Roland JX-8P history

[dazzjazz]

Hi,

 

I"m wondering if there"s any historical information out there about the Roland JX-8P?

Specifically, who designed it? I believe Eric Persing (Spectrasonics) did some of the factory patches, but I haven"t found out more than that.

 

It would interesting the know if the designers got close to their vision, and how they saw how JX series fits into the Jupiter/Juno line etc.

 

I used to gig with one when I was just out of high school, and I regret selling mine. I have recently purchased a used one (of course). It"s in the process of having a KIWI upgrade kit and I can"t wait to get my hands on it.

 

Further, I don"t understand the relative fame of the Juno 106 compared to the JX8P, given the advantage of two oscillators over one.

 

Darren

[eric]

I'll do some research on this, as an original JX-8P owner. I've had mine since 1985 and even still have the sales receipt. I saved money very diligently as a teenager to purchase this as my first synth. I think the Juno-106 was more popular given the friendly user interface and there were some pretty iconic Juno sounds (e.g. PWM) that the 8P couldn't do. Though the 8P could produce more complex timbres and the osc sync is fabulous.

 

You might be interested to learn more about Vecoven, which is an aftermarket board that can be added to the JX-8P and JX-10. I've been following them on Facebook, though I haven't yet summoned the time or courage to order one and install it.

[AUSSIEKEYS]

Junko 106 one of the most and overated keyboards in history. Man im gonna get slammed for saying that. This comes from an Aussie who had one of the first in Australia. In fact I waited all night outside one of Sydney's big music shops for the Next days sales to beat everyone else to it and got it for virtually wholesale price my main reason for spending a night on the street. Couldn't afford full price for things as a struggling Muso.

 

Had it a year and couldn't wait to get rid of it. And luckily i sold it for what i paid as i had paid wholesale. I thought back then it was a wimpy pissy sounding synth for live work. Its only the noodlers and speculators now who have thrown it into ridiculous price heights because it has sliders built in.

 

I also had a JX8p when they were New and liked it only selling it to buy a Kurzweil 1000. In fact over the years I had 2 JX8ps and 2 JX10s. So love them but sold my last 8p and 10 together to a collector recently. I still have the pg800 controller In case I get a MKS70 but then again really I'm selling off much of my vintage stuff so I should really let the PG800 go and the memory cartridges.

 

Man I still even have a MKS7 which is a juno 106 in a box if I wanted to revisit a 106 but should I bother when I'm not a fan of the 106 but the MKS7 really did extend the possibilities of a 106 with touch sensitivity and 4 different midi channels. It's what the 106 could have done with. Touch sensitivity was very needed for me.

 

I've been selling off my older vintage gear as it's time to offload due to my health but also because Im sick off the vintage synth scene. It like many other things has been tainted by the internet and the way that everything is touted as a hidden gem and then everyone wants one.

 

Personally I still have a Korg EX8000 which I think is possibly nicer than the JX 8p but putting both together is a wonderful combo.

 

The 8p is a worthy gigging keyboardists synth where the 106 is more a beginners synth to work you into your next synth.

 

I guess I was looking for keyboards that could replicate acoustic sounds better for playing in Sydney pubs n the 70s and 80s that's what I really needed and along with touch sensitivity to make them alive so a 106 was a limited tool.

 

But to put that in more context if I really had to put a happy tag on a gigging synth that would go to a Quadrasynth or it's various versions. Sure it's not analogue but man it was a great gigging keyboard and i guess this is what I was looking for as a gigging player in those early synths basically A jack of all trade keyboard that did things well.

 

Shite I wrote a tome. That's why I rarely post I can't stop myself sorry. Hee hee

[AUSSIEKEYS]

You might be interested to learn more about Vecoven, which is an aftermarket board that can be added to the JX-8P and JX-10. I've been following them on Facebook, though I haven't yet summoned the time or courage to order one and install it.

 

The bloke who got my 8p and jx10 did just that. Put a veconen in the jx10 and a kiwi in the 8p.

[ABECK]

Junko 106 one of the most and overated keyboards in history. Man im gonna get slammed for saying that.

 

I tend to agree. I don't recall it being highly rated or coveted when it was in production. It's only recently that it has built up an odd hipster "street cred" aura with a bloated value on the used market. It was a low price point entry synth. Not bad, but not exactly the token of a legit connoisseur it has somehow become. I'd prefer the JX8 any day over it. (Yes, the PG unit would help)

[AUSSIEKEYS]

Junko 106 one of the most and overated keyboards in history. Man im gonna get slammed for saying that.

 

I tend to agree. I'd prefer the JX8 any day over it. (Yes, the PG unit would help)

 

Yes exactly the PG800 turned the 8p or JX10 Into an accessible synth. If it wasn't for that then the 106 would have that over the 8p but for lack of touch sensitivity.

 

Unfortunately the PG800 is expensive now so without one ( which most are without) it's harder to evaluate an 8p.

