Roland JV-1010

Editing on the machine itself is very limited. It sucks. Sounddiver is ok, could be a bit more logical,
but I can't seem to get it to work together with cubase vst. Anyone have ideas on this?

64 voice, very nice DSP effect section, nice filters. Works very nice with the serial interface connected to a laptop, so that you
can use it on the road.

The sounds are so good that I was a bit dissapointed: it is so easy to make a new age tune
or dance with this machine. The filters are cool, you can set them to extreme values so that
they start to whistle. A killer for your speakers. Incredible large collection of sound, great drums,
great synth sounds, nice strings.

Sometimes the serial interface would freeze if you reboot the computer. Apart from that, I would use it on a gig.

Haven't called them.

I am very happy with the machine. It has got a lot to offer in a single machine. I use it with a casio vz-1,
cubase vst, yamaha sw60xg and a boss dr660. Very inspiring, and unbeateble vallue for money.

What makes this box so difficult to use is the lack of editing features on board.
The front panel controls are very easy to use, but many have complained about using it in the performance mode.
I have not had any problems with that aspect, simply because I use it in home studio enviroment only. I user Digital Performer
and what I've done is taken the 2080 in the patchlist manager in Freemidi and renamed it JV 1010. Then I rearranged the patch names
to in the user bank to correspond with the 1010. They are the same patches in the user bank, just in different order.
The rest of the presets are exactly the same. Sorry if the above info doesn't relate to everyone, but Performer users might find it helpful.
Incidentally, I have the Freemidi patchlist to the Orchestral II card if anyone is interested.
The unit does sound great though, despite its low output. The 1080 and 2080, even the 880 has a more powerful amplifier. This is my biggest gripe so far.
The Soundiver software is complete but has a strong learning curve.

Having 64 note polyphony and over 1000 patches plus a card expansion, makes this box worth the price alone.
Having only two analog outputs makes it more difficult to mix professinaly but there are always workarounds, especially with digital audio nowdays.

The sounds are great, almost all of them, especially the Session board with its nice pianos, strings and various guitars. I added an orchestral 2 board and I'm happy.
I would also recommend buying the Patchman patches which you can get on line for $40.00. They have wonderful breath controll patches and new patches for all the JV units.

I had one problem when I had and audio surge that seem to knock the wind out the JV 1010 and caused to freak and not play.
After a few minutes it reset itself and has been fine ever since.
No other problems.

The Roland support people should be rated individually. They should rate from very helpful to total assholes on the loose.
I shant call them unless I need to.

I would probably buy a 2080 next time because of the 8 card slots it provides

Oh my gawd! I read Alex Fraser's October 5th review of this unit in these very pages and thought "this guy's just saved me from submitting a long and castigating review because he's written almost exactly what I would have a few days ago". Since then a long (and expensive) chat with a very helpful Roland techie has modified my view a smidgin. Basically this unit is a synch to operate if you want to access only the patches, and a complete dog if you want to see action from the performances. Roland advised me that this unit is not meant for those people without a computer, so an ease-of-use mark would be 9 for patch use, and a round zero for performances.
One other glitch in the ease-of-operating department, is the fact that the volume levels differ so widely between the patches.

See Alex Fraser's review.
Also, with the somewhat turgid 'SoundDiver' software editing potential is enormous. (So with 4000 hours of free time to spend you should be in good shape)

Some truly fabulous sounds here, like guitar, piano (surprise), (both from the session board), and many others. I imagine the dance crowd would be well pleased too. It is very expressive on the whole, with varying timbral responses to different velocities, albeit with fairly useless aftertouch for the presets (some of those 4000 hours wqould be well spent reassigning and tuning the aftertouch).

I think Roland gear is pretty sturdy, generally.

