The Roland JX-8P and JX-3P doing serious harm to grumpy moods

video upload by Espen Kraft

"The Roland JX-8P and JX-3P doing double duties in this short edit from a much longer video here on my channel. They can sound remarkably similar at times, but they can each go into directions the other one cannot. So having both can be a good option. If I had to chose one, I'd go for the 8P."

TAL-U-NO-LX Patch Bank by Espen Kraft | Download now

video upload by Espen Kraft

64 New Patches! Perfect for Pop, Synthpop, Italo Disco, Synthwave etc.

Find the pack here:
https://thepatchbay.io/product/tal-u-...
https://sound7.co.uk/products/tal-u-n...

The drums in the demo can be checked out in the link below. They're part of my "ultimate synthpop/Italo disco" sample pack:"

Italo Disco/SynthPop Sample Pack | Get it NOW!

"I've spent a long time recording, sampling and processing the sounds in this pack, with focus on quality and usability. Each drum sample is taken directly out of the hardware.
Many of the sounds has been made by layering different samples and effects.

This is not a free pack, but I hope you'll see it's priced quite reasonably considering the quality and quantity of the sounds. :)

Get the pack here:
https://sound7.co.uk/products/italo-d...
https://thepatchbay.co.uk/product/the..."

"WELCOME TO THE 80S - A SAMPLE PACK DRIPPING WITH AUTHENTICITY.

Looking for some truly unique samples? Don't want to settle for lesser grade sound-a-likes? This is the the 80's sample pack for you and it's simply oozing retro nostalgia.

With weeks spent recording, sampling and processing the sounds in this pack, there's an unparalleled commitment to quality and usability.

Each drum sample is taken directly out of hardware and many of the sounds have been made by careful layering of different samples and effects to give you the sound that's just ..'perfect'.

With over 600mb of construction kits, on-shots, melody loops, bass-lines and vox shots the hardware kit list in this sample packs creation includes:

Korg Poly-61
Korg DSS-1
Roland Alpha Juno 2
Roland Juno 6
Roland JX-8P
Roland R8
Roland TR-808
Roland TR-909
Roland S-10
Yamaha DX7
Behringer Model D
Sequential TOM drum machine w/EPROM binary Linndrum, DMX and Emulator chips.
E-MU Drumulator

Dr.Böhm "The German Linndrum" drum machine
Elka OMB-5 and Drumstar 80 drum machine
Simmons SDS800 drum machine/brain
BOSS DR-55
BOSS DR-110
Akai S1000
Akai S612
Akai S700
Casio SK-1
Kurzweil K2000"

Sample Format: 44khz / 24 bit

2 synths - 2 sounds | Roland JX-8P & JX-3P

video upload by Espen Kraft

"The Roland JX-3P and JX-8P. Sometimes very similar in sound, sometimes quite different. They support each other perfectly and occasionally I bring both out to do some chilled out stuff. I do this to give to birth some creativity and inspiration."

Roland JX-08 vs JX-8P | There will be blood...

video upload by Espen Kraft

"Can the new Roland JX-08 Boutique replace the classic JX-8P synthesizer?
More polyphony, more memory, a sequencer, arpeggiator and more. Is this enough for the 08 to beat the classic? Can the sound match up?

The JX-08 has no Sysex abilities, so it cannot import patches nor be used as a controller for the 8P. It cannot do Unison detune, so forget those extra fat patches. The envelopes are very different, and the filter does not sound the same.
You can dial in different effects settings, including parameters to mimic the classic 8P chorus, but again it's not enough to make the 08 sound good enough in my opinion.

I've taken all my custom made patches for the 8P and programmed them into the 08 and I've taken all parameters into consideration when doing this, but since so much of the sound engine of the 08 sounds so different, it's impossible to get any exact match for a lot of sounds. Some are easier than others, while some sound very different even if the settings match up, if you know what I mean.
The demo track uses these patches. They're on both machines and are triggered over MIDI. All external reverb is applied the same to both machines. I use only chorus from the 8P and 08 respectively, set up to match. The PG-8X has the 8Ps sysex loaded into it.

Another big annoyance of the JX-08 is there's no way to power this except over USB. This is a big mistake as it means ground hum and noise you'll have to use Di-boxes to get a clean recording signal. Not all of us love USB, I hate USB myself and want as little of this as possible.

* the story about the dead grandmother was fiction to illustrate my point. This is NOT legal i Norway."

