Roland JP-8080

This box is so awesome. Editing sounds is a total breeze, of course, with all these knobs and sliders. Some of the more complicated functions require the use of the manual, which is to be expected. Too bad Roland hasn't learned to write consise and useful manuals in English. (Imagine the goodwill and loyalty they would inspire in their customers by hiring a part-time editor who spoke English and Japanese! Talk about bang-for-buck!) Anyway, it's very easy to make fantastic sounds on this unit.

10 voice polyphony may sound pathetic these days, but if all you do is play, it's OK. (Lots of great music has been performed on instruments with less polyphony, and most acoustic instruments are monophonic.) Likewise, the effects could be better, but they work great and add a lot to the sound. I'd like another LFO, or if LFO2 were not dedicated to the mod wheel (and therefore useless for programming sounds). I'm a big fan of SmartMedia cards and arpeggiators, so high marks there. I haven't used the vocoder yet, but I'm looking forward to it. The JP8080 responds well to velocity and pressure over MIDI. It's not expandable in the add-a-soundcard sense, but would you want to add samples to it? It's a virtual analog machine. Some of the others (Clavia, Novation, Waldorf) have features that this one doesn't. I'd love to have those features, too, but it is possible to become a bell and whistle junkie and forget that really great music can be made with instruments MUCH more limited than this one. It's hard to imagine being disappointed by this box.

Oh yeah. Big, fat, analog nirvana. Warm and rich. I used to own a Jupiter 6, and like a complete idiot I sold it just before the analog craze was re-born. Someone out there is laughing his head off. When I got this synth, it was like returning to what I loved about music and synthesis. It's so satisfying to sit in front of it, twiddle the knobs, and hear immediate results that make sense. If you're an experienced synthesist, the immediate gratification is fantastic. If you're new to programming, it's SOO much easier to learn on something like this. And it sounds incredible. Phat, kewl, sick, da bomb, and all that.

Roland stuff is bombproof. You could use it while while parachuting and it would be fine. I've had no problems yet, and I don't expect any for the next 30 years or so. The 10 rating is based on my experience with previous Roland synths.

Roland sucks here, but they almost all do. Roland's website is just a big advertising brochure, and they're employees don't know much and are not helpful. You can get ignorance and attitude by calling or emailing any manufacturer, but at least others offer downloadable manuals, support for discontinued products, etc. Not Roland. You can't even get specs or patch lists for some of their stuff, and information on older gear is completely absent from their website. Someone should hire a customer service consultant for them for Christmas. Get the JP8080, though, because you probably won't need Roland's abysmal Kustamur Saport anyway.

Purists probably say that virtual analog is not as good as the real thing, but I think the differences (if they exist) are negligable. Put a bunch of blindfolded experts in a room and A/B vintage and virtual, and I'd bet that most or all would be stumped. This box is fantastic, it costs a lot less than most of its competitors, and it's reliable. There are generally lots of them on the used market. I'd buy it again in a second if stolen. I got it because I wanted knobs and analog sounds, and I didn't want to pay the higher prices of some other virtual analogs out there. Also (and this may sound silly), I really like sliders instead of knobs for controlling envelopes--easier to visualize the shape you're creating. It doesn't have a few features I'd like (a third oscillator, a real 2nd LFO, another 6 voices or so), but it sounds great anyway. If it had all those features, I'd probably just want more. Instead, I'd rather make cool sounds and play music. This box is great for that.

Anybody remotely interested in dance music should already know the sound of the JP, you've heard it on a thousand trance tracks. I like the large patch library that ships with the machine, but some of them get a little samey. This synth does what it does well but its not versatile. I don't like the way that the modulation sources are arranged, I find it confusing and I still don't fully understand the architecture after using for over 18 months (as opposed to my Mixrowave XT). As I've said, a machine full of big trance sounds, but you've already heard most of them already.

The fact that it is only bi-timbral is a downer, but its only got stereo outs anyway. The phrase sequencer is quite cool but I must admit I just use it as a sound source.

This is a dance music machine incase you hadn't guessed by now! It is capable of atmosperics/FX aswell thought. The delays etc are spaceous and have a pleasing quality. Most parameters can be altered in realtime from your sequencer using controller information. I find the simplest of procedures on this machine complicated, things like assigning velocity to filter cutoff etc. Maybe its just me!

