The JX-8P is a decent analog polysynth. It has 6 voices of polyphony, great MIDI implementation and patch storage as well as an external memory cartridge slot. Though it is far more advanced than its predecessor, the JX-3P, the JX-8P has its drawbacks. Hands-on programming is sacrificed and reduced to assigning the parameter you want to tweak to a data-slider near the pitch/mod bender. Enter the PG-800 controller which gives you total control of all the JX-8P's editable parameters with hands-on traditional slider control. Membrane buttons dominate the front panel of the JX-8P providing access to the various preset and user patches and to page through and assign editable parameters.

Professional features can still be found under the hood of the JX-8P. Its 61 note keyboard is velocity and aftertouch sensitive. Just like the Juno synthesizers it uses DCO's for a very stable system, however its sounds are a little thin and bright. It also features portamento, unsion and solo (monosynth) performance modes. It is used by Biosphere, 808 State, Tangerine Dream, The Shamen, Depeche Mode, Überzone, the Cure, Go West, Ozric Tentacles, Future Sound of London, Jean-Michel Jarre, Europe, and Jimmy Jam.

Martina

February 21, 2011 @ 12:38 pm

I have a Roland JX-8P from 1989, does anybody know what prise I can sell it?

pulsemod

February 18, 2011 @ 12:50 am

I actually wore out the edit slider on mine before getting the PG-800 (and slider replaced). It's highly editable without the programmer but that slider may die if you do a lot of editing.

I have a JX10 also and use them together to effectively get a JX8P times 3. In comparison, one can get much deeper sounds from the JX10 but the simplicity of the JX8P makes the results more instant.

It's great that these synths are so cheap. They are one of the best deals for vintage analogs. I think they would be more sought after had Roland not made the programmer an option.

Dodsworth

January 25, 2011 @ 9:02 am

It's all over Blancmange's third album, "Believe You Me", although most of the sounds you hear from it are the factory presets.

polyaural

January 10, 2011 @ 9:16 am

@dejonez: Yep! Send me a mail with pictures and prize to thomas at goetzeclan dot com

nitro

January 2, 2011 @ 12:05 am

Oh...it's a rocker. It looks totally Japanese from the 80's.

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