The MKS-30 is a MIDI rack module version of the JX-3P with some enhancements. It is an analog synth with two DCO's (digitally controlled oscillators) per voice, six voice polyphony, it responds to velocity, and has 64 internal and 64 cartridge memory patches. The typical assortment of analog filter, envelope, LFO and oscillator sections are here with easy and straight-forward programming. It can be controlled by the PG-200 programmer for easier hands-on tweaking. Never quite gaining as much popularity as the JUNO series synths, this synth is as good as inexpensive analog gets! It is used by Cirrus.

Chris Poacher

April 23, 2013 @ 7:20 pm

p.s. I also found that on the 3P the programmer is not really an issue, with the MKS it's a must as the up and down increment values are too slow to do filter sweeps etc, whereas the JP you can use the data slider to change cutoff freq very easily.

Chris Poacher

April 23, 2013 @ 7:20 pm

I still have my MKS-30 and I love it with the PG-200 programmer, it's superior in most ways especially having 128 memories with the MC-16 cart, but I miss the punchy clarity I got from the JX-3P rather than the noisyness I get now. Yes it has character in abundance, but it gets used less that it should. If anyone disagrees and has owned both and can help me make my MKS-30 less noisy, then please get in touch so I can fix it and use it as much as I would like to. - chrispoacher@yahoo.co.uk

Chris Poacher

April 23, 2013 @ 7:19 pm

I have to reluctantly agree that the JX-3P sounds better than the MKS-30, I've owned both and eventually sold the JX-3P due to lack of studio space and regretted it. I did have time to do some A-B comparisons before I sold it. Yes the MKS-30 sounds very similar but the output is quieter and has far more background noise than the 3P ever did [and yes the output switch is set to H].

Brand 80

December 19, 2012 @ 6:24 am

Just need to comment that someone said that the JX3p sounds better than the MKS-30. Are you joking? Or do you have cloth in your ears?

Brand 80

December 19, 2012 @ 6:21 am

I dont know why people think the MKS-30 is a JX3p. It's a GR-700 in rack. They did not use the JX3p as basis for the enhanced rack version due to all kinds of horrible design mistakes in the JX3p. Thus the MKS-30 is a completly different synth (read 'better' synth).

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