Roland JD-Xi review | Top ten pros and cons

[@echurchofindy179]

Gary Numan Cars patch on JDXi - (Seq228 - Saw Poly with mod wheel at 30%). OMG!!!!! When I cranked this up and recognized that sound, the same sound Gary gets on his Polymoogs, then I REALLY loved this baby Roland!!!!

[@courtbeall7768]

For me as a drummer.It's a great first synth.909,808 etc.sound amazing.Great easy to use sequencer and Roland badass synth sounds.Not too complex for a first timmer and a great price.Portability is awesome.

[@jamintravis3228]

I pre-ordered one of these after they were announced at NAMM a couple years ago. Loved it to death, but I kind of got tired of it when I started working more with VSTi's and FL Studio. I sold my JD-XI about 6 months ago and now I miss it terribly, so I ordered another one today. Despite its limitations, you really cannot beat the fun factor of this thing and the ability to build cool tracks on such a small unit without needing any other equipment. I'm really looking forward to playing with this again soon.

[@TallicaMan1986]

Jamin Travis I also use FL. I prefer to make pad solos on the synthesizer as opposed to automating it in FL. My improv is a lot different compared to me programming it in. I also like the LPF on the synth than to most VSTs.

[@maciejlegowicz5834]

yep ... that's the thing about synths. Don't sell them. Keep'em hidden away for a year or two.

[@patrickgriffin7128]

I regret selling a few.

[@natanunorthodox]

The two biggest problems with me is that you can't mute individual parts and too much menu diving to get a sound that you like. If they would have put about three or four more knobs for function on the front, this thing would be awsome. Oh, and some more better sounds. Some of the sounds are worthless, really.

[@janbonne]

Nathan Coleman how would you compare it to a mini-nova?

[@swiftmello123]

I've owned the Jd Xi for a few months aside from needing a daw to structure songs this thing is freaking amazing!

[@bertbox69]

This is what I was afraid of. I'm thinking of getting one, but this four bar limit, does it mean it only ever loops around the same four bars constantly?

[@mikehydropneumatic2583]

All gear has pros and cons. Just imagine if you'd had this in 1980 at a price conversion, it would have been the go to machine. Never played one but something like this can get you going owning nothing else but the JD-Xi. It sounds impressive, far better than its price tag might suggest.

[@streettrash_sid]

Only had my JDXI a week. It’s a great synth. Simple. Ive used Roland synths & kits for 25 years. Paid £250 with extras used. I’m a very happy gearhead.

[@CaughtStaring]

I've had this unit about 2 years now. VERY useful/functional. It DOES have very definite pros/cons, which I won't elaborate on - but I will vote it a top-10 price/value item. The main thing I'd ask for is more measures to create sequences with.

[@jst4curiosity704]

This is now 5-years old, and Roland updated the firmware 4 times which include fantastic updates, including fixes for vocoder bugs.

[@ytJnC]

Big con is that you had to tape your own labels to see them. Roland does offer new overlays that reduce the glare from the polished panel, but the text is still small.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

yes, totally forgot to mention that, although clear on the video! the tape is good for my eyes, and helpful on the tutorial videos so that viewers can see what i'm doing.

[@AxelsoftMusic]

I was convinced this was going to be your #1 con. The red text on a shiney black surface really bugged... that and the super sharp-edged minikeys :-) I'm a big Roland fan/user and liked the concept but after a week I returned my JDXi; maybe one day I'll pick up a white JDXi secondhand... or maybe on June 20th Roland will announce a JDXi2 with full size key and a black/green colour scheme !

[@ProckGnosis]

Yeah, when I saw the pieces of tape over the labels (which I've read more than enough complaints about), I laughed and thought, "well, THERE'S one big con..." and then nothin'...

[@WoodyPianoShack]

compared to all the other cons, at least this one is easily solved :) guess that's why i didn't think of it...

[@geoffk777]

Woody Piano Shack Roland seems to be screwing up this style over legibility issue on a lot of their instruments. My only real complaint about my RD-2000 is that the front panel--while very functional and brilliantly laid out--has text that's almost impossible to read except in perfect light (and sometimes not even then). The text is very dark silver grey on a black background and has almost zero contrast. Unless it's in bright, direct light, the text labels just seem to vanish. So forget about reading them on stage. Someone at Roland needs to get a clue and make sure that on a dark stage, every control is easily legible, even if that means using a big ugly font in a contrasting color. The f__ing graphic designers will be disappointed, but the actual musicians who play the instruments will be much happier.

[@swiftmello123]

The drum kits are phenomenal. The sonic capabilities are endless. The quality is great. Worth much more. If you need the extra tracks and large keys get the xa.

[@somethingelsedoesmatter]

I am thinking of getting back into making electronic music, and pro #1 speaks to me. I always loved Roland's gear, from the first time I tried out an MC-505. Gotta save up some pennies!

