Bad Gear - Roland JV-1080

[@AudioPilz]

Audiopilz: *slaps roof of YT channel Full* Tracks, Extended Jams, Sample Packs: www.patreon.com/audiopilz

[@waynesilverman3048]

Thats good news .Im at work but will sort it out later thanks

[@Archonagon]

I don't care how many years later it's been, or how hard these were hammered back in the day, I still unironically love those sounds.

[@iagmusicandflying]

Some things become cliche because they were pretty damned good to begin with!

[@fakshen1973]

It reminds me of every small budget composer score I ever laid into the mix of a corporate video in the 1990s.

[@AudioPilz]

❤️❤️❤️

[@squeakD]

AudioPilz is being disingenuous with this video IMO.., and is using popular gear in his vids as clickbait to generate ad revenue. He knows people will see the title and watch the vid because a popular piece of gear is on his list. I made a comparison in my comment about the Korg Triton Classic, which is an icon era defining synth workstation, and he basically says “thanks for the future vid suggestion”. If he’s going to clickbait with gear vids like this, I’ll unsub because it’s really shady of him.

[@iagmusicandflying]

@@squeakD Don't let the door hit ya where the Good Lord split ya.

[@PlugInGuruVideo]

Confession Time (but don't tell anybody) - when I was doing the voicing on the Wavestation (I was into making expansion cards probably for the WSSR by this time) , I was approached by Roland and hired to make a bunch of the drum loops found on the Roland SR-JV80-12 Hip Hop Expansion Board. I believe I was credited as "Underground Mic" on the project. Not long after that they hired me to do voicing on the original V-Synth. Korg didn't know at the time or they would not have been happy, but when a fun project like this comes along, you have to say yes. Again, don't tell anybody... I wasn't here. Really. I mean it.

[@G.GordonMidi]

Who wasn’t here? I didn’t see anyone 😉

[@theprogrammerrolandmc3039]

Your the guy that puts panpipe's in every synth

[@elphive42]

@@theprogrammerrolandmc3039 *_tooooooooot_*

[@davedaves9403]

wow I"m jealous, that's the gig I"ve always wanted. Wish I could hear what your loops sounded like (when I was younger I learned a lot from studying the presets of my Roland D2 groovbox)

[@AudioPilz]

Your synths are forgiven... Amen (break)

[@TonyDrake1960]

I've had mine since 1994, and it's still providing bread and butter in my studio, alongside newer synths and VSTs. An awesome piece of gear.

[@AudioPilz]

👍

[@TonyDrake1960]

@D T Day I do! I actually have 5 (even though the 1080 can only handle max 4.) I have the Pop card, the Vintage Synth card, the Techno card, the World music card, and the Orchestral card (not installed at the moment) I also have a Country Music PCM card for the front slot. They do add a lot of versitality and value to the unit.

[@skaneverdies]

I love my JV-1010. It gives me quick access to thousands of (mostly) very usable bread and butter sounds and uses half of 1u rack space! The circa 1994 new age goodness is icing on the cake. I wouldn't dare try to program the thing, but still find myself using it almost every day.

[@AudioPilz]

Super compact little synth!

[@christianvictor827]

Yep, it's my swiss army knife for whenever the synth I'm working on is missing that one sound. I personally even like its sound a bit better than the "better" JV.

[@darwiniandude]

Also adds the Session board, great sounds. Need an external device (iPad, Computer) for editing though. The XV-2020 is very similar, but updated and SRX expansion.

[@bramjurriaan1593]

​@@darwiniandude what do you use for editing the jv-1010? I think it is unfortunate that you can't set the midi tempo/clock (for LFO for example) to follow/slave without diving into a software editor.

[@BenKirb]

The JV-1080 has never been conidered bad gear in my opinion! I love this synthesizer!!!!

[@AudioPilz]

Nothing personal;)

[@cchavezjr7]

Honestly, it's been kind of a thing I've noticed lately on these youtube videos is to call all the old popular things bad or awful in the titles to get clicks. It's getting old and pretty lame in my opinion.

[@martinklein9489]

@@cchavezjr7 seems you don't understand the particular format of this channel ...

[@roland4507]

@@cchavezjr7 Are you sure you know what this channel is about?😗

[@cchavezjr7]

@@roland4507 I didn't say specifically this channel. Others do it as well.

[@XHALE303]

Every studio & dance track in the 90s contained a JV1080, i have to give Roland a pass on this one. 😊

[@AudioPilz]

The question is: is this a good or a bad thing?;)

[@ruk2023--]

@@AudioPilz It's a thing alright.

[@kcat80]

including all the bad dance music made with it, and the studios which made bad dance music lol

[@ruk2023--]

@@kcat80 Getting deeper, is it bad dance music if it got enough exposure for us to hear it? Since starting to produce music I have learned that even the worst sounding record that makes waves in the public takes a lot of skill to make sound professional enough for release.