I would not buy another one now, though I wouldn't like to have to part company with the one I have!

Yes, yes and YES ! with this synth, you can easily make your own sounds from the 192 performances (1 perf = 2 patches + other configurations options like the "Voice Modulator"...) and the 384 patches (the sounds himselfs) in ROM, or from the beginning to the end with an option who erase in Temporary memory all setups !!! You have 64 user's perf and 128 user's patch memory to store your own sounds in memory, but if you think they are not enough memory for your sound setup, you can purchase a Memory card (SmartMedia S2M-5 or S4M5) and then now you can save more 4096 patches and 2048 perfs with a 2Mo card or 8192 patches (!!!) and 4096 perfs with a 4Mo card !
The knobs seems to be very resistants to many and many use, and the fader are very easy to slides...no problems !!!! One particularity of the analogs synthesizers is the user needs to have intuitivity to make his own sound, this this why this synth is very easy to use with the 40 knobs & sliders in front of this 19" racks. Each zones of the synthesizer (LFO, Oscillators, Filters, Envelopes...) works like lot of independents effects put in serial: the signal of the 2 oscillators go to the "OSC COMMON" section, the output of the "OSC COMMON" go to the "FILTER" section etc... It's like a guitar who represent the oscillators and the effects represents each synthesizer section.

This synth have 2 independants oscillators (OSC1: super saw, triangle modulation, noise (with pitch change), feedback oscillator, square, upward saw, triangle and OSC2: square, upward saw, triangle an noise (without pitch change), with the classics "RING MODULATOR", "SYNCHRONIZATION", CROSS MODULATION (this effect change the frequency of the first oscillator with the second oscillator). The ADSR enveloppes (filter and amp) are here and are very radicals to the evolution of the sound in the time... The very common "CUTOFF FREQ" & "RESONANCE" are here with a switch who can change the slope of the filter (12db/24db). They are 3 kind of filters: Low pass, Band pass, High pass. They are some very good effects, like flanger, chorus, distortion and a very, very good stereo delay !!! All that stuffs are very easy to use and not need to be an expert to be used !
They are juste one bad point: they are only 10 voice polyphony, but for me it's not a problem because I made techno/industrial music with a DJ, but if I want to sequenced techno-opera with 5 bass, 12 pads, 50 leads, with CUBASE or other sequencer, you'll be disappointed because you can ONLY use 2 voice in same time (2 instruments).
The vocoder is very funny !!!!!!

If you want a very very big sound with lot of bass, this synth is perfect !!! You can also make all the classical synthetic sound like acid sounds, pads and leads... I purchase this synth after i have listen the live record of FRONT 242 -RE-BOOT- !!! OK, they use the CLAVIA NORDLEAD 2 with a Roland JP-8000, but you can have an idea of the very big sound of the JP-8000 (simply a JP-8080 with a keyboard and without 2 voice, the voice modulator and some other stuff) ! I like this record, and i am not disappointed by the the soundquality of the synth compared to the record !!! Buy this record if you want an idea of the JP-8080 !

The 19" rack and the knobs seem to be very resistant !!!!! Just one little problem: I hate the dust on the black parts of the synth !

NEVER USED

It's a perfect analog modeling synthesizer for me ! I made techno/industrial music with a DJ and this synth is perfect for all the synthetics sounds, and the industrial noises ! VERY VERY GOOD !!!!! I like the possibility to filtering some external sound, like a CD or an other synthesizer to make a very original sound to my compositions ! Tou can buy this synth in all tranquility !
The synth in black light situation is not very fantastic. I request to ROLAND, to make a synthesizer with the letters, and some other part who reacts to black light !!!!!!!! It will be very cool !
PS:sorry for my poor english, i'm french

I started playing this synth right out of the box. Of course, you must read the maunal to learn all of the functions. I love the knobs, they're great for real-time tweaking. Performances are simple to edit, just tweak. My only complaints about the manual: it should be rewritten by someone who speaks English as their native language and it does not go into enough detail as to the purpose of the various functions, although the examples are almost self-explanatory.

My one complaint about the effects is that they're not editable. Creating patches is fun and easy. I bought the SmartMedia memory card to store my additional patches ? great buy.

