Roland JP-8080

Simple and straightforward.

Whether you need pads or acid sounds, leads or basslines, the JP-8080 will do the job

A very complete palette.

Absolutely reliable.

Roland support? Which charity is that?

The synth everyone should have, but only if you have a MKS-50 sitting next to it.

Presets, some great, some not-so-great, but definately well thought out. The ones I don't like are some of my friend's favorites on his. Editing, I grew up with ARP's, Moog's and PAIA's, the JP-8080 felt like an old friend the first time I used it. The manual is not the usual Roland version of "War and Peace", it is concise and helpful (although quite honestly, you'll only use it once).

I was a little unhappy about the polyphony (or lack thereof) until I got out my ARP Odyssey and Moog Prodigy one night. Since this little beast is supposed to be replacing my prodigy in the line up I have NO complaints... besides, it kicks my Prodigy's ass in EVERY category and my Odyssey is now hiding under the bed, afraid to come out). Oh ya, the Vocoder isn't bad either.

Realistic sounds??? Try creating a sound with the Super-Saw waveform... beyond realistic. I play old progressive stuff live (Pink Floyd, Yes, ELP, etc) and T-dream type stuff at home, and the JP-8080 is always right in the middle of things (where it belongs).
Depending on what I am doing, I have used it as a Lead synth, Vocoder, effects processor (for both a Rhodes and a guitar). It's a good Swiss-Army knife

Very Dependable. Wouldn'y gig without a backup, but it isn't made for it

Roland support is getting better (based on my last few calls). Repair, unless you drop it from 10 feet up or drown it you can't really damage it.

Definately worth replacing. I've been playin in bands since '75. I love this synth. The only thing I hate about it is that the filter will not self-modulate like a real analog synth (the MS2000R will). Other gear... Roland: JD-800, JD-990, XV-3080, MC-505 and (2) A-33 controller keyboards. Korg: MS2000R, Air Synth. M-Audio Pro-88 Controller keyboard, Midiman controller Keyboard. PAIA: Theremax Theremin and various modules from the 2700 series modular synth. Fender Rhodes: 88 Suitcase (being sold to a friend soon). Moog: Prodigy (also on the way out the door soon). ARP Odyssey (white version updated with Minimoog keyboard (with pitchbend, vs. the damned knob ARP used on the panel). The Digital equipment all gets carted around to live gigs, so does the Theremax. The Odyssey gets out if we are playing Frankenstein (Edgar Winters)... Yes I know the 8080 can do the filter sweep, but it's more fun to do it the right way.

Easy overall. Lots of buttons, knobs and sliders, menus actually hold only a few parameters. Presets are ok, some classics. I didn't read a manual but I think it's better than usual Roland manual, in fact it even gives you some examples how to achieve certain type of sounds (bass/pad/lead), which might prove usefull for a beginner.

Polyphony is a bitch, oops, effects are ok, except there is no reverb, there is a master EQ that lets you cut lows or highs. 2 parts are ok when you use performances (two parts in one megasound). It has sort of phrase sequencer, which may be usefull as an alternative arp. I didn't use it though so I won't comment further. Arp is globally switchable which is nice. Unlike other VAs it has pitch envelope section (not that it's that hot!). Morphing is included too.

This one is the most analog-sounding of all VAs I have (Virus C, Supernova II and Nord Rack 2X). Pure neutral analog sound. Not dark, not bright, not too fat, not thin. Absolutely neutral, which is what I appreciate about this synth. It can produce very different sounds - it excells at pads (preset performance hold some good examples of complex atmo pads), lead, basses, fx - well, in fact, it can do everything right. Maybe not spectacular, cause it's not speciality synth, more like all-rounder, so that's why I can't give it 10. For exaple it can't do such lush and massive pads as Virus does, it can't be as silky-liquid as Supernova or edgy and cutting as Nord. Instead it brings you as close as possible to that "old analog sound", while stil remaining an excellent techno-trance synth. The only problem with a sound - sometimes it clicks, when the sound has instant attack. It's a well-known issue, and manual says it's due extremely fast envelopes. So when you programm your own sound you need to be carefull with the amp attack setting - of you may easily get that clicking.

This one gets very close to Virus C in term of overall usability and versatility. Sometimes you need a sound without a character, and that's where Virus, Supernova and Nord fall short, and that's where JP shines. Very good synth and is a must-have for any electronica producer. With it's current price (something like 400-500$) it's a steal.

It's easy enough.. never had to use the manual.