The first support person I spoke with must have been having a baaaaad day because he was unfriendly to the point of recalcitrance, and generally behaved like a first-rate wanker. The second was pleasant but didn't seem to understand my questions too well (of course, it may have been that I didn't understand my questions too well either); the third was helpful and had a firm grasp of this unit's operation (by now, I expect that Roland staff have logged 4000 hours or more dealing with questions about this machine, and the answers probably trip off the tongue quite readily)

I would think hard before buying this unit again. I have only just got off the phone with the helpful techie, and if everything he says is true, my feelings will be mollified. It seemed to me that one could not get a 'performance' out of this machine without a computer unless your controller sent the right msb, lsb bundles [Which mine doesn't], but I have been assured that the unit will land on performance 1 when turned on [which I had not, hitherto, found to be the case]. If this is true, then one can edit everything you need into a user performance, using SoundDiver, and hey presto, you have action. Still, this unit is likely to induce severe rectal distress in anyone wanting to use it in a live setup. For sequencing on a computer I imagine it would be fine (once you've spent some time getting aquainted with the editor).
I did compare it with other products, and sonically it was way ahead of anything else in its price-range - and higher. The 1080 would be a better bet, but costs twice as much with the Session board (which is excellent).
I wish this unit had $100 worth of user more-friendly interface.
I use a Fatar controller with Kurzweil micropiano, Korg 05R/W, and, of course this little gem, the JV-1010, all put through a Mackie 1202VLZ.
I've been playing piano and keybords my whole life and have been making my living from music since graduating from college.
Right now this unit gets in the way of my making music, but I do expect that to change, and if it does, it will be a big asset.

I've owned the JV 1010 for a couple of months now.
I'm no newcomer to the world of music technology - I've used enough
gear in my time, and the JV1010 has been the hardest to learn.
Out of the box, like so many have said, the 1010 appears to be a doddle
to use...if you are only selecting patches to play around with.
Throw the 1010 into a studio application, and the design flaws are
painfully obvious. The display is uninformative, being simply a three
figure LED. Selecting sounds in performance mode is a challenge at best.
This is mainly due to the knob rotation method of selecting sounds.
Many times have I selected a sound for one part, selected another previously
used part, only to have the sounds changed because of the knob's
current position. Sounds hard to comprehend in words, but play
with the 1010 for five minutes and you too will find out the hard way...(!)
Making other performance settings also defeys simple logic. To enter
performance edit mode, for example, the user is required to push
the volume knob in, (causing the module to burst into song- the volume knob
is also the sound preview button...) and the mode select knob.
The user is then required to use the sound selection dial to access
the parameters using a diagram printed on the top of the module, again
highly usefull if your JV happens to be in a rack...
Add to this that the LED displays "r-=" in the process, or some
other informative diagram to show where your sounds are being
routed to. Help. You get the picture - I could go on.
OK, the Roland comes with a special version of SoundDiver - a patch
and performance editing piece of software, but this has a steep
learning curve if you want to do more than just edit presets.
However, its reliable, and does the job.
The JV1010 manual is the worst I have ever seen.
Beginners to the world of music technology - you're knackered.
Some aspects of the unit's operation are not even covered in the
manual. There is a CD-ROM with the product, but finding the information you need
in this online version is a task in itself. SoundDiver has a reasonable
manual, assuming you have Adobe reader....Roland assumes a lot when you buy the JV 1010.
Those without a PC are in for a tough time..

The JV1010 features 64 note polyphony. Good enough for most uses.
It also features a descent FX chip, with a good selection of Chorus,
Flange and the like, as well as more unique effects for a synth, such
as the compressor (I did read the manual right..?)
The option to install an expansion board is nice, and there is an very
usefull computer connecter on the rear of the module, which attaches itself
to the serial port of your computer. The cable cost me a fiver, so this is a cheap
enough feature to take advantage of, considering the amount
of information that will be flowing between your PC and JV1010.
I was sorry to see that the 1010 only had a single pair audio output -
my cheaper Roland GS-64 has four in total.
Still, if you want more outputs, I guess Roland want you to buy the
JV1080.

The sounds on the JV1010 are the reason I brought the module.
They are very, very good, and I can see the synth becoming
a well used workhorse soundwise in the near future.
It doesn't appear to be geared towards any type of music in particular,
though the sounds of Rolands sought after early dance synths seem to be well
represented. If you like that sort of thing.
Of note, the pianos are the best in my collection of gear, and some of the
string sounds are fantastic. Also, the synth pad sounds are imaginative
and could be used in real-world situations - a departure from the
usual wooshy sweeps with thirteen layers of sound FX that you often
find on these things - no use in most people music.