[@andyturner3056]

You're review is spot on. I too was also disappointed with the analogue section and bought a Behringer Wasp Deluxe to get the fat bass that I wanted. The Jd-xi is absolutely amazing for so many things. I still have a Roland MC-303, and it's better at splitting drum parts. The Jd-xi is the centre of the setup though as the digital supernatural engine is amazing.

[@Jason75913]

I have Neutrons for analogue. Almost went for a Wasp, but decided it is not for me. The JD-Xi analogue part is fine for arps and drones, though. If they make a successor to the JD-Xi with better build quality, I may go for it.

[@craigdaubbeats-rapinstrume9185]

I'm so glad I ordered this along with my MPCX and MPC ONE. I mostly got it to make presets for inside the MPC. To me this will be better than any VSTi I ever used. Had to get away from the computer. I was starting to feel like a robot. Hopefully all my stuff is here next week so I can get back to what's important, making music. I also ordered the AT4050 mic and a decent Yamaha mixer with effects. It'll be nice to get back to using hardware again, this time with all the proper equipment. I messed around a little back in the early 2000s but all I had was a crappy zoom multitrack (4 track) a keyboard a a crappy old drum machine and some cheap dynamic mics from audio shack. The music I made was horrible but it was cool to me at the time. I thought it was the best thing ever. 🤣

[@psysword]

You mean Radio Shack?

[@digitalperformer7]

Nice and informative as usual, compliments! As a JD-Xi owner I agree with you and what you pointed out, expecially about the downsides of this little beast. It sounds very good and it lacks a Song Mode to chain patterns. Hope Roland will implement it in a future firmware release.

[@Jason75913]

It does allow to chain "Programs" (pattern/tone sets), so a full song would be you scrolling through a few "programs" you've made to fit together like one continuous mix.

[@nicholasmanig7190]

Will conneting this to a tr-8s fix this?

[@2112jonr]

Thank you Woody. One of these has just this afternoon gone up for sale on Gumtree within a few miles of me. Always fancied one since I got into synths. Watched three review videos and yours really nailed the downsides. I could have suffered the cons a few years back, but not now. So thank you for saving me £250, I'll let someone else pick up a bargain. Much appreciated.

[@MobileMusic]

Actually, the Analog sounds are good and you can see their use and purpose if you examine the built-in programs and their analog tracks. We can dive into the menu for any parameters like ADSR. One annoying thing is - the Category know is too tight to twist. Other than that, it is a workhorse to create mobile music anywhere on-the-go. I can lift it with my pinky - it's that light weight - but it is - NOT - flimsy!

[@geoffdeanthemeparks]

Hi Woody. Very good review as always. I'm glad that you mentioned the part about the analogue track, I thought I maybe the only one who thought that. The two supernatural tracks are superb to say the least and the speed and quickness that we can move on this synth is really important to producing sounds and patterns. I was innitially under the impression that the Analogue is a very much sought after thing with all synths and something that most profesionals would prefer over digital. I guess in some cases that is probably true, in yet like so many people it's far far better to have with something that sounds good straight away, no matter if it's digital, accoustic, analogue etc. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this, you'll find that most people are likely to agree with you, three supernatural sounds would have been the icing on the cake. Often I have used mine to start off some inspirational ideas, record them into Reaper, then add more supernatural sounds and patterns into the program, align them up afterwards because of lagg, add other synths etc down the line and it's absolutely amazing just what can be done. I wish I had all this type of power when I was starting out back in my 20s, but sadly non of this was really available then, i'm now 61. This is a something I did a few years back, a Paul Hardcastle track titled "Rainforest" together with other keyboards and synths but triggered mainly by the JDXi. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJzGZYCnhdB4aas . Best wishes to you. Geoff

[@lundsweden]

I like the bits of tape to make the hard to read tiny, low contrast text readable! I've seen the JD-Xi in white, which I'm thinking could be the better option vs the intially cool looking but shiny, glossy, fingerprint and dust magnet black version.

[@tarciuscondgerente5154]

Great Job Woody, I live in Brazil !! excellent video and congratulations. I feel that you go deep and work serious to demonstrate the pros and cons independently if Roland or Yamaha or any other equipment. I say that your oppinion is very important, Yes...cause we don't have a lot of money to get good stuff.

[@brianbrill]

I largely agree with these points. In addition to a proper ADSR, it would be nice to have a mixer for the 4 parts. Of course, adding too much would add to the price. But by hooking it up to control software like JDXi Manager, you can really unlock some serious power hidden in there without the headache of menu diving through that tiny LED screen. The drum editing alone is amazing.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

thanks for the tip, will check it out! yeah, a 4-track mixer would have been pretty cool, but you can get close by changing track and adjusting level.

