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JX10

Synth (Analogue / Subtractive) Plugin by mda
MyKVRFAVORITE40WANT27

The macOS downloads are for VST2 Intel and Audio Unit Apple Silicon / Universal 2 Binary. The Windows download is VST3.

JX10 by mda is a Virtual Instrument Audio Plugin for macOS and Windows. It functions as a VST Plugin and a VST 3 Plugin.
Product
Version
1.1
Product
Version
1.1
Instrument
Formats
Copy Protection
None
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KVR Rank

Overall: 471   370   467

30-Day: 463; 7-Day: 640; Yesterday: 1370

  • 2 fixed oscillators (Mix selectable between 100:0 to 50:50) & Noise
  • Oscillator tune +-24 semitones
  • Resonant filter (Controllable by Env/LFO/Velocity)
  • ADSR for VCF & Amp/Env
  • Glide - 6 modes (Poly, P-Legato, P-Glide, Mono, M-Legato, M-Glide)
  • LFO
  • Vibrato
  • Synth tuning +-2 Octaves
  • Low CPU usage
  • Default bank of 52 patches
  • No GUI

Latest User Reviews

Average user rating of 3.62 from 13 reviews
JX10

Reviewed By wikter [all]
June 30th, 2006
Version reviewed: Final on Windows

About this Synth there's a lot of things to be said.
It seems much more based on SH series from Roland but as long as I've not searched along the Roland Keys history I can't say that for sure.

The oscillator section is based on two Pulse (width modulable) oscillators, but the only controls are 2nd Osc detune, 2nd Osc Coarse and Mix. It's a bit limited in comparison with some ones, but in fact, it does the job.
The filter section is a selfoscilating resonant LowPass filter modulated by a very fast envelope with bipolar modulation (positive and negative).
The Amp envelope is also very fast (try short attack and decay time), altough pads can also be achieved by pushing the fader up to the end.
Finally, an LFO that modulates the filter and the oscillator PWM or Pitch. It's a shame that you only have the possibility to modulate one parameter of the escillator, but the fact is that this lack of controls allows this synth to be very easy to understand.

The envelopes are very fast and it's easy to adjust them to fast rates without getting artifacts.
The resonance starts selfoscillation very early when the fader is moved and its sound doesn't matches for Pads os Basses easily.

Altough it do the job with Basses, Pads, Drones, stabs... its sound and play modes (wow, it's polyphonic) gives good classic Leads, arps and glissandos.

And rating the KVR values...

User Interface:
No Gui... Ok, I'm so used to work with no Gui that I can't imagine it out of the Logic faders.

Sound:
As long as it has no effects, it sounds dry and the presets doesn't help, but adding a flanger+Xdelay gives a more exciting machine. The ease of control also lets you focus on the music, forgetting to adjust tones of controls.

Features:
Altough it's feature limited and lack a bunch of parameters, it is fast to understand and tweak, and very low on CPU usage. Also, the voice modes helps when searching classic sounds.

Documentation:
Forget about it. Not needed

Presets:
Useful when you need to create a new sound, but not specially inspiring.

Customer support:
Unknown and unneeded.

Value for money:
Freeware. It costs a download.

Stability:
On Logic, I've found two kind of problems, it can clip Equalizer bands inserted after it and sometimes it stops sounding... in fact, it stops sound when an eQ after it is clipped. Well it only happens tweaking it while it's played, but it's a shame that it happens (altough it happens rarely)
Read Review
JX10

Reviewed By tetsuneko [all]
June 18th, 2006
Version reviewed: 1.0.0.1 on Windows

While there are many reasons why i consider this to be among the very best subtractive FOOS VSTi's out there, the biggest one is the sound of the thing itself. I highly recommend jx10 for a subtractive synth in your arsenal.

I could have written how the internal architechture of the jx10 works, but this becomes obvious once you have used it for a while.

mda JX10 is supposedly similar to a Roland JX10 in its features? I have never used a real JX10 myself, so I wouldn't know. There are two oscillators, square and saw. You get two envelopes, one for filter and one for amp. Filter section might seem modest to contemporary alternatives, only a single LPF. Also, in the modulator section, there is only one LFO. Doesn't sound like much? I disagree!

First of all, the plugin itself is a single .dll, so no need to install or worry about bloating your DAW's registry with redundant garbage. Some people don't seem to mind this, but I'm very picky about this myself.

Another feature that I admire in JX10 is it's GUI-less interface. I know this turns a lot of people off, having used to all kinds of nice looking GUI's with 3D rendered knobs and such. I usually find GUI's to be quite distracting, so for me this is actually a plus instead of a minus. And surely if a GUI is needed, someone with the urge can make a skin and post it to mda?