[@davelordy]

@@ruk2023-- _"even the worst sounding record that makes waves in the public takes a lot of skill"_ Thank you, I appreciate that.

[@irife2771]

The JV1080 is one of the greatest synths ever made. The 1080 is insanely easy to program too, its just a giant grid when you hit the parameter and palette button.

[@oupahens9219]

As easy to program as a D50.

[@AudioPilz]

👍

[@Electrodefender]

i prefer the JV2080 cause it has a much bigger display

[@madness8556]

​@@Electrodefender I actually preferred the display of the JV1080 because it was easier for me to read from a distance. I did want a JV2080 but I couldn't justify the much higher price at the time for not much more functionality.

[@andrewculp1378]

Incredible how flexible gear of that era was. Manufacturers today call a stereo pair and a headphone jack multiple outputs. Don't even get me started about voices.

[@AudioPilz]

You actually NEEDED these multiple outputs back then...

[@sinephase]

not even midi out through a USB dongle? I find that hard to believe but do believe it at the same time LOL That said, I think it has to do more with lack of real standards so they tried to cover all bases.

[@unclemick-synths]

Multitimbral was a must-have in the pre-DAW days. Now it's not even on my nice-to-have list. If I had to go back to the 90s I'd give MIDI sequencing a miss!

[@PacifierMusic]

I had a 1080 and it made me a ton of money. Great piece of gear, solid construction and never failed to provide a lot of good preset options. Roland did good on this one.

[@AudioPilz]

The midi to money converter;)

[@CatgirlThatLovesYou]

Somehow even with the very cliché sounds the final tune still had a really nice vibe to it. Another great review! :)

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!!

[@prinzbach]

That's kind of the blessing and the curse of the JV1080... it sounds cliche/familiar but it is still a great powerful synth. It's a time machine for 90s sound design... I love it! I wish Roland would make a boutique version with knobs to edit the sounds faster...

[@CatgirlThatLovesYou]

@@prinzbach That would be awesome lol.

[@josephneuwirth]

at this point I don't even give a shit about bad gear. I'm watch every wideo because it's got better humor, wit and content than most streaming shows. Every composition is ear candy. Seriously this guy puts a smile on my face more reliably than any other subscriptions.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!!!

[@vinnyolmsted8018]

I can't hate on a synthesizer that sounds like my childhood.

[@MSHRadio-dj5zn]

yep, need to embrace it

[@AudioPilz]

I feel you!!!

[@xa1a]

Potentially the best final track you have ever done!!!! Great review as usual! :)

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!!!

[@etagsibuna]

It is STILL a fantastic bread and butter synth. I have fully expanded 1080, and i’ve multi sampled each and every sound into Logics sampler, so i have them at hand when doing sessions. It took a whole week 😂 My expansions are Dance, Vintage Synths, World and Techno. I still use 1 or two 1080 samples on every session, even in these days of Omnisphere, Alchemy etc….

[@AudioPilz]

Wow, that's quite a task!

[@robertlee1176]

Fun Fact: The movie Inception was inspired by Roland’s menu diving 20 years from now

[@AudioPilz]

Lol

[@abstractdrumz]

I'm surprised there was no mention of how this synth was an integral part of the UK Jungle/Drum&Bass scene in the '90s. The JV1080 was used heavily by Photek, LTJ Bukem, PFM, Goldie etc.

[@AudioPilz]

I also didn't put in the Faithless pizzes;)

[@oatspodcast]

And R&B

[@maka1510]

I had the JV1010 some years ago - great little thing - and have the JV 2080 for several years now. I always love coming back to this big black box of awesomeness. It has lots of sounds that are still relevant today while others seem a little outdated compared to the usual suspects of sample libraries everybody has today. But it has a special vibe, it instantly throws you back into the 90s ... ticking memory boxes. And it also surprises you with some sounds you find nowhere else. I love it.

[@AudioPilz]

Nice little sound module!

[@soots-stayingoutofthespotl5495]

About the JV-2080, does anyone happen to know if the entire thing plus expansion boards is built-in to the higher-end Fantom keyboards or the INTEGRA-7 module? Or indeed if *any* of it is featured 'as was'? They mention an XV-5080 in their current blurb but that one passed me by, so I'm none-the-wiser.

[@naswalt]

So I've had a pretty shit week with fires and tornadoes. Let me tell you how much of a comfort it was to get of work and see a legacy piece of gear that I've been fortunate enough to play with get featured on bad gear. I hope you know that you've shared a bit of joy when I really needed it. God bless you, man.

[@AudioPilz]

Stay safe! Thank you!!!

[@flatlyna2223]

I can always count on you to lift my mood, and this episode is no exception. Thanks for the Bad Gear take on a venerable classic ;-)

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!!!

