Vintage Synth Explorer

Roland • JD-800

The JD-800 is Roland's answer to half a decade of hard-to-program synthesizers. Covered in sliders that act as dedicated editors just like a classic analog synth, the JD-800 is an extremely programmable and hands-on digital synthesizer. It is also an interesting and great sounding digital synth with incredible flexibility and control. Internal ROM based waveforms are combined to build your sounds. The sounds are based on Roland's D-50, but updated for the nineties with multimode filters - uncommon but welcome at the time. Unlike classic synths that came in wood cases, the JD-800 came in a somewhat cheap plastic case and wasn't very sexy. Programming is a little too scientific for most but once you know what you're doing with it, almost any sound you can dream up can be dialed in and stored. It's used by William Ørbit, Emerson Lake & Palmer, 808 State, Ken Ishii, Astral Projection, Rabbit in the Moon, Depeche Mode, Underworld, Tangerine Dream, LTJ Bukem, Apollo 440, Jean Michel Jarre, ATB, Vangelis, Pet Shop Boys, Faithless, Luke Vibert, Mouse on Mars, Laurent Garnier, MC Hammer, Bushflange, Genesis, and Eat Static.

VISITOR COMMENTS (48)

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Posting Rules: Please keep your comments relevant! Do not post requests for help, do not use for sales, do not post unless you have something interesting to say about this instrument, or we may delete your post.

 

JulianWB

Posted 12 days ago

OK, this is it for me: too much technology gets in the way of creativity. Not enough technology limits creativity. The JD-800 gets it right. I was heavily into the technology in the 80s and 90s and ended up with a Yamaha SY-99: massive potential, but all my stuff from then sounds boring - I was lost in the buttons instead of making music. All that time I also had a Jupiter 6: no touch sensitivity = nice sounds but not nice to play, so I didn't. The JD always sounds nice, better than the Jupiter (honestly!), and always makes me WANT to play, to experiment. I make better music with it. END OF.

Ben

Posted 17 days ago

If you want an analogue sound you would have to be nuts to buy a JD800. It's like saying "don't buy that hammond, it sounds nothing like a piano". The JD800 is one of the most rewarding DIGITAL synths ever and that's why we love it. By the way, I just checked out your link animalfarm. I think the other music producers in Glasgow can sleep easy tonight ; )

aceyriot

Posted 17 days ago

i cant stress enough how off this site is...CONSTANTLY!
the case isnt plastice, the case is mostly metal except the bottom and side wings. the site complains about the quality of the case of a jd-800 but gives the particle board bottom and easily scuffed platic case on the jp-8000 a full five stars. sure the jp-8000 is a fantastic sounding synth but an inferior case to the jd-800. and they also ignore jd-800's ability for crazy glitch effects, the card slot feature, the amazing pads you can get from it. in my opinion the only thing this lacks is an arpegiator!

Nick

Posted 48 days ago

Ron Mael of "Sparks" also played one of these.

channelstepper

Posted 67 days ago

The Scottish band The Blue Nile used this synth.

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