The classic Roland JX-3P comes to the Plug-Out range of synths
The lesser known but equally awesome Roland JX-3P came out concurrently to the legendary JUNO synths which stole the limelight.
The Roland JX-3P was a unique take on analog synthesizers at the time, and posed itself up against the JUNO giants, so it was bound to be overlooked. The JX-3P featured the same iconic filter and VCA circuitry as seen in the JUNO and Jupiter synths, and even expanded on the oscillator per voice count, making it more flexible – however the interface was a bit clunky which made it a lot less playable than the JUNOs and Jupiters.
The Roland JX-3P has just been added to Roland’s Plug-Out range of synthesizers, and furthermore will come preloaded on any Roland System-8 synths. This is a huge step, because like I mentioned the sound of the JX-3P is incredibly flexible, but the newer Roland System series present themselves as a much more hands-on programming interface than the original JX-3P.
The original System-8 synths featured three “Plug-Out” switches, with only two being occupied at the time – so the rumour mill was going crazy with ideas of what the third classic Roland synth remake would be.
Any new features in the JX-3P Plug-Out?
The Roland System-8 synth has some awesome features that the Roland JX-3P Plug-Out will be able to take full advantage of. It has CV and Gate for easy introduction into a modular environment or with original classic Roland synths. The System-8 also features USB Audio and MIDI transfer, bringing the iconic Roland JX-3P into the digital age.
The Roland JX-3P is an incredibly capable system, able to produce those classic sounds that the Roland synths of the 80s were known for, as well as offer a huge amount of flexibility – more so than a host of the polyphonic analog synths of the time. The fact that it was overlooked by the general market means you can pick one up second hand for a bargain considering (Upward of USD $1000), however for just a bit more, the Roland System-8 gives you three iconic synth engines with a host of new features.
Check out Roland’s website for more details.
