KVR Audio

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Tue May 03, 2022 11:50 pm

Winner moves on to the JD-XA round

kritikon · Post by **kritikon** » Wed May 04, 2022 3:21 pm

I really don't understand Ronald and their pricing.

That JDXA is only $150 more than the JunoX, yet the JDXA has 4 full analogue voices alongside the digital stuff - their blurb says full VCO/VCF/analogue envs/LFOs etc (TBH just those 4 voices probably wipe the floor with a real Juno106). Seems like it probably throws in more stuff than the JupiterX, which is $2800. So their analogue/digital hybrid type flagship is LESS than their flagship digital VA. Actually the JDXA looks like a contender - it costs marginally less than a mono Sequential Pro3, (which to me shows how very overpriced Sequential are - embarrassing to be outpriced by Ronald of all companies...)

Still...I wasn't aware Ronald were actually making anything analogue nowadays - they finally rejoined the party. Good news whatever one thinks of Ronald.

I prefer green lights to orange though - orange is kinda non-committal.

(or is it red and just doesn't show well in photos?)

kritikon · Post by **kritikon** » Wed May 04, 2022 3:39 pm

I know what they're going to do next - release a brand new D110 which will be a 110 voice pure analogue recreation of an old...errr...digital classic? - $1500, sadly accessed by a 2-line, 6-digit LCD screen and 4 buttons. Simultaneously they'll release a D10-X full keyboard version which has 10 digital voices and 50 customisable i-bossa nova accompaniments - $3000.

cryophonik · Post by **cryophonik** » Wed May 04, 2022 3:43 pm

kritikon wrote: Wed May 04, 2022 3:21 pm Still...I wasn't aware Ronald were actually making anything analogue nowadays - they finally rejoined the party. Good news whatever one thinks of Ronald.

Ronald gives me the worst analogs. Man, one Big Mac really does a number on my GI tract.

Butt, seriously...

I really don't get Roland either. They're making some fairly cool stuff, but it seems like they're missing out on an opportunity to make a killing in the analog synth market while the iron's hot. Out of the "Big 3", Korg is the only one that seems to have taken advantage and have some very cool and soon-to-be-classic synths in the "-logue" series. Personally, I think the Minilogue XD is the best bargain on the planet right now, in terms of features/sound/price, although Arturia is really killing it too. Granted, Roland has the SE-02, but it pales in comparison to the synths Korg and Arturia are putting out, not to mention Dreadbox Nymphes and Typhon and the Novation Bass Station 2, which are in the same price range and far better built/fully featured.

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Wed May 04, 2022 4:25 pm

JD-XA was a flop. I just bought one used for $700, I just happen to be the weird guy that loves Roland digital.

SE-02 loses on features and build quality but wins on sound. It’s one of the best sounding analogs under $500.

kritikon · Post by **kritikon** » Wed May 04, 2022 6:26 pm

Go figure. It's probably all in the name - JD not as popular despite they make a better synth out of it. The Juno name for some inexplicable reason sells synths. I suspect they could make it out of balsa wood, have dried cowpats as knobs and sliders made of toenail clippings but if they called it a Juno, people would buy it.

By the way - you are weird. Nobody likes Roland digital...

cryophonik · Post by **cryophonik** » Wed May 04, 2022 6:48 pm

Uncle E wrote: Wed May 04, 2022 4:25 pm SE-02 loses on features and build quality but wins on sound. It’s one of the best sounding analogs under $500.

It definitely does sound good, based on the demos I've heard (I've never owned one), but all the reviews I saw can be summed up as "sounds great, built not so great and good luck using it if your fingers are average sized or greater."

I wonder how successful it was for them relative to the other Boutiques.

Vectorman · Post by **Vectorman** » Wed May 04, 2022 7:16 pm

It is a bit hard for me to get excited about these synths that have a bunch of software inside that you must access through a very small screen (I'd sooner use the plugins in a DAW). I feel the same way about the Korg Nautilus I bought last year, really...if that could somehow have been implemented as a native plugin for $500-ish, I think I'd probably rather work with it in that format.

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Wed May 04, 2022 7:33 pm

cryophonik wrote: Wed May 04, 2022 6:48 pm all the reviews I saw can be summed up as "sounds great, built not so great and good luck using it if your fingers are average sized or greater."

Accurate. At least they’re knobs and not faders. The JD-08 faders make me crazy.

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Wed May 04, 2022 7:34 pm

btw, the JD-XA arrived and it feels like a toy. You wouldn’t believe something that big can weigh so little. I’ll report back after I’ve tried it.

kritikon · Post by **kritikon** » Wed May 04, 2022 8:13 pm

That's not necessarily an indictment on poor quality. TBH I was astounded how lightweight the Korg digital trio are also - initially was a bit worried that they'd fall apart when I got them because they were so light. I was used to a Wavestation being as heavy as an oak coffin, and then out popped Wavestate, which weighed about the same as the little wooden box my last-cat-but-one was cremated into. Feels flimsy but isn't (Wavestate, not my dead cat). JDXA will no doubt be made the same way.

kritikon · Post by **kritikon** » Wed May 04, 2022 8:14 pm

Will be interested to hear how Roland make poly analogue nowadays - please do report back.

kritikon · Post by **kritikon** » Wed May 04, 2022 8:39 pm

Had a search for some reviews - most of the reviews were very poorly done. This one got my ears pricked up though. Wow! At 0.48 the sounds start getting very interesting. Sounded like the analogue bit & I'd imagine plenty of filter drive on it. Roland seem to be getting some character into their filters hopefully...

cryophonik · Post by **cryophonik** » Wed May 04, 2022 8:44 pm

kritikon wrote: Wed May 04, 2022 8:13 pm Feels flimsy but isn't (Wavestate, not my dead cat).

Thanks for clarifying that

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Wed May 04, 2022 9:07 pm

kritikon wrote: Wed May 04, 2022 8:39 pm Had a search for some reviews - most of the reviews were very poorly done. This one got my ears pricked up though. Wow! At 0.48 the sounds start getting very interesting. Sounded like the analogue bit & I'd imagine plenty of filter drive on it. Roland seem to be getting some character into their filters hopefully...

Thanks. Definitely some good sounds in there if you ignore the reverb. The Gattobus videos are the ones that got me interested in it, particularly the vocoder sound at 8:40:

Roland Juno-X