[@rob8765]

I would not consider this Bad Gear, And those expansion cards were great . Amazing sounds from this Synth

[@AudioPilz]

I'd love to go deeper into the expansion cards!

[@brendanryan6363]

​@@AudioPilzyou've bad talked their mother, you don't deserve to hear them 😉

[@jonnyalec5646]

The bass sounds in this unit should not be understated, they are so incredibly thick and warm

[@AudioPilz]

Agreed, got quite some depth

[@morphicresonancechannel8733]

agree

[@PlasticCogLiquid]

Fuck yeah!

[@yvesbajulaz]

Still my fav acoustic bass

[@gcoudert]

Yes! They were powerful!

[@gandolphcarter]

I have a JD-990 which is very similar, even have a couple SRX cards. Also I've messed around with the Cloud 1080 vst a fair bit. The JD and JV series are probably my favorite synths. The architecture is complex at first but all makes perfect sense to me, intuitive limitations in just the right places and endless inspiring possibilities when you start getting creative. And the crisp cold "cheesy" 90's digital sound is my favorite. Nothing bad about this synth at all imo.

[@AudioPilz]

The 990 is the one to get!

[@peterkadarmusic9728]

I was waiting for someone to talk about the 990. I used to have a stack of three of them, all with the Vintage Synth card installed. It was awesome but total overkill and it never ended up seeing any use.

[@boojum]

I bought the successor JV 2080 and absolutely love it. So much so, I got the XV5080 which has all of the sounds of the JV and more at a higher sample rate. I think it still sounds great and for £2-300 gives you a really useful demoing tool.

[@AudioPilz]

Nice one!!!

[@badinkstudios]

The black metal band Summoning used this for the drum and orchestral parts on their first few albums. Absolutely iconic if you’re a fan of that 90s Dungeon Synth sound

[@AudioPilz]

Nice!!!

[@bmwolfGrim]

FINALLY!!! Ive been searching what the fuck are the summoning synths ("summoning käppäurut" as i know them")

[@rockumk]

I had and still have this unit and the SRX drums, orchestra, and piano expansions were all great.

[@AudioPilz]

Nice!!!

[@LorenzoVDH1996]

I love this thing, as a 90s/00s kid this thing is a box full of nostalgic sounds to me. Other than pure 90s nostalgia, I wouldn't really say it's anything amazing these days. It has some nice pad sounds and is pretty easy to tweak compared to other romplers/PCM synths... I have a fully expanded one that I still occassionally use if I wanna make some oldschool jungle.

[@AudioPilz]

Great for jungle!!!

[@dillweed8591]

Being born in the year 2000, today's jams reminded me of the free games and demos I found online back in the day, with tracks made by hobbyist virtuosos who either had too much time on their hands, or someone was actually willing to pay them for their music.

[@AudioPilz]

Not sure if this is a good thing or not;)

[@etagsibuna]

All those years later, i still use sounds from my fully expanded jv1080 in every album production. I samples ALL the sounds into logics exs sampler years ago, so when the time comes when it melts down, i still will have them all.

[@supermahmoud]

My first expander ! I used it for about 2 years back in 2003, sold it after and got a superior XV-3080 that I still have/use to this day ! I love 90s Roland sounds !!

[@AudioPilz]

Cool!!!

[@aristotlekumpis7095]

Not a bad piece of gear. It was used on countless TV shows and commercials. I still have mine and use it from time to time.

[@AudioPilz]

👍👍👍

[@foljs5858]

Countless pop and dance hits of the time too

[@squoblat]

I bought one of these a few months ago, amazing bit of kit for the price. Surprisingly usable actually, I've been having fun with it in combination with the Sherman filterbank 2

[@AudioPilz]

Nice, sherman!!!

[@Turbo_TechnoLogic]

The Sherminator can make a half eaten hamburger dropped on wet floor sound radical, so well, yeah

[@TimWrightDJ]

I paid about £160 for mine a couple of years ago and I've used it on at least one track so far. I haven't gone past the presets, but it's a nice bit of kit to have and I don't see myself selling it. Unfortunately, I am getting a lot of noise from mine, which I don't think I did about a year ago.

[@squoblat]

@@TimWrightDJ That's almost exactly what I paid for mine with one expansion card. Are you getting noise on all of the outputs or just one pair?

[@RoyChartier]

@@TimWrightDJ take it to a tech, probably some caps need replacing.

[@cueboyd8666]

I actually own the Jv-1080 that was actually used on "who wants to be a millionaire" soundtrack. Bought it for £300 and it sounds like the perfect synth for 90's vaporwave game show music.

[@ReubenSound]

That's an amazing soundtrack! Cool to know a 1080 was used.

[@AutPen38]

You'll have to ask the audience to confirm that.

