The Roland JD-800 Buyer’s Guide for Dummies

Another GREAT contribution from MidnightHabit from Texas, USA:


Important note: the author's guide have done updates to this material, so please, verify the last update date as this changed the update link.


This is The Roland JD-800 Buyer’s Guide for Dummies! 

It's a nice work where he compiled the needed information to buy and found additional resources for the JD-800.

Also, very usefull updated information about some maintenance sometimes needed and this is good to be aware when you buy your own classic vintage JD-800.



Click at the link to view or download it:  

==> ROLAND JD-800 BUYER’S GUIDE for DUMMIES  (pdf)

Download link changed: Last update in 24/april/2015

Thanks!

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Using the Four Palletes in Real Time

A new great video from Marko Ettlich of RetroSound.




A note about: starting at 0:09 we can see the real time use of the four pallete sliders.
Each patch can have up to four individual tones.
This is a resource many new synths like to show at their demos but this often go unforgotten on the JD-800.
So it is possible to create a path with four different tones and choose what you want play in real time.
But just to remember, the effects are unique for all. Because this the only I miss at the JD are a set of sliders to real time control of the effects area (one of the best for decades).

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Power guitars

The JD-800 have some very nice guitars to play with that become classics.
 
Here, two nice examples.


MidnightHabit from Texas, USA, sent this solo with the velo crunch guitar voice 



And here, recorded by Kemodesh, Italy, the keyboard solo from Dream Theater album Awake (1994) with Roland JD-800.
This is the same sound as the original used by Kevin Moore for recording session!

The JD-800 at Rick Wakeman stage.

Some time I have not posted something due short time here.

So, a picture of Rick Wakeman with his JD-800. 
He also have JD-990s at the rack.


Show your JD-800! People who have good studio/stage photos where the JD-800 appears very clear or is the principal, please, send a message so I can post here with credits. 

Image source: Audio-Technica Helps Wakeman Deliver ‘Ultimate Experience’

PS: This is never a promotional post. I'm just a fan. Rick is a very gentle brother to share with us his talent.

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List of the eight original sound card Sound Libraries

Text source: jd-800.tripod.com (por Tha Villian). Visit the site for a complete list of each card and waveforms .
(I add added a few comments in the original site text).


There are Eight Sound Libraries available for the JD-800:

1. SL-JD80-01 Standard Drums
2. SL-JD80-02 Dance Drums
3. SL-JD80-03 Rock Drums
4. SL-JD80-04 Strings Ensemble
5. SL-JD80-05 Brass Section
6. SL-JD80-06 Grand Piano
7. SL-JD80-07 Guitar
8. SL-JD80-08 Accordian



Each Library consists of two cards:
SO-JD80-01 Standard Drum Waveforms | PN-JD80-01 64 Sound Patches
SO-JD80-02 Dance Drums Waveforms | PN-JD80-02 64 Sounds Patches
SO-JD80-03 Rock Drums Waveforms | PN-JD80-03 64 Sound Patches
SO-JD80-04 String Ensemble Waveforms | PN-JD80-04 64 String Patches
SO-JD80-05 Brass Waveforms | PN-JD80-05 64 Brass Sounds
SO-JD80-06 Grand Piano Waveforms | PN-JD80-06 64 Grand Piano Sounds
SO-JD80-07 Guitar Waveforms | PN-JD80-07 64 Guitar Sounds
SO-JD80-08 Accordian Waveforms | PN-JD80-08 64 Accordian Sounds


Each Set comes with two cards. A Waveform card and a Data card.

Most waveform cards also include a special setup to map various sounds to individual keys. Only the three drum cards and the Accordian Card include Drum Maps. The four other cards only map waveforms to keys.

The sounds on the patch cards are very rich and often better than the internal sounds but there are some noticable filler sounds on each card.

A few cards - String Ensemble & Grand Piano only have 7 waveforms because more memory is needed.

Unfortunately, the cards & patches are quite stunning & realistic and very hard to find. It could cost you more to buy each card individually than the cost of the Keyboard itself.

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My notes:

The waveform cards are used by position number. This means, the data card patch get the waveform by number.
So, if you just put another waveform card, for example,  the patch using the 3rd waveform will use it too.

If you have not the waveform card, try using the internal.
The data cards have somne diferent programming, so, you can use the Sysex of the card, but with the internal waveforms. Just edit the patch and assign to the internal waveform you choose. For sure you will not have the same results like the strings or pinao cards, but that are really interesting.


The String Ensembleis a must have! Try it as you can.


A last note, the Roland Fantom have the JD800 acoustic piano included. Despiste the small sample memory, it's so very good to be included there with famous others.

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90's movie attack!

Very good comments from Jexus from syntezatory.net.pl about the JD-800, the pros and cons.

For sure we have lacks and problems with the project, and such ideas helps to make better use and creation of new machines.
The mp3 demo (link at page) are really very good.

Click the image or here: http://syntezatory.net.pl/roland_jd800.htm 

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The first 40 factory presets and small review

Paul Baraka, composer and sound designer recorded the first 40 factory presets in a nice point of view.

It's always nice to see and listen how the same presets sounds great for diferent minds!