Roland JX-03

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Thom
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Roland JX-03

Post by Thom »

It’s my birthday today and my wonderful wife got me this little beauty!

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Lots of fun :D
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Post by ekwatts »

I've been loving the look of these mini Rolands. It's weird that it has taken them this long to actually start putting out products that... y'know... people want.

The one that caught my eye was the SE-02, but I'd quite happily have any of them.

What's the actual keyboard like? The keys look big considering the overall size of the units, are they larger than minikeys? I haven't actually seen one of them in the flesh yet so I'm not sure exactly how big they actually are.
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Post by Thom »

Yeah the mini modules seem great - as you say I’d be happy messing about with any of them.
Keys seem good to me, I don’t know if there’s a standard mini key size, but these do seem fairly large - they’re 19mm wide.
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Post by BearBoy »

They look slightly narrower than fullsize keys. I've got a JU-06 sat on top of my Juno Stage and the width covers C-A. I keep meaning to get one of those keyboards so I can mess about with my JU-06 on the sofa etc as the ribbon control is useless (for me, at least).

Great present!

Oh, and Happy Birthday Dots Thom!
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Post by ekwatts »

Yeah, there's "minikeys" which are basically thin and short, "slim" keys which are mostly full length but thin. And there's not really any standard I suppose. I was just wondering if the keys look larger because of the overall tiny size of everything else or if they were genuinely pretty fat keys. It's all relative I suppose; If you were Jeremy Beadle I guess the difference wouldn't be important to you.

But yeah, the modules interest me since I have a decent controller keyboard, but I also kind of love the idea of the little controller module keyboard because they're just such a cute little package, even though I don't need that bit.

It's as if Roland have gone for a sort of halfway-house between the Korg Volcas and the Behringer desktop synths and, honestly, I love how functional AND convenient they look as a result. The prices are a little higher than I would have expected if these had come from either Korg or Behringer, but they're still affordable and it's Roland actually giving people what they want, at last; classic Roland sounds in a good looking package.
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Post by BearBoy »

ekwatts wrote:I also kind of love the idea of the little controller module keyboard because they're just such a cute little package, even though I don't need that bit.
Yeah, I don't need the little keyboard. Which is why I've never picked one up as they were £75-£80 I think last time I looked. Seemed a bit spendy for something I didn't really need (could get two DS-1s for that).
ekwatts wrote:The prices are a little higher than I would have expected if these had come from either Korg or Behringer, but they're still affordable and it's Roland actually giving people what they want, at last; classic Roland sounds in a good looking package.
I really liked the look of them when they first came out but the prices put me off buying a whole bunch of them tbh. I started thinking of getting the System 8 instead as it covers all the various classic synths and also has 8 voice polyphony. But then that's over a grand and I don't really want another full size keyboard. If they brought out a System 8 that was styled like a Jupiter or Juno I think I'd bite though. Because I am shallow.
Fran wrote:I love how this place is basic as fuck.
ekwatts wrote:I'm just going to smash it in with a hammer and hope it works. Tone is all in the fingers anyway.
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Post by Thom »

Yeah they are slightly narrower than full size keys, but still wide enough to feel like you’re not going to struggle with hitting accidental notes. They are much shorter though, which is the right way round in my opinion.
Had a good old play this evening, just using the presets, which has been great. Looking forward to having some proper time with it. Lucky to find this one - is second hand and in mint condition, keyboard and module was all in for less that what they were new. Happy days. Additional modules is now going to be the temptation....
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Post by lorez »

That's a great gift to get. Fancied a few of these modules from Roland as well
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Post by gusman2x »

Happy BDay. Cool present from your wife too. I have the D-05, and it's a great sounding piece of kit (albeit a different kind of synth for sure). I too have the keyboard, and it's kind fun for jamming on.
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Post by paul_ »

I love the Roland Boutique modules, but it never sounds like I do when it comes time to discuss them.

I have the JU-06, A-01 (which I mostly use to control iPad synths via Bluetooth) and keyboard controller. As BearBoy says, the ribbonwheels are a bit of a drag. The mini USB connections are annoying/flaky as well, you pretty much need a computer/interface in the middle to use better keyboard controllers with them handily.
I wanted to get more of these (especially the bassline and newer Juno one) but they realized what they had after the initial limited runs and the new ones are all a lot pricier. Also hate the 4-note polyphony and "just hook 2 of em together!" shit, it's just blatant profit manipulation.
The actual mini keyboard controller is pretty decent, but not the best controller, and you can ONLY use them with these modules. I consider them all to make better studio toys than hardware synths... but only favor them over VSTs because of the control panels... it's all a bit erm. I love them, just wish they'd been done better.

