Roland JX-3P Filter Resonance Boost Mod DIY: Detailed Walkthrough and Sound Demonstration

video by thesrabbit

follow-up to this post.

"Disclaimer: I cannot be held responsible if you try this out and break your gear or yourself. Please be careful! This mod requires the synth to be powered on with the panel open as you make adjustments to the trim pots. Please do not touch anything inside the synth other than the trim pots, and only touch the trim pots with your trim pot tool. I used a special tool for this, but I think it may be possible to use other tools as well.

This video is meant to show you how I accomplished my particular goal. It does not mean that this is THE correct way, if there is such a thing. I'm a total DIY noob and have never used an oscilloscope before. Please leave a comment if you know something important about safety or want to call me out for anything that I'm doing which is clearly wrong.

Contents:
0:00: Intro
1:35: Preparation and disassembly
3:00: Opening the top panel
4:07: Trim pots

CLICK FOR MORE »

Roland JX-3P brilliance and resonance after VCF resonance trim pot boost

video by thesrabbit

"Recently MIDERA published an interesting JX-3P vs the System-8 Plug-out comparison here: [see this post]

Many have commented that his JX-3P sounds a lot brighter than the plug-out. I have to agree, but I think that maybe mine does as well. Does my JX-3P sound that different from his? Here are some samples that more or less align with the sounds he plays in the first 5 minutes of the video.

Since there has been some discussion about the brilliance, I have included samples at 100%, 50%, and 0% brilliance.

It should be noted that I recently adjusted the VCF resonance trim pots to approx 850 mVp using the 3P's Test Mode 5, A2, as described in the service manual. Factory spec is 600 mVp. Though mine were all between 660 and 680 mVp before I started tweaking. I will be publishing a full walkthrough of that process in the near future. After doing this little exercise, I may decide to boost it even more. Then again, these examples all feature just a single sawtooth from DCO-1. When you add DCO-2 to the mix it definitely drives the filter a bit harder and can produce some squelch. I think I still might want more though.

Also, I realize that this video has the potential for many dislikes as I unfortunately don't have a Roland Cloud subscription or System-8 to compare against. It's meant to be compared side by side with MIDERA's video."

Roland JX-10: Super JX Flash Module with Vecoven 3.22 Firmware and Soundboard ROM Install

video by thesrabbit

"This video documents my own experience with installing the Super JX Flash Module with Vecoven 3.22 firmware in my Roland JX-10. While there are other great videos about the Vecoven firmware, I wanted to make a video that showed the physical removal of all the old chips and installation of the new ones. Let me first say that I am a total amateur at DIY anything, as the video clearly demonstrates. I am not responsible if you try this and break your gear, hurt yourself, or die. For what it's worth, I did all but the latter. Fortunately the thing that I broke was the thing that I was replacing. That said, I'm hoping that the video gives you a clear understanding of what needs to be done if you decide to do this yourself. As for the actual tools and techniques, that's up for discussion. But this is the way. Or at least it's a way.

Background:
Shortly after purchasing the JX-10, I knew I needed to get the Vecoven firmware, just to have a proper MIDI implementation. I didn't realize there was a flash module option that allows future firmware updates over MIDI and provides an internal memory of 16 banks of patch storage. That's the equivalent of 16 M-64C cartridges, for a total of 1024 sounds. I contacted Fred Vecoven to inquire about my options and he recommend that I get the flash module with firmware 3.x and also the 2 optional sound board roms, so that's exactly what I did. Note: I don't have the PWM hardware mod, nor do I intend to get it in the future, so it's firmware version 3.x for me.

The idea of removing IC's from sockets and replacing them with new ones seemed on the surface to be a trivial task. But after watching one video, I was a bit intimidated, especially by the need to disconnect the flat white ribbon cable that obscures the firmware chip. This is not your average ribbon cable that is simply plugged into a socket. In fact, I don't even know if it is a ribbon cable at all, though that's what I call it in the video.

As it turns out, disconnecting the flat white cable wasn't too bad, though it was very scary when it came time to do it. I found that the best way was to gently wiggle it side to side while pulling (gently) backward. It came out pretty easy.

Far worse than anything was the removal of the IC's. Maybe the removal tool I have is not the appropriate size. It's possible that the one I have is made for small IC's only. It just feels like I couldn't get a grip on the chip at all. Like there was not enough tension. Looking back, I think a better technique would be to gently loosen the IC on each end from underneath with a small flathead screwdriver, and then use the IC removal tool to grab a hold of it and pull it out. But I'm not confident enough to actually recommend that approach. I would love to know if anyone knows the proper technique!

MIDI Mod: The Open MIDI RTC Schema didn't support the way in which the Vecoven firmware reads MIDI CC sequences. I made changes to the schema to support that and bumped its version up to 0.1.1, where it currently is at the time of this publication. I then just needed to make a couple small tweaks to MIDI Mod to support the new schema. MIDI Mod version 1.5.1 does that and therefore works with a JX-10 or MKS-70 that has the Vecoven 3.x or 4.x firmware installed.

Vecoven Super JX Flash Module: https://www.vecoven.com/superjx/flash...

A JX-10 Vecoven 3.x firmware and soundboard rom installation video that I used for reference:"

Roland JX-10 firmware upgrade

video by Simo Sainio

Here's a video that features the physical installation of the flash module in an MKS-70:

DIY INSTALL Vecoven 3.x SuperJX Flash Module for the Roland MKS-70/JX-10

video by #hardwareonly The MIDI Maniac

See the Vecoven label below for more.