Bad Gear - Roland JX-8P - An 80s Miracle

video upload by AudioPilz

"Become a Patron and get access to music clips from the show, additional content, Bad Gear samples and even more AudioPilz madness

https://www.patreon.com/audiopilz

Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world's most hated audio tools. Today we are going to talk about the Roland JX-8P. Is this very Yamaha DX7 - like knobless sibling of the famous Roland Junos and Roland Jupiters an 80s miracle? Will the Roland Boutique JX-08 be worth it? Will Espen Kraft be upset? Merry Christmas!!!

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
01:31 Overview
05:03 Hate
05:27 Jam 1
06:25 Jam 2
07:23 Finale
08:02 Verdict
09:28 Patreon Vocoder Shoutout"

AudioPilz Bad Gear posts

Roland JX-8P - 32 new patches Vol.2 | for Synthpop/Italo/Synthwave

video upload by Espen Kraft

Espen Kraft JX-8P posts

"Roland JX-8P - 32 new original retro sounding patches for your own music.
My follow-up Vol.2 of my highly popular Vol.1 patch bank for the JX-8P.
Also included in the download is a custom PG-8X bank with the same patches.

You can purchase the patches here:
https://thepatchbay.co.uk/product/esp...
https://sound7.co.uk/products/retro-j...

The original bank can be found here:
https://thepatchbay.co.uk/product/esp...

You can also contact me directly if you want, maybe to get a bundle of several packs, or whatever. My email address is in the 'about' section at the front of my channel.

Patch names:

CLICK FOR MORE »

Roland JX-8P Unison Detune Tutorial - Can the JX-08 Boutique do this?

video upload by Espen Kraft

"Quick demonstration of the Unison detune functionality of the original Roland JX-8P. After the news of the Boutique JX-08 from Roland I was asked if the 08 can do this. I can't find any answers in the info so far. Does anyone know? Let us know in the comments."

10 Horror Movie Themes That Scared The World!

video upload by Espen Kraft

"10 Horror Movie Themes That Scared The World!

Do you have a horror movie theme that really scare you? Please let us know in the comments below! Here are my 10 iconic thrills for this Halloween :

00:00 Intro
00:30 Jaws (1975)
01:11 The Exorcist (1973)
01:42 A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
02:31 Rosemary's Baby (1968)
03:22 Zombie Flesh-Eaters (1979)
04:56 Hellraiser (1987)
05:33 Suspiria (1977)
05:52 Halloween (1978)
06:33 Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
08:26 Psycho (1960)
08:40 Outro

All themes are multitracked and recorded live, by hand. Sequencing only done on Cannibal Holocaust (taken from my Yamaha QX3 video)
These versions must all be considered "cover" tracks as I deliberately has done them differently that the originals, for obvious reasons.

Synths, keyboards, drum machines and samplers used:
Roland Juno-106, JX-8P, JX-3P, Alpha Juno 2, SP-700, Jupiter-8, TR-808
Yamaha: DX7, TX802, TX81Z, RX11, KX88
Korg: Poly-61, EX-800, KR55
Oberheim Matrix-12
Sequential Prophet VS, Six-Trak
John Bowen Solaris
Kawai PHM
Crumar BIT01
Casio RZ1
Elka OMB5
*and one VST synth that shall remain nameless

Support this channel on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/espenkraft"

Roland JX-8P or Jupiter-8? And why? | Studio time (faux live stream)

video by Espen Kraft

"Roland Jupiter-8 and JX-8P. Two very different synthesizers.
If you take away the price, cult-status and looks of the Jup-8, and THEN compare it to the 8P. Which one would you rather have? Or if I put it like this, if you had BOTH, would you always use just ONE, and why?
If I had a better broadband connection I would do the occasional (or maybe even more than that) live stream and this is how it would be, me fleshing out new ideas by hooking up a couple of synths, and a sequencer and just keep going for an hour or two. If I'm doing non-pop, sound design, paid gigs for event music or other types of music, I often sit and just play/design quite random sounds and motifs.
Today I used the Jupiter-8 and the JX-8P and a MSQ-700 sequencer on occasion. Some of the ideas that emerged will become larger pieces."

The Perfect Pad | Twin Peaks Breakdown w/Roland JX-8P, Juno-106 & Jupiter-8

video by Espen Kraft

"The best music to any TV-series in my opinion. Only rivalled by the Miami Vice soundtrack. The synthesizers used in this video are Roland JX-8P, Juno-106 and Jupiter-8. And a touch of Alpha Juno 2 that does the signature bass line in the climax, it's mixed pretty low though.

