JD-XA Tutorial of Neat Things 

Agree. Haha. A million videos about the xi but not the xa

Agreed. Very interesting you have both. Of course when I got my JDXa I felt a bit 'taken' that I had just 4 voices when I could have had 16, I was trained on classical piano, so my style is all about two-handed playing and I was used to 6 note polyphony.... I've been thinking how nobody else does the style of hybrid digital/analog as the JD-Xa. The Prologue has the 3rd digital osc but it doesn't do sample-based sounds; the Dave Smith Prophet X does do entirely PCM waveforms as the source through analog filters, but that's a far cry from the JD-Xa implementation which mixes fully analog & fully digital with crossover opportunities....

@@DaveDaves The Prophet-X does do both fully analog and digital. I own the Prophet-X and I own the JD-Xa. They are really different. If you want 8-voices of JD-Xa buy two. It is cheaper than a Jupiter-8 and you get MORE than the Jupiter-8 ever had (I owned that too and many other classics). The JD-Xa needs a really good visual editor still - I have not been a fan of the Roland editor but it is workable. I am actually thinking of getting a second JD-Xa just to have the 8-voices of analog. The way Roland builds filter circuits is still good. One thing I recommend is a good active direct pre-amp because once you work the analog filters and deal with the poorly conceived gain staging in the JD-Xa, the use of an outboard preamp is invaluable. Also, I use a Tube preamp - the Thermionic. The sound is killer!

@@galaxiesmerge_original thx for the thoughts, I too intend to get a 2nd JD-Xa for the 8 notes of JDxA polyphony - that's the monster truly worthy of a big price tag whihch Roland wasn't courageous enough to do (but the JDXa's poor sales probably was mostly due to price....). I am at this point toying w the idea of developing some kind of visual editor, either a Ctlr module or via TouchOSC, Ctrlr is more universal. Totally there with you also on wtf re gain-staging JDxA internally w the analog filters - first year I owned it I thought it was useless for processing external audio via VCF, come to find it's totally all there just crunched within this sliver of the spectrum of amplitude, if u gain-stage at all the right points you can access it - YET only via the - & + buttons on the CUTOFF, CUTOFF FINE menu at that point. grrrrr

@@DaveDaves nice! I have been toying with the idea of using Ctlr, too! Have you started yet?

@@inventorwithadd Nope, I haven't. I'd be down to discuss it as a multi-person project bcuz I don't have the time to do it all myself, its just very time intensive which we could split up. cheers Dave Daves

Thanks for watching! Blessings right back at ya!

Hi i got him to just bought it but i have no idea how to assigned effects to each analog part in this synth

I'd have to learn how to use it first! Haha I'll see what I can do.

@@MythMakerMusik & Carlos Sanchez I found something somewhere about programming the sequencer they left out of the manual I THINK ....im not entirely sure if its left out ....but you need to press the " Program Select INIT” button near the middle of the panel perhaps with SHIFT at the same time....I cant recall (I gave up on the seq its useless...but im curious about this supposed 32 step ARP with 16 notes per step) ANYHOW....this then puts the JDXA into sequencer mode....(pressing the Program Select INIT button-possibly with SHIFT) then you can select each of the sequencer parts with the OSC part select buttons....GO searching on google.

@@777curiosity Yes, if you press Program Select INIT button you can choose different programs or prefs, if you press it again you can see the sequencer of the active part

Excellent tips!

I used it once just to test it out. It works, does what you'd expect. I'm just not really into vocodering.

Roland needed to bring with it a japanese dude to show it to you.ahaha man 3 yrs later im still confused😂😂😂 but i love it to death once u nail the sequence it kills even a complete 5k worth of modular

Most of the digital waveforms on the JD-XA are actually the same ones they use on the Integra 7. But the Integra has different "behavior modeling" software and more waveforms. The JD-XA (even though it has hundreds of acoustic instrument waveforms) is meant to model analog synths using what Roalnd calls "Analog Circuit Behavior" technology. The Integra 7 is meant to model acoustic instruments using what's called "SuperNATURAL Behavior Modeling" technology. Not to mention, the JD-XA isn't just digital, but has a mostly analog signal path and real analog oscillators. If you are trying to get natural sounding acoustic instruments, the Integra 7 is a better option. If you are going for analog or PCM synth sounds, the JD-XA is better.

the pan is important to know

I'm not a big fan of onboard sequencers in general, and this one hasn't impressed me. It can't transpose like some of the older Roland synths, and it takes some menu diving to get the most out of it, for instance, if you want to tie steps together, you have to enter the sequencer menu options and choose to tie the steps which takes a few clicks and scrolls. I haven't looked into any of its MIDI capabilities other than receiving an external sequencer, CC's and program changes. I'm not sure I've heard of importing MIDI files onto a synth as you describe.

