Updates: Many topics are permanent, so may be updated to any material, for add or correct info.
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Since the beginning this site tryes to be a compilation center of the best sources for the JD800. Not a copy.
So please, visit the sites at the Links section for lots of much more very good information.
Thanks to Scott MacLean we have a new video showing a lot of how the JD-800 works in practice and explaining each section.
His comments:
"I realized recently that there are very few (I couldn't find any) YouTube videos that do a deep dive on how the JD-800 works, and how sound design is done on them. So I decided to rectify that.
In this tutorial/review, I go over everything you ever wanted to know about the Roland JD-800: The history of the synth, how the engine works, how to manipulate patches, how to do sound design, how to edit the effects, and more!"
We received this interesting relate about the red glue from Eric Frampton.
"22 de dez. de 2023,
I’ve just finished the lye treatment on my red glue JD-800. I wanted to add my $.02 to the notes:
Someone elsewhere on the web recommended LA’s Awesome Cleaner (undiluted) for spot treatment. I can concur that this softens up the red glue enough that, with a fingernail and some careful scrubbing, you can get excess glue off the exterior lower key rail without removing paint.
When I did the lye treatment, it clouded up (left a white film on) a bunch of the black keys, and fogged up most of the white ones. I used Novus #2 Plastic polish (Fine Scratch Remover) to polish, and everything cleared up very nicely. This was after lye/dish soap/etc.
Classically trained in piano from age five, Eric wears many hats including keyboardist, producer, composer, and technician. He has worked with a diverse range of artists including the B-52s, Boston, Paul Simon, Lionel Richie, Collective Soul, Yanni, Billy Currington, Mother’s Finest, Greg Manning, Tate Stevens, Stuck Mojo, and Fozzy.
Eric has written six musicals, performed on hundreds of album projects, produced commercial music for everyone from the Atlanta Braves to the QVC network, and even recorded cues for a couple of feature films.
You can also catch him performing with his 80’s tribute band, Electric Avenue.
Something that is frequently requested are alternatives to replace the JD-800 keybed with another that is similar as it is practically impossible to obtain a replacement.
We asked our friend Paulo Audiocare (Brazil) who is a technician with long experience in maintaining synths and the suggestion was as follows:
"The best keybed to adapt to the jd800 or U-20 is the Roland W30 (or D50, which is the same).
Just make the adjustments to the matrix.
The mechanical part is very close and the drillings are almost exact."
This was posted by Alex Ball at Youtube in a recent work posted September, 13, 2023.
Thank you!
This JD-800 now is with Andrew Ward who gently allowed this video.
Sorry, no Sysex is available nor is there a possibility of getting it. This is explained in the video.
Citing Akex's words:
"Here's a look at Tony Banks' Roland JD-800 that he used live throughout the 1990s.
In this video, we have a listen to the tour patches stored on the instrument and get a little glimpse into how Genesis did things in front of stadiums full of adoring fans.
Huge thank you to Andrew Ward for the loan of this historic instrument.
Gaining access to the internal parts of the JD-800 is a simple process but requires a little care.
Removing all screws may do your internal components fall.
You must remove only the screws AROUND the bottom and two screws in the center line, they are at 1/4 from side, and may be you can see a few bigger hole where thy fit to.
Sometimes the bottom have some "dust" acting like glue to.
Photo: Gwydion Elderwyn
How to remove the panel. JD-800 Manual. (click to enlarge) Source: Roland Co.
As a JD-800 lover, maybe you perceive I really love this synth, I was after this for a long, long, long time. To be clear, since 2002 when I got the JD-800 and created this site.
In short, the JD-800 SE is a Brazilian edition with the Strings Card plus exclusive patches but the same original factory presets.
In practice, the JD-800 SE included all 5 cards.
In the early 1991-92 years, people from Roland's Brazil asked for a group of very experimented Brazilian musicians to help create new patches for the JD-800.
This version received an entirely new set of patches that were not included in the factory presets.
But this was a problem too because almost all users forgot to save the internal memory into a memory card (not included), so those patches become lost for a long time.
So, if you have a JD-800 SE and restore factory presents, you will lose the SE version patches! This happened to most of them sadly.
My first contact with the JD-800 SE was in 2005 with Elberto Ronald Manske who had a very nice studio and with all cards.
After nearly two decades, I found someone who still has the patches saved plus the original prints included with that special model.
And yes, I have the JD-800 SE, but I was after such patches for a long time, and still, sadly I do have not the String Card (a really fantastic one).
The new patches were created due to the great work of:
Eric Persing
Adrian Scott
Paulot Roberto T. A. de Oliveira
Lucas K. Shirahata
Carlos Alberto F. Merussi (Pardal)
The patches:
After finding this, I commented in local groups and then another colleague made a simple video about it, and for sure the JD-800 SE deserves a better one, but he has not the String Cards and his machine sadly is in bad shape, using another keyboard as a controller.
The original credits to these great guys:
On this page below you can download this rare set of patches. Copyright @Roland Co.
Also, watch this video made after we got the material to get a very simple idea. Tiago is using a controller without the Strings Card.
Anyways, no matter who made what, I give thanks to this beloved great friend who gifted me with the original material after decades so we solved the mystery of the JD-800 SE!
A very good video from Scott MacLean with a full JD-800 repair, restoration and modification.
It's a really very complete video, including links for all the parts and products used!
His words:
"The Roland JD-800 is a virtual analog synthesizer produced from 1991 to 1996. Like the D-50, it uses Linear Arithmetic synthesis, which combines samples with digital synthesis. There are 108 built-in waveforms, with the ability to expand this with cards. This is a JD-800 I acquired that was in sad shape - it was suffering greatly from the "red glue of death" - a common problem with Roland synths of the time. This epoxy failure causes sticky, red glue to drip out of the keys and into the synthesizer, gluing keys in place and destroying circuit boards. In this video, I show how I take the synth apart, fix the red glue mess, then do some modifications to the aftertouch and power supply."
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