I've made a version that is not a note for note copy of the beautiful Angelo Badalamenti original, but a free interpretation of how I remember it.
It's also a Roland fest, where I use no other synths than the JX-8P, which is also used for the pad/strings in the original (MKS-70 though), the Roland Juno-106 for the muted bells in the build up and the Jupiter-8 for the bass/piano and solo, but I use the arpeggio and play the arpeggio in a slightly off-beat way, which I show.
All played and recorded by hand, no MIDI involved except for sending a clock pulse to trigger the arp of the Jupiter-8. This comes from the DAW as MIDI and is converted in a Doepfer MSY2 that converts it to a clock/trigger pulse feeding the Jupiter-8.

The first 3 minutes are filmed with a Panasonic M7 VHS camera from 1987 and ripped over to the computer. The edit is done in Premiere Pro. All my demo songs with videos will be shot on VHS from now on. Mostly. Tutorials and breakdowns will still be in HD or half HD. I don't own any 4K cameras nor do I feel I need it. My videos will not be optimized for mobile phones in the near future either. I recommend watching my VHS videos on a CRT monitor. ;-)"

Roland MKS-80 Super Jupiter | The Prince of Analoge 80s Power!

video by Espen Kraft

[Clarification in case the synth police shows up: The MKS-80 is closer to the Jupiter-6 than the Jupiter-8.

Internal chips:
Jupiter-6: 12x CEM3340 VCO, 6x IR3109 VCF, 6x CEM3360 Dual VCA
MKS-80 (to serial #511799/early models): 16x CEM3340 VCO, 8x IR3109 VCF, 8x CEM3360 Dual VCA (4 for X-Mod)
MKS-80 (serial #511800 and higher/later models): 16x IR3R03 VCO, 8x IR3R05 VCF/VCA, 4x CEM3360 Dual VCA (for X-Mod)

The Jupiter-8 also used a Roland IR3109 IC for the VCF, BA662 for the VCA, and IR3R01 for Envelopes.

Via wikipedia: "The voice architecture is almost identical to the Jupiter-6 synthesizer, the service manual states that "The module board of MKS-80 features the following in addition to that of JP-6, its brother module. 1) HPF. 2) Low boost circuit in the 2nd VCA. 3) DC supply current boost circuit (IC50)." The unit is fully capable of producing most of the Jupiter-6's signature sounds, in addition to many sounds unique to the MKS-80. In February 1985, Roland started producing a new revision of MKS-80, known as "Rev 5", that had no ties with any previous Jupiter's hardware, as it used a new generation of both Roland VCO's, VCA's and filter. The Rev 5 filter was also used in JX-8P, JX-10 and MKS-70 synthesizers."

And the following which I thought intersting:

"Confusion with Jupiter 8
In 1998, UK magazine Sound on Sound published an article about MKS-80. It contained a critical typo. Instead of referring to Jupiter 6, the comment about the rack version constantly referred to Jupiter 8, leading to serious confusion and even spreading myths across various online forums. However, once we read that article and replace numbers 8 and 6, the whole part of the article suddenly makes sense: 'The MKS80 delivered the entire Jupiter 6 wish-list and more, including a much larger memory and upgraded internal electronics. Now let's get one thing clear -- despite a few commentators postulating otherwise, the MKS80 had nothing to do with the Jupiter 8. Although there were ultimately to be two versions of the instrument (one with the Jupiter 6's Curtis oscillators, the other with custom chips developed by Roland themselves) both retained the architecture of the Jupiter 6, sounded identical to the Jupiter 6 and, apart from their many enhancements, were the rackmount module versions of the Jupiter 6.'." Also see this post for The Story of the Roland JUPITER-8 & JUPITER-6.]

--- That said, here is the description for the video above:

"Roland MKS-80 - the Super Jupiter. Rolands last analog VCO synth and one that packs all the punch of the mighty Jupiter 8 and 6 into one box

With 8 voices, 16 VCOs, fast envelopes, cross modulation, sync, 2 ADSRs, a very flexible LFO and velocity and pressure sensitivity over Midi, the Super Jupiter was the professional musicians dream module in the mid 80s. Used on countless hit records.

