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.

The JD-800 came in a tough metal case capped off on the sides with large plastic covers. Programming may be a little too flexible for some users, but once you know what you're doing with it, almost any sound you can dream up can be dialed in and stored.

It has been 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.

DIPLOID

April 24, 2010 @ 3:16 pm

I was looking for just such a sound.
Very warm, well-manageable.
Pads and superb strings!!!

Ricardo Di Lago

April 20, 2010 @ 3:50 am

Nick, i can realy advice you to open up the JD800 and unscrew the prints from the panel.
it;s easy, you can leave the cables attached mostly if you like. but they are all easy to get out of the sockets.
then you can clean it all easely. replace the battery at the same time, also a simple task, you loose your patches though!! JD800 starts up with factory patches.
but i guess you know how the backup/load your patches.

be aware that spare parts are almost out of stock.

regards

Richardo di Lago

Nick_Toznost

April 15, 2010 @ 5:44 pm

The JD-800 is all over Leftfield's leftism album. In fact the first track opens with the "aurora" factory preset, it's such a nice sound. A lovely digital monster.

My only criticisms- a cheap combination mod/pitch wheel that seems to stick all the time (at least on mine), and all those sliders are embedded in a groove that are impossible to completely clear of dust. Though I suppose I could take it to bits to clean it...

JulianWB

February 27, 2010 @ 2:41 am

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

February 21, 2010 @ 8:36 pm

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 ; )

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