Ah that's a pity.Thanks for the reply...will keep tuning into your channel so I can learn more of the JD XA.

For my stand, I use the On-Stage Folding Z stand with the second tier attachment and a couple of those white wire frame closet shelves that you can get at Home Depot. I don't really have anything for cable management. It's kind of a mess. I'll use twist-ties on the power supply cables to roll them up and shorten them a bit.

Actually yea I have. The Humanize is basically like an EQ cut that'll carve out the lows and some highs, basically thinning out the sound. The Transformer sounds like a mono chorus or some type of "metallizer." Using them together will create a hazy kind of Lo-Fi sound that would fit in with today's 80's revival/Synthwave.

I'm sorry to say I've had to sell my JD-XA recently. Sad times, these are. The synth parts of my song called "Machina Esotericum" on my record "in not of" were recorded using only the JD-XA. You can find it on spotify or any other music service, or at my website here: mythmakermusik.com/music I also have a few jam videos here on youtube where I play it. I'm sorry I can't properly demo its capabilities for you. I hope you enjoy the synth as much as I have! And if you can remain financially secure and avoid selling it, I recommend keeping it. It's a powerhouse if you have the patience for it. Hot tip: Try combining the analog and digital parts into one monster synth by setting the aux mixer to "digital part", turning it up, and then you should be able to send both analog and digital parts into the filter at the same time even though the blue edit lights are only active over the analog parts.

Certainly. The analog dry out runs parallel to the main out, so both sources will produce sound. The analog dry out is routed before the EQ and onboard effects, the main out is after EQ and onboard effects. So if you want only the analog dry output to produce sound, you either have to unplug the main out and not use it (also completely cutting off any digital parts), or you can turn on the two EQ's on the analog part (an MFX slot set to EQ and the main part EQ) and set all the values to -15db essentially silencing the main output but not affecting the analog dry. This will allow you to play any digital parts through the main output and the analog part through the analog dry, which you could send through any effects pedals and to a totally separate amp or speaker system.

Myth Maker thanks for the response! And I’m assuming you could use a digital looper to loop the audio because it’s analog? Sounds like a nice synth hybrid. Been eying it for awhile. Pretty convinced. I see the criticism about the arp, but I don’t think I would use this for the arpeggiator.

I don't think there is any companion software for the synth that would help you skip the menu diving, but you can use a DAW with MIDI CCs and control most parameters that way.

Sorry to hear you're having trouble! Try pressing Menu then hold Shift and press the Arrow Keys until you get to Sound settings, then let go of Shift and continue pressing the arrow keys until you find Master Level and make sure it's not at 0. Then scroll with the arrow keys again and check Output Gain and check to see if it is set to -12. If it is, put it back up to 0. Another option is to make sure the Mute button isn't lit. Also, check the per track EQ setting and the Multi FX EQ and make sure the bands are all set to 0db If that doesn't work, you might have to do a factory reset, which is really no big deal. Keep in mind: You will lose any user-made data like any original sounds you or the previous owner may have made and it will bring back all the factory sounds and settings. You can back up any custom sounds with Roland's JDXA Librarian software on a computer. You can do the reset with these steps: 1. Press Menu 2. Use the arrow keys until you find Utility 3. Press Enter 4. Use the arrow keys until you find Factory Reset 5. Press Enter 6. Then press Enter again to confirm Yes 7. It will go through a quick reset 8. Then turn the power Off and then back On and let the reset finish. Should be quite quick.