I've had no cause for complaint, though I did lose the midi output
once for no apparent reason. Maybe I pressed the wrong button..

I havn't had the need to contact Roland support.

The sounds are great. The features you get for the price are staggering.
Remember, this module has all the sounds of the JV1080, and JV2080, plus
it is expandable. But it's pain to use. Peroid.
There is so much to get out of the little box, but you need a degree and
a willing PC to get the most out of it.
It seems that Roland set out to produce a cut-down version of the
JV1080 and 2080, and I can't help feeling that the costs have been cut
far too much. I wouldn't mind paying more for a descent display for
starters - how much does a two line LCD display cost nowadays?
The O/S is rubbish. Sorry Roland, I like your products. I just feel it could have been
done a lot better.
But to sum the module up: Every time you turn the module power off, you lose the
memory. Everything - user patches, performance settings..it would appear the works.
Correct me if I'm wrong though (and don't worry, I'll be your friend!)
Again, you need that PC..
I have a five year-old Korg 05r/w, and there are sounds in there which I made
when I first brought the module. A memory backup battery would have
been a great idea for the Roland...
Get the 1080. I wish I had.

If your just going to play the presets live from a master keyboard the JV-1010 is easy to use. Just turn a knob to pick a bank and then use the another knob to select the patch. It's a whole other ball game if you try and get the thing to respond on separate MIDI channels using an sequencer. The included Soundiver program is fairly robust but has a bit of a learning curve. The interface to Soundiver IMHO is convoluted and not very straight forward. The manual for the JV-1010 is typical for any technical product. Awful!

64 Voices of polyphony. Over 1000 sounds including all sounds from the Jv 2080, 1080 and the Session Expansion Card. One expansion slot. Soundiver editing software. MIDI in, out and thru. Computer port for direct connection to a Mac or PC.

The reason I bought the JV-1010 was for the extra polyphony and the Session sounds. (I already own an XP-80 and a Korg NS5R.) I love the Roland sound. Very warm and rich. Great strings and piano. The on board effects are OK. The Session sounds are incredible. I traded in a Proteus 2000 for the JV-1010 because I was dissapointed with the Proteus's strings. Now I kind of regret this decision because the Proteus had cooler drum sounds and was a way easier to work with. The output on the JV-1010 is incredibly weak (volume wise) compared to the rest of my gear.

Hasn't failed in the first couple of months. Roland stuff is usually pretty stable.

Although the support guys are very nice they seem to get annoyed if you don't understand what they're explaining. This would be acceptable if everything they said actually worked. I've been on the phone with them numerous times trying to get my XP-80 and JV-1010 to work together as I need them to and have had little success. I'm sure most of it's user error but why does all this stuff have to be so freakin' hard. Especially the fact that the XP-80 and JV-1010 are both made by the same company. The manual isn't much help either. I've been getting better advice from users on the WEB. (Thanks Guys!)

If it were lost or stolen I wouldn't buy the JV-1010 again. I'd would defintely buy the Session card for my XP-80 though. The JV-1010, again IMHO, is way to difficult to deal with setting up the MIDI channels. The Soundiver program is not very intuitive and lacks a decent manual. I'm sure that some of my frustrations are due to the XP-80 and how it works. Maybe I should have spent more dough and bought the JV-1080 or JV-2080. At least I wouldn't have to involve another piece of electronics (computer) in the whole mess. (Sorry, ex drummer!)

