Roland JD-800 | The Mothership of 90s Synths
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- čas přidán 26. 03. 2020
- Download the demo song "Hero" here (both the vocal- and instrumental) version:
espenkraft.bandcamp.com/album...
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High quality&24 Hours Build Time: www.pcbway.com/
A big thanks to Anders Enger Jensen for the loan of this big, beautiful machine!
Check out his own channel here:
/ @andersengerjensen
The demo song is done with only the Roland JD-800 as the source of sounds. I use the "Rock Drums" waveform card as well as the patch card and some of the patches are from those cards. Most of the patches has been modified by me to fit the demo song better.
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Growing up I listened to so much synth-pop and it's only natural that my own music takes inspiration from many of the acts I loved back then. I still love them and listen to them!
Howard Jones, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Erasure, Thompson Twins, Tears for Fears, The Human League, Propaganda. FGTH, Ultravox, OMD, Eurythmics, Duran Duran, Giorgio Moroder, Jean Michel Jarre, Jan Hammer, Alphaville, A-ha as well as loads of artists doing what is now called Italo Disco. And many more great acts like Nik Kershaw, Spandau Ballet, Wham, Dire Straits ++ - Hudba
I have owned a JD800 since 1991. Apart from having her key-bed replaced in 2009 (under warranty!!) due to the red glue problem, and having accidentally spilled two cups of tea on her and had having been waterlogged when a roof leaked on her during a storm, while she was switched on, she is still the centrepiece of my studio. Still one of the best synths ever made.
Are they still offering that? Ours is completely unusable due to this :/
Casey Baldwin just pay a professional repair man at that point. It is costly but worth it
@@Kobymaru0678 Sadly, I believe not. I think the 'warranty' deal ended a few years back.
Still the centrepiece of your studio, as your midi keyboard or do u still use it’s sounds?
@@DNGMaestro I still use its sounds. I have obviously continued to edit and design new patches and have also got some ram cards with extra patches collected over the years. I don’t use it for every project, but it’s great for pads and leads in certain genres. I use it as midi controller as well.
A 90s synth on Espen Kraft's channel? The world's gone topsy turvy. 😉
Really enjoyed this Espen.
These are strange and confusing times Alex!
@@EspenKraft haha yup. I'm having to move...making a hi-rise and my rental = bye bye..jd800 is one i put up FS on reverb
@@EspenKraft does this mean 'you are the Nineties' as well as the 80s?
No, I will never be "the 90s", but some of the 90s synths are great tools to create 80s sounds and I will always create 80s sounds no matter what synth I use! ;.-)
The 90s was the best age for digital synths in my opinion. Kawai K5000s, Kurzweil k2000, JD-800, VL-1, Yamaha An1x, Yamaha EX5, Yamaha SY99 (alltough based of the SY77 from 1988),
Kawai K5m, Korg Wavestation, Ensoniq VFX, Ensoniq TS-10, Ensoniq Fizmo, Waldorf microwave series, the Waldorf Q, Waldorf Wave,
E-mu Morpheus, Yamaha FS1r etc etc.
Thanks Espen, another great video about a legendary synth. You bring out the best in these beloved instruments. 👊
Many thanks man! It's a lot of fun using only sounds from one synth to make a demo like this.
Thank you Espen - brilliant video and the first one that really shows off the beauty of sound of that machine.
THX
Sweet! :)
Man, I've fallen in love to this channel automatically. The song at the end of the episode is lovely. You're a great musician and synth teacher. Thanks for leading us back to the best era in pop music. Keep up! Hugs!