Support this channel on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/espenkraft​

Through the years the MKS-80 came out in a Rev.4 and a Rev.5 and the debate over which one sounds the best never seems to stop. I don't care about that at all. The versions used in this video are both Rev.5, but as I actually compare these to a Jupiter 8 here, no one should tell me that the Rev.5 can't sound like it. It DOES sound like it, down to 99% and that's enough for me.

A big thanks to Joakim Tysseng for the loan of the Jupiter 8 and a big thanks to Brynjulf Blix for the one MKS-80 and the MPG-80 programmer. Anders Jensen has as always been very kind too and thanks for the other MKS-80 Anders, as well and for all the driving!

The other MKS-80 programmer I use here is from Retroaktiv and that's a new one. I did a demo of that just a couple of videos before this so check that out if you want to."

10 Iconic Depeche Mode Intros

Espen Kraft

"Some iconic Depeche Mode intros and openings.
Live sequenced and played on a variety of 80s synths, samplers and drum machines.

Songs:
Master and Servant (Some Great Reward) 1984
New Life (Speak and Spell) 1981
Just Can't Get Enough (Speak and Spell) 1981
Meaning of Love (A Broken Frame) 1982 *wrong picture art and title in the video -SORRY!
Nothing to Fear (A Broken Frame) 1982
Everything Counts (Construction Time Again) 1983
New Dress (Black Celebration) 1986
Agent Orange (Music For the Masses) 1987
Enjoy the Silence (Violator) 1990
Never Let Me Down Again (Music For the Masses) 1987
World in My Eyes (Violator) 1990 - Outro music

Gear used:
Emax 2, Casio CZ1000, E-MU Drumulator, Akai S700, Sequential TOM, Roland Alpha Juno, Sequential Six-Trak, Yamaha TX816, Korg Poly-61, Roland JX-8P.

Every segment is sequenced by Nuendo DAW with midi sync going to a Doepfer MSY2 that provides necessary trigger sync to drum machines when needed.
The Emax 2 and Roland Alpha Juno 2 is played live, while other sounds and parts have been overdubbed."

Roland JX-3P or JX-8P? Smoothness Wars!

Espen Kraft

"For years these two synthesizers have divided opinions. Which one is the one to get?
The 3P with its sequencer and stylish casing or the 8P with unison and mono modes?
Do they sound the same or is it best to have them both?

Be aware that an original JX-3P has very limited MIDI functionality, it's in constant Omni-mode, and therefor cannot be in a MIDI sequencer chain without problems. It cannot receive or send MIDI sysex either.
The 8P is not 8-voice polyphonic even if the "8" should indicate that. It's 6 voices like the 3P. The 8P also have a custom fluorescent display that can be tricky to upgrade and the transformer can often become very noisy (acoustically).

The demo track that starts the video can be found here:"

How To Synth Up the E.T. Theme

Espen Kraft

"Who else loves the E.T. soundtrack?
I've always felt strongly connected to this score and imo John Williams is a musical genius and he has the ability to connect what we see on the screen to the music he makes for it in a very emotional way. Very inspiring.

Support this channel on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/espenkraft

I wanted to make a little "synth" thing of the classic E.T. theme and mix that with some orchestral sounds, like the french horns.

Gear used:
Roland JX-8P - synth sounds
Roland Alpha Juno 2 - synth sounds
Roland S-10 - Bass
Yamaha DX7s - Electric Piano
Drums are coming off different drum machines
Orchestral sounds coming from Kontakt."

Who Loves Arpeggiators? | Tutorial and Technique with Roland S-10

Published on May 7, 2020 Espen Kraft

"The song 'Raspberry Flames' can be found here:
https://espenkraft.bandcamp.com/album...

The Roland S-10 with it's great in-built arpeggiator, exclusive to the S-10, is capable of arpeggiating through each of the 4 memory banks in the loop. It makes it possible to create very interesting soundscapes and backgrounds.
I use only 2 chords throughout the song, Bb and Eb and variations around that to add the odd note to the arpeggiator. Throw in the odd note here and there, it can make all the difference.

Additional bass off the Korg MS10 and pads/strings from the Roland JX-8P.

Everything is recorded LIVE in 3 passes, from start to finish."

The Controller Duel | PG-800 Vs. MPG-8 | Roland JX-8P/MKS-70/SuperJX

Published on Jan 3, 2020 Espen Kraft

"If you're looking for a controller for the Roland JX-8P/MKS-70/JX-10 you have many options.
The classic original controller, the PG-800 is great if you're a collector mostly concerned about the authenticity of your collection. The original controller works very well IF the faders are still working ok.
The MPG-8 from Retroaktiv is great if you want a new controller that has some extra features, is small and ready for the Vecoven mods for these synths.

