Trend price : 500€ (with perfect keys)
Company: Roland
Model: JD-800
Class: Synthesizer
Keyboard: 61 keys
Weight: 15 Kg
Dates: 1991
Price: 500€ (working)
Synthesis: PCM rompler
Resolution: 16 bits
ROM PCM size: 4 MB
N. wave: 108 PCM
Polyphony: 24 voices
Multitimbric: 8 parts
Oscillator: 4 digital osc
Filter: LPF/ HPF / BPF
LFO: 2 modulators
Envelope: 3 EGs
Memory: 64 slots
Effects: 2 DSP
CPU: H8532
DAC: PCM61P
Demo: 1
Video: 1
Review: 1
DOWNLOAD: user manual - Service manual - 2000 free sounds patches -
Widely inspired by past analog machine philosophy: every parameter is editable in real-time. Not a big commercial success, short production soon replaced by a rackmount updated rackmount version model JD-990.
Overview
61 velocity keys with aftertouch. The main panel features 2 graphic displays plus an alphanumeric, 61 sliders, 66 buttons and 3 rotary knobs.
Back panel terminal connectors:
-
main out
-
auxiliary out (no fx)
-
Midi interface
-
headphones out
-
hold footswitch input
-
expression pedal input
Voice
24 digital oscillator polyphpony .
STRUCTURE:
A
single patch is composed by 4 PCM layers by the JD WG "wave generator" each with individual parameters:
- level mix
- pitch coarse and fine
- pitch random amount
- key follow mode
Wavetable
4MB ROM contains 108 PCM waveforms at 16 bits resolution organized in 10 different categories:
Here's the list with PCM address:
-analog synth 1-13
-digital synth 14-35
-Realistic sustain 36-45
-Percussive 46-61
-enhanced Overtones 62-70
-piano group71-74
-Fast attack ) 75-91
-Wind family 92-97
-Noise 98-106
-Special FX107-108
Performance
each PCM layer can be controlled as an independent multipart section:
-
key range
- mono / legato mode with portamento
-
split / dual mode
- assignable aftertouch
- assignable breath control
Filter
a digital resonant filter is assigned for each PCM layer with independent parameters:
- mode: lowpass / highpass / bandpass
- cutoff
- resonance
LFO
2 delayed
interchangeable bipolar modulators with variable depth, 5 modulation shapes with variable offset : triangle, saw, square, sample & hold and random.
There are 3 destinations: amplitude, cutoff and pitch.
Envelope
3 EGs for each PCM layer:
- EG pitch: 3 segments level + 3 times
- EG filter (TVF) : 4 segments + 4 times
- EG amplitude (TVA) 4 segments + 4 times
Effect
Delay, phaser, chorus, distortion, EQ and reverb.
Memory
-
64 RAM patches
Maintenance
highly unreliable machine with frequent keys issues.
Review
OK: controls / string-sweeps sounds
NOT : unreliable / no srjv slots / some wasted PCM
"A true real-time digital experience for digital pads and sweeping sounds! sadly the technical maintenance is a nightmare. If you do not care for real-time functions, maybe a JD-990 is a wiser choice for the jv-slot and reliability "
Text , review, special demos copyright polynominal.com / Eric Pochesci