[@muzikman2008]

Can I phone a friend? Not sure about that one 😂👍

[@AudioPilz]

50:50???

[@thingfish5271]

1993 - bought one JV-1080 was awesome

[@AudioPilz]

Nice!!

[@MAZZI100]

Awesome as always!. I have my 1080 since almost 20 years with 4 srjv80 expansions and it's still the base of all my projects. It aged very well imo. My besr regards!.

[@lopp3]

I still use a JV2080 as one of the centrepieces of my studio. Even as the OG sound of the 90s these things are still classics. (And the bigger screen on the 2080 makes programming it way easier!)

[@AudioPilz]

Nice one!

[@159CHAPPELL]

I agree I have a 2080 in my set up blown out with expansions and it is a usable piece of gear. I use it for small ear candy in the background. I also will sample many of the sounds, slap a few new age effects and filters on them, layer it , and Boom!!! I'll keep mine and maybe one day it will make a vintage list 👍👍👍

[@darwiniandude]

The 2080 has 8 expansion slots, and 3 insert effects - nearly all others in the range (except XV-5080, the 2080's successor) have only one insert effect plus reverb and chorus. 3 insert effects gives way more flexibility while keeping things in the midi domain. Super useful in the 90's. These days though it's trivial to record a track to audio then repeat with other tracks so three inserts isn't as essential. But yeah, JV-2080 is a beast. Was always jealous when I saw pics of people's racks with two JV-2080's both full of cards.

[@MeneTekelUpharsin]

Is the sound of the JV2080 the same as the JV1080?

[@darwiniandude]

@@MeneTekelUpharsin Yes. An unexpanded JV-2080 has the same exact rom waveforms as the JV-1080. However, it has an extra bank of presets. A B C & D banks each have 128 sounds, the same on both. JV-2080, and later JV-1010 etc, have an E bank too. But it uses the same rom anyway. JV-2080 has better screen, 8 expansion slots vs 4, three insert effects vs one.

[@avace917]

I used this on so many records back then it's ridiculous. It was my workhorse module

[@AudioPilz]

True!!!

[@mrdofficial4542]

Still one of my fav synths. Those pads are so beautiful

[@AudioPilz]

Love 90s Roland pads!

[@dennis3095]

The JV-1080 is very good and reasonable easy to operate. Remember that this is a now 30 year old tool with that 30 yo tech that comes with it. It has a today a very modern retro sound that is very usable

[@kolobmusik584]

I bought a brand new one about 3 years ago from a guy that bought it for a project that never happened when it was for sale new, it was kept in a heated storage since new ,still in the box. The plug was still tied. It was never even turned on ! So i think i have the best example in the world. Don`t worry its still in perfect conditon.! Thanks for the upload !

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks for watching!!! A NOS one!

[@erich1394]

Thank you for the fantastic bowling alley 3D and nostalgic sounds. You tricked my brain into forgetting how alienating and horrible the world has become in the past 20 years!

[@AudioPilz]

Today are the good times of tomorrow. Thank you so much!!!

[@erich1394]

@@AudioPilz Well put! I'll try to remember that

[@TooSlowTube]

@@erich1394 I'm still nostalgic for a time that never existed.

[@erich1394]

@@TooSlowTube Based on current reddit trends, you are not alone!

[@Pamberjack_]

Incredible synth. Probably one of the best sounding instruments of the 90s. But programming is hard and those shiny presents call to you like beautiful sirens on the rocks. It takes A LOT of work to come up with your own sounds but SO worth it. It also tends to make any track it touches sound like a million dollars, so if that’s not what yr going for you’ll either need to make it sound more lofi using effects/EQ or choose another synth…

[@AudioPilz]

Nice analogy!!!

[@Pamberjack_]

@@AudioPilz 🙏

[@MichaelRohaly]

I just rebought a JV-880 that I used to have 25 years ago or so and the laughter was worth it.

[@AudioPilz]

Nice!!!

[@Dr.W.Krueger]

Excellent module, still using it from time to time

[@AudioPilz]

😀

[@pommedapi3847]

totally discovering the channel and i LOVE the end tracks with nice old CG clips. could watch these for hours. so good.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!!

[@fa0676]

This was the D50 and DX7 of the 90s. I had the XV3080. It was superb.

[@AudioPilz]

👍

[@saricubra2867]

The JV-1080 is maybe a Roland JD800 but on steroids.

[@datapusher-]

The JV series are pure gold. Nothing bad about them imho!

[@AudioPilz]

👍

[@SoftSounddk]

I still like the JV1080 - not as a rompler or preset player (you´re absolutely right about the stock sound of this synth being beaten to death by countless uses) - but as a full blown programmable synth, that I´ve come to know as my own pocket over the years (I use an editor though). Only thing that´s a bit annoying is the reverb tail ringing. I´ve made a commercial soundbank to the JV (evolving ambiences and soundscapes), to bring in in to the new era 🙂

[@AudioPilz]

Nice!!! I have to check it out!!!!