[@DonSolaris]

Aaaand another excellent video! My favourite JD? The Super JD-990. 😎

[@AnalogNoiseLab]

Relax Don...this is not gearslutz

[@networkservices3121]

jd 800 I just love that board.

[@RoomAtTheTopStudio]

My favorite JD is Single Barrel. No mixer needed lol

[@networkservices3121]

HA! I prefer a good Bourbon. BUt yeah. No mixer needed. And the output is smooth and strong, with the perfect amount of resonance with a variable attack. And generally followed by at least a day long delay.. I just bought a JD XA and will be paring it with a JD 800. Legend has it you can warp the fabric of space time.

[@Aardmanfan888]

I'd love one Boutique version of the JD-990. Instabuy for me.

[@jeremymurray-wakefield8011]

I get the impression reading the manual that the Envelope knob is just a quick tweak - and that ADSR are all separately adjustable in the menu to get the kind of control you were after.

[@adev8565]

That, and there's also an inofficial editor that gives full access to all internal settings from a convenient GUI. When using the JD-Xi as a sound module, using it is a no-brainer.

[@deauvillevrienden]

Bought one of these last week and enjoying it more and more every day :-))

[@WoodyPianoShack]

glad to hear that rik, when I get time I'll do some more tracks it's been a while.

[@deauvillevrienden]

Great, looking forward to find out how to load extra sounds from the Axial website.

[@AxelsoftMusic]

Track request: Phil Collins / Another Day in Paradise :-)

[@HentisRail]

yeah do it Phil Coillins....

[@drKrollspell]

- Woody !! Love tour way of talking, analysing and reflecting. Could listen to you for ever. And so useful and logical 😀 ! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@WoodyPianoShack]

Wow, thank you!

[@chasecloutier3220]

Quote of the year - "this is a keyboard, I wanna make keyboard sounds" couldn't have said it any better woody!

[@WoodyPianoShack]

they say that great minds think alike!

[@Roboprogs]

I like having some alternate sounds. I can see wanting to avoid "Casio syndrome", though: there are 5 or 10 variations each of a bunch of instruments, but they all suck, and so there are large blocks of presets you have to skip over. The string pads on this thing do sound totally rich, though.

[@codypower4298]

Well it's really a synthesiser, not a keyboard

[@chasecloutier3220]

Cody Power a synth is a type of keyboard

[@gelatinous6915]

It's a synth, not a keyboard. It's designed around electronic music.

[@FullBucketMusic]

When I bought that piece of gear a week ago, I was at first a bit disappointed. But after playing a while with it I became addicted! You should not be afraid of diving into the deep menu structure though. The only thing that really annoys me is that you cannot create "odd" time signatures like 5/4 or 7/8 (so no Subdivisions here...).

[@mickeybreezy]

That's because nobody needs to play in 5/4 or 7/8.

[@yejinash]

@@mickeybreezy You should check out King Gizzard & the Lizard Wixard

[@Jason75913]

@@mickeybreezy speak for yourself

[@donallfinn]

A lot of people don't know that this supports aftertouch Via MIDI, yep, plug in your aftertouch enabled synth or controller and it's a whole new level, make no mistake, to truly use this thing effectivly you need experience, its really going to stop begginers in thier tracks

[@playgroundofsound7683]

What is that?

[@Denvermorgan2000]

I personally do not mind the mini keys so much i like the portability as well its kinda hard to carry an 30 kilo keyboard down the stairs lol. I find this also helps me get more practice time in.

[@MichaelHarper-o9o]

Thanks yet again Woody. I have been delving into your synth past, seven years to be precise. I have not yet got it but I have just invested in the Roland LD-Xi and I really appreciate your videos about this instrument. Thanks for all of your content. kind regards Mick.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

hi mick, thanks for your coment and congrats on the Xi, still a firm favorite of mine. Enjoy!

[@MichaelHarper-o9o]

@@WoodyPianoShack Thanks Woody. I just received your reply and the next email that I received was letting me know that the JD-Xi had just arrived in Melbourne. Not long now! Kind regards Mick

[@johannbach2725]

Probably my fave synth review on youtube ( an d I watch alot!)

[@Hebrews9twenty7]

Mini-keys should definitely NOT be a deal breaker for anyone. Like he mentioned, just a midi cable and a cheap midi Controller is all you need for full size keys. I've had a microkorg for years and done that with a cheap radio shack keyboard I had laying around. Kinda like using your keyboard as a rackmount and the controller for your keys. It's a way to get more bang for your buck!!

[@ricklarson2956]

My new version has different guitar sounds built in, I plugged in an external mic into the rear line in and the voice sounded much better than the standard voice coder.Also playing a real Stratocaster electric guitar into the effects was pretty cool soundingI have mine hooked into a Roland KC550 and I have plenty of power and low end sub sounds to get the crowd jumping.

