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Added: 13 December 1998
New price: discontinued
S/H price: £700-1000
Company: ROLAND UK

This product is part of
Roland's
Juno series

Roland's Juno series were the last analog synths made by the company before they switched to sample digital synthesis. All Juno synths used Digitally Controlled Oscillators (DCO's), starting with the 1982 6-voice Juno-6 with built-in chorus effect. Roland followed on with the updated Juno-60 released less than a year later also in 1982, which was essentially the Juno-6 but with the ability for the user to store 56 patches to memory, something the Juno-6 had lacked, however the Juno-60 still didn't have MIDi which came in just a year later in 1983.

After releasing one final VCO analog synth - the Jupiter-6 which had basic MIDI specs - Roland released the Juno-106 which still sported front-panel Jupiter-style slider controls for key parameters but was a DCO synthesiser.

So to be 100% accurate they were the only three Juno synths - The Juno-6, Juno-60 & Juno-106 - All three were DCO synths and all three offer traditional front-panel Jupiter-style slider controls for the main synth parameters.

Expanding the Juno series

For the sake of creating clarity & order for beginners trying to make sense of Roland's early synthesiser output, we are going to list the 'Juno' Series as all of the final 100% analog Roland synths made by Roland up until they stopped making analog synths and switched to sample digital synths with the D-50.

All these Roland synthesisers are titled Juno or have a J prefix. None of them used non-digitally controlled VCO's like the Jupiter Series. Apart from the Juno-106 they all used membrane switches on the front-panel, discarding the traditional knobs & sliders to edit & control sounds. They all used DCO oscillators.

If we organise Roland Juno & J-prefix series synthesisers like that, then the Juno Series after the Juno-6 & Juno-60 will also include the JX-3P, the Alpha Juno 1 & 2 - both fully analog synths with DCO's - and the final analog DCO flagship JX-8P and its follow-up JX-10 or 'Super JX'.

The MKS rack versions

You could also include the rack version of the keyboard versions in the Juno Series too. The MKS-30, MKS-50 & final MKS-70 rack version of the JX-10 Super JX.

The SynthPlus home-keyboard versions

One can also include in the Juno Series the related & rare home-keyboard versions of the Juno-106 and the Alpha Juno 1 & Alpha Juno 2, which are the SynthPlus 60 (HS-60), the SynthPlus 10 (HS-10) & the SynthPlus 80 (HS-80) respectively - Roland do not list these three SynthPlus synths on their own Roland History blog page, but they have identical synthesiser engines & full MIDI specs the same as the Juno units they are based on.

We have therefore organised the 'Juno' synths this way on Dancetech so that visitors can see in one collection, all the final 100% analog DCO synths Roland made, all listed together in an easy to understand way.

The Juno Series sounded the final hurrah for Roland analog synths. Roland moved on to release their proprietery sample synthesis engine they called Linear Arithmatic Synthesis (or LA Synthesis), beginning with their groundbreaking flagship D-50 synth in 1987, and then on to physical modelling & analog modelling in various forms, never to return to making a real analog synth again apart from one Boutique series synth jointly made by Roland and the American company Studio Electronics.

Resources

Roland JX-3P Servicemanual pdf Manual

16 Behringer links

Behringer TD-3 audio examples

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roland jx-3p

eddie

25-Apr-99

i ve bought mine today with pg200
do not ever think buying it without pg 200 it is like buying a car that doesnt turn left or right...
my first synth used it for 5 hours and i am not bored at all so...
if u have 300 bucks and somethin good get this...

andy

27-Aug-99

oh come on you damn babies. mine never had the pg200, and by now i have all the parameters memorized. and i've only had it for a few months. if you screw with it, this is one sweet synth. the pg200 may be a nice add-on, but it's not necessary. besides, you can't use the programmer with midi so what's the use? i'd rather bust out some sequences (and NOT from the crap on-board sequencer) then twiddle the cutoff with a programmer while trying to play some basslines with my hands. believe me, the JX3P is next 'en vogue' roland! well, maybe not. but it's kickin'! with TONS of bass! yup, it's a thin synth. thin, like as thin as 4 feet of concrete!

dave

18-Sep-99

This is one of my all time favorite roland synths. Very, Very cool unit. in fact, its the only hardware synth in my studio these days. its ridiculously simple to use, sounds great, and is really cheap right now. what more can i say?