Roland Super JX-10 first patch: PWM High Res Sweep Pad

video by thesrabbit

"I recently bought a Roland Super JX-10 and have finally got around to building a patch from scratch. The JX-8p, Super-JX, and Alpha Juno series all share the same filter that's notorious for losing all the bottom end and thinning out when you turn up the resonance. So how do you get a high res sweep pad on the JX-10 without losing all of the guts? Pretty simple. Just take your high res sweep pad and save it as another tone, turn the res all the way down and that becomes your "lower" layer. That's really the only substantial difference between the upper and lower layers of the patch here. PWM is made possible by setting both oscs to a square wave, crossmod to "sync 2", turning the pitch of osc 2 up 8 semitones and adding about 50% LFO depth on the pitch of osc 2. I strongly prefer to turn both osc 1 and 2 all the way up in the mix, so the PWM effect is more subtle.

Effects are a TC Electronic Flashback II "Toneprint" ping pong digital delay and an E-Dome setting on the Source Audio Ventris Dual Reverb. The synth and effects are both going straight into the mixer and the mixer goes straight into the audio interface. Zero post processing."

Adagio For Synths - Xmas edition

thesrabbit

"What makes this a Christmas video? You'll know it when you see it. What's the song? You'll know it when you hear it. Even though I played it wrong.

I just got the Roland Super JX-10 and am waiting for the Vecoven firmware chips to arrive so I can test new changes to the MIDI Mod app. The Super JX has a distinct instant 80's vibe to it that just feels like home. I spent the evening going through the JX-8P stock presets and there are so many great ones. This video features the "High String" preset. I needed to fill out the low end so I made a stringy, yet somewhat brassy patch on the Alpha Juno-2 to do that. I routed aftertouch to the filter for maximum feels. Unfortunately, the aftertouch sensitivity on this Super JX is about as good as the sensitivity on my Juno. It requires a minimum of 80 pounds of pressure just to eek out a MIDI value of 15. It's hours later now and my fingers are still tingling.

Both synths are running into an analog mixer and the aux send is going to the Ventris Dual Reverb with an "E-Dome" setting and then back into the mixer. From there it just goes straight into the audio interface. This is the raw recording. There are no additional effects or post processing."

MIDI Mod on the iPhone as a Performance Utility - an AN1x style patch on the Prophet Rev2

Published on Jan 9, 2020 thesrabbit

MIDI Mod Overview video further below. You can find it in the App Store here.

Spotted this one on discchord.

"I love the sound of the AN1x, but programming it is not the quickest experience. The Rev2 has similar capabilities from a sound design perspective (plus a whole lot of things that the AN1x can't do). However, the AN1x has an awesome effects section that blows away that of most modern synths. In this video, I use MIDI Mod to do some fairly simple routings, just using the Mod Matrix. No LFO's, envelopes, arps, or anything else.

MIDI Mod is running on an iPhone X, hooked up to the MeeBlip Cubit Go via USB. MIDI out of the Cubit Go is running to the MIDI In on the Rev2. And MIDI Out of the Rev 2 is going to MIDI In on the Cubit Go. This gives MIDI Mod 2-way communication with the Rev2. Now this could easily be done without DIN cables at all, just connecting MIDI Mod directly to the Rev2 over USB. But later in the video, external effects are added to level the playing field with the AN1x on that front, somewhat. One of the pedals (Ventris Dual Reverb) has a MIDI input and so there's a MIDI DIN cable running to that as well.

The idea behind the patch isn't to recreate the exact patch on the Rev2, but to create a similar patch from a structural point of view. 2 layers, one as a pad, and 1 as an arp spanning multiple octaves. With the ability to fade the arp in and out via the modwheel. "Program Volume" is not a modulation destination on the Rev2 itself, but we can easily access it with MIDI Mod (or almost any other of the bazillion parameters on the Rev2).

In addition, Note (MIDI Note) is routed to Layer A Pan Spread and Layer B Pan Spread on two different slots. Layer A has the arp, and so the range is set to 63-127 to throw the voices out wider. Layer B is the pad, so the range is restricted to 0-12 to keep things more centered, which makes that aspect of the sound a little more meaty, especially the lower notes. This can easily be adjusted to taste.

Finally, the modwheel is assigned to the pre-delay time of the Ventris later on in the video when the external effects are brought in.

The point of this is to illustrate what you might do with MIDI Mod in a pinch, to get that little extra something. Made even easier now that you can do it just by using your phone!

Starring:
- MIDI Mod for iOS (on an iPhone X)
- Sequential Prophet Rev2
- Yamaha AN1x
- MeeBlip Cubit Go MIDI Interface
- TC Electronic Flashback II Delay
- Source Audio Ventris Dual Reverb"

MIDI Mod for iPad - Full Overview with the Yamaha Reface CS

Published on Jul 6, 2019 thesrabbit

"This video uses the Yamaha Reface CS and Arturia Keystep to provide a full rundown of MIDI Mod's major features, including:

LFOs
Envelopes
Arpeggiator
Mod Matrix
Sync and App Settings

MIDI Mod's Main Features:
4 LFOs
3 Envelopes (delay and hold, loopable, 2 ADSR, one 4-stage with individual level controls)
Arpeggiator with an auto-transpose sequencer (sequencer of a sequence) and modulation capabilities
32-slot mod matrix with fine tune value ranges for each assignment and inversion (negative)
Mod sources include the LFOs, envelopes, arp note on, arp note off, and when used with an external keyboard, you get Aftertouch, Velocity, note (key tracking), Pitchbend, Modwheel, and expression as mod sources.

What sets MIDI Mod apart is ease of use when making assignments. It comes with over 50 pre-defined device mappings. So there's no need to dig through your user manual or midi implementation chart. Just select the manufacturer, model, and parameter name from the menu. Additionally, you have a ton of internal routings that can be made. For example, LFO 2 could modulate LFO 1's rate, Envelope 2 could control LFO 2's mod depth, and so on."