[@nathancoleman7921]

The jd xi is hands down a true miracle for me. This thing is like the thing in the movie, how you can shapeshift the sounds and tweek each and every one to how you need it. Thank you Jesus. No regrets at all.

[@pianoshaun7147]

I own this and definitely agree with the vocoder issue !! It's pants. Overall though I'm happy with this product always come up with stuff on the fly 🤗🎹

[@oldmannewman]

The review is GREAT! The side commentary is even better!!! Thank you!

[@GuentherShadow]

This might be late, but I had a similar Problem with clicking-noises on my mic too. I used a tool called Wavepurity to fix this. The programm was originally designed to clear noises on vinyl record digitalization, I guess. Worked out for me. The Mini-Version was about 15 GBP. No worries. I dont get any commission for that. Just a pretty handy tool that might suit the purpose. Best regards Günna

[@thomaskolb8785]

I had this synth ever since it came out, but I found it too limiting. My main issue was really the lack of scroll wheel. Tapping through hundreds of waves to find the one I wanted is just a no go. After a while it ended up being a preset machine + drum machine. It was also a nuisance using with a DAW. Finally I sampled all the drum kits into Battery and sold the JD-Xi.

[@savanaviolenta]

JD XI manager editor

[@JiggyWig]

I spent quite a long time playing with the JD-XI in store, across maybe 3 or 4 visits, and no matter how much I tried I couldn't bond with it; the envelope control was a huge no no, but I loved the drums, the sequencer and the supernatural sounds, I thought the analogue voice seemed too limited to be useful. There was just a little too much menu diving IMO. In the end I bought it's big brother the JD-XA, which is just amazing (though also still has a little too much menu diving), though astonishingly no drums, I had to pick up a TR-8 to take care of that. I guess the JD-XI was a gateway drug in that I might not have looked at the JD-XA if I hadn't been so ambivalent :-)

[@matthewbracamonte4627]

Me too, but I ended up with the Mini Nova. I love it, but I want to trade for the JD-XI.

[@digitalperformer7]

If JD-Xa had a drum part it would make JD-Xi useless and not worth buying. Although the price tag is way different. You pay for what you eat.

[@JackMovestunes]

Thanks for a great, thorough review! Exactly what I wanted to know before checking this keyboard out further.

[@swiftmello123]

In 2018 all you do is hit shift and hit the part you want to mute simultaneously. If you can keep a beat and you can mix a song on the fly by hand. Buy this for a steal! This keyboard gave me every classic Roland drum set I ever wanted right out of the box. The sequencer is super simple and never slows me down with the exception I do usually set my loops to four bars which takes all but 10 seconds in my work flow. What made me to decide to keep one and never part with it? It was the huge fat synth sounds that you can completely modify so quickly; as if the filter, amp, lfo and effects section were an extension of my own thoughts. Is there100% flexibility here for a home studio grade keyboard? It takes what you can imagine and brings strings, horns, synths, pads, true analog base, pianos, organs, and records effects and filter changes in the loop while listening to yourself lets you erase a mistake with 2 buttons in less time than it takes the loop to come back round again and experiment with riffs until you've created a melodic 4 track piece of minimalist perfection. Don't forget you can over dub the digital parts on the fly also. Plus I found out you can erase single key mistakes buy the key and the erase button being held in play mode. This thing is plastic and I don't care it looks mean, it sounds rich, it has depth and character. I can make a nice groove in 10 minutes or spend a week playing with filters effects and levels. I can actually make some really great songs. best 500 bucks I've spent in 2018 and it's September tomorrow. Woody I love the show and would love to work for one of your upcoming companies. I'll be learning and reviewing the Moog subsequent 37 in about 3 weeks as I'll be receiving it this coming week. That being said I do have and idea or two to contribute for some awesome websites.

[@medinachesterhm]

You should make a video on "Tron Legacy" the movie. I heard one of your song and they are as good as the ones in the movie. I'm a guitar player but i have learned from you so much. I bought the jd-xi because of you making a full song on one device; something I don't see anywhere on devices more popular and pricier. I tried to do the Tron thing but I need more experience I wonder if you can make it with the jd-xi. Uranium is fantastic! Like cheese cake on Mars.

[@thailifemark]

i wrote Roland Support about this 2 JDXI units i purchased from Roland, both with same defects. the 1st unit was purchased in 2016 and it became defective within 1 year. i drove it to Roland/Boss repair ctr 50 miles paid $100 for repairs each time, never fixed. the unit's circuitry is defective for both Tempo & Master Volume knobs, causing the unit to slow down /speed up tempo while playing, despite the tempo settings preset in the Program parameters. Volume control slowly fades too. I bought the 2nd unit in November 2019, now it has developed the exact same problem. JDXI needs to admit its defective engineering on this device.

