Vintage Synth Explorer

Roland • JX-3P

The JX-3P is a pretty good synth, best known for a good string sound. It came about at the same time as the Juno series but represents a shift towards digital circuitry, push-buttons and (for the JX-3P) simplified programming. Compared with a Juno, the JX-3P sounds inferior however it is analog and capable of decent synth sounds for cheap. You will need the PG-200 programmer if you want real control of it. It's a six voice polyphonic with two DCO's per voice which means analog oscillators and sounds with digital stability and control. The typical assortment of filter, envelope, LFO and oscillator sections are here with easy and straight-forward programming.

Surprisingly, the JX-3P is MIDI equipped, in fact it was Roland's first MIDI synth but was very limited to basic note on/off information only. Synths like the Juno 106 have far better MIDI implementation and sounds. Although the JX-3P may not be as nice or professional as a Juno, it makes a great entry level Vintage synth capable of creating some useful classic analog sounds. The JX-3P also came in a rack-mount version called the MKS-30. It has beenused by The Future Sound of London, Astral Projection, Vince Clarke, Orbital, Luke Vibert, Stevie Nicks, and Thomas Dolby.

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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.

 

Max Vondel

Posted 23 days ago

Best used with the optional controller. Sounds great; Pots are so much better than Sliders such as the Juno 60 &106. Korg Poly Six is my favourite analogue synth. The JX-3P->Frozen as preset Synth with analogue options. Missing portamento. 4/5*'s, Independant dual oscillators

AnaRenaissance1

Posted 33 days ago

Funny, I sold my Juno 60 and Polysix and kept this! (although i own a OBX-A and many others) This is the best deal in analog synths at the moment. Get one while they're still cheap as people are starting to get into these now. No-one has any right to talk trash about this synth as its covers a wide base of analog sounds well and does many sounds VERY well if your a good programmer. Haven't tried programming without the pg200 programmer but with it it's very quick and all functions laid out in front of you.

Garedot

Posted 37 days ago

Also it was used by The Cure in 1984

Tommy

Posted 39 days ago

google ' Spacehotel "REWIND 25" ' this was made 90% on JX-3P and even mentions it in the lyrics!! <3 the 80s! :)

andysnakes

Posted 41 days ago

Does anyone know anything about connecting the JX-3P with a Roland TR 909 through midi? I connected them and the Jx3p started playing arpeggios in time with the 909. but I didn't write the arpeggios the synth just started playing them on its own as soon as i turned it on. I couldn't figure out how to write my own arpeggios. Is there a web site that can help me out?

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