I do Industrial/Ambient/Noise and this box is perfect some of the patches really convey the feeling that I'm trying to convey in my music. Occasionally I get a static sound in addition to the patch that I select. The arpeggiator makes creating rhythms easy.

Reliability is a tough one for me, I keep it in my home studio, although I will say that it stands up to the abuse of a wild six year old boy.

I've called customer support twice: once before I bought the instrument to get a question answered about the remote keyboard, and once when I had a midi related problem. The first time they were most helpful, the second time I did not get an answer that helped me. However, I ran across a Roland rep at the local music store and he helped me sort through my problem. One complaint about customer support: they seem to be reluctant to publish the number and there is no link to support on their website.It's almost like they don't want you to call.

Would I buy it again? Probably.'ve had it for about 6 months and I still am creating new sounds, I guess I'll never stop creating sounds. Love the pdf files available from the Roland website. I keep them on my computer desktop for quick reference. I also love the vocoder. It's almost worth the price of the box alone. I would like to see a midi through and I wish Roland had a computer interface to change the parameters of the sound and save them to disk. Overall, I think it's a good buy for the price.

I'm using the original software. (Is there an update?) The presets sound OK, a little too predictable, and a little to over-zealous with the panning. Editing patches is really easy, and fun, so I quickly made my own library that I use almost exclusively. I found the manual to be very nice.

Midi seems fine, but I haven't played around too much with that, outide of the keyboard I use to drive the sounds.

The sounds I'm getting are pretty killer, but I have a problem, I think. There's a little crunch sound at the beginning of some sounds, and in the middle of some of them. Anybody know anything about that? I checked out a demo model in a nearby store, and it made the same sounds. Is this the clipping that Ed P. was talking about? If so, why is it happening on the presets, too? I'd like to figure this out, because I love the unit otherwise.

Seems very reliable. I plan to use it on gigs. Nice sturdy case, knobs feel good. Its shape is a little awkward for gigging, but nothing insurmountable.

I called Roland about the less-than-ideal sounds, and after navigating through an endless phone system, I reached a human who was actually very nice. He didn't seem to know what I was talking about though, when I mentioned the crunchy clicks I hear.

Like I said, I really like this synth, except for the clicks I hear. I don't know if this is a hardware or software glitch. I bought it online, so I don't get much help from where I bought it. If anyone knows what I'm talking about, I'd really appreciate a clue.

Like any Roland expansion board. Plug it in and go. Pity you need to open the box (JV 1010, 1080, 2080). But that's rather a feature of the synth.

You can edit all the sounds the same way the built-in sounds can be modified. It is a true expansion, meaning there is no (technical) difference between the board sounds and the built-in sounds.

Wow. Great. That's what I bought this board for. Actually, I bought a 2080 with the expansion board to revive the keyboard equipment I possessed, well, in the 70s. It was a full success. Talk B3, you get a B3, bluesy, screaming, crunchy, pink, you name it. Fender Rhodes and Wurlitzer: everything and more. What I really enjoy is the Hohner Clavinet D6. I have always been in love with that instrument and here it goes digital. Marvellous.
Then, who needs all these Farfisa and Vox sounds? Well, if you want to spend a bunch of thousands for some really crummy sounds, you can do that, too. House of the rising sun, just like the original. Fun.

It works. No final opinion.

never tried it.

Using version 1.0

Presets are very good, but don't hesitate to make your own patches...pretty much everything is on a knob, so there are no cryptic menus (not that I mind menus all that much) ...

...Call me crazy...but I find Roland menus to be very comprehensive AND comprehendable...but I'm sort of a tech-geek, so....

This box has 10 not polyphony and 2 part multi-timbral (The latter is the unit's biggest downfall)

The delay is full-featured (in terms of editability) but there is no reverb!
Of course, you can simulate this very with a well-used delay...
The other effects are usable, but poor and uneditable. However, a device in this genre, per se, is not reliant upon effects for great sounds, but instead on the oscillators, which are great (especially the feedback oscillator which is screaming...)

The MIDI-implimentation is VERY COMPREHENSIVE...you can control things that you wouldn't thing you could through MIDI. Put another way, MIDI can control parameters beyond the usual filter/envelope/velocity sort of thing; Propreitary knobs effects levels/parameters etc. can also be controlled (you just have to look at the manual...I've read others complain about this and I totally disagree.)