[@nevillepark4068]

General midi capability is a given for any production synth. There are various needs fulfilled with it's inclusion. .. such as monitoring your associates new song and helping suggest alternative instruments for his new song. There are game soundtrack musicians who heavily rely on the consistency of voicing's you need to maintain to have your customer audition your backing tracks for approval.This would actually be a perfect travel production aid if general midi were there.

[@GrindageDude666]

My first synth and I love it, been using it with a Amp and it sounds amazing...not bad at all for a first synth.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

certainly not, congrats!

[@harrisporgias8424]

Hi Woody, Totally agree with all your points. Had one for 6 months, but I couldnt stand the mini keys and the lack of pattern chaining, so I sold it. The mono part is meehhhhh at the best, nothing close to the analog part of its bigger brother JD-XA. But for the price I think it is the best "sketchpad" synth out there by far. I think that there is a HUGE gap in features/price between JD-Xi and JD-XA, that screams for another option in between, semi-full or even better full size keys, more tracks, JD-XA mono voice, bigger screen, pattern chaining, more IFX per track.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

well said, i agree with you agreeing with me :) roland are releasing new keyboards in a week or so, will be interesting to see how this fits into the lineup. i'm guessing a boutique d50 module and an upgrade/bigger brother to the Xi.

[@sosickhcdrums]

yessss! been seriously contemplating getting this machine, also been contemplating the electribe 2, your videos help soooo much! 😭🖤

[@WoodyPianoShack]

glad to help, good luck with your purchase!

[@mgabrysSF]

What's amazing to me is the features that they removed from the JD-XA. I'm flummoxed on the lack of drum machines. I'm looking at getting one specifically to add those kits to my gear at a pittance over the cost of a dedicated digital module (although I'm still going to get a drumbrute as well for analog options), not to mention the vocoder which is only a hundred more than the vocoder options from Arturia.

[@Mannex17]

that envelope knob is one of the most boneheaded decisions IMO. if they would've just put 3 more knobs on the front panel this could've been the ultimate synth

[@bertbox69]

Four knobs you would need basic synthesis : Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release....

[@natanunorthodox]

I just said the same thing, and if there would have been a mute button for each sound, not each part. The fact that there's only global effects really sucks.

[@JimmiG84]

Or even just a button next to it to toggle it between A, D, S and R. Not quite as good of course, but it would save Roland about $1.50 in manufacturing cost compared to 3 extra knobs.

[@Aardmanfan888]

As I have written before, ADSR parameters for TVF and TVA are hidden in the menus, if you want to edit your sound meticulously, which most people in my experience don't.

[@psysword]

@@bertbox69 It keeps it real simple but messy

[@MrBasic]

Your joke scene about writing an angry comment to yourself tipped me to subscribe. I am considering the JD-Xi as something to utilize the Roland MX-1 mixer's usb ins. Thanks for the video!

[@vinkerdoodles]

After watching your part where you played someone leaving a negative comment and thumbs down... lol. Thanks for your review, I just picked this up on the cheap after watching this and some other reviews, Thanks Woody!

[@jimlytleworks]

Yeah! Awesome energy and articulation.

[@danstar1985]

Totally agree on the anologue feature, would have much preferred a third digital track. I think they most likely added it for the "retro" anoraks/ lovers out there! I've used it on some of my performances usually with the arpeggio engaged and it does sound quite neat but mostly find it a bit surplus to requirements! The pads etc are awesome, very big and lush, kind of what you would expect from the top end of Roland. All in all, a fab synth for the money and jam packed with great features! A good 8/10 from me!

[@Jason75913]

I would have preferred a third digital track as well, or at least to be able to route the instrument input through the analogue track to replace it with something better, like a Monologue, Bass Station II, or SE-02; but instead it is only the two digital tracks that can be replaced with the instrument input, the two better tracks, and the vocoder cannot be turned off, apparently. =\

[@donpirla]

@@Jason75913 what do you mean with replacing the two digital tracks with the instrument input? do you midi-sequence audio inputs???????

[@epicon6]

Digging the dementia tape labeling ;)

[@eddoyle9785]

another great JDXI video Woody, some great points here- hope to see more from this great little synth on your channel !

[@WoodyPianoShack]

yes, not done with this one, only scratched the surface so far (hence the tape) haha

[@TranceJedi]

Hello Woody ! , can you ask the guy who is writing the complaint on the laptop to add a question to his complaint for me , the question is when is Woody doing a video about the yamaha psr arranger keyboards ? excellent video Woody , i think the JD Xi is a very small machine with a very big engine with twin turbo's and red hot after burners that makes the most incredible sounds ! 😎AK 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 nice work Woody !

