I can't bring myself to like the JD-XA - I'm selling it.

[Fordy]

Having had JD-XA now for 2 months I have decided to sell it.

I can say that from my point of view that I really just don't like the overall sound of the JD-XA at all

The reason I'm mentioning this here is that if any one is lurking who wants one (in the UK only) then you can have my pristine JD-XA (with the yet as undelivered Synth Grapics panel overlay) for £1150.

Just PM me.

If I'm breaking any rules by posting this here then I apologise up front, please remove my post.

[zombietactics]

IMHO and FWIW ...

I found myself extremely frustrated by the lack of good, musical factory patches present on the JD-XA. This was somewhat mitigated by the OS 1.5 release and new factory patch set which came with it, but I still found much of that material lackluster and uninspiring.

In that respect, "I feel your pain".

I have found that - in creating my own patches - it's an extremely powerful machine capable of wonderful, amazing things. It's also my opinion that the AXIAL library material ported from Integra7 patch sets is a rich mine of sonic goodness.

But that takes effort. If one likes to dig in an program synthesizers, I think this is a great instrument with vast, as-of-yet-untapped potential. However, it absolutely fails as an out-of-box "preset machine".

A good part of Roland's past success was the work of people like Eric Persing in developing amazing, useful factory patches. They need to renew their effort in this area.

[HaveIt]

Two months is long enough to decide if you don't like a synth. I fell in love just with the first cutoff tweak on one of the presets, but that's just me. Since then it has continued to surprise and satisfy me. I'm not even layering or doing the hybrid analog/digital sound they hype up. The basic analog mono or single layer digital are quite enough for many tasks.

But no one is forced to like a synth. Good to part as friends early on than keep something you don't like.

[Fordy]

Thaks guys

I have been tweaking the presets and creating my own from scratch but it's still not cutting it for me. I just can't put my finger on it.

I have a Roland V-Synth GT and love that, but the JD-XA is the black sheep of the family lol.

[HaveIt]

Just for fun, do you like the VA of the V-Synth?

[zombietactics]

... it's still not cutting it for me. I just can't put my finger on it. ...

There's always a certain "chemistry" between the artist and instrument. If it's not there for you with the JD-XA, nobody can fault you.

[JDBoy]

IMHO and FWIW ...

I found myself extremely frustrated by the lack of good, musical factory patches present on the JD-XA. This was somewhat mitigated by the OS 1.5 release and new factory patch set which came with it, but I still found much of that material lackluster and uninspiring.

In that respect, "I feel your pain".

I have found that - in creating my own patches - it's an extremely powerful machine capable of wonderful, amazing things. It's also my opinion that the AXIAL library material ported from Integra7 patch sets is a rich mine of sonic goodness.

But that takes effort. If one likes to dig in an program synthesizers, I think this is a great instrument with vast, as-of-yet-untapped potential. However, it absolutely fails as an out-of-box "preset machine".

A good part of Roland's past success was the work of people like Eric Persing in developing amazing, useful factory patches. They need to renew their effort in this area.

This is the answer here, specifically that you should ignore the presets, learn the machine fully and appreciate the wonderful things it can do. So many are now impatient, and mixed with the cost of things (over a grand isn't a walk in the park) they understandably want instant satisfaction, when it doesn't come people knee jerk and sell new gear off. I've been that way with almost every expensive (newer not used) synth I ever bought, it's human nature to want your money back fast after you have had that GAS fix.

However, having owned and programmed deeply the JD-XA for a long time now, I can confidently and honestly claim it's the most powerful and most rewarding sound/music making device I've owned in 20 years of owning many, many synths (old, new, VCO, DCO, VA, Digital etc).

I'm not sure why some people can't give the XA a chance, but for me it's the most vital synth in my studio and I don't let the smaller keybed, plastic etc put me off from the sound.

The presets are pretty bad, and the tone out of the box (with those presets) isn't too appealing for some reason, but it didn't take me long to tap the potential of this beauty. Everyone is different, other people prefer a very basic/more instant and always sweet synth, or a more raw/dirty sound. And that's fine. Would be boring if we all loved the same stuff.

The JD-XA however can sound as beautiful as any synth I've had or heard, for many types of sounds, and does far more than the typical synth (it would take a stack of maybe 5 other synths to replicate what the XA can do without breaking a sweat soundwise and versatility/playability wise).

Until something comes along that can surpass both the power, the sound, the feel/playability, the musical/inspiring results and programming fun of the JD-XA it won't be going anywhere. I have a feeling the only company that could surpass it is Roland themselves. Not at all impressed by DSI's offerings, and I'm not falling for the new Behringer hype train.

