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Average Price: $293
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$500
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Description
Unleash your creativity with the Roland JX-10 Super JX, an iconic 12-voice analog synthesizer that stands as the last of its kind from Roland. Released in 1986, this powerful synth is an upgraded model of the JX-8P and comes equipped with a full 76-key keyboard, complete with velocity and aftertouch. It boasts two Digitally Controlled Oscillators (DCO's) per voice, a resonant 24/dB analog filter, and a digital LCD screen that allows for complex programmability and storage. The JX-10 also incorporates the renowned PG-800 programmer, enhancing knob tweaking and programmability, just like its predecessor. It's also worth noting that a rack version of this synthesizer, the MKS-70, was released alongside the JX-10.
Key Features:
- 12-voice analog synthesizer
- Full 76-key keyboard with velocity and aftertouch
- Two Digitally Controlled Oscillators (DCO's) per voice
- Resonant 24/dB analog filter
- Digital LCD screen for complex programmability and storage
- Incorporates PG-800 programmer for enhanced knob tweaking and programmability
- Last full analog synthesizer from Roland
- Also available as a rack version (MKS-70)
Product specs
| Brand | Roland |
| Model | Super JX-10 76-Key Polyphonic Synthesizer |
| Finish | Black |
| Year | 1986 - 1990 |
| Categories | Analog Synths, Keyboard Synths |
| Analog / Digital | Analog |
| MIDI I/O | MIDI Input, MIDI Output, MIDI Through |
| Polyphony | 12 Voices |
FAQs
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What type of synthesis does the Roland JX-10 Super JX use?
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The Roland JX-10 Super JX is an analog synthesizer, utilizing analog circuitry to produce its sounds, which is characteristic of synthesizers from the 1980s.
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How many voices of polyphony does the Roland JX-10 have?
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The Roland JX-10 offers 12 voices of polyphony, allowing for complex chord structures and layered sounds.
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Does the Roland JX-10 Super JX support MIDI connectivity?
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Yes, the Roland JX-10 Super JX includes MIDI Input, MIDI Output, and MIDI Through ports, facilitating integration with other MIDI-equipped gear.
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What is the key count and sensitivity of the Roland JX-10 Super JX keyboard?
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The Roland JX-10 features a 76-key keyboard, providing an extended range for performance and composition.
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Is the Roland JX-10 Super JX suitable for live performances?
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With its 76-key range and robust polyphony, the Roland JX-10 Super JX is well-suited for live performances, offering a wide array of sounds and expressive capabilities.
Videos
Eivind Skau
Roland Super JX-10 Demo (HQ)
Reviews
PROS
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24 DCOs and 12 x 24dB/oct VCFs deliver rich, complex sounds
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Dual chorus units enhance sound depth in dual/split mode
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PWM mod with firmware 4.xx adds functionality and improves MIDI
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Highly versatile with iconic, recognizable sounds
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Robust construction and silent keyboard enhance playability
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Offers extensive polyphony options for creative layering
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Vecoven firmware upgrade significantly boosts performance
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Exceptional for lush string sounds
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More affordable than comparable vintage polyphonic synthesizers
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Durable design with a solid case and long-lasting display
CONS
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Aftertouch responsiveness less precise than newer models
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External programmer (e.g., PG-800) necessary for full parameter control, adding expense
Owner Insights
We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Roland JX-10 Super JX.
Mods and upgrades
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Installing the Supersynths switching power supply reduces heat and improves stability, though it's considered an extravagant upgrade.
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The Vecoven mod for the JX-10 adds PWM with faster loopable Alpha Juno-style 7-stage envelopes, enhancing its modulation capabilities significantly.
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The KiwiTechnics JX10p upgrade kit includes features like a sequencer, arp, chord mode, and a mod matrix, significantly expanding modulation capabilities.
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Vecoven mods add PWM, two extra loopable MSEGs (totaling four EGs), an extra LFO, and increased patch storage for the JX-10.
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The Vecoven EPROM upgrade enhances the JX-10 with improved MIDI, additional RAM banks, and a MIDI-synchronized arpeggiator.
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Comparisons
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The JX-10 is recognized for its sonic overlap with the MKS-80 but offers more power than the Alpha Juno-1, which lacks velocity on its keybed.
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The JX-10 features a "woolly" filter, often described as having a constant chorusing effect, unlike the simpler sound of the Alpha Juno.
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JX-10 and MKS-70 offer bi-timbrality, creating richer sounds compared to the JX-8P’s single timbre capabilities.
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The JX-10 is likened to the Roland D50 in keybed feel, using a different contact technology than the JX-8P.
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User experience
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Owners find the JX-10's programming architecture initially frustrating but rewarding with patience, revealing deep and nuanced sounds.