Many thank for saying! :)
I remember trying one in music shop during the nineties in Germany. At the time it was possible to stay all days long in the huge shop room loaded with all available models of keyboards testing them as long as you wish. That was the era of M1 and T3 domination, followed by Yamaha's SY series, and Roland was conquering market with their intelligent E series, offering a revolutionary approach of accompaniment much better than the competition by far. This particular model was really a flagship of its producer: a dreamliner for all those musicians who knew the attractivity of Juno and Jupiter models, warmth of their layer sounds, pads and strings, perky brasses etc. It was immediately perfectly clear to me that I was standing in front of extraordinary instrument, at that time unfortunately unaffordable for my budget ( I owned Yamaha V50 and Kawai K4 back then), so later I could purchase only second hand SY77 for a bit more than 2000 bucks and I still have it today, really mighty machine. But there is something special about standing at this JD800, watching at all this pots and knobs, knowing about controlling everything by simple tweaking in real time, and enjoying its splendid tones as we hear in your video, very useful, in line with then the latest standards of pop music production.
I loved your song at the start! Great video, and I'm already looking forward to watch your JD 990 video! Cheers!
Thanks! :)
I used to dream of two stacks with 3 keyboards each. One with a Dx7ii, D50 and M1 and other with a JD800, SY85 and Wavestation.. But it remained just a dream.
@@Lamster66 my mind is still trying to register and absorb all this.. Woaaaw.. Thats some GAS .. Enjoy
@@Lamster66 you are a good man to know. I am 47 now so might be about your age or a bit younger. Unfortunately in my part of the world (India) synths were not an open market product, ring fenced with a high 150% custom duty, so we had to depend on expensive imports. A DX7 in the 80s cost equivalent of $4500 with customs and importers margin, and had a huge resale value at inflated prices. It costed almost a household annual income then. So only gigging or touring professionals could afford to buy one, enterprising ones rented them out for about $50 to $80 for 8 hours.
@@hermeslord That's some interesting info from a time way before I was born. Thanks for sharing!
That piano sample is classic Roland. Another great video Espen, Roland was ahead of their time with this synth.
Thanks! :)
Good tune bud. I love how modern/retro your songs sound. Cheers Espen Kraft!
Thanks for the feedback! :)
Looking at your channel more than often results in a temporary sweet and exquisite time travel back to the 1980s.
Awesome! :)
Have always wanted one of these! Great sounds, filter is definitely digital but has character! The level of control is unbelievable!
Legend! Thanks for taking the time to make this video, it brightens our #stayhome days!
Thanks! :)
Nicely done video, and a fair and balanced assessment of one of my favourite Roland synths.
Thanks man! :)
Love what you are doing, refreshing and unique perspective
Many thanks for saying! :)
Some of the coolest Pad sounds I've heard come from the JD-800! Thanks for the rundown, makes me want to pull mine out!
Do it! Thanks! :)
Very nice track and demo as usual. I'm so excited for the new boutique version of this coming out soon.
Another excellent and informative vid Espen. Can't wait until the next one to see what the JD990 I have is capable of...
Thanks Andy, 990 coming very soon!
Yes! The king of early digital! I have never gotten better sound out of a digital synth than I have with my JD-800. Wanted one ever since I saw the Grace "Not Over Yet" video. Bought mine broken for $250 in the 2000s, fixed her up, and been in love ever since. The keyboard has the stickiness issue lately however :(
The digital filter is still one of the best ever, and you can do a surprisingly convincing JP-8000 SuperSaw/VA with it.
Epic synth! Thanks for your review!
Really miss my JD800, should never have sold it :(
This synth has Eric Persing written all over it. Coming from the d50 , this was the next iteration of the perfect synth in the mind of Eric. Which ultimately lead to the creation of Omnisphere, which takes the concept even further
What a beast! Amazing demo as well 👌
Thanks Chris! :)
Growing up in the eighties, even though my main jam was rock and metal, I developed some fascination for synths.
This was the one I first laid my hands on, for hours... I fell in love with it
Superb as always Espen!! Thank you :-)
Thanks Vaughn! :)
Congratulations on getting a sponsor. That is a great accomplishment. This is a good song.
Many thanks! :)
after years of youtube synth videos, the programming in my mind tells me to reply: “because its not analog, it is cold and brittle.”
One of my favorite Synths ever!
Great song! Nice synth review too.
Thanks!
Great overwiew of this master piece
Cheers!
