Yeah... there is a manual, supplementary manual, Parameter Guide, MIDI Implementation guide all on Roland's support site: https://www.roland.com/global/support/by_product/jd-xa/ To be kind... these are sparse.
What is sorely lacking - is a more comprehensive manual that takes a user through the capabilities of the instrument. How to combine partials, tones, construct Programs. Editing Arpeggios and developing Pattern Sequences. Using the Vocoder, blah blah blah. Personally, I've resigned myself to digging through the manuals and learning what I can, best I can. If Roland published video guides like they have for the FA-6/08 series - it would make up for the lack of written material.
Why am I whining?? And -- I will admit to doing so. Apologies for that. What sparked me.. is stumbling upon the "Roland Creative Book D-50 Book" (available here: http://www.cultofd50.org/Roland_D-50_Creative_Book.pdf ). This book while quite dated (~30 years old).. is a good read. The D-50 is premised on LA Architecture, which is not exactly the same as the JD-XA :) , however, the heritage is readily apparent as you read the doc. There is plenty in this document to glean tidbits from. Roland put a lot of effort into walking programmers/owners through getting the most out of the D-50. Sound design, how to tweak presets, how to create tones, how to use the onboard effects (chorus, reverb, delay, equalization), and a chapter called "SOUND QUALITY Taking Advantage of the D-50's Unique Features"... complete with bunch of patch charts for creating additions to the 64 presets that came with the D-50. Enough reading to kick-start a fledgling synth programmer... and get them developing their own custom D-50 patches, while learning how to get the most out of it's architecture. This document.. provides the verbiage, the secret-sauce narrative behind the Parameter Guide that we see today.
So.. I am whining because Roland knows better. They obviously know how to do videos. The Ed Diaz videos for the FA-06/08 are excellent.. and probably shaved months off my learning that system. They also.. know how to construct a useful "Roland Creative Book". I.E. how to not only provide "How to access Settings"... but how to combine those settings, and how that impacts the sounds you produce.
It would be wonderful... if Roland would get someone to turn the Parameter Guide (and many portions of the Owner's Manual) into a Creative Book. Honestly... someone with the time and patience could do much of this themselves. Many (most?) of the JD-XAs parameters existed in some fashion way back when the D-50 was developed. Some have new names, some have similar effect on the sounds coming from the JD-XA.
So in ending this lengthy rant. I would encourage those who may be struggling with some of the cryptic or non-existent documentation for parameters -- to NOT download the D-50 creative book to give it a quick read. While much is applicable to the JD-XA, it may ruin you.. You will see the art of the possible. You may get frustrated though :) . OTOH... you can not take my advice, and download the D-50 Creative Book. Learn from it. See what is applicable to the JD-XA. Don't worry.. be happy..
Joe
JD-XA Literature... lacking
Re: JD-XA Literature... lacking
Totally aggree Joe, it is a deep synth and most of my usefull tips have come from forums. The new System 8 already seems to have way more official videos than the JD-XA. It seems a trait nowdays for companies to release gear with very little after sales support. They seem to rely on the users to sort things out! Cheers Glyn.