I suppose it comes down to taste and need. I really like the analog oscillators and filters on the JDXA, but it only has four analog voices. In my opinion, you just can't beat the creamy Roland analog stuff. And it's their only analog synth on the market right now, which makes it somewhat special. The digital side of the JDXA doesn't use either the Analog Circuit Behavior tech or the new ZenCore tech. It runs on their older digital engine used by their V series synths. The System 8 has a very good virtual analog engine called Analog Circuit Behavior that sounds essentially indistinguishable from an analog synth and has 8 voices of polyphony. I've owned a Roland SH-01A which uses that tech and it sounds incredible. The System 8 also has all the controls you need right at your finger tips which means very little menu diving is necessary. It also has many more oscillator types compared to the analog JDXA oscillators. The System 8 has some weird wavetables, FM and RM stuff to play with allowing for a much wider variety of sounds compared to the strictly analog side of the JDXA. (Of course, the JDXA has more than 450 digital waveforms to choose from, giving it arguably somewhat more versatility than the System 8, but at the expense of a large amount of menu diving.) The Fantom doesn't have the Analog Circuit Behavior. It uses the ZenCore tech which allows for much more polyphony at the expense of the more authentic ACB sound (the same engine that's used on the MC-707). I think it still sounds really good, though. It's very hard to tell the difference between ACB and ZenCore, especially when you turn up the "analog feel" parameter. The Fantom requires quite a lot of menu diving, but it is capable of the widest varieties of sounds out of these three instruments. Keep in mind the Fantom is multi-timbral allowing for 16 independent parts. The JDXA can have up to 8 independent parts. The System 8 is not multi-timbral.

@@MythMakerMusik Thank you very much, I am a beginner and I want to buy a synthesizer

@@fahadahmadkeyboardist792 If the choice is between the three synths you mentioned, I would say either the JDXA or System 8 would be good for a beginner. All the controls you need to learn about synth sound design are laid out nicely on the front panel. You can get to work right away playing with the controls and learning all about how synthesis works. The fantom is a different kind of synth known as a workstation. They are pretty advanced and are not very easily accessible to a beginner. Other good poly synth choices for a beginner that are available at most music stores are the Korg Minilogue or Minilogue XD, the Studio Logic Sledge, and the Roland GAIA SH-01. Although the GAIA is slightly more on the confusing side because of how you edit the three oscillators separately or together by pressing the "tone" buttons in certain combinations.

@@MythMakerMusik thanks

@@MythMakerMusik Great comparison of these 3 great Synths!

I don't think so. I think the only way to do that would be to save the preset and after making a change, re-load the preset. Not ideal, I know. I'm actually not aware of any hardware synth that allows A/B parameter checking. Maybe there's one or two out there, but not this one.

Yes it will use another digital voice and steal an analog voice. If you played 4 notes then added a 5th note, it will steal the analog voice of the first note you pressed. If you played the 4 notes at the same time then added the 5th, it will steal the lowest voice. If you press all 5 notes at the same time, it will steal a random voice.

I always underestimate the shift button. Thanks!

Yea. It can play up to eight separate parts at once. So you could have one part as a kick drum, one part as a snare drum, one part as a synth melody, and so on.

@@MythMakerMusik Wow, really cool. Can each part be sequenced through separate sequencer device? (for example, imagine a situation where my jd-xa is playing bass line, snare line and kick line and then I change snare line to play another sequence, while bass and kick are continuing to playing their initial parts.) Is it possible?

@@moofik Yep! Each of the 8 parts can be assigned their own MIDI channel so you can sequence it however you'd like.

@@moofik You can even prepare up to 16 sequencer loops and then recall it on the fly

Unfortunately I ran into a couple problems with my JDXA. The menu buttons stopped working properly and the filter cutoff knob started skipping values and causing jumps in the filter sweep. It would have cost an arm and a leg to fix it so I sold it and bought a Prophet Rev2. Maybe one day in the far flung future I may get another JDXA. I really did like the sound of that synth. The oscillators and filters are very much to my taste. For now, I'm holding out hope that Roland will decide to make a new analog poly synth with similar features, more voices, all analog, less menu diving, and the ability to save your custom tuning temperaments (instead of having to dial it in each time I make a new sound. Probably the main reasons my buttons went bad. So many clicks.). A guy can dream.