Thanks again Espen.
amazing video as usual Mr.!
Thanks! :)
Hey Espen. I just updated my Roland Cloud account - haven't been on for months and was stunned when I saw you in there with your amazing Juno-106 Synth-Pop patches. Can I just say how proud I am for you that you're being recognised for your talent, passion and dedication to our favourite period and style of pop music. Thank you so much for all you do. Stay safe, have a happy holiday and New Year. Love from the UK.
Zoe, many thanks for saying! It was a lot of fun to make those patches and maybe there's more to come too... ;-)
Love from Norway to you and happy holidays! :)
They just added the Jd-800 ! I have a Jupiter X ! Do you have patches on the Roland cloud for it ?
Oh I absolutely love this track its brilliant! And great vocals!
Cheers!
The way you describe the JD-800 in the intro is probably the best explanation of it I've heard, and why I love my JD-990 so much - even the acoustic instruments have a 'synth' touch to them that you don't really hear from other digital synthesizers; the Korg Trinity and Ensoniq TS-10/12 are the only other ones that give me that sort of vibe, and it's very special ^^
Excellent video as always Espen!
Thanks for saying! :)
I have both JD-800 and TS-12. There is no real substitute for those instruments and never will...
That's why their prices have been soaring.
thanks Espen.. great demo ..those patches 😊
Thanks Nik!
This video of the JD-800 really impressed me with how impeccably it has been maintained, considering its age. Although my background is in classical piano, I've always harbored a great passion for keyboards and synths, venturing into this world with models like the Yamaha SY99, SY77, and the Korg DW8000. I've never owned a JD-800, but my appreciation for this historic piece has always been strong, especially seeing one in such exceptional condition as in your video. The issue of the red glue in the keybed, a known manufacturing defect, doesn't seem to be a problem at all here, a sign of exceptional care and maintenance. Moreover, the fact that the display has been replaced with a modern one only highlights the attention to detail and the desire to best preserve this instrument. I recently discovered your channel, and all the videos I've watched have been interesting. Congratulations on how you've preserved such an important icon of electronic music; seeing and hearing the JD-800 in action is a true joy for an enthusiast like me.
Beautiful condition, I just bought the boutique version, in love with the sounds.
Great video Espen! Stay safe!!!!! I'm sitting here right now next to my D50 (and others) trying to learn Cubase since I finally hooked everything up!!!! This was a welcome distraction!!!!
Sweet Robert! Get it all hooked up and make some music! :)
Such an awesome song!
Great video ! Love the Atari ST in the background, it definitely has its place in the studio full of 80s synths ! :)
Thanks! I still use the ST's to make music. I have videos on here showing just that. ;-)
As much as I love the sounds of the D-50, the JD-800 takes the cake for me. I know a lot of people disagree, but I just love this thing.
You know Mr. Espen Kraft , you are master prof for using those music gears to bring the masterpieces which I didn't explore before....
You're so kind Ahmed. Thanks! :)
Beautiful workmanship!
Sweet! :)
@@EspenKraft Although JD990 seems to be an updated version of JD800. It has no vibe of JD800. But if you have both, than JD990 breathes, otherwise it has no ventilation support :)
Amazing track!!! It's a very excellent representation of Early 1990s features!!!!
Thanks! :)
Another absolutely GREAT song !
Cheers!
So amazing and Awesome!
Sweet!
You really make some great videos!!!!!
Thanks! :)
Sounds so good!!! I need one!~!
I got so caught up in your singing and went right to Bandcamp, I forgot all about this amazing synth. Now after watching you tweak it I want the Wavestation A/D and the JD-800 lol.
Just you wait until the video I release on Friday! ;-)
Hi Espen, Excellent video, I really enjoyed your song as well. You are a very talented guy! : )
Many thanks!
Great tune and excellent vocals to match the song style.
Cheers!
Spotted THE KICK INSIDE next to ur synths. You are on my team dude!
Been listening to Kate Bush since 1978.
You really know how to write some catchy keyboard lines, Espen!