[eric]

When I got my JX-8P in 1985, I did not get the PG-800 and it wasn't until maybe 10 years ago that I happened to find one and add it to the synth, which is more of an occasional use item these days, in my music room. I learned the 8P through hunting and pecking through all the parameters. I used an old school typewriter to create a blank "patch sheet" which I then had copied and still have a binder somewhere of all of my patches handwritten on these homegrown patch sheets. I knew that thing inside and out and kept trying to find new sounds in it.

 

The PG-800 is cool, though it is a fairly compact unit and you have to focus in closely to use it properly.

 

Regarding the comments on Juno-106 being overrated, I agree. It became trendy to a fault. I remember back in 1984 (prior to my JX-8P purchase), my girlfriend had a Juno-106 and it was the first synth I ever really played in depth outside of a music store. She was a piano player whose wealthy dad bought it for her because she liked Duran Duran and it had the look and feel of a Jupiter-8 without the $5k price tag (MSRP at the time). Several years later, long after our relationship ended, she sold me the Juno-106 for $350 and I used it for years before selling it. I do wish I'd kept it, if only for nostalgia's sake. That was the era of constantly flipping gear.

[Moonglow]

I would have dated a girl if she had a J-106 too.

 

I too didn"t like the 106 when it first came out. I thought it was a poor-man"s Jupiter-8, which probably was exactly what it was intended to be, lol. Our sax player got one largely to supplement string lines on ballads we played. He was deciding between the 106 and a Korg Polysix. While I probably would have preferred the Polysix at that time (not by much) I really didn"t care which synth he selected. I was just happy for any opportunity that would result in him taking the sax out of his mouth for a few minutes.

 

I came to like the 106"s punchy sound and ended up getting one to midi to my Korg M1 and DX-7. I obtained some big sounds doing that. I still have it collecting dust somewhere. Last time I dug it out of the mothballs it worked, albeit with one voice not sounding, which I understand is a common problem. Given the vintage prices, I probably should flip it. I have a Boutique JU-06 when I have the urge to stroll down memory lane...

[miden]

Personally I preferred the forerunner, the 3P. It was somehow more "honest" in it's design and implementation. And the PG200 was a far better programming accessory. I always found the 8p to be too, umm, "stringsy or paddy". IF I was to buy one (purely for nostalgia) it'd be the 3P over the 8p.

[ProfD]

I chuckle at the fact that I'm *old* enough to remember when those synths (Roland JX8P and Juno 106) were *new* synths.

 

The prices folks are selling and paying for old synths is ridiculous especially when IMO, modern KBs cover that sonic territory a lot better and offer more features.

 

I understand the cost of nostalgia to those who could only pine for one of those synths after reading Keyboard magazine back in the day and/or those who owned/gigged with one previously.

 

However, it also helps to remember that those synths were practically given away when the Korg M1, Roland D50 and other KBs showed up on the scene.

 

So, it makes zero sense to me that entry level synths sold used for pennies on the dollar a few decades ago are now being sold at astronomical prices.

[ABECK]

 

However, it also helps to remember that those synths were practically given away when the KOrg M1, Roland D50 and other KBs showed up on the scene.

 

When the D50 first came out, I was in the music store getting a demo looking for my first big boy synth. One of the dudes working there gave me his number and said he'd sell me his J106 for $300. I should have taken him up.

[Bill H.]

No love for the Juno 106 here either. It was just too limiting in what it could do. It's the other forum where they fawn over that one - reasons unknown.

 

I remember wanting a JX-8P when it came out, but was doing piano bar rooms at the time and had no practical use for it. Next Roland keyboard was a few years later with the JV-80, when I started getting into backing tracks and expanding my sound.

 

It would be interesting to know the history of all Roland synths from the perspective of their designers and engineers. I would buy that book in a heartbeat.

[dazzjazz]

I'll do some research on this, as an original JX-8P owner. I've had mine since 1985 and even still have the sales receipt. I saved money very diligently as a teenager to purchase this as my first synth. I think the Juno-106 was more popular given the friendly user interface and there were some pretty iconic Juno sounds (e.g. PWM) that the 8P couldn't do. Though the 8P could produce more complex timbres and the osc sync is fabulous.

 

You might be interested to learn more about Vecoven, which is an aftermarket board that can be added to the JX-8P and JX-10. I've been following them on Facebook, though I haven't yet summoned the time or courage to order one and install it.

 

Yes, I did check out the Vencoven but decided the Kiwi upgrade to be the one for me. I also bought the Retroaktiv MPG-8 programmer. It seems very well built, if a little small. Looking forward to using it for sure.

 

I got an email from the Kiwi people stating they were looking into the possibility of adding PWM to the 8P. If they can pull that off it would be fabulous.

[dazzjazz]

I have found mention online of a Keyboard Magazine October 1986 article written by Eric Persing on how to program the JX8P. I even found the first page on web archive, but has someone got the full article?

 

Web archive

[ksoper]

Still have mine, purchased new in '85 with the programmer and factory hard shell case. I worked for Lowrey at the time and we began selling the Roland home EP line, which was surprisingly good. We dabbled in synths and carried the 106 and 3P but didn't really push them. The Roland rep sold me the 8P through Cintioli Music in North Philly at wholesale. RIP Benny. "That guitar? That's the biggest piece of shit I've ever seen. You know what you do with that guitar? You take it down to Pennypack Park and row your canoe with it." But I digress.