[@stevecolley7745]

I have this, still use it and absolutly love it.

[@AudioPilz]

Classic!

[@georgei.giannopoulos6294]

Oh my! My 1st pro synth ever! My first jobs where done with this! I have feelings for this old piece of gear!

[@seanspartan2023]

I'll never sell my JV module. It sounds dated but that's why I like it. It has nostalgia and nothing sounds quite like it.

[@AudioPilz]

👍

[@SynGirl32]

Ha, last year I went to an otherwise fairly modern and well-kept studio that had 4 recording rooms, and every single one had a 1080 in its rack. The thing just won't die!

[@AudioPilz]

It is fairly robust indeed;)

[@jimiscott]

Even in my non-music production world....this is everywhere - he should have subtitled this episode as 'the staple'.

[@SineBeta]

My bet is they have them just for the show. This thing has its time, and OK, most of them still work, but f*%#ing why we keep cycling them from rack to rack?? You buy one for the nostalgia, get a couple of afternoons getting frustrated by its interface, or 2 weeks implementing its MIDI, then sell it, or forget you have one at the bottom of the rack.

[@meboyme]

@@SineBeta Why waste all that rack space for something that's just for show?

[@jooei2810]

This synth is epic and ticking all the boxes!

[@AudioPilz]

❤️❤️❤️

[@FunkiestChickenlawl]

These sounds are so damn iconic. Almost every single one brings back a childhood memory of a favorite videogame or two from that era. Big one is Hotwheels: Stunt Track Driver, that game's entire soundtrack could practically pass for a roland JV-1080 demo track.

[@AudioPilz]

True that!

[@acorgiwithacrown467]

I know some people are going to hate it because its sound is everywhere but I still love it, it just needs some love and ingenuity to be used in new and creative ways. Also I could 100% see this being for phonk, it has that spacey kind of sound that works really well for phonk.

[@AudioPilz]

Agreed, would fit Phonk nicely!

[@trickfall8752]

I've got the 2080 and one thing I really like about it is that it's multitimbral. I really wish more modern synths were at least bitimbral. It can be fun to sequence a whole track using just the 2080.

[@AudioPilz]

Agreed, multitimbrality is a phantastic feature...

[@jjrusy7438]

workstations like roland fantom or fantom 0 or the korg krome/kross/kronos yamaha modx etc all have 16 parts that can be set up with different key ranges, internal or external sound control, effects etc. I have a JV-2080 but since i have a korg KromeEX, i just use the korg and its touch screen and set external channels to the jv-2080 if i want some sounds from it, and other external channels to other synths, or choose from the thousands of internal sounds and really cool endless selection of drum patterns and kits. the krome even has a mixer section where you mute parts and change volume or pan etc, like a mixer. the korg wavestate and roland JD-XM i believe are both 4 layer mini-workstations sort of. so fighting with the JV setting up 16 parts is a pain vs doing it on the workstation touch screen.

[@treennumbers]

It figuratively kills me that nobody makes multi-timbral synths anymore. They just figure that the synths are cheap enough that you'll buy ten of them or stack a bunch of VSTs. It seems like there are more analog multi-timbral synths coming out than digital, despite tons of great digital synths coming out and surely that would be easier than multi-timbral analog.

[@M364A]

this isnt bad gear, THIS IS GOOD GEAR!

[@AudioPilz]

You know, one person's Bad Gear...;)

[@M364A]

​@@AudioPilz Is ones person's Documentary Score about Wild Life Good Gear?

[@morgendorffer3504]

that Roland Yutani Corp pic at the end was the Kirsche auf dem Sahnehäubchen. Klasse!

[@AudioPilz]

Danke!!!

[@squeakD]

With all due respect to AudioPilz.., how in the world does something as iconic as the JV-1080 make it on a “Bad Gear” video.., and more disturbing is how Bad Gear would actually preface the JV-1080 in a video title. This module is by far one of the most popular sound modules ever created. The 1080 was used in major studios across the globe. The VST version is one of Roland’s most popular on RolandCloud today. I was a young adult when this was released back in 1994.., and in 1994 this module was no joke. Hell, if I remember correctly production ran all the way up to 2001. Seriously AudioPilz.., think back to 1994 and what was available then. Every studio I stepped foot in back in the day had one of these. Putting the 1080 in a Bad Gear video is like putting the Korg Triton Classic in one. Both literally defined an era.