Stephen Peacock

03-Jan-00

No PG200 = No problem IMHO. It just takes a little longer! It's still easier to program than many others. Even so, does anyone know of a Windows-based editor for the JX3P ?

Eddie.

01-Mar-00

This unit is not really thin, actually this thing has bad ass bases, chorus is noisy on mine, i dont know if it is the problem with everyone elses, pg200 helps a lot for building the sound but not a neccesity.I saw one guy on the net,implementing midi to pg200, that would really cool, since you can contreol reonance/cutoff/adsr from the sequencer.

zgygoos

22-Sep-00

Weblink: link

Fucking good amazing synth ! my mate Denis owns one. It was rusting in his bed room. One night i came around and plugged it. Cool old analog sound, nice square basses and also cheap price. Stop watching TV and go out to get one !

Matt

01-Jun-01

I own this one. But I need the cable that connects the PG-200. I wish I could experience the full effects of this great machine. If any knows where I can get one email me please. Thanks!

alex

19-Sep-01

Well it is true that is doesn't sound as thick as a juno (60), but too thin I don't agree, you can get good techno sounds out of it. I think this is a pretty good synth and for that price you can get it for, it's a amazing synth.

alex

12-Jul-02

No problems without the pg200, it is just a good working synth even without that pg200. Thin??? It is strange so many people has that same opinion. Okay it is not as thick as a juno 60, but certainly not mega thin. Good for techno sounds and basses. I programmed a lot of fair warm sounds.
For that price, that cheap!!! get this one.

sense

07-Jan-03

Weblink: link

MM i love the roland jx-3p with or with out the pg200 its an amazing synth , it is the DETROIT master , most all stabs and pads are detroitesque and alot of well known musicains wouldnt be in the studio with out thier 3p's. Personally i have had my 3p since 1991 and its the first synth i got and with it , ive learned sound synthesis ... I need to know if anyone knows the SPECS on building a cable for the PG-200 as i have now a PG-200 and my sense SLIDER is broken .. so i need to use the pg-200 to tweak anything. finally a friend of mine . a girl gave me a PG200 as a present .. since ive allways wanted one.. Please .. can anyone advise me on how i should go about making a cable for it..

cheers

mike

24-Jul-03

It does have analog filters but digital oscilators.

The MIDI is crap (omni only).

tom c

25-Aug-03

I can make the cables that go between the PG-200 and the JX-3P. I charge $45 plus shipping and handling for a cable that is tested (on my unit) and guaranteed to work.

Need PG-200 cable specs

09-Sep-03

Lovely synth.

What are the pinouts for the cable? Is it straight through on all 6 pins or not? The cable I've made doesn't seem to work like this, although I cant be sure the pg-200 isn't stuffed.

daniel

14-Oct-03

can u plug a drum machin into jx_3p?

C738

15-Oct-03

Weblink: link

Cant you use a regular MIDI cable to connect the PG to the JX?
DCO means digital controlled oscillator. The osc is analogue, but controlled by digital components. VCO is voltage controlled and it is said that these osc are more lively than the dco's. The DCO's dont detune like VCO's tend to do.

Robin

justin mills

13-Jan-04

lovely synth, easy to program great sounds and the sequencer is very useable.
midi is shit, so I use a 707 for timing.
havent got a pg200, dont think i need one.

Roxanne

18-Jan-04

Hi

I own a Roland JX 3P, I have been playing piano for 10 years now and I am starting to get into recording and CUBASE and I am looking into up grading to a newer Roland, I love the synth but it aint cuttin it anymore..
So if there is anyone out there that is interested in buying my beast(workd excellant never had a problem yet) drop me a email and we will talk .......

Ciao
Roxanne

Parris

15-Jun-04

I just took delivery of the most shoddy Roland JX3p you have EVER seen! She looked as if she had been thrown down a flight of stairs. When you buy anything from eBay, on-line auctions or without having actually physically seen, put hand on the item you are buying then beware!