[TomKittel]

Sold my JX8P after I got the Jupiter XM which does a great job in replacing it. Didn"t have enough space for the JX8P in my home studio.

[dazzjazz]

Keith at Llama Music has kindly provided a PDF of the October 1985 article, which I've attached here. It's an interesting read if you have a JX8P. It's too big to attach, so if you want it, just PM me.

 

He also provided a link to a Sound On Sound article on program the JX-10, most of which applies to the 8P.

 

Still would love to get in touch with anyone from the design team - anyone got a clue?

 

regards

 

Darren

[BRW]

 

Unfortunately the PG800 is expensive now so without one ( which most are without) it's harder to evaluate an 8p.

 

There is an iPad app, iPG-800, which connects to the 8P using the iPad and a USB MIDI interface (with real MIDI cables). It's like $5.

 

I used to have an JX-8P, but even with the app, programming didn't seem "fun" so I let it go. I couldn't really find any useable sounds online for it, so you had to program it yourself (presets are mostly trash). I remember it being good for pads, strings and phat basses but little else. Do miss it from time to time, but there are other options.

 

 

It would be interesting to know the history of all Roland synths from the perspective of their designers and engineers. I would buy that book in a heartbeat.

 

I would be surprised if such a thing DIDN'T exist, but it's probably be gonna be in Japanese...they have a tendency to do those kinds of things. You can find tons of interesting illustrated books about various subjects in Japan.

[Tusker]

In addition to the excellent points raised, one reason for the difference in fame between the JX and the Juno is the envelopes. The Juno envelopes are fast enough to synthesize kicks, snares, hats and aggressive basses in a way that the JX doesn"t. The percussive stuff is a producer"s bread and butter though not as necessary for a keyboardist.

[dazzjazz]

In addition to the excellent points raised, one reason for the difference in fame between the JX and the Juno is the envelopes. The Juno envelopes are fast enough to synthesize kicks, snares, hats and aggressive basses in a way that the JX doesn"t. The percussive stuff is a producer"s bread and butter though not as necessary for a keyboardist.

 

I must admit I never noticed the slow envelopes back in the 80s, but I was just a budding keyboard player. I remember getting great sounds out of it though. The KIWI upgrade fixes the slow envelopes and I will be sure to check those out.

[MotiDave]

I had the 3P with the programmer, my first board playing in a band around '83?. Had alot of kicks, a lot of parties, some great shows and girls. I gave it to a young guy must about 5 yrs ago after it sat unattended for years and I had 3 modern keyboard that all do 1000x what it could do.

 

He"s a vintage snob extreme, he prefers ancient beginning of time technology. I love modern keyboards.

[David Emm]

Oddly enough, three of us went daffy and bought a JX-8P with a PG-800 because no one of us had the total cash when it appeared for a song. It was my 2nd best Roland experience, with BOSS effects being first for the wild utility I got from running my earlier, cheapo synths through them. 3rd best has become the Cloud D-50, with PG-1000.

 

We got great use from our JX, carted it back and forth in a small foam mattress secured with bunji cords and remained civil over it as well, a treat in itself. The membrane switches gradually croaked and that tube display got on our nerves, but it still paid for itself handily. We finally gave it to our repair guy for parts. He grinned and said "That one has a great keyboard I can use, even if nothing else works, so thanks!" Full circle.

[rod76]

Had the chance to buy a JX8P in the late 90s from a friend's father.

 

I remember being surprised by how larger the casing was compared to other Junos and the 3P.

 

Even the D-50 is more streamlined.

[cjfox]

I bought one new in the 80s, with the PG800. Great pads and strings, osc sync was great for solos, and I really liked the keyboard action. I don't regret selling it, though, my Kronos fills my synth desires these days.

[analogika]

The JX-8P with the PG-800 is one of my all-time favourite synths. The #16 Synth Bass preset is one of the oiliest, loveliest bass patches ever.

 

 

Unfortunately the PG800 is expensive now so without one ( which most are without) it's harder to evaluate an 8p.

 

There is an iPad app, iPG-800, which connects to the 8P using the iPad and a USB MIDI interface (with real MIDI cables). It's like $5.

 

I used to have an JX-8P, but even with the app, programming didn't seem "fun" so I let it go.

The iPG-800 is a perfect example of what *seems* like a great idea, but really, really isn't.

 

The PG-800 is a tightly-packed box that only works because it's a TACTILE device, with faders, knobs, and switches.

 

Putting this interface on a flat glass surface almost completely eliminates its advantages IMO, while utilising *none* of the advantages an iPad provides. I'm not surprised it didn't seem "fun", because it isn't.

 

A *much* better solution IMO is the excellent free template offered in the MIDI Designer app, which gives you an interface actually designed for the touch screen, including X-Y pads for filter cutoff/resonance â or whatever parameters you might want to assign.