[@AudioPilz]

Korg Triton Classic? Great suggestion;)

[@dink_lesbian154]

Audio 'Florian' Pilz in 2035: At the first glance the Prophet 10 is ticking all the boxes. I wanna know if it can keep up with the TB-3 in this Americore Soda Pop Uptempo Downstream Synth Sneeze

[@AudioPilz]

#lifegoals

[@gcoudert]

It's all over Savage Garden's 'To the Moon and Back' and the album it was taken from. I've had two JV1080s; I expanded my second one with the SR-JV80 Orchestral and Vintage Synth cards or whatever they were called. It had to go when I bought a Fantom X8 and added the equivalent SRX cards.

[@AudioPilz]

Totally forgot about savage garden...

[@bradylasserre9320]

that's a cool piece of history! I'm a huge savage garden fan. is it the intro pad? or in general all over the track?

[@cloudfan420]

the snare for sure

[@gcoudert]

@@bradylasserre9320 Definitely the intro but I'd have to listen to the song again; I haven't heard it in a very long time.

[@gcoudert]

@@cloudfan420 That's quite possible. That album came out when the JV ruled the airwaves.

[@akirakosaintjust]

There's something so magical about this synth. I make synthpunk with chiptune and industrial leanings, and other than 4-op FM, there's nothing like its ring modulation structures for noisy patches for that kind of music, except maybe the Kawai K1 and K4. I just wish there was an editor with an easy mode so that the finer points (bias, scaling, etc) were abstracted away.

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, it can get quite dirty!

[@ChilliusVGM]

Picked up a JV1080 lately for a steal of a price (£150, that's €172 / $186) I love the sounds this synth has, they're honestly quite nice and very iconic to the era, very much thinking I'll get a lot of mileage out of my JV, already been using it to listen to MIDIs lol

[@AudioPilz]

Nice find!!!

[@LittleRichard1988]

I bought my JV-1080 off Ebay in March 2010 after watching keyboardwizzard's 4 part video. I always liked the bell pad sounds on this module as well as many other patches including "realistic" nylon and steel guitar sounds. Yes it sounds digitized but in a good way. Can you still get away with doing entire backing tracks on a JV-1080? Yes, even when I bought it in 2010 people said it's old but at least when I bought it when I did I didn't pay too much for it, £199 or less is a reasonable price to pay for one with no expansion cards, would I buy this in 2022 or 2023? Maybe or I would probably choose a JV-2080 or an XV-5080. I agree some of the U-220's sounds are a bit better as I also have a U-220 but the JV-1080, JV-2080, XV-5080 or even the Integra 7 are still ideal as a first full sized rackmount module. Using it without expansion boards? Until 2014 I didn't have any expansion boards as at the time they were more expensive than the actual unit but you certainly should buy some expansion boards for it later down the line although the PCM1 cards for it can be hard to come by but the Super expansion board combines all those sounds. I haven't done entire backing tracks using only the JV-1080's stock sounds for quite a few years but even today it still sounds OK. I know it doesn't sound quite as authentic as VST instruments like Kontakt or Halion. I certainly prefer the hardware JV-1080 over the Cloud JV-1080 and I'm still thinking about weather or not I should buy an Integra 7.

[@AudioPilz]

Integra is super tempting!

[@marinagreens8910]

i used this rack exclusively for dance and hip hop tracks and composed decent sounding film scores with my fully expanded 1080 and loved the sounds i was able to create on my own after tweaking the presets and yes I still have this unit in my array of sound kits

[@AudioPilz]

Wow, fully expanded. Nice!!!

[@higginsmusic74]

In it's time, this was gold. I still have mine.

[@AudioPilz]

True that!

[@davidsandberg6179]

Yep, I still have mine too, with all four expansion slots filled, too. It was absolutely a workhorse for me back then, and I still have a fondness for it even though it very seldom gets used now.

[@higginsmusic74]

@David Sandberg One of my collabs always tells me my studio is a museum, lol, but it all works and serves its place when needed. I pulled up a piano patch and told him it was the one EMF used in Unbelievable. I don't know if it's true, but it worked

[@StratsRUs]

​@@higginsmusic74 Nice !!

[@aerotekmusic]

omg, the jv 1080. this is one of the best synths from the era. I own and enjoy the 880 and my next hardware purchase will be the 1080.

[@AudioPilz]

👍

[@80sRetroVibes]

I so love your appreciation for these mid-90's romplers. Especially in rack or module form. It's hard to beat them for bang-for-the-buck, variety of usable sounds, simplicity of use, and probably most importantly: massive fun factor! I recently picked up a Korg X5DR, which is fairly similar in concept to the JV-1080, and I'm having a ton of fun with it. Awesome video! And the accompanying meme's sprinkled throughout really make me laugh.