Definitely fancied the JX-03, congrats and HBD Thom.
Aug wrote:which one of you bastards sent me an ebay question asking if you can get teh kurdtz with that 64 mustang? :x
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Post by ekwatts »

paul_ wrote:I love the Roland Boutique modules, but it never sounds like I do when it comes time to discuss them.

I have the JU-06, A-01 (which I mostly use to control iPad synths via Bluetooth) and keyboard controller. As BearBoy says, the ribbonwheels are a bit of a drag. The mini USB connections are annoying/flaky as well, you pretty much need a computer/interface in the middle to use better keyboard controllers with them handily.
I wanted to get more of these (especially the bassline and newer Juno one) but they realized what they had after the initial limited runs and the new ones are all a lot pricier. Also hate the 4-note polyphony and "just hook 2 of em together!" shit, it's just blatant profit manipulation.
The actual mini keyboard controller is pretty decent, but not the best controller, and you can ONLY use them with these modules. I consider them all to make better studio toys than hardware synths... but only favor them over VSTs because of the control panels... it's all a bit erm. I love them, just wish they'd been done better.

Definitely fancied the JX-03, congrats and HBD Thom.
It's interesting because one of the models I was seriously looking at was their boutique SH-101, but when the Behringer version (the MS-1) is basically a copy with full size keys with aftertouch and an easy £100 cheaper it makes me pause.

I probably will still get the SE-02 as a module later on (if it's still around when I get to it, these boutiques don't seem to stick around for long) coz the sounds seem LEGIT.
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Post by paul_ »

There are a great many offerings from Behringer that totally killed a bunch of Roland/Korg GASclouds I was drifting through... The TB-303 and Oddysey were the main ones, but the fuckers JUST WON'T STOP. Considering I don't really need any of this stuff in lieu of VSTs (or even stock Ableton/GarageBand stuff that mimics the same gear because it's all very "legacy synth" territory) but never turn down an opportunity to surround myself with more knobs and sliders so I can pretend I work at NASA/am about to blow myself across Doc's garage, it's honestly quite inconsiderate of them.

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Aug wrote:which one of you bastards sent me an ebay question asking if you can get teh kurdtz with that 64 mustang? :x
robertOG wrote:fran & paul are some of the original gangstas of the JS days when you'd have to say "phuck"
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Post by ekwatts »

paul_ wrote:There are a great many offerings from Behringer that totally killed a bunch of Roland/Korg GASclouds I was drifting through... The TB-303 and Oddysey were the main ones, but the fuckers JUST WON'T STOP. Considering I don't really need any of this stuff in lieu of VSTs (or even stock Ableton/GarageBand stuff that mimics the same gear because it's all very "legacy synth" territory) but never turn down an opportunity to surround myself with more knobs and sliders so I can pretend I work at NASA/am about to blow myself across Doc's garage, it's honestly quite inconsiderate of them.

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I hate Behringer for that.

I got interested in synthesizers after ploughing the majority of my best years into guitar. So I felt like I was only ever going to be a dabbler at best, messing with my MicroKORG, a few VSTs, but then Behringer kicks the doors down and screams "FUCK YOU KORG/MOOG/ROLAND" and starts shitting clones of some of the most sought after gear straight into our mouths for pennies.

While Arturia stand on the sidelines like "We were kinda doing this before the rest of you assholes. Maybe we should have made the 'brutes look like fuckin' Junos or something."
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Post by lorez »

I have to say for a few years now that synths have filled my needs from a sonic creativity standpoint I've taken many a turn with gear including a bit of eurorack. But Behringer have scratched so many itches I've had for a long time. Ordered the 303 clone which will finally arrive soon and got the 808 as well. Going to get the 909 as well. Still tempted by a lot of their synths.

Would still want a Juno 106 and I know the deepmind is Behringer version of it.
plopswagon wrote:I like teles and strats because they're made out of guitar.
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Post by gusman2x »

Yeah, much as I'd like the CS80 clone when it comes out, I think I'd get more use out of the Deepmind 12.
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Post by robroe »

[youtube][/youtube]
dots wrote:incesticide
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Post by Thomas »

Happy belated Birthday! Same day as me!

These are great units. I never bought this one but only because I still have the original version. Best sound out of this series for me.
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Post by dots »

i fully expect to see my son playing one of these soon. dude loves his synths.
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Post by robroe »

Happy birthday dot
dots wrote:incesticide
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Post by Thom »

Thomas wrote:Happy belated Birthday! Same day as me!
**happy**