What about cc's then? I think that when shaping sounds on stage, less is more. While there are only a modest amount of parameters on the jx10, I found I can easily map almost all of the parameters to my PCR-50 (which has ~32 controllers). Shaping the sounds becomes a snap once you have most controls assigned, and I actually remembered again just how fun those old analog synths used to be! Many other VSTi's have huge amounts of parameters, and the only way to gain tactile control of them is by buying the biggest knob-box in the world.. hardly convenient?

As I mentioned in the beginning of my review, jx10 sounds great. The filter, although only a single LPF, gives you instant gratification by sounding very smooth and warm. Oscillators are very nice as well, no sign of syntheditesque thinness or homogenicity here. I guess I should have analyzed some tests and include the results here, but I am a lazy bitch you know ;) It is enough to say that I'd go toe-to-toe with jx10 against anything else than xhip any day! (I hate to base arguments on personal experience, but I have tried many, many VSTi's - both FOOS and commercial - and I should have a pretty good idea about what sounds good and what doesn't..)

I don't know if there is a manual for jx10, but it's so simple that one hardly needs it anyway.

To wrap it up, mda jx10 is a synth that grows on you. Once you get over the fact that it's not meant to be used for every sound in your next hot track and use it in the context of where it's strenghts lie, good results are bound to happen. It's no wonder that mda is working for Digidesign nowadays.
Read Review
JX10

Reviewed By PugFace [all]
March 12th, 2004
Version reviewed: 1 on Windows

Very roland sounding. This was i think first VSTi taht i downloaded from the WEB. I was real scared at first because i was worried about viruses. But this has a nice Juno 106 sound. It is no good for anything other than analog sounding stuff as the filter seems to be too clean. I still have fond use of it but i hardly ever go back in to Cubase Folders for it.
Read Review
JX10

Reviewed By brok landers [all]
September 28th, 2003
Version reviewed: 1.1 on Windows

like every plugin of mda its very simple but focussed on what it does to do it perfect.
it exactly has the features like a jx8p (exept the chorus and the layering lower-upper structure), and it even reminds me about that one in terms of sound.
it simply sounds great, and i hate it for being so featureless ... imagine this synth with enhanced filtermodes x 2,fm, filter fm and ringmodulation, more lfo´s and env`s, and a modulation matrix ... i dont even want to think about it.

come on, maxim digital audio, update this synth to what it deserves ... i would even pay for it.
--------------------------------------------------------
gui :
none.

sound :
a bit it reminds me to a jx8p.

features :
too rudimentary for the exellent sound. you allways hate it to be so limited.

docs :
never needed. tweak a slider and listen.

presets :
the synth is capable of what the presets show.basic but good.

support :
simply brilliant, because mostly not needed (as with all the plugs of mda), but if, the developer himself is replying.

value for money :
feel bad, its a steal(as with all the plugs of mda).

stability :
never ever crashed once on all my systems in all circumstances (as with all the plugs of mda;=).

summary :
go get everything of mda, and dont let yourself be fooled by the fact that theres no gui or its free.
its high end plugs. every each of mda.

to mda :

ENHANCE, UPDATE, PACK-FULL-WITH-FEATURES ALL YOUR PLUGS.

brok landers
Read Review
JX10

Reviewed By dor-x [all]
July 28th, 2002
Version reviewed: 1 on Windows

This is the best sounding freeware synth around.
but one of the worst looking.
It has clarity and richness and punch, but not too much diversity, so you don't get lost.
It can't be automated, though, big shame, and sometimes drop out (but don't crash). The author replyed to my emails himself, and it should be noted that his other plugins (effects)are enormous too.
Read Review

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Comments & Discussion for mda JX10

Discussion
Discussion: Active
prietales
prietales
2 June 2013 at 11:03pm

The best free analog sounding VST ever.

BlackWinny
BlackWinny
14 November 2013 at 11:31pm

Inspired from the Roland JX-10, this plugin has no GUI (it uses the GUI of your DAW), but... what an amazing sound!!!

For more information about this astounding plugin, here is below in italics an extract of the description from the original page (before he's gone to Sourceforge where he has upgraded all his old plugins, then ported them to 64-bits... and added some new plugins that are not yet in the KVR Database):

"The plug-in is designed for high quality (lower aliasing than most soft synths) and low processor usage - this means that some features that would increase CPU load have been left out!

Additional patch design by Stefan Andersson and Zeitfraktur, Sascha Kujawa.

Please note that the mda JX10 is not related to the JX series of synths available from JXPlugins.

When Vibrato is set to PWM, the two oscillators are phase-locked and will produce a square wave if set to the same pitch. Pitch modulation of one oscillator then causes Pulse Width Modulation. (pitch modulation of both oscillators for vibrato is still available from the modulation wheel). Unlike other synths, in PWM mode the oscillators can still be detuned to give a wider range of PWM effects."

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