[@WoodyPianoShack]

ah was that a request for the psr? yeah, we'll dig that out of the flightcase soon and do some new tracks. i need to give you some competition!

[@TranceJedi]

brilliant Woody , i think they are very popular on youtube , there are lots things that can be done with these and your psr is excellent , mine are not as good but i try my best , i dont use any daws just presets and Jans styles , would love to see what you can do with yours and to explain to your viewers its pros and cons , this would make a great video too , thanks for taking the time to answer here !😎AK 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@WoodyPianoShack]

hi again ak, interesting idea to do a review/pros&cons of the psr, that never occurred to me so thanks for the idea, i've just being doing performances. only problem is that I can't think of any cons, definitely not 10! would like to do some tutorials in the autumn though. have a great evening!

[@TranceJedi]

thanks Woody , let me think about some pros and cons for you and i will email you with some in a day or two , thanks again Woody ! 😎AK 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@IamtheKingsman]

Trance Jedi - I've had the PSR S770 for about 7 months now, and for the most part I just love it. It doesn't have the vocorder or harmonizer that are in the S970, but two factors made me decide to avoid buying it. In the first place, my voice is changing with old age, and I don't like the results. The second issue is the cost. The S970 was going to cost an extra five hundred dollars. There aren't the same number of voices or styles built into the keyboard, but these are easily downloaded on PSR Tutorial's site. The keyboard is equipped with a nice sound system built in for use with small rooms-Thank God that Yamaha hasn't forgotten the gigging musician. There are all kinds of excellent renditions of instruments, especially guitars with SA2 technology and organs to choose from. The organs have two different ways of using them. Either they can be used as presets or you can access them from the list of organs. If you do this, there are drawbars that appear on screen and can be manually set with buttons just below the screen. On the right hand side of the keyboard there are buttons that allow you to greatly modify the sounds.the same thing can be said about the sliders on the left hand side of the keyboard as well as the assignable switches. You can play and use a powered microphone as well on the S770 to record in real time, or you can use MIDI to record and edit your creations. These two keyboards can do almost anything the Tyros 1-4 can do with the exception of the third right hand sound. These are amazing keyboards. The only thing I wish is that when you turn on either of these keyboards, that are a couple of issues where you can't save presets. You will have to make these settings between songs. The PSR S770 isn't perfect, but it is an incredible keyboard. There is a new ½ generation of these machines in the process of being released. These are the PSR S975 and the PSR S775. There's not much known about these keyboards, but if the evidence regarding the known keyboards is any criteria. I had had A PSR S710. The S770 is a substantial improvement over the older keyboard. I just love it.

[@SebastianMcCrazy]

i've been using the jd-xi almost daily for about 5 months now and i like it very much though they wasted potantial by having no separate analog outputs for each track. and i wish there were more front panel knobs, the menu and the menu buttons are too small. overall it's still a great machine for the price.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

wouldn't expect separate outs on a unit of this price, but I really hope that one day roland release the "jd-xi pro"

[@BrentVirgin]

Another positive that you didn't mention is using the JD-Xi to sequence other synths. Don't like the sound of the on-board single oscillator analog synth, just simply connect a midi cable to another synth. I connect my JD-Xi to an IK Multimedia Uno Synth Pro for a much thicker analog sound. I have also connected it to my Roland TB-3 when I want to make some acid tracks. You can either turn down the track volume of the JD-Xi to listen to the other synth, or sometimes its even fun to mix the sound of both synths. You can make some huge sounding patterns if you use midi to connect a few other synths.

[@MarkGardner66Bonnie]

I thought you may have addressed the issue of the tape as a negative, but I see its workable.I like your thought that it is a sound module with 37 tiny keys...

[@marcoabyss]

i didn't notice the headphone wires tapping on the mic until that short intermission lol. anyway, the pad sounds are amazing with this little thing. cheers, mate

[@dakoiaa]

Thanks for making this analysis, i totally agree to your points. Cheers!!

[@Jorge.O85]

I can't waite to have one of those in my handssss 😁😘 thanks for the review !

[@yvastel8153]

If only the vocoder functioned like a boss v01, this would've been perfect for me. It's a great "my first synth" though. Learned many things from it, but not enough especially for analogue stuff. Pairing it with a neutron this christmas! Gods, I am so excited!

[@ECOGtheMC]

How it turned out? I have the possibility to exchange my neutron with a jd xi and I'm really not sure about that...

[@JGajet-nrg]

Sounds like you really like the stock sounds, then you will enjoy the download sounds even more and there are tweaked drum sounds as well. Check it out.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

will do that, thanks!

[@hammercanttouchthis]

Jimmy Jackson III You can download and swap drum samples / patterns? Nice.