It is very easy to use right out of the box and make some terrific sounds, BUT: Once you start to use it in real applications, the design flaws become glaringly obvious. I own a JV1080 and an XP30, so I have the sounds covered, I mainly was interested in the portability so that I could just take it and my Roland AX-1 midi-controller for a quick easy-to-pack setup. I was already using the Sound Diver software so it was easy to configure the user presets. However, even though I knew the display only showed a number and had handprinted a patch list to use live, it was still a crap shoot if I was on the right bank/patch combination. There is no way to tell what the patch is without a cheatsheet. I would've paid an extra $100 for a great display (like on the Korg module for example). When you change user banks, the lines are very close together and don't always line up right with the knob so BE CAREFULL! ALSO, there is no way to copy a patch to the user bank live (without the software). I am constantly re-arranging my sounds right before (or in the middle of) a show. Lastly, even when you find the right string patch and piano patch etc., once you change banks, the patch changes to Number 1 of the new bank. Way too many wildcards to use live (which is why I got it - very tiny unit). And like I said - I've got the patches covered at home, so I'm returning to store today. I love Roland products (I also have an MK80 and a VK-7 which I LOVE) and I will purchase again if they make a version this size with a useable display and a tad bit more functionality.

An extra expansion slot would be nice, but I've already gone on and on about its problems.

I'm used to the patches from my other Roland gear, but for some reason, some of the patches sound different through the 1010. For one thing, the output signal is WAY TOO Weak. It is not up to the level of the 1080. Also, some of the keyboard sounds seem as if they have a tap-delay process going on that I don't get with the same patch on the 1080 or XP30. Plus - there is a great disparity in the level of sounds. You have to be very careful when switching between instruments and drop the volume between changes. However, if you get past all these other things, the basic sounds are quite complete and well done. Especially the pads and guitars.

Like I said - I don't trust it on a Live Gig. Patch changes are too risky. ALTHOUGH, I've NEVER had any problem with any Roland gear and have some that's 10 years old.

Never needed it.

I'm returning it, but will keep my eyes and ears open for its replacement with 1) more informative display (even just the patch name would be enough improvement to re-purchase), 2) User bank write/copy function without hooking up to computer, and 3) fix output signal/level disparity. If these items don't apply to you (you just need a small, inexpensive module to play with at home) then this is probably the one to get. But I'll wait.

Couldn't be much simpler to use. Has four knobs, volume, channel, value, and category. To select a patch just choose the category (piano, guitar/bass, synth, etc...) and the patch number. There's only a LED display so you'll have to remember or write down the numbers of you faves. The manual has patch lists though. Some global settings such as fx levels, tuning, and panning, are all editable from the unit. All other editing must be done using the supplied editing software Emagic's SoundDiver. I've only used it a couple of times so far but it's relatively user friendly, if you've ever used an editor program before. I was editing patches without having to even glance at the instructions or help files. I use a simple joystick port MIDI cable and had no problems at all with data transfer.

Polyphony is 64 voices which equates to 16, 32,48, or 64 note polyphony depending on number of voices used in each patch. There are over 1000 presets available, and oddly almost all of the patches from the category settings are duplicated in the Preset A-E banks. Preset D is the GM bank, although GM operation can be selected. Three effects can be used per patch, reverb, chorus, and one of 40 different effects such as rotary speaker, ring mod, tremolo, and auto wah. The Session board is built in and it can accept 1 JV series expansion board. 16 part multitimbral, one MIDI out/in/thru and computer serial port jack with Mac/pc switch. Stereo 1/4 output jacks, and headphone jack.

Most of the sounds are excellent, such as the Session piano, orchestral sounds, acoustic guitars, and many of the synths, while many stink like electric guitars, electric pianos, and many of the synths. My biggest complaint about this unit is the complete lack of a true harpsichord sample. I play classic pop music like Jellyfish, High Llamas, Left Banke, Monkees, Beach Boys kinda stuff and use harpsichord quite a bit and was really disappointed to find this out. I was going to sell my P-55 but I'll have to keep it now until I can get the Super Sound set exp board that has awesome harpsichord samples. The effects and filters are pretty good, especially the leslie sim and reverb.

I've never had a problem with Roland stuff in the past and don't expect to with this either.

I'm not sure if Roland has customer support, they didn't have any warranty info with the module.

All of the sounds of the JV-1080/2080 plus Session board in an easy to use expandable half rack module for just over $400. That's a pretty good deal if you ask me. Especially for one on a low budget. If I could have afforded the 1080 or 2080 sure I would've gotten one of those, but for the price I'm glad to own this module. I love the high quality sounds but don't like having to edit with a computer and am pissed at not getting a harpsichord sample, but all in all it was well worth the money. I can't wait to get the 60's and 70's keys and Super Sound Set expansion boards.