For me the JD-XA and the V-Synth are my main two boards now and I can do pretty much anything I need between those, they cover Real 2 osc poly analog, powerful mono synth duties, SN/advanced warm SYNTH style rompler digital stuff (have zero interest in horns, pipes guitars and that kind of sampled stuff), VA (in V-synth) which contrary to common opinion I find extremely poweful and offers me UNIQUE results that give me sounds no synth on earth gives (along with the sampling), and a quirky sampler (V-Synth) that like the XA is beyond empowering and very nice to work with. There is a small bit of overlap with the two but there's a much wider gulf of difference between them that allows them to coexist nicely, like fire and ice (XA being Fire).

Those two boards, Rolands last two Flagships as it happens, are the two synths out of at least 50 I've owned that impress me the most, soundwise, results wise and tech wise. Everything else has been put in the shade by them (outside of the really REALLY nice vintage beasts that I can't afford anyway)

I'm confident enough in the XA's abilities, as even just an Analog, that I'm selling off most of my older analog gear. There are differences sure, but when you really know the XA you can get sounds so close to those classics it's pretty much a coin toss on which you prefer in a given situation, 6 voice poly would have been nice yes, but it's not a deal breaker when I have so much power on tap, musical power not just raw specs. Often I've recorded new XA parts (analog) to compare to the old 80s DCOs and a couple of VCO synths in my music and I'm serious when I say 9 times out of 10 I end up preferring the XA version. Perhaps a little more default grit, noise, drift and whatever else the old (even DCO) synths had would please more people instantly, but in recorded music it's become a non-issue for me.

What I really love is the sum of the parts, much like the V-Synth which is another synth that some 'get' while many don't. It's this specific package that appeals so much, and the flexibility and choices it offers (with great sound). I'd love a full all analog version of the XA's analog engine with 8 note poly and some tweaks, sure, call it Jupiter x or something but I'd also miss the unique elements of the XA and more and more even the digital side which can sound absolutely beautiful, I kind of ignored that side for a long time.

[HaveIt]

^^^^^

What he said. A beautiful synth which keeps on delivering.

[JDBoy]

^^^^^

What he said.

;)

It's REPLACED almost all the synths in my studio. While it's not exactly the same as all of them, it's very versatile and sounds great itself covering almost all the facets of synthesis from punchy mono bass to sweeping pads, to squelchy sequences, analog drums, ambience, atmospherics, effects. It's a stunning synth and anyone who can't see that probably has issues, that buying other/more synths aint gonna solve ;).

The analog section alone is SO good that if they do make a pure 8 voice analog version of the XA in a 5 octave synth (A DCO jupiter) I'd buy one in an instant. Though it wouldn't replace a JD-XA because of the whole of its parts (digital section which is VERY VERY good too). Just a vote for the analog side which is severely underrated in many circles yet is vastly more powerful and NICE sounding than the usual (new) suspects that get lots of hype.

It reminds me of the power of the Andromeda (but scaled back a bit) BUT much nicer sounding, it has lots in common with the A6 power wise and feature wise, but not as overblown (Obviously just talking about the analog section here). Also the filters are nicer on the JD-XA as they can actually do more than just the tame, nice but smooth, or over bright stuff on the Andromeda. Modulation and CPU update speed is much faster on the JD-XA, no being overloaded by its own power. Now the A6 IS a great synth for sure, a monster, but sometimes less is more and the XA hits a real sweet spot and sounds a lot more musical too.

[Myrk-]

I found myself extremely frustrated by the lack of good, musical factory patches present on the JD-XA. This was somewhat mitigated by the OS 1.5 release and new factory patch set which came with it, but I still found much of that material lackluster and uninspiring.

I actually thought the original patches were ok! The guy who made the 1.5 sounds should be fired though - they sound worse than my first kiddy keyboard, and really pushed me away from my JD-XA until I restored it to the original patches, empty slots, and my own creations of course!

A good part of Roland's past success was the work of people like Eric Persing in developing amazing, useful factory patches. They need to renew their effort in this area.

They definitely need this! 1.5 proved that! I've seen one guy on youtube who does amazing covers of famous songs on a JD-XA - they need to hire him! Is he on this forum per chance?

[PauloF]

They definitely need this! 1.5 proved that! I've seen one guy on youtube who does amazing covers of famous songs on a JD-XA - they need to hire him! Is he on this forum per chance?

I'm not sure Gattobus is on this forum, at least not with this nickname that I know

He is a master!

[Myrk-]

When I PM'd him on youtube he said his patches might appear on Axial sometime soon... oooooohhhhh

[MartinE]

He posted a link on twitter:

https://twitter.com/gattobus/status/780678857091342336

Haven't had time to try it out myself.

[Jdoo]

He posted a link on twitter:

https://twitter.com/gattobus/status/780678857091342336

Haven't had time to try it out myself.

Sweet! Thanks for the link. Looks like he has posted 32 covers. Excellent news.

[Coorec]

i cant download them from there... is anyone able to post them without google drive?