[@tesseracht]

The JV-1080 will always hold a special place in my heart because it's keyboard version, the XP-50, was my first real keyboard and I learned so much about synthesis and sequencing with it. If you deep dive into it's capabilities it can produce some fantastic atmospheric pads and ambient sounds. For what it's worth, the expansion cards really open up the capabilities of it. When I got the Techno card installed in mine it made a massive difference. Lots of great classic synth samples and some very trendy 90s loops and samples to boot.

[@AudioPilz]

👍👍👍

[@defaultoperation7986]

For anyone who's into goa trance/psytrance, the Roland JV-2080 has a preset called "Keep Smiling" which is perfect for those genres

[@AudioPilz]

Interesting, gotta check it out!

[@SleepingCocoon]

absolute hell to program without using external software (i write patches via an iPad interface for mine) but a super rewarding synth to deep dive into!!! having some expansion cards to pull sounds from really elevates it. obviously hard to recommend when software alternatives exist and said expansion cards are increasingly expensive, but one of my fave synths. great jams this episode!

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!! Agreed!

[@panutalus]

hence JV-2080 is always the better option with very nice dot matrix display and shortcut buttons. It's the exact same layout as in JD-990. Besides that you can expand JV-2080 with up to 8 expansion boards.

[@SleepingCocoon]

@@panutalus at this point, for the price, sure - neither are probably truly Good Options with so many pieces of software filling the voids in 2023, but the 1080 was a much better option price-wise when i picked it up a few years ago vs the 2080, especially knowing i could just control it via software on a touchscreen.

[@LinehanRyan]

JV-1080 edited by Emagic Sound Diver was the best way to tweak that box and make custom presets.

[@AudioPilz]

Sound Diver is legendary!

[@DadoSimicStudiostriver]

As JV/XV/JD lover i never get tired of these sounds. It can do synth sounds very good if you know how to program and tweak the synth, it has some very outdates sounds, but pads, strings and leads are top notch to this day. Nothing to be ashamed of, bread and butter tones that are pleasant and suits better then most romplers of its era, and this era too.

[@AudioPilz]

👍👍👍

[@fernandohood5657]

Still One of My favs synths for deep pads and ambient sounds, Hard to program but if you know what you are doing once you dive deep in its sounddesign is so Worth it. A beast

[@AudioPilz]

👍

[@nevertheexpert]

I love this unit with all my heart, it’s just so nostalgic to use.

[@AudioPilz]

❤️❤️❤️

[@TransistorBased]

Just grabbed one for $75 with a memory card so I can't hate it too much

[@vadimmartynyuk]

One of the best rompers ever made, and the expansions for them were amazing, I’m using roland cloud and those SRX expansion VSTs are really good even today

[@AudioPilz]

👍

[@vinceriley]

The JV-1080 was my first synth with, what seemed like, unlimited patches, alpha display and was capable of making any sound on enough get the swing of it. This synth set the bar.

[@AudioPilz]

Really changed the game back then - for better or worse...

[@Dombevi]

I had the JV-2080 and I was very happy with it, it's a library of Roland's sounds and you can create an entire song with it. I had the Proteus 1, but I really prefer the JV-2080.

[@AudioPilz]

I'd love to give the Proteus a try but it's not ticking all the boxes...

[@simondanielssonmusic]

Personally, I really love the sounds from the 1080 and the whole JV series. I mainly make indie pop and the sounds of the 80's and 90's are very "in" in that genre right now. Also, if you enjoy making Boards of Canada/808 state covers, the 1080 is unbeatable coupled with a capable sampler.

[@AudioPilz]

👍👍👍

[@simplemindedspacetrash7499]

I love this dang box with my whole heart. I love that it sounds just a little bad but also great at the same time. I love that it would've been top of the line 30 years ago, and that now you have to really work to get it to sound interesting and useable by today's standards. I love that the capacitors on the expansion cards are so cheap that they're prone to exploding by now if you don't replace them. Adds an element of excitement and danger. And I love boomer shooters. Thank you for paying tribute to the object of my heart. It is sitting next to me on my studio desk smiling. Everything is alright.

[@AudioPilz]

Always a pleasure, thanks for watching!!!

[@JimAlfredson]

Incoming pedantry alert: I think you mean the capacitors, not the transistors. The electrolytic capacitors on the expansion boards do go bad but then again, most electrolytic caps have a lifespan of around 25 years.

[@simplemindedspacetrash7499]

@Jim Alfredson i realized that a while after posting haha. Edited for clarity. Thanks

[@peterkadarmusic9728]

These 90s Rolands are also staples of R&B and gospel vibes. If you can find the later 5080 that's probably the one to get. I've just ordered a Fantom 07 for throw and go gigs and to basically function as a mini Kronos with 76 keys. I look forward to revisiting the 90s tones that are lurking just under its surface.

[@AudioPilz]

5080 looks tempting!

[@NilsJakobson]

Say what you want but the sounds you get out of this box are beautiful.