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The JX-10 produces very fat and hard sounds, making it a favorite for users who missed out on deals for other vintage synths like the Roland D50.
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Managing JX-10 patches can be cumbersome, requiring saving a patch file and 1-2 tone files to avoid losing edits.
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Value and pricing
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A JX-10 priced at $600 is considered a bargain given its analog capabilities, which are hard to match with modern equivalents in this price range.
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Features and functionality
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The JX-10's envelopes are noted to be slower, contributing to its unique sound character compared to faster envelope synths like the Alpha Juno.
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A full-featured random tone generator allows for creating random tones or specific categories like PAD, POLY, BELL/METAL, and BASS, with user-controlled randomness levels.
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The JX-10 is bitimbral, allowing for complex sound layering, such as detuning oscillators or using different resonance settings across layers.
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Setup and maintenance
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Some tactile buttons on the JX-10 can become hard to push due to age, but replacement parts are affordable.
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Critic Reviews
4.5 out of 5
Based on 4 Reviews and 20 Ratings
411
Last analog from Roland
Upgraded with Vecoven's 3.x firmware and PG-800 equipped. Simply outstanding.
278
Roland JX-10 Super JX
Roland JX-10 Super JX have one of my best memories with this crazy bastard :)
Artist usage
Add artist
Another instrument used by Wright since A Momentary Lapse, It was one of the keyboards more used into the Division Bell Sessions
In the Synthtopia article "Vince Clarke And The Temple of Synth," Vince Clarke is noted for using the Roland JX-10 Super JX synthesizer.
Atari 1040 ST, Atari Mega ST 4, Roland: Super JX 10, S 50, D 50, MKS 80, MKS 30, U 110, MPG 80; Akai X 7000, Fairlight, Yamaha TX 81 Z, Akai S 612, Korg DVP 1, Roland SRV 2000, Korg SDD 1200, Ibanez SDR 1000, Eventide Harmonizer, 3x Hohner HS-1/E, 2x Klark EQ, Arsonic-Sigma 5.2, EMS Synthi A, and others...
In the September 1987 issue of Keyboard Magazine, the bottom left column on page 32 mentioned that Danny Elfman owned a Roland JX-10 Super JX. The article was authored by Bob Doerschuk and Jeff Burger.
During Legowelt’s Studio Tour for Future Music Magazine, at 5:23 Legowelt talks about how this "is basically two Roland JX-8P’s into a giant new case. This was the flagship synthesizer in the mid 80s…it was a successor to the Roland Jupiter-8.
Nick Rhodes is seen using a Roland JX-10 Super JX synthesizer in the studio, as depicted in the provided image.
Listed on Wilson's Reverb.com shop in 2022.
This Roland Super JX-10 is Owned by Nancy Wilson of Heart
Serial: 640320 There are some scratches, scuffs and tape residue all throughout this unit. The interior of the flight case is very worn and has left the instrument covered in lots of dust/foam debris, though this can be cleaned and the foam can be replaced. The keys are generally a bit dirty to the touch and could use a clean. The enclosure of the keyboard is a bit loose/wiggly feeling, but it feels solid nonetheless. The second to last highest G and B keys occasionally do not respond to being played. There seems to be some intermittent volume swells and dips, and when the volume fader is turned down all the way it still plays very quietly. Some of the buttons don't respond at first press. This is likely just a sign of not being played in a while. Overall, this keyboard is a really cool piece with some awesome sounds but it would certainly benefit from a professional tune-up, and the road case interior could use some TLC to prevent the keyboard from picking up more dust. The keyboard takes an old school two-prong IEC cable, which is not included and will need to be sourced separately. Flight case in road-worn but protective condition included. The keyboard is AC 117V, 50/60Hz, 28W.
Don Airey's use of the Roland JX-10 Super JX is confirmed by a description of his live instrument line-up, where it is noted alongside other equipment such as the Roland MT32, MC500, RD300, Memorymoog, Minimoog, and Casio FZ1. Airey describes his setup as "something old, something new, something borrowed..." This information is sourced from the article "Living in the Past" published in MT February 1988.
As if this isn't enough, Jones' collection of sound sources is breathtaking. Inhale deeply for an (incomplete) overview: Fairlight Series III; Yamaha TX816 rack; Akai S1000; Roland Super JX, MKS50, D50, Jupiter 8, Juno 60, D550, and MKS20 digital piano; Korg Wavestation; Prophet T8; MiniMoog; Vocoder VP330; Yamaha KX88 and TG77; and somewhere in a corner his old 808 drum machine. Still there?
Album Usage
The Roland JX-10 Super JX has been featured on the following albums:
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Roland JX-10 Super JX, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
Community setups
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