Easy to use if you only want to change between sounds: two knobs. Editing patches is only possible with the software, provided on a cd-rom. I have looked at this software briefly, and I must say it didn't look very inviting. I couldn't use it because the programme kept messaging me there was a faulty midi-in-signal. It's my old Kawai K1, that every now and then has a midi hick-up. For the last ten years, no other equipment or softare had any problem with it, but here is progress for you. To my relieve some system settings, like tuning, can be edited using the front panel.

64 voices, 3 effects simultaneously (chorus, reverb and any one of 40 FX). Room for one expansion card while another card (the Session) is built in. Just one midi in/out/through set and a computer interface. You can use the editing software thorugh the midi bus, so you do not need to buy the special cable this extra interface needs.

Never had a Roland wavetable synth before, so the sounds are new to me. Not too bad at all, although some of them can be found better elsewhere. Flute, french horn, Stratocaster and acoustic guitar, to mention just a few that I compared more thoroughly, are more convincing on my Yamaha TG500. I bought the 1010 along with a Keyboards of the 60's and 70's card (all right, I am a dinosaur!). There are (among others) so many slightly different versions of Fender Rhodes piano's and Hammond B3's that there is definitely a number of them that come very close to what you are looking for in this family of sounds. No need to tweak them. On the other hand, having found these few, the rest of the card is less usefull because many sounds are so similar. Together with the very realistic rotary speaker effect this unit gives more than I expected. But this expansion card has a BIG problem, I will tell you about it further on. I like most of the other sounds I often use, that are in the standard JV1010 (acoustic piano, strings, a bit of trumpet here, some tubular bells and timpany there) that I probably need no other sound module but this tiny one to carry around.

Seems rugged enough. I just hope that the knobs, especially the one that dials the patch number in a bank, will hold.

In my opinion, the sounds in the not-expanded JV1010 are not the very best in their field. I think there are units with better piano's, other units with nicer wind instruments, and so on. But those units are not as all round as this one. That's it's strength. Add the very small casing, it's expandability and ease of use (for simple tasks) and you have a very interesting instrument. A few words on the negative side. There are differences in volume of various patches. Just tuned your amplifier to the acoustic piano? You'll blow the audience out of their chairs when you change to an organ without modifying the volume. Playing very fast on a piano and holding the sustain pedal down for a long time (what kind of music that is? Well, I just mean to comment on the technical aspects) seems to puzzle the software: some later pressed keys are not sounding, some are popping up very loud. It should simply put off the 'oldest' notes to free it's resources for the 'new' keystrokes, like other units do.
And then there is, like I said, a BIG problem with the Keyboards of the 60's and 70's card. I don't know if it's only this card, or every expansion card (although the built-in Session card is ok). And it might be that the problem dos not appear in a 1080 or 2080. But I have read similar remarks in a review of the XP30. The problem is: very, very nasty and loud 'phantom noises'. Playing the Rhodes-alikes I began looking around: did it start raining outside? Did the harddisk in my pc run suddenly twice as fast? I stopped playing, and shortly after the notes faded out, the high pitched singing/hissing sounds disappeared too. It is simply in the samples! Might be aliasing or something like that. In the B3 samples the same effect makes you think there is always an extra drawbar pulled, higher than the highest you'll find on a Hammond. It is masked in patches with bright registers, but in the darker and rounder ones, there is always this skreeky sound. In the organ samples it is less disturbing, because it resembles a very slight clipping (it does not matter how the extra harmonics are added, by clipping or by aliasing) which usually becomes these sounds, but on the electric piano's it's really very disturbing. After many years I finally found a synth that gives me the Rhodes sounds I was looking for, but then this. Like I said, it may be the card, the 1010 or simply the combination of them. For use in the studio and/or soloing I have to rely on the Rhodes-patches that are in the standard JV1010: these are clean, but less authentic.

