[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference napalm::commusic_v1

Title:* * Computer Music, MIDI, and Related Topics * *
Notice:Conference has been write-locked. Use new version.
Moderator:DYPSS1::SCHAFER
Created:Thu Feb 20 1986
Last Modified:Mon Aug 29 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2852
Total number of notes:33157

2623.0. "Roland JX-1 Synthesizer" by IXION::ROST (Charlie Haden on Sudafed) Mon Apr 29 1991 18:37

This is a base note for Roland's new JX-1 "performance" synthesizer.
    
    						Brian

I saw the JX-1 for the first time today.  It betrays its market immediately;
it's compact, weird looking and cheap, just the thing for a first stage
keyboard.  Unlike most of the synths cranked out over the last few years, the
JX-1 is *not* multitimbral, one sound at a time, thank you, and 64 of them
stuffed into ROM.  They're easy to get at, there are two big rows of patch
select buttons, something that's been absent from synths for a few years, it
harks back to the Junos.  You get a 61 key keyboard, velocity sensitive (I
think aftertouch, too) and the usual Roland bender thingie, not my cup of tea,
but it does let you control bend and mod with one hand.  Power is by wall bug,
there are stereo audio ins (so you can patch this into the tape monitor loop on
your stereo, for instance, or play along to tape), stereo and headphone outs,
MIDI IN/OUT/THRU.

Programming is simplified to the point of almost not being there.  You can take
any preset, adjust attack, release, brightness (filter), and store off to
memory.  Which means if you can't finds a sound already close to what you like,
you can't make it happen.  The heart of the beast is RS-PCM, like the U-20,
with the addition of digital filters (TVF).  This gives you good, if not
earthshaking, meat and potatoes sounds (piano, strings, organs, etc.) and
enopugh synth sounds to get by on a gig.

The lack of programming flexibility probably is a non-issue to first time
buyers who just want a keyboard that is loaded with hip sounds (we all know how
little programming most users do).  
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
2623.1Free "Performance Kit" OfferRGB::ROSTFart Fig NewtonWed Aug 28 1991 13:224
    A limited time offer from Roland, you get a free gig bag and set of
    headphones if you buy a JX-1.  No idea when this offer expires.
    
    						Brian