Check it out here: https://retroaktivsynthesizers.com/

The opening music is called "We Can Do It" and is mostly made with a actual Roland JX-8P. The song can be found here: https://spoti.fi/2MNbOow"

Midnight Drive 3 :Arcade

Published on Nov 29, 2019 Espen Kraft

"The arcade. I spent so many hours there back in the late 80s. Now there are no arcades left in my area. As a reminder of what it used to be, and what it meant to me I give you this track.
Get the track here:

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/37ODRgn
Apple Music: https://apple.co/2qUMUvu
Bandcamp: https://bit.ly/33v9M1V

A huge thanks to Neil and Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade in Portland Oregon for giving me access to original footage from inside their arcade.
Please visit their site here:
https://groundkontrol.com/

Credits:
Intro graphics - Badzhoo on Pixabay
Cover photo - Jiroe on Unsplash
Female narration at end part - Amber Nykole

Song made with the following gear:
Korg DSS-1
Yamaha DX7
Yamaha TX802
Akai S612
Akai S1000
Roland S-10
Roland JX-8P
Roland TR-626"

The Ultimate Italo Disco SynthPop Sample Pack

Published on Nov 22, 2019 Espen Kraft

"I've spent a long time recording, sampling and processing the sounds in this pack, with focus on quality and usability.
Each drum sample is taken directly out of the hardware.
Many of the sounds has been made by layering different samples and effects.

This is not a free pack, but I hope you'll see it's priced quite reasonably considering the quality and quantity of the sounds. :)

Get the pack here:
https://thepatchbay.co.uk/product/the...

Or buy from me directly by sending me an email to : espenkraft69@gmail.com

CLICK FOR MORE »

Back to 1986 - PSB & Jarre with old samplers and synths

Published on Sep 21, 2018 Espen Kraft

"This track is a mix of three favorite synthpop tracks. 'Paninaro' and 'Domino Dancing' by the Pet Shop Boys and 'Zoolookologie' by Jean Michel Jarre. It has the tempo of Paninaro and the vocal oohs inspired by Domino Dancing.
The signature 'voice' sample in my track is created by myself by sampling a friends voice on another track of mine and processing it heavily and sampling it back into the Emax.
Most of the sounds in this track is samplers and most, if not all the samples are my own work, including the thunder in the beginning and other effects.

The track is called "Americana" and in reality this was the nickname of a girl I once knew. Way back and back I was....

https://open.spotify.com/album/2fsq51...
https://soundcloud.com/espenkraft

Btw, this track has been 15 years in the making.

I use DistroKid for all my releases onto streaming services.
Try out Distrokid yourself and get a 7% discount off your first year by using this link:
http://distrokid.com/vip/espenkraft

Growing up I listened to so much synth-pop and it's only natural that my own tracks takes inspiration from many of the acts I loved back then. I still love them and listen to them!

CLICK FOR MORE »

Hardware vs Software Synth Showdown with Woody & Espen Craft

Published on Apr 4, 2018 Espen Kraft

"Woody from the excellent channel "Woody Piano Shack" has thrown down the gauntlet! He's challenged me to make an original piece of music using my old hardware synths from the 80s which he will then try to recreate using software and emulations. In the box.

As I gladly accept these kinds of challenges, I've cooked up a track I think he'll enjoy recreating.
You can too as I've included the live stems for the track here:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1OjT...

For my version I've used the following gear:

Yamaha RX11 - Drums
Roland D-550 - Pads
Roland Juno 2 - Synth Guitar
Roland JX-8P - Poly synth
Roland Juno 6 - Bass (sampled in S-10 for MIDI sequencing)
Yamaha DX7 - Fairlight Flutes and Italo Poly synth
Yamaha TX802 - PPG Digital Guitar Bells
Elka EK22 - Synth bells

I play live on top of the sequenced synths controlled by the Roland MC50 sequencer."

Update:

Espen Kraft hardware vs software SYNTH SHOWDOWN!

Published on Apr 14, 2018 Woody Piano Shack

"Here's the result of the hardware versus software synthesizer showdown! in this video I'll share the track created using just free software VST plugins and Reaper DAW.

To recap, Espen Kraft composed and created a track on his vintage hardware synthesizers and drum machines .The challenge was for me to re-create it using just software."