Any difference between XP30 and XP80 sounds ?

[Denis007]

Hello,

 

I know that XP30 comes with built in ex.boards but if we exclude them

could you tell me if there is any difference between XP30 and XP80 sounds ?

Do they share the same sound engine or XP30 has

some quality improvement ?

Does it mean that XP80 with additional exp. boards would be

XP30 with 76 keys and sequencer ?

Does it mean that the user sounds from XP30 can be transfered on XP80 ?

 

Sorry for so many questions

 

Thanks a lot !

 

D.

 

[RABid]

From what little I played an XP-30 it seemed to have the same sound as my XP-80, minus the larger keyboard and sequencer (I think). I am not sure how they compare in sound to the RS series. If you already have a keyboard or a controller consider the XV-3080 at around the same price as the XP-30. The XP-30 has a larger variety of expansion board but the XV is another step up in sound quality and has more total memory in ROM. I am not sure of the price of the new XV-5050 which is between the 3080 and 5080.

[Tusker]

Originally posted by Denis007:

I know that XP30 comes with built in ex.boards but if we exclude them

could you tell me if there is any difference between XP30 and XP80 sounds ?

Do they share the same sound engine or XP30 has

some quality improvement ?

 

Yes and no, according to some of the insiders on the JV/XP list. There are areas of dispute as well as areas of agreement. They share the identical sound engines (this is not disputed) but the D/A convertors were upgraded as the family progressed from XP50/JV1080 (this is disputed btw)... all the way through XP30/JV1010. According to some, the improved D/A convertors actually highlighted some sample level problems (some trailing hiss can be heard on a few waveforms if you wait for the sound to die away.. on the newer synths). Some dispute this, claiming instead that the xp30/JV1010 have cheaper convertors, less gain, etc.

 

I play both an xp50 (similar to an xp80) and an xp30, and I can't tell the difference. (No side by side testing though.)

 

Originally posted by Denis007:

Does it mean that XP80 with additional exp. boards would be

XP30 with 76 keys and sequencer ?

 

Yes ........ except for a few more differences. The 80 has a bigger screen and is more intuitive to get around (menus). I prefer the keyboard on the 80. The mod lever travels about 30% on the 80, and provides varying degrees of modulation level as you push it. The xp30 uses a cheaper lever and the modulation is almost on-off, with very little travel. Very frustrating on certain carefully programmed patches. The 80 has two stereo outs, the 30 has one stereo out. In the 30's favor, if you expanded an 80 to be 'identical' to a 30 (with three epxansion cards), you would have one empty slot left. With the xp30 you have two free slots left.

 

Originally posted by Denis007:

Does it mean that the user sounds from XP30 can be transfered on XP80 ?

 

Yes, I make up patches at home on the xp50 and carry them over to the xp30 (which I play in a community church) on a laptop, using an editor/librarian. They sound the same, apart from the mod lever issue I mentioned above. If a transferred patch requires a waveform and that is missing on the second synth (expansion board not installed) then that particular tone simply goes silent. If you know how the patch is constructed, you can point the synth to a similar waveform and 'fudge' it.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Jerry

[Tusker]

Originally posted by Denis007:

I know that XP30 comes with built in ex.boards but if we exclude them

could you tell me if there is any difference between XP30 and XP80 sounds ?

Do they share the same sound engine or XP30 has

some quality improvement ?

 

Yes and no, according to some of the insiders on the JV/XP list. There are areas of dispute as well as areas of agreement. They share the identical sound engines (this is not disputed) but the D/A convertors were upgraded as the family progressed from XP50/JV1080 (this is disputed btw)... all the way through XP30/JV1010. According to some, the improved D/A convertors actually highlighted some sample level problems (some trailing hiss can be heard on a few waveforms if you wait for the sound to die away.. on the newer synths). Some dispute this, claiming instead that the xp30/JV1010 have cheaper convertors, less gain, etc.

 

I play both an xp50 (similar to an xp80) and an xp30, and I can't tell the difference. (No side by side testing though.)

 

Originally posted by Denis007:

Does it mean that XP80 with additional exp. boards would be

XP30 with 76 keys and sequencer ?

 

Yes ........ except for a few more differences. The 80 has a bigger screen and is more intuitive to get around (menus). I prefer the keyboard on the 80. The mod lever travels about 30% on the 80, and provides varying degrees of modulation level as you push it. The xp30 uses a cheaper lever and the modulation is almost on-off, with very little travel. Very frustrating on certain carefully programmed patches. The 80 has two stereo outs, the 30 has one stereo out. In the 30's favor, if you expanded an 80 to be 'identical' to a 30 (with three epxansion cards), you would have one empty slot left. With the xp30 you have two free slots left.

 

Originally posted by Denis007:

Does it mean that the user sounds from XP30 can be transfered on XP80 ?

 

Yes, I make up patches at home on the xp50 and carry them over to the xp30 (which I play in a community church) on a laptop, using an editor/librarian. They sound the same, apart from the mod lever issue I mentioned above. If a transferred patch requires a waveform and that is missing on the second synth (expansion board not installed) then that particular tone simply goes silent. If you know how the patch is constructed, you can point the synth to a similar waveform and 'fudge' it.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Jerry