For such a minimal interface, the 1010 is actually very easy to get around on. The PatchFinder functionality is great - I've used a 1080 for a year, and wish I had this capability.
I haven't yet got SoundDiver up and running, but this is an industry standard, and I'm certain that it will make editing a breeze.

64-voice Poly, lots of ROM, Flexible effects, and fully compatible with the 1080/2080 synths! Everything a 2080 can do, this can. Many features are accessible with just the front panel, but you really need SoundDiver to make the most of it. This machine really IS a 2080 with just one expansion in a half-rack - the sound, to my ears, is identical.
Simply amazing.

I love the "Roland Sound" - some find it too brittle, but it really works for me. So I give it a 10, but that's my taste. I played it very loud, and did not hear any of the "artifacts" that one reviewer was so vocal about in this XP-30 review. It sounds as good as my JV1080. The Effects are fairly flexible.
I use this for Dance/Techno, as well as Jazz/Classical arrangements. I rely on Roland for much of my commercial work, and this box fits right in.

I've never had a problem with a single piece of Roland gear. The only thing keeping this from a 10 is that the bank select knob was not glued on, and can be easily pulled off....
Roland keeps parts around for gear over 15 years old! I bought tapes and felt pads for a 1979 Tape Delay from them direct last year...

Never had to deal with a "problem" with them. But when I've ordered manuals or parts for older gear, they're always very helpful.

This really is a JV2080 in a half rack. You give up the UI and some expandability, but you get great sounds, great waveforms, killer polyphony, sounddiver... I could go on. I'm blown away by this value. Suffice it to say, I had been considering a Proteus 2000 or a Trinity Rack, and wound up buying TWO JV1010s instead.

Sure it doesn't have much in the way of controls. What did you expect for a sub-$500 JV-2080 sound-alike? The PC software is from emagic and is not really intuitive to use (sort of Macintosh-ish looking).
To actually use the module and select patches, etc. works OK, but be prepared to memorize numbers and groups for your favorite patches. This pain is worth the low price.

All the bells and whistles of the JV-2080 are here in this little module. With the PC software, you can get to everything. Effects are top notch and varied. With over 1000 patches available you might be inclined to get lost, but you won't. The 'group by sound' knob allows you to scroll through all the pianos or all the pads, etc. There is even some nifty displays to show you where a section in a group begins (like the electric piano section under pianos) or which patch you are listening to by Bank (A,B...) and number. I find the preview feature a big plus. I'm a guitarist who is looking for mostly pads. I can quickly make a list of favorites without playing the guitar-to-midi ditty for 1000+ patches.
A new feature for Roland products that comes with this module is a GOOD manual! The manual has all you need to know well articulated (no more translations from Japanese). On the CD-ROM there are HTML versions of the detailed manuals for patch editing etc.

Great warm Roland sounds. I have an Alesis QS8 keyboard for comparison. The Roland sound is warmer but more synthetic. I LOVE Roland's pads. Since I am using this module with a Godin LGX-SA guitar and Axon midi converter, I really need good pads. Harpsichord or trumpet played by guitar would sound funky so I don't really care about the 'realism' of orchestral sounds and such.
I do find the Rloand sounds VERY expressive overall. The effects unit adds great nuances to the patches.

I just bought it so I don't know. It looks sturdy. It even has a strain relief clip to keep the 'Wall Wart' connected to the module even while tripping over the cord.

Time will tell. Roland's web site looks pretty complete so I'm comfortable.

For $469 this is a great buy. It beats the pants off the Proteus in my opinion for sound/dollar. If you really edit patches and don't have a PC you might consider a JV-2080 for over twice the price. I did lots of listening to all the modules from all the manufacturers. The Roland pads sound the best to go behind my guitar. I hooked the module in place of my QS8 and preferred the Roland sound overall for pianos and electric pianos. I still prefer the Alesis organs and classical instruments.
I have been playing guitar for 25 years. I dabble in keyboards. I just bought a Godin LGX-SA guitar and will use the JV-1010 with the Axon AX-100 guitar-midi converter to add synth layers behind the acoustic and electric pickups this guitar has.