# Roland JX-3P This is a hybrid DCO/VCF/VCA synth released in about 1985. It was later rereleased as the Planet-S MIDI module. The architecture consists of two DCOs (the second being tunable), two VCFs (one static high-pass and one dynamic low-pass) and a VCA per voice. Polyphony runs to six voices. There is only one EG and LFO per voice and this can be irksome. Moreover, PWM is only possible on the second DCO which is also used as a noise generator. Hence it is impossible to get PWM and noise in the one patch. At first listen, I fell in love with this synth. The sound was just so warm and vibrant that I couldn't help but buy it. Much of it relies upon the built- in stereo chorus effect which is almost indispensable in my own patches. The presets are competent but uninspired. There are strings, some brass, organs (including a very good B3 but no Leslie), electric pianos and the usual complement of analog synth sounds. None of these were awesome, but gave me plenty of scope to work with them. The preset "Filter Flow", a standard Moog-style filter sweep, was improved considerably after some minor tweaking. Overall, if one isn't prepared to program this synth, they might as well forget it. This, of course, means the almost compulsory purchase of the PG200 programmer. If a second-hand JX-3P doesn't have this then it might be a good bargaining chip to get the price down, as programming is extremely painful without it. I mainly use mine for meaty synth basses, filter sweeps and other analog synthetic textures. It really fills out a mix, especially when I play thick chords, and it complements most digital gear nicely. MIDI implementation is atrocious (especially considering Yamaha's MIDI implementations of about the same period). The synth sends on channel 1 only and receives on omni. Reception can be changed to channel 1 by turning the synth off, connecting MIDI IN to MIDI OUT, turning the synth on again and playing a few notes. The JX-3P does not seem to respond to an omni off command sent over MIDI which is extremely irritating. No sysex, of course, and there is only a MIDI IN and MIDI OUT interface (no THRU). The keyboard is 61-key with no velocity or aftertouch although there was a ROM upgrade available that allowed the JX to accept MIDI velocity data and respond to it. There are only two modulation controls on the outside of the synth - a pitch bend lever (like all roland ones) and a LFO trigger button. This is indicative of the rather limited modulation routings of the synthesis engine, as well. The one EG can be routed to pitch of either oscillator, filter cutoff (LPF only), VCA level and that's about it. Likewise the LFO can be routed to all of the above. You end up stretching your rescources a hell of a lot when you want a filter cutoff LFO acting on a voice using PWM with an EG controlled pitch variation on one oscillator while that EG also controls filter cutoff and VCA level... Overall, I like my JX-3P. I like its warmth and character. I also like its gaudy appearance and quirky nature (the idiosyncratic way that it is so sensitive to power spikes and drops - try turning on/off an appliance in the same powerpoint as a '3P if you want to see what I mean). If I had the money (and the synth had a somewhat less sparse MIDI implemenation and I could program a decent choir sound) I'd buy ten of the things and a mixer and call it quits as concerns buying any more gear ever...Or maybe I'd just buy a Prophet T8 and be done with it. Despite its limitations, the JX-3P would have to rank in my "10 Greatest Synths of All-time" list. Jon. u894825@bruny.cc.utas.edu.au | Every yo-yo wants one.