[@Wasserspeier06]

I have one. Very nice machine. Maybe I have 2 cons: 1) The knobs for the menu (like the cursors, enter, exit, value) are small and have all the same size and color. It would have been nice if Roland uses different forms and sizes for the menu selection. 2) Maybe I haven't found it yet. Is it possible to create a sequence with less than 16 steps? For example using 13 steps?

[@vadimzitsermusicianvlogcha3870]

You can make 12 steps

[@psysword]

Best JDXI review so far here on youtube and i agree that the analog part is crap and it was a third digital synth... just getting my head round this synth so many years later.

[@psysword]

Actually have to correct my above statement. when i mixed it into the track, the analog bass kept sizzling through the mix. SO actually the ANALOG bass is spot on, ROland!

[@savanaviolenta]

@@psysword the analog synth part maybe limited, but sounds amazing

[@callansullivan3408]

Check out Jack’s review for Anderton’s. Classic.

[@thompi8]

Just because of that, I had to pick up mine. Put on for 30 minutes now and feel that this is almost a better choice, one of my Virus Ti, which is considerably more expensive

[@pauluszarv6812]

Best review so far. And I absolutely agree with the final consideration (that about the sounds)

[@WoodyPianoShack]

glad that my review struck a chord with you!

[@notpopebuthope]

Thanks !! ... I totally agree - its a GREAT device soundwise ;-)

[@redbirdsaraceno]

the vocoder was one of my favorite things about this synth when i owned one , the analog sounds weren't that great at all in my opinion the digital sounded better to me as well . i did own one before the last firmware update so it could be better now .

[@jamesmay3941]

I agree with most of what you say, especially about the drum kits. I've had one for a few months and agree that the vocoder mic is very tricky to use. I bought some mini windscreens for it that eradicated the pops, but it's still nigh on impossible to get the exact distance for it to pick up without peaking, which makes setting recording levels on my Tascam digital portastudio a pain. I don't think the analogue synth is too bad, but having said that I do veer towards my Yamaha reface cs for proper old skool oscillator sounds with lots of variable parameters - including separate ADSR faders! If you want a fun and affordable analogue synth I highly recommended the reface cs. There's no saving of settings on it, though. I write them down on paper. That old skool enough for ya? 😊

[@swiftmello123]

The key to the vocorder is the filter envelopes almost returned mine...lol figured it out now it's amazing.

[@dpalaoro]

Answered my individual muting drum sound question. I qas thinking like other Roland gear you can use the pads that you use to step record with, and use those pads as a performance feature and bring in the separate drum parts as a performance. Oh well!

[@tylerschmid2864]

So awesome when you call yourself a noob! Love the videos.

[@laurajohnson4086]

I love your humor! ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ I agree this synth is pretty cool

[@ScottMcFadyen]

Very interesting just how different people's feelings can be about tone. I have almost the exact opposite reaction regarding the sound of the analogue voice versus the SuperNATURAL voices. If there was a version of this synth that had a slightly more feature rich version of the analogue voice minus the SuperNATURAL voices and drums, I would totally buy it. The sound of the SuperNATURAL voices turn me off though. They seem fake and plasticity.

[@mrclaytron]

I agree with you 100%... I especially don't like the single env knob (frustrates me to no end!) and I'd definitely rather see an extra super natural track in place of the analogue one. You are right, the sounds on this thing are really great... and ultimately, the sound is the most important part of any synth! Cheers

[@WoodyPianoShack]

well said clayton, great summary!

[@dvamateur]

This synthesizer is worth the price of admission for its drums alone. Roland has a great track of keyboards with drum machine functionality (the D-20 in the background is the first type of Roland keyboard like that in fact, along with the D-10). As far as mini keys go, they can viable. I use Yamaha KX5 strap-on MIDI keyboard with great satisfaction. Casio CZ-101 mini keys however are horrible, but! I'd far prefer 49 keys at least on a horizontally orientated keyboard, but I am old and got spoiled... The plexiglass front interface is not to my liking, but I must say that everything else about this instrument is alright. I mean, very alright. Sound is marvelous, and so is smooth step-free filter.

[@crominion6045]

This is a great sounding synth with lots of cool features; however, I would advise anyone thinking of getting one to use it as a midi module. Mine was fine for the first 4 or 5 months, but then keys started breaking off. I don't play super hard, either. The keys are cheap garbage on this thing. I replaced the broken sections (the keys are not totally separate, but come in groups) with replacements from syntaur.com, so it didn't look horrible, and I've since played it exclusively via midi. If you check out some Roland or general synth forums, you'll find my experience was not an isolated one. I wish they'd just released this as a desktop module in the first place.

[@machiwoomiapoo]

I played this in the store many times and the XA, but neither really grabbed my attention. This is an excellent review though. Take care Woody. I'm enjoying your videos. Take care, Sam.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

glad to hear it sam, thanks for the comment as always. same supernatural synth sounds as your Jupiter-80 and the integra, but in a cheap box with mini-keys. that's how i see it!