Personally, I think I could get this thing working again, or have the spare parts to get yet another JX3p up and running. So, if are reading this, own a totally knackered unit in the UK, so long as it powers up and the KEYS are complete, then please get in-touch with me. I can't promise a kings ransom, these keyboards are hardly worth much now, but I will pay the P&P!

Further to this, anyone able to send me an image of the internal wiring loom, schematic diagrams and information please email me!

The 3V battery was removed, cables were cut, the keyboard was destroyed (possibly by Royal Mail) the entire PCB of the motherboard looks shot to pieces.

I suspect I am looking at a lovely doorstop!

I marked this unit as 3 as I know it will be great once it works!

switch

01-Dec-04

queztionz!....i own an mc50 sequencer,can the jx3p be controlled by it?i also have a dr 202 drum machine,as we all know it has an external sequencer,again can i control the jx3p with my dr202?...cause i just found one on sale for $100!reeel cheap...i need your opinion guys..thanx!pls email me=)..im a BIIIG fan of analogues!

dextroSpinoza

05-Jun-05

Weblink: link

jx3p- regarding the midi implementation on the roland JX3P....since it is Rolands
very first piece of gear with MIDI, we really cannot bash the MIDI capabilities of it.
I have interfaced a Roland CN-20 Midi music entry Pad with my Jx-3p, and it solves
the problem by aiding with some extra midi controls.
I also have a MKS-7 SuperQuartet, and i would have to say that the jx3p is on par
with the sounds that the Mks-7 can create.

dextroSpinoza

30-Aug-05

The JX 3P a super polyPhonic Analogue synth with Digitally controlled Oscillators, i
also have and use the MKS-7 SuperQuartet which is a rackmounth version or
incarnation of the Juno 106 synth engine.....and the JX-3P totally holds its ground in
all departments, and sound types....I memorized the programming within a while,
refering to a list i stuck on my wall in front of me, but now i have the PG-200 thing
with knobs, and it is ok, but i find myself using the step edit way by habit, I use a
Roland CN-20 music entry pad via midi to control some parameters on the MKS-7,
but it is a tedious synth to program, thank goodness for eMagic and SoundDiver !!!

Thomas

27-Sep-05

The JX-3P has analogue filters. The EGs are digital and it's got DCOs (which in fact are analogue oscillators controlled by a digital circuit). I'm not sure about the LFO, but it's got a fourth mode which is something like noise (not like the S/H, it's something like bubbling) and it's sine instead of saw. Mine sends Midi for the pitchbend er. I have no pedals to test.

Check the english wikipedia for a sound demo.

dweeb steinwad

19-May-06

Weblink: link

Axel F anybody with me on this? I think mine is 10 voice poly with two filters and three lfo's.It has 3 dco's and an 88 note keyboard.That's what the ebay man said as I havent gotten it yet.I can't wait to get this near mint jx 3p! Do they sound good and well? On my island they play 70's music so I am be sure make nice groovys with this jupiter like keyboard.They told me it sounds like Maddona!!!!

PowerZeus

28-Aug-06

Does anyone know where the battery is on this thing? If so please email me,
because I can't find it. haha, Greg

gwahlers@chicagosearay.com

Rocka!

04-Feb-07

Weblink: link

Now had my JX3P for 20 years.
Never had the PG200.
I just wish someone would write an XML file for it for Cubase 4.

Aquila

27-Apr-07

Weblink: link

This is a surprising synth. It doesn't seem to be thin, rather able to come up with some throbbing, growling baslines and howling leads.

The unit I bought last year was an easy restoration job. The biggest problem was the volume pot was all scratchy, but a good dousing of electrical contact cleaner worked wonders now it's a fully working synth.

The MIDI support is disappointing, where there is no sys-x (damn spam filter!) for any paramater change, however I there's a mod available that'll convert the pg-200 signals into MIDI, the website is here is linked under my profile.

Looking forward to making some sweet sounds with this little baby! Definitely an underrrated synth.

joel

25-Oct-07

most mental synth i ever got, my first one as well. it's boss. that's it.

Carl Max

11-Mar-08

I have a JX3P for sale in London UK. It is in perfect working order with no damage. I love this beast but I am moving abroad soon so it has to find a new home. I'm looking for offers around �250 and it comes with a PDF file of the manual. Thanks a lot.