The features..aah =D I had to give it a nine, although this is my favourite piece of gear. What bugs me is the dual midi-ins. one for keyboard, and one regular midi in. In the regular midi in the arpeggiator won't trigger.. however.. it outputs arpeggiated notes through midi out.. in this context it makes sense.. but who works like that anyway? I would have prefered a on/off option for outputing arpeggiator notes.

Ah. the sounds.. just amazing.. I can always dial in any tone I want. Sometimes I've considered selling my other gear just to get a couple of JP-8080s. Pads are just amazing, bass & lead sounds are great too, but not as aggressive as in the Korg MS2000(which I have a love/hate relationship with).

The onboard distortion can be useful, but it's to "sharp" and digital. Used with care it gives sound a bit of a edge, though for really good distortion I would use something else.

The Vocoder is okey, but not as great as in the Korg MS2000.

Other than that the range of useful sounds this machine gives me justifies a rating of 10.

Never had a problem with it.

Never dealt with them

Several times I have considered to sell my other gear and get more JP-8080s, seriously!

Whats stopped me is that every bit of kit has it's unique character and inspiries you in a different way.. but in the end I often recreate the sounds in the JP-8080, it's just got the tone I find usable in a mix.

My other gear are, Korg MS2000, Roland Jx8p, Roland Juno-106, Roland JV-2080, Yamaha A3000.

The JP8080 cant recreate the aggresive edge of the sounds in the MS2000, and not the basses of the Jx8p.. neither the strange filter in the Juno-106.. But those machines are one trick babies for me most of the time.

Go and try out the JP-8080, I will never part from mine

a bit confusing but not too bad if you chomp into your manual :)

This synth has tons of features. ITs great to have the storage card too however the type of card it uses is an obsolete older type 5v smartmedia card. Regular readily available 3.3v smartmedia will not work at all, so you have to hunt down the 5v cards NOW before they are gone forever. You can still find them on eBay but probably not for too much longer. That is the only place to get them and when they are gone, that's it. the old 5v smartmedia cards have been out of production since 1999. So you might want to get right on it and GET SOME CARDs NOW!!
The JP8080 has a lot of features for the price but i wish it could use 3.3v smartmedia.

This synth sounds outrageously good to me. Many people say it has its own flavor and there is nothing quite like it. I agree.

Rock solid roland toughness.

they are simply ok

This synth represents a great value for the money and is truly unique. However i cannot give it a 10 due to the whole 5v smartmedia card deal. They really should have used regular 3.3v cards instead cuz the 5v cards are now almost impossible to find. If it were not for eBay, they would be totally unavailable. My advice to anyone who owns this machine is GET SOME 5v CARDS NOW before its too late. Other than the obsolte storage card, this machine is really one of your best deals out there right now in a killer synth.

This synth is an absolute doddle. All the major functions are layed out on the front panel, and the menu system is very intuitive. Sometimes the MIDI assignment can be a little tricky, since each bitimbral performance defaults to Ch 1 and 2. The knobs, buttons and sliders can all output MIDI, which is great!

OK, this synth is not modular, so I wouldn't prefer it to say, a Nord modular (or a real modular!!) That much aside, the modulation routing is pretty good. If you want crazy modulation, this one might not do it... I like the arpeggiator/phrase sampler, and esp. how the tempo for this is save with the 'performance'.

Second LFO for modulation adds a little more expression. Onboard effects are usable, but limited since they cannot be edited. (Distortion is nice and crunchy, chorus/mod fx are OK.) The delay is digital, so it spits out click noise when you change speed (which can be fun...) I would have preferred an analog delay line. The velocity assignment is a bit cerebral, but works well once you figure it out.

I have gigged with this baby for close to two years with no backup, it is very dependable (it IS a Roland!!) It also lets you know if you have a bad MIDI line, which is quite helpful. I like the lack of plugpack (aren't we all just SICK of plugpacks!). I would still use it even if I got a Nord.

Roland, simply put, do NOT talk to anyone. I got a SmartMedia card on eBay for about AU$60, Roland couldn't (wouldn't) find me one! I should stress that I've never had a problem with the unit, but Roland should still make more of an effort to communicate.