I do what I can, thanks for saying! :)
Love the song. Love the synth. I am lucky enough to have one. Great stuff.
Cheers!
I was really looking forward to see this video. This was just awesome! I think seeing Paolo's JD-800 'the 64 classic factory patches' video just got me very excited!
The demo song 'Hero' is great!! I will surely listen to that song more in the future. One of the interesting things I find reading through the comment section: The modified color of the display! I also noted that on your D50 where is mine is green and yours is blue too! (I think the blue display looks cooler! lol). I initially thought that was just a cool 'filter effect' using a color mask for example in your editing software. I also noted that on your RX11 which almost seem to have no lighting on the display where's mine is very much kind of blue/green. But again, I initially thought you did this intentionally to get rid of the lighting issues that can occur when filming a display (particularly in rooms that are filled with lights or reflections). Great reference to the Genesis song! These videos are both informative as inspirational so thank you for that! Good to see the videos are sponsored. You put a lot of effort and time in these videos and I hope this will contribute to more time for you to do what you like doing!! Bravo!! -Devin
Thanks Devin! No, no special fx masks or anything here. It has a brand new custom display as has the D-50. Looks extremely cool, even more so live than on this video.
I rediscovered mine a couple of months ago! One of the few synths that actually comes with pretty decent factory patches. Lovely instrument, great for strings, pads and brass!
"One of the few synths that actually comes with pretty decent factory patches"
Aside from the return to a knob or slider per function type design that synths from the 70s and early 80s had, this synth sold as well as it did for the same reason a number of other Roland hits have… because of Eric Persing's involvement. His sense of "taste" was first applied to the JX-3P, then the JX-10/MKS-70, then super famously to the D-50. His contribution went beyond sound design to actually influence the design of many Roland products from the late 80s, thru the 1st half of the 90s. In 1994 Eric left Roland Corp US (while maintaining a relationship with Roland Japan) to form his own company Spectrasonics. First they developed and marketed sample libraries before getting into the software instrument field. Today all their VIs are first rate and many would consider Omnisphere 2 to be one of the (if not THE) finest software instrument you can buy.
Robert44444444 That too!
Thanks for sharing :-)) I'm so fortunate to have 2 of these beauties, and a JD-990 :-)) February 2022 the JD-08 Boutique will be available !
You're awesome!
Sweet!
I have owned a JD-800 since thirteen years or so and used it for the first time on my album The Age of Deception 2008). I had the aftertouch response improved and the keybed replaced, but the glue problem persisted. Even though it was a failure by Roland's standards, 20,000 instruments were manufactured. In my opinion, it is the most hands on digital synthesizer and capable of producing evolving spacy sounds. The strings card is superb. It is a classic, as your exquisite video demonstrates.
Great track !
Cheers! :D
Another great one, thanks for the review 👍
Keep safe!
Thanks, you too! :)
I was one of the first people to play this at a music shop in my home town. It was an amazing and forgiving instrument to play. I could never have afforded it.
Yeah, same here. I remember when it came to the music shop in my Home Town in Norway, it was out of this world expensive, but OH BOY did I want it, badly! Luckily technology has come a long way, and we can pretty much have what we want in a synth today.
Oh boy, same here, I wanted to sell tons of gear I had, just to be able to buy this synth; same, when the Korg M1 came out, in the $3,000 range, totally out of my league; today I have the amazing iM1 on my iPad, for 1% of that value; amazing!
The go-to synth for wire-type sounds. Nothing else touches it.
FANTASTIC
Cheers! :)
Damn. Them tones.
Those are some mighty tones alright.
It's like a D-50 with a built in PG-1000. Amazing machine, beautiful tones
Great video Espen.
Thanks! :)
gorgeous instrument
JD800 and Yamaha EX5 - two of the most industrial digital synths among all for me. Both machines create a unique atmosphere
Looking forward to the JD-990 video! I own one incl. vintage expansion board. Have to use it a lot more! Fantastic synth!
here we go again.... love it!
Thanks!