Sounds and oscillators are great and as I said, it does react to velocity and (I think) aftertouch...

Keep in mind that though there are a lot of other virtual analogs with more oscillators, they are usually much more expensive. This box definitely holds its own despite whatever shortcomings one may find.

Not an issue with this box...

Keep it clean, though....

Never had to use it...

Once again, the manual is VERY good, (although boring).

Ok, If I had to find a reason not to buy this again, it would be the 2 part polyphony...but, since I have a sampler, this is not an issue. I use this box with an MPC 2000 and a Groovesynth and I feel that this is a quite capable mid-level setup....

Plus, you get basic vocoding/format synthesis/audio processing thrown in...

This is a good box and I would buy it again.

Once again, READ THE MANUAL!!!

Using the JP8080 as a stand-alone unit suits any possible needs.
The presets sound great and there's not much to want since tweaking sounds can be done in real time. The manual is a bore as most of manuals of Roland are. See below for midi.

As already said: the JP8080 is a piece of cake when used as stand-alone unit.Polyphony is just adequate in daily use. When it comes to midi be warned. The implementaion is a true nightmare: who on earth does not provide the regular midi in, out and thru ? What on earth does the 'remote keyboard in' adds to midi ? I don't know. Maybe Roland does.
As you might have figured out: midi sucks with JP8080.

The sounds fit perfectly in todays music scene as long as you stay within the filter-ranges Roland has come up with.
Try some steep attacks and you'll find out about the filters ...
They are clipping as a sound source of their own.
Nice if you are in that kind fo music. But who does really ?

Midi implementation sucks, filters clip.

Reagarding the filters Roland stated when asked that filters clipping might be overcome by just sliding the levers a bit more 'to a suitable position'. No further comments ...

The poor midi implemenation and the filters clipping made that after
only three weeks, I traded mine for a NOVA which beats the JP8080 on all fronts. I'd never buy a JP8080 again.

Version 1, the presets sound awesome, there are alot of them, and they are very deep using an wide array of cross modulation. Editing patches and storing them is simple thanks to all the knobs and sliders and clear layout.Keep it on the table top for best results. You don't need a patch editor unless you're familiar with using them and it makes it even easier for you, but the beauty of this thing is in the knob tweaking. I think the manual is excellent, anybody who says roland put out poor manuals must be illiterate, reading the manual takes time though because of all the features and things the synth can do.

8 or 7 voice polyphony depending on your effect used. Built in effects easy to use once parameters are stored in memory with patch data. can accept smart media cards that are removable and hold even more user voices and other data. Full Midi capabilities with addt'l keyboard in midi jack for controlling performance features. Onboard sequencer and RPS slightly difficult to master,but useful for DJ's .

Most of the sounds are synthetic sounding, reminiscent of jupiter, juno analog sounds. Some very hard edge,PPG, moog -type, bass and leads. Some good organs and string ensembles too, very lush and warm at times. onboard effects are excellent and comprehensive. but limited in terms of editing capabilities.Did i mention it has a vocoder and built in external audio processing??

Ultra reliable,don't knock it around or you'll bust off the sliders and knobs, keep it clean and dust free and you will have no problems. never locked up or failed since i owned it. No need for a backup, you already have a master keyboard.

Roland is one of the oldest and largest synth manufacturers in the business, why, because of the reliability of their product, awesome sound quailty and they stand behind their products, even ones no longer in production for 20 years!

If this thing was lost or stolen I would freak out and immediatley get a new one.I've been playing this instrument for about 6 months and still have not adequatley plumbed it sonic capabilities. While not a do it all synth, combined with my drum machine and digital sampling workstation and I'd say I have alot of music making power.I compared it to the Access virus, the nordlead and other Analog emulators, this one is much easier to use, plus the knobs and sliders are bigger, and there are more of them. The onboard vocoder can do things those synths are just now beginning to do. Roland set a new standard with this synth, i cannot recommend it more highly. it's only shortcoming is that it has no drum kits or percussion sounds except for bass kicks.

This is an addendum to my review of the JP-8080. A lot of people have e-mailed me asking me where I bought my unit (becuase the price is really good!). I bought mine from 8th Street Music in Philadelphai. They have a website so you can order from them over the web. Ask for Bob in keyboards because he's a really helpful guy who knows what he's talking about, and tell them I sent you.