I don't know that I would get it again, I like the polyphony though, and I would recommend it to a first-timer. I've just picked up a (Yamaha) TG-33 and can't wait to try the two of them layered (plus my A3K sampler)!!

err well this being my first hardware synth i found it quite hard to get used to, i lost plenty of patches by not saving them rite and made many noob mistakes.

thought the features are great the chorus has sum mad beef and teh super saw is beastly

great thats all i can say, dance music it kicks ass, after listening to pro soundsets from all the major synths the jp was definatly the most impressive close followed by the virus
used by lab 4 lots and scooter and is in most major studios, also as the main lead for 4 strings into the night

eeerr well i havent had no problems, the filter click thing is a bit shit but then u just alter the attack or release and it goes so no biggie

iv had no problems bu heard rolands shit

i think its great, very unique warm sound, looking for a middle priced dance synth?
there is no other!

Overall it's pretty easy to use and fairly intuitive. Although it can get a bit complicated using the edit buttons but the manual is helpful there. Editing the patches is a breeze. The presets are mostly cheezy dancesounds although some of them are cool especially the trancy ones.

The poyphony is 10 which is plenty but it is only 2 multitimbrral which sucks! I misunderstood when i bought it (I was still prettty new to synths and thought polyphony was multitimbral). The effects are not that good and you can't edit them but the delay is definitely useful.

Overall the sounds are great. It is very good for pad-type sounds is what I usually use it for. The bass pretty good as well but not that phat. It brings me to my main point which is that it is <B> virtual <B/> analog. I was not one of those analog snobs until i played this thing next to my Juno-60. The 8080 does sound dry next to the Juno, in fact I don't use both instruments in the same tracks because I find they clash. The oscilators on the thing are still cool esp the feedback oscilator. The filter clicking is also a problem for me.

Sometimes when editing a sound some parameters don't work which is kinda wierd, but this only happens editing presets which i don't use anyway. Never had any other problems.

Haven't had any contact with roland

If I lost it I don't think I'd get it again, but I'm still glad I have it. The main reason being computers are getting better and better, and I find software synths are just as good and much cheaper (i.e. absynth) The lack of multitimbrality is lame. I've used the machine mainly for film work as it doesn't fit so well with my artistic/fun stuff (tortoisey, mouse on marsey) because of the dryness of the sound. But it is great for atmospherics. For the price I paid I can't complain too much. It has taught me alot about synthesis.

for tweeking sound its perfect, in performance mode it gets a little complicated also filtering input is parameter deep

the rack has more poliphony then keyboard and i haven't run out of yet, plenty of knobs, sliders and bottons for tweekin away!!!plus it has some built in effecte like distotion, chorus, etc. delay is pretty good on this unit.

fat basses, and awsome leads, i practicaly use this unit in bitimral mode with a bassline on left chanel and a lead on right chanel

this unit hasn't tripped once since i bough it

haven't had to use them yet

this unit is great and does more than just get the job done but i ain't no waldorf!!!!!!!!!!!!

First, I beg your pardon for my poor english :) I try to express my opinion as well as I can :))))))

If is your first sinth, it's not really so easy as someone say, elsewhere, with a little bit of experience you can enjoy his simple interface with lot of knob and sliders that send midi message too. Good preset sound (someones excellent, fantastic) and good Roland manual (in their standards).

A good step higher than the JP8000, expecially for the sound capability and polyphony, a very good vocoder, more effect and functions, alse the smart card is very usefull.
Many peoples lament the low polyphony a the bitimbral features.
I have bought this synth to use it in live performances and not for sequencer multipart records, and I don't play pianos or other keyboards like sounds (I have GEM PRO2 for pianos and VK7 for organs), I use it like a vintage synth emulator for strings, brass and expecially for lead solos, and for me it's perfect! This is why I give a full 9. For different use it's better a 7.
ATTENTION, It does not have any Reverber effect on board! :(( - the other effects are quite good for my ears, and the whole machine make holes in the mixer.

First, this is NOT A ROMPLAYER, so it's not usefull to talk about the pianos, or rhodes or organs or so on, if you want to buy it you must have clear in your mind that is a really pure analog synth in the very means of the word "synth". All this sounds are great not for the realistic copy of an acoustic sound, but for the personalityy of the kind of synthesis in itself (I hope you understand me!)
I repeat, I use as a live vintage emulator, and in this use is a full 10. The sound of strings and brass are really fantastic and very warm, I don't use the bass sounds that are not so phatt as other VA synth (but however very good). I love the moog like lead and for me that's all... It has a lot of dance oriented preset sounds, but I can't evaluate them very deeply, 'cos they are not so interestly to me. At a glance, someones is very beautifull, others not move my emotions by a millimeter!
I like very much the kind of filter that Roland use, but it's really a matter of taste, nothing else, just listen.
With short attack envelope, you ear a click when play some sounds, but it's a problems that also some vintage synths have, for me not a problem, but...