Волшебный синтезатор. Спасибо за отличную демонстрацию
Many thanks! :)
oh man the sound brings me back
Great synth, and great display MOD, Espen ;-))) the PAD of 9:20 min is fantastic.
Thanks! :)
Enjoyed that
Has to be one of the coolest looking synths ever~
A great synth!
Though I use an MC-707 as my workhorse, the ideas and details shown here are highly applicable to the underlying synth architecture in my groove box. Thanks for all that you do, Espen.
Cheers!
Очень удобно, когда все органы управления синтезатором выведены на главную панель и не надо пробираться по бесконечным лабиринтам меню, в поисках нужного тебе параметра! Большое спасибо Espen! Здоровья и творческой энергии! Надеюсь, в ближайшее время выложить свой первый опыт Italodisco, вдохновленный Вашим творчеством! Удачи, Espen!
Sweet man, bring it on! :)
I bought mine circa 1992 and it's still as new in it's box, having stashed it in my attic over 20 years ago! I must bring it down...
Hi, if you don’t use it, would you be interested by selling it ?
Vinz.
In looks: A neat machine from outer space.
In Sound: Neat digital sounds. With a few tweaks and wits, it can hold a candle to the analogue counterparts.
I once had to make a choice, back in 2009 or so. Buying a D-50 or a JD-800. I could not find an affordable JD-800 but a really good deal for a D-50. So i picked that one. Can't say i regret my choice (heck i LOVE the D-50 so much!) but i still would love to own one JD-800 as well. Because it just feels like a logical next step of the D-50. Back when Roland built some of the finest most versatile and lovable digital Synthesizer flagships. Sliders on synthesizers are also so much better and more intuitive to use than rotating knobs. I feel so happy for you that you have one of these amazing synths in your setup :)
Mine is still back home while I’m currently serving in the Air Force. I miss it immensely... the flexibility and ease of programming is ridiculous. My Jupiter-XM will have to suffice for now :,(
Железо от Роланд и их хиты - это навсегда, никакой Софт не заменит магию и полноценность фантастического звука легендарных синтезаторов !
Always wanted one never gonna give that dream up. Great song
Thanks man!
good track !!!
Thanks!
WOW your tracks sound good!!!
Sweet! :)
I remember seeing that in the store when it came out, very intimidating, lol. Looking back it was a great idea that anticipated virtual analog.
Yes! Thank you for making this and getting my mind off all the negative news. I wonder if PCBway can remake the JD-800 PCB keyboard membrane. I'd totally buy it. I love that screen upgrade! Take care, Sam.
Thanks Sam! I would definitely check with them, my understanding is they can make almost anything to order. :)
@@EspenKraft I'd like to know myself about it and I am sure there are at least 100 persons who are ready to buy a new or repaired mint keybed for the JD800 for up to 350-450 bucks.
fantastic!! thanks for sharing :)
Thanks! :)
I love it!
Sweet!
Best HOUSE/TECHNO machine i ever had !
I love this synth I have one and nothing compares to the sounds that come out of this thing, especially in stereo
Great Song
Thanks!
Nice Video Keying, Dude!
Thanks!:)
Killer song!
Cheers!
Great demonstration of perhaps the most sexy 90s synth. Loving the song, punchy and beefy sound design. I should point out for those not reading the description, that you are using the expansion card 03 Rock Drums, so all the favourite sounds are somewhat different from the internal factory sounds.
I would have included the 51 Hearts of Space though, as I use it on many songs. 🤪😎
Maybe Espen can demo the 51 patch now.
Thanks man, you should know it to since you own it! ;-) I do say I use the "rock drums" in the text overlay during the demo track, but if you watch on the phone it might be too small. ;-)
I'm done with the JD-800 now. ;)
Maybe not.
Yeah I was thinking maybe Espen should mark this one 18+ Adults only, Espen just said he was done with the JD-800 now, but I doubt that goes for the rest of us yet :D
looking forward to see the next about JD990
That was such a nice song.
Thanks! :)