[@AudioPilz]

👍👍👍

[@forthosewholisten]

mad respect for using any synth that is showcased for the intro ever. consistingly

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks!

[@ExpendableSith]

Did I hear a sax sample in that first jam at the end? There's something about these ROMpler sounds that make them perfect nostalgia fuel for me. Great video as always!

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!!

[@williamtell1477]

I used to have one of these before I knew anything about synths and I sold it because I never used it. Now I know what a powerhouse I sold lol. Cool to see the 1080 on bad gear. Cheers my friend!

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, we don't know what we have until it's gone (damn, that escalated quickly;)

[@ChristopherOrth]

In the 90s this was a heavyweight monster. Today it sounds like wet cheese through 16bit chorus. It's astonishing to me that Roland is still using this as the benchmark of sound to keep selling over and over. For example, in the MC707 you can actually hear the loop points in many of the onboard patches! That was acceptable in 1994, but not today. However, 60 voices through 16 part multi-timbral is a thing that should come back. It's the same reason I've stuck with a Virus Ti2 for years, because it's hard to get impressed by a 5k machine that only has 6-8 voices (or less!) when you came up on monsters like the JV1080, K2000S, etc. I feel like Roland is dipping a withered old toe in those waters again with the SH-4D. If you think of it as a 5 part multi-timbral synth with 30 voices instead of a "groove box", it makes a lot more sense as an instrument.

[@AudioPilz]

We still buy it;)

[@RobK496]

Absolutely agree! I think the SH-4D will pair great with a sampler/sequencer as a pretty small live setup, can't wait to introduce it to my MPC One. Also can't wait to see that SH-4D on Bad Gear in a couple of months, too.

[@mickhealey5848]

Some of these presets shown are still in modern Roland gear, well not modern per say but they're definitely in my JDXI

[@goatsoup]

@@mickhealey5848 no, absolutely still is. the jv patches were recycled in the xv series, and the xv patches were copied in every roland synth ever, and to this day you can find the xv patches, including the recycled jv patches from 1994 still in a roland fantom today. a year ago i walked into a store, i played with a fantom 8 and saw patches from a jv1080 still on it.

[@inthefade]

The SH-4D is the first Roland product in decades to really get my attention.

[@AJOrpheo]

My man got a legit space echo for this episode 😭 beautiful, love love love that unit

[@AudioPilz]

Best!

[@doktoraat]

I'm always happy when a new episode features a bad gear I own, because you always give a new perspective to everything. I've been using my Super JV for around two years now, and I've never realised how 90s it sounds until you started playing some of the patches 😁

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you, happy to hear that!

[@geecen]

Just bought one! You’ve now reviewed nearly my synths- d110, sy22, blofeld. Just waiting for the Kurzweil k2000 to round off the set 😀

[@AudioPilz]

K2000 is moving up my list, thanks!!!

[@gjc82071]

Your channel is so awesome. You seem like a very creative person. All the little video clips, assorted photos, "Wow!" sound, etc, make your videos very entertaining & irresistible. Plus you're a really great musician. Honestly, you deserve to have at least 1 million subs. Best wishes & best of luck. 🙂

[@dvdny]

I don't know why he doesn't have millions, it's one of the most consistently informative and entertaining channels in this place.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!!!

[@placeholder6503]

I have owned one for two years now and my main usage for it is to create pad sounds by either layering presets or biting the bullet and menu diving. I feel like this box can really whip out some crazy textures, but in a world with the omnisphere VST it is almost fully obsolete haha. I still love mine.

[@AudioPilz]

Definitely killed by Omnisphere;)

[@MrDsilvia]

OMG that end song video is every video I watched in the Limelight or the Tunnel back in the 90's. I was on drugs. That took me back, so ty.

[@AudioPilz]

Those were the days!!!

[@ematic75]

Love the JV-1080 it's a classic! I gave it to my son to use with a 88-key controller to learn keyboard when he was 8 he still uses it now at 17yo

[@AudioPilz]

👍

[@ncapone87]

This was used in Powerslave/Exhumed. I have a soft spot for cheesy 90s romplers and this has some pretty nice sounds for ambient. I especially like the patch "Pure Tibet"

[@AudioPilz]

Classic!!!

[@ajaxk7677]

The XP80 (same engine with the JVs) was my first synth. Great synth

[@AudioPilz]

Nice!

[@blackllama4602]

I liked it. Wrote lots of tunes on that synth rack...

[@AudioPilz]

Nice!!!

[@alz2829]

the thing is a beast, its all about the sounds u make yourself, love it

[@AudioPilz]

Word!

[@martijnvanspaendonck7989]

It all sounded epic. Thank you. Now I must buy one!

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!!

[@DoctorNemmo]

My man always comes with perfect tunes despite the cheesiness of the synths you throw at him. Respect.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!!!