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.

johannes

June 9, 2011 @ 12:28 am

Talk about Pad Heaven!!! I could easily play the JX-8p all night long just to be enjoying its silky strings and hauntingly beautiful pads. Sometimes I combine mine with my Juno 60 via a DCB to midi port called an MD8. Right there I instantly have 80% of the Jupiter 8 sounds! Its signature patch for me is undoubtedly "Soundtrack" But I do love its Pipe Organ preset as well, almost identical to the alpha junos. I've also dialed in a perfect Eurythmics Sweetdreams patch on mine. Man I love almost everything Roland put out before 1987 and this champ is simply no exception!

Cameo Culpa

May 25, 2011 @ 4:22 pm

Still love the strings of this instrument. Percussives are rather poor though, that's what the DX7 was made for. I actually own the JX-8P from Twentyfour-Seven, bought it last year from their front man.

Mary

May 14, 2011 @ 12:39 am

Does anybody know if the JX-8P can stay in "local off" mode after the synthesizer has been turned off then back on? I can't figure out how to do it on mine...I tried "midi" then "write" and got the "midi written" message, but surprisingly no luck. Thx.

Gareth

April 4, 2011 @ 6:24 am

I bought this amazing synth 2 months ago and have not been able to leave it alone. One of the most under-rated out there.

I picked mine up on Ebay in excellent condition(After touch works great) along with a PG800. You MUST! get a PG800 if you want to experience all the sonic possibilities this Synth has to offer.

I use mine for producing Techno and it is simply amazing, warm, fat Analogue sounds, Chorus is great and the LFO is super when tweaked right. Running mine through a MPX1(reverb) and TC Electronic D-Two (delay) i will never sell this, sits next to my SH-101 perfect.

il

March 13, 2011 @ 5:43 pm

and as for roland synths worth picking up? SH-101 ! Jupiter 8 ! SH-2 ! JX-3P ! JUNO 60 ! MKS-70 ! MKS-80 ! D-50 ! JD-990 ! after that, I wouldn't bother with any Rolands (after 92 ish) cos most of them [beep] compared to the 80s stuff. Perhaps jp-8000 or vsynth could bring you some joy but they are not like the classics :)

btw this sort of question would be MUCH better on the forums of this site.

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