Never a problems (if you read carefully the MIDI spec.)

I've bought my JP used and without manuals and rack mount staffs, I have must waiting for 3 months to have the manuals from Roland Italy (but gratis if you give the serial number) and 1 month for the rack staffs (about 35 US dollars). Actually is out of production, and the upgrade of systems are very difficult to find and VERY DANGEROUS to make! Roland has almost abandoned its vintage son :(( to make the SH32 that is another kind of machine, more dance oriented, but with a samples based synthesis, not the excellence of the JP series!

Yes, I'll try to buy another one, perhaps at less money :)
I have benn playing the JP8080 for one years, and I think I will play it more in the future. I use it with a Stage piano (GEM PRO2), a Roland VK7 for organs (what else?) and a JV1080 for various sounds (sorry, I play the JP8080 with a Korg N5 that remind me that you must ALWAYS PLAY, LISTEN AND COMPARE BEFORE BUY!)

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.

This unit has version 1.00 software, and I found no glitches yet. The presets were truly amazing sounding, with a clear bent on the techno type stuff. However, unlike a few other synths popular for techno that I tried out (Nord Lead, etc.), this synth not only has the hard sounds, but can sound very warm as well. The controls over sound parameters are extensive, and the voice modulator feature and ability to process external sounds are great! The manual is good and well written, although with all the sliders and knobs clearly marked on the front panel, you can go along way before you need to refer to it.

The JP-8080 has 10 note polyphony, and built in effects which are very easy to use (again just knobs on the front panel, turn 'em to add more of the desired effect). Sounds (called performances) are a combination of two patches (upper and lower) in typical Roland fashion, like many of their other synths (D-50, MKS's, etc.). The actual memory of the unit can not be expanded by adding it to the unit, but there is slot for a memory card called SmartMedia (S2M-5 with 2M byte which translates into 64 x 32 performances, 32 x 128 patches, or S4M-5 with 4M byte which translates into twice as much). These cards can store RPS and motion control data as well (see below). I do hate the fact that each time they make a new unit, they make a new memory cartridge device. I don't know the cost of these two cards. Wait for editor/librarian software. It doesn't have an on-board sequencer per se, but it does have an advanced arpeggiator function (RPS or Realtime Phrase Sequencer) which can store up to 48 patterns of notes (maximum of 4 measures per loop). Recording for the loops is in realtime, so it's real easy to use and to edit as well. This was not meant to be a full blown sequencer, although it's pretty useful, again especailly for techno, electronica stuff, and does ostinato bass lines well. It can even demo itself for you by hitting the shift and exit keys simultaneously. The unit responds to all the usual MIDI functions, and the arpeggiator and RPS can be synced via MIDI to other devices. It has two kinds of MIDI inputs. One is the standard old MIDI in, and the other is called a remote keyboard MIDI in. Use this one if you want to control the arpeggiator and RPS from the remote keyboard.

This is what got me to buy the unit, since all the bells and whistles are worth shit if it sounds bad. This unit sounds great (at least to my ears). I was afraid that since this unit was directed toward the techno, dance market, that it would only be useful for making those kinda sounds. Not true! This unit is capable of sounding like anything you want it to. Warms strings, fat brassy, thick pads, etc. I compared its sounds to my "retro analog" Super Jupiter MKS-70, and found it stood up just great in the fat, full sound category. The basses are fat as well, although it came up a little shy when I would pit its bass sounds against my Korg Mono/Poly with all 4 oscillators in unison. Then again, not too many other synths can measure up to that test either. It can also sound very nasty and aggressive. Great for industrial type noises. Also, the sounds can be set up to allow for extremely expressive playing using after touch, morphing feature, etc. Don't just hit a key and leave it there with this one. The sounds really change as you play with them.

Only had it for awhile, but I never had a problem with any Roland gear I own.

I'll end this by saying, I have a home studio and play out occasionally. I do all kinds of stuff, but mostly electronic, industrial things synth wise, and jazz stuff on the organ. The last thing I bought was a Hammond organ because of the sound, because nothing can match it. I haven't bought a new synth since 1991, mainly because I haven't heard one that caught my ears' attention, and could then keep it. Plus, I was getting a lot out of my old stuff. This synth changed that. It sounds incredible, and makes making sounds fun again with all its sliders and knobs. You don't even need a keyboard to make sounds (some of the front panel keys can act as a "keyboard" for sound demoing). Aside from more polyphony, I wouldn't change a thing on it