Roland JX-08 Boutique Synthesizer

General

The Roland JX-08 Boutique synthesizer is a loving replica of an eighties stomper: the JX-8p. A kind of Juno and Jupiter hybrid, this fat analogue synth was used by the biggest names of the time. It was also one of the last analogue synthesizers that Roland produced during a period when FM synthesis and sample playback was on the rise. Anyone in the know will immediately notice that this Boutique reissue vastly improves on the original when it comes to control, since the JX-8p was notorious for its army of buttons, which simply failed to match up to even basic sound-designing needs. So, even before you start digging into it, the new JX-08 might be smaller, but it's definitely better!

The Roland JX-08

The core of the 08-edition is an accessible subtractive synthesizer module which, in terms of options, still sits between the Juno and Jupiter. Two oscillators with cross-mod and sync; a low-pass filter with an extra high-pass filter; and ever-useful envelopes and an LFO are all provided. The classic charm of the chorus that came built into the JX-8p is also present, as well as the same reverb, and as a welcome bonus, an arpeggiator and sequencer have been added. By itself, this is a formidable desktop synthesizer, but like the other Boutique models, it can be neatly combined with the DK-01 or K-25m dock. In short, a hefty slice of synthesizer history has been plucked from 1985 and carefully wrapped up in a tighter, more portable package. What's not to love?