems like a strong selling point. Do any other synths in this price range (or lower) have this feature? Can it loop chord sequences too?
In 2022, is there any synth on the market that is like this with full size keys, more keys, and more multitimbral abilities along with an arp and sequencer?
its basically a groovebox? with an analog synth?
How do I apply glide to analog sounds in the step sequencer like a tb303? Any help would be appreciated
one item I wanted to know is whether there is a facility to string together all your patterns to make a long song - I cant tell from the keyboard and no mention on any review or in the pdf manual - I hope someone doesnt say you have to manual press each pattern one after another - is this poss or is it another under the hood item that may be provided in the rumoured "EDITOR"
Can you run external audio through the analog filter?
18:49 is when Nick briefly turns into a Dalek
I'm considering buying the Korg Minilogue 4voice over the Roland JDXI. BUT, the Korg doesnt have 4 track sequence-recording like the Roland has. Is there anything like the JDXI that has the sound manipulation capabilities of that Korg? I know I wont be able to create blue-monday-like tunes with the KorG, BUT, I know for sure I will be able to create very awesome sounds on the Korg the Roland cannot make. 2 different, awesome devices for 2 different styles of music I guess. No I cannot afford both. And I cannot afford a Moog either :(
Nice Review, Nick!
It reminded me the AKAI MINIAK/ALESIS MICRON with a Much Better Interface and sort of Easier way of Sketching! It's a Shame it doesn't have full Size Keys, but I'd love to have One. Or Maybe the JD-XA, depending on the Price!
I'll say it again....This guy knows his stuff...
I do not want to sound to negative but I would take any older second hand synth with full control over ADSR and OSC's.quicker access to tweak.This can be a pain because number of buttons pushed to get to particular option.
Thank you very much for all your amazing reviews, What other synths would you recommend me who have this PART SELECT option available. I am having so much and really like how I can switch the drum sets so quickly. Any tips are appreciated, thank you!
Wish the keys were 2 cm's longer and 5 mm's wider. Would you classify this as a rompler with effects ?
not for me but i am sure someone will get use out of it. The analog section really feels like just a throw on rather then an actual feature and the fact that you have limited editing puts this in the category of just slightly better then a keyboard for me. it is probably more for competing with the microkorg and supernova market then anything. for me that never really had any appeal. It was better then I was expecting though so that is a plus.
Hi, thanks for this great and deep review. I just have one question regarding live performance, is it possible to chain different programs in real time so as to be able to use those programs like patterns in a playlist? So as not to be stuck with just 4 bars of looping and be able to change chord progression and baselines all at the same time. Thanks!