Carl max

11-Mar-08

Weblink: link

I have a JX3P for sale in London UK. It is in perfect working order with no damage. I love this beast but I am moving abroad soon so it has to find a new home. I'm looking for offers around �250 and it comes with a PDF file of the manual. Thanks a lot.

Laurie

08-Mar-09

The JX3P is completely analog.

It is the Control(tuning) of the Analog oscillators that was digital...

Voltage Controlled oscillators were commonly going out of tune, so at the birthplace of midi implementation, Roland introduced a digitally controlled oscillator like Yamaha did on the CS70M.....
The DCO is Analog...
The Filters on the JX3P are also analog...
the Brilliance circuit and Chorus are also analog

there is a VSTi which does the JX3P and it is called the
"Stumm PG-23P".

phobik2000

04-May-09

Got mine today. No Pg200 and sadly patch buttons 1-8 are not working, besides the whole area when pressed activates the hold button for some reason. Other then that it sound nice, although there's an urge to reach for the knobs and tweak which isn't happening.

override

01-Jun-10

Weblink: link

i've owned a jx3p for about 10 years now. it was my first synth ever. got it from a pawn shop for $300. mine was having some problems recently, so i spent a day cleaning it and fixing the dead keys/buttons. now it is back in amazing shape and sounding AWESOME!

never had a pg200, never needed it.
midi omni does suck, but it transmits the sustain pedal via midi so it's not bad as a controller.
there are some sick mods that can be done on this. organix has a sweet midi kit for the 3p. allows full control of all parameters via CC's, use the pg200 & midi at the same time, and allows it to receive midi on channel 1,2 or 3 (no more omni!)

imo the biggest downfall of this synth is no legato/portamento. other than that, it rocks. i will never sell this keyboard

jello

16-Sep-10

There's no doubt that JX-3P is the business. For techno, electronic, idm, 80's, basses, leads, pads especially... it's really something when you get into it. Firstly it's not digital. It has DCO's which are VCO's controlled by a digital circuit just to keep them in tune (wonder what it would be like to disable this?) . Similar to the juno but overall it sounds different and can do more things because it is 2 x DCO per voice rather than one, I had a MKS7 too for a while and could compare it first hand. The only thing it lacks is yes portamento and the envelope attack could be a bit faster, othewise it's hard to fault this one. The sequencer is awesome and can be synchronised via the usual click input. I have the modification mentioned above that enables PG200 use with MIDI, it's worth every cent, well done to the guy that did it! There are a lot out there happily so go get one.....

Last added comment

Oliver Straus

22-Dec-14

If you still make cables please contact me

Thanks

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Roland JX-3P

The PG-200 programmer

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3: Great stuff!

4: Excellent!

5: Awesome!

Rate this product!

Currently: 85%Total Stars: 191Total Votes: 45

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Category:

Added: 13 December 1998New price: discontinuedS/H price: £700-1000Company: ROLAND UK

This product is part ofRoland'sJuno series

Alpha Juno 1

Alpha Juno 2

Juno-106

JUNO-6

JUNO-60

JX-10

JX-3P

JX-8P

MKS-30

MKS-50

MKS-70

Expanding the Juno series

The MKS rack versions

The SynthPlus home-keyboard versions

Resources

Product videos

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Your browsing history (edit)

roland jx-3p

Comments

eddie

25-Apr-99

andy

27-Aug-99

dave

18-Sep-99

Stephen Peacock

03-Jan-00

Eddie.

01-Mar-00

zgygoos

22-Sep-00

Weblink: link

Matt

01-Jun-01

alex

19-Sep-01

alex

12-Jul-02

sense

07-Jan-03

Weblink: link

mike

24-Jul-03

tom c

25-Aug-03

Need PG-200 cable specs

09-Sep-03

daniel

14-Oct-03

C738

15-Oct-03

Weblink: link

Currently: 85%
Total Stars: 191
Total Votes: 45

Added: 13 December 1998
New price: discontinued
S/H price: £700-1000
Company: ROLAND UK

This product is part of
Roland's
Juno series