@@MythMakerMusik Interesting…. let’s hope both mine don’t play up after a short time. Neither look like they’ve even been used to date! Yes, quite a few niggle issues with the -XA, that you need to live with. Totally agree, it would be fantastic if Roland followed up with a full 8-voice+ analogue (only?) poly synth which is far more accessible this time. May be that’s in the business plan wings??, though they are currently as you know focusing on virtual analogue-based DSP, cheaper manufactured solutions. 😎🤘🎹🇬🇧

This was the email I used: support@rolandus.zendesk.com I don't think the JDXA can playback wav files. I think the only things you can import via USB are presets using the JDXA Sound Librarian. It can be found on Roland's website. If you click one of the digital parts, you can cycle through over 400 different "waveforms" using the oscillator knob and the + and - buttons which are really PCM files. That's where you will find pianos and percussion sounds. But they are all PCM files, so you need to use the amp and filter envelopes to shape the sound and make them sound more natural, otherwise they just play out like long held out notes.

thank you so much have subbed@@MythMakerMusik

That's a good setup. I definitely notice a slight difference in sound over USB. And I never even thought of using the click in a musical way! That's brilliant. I think that's how disco was invented.

@@MythMakerMusik Hehe. That was a design by accident I guess. But that into the SE-02 (that actually have 41/48/96) efternal input, with its delay was trippy 😂

Hahah! It definitely didn't help my nearsightedness. I think they took the menu from a panasonic digital clock they pulled out of a dumpster behind a computer hardware store that went out of business in 1988.

I wish I knew of these features back then! Took me a while to really get into this synth.

Wait a sec, do you mean the matte black with white writing face plate that I have on mine? Mine isn't really a plate, more like a sticker. I got it for free by emailing Roland customer support. I just told them I wanted the face plate sticker and gave them my mailing address. I didn't even pay for shipping. Got it in 2 days.

@@MythMakerMusik - My mistake, it is 5-piece panel overlay (peel & paste) made by Synthgraphics, not a real plate. I guess I'd have to remove all the knobs & sliders. Are they just a slide fit or are there set screws? Is this thing worth 135 bucks?

@@fnersch3367 - I just looked it up. I don't think it's worth it. Roland will give you one like mine for free. However, if Roland isn't handing them out anymore, it might be worth it. The glossy black with dark red writing is intolerable. Also, the sliders just pop off. Pull them gently but with a good deal of force and they'll come right off.

@@MythMakerMusik - Interestingly, I actually like the existing plate but the shiny substrate should be of high impact glass which cleans easily and doesn't scratch. Thus, I agree, it must go. Too bad. This is a nice synth. I might get a Prophet as DSI seems to make good equipment. The JD-XA is my newest keyboard, my oldest is 450 years old (Italian spinetino).

Roland UK have stopped offering them

according to the bloke at Roland it stands for "track FX" ... just to be awkward , love you Roland !

Track like Tone...?

Yep! Exactly like the Analog Four. You can have up to 8 totally different parts (like independent synths) loaded up at the same time and they can all be assigned to a different MIDI channel. They can each have their own MFX (per part FX) but they all share the same TFX.

@@MythMakerMusik thank you so much. This toy seems a lot of fun. 8 tracks means you do a whole album just with the jdxa 🤣 seems its got much more menu diving vs the system8 which is much more instant but i feel it worth every penny. Thank you man ive been looking alternatives now that the doctor said im finally elektron free (been killing my flow and always my sound on the experimental side instead of my real sound) anw the jdxa seems like the perfect weapon for me. Gonna pull the trigger on one after seeing your video

@@noobslayerr9732 You won't regret it. You'll probably get sick of clicking through the menus, but there is plenty to do on the front panel without diving through the menus. Many of my custom sounds didn't require any menu diving. You can treat this synth like a Juno and not worry about the various alternate matrix routes and other deeper parameters that are in the menus. But, once you get into the digital side of things, you'll want to check out the hundreds of alternate waveforms that are hidden in the menus. Have fun!

@@MythMakerMusik yeah im gonna prolly need 2 good months on it to dare even try fire em up all its 8 engines together but that sound and crazy sonic possibilities will worth every second.

Oh I know. I'm coutin' down from my six millions presses. I want to figure out how to modify a data knob into this thing

You guys know you can hold shift to jump whole sections or ten tones at a time?

If you hold a button then press the other, data will change faster!

Someone requested I do a video on the arpeggiator. For the life of me, I can't figure out how to use it! I'll have to try again sometime.

Myth Maker it’s something to do with the menu diving combined with using the step sequencer buttons I dunno it’s beyond me

I know the feeling!

Я знаю. Это обычная жалоба. 😅