[@machiwoomiapoo]

It is an amazing synthesizer for the size. If you get a Jupiter 80 you'll be amazed at what it can do as well. Great show as always. Thanks for making the review. Take care and have an awesome Sunday. :) Sam.

[@agerven]

Great video Woody. So glad I somehow found you on the internet and subscribed. Love the JD-Xi. It's my great little (white edition) helper in many things, sitting top-left on my gear, playing great sounds and multi-tracks. Major big down for me is the fact that if you really want to / need to change some sounds you'll have to do a lot of menu diving which is frustrating and time consuming on this thing. On the other hand, as you remark, there are so many quality sounds in various categories that you can use for tweaking with the knobs that are available that you can get by for most situations. However, noting all the synth's parameters and architecture it should really be possible to get some more awesome and personal sounds of it.

[@FlyingAce1016]

Man I have narrowed down my first synth to this or a minilogue. Both are versatile for different reasons :/

[@dejacinemaofficial2910]

FlyingAce1016 I’m in the same boat! Also was looking at the deepmind 6. What did you end up going with?

[@FlyingAce1016]

@@dejacinemaofficial2910 i got the minilogue right before the minilogue XD came out lol. Oh well still might pick this up in the future though. My uncle got the sequential pro 3 and is loving it.

[@1800cxllect]

Thank you for this helpful introduction

[@maikkaune]

5:20 "...and Now for Something Completely Different..." ;) LOL

[@IdoN0TneedTherapy]

That groove at 5:48 is really very nice.

[@killersnake850]

Amazing video as always great review aswell seriously considering buying the roland jd-xi

[@gbmillergb]

Ordered one, small keys no problem just use a full sized midi controller I use an old Kawai M8000 for Korg Reface DX, Korg volca fm & microKORG

[@ViperKillerWannabe]

I didn't even notice the headphone cord hitting your mic until you said something about it. I liked the video anyway. :D

[@jPaulofe]

Very nice video Woody!! After having a JD-Xi for two Months, I tend to agree with almost everything you mentioned. One thing that really annoys me is the fact that we need to press SHIFT + TRACK in order to turn that track ON/OFF. When playing live with other synths that is really bad as requires both hands... Of course we can use the sequencer to sequence all knob/Button movements, but there are not enough measures to do an whole song, so really difficult to manage in a hurry. Need to find another way to turn tracks on/off with only one button! SysEx perhaps... Apart from this, it is a great mini synth!!!

[@TallicaMan1986]

Paulo Ferreira I do it with one hand all the time.

[@DopamineOverload]

Hi Woody, do you still own the JDxi or have you sold it? Thanks!

[@robfox6103]

I love those back tracks 👌

[@markmiller964]

Good video. I like your pro/con reviews even if I don't own the device. Entertaining. Keep up the good work.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

so glad to hear that mark, thanks!

[@charbax]

Should I trade my Electribe in for this one? I can't figure out to use the electribe as I hoped. I can't figure out to connect my M-audio 88 controler to the electribe so I figure the 4 track sequencer here would be easier for me to use.. I'd like to trade my cheap (60GBP on gumtree) m-audio 88 for a better fully weighted 88 keyboard (looking at a Roland, perhaps FP30 or a cheaper one second hand, can you recommend me a perfect second hand 88 weighted keyboard?) Your videos are awesome. I would like to be able to compose not only electronic synth sounding music but also tracks featuring trumpets, sax, grand pianos and etc hopefully those can be loaded in from that axiom website.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

i never midi'd my electribe to anything so can't help you there. should work though if you use the midi adapter cable that comes with the tribe. in your position i'd look for a used fa08, you get nice 88 keyboard and controller with awesome supernatural sounds, axiom libs, sequencer, sampler, drums. it's wicked.

[@charbax]

I lost the midi adapter cable for my Electribe so I thought I could just buy another one on Amazon that seem to follow the right spec, perhaps that's why it doesn't work. Wow the FA08 looks beautiful and it looks like it's exactly what I am looking for. But it seems expensive at £1,399 MSRP. I set my alerts at sites like ebay, what would you think would be a good price to get it second hand? Do you think it would keep its value if I use it for a couple years and then resell it? It sounds awesome how you say you bought a bunch of second hand synths and you then sell them again at same price or higher. Do you ever talk about the prices of all these things you buy?

[@JoseGarcia-yk3dl]

Can you save your created patterns? how much internal memory does it have? does not have sd?

[@fprmusic1374]

Hi Woody thanks a lot for the video. I just got the JD-Xi 2 weeks ago and I am unable to record tracks more than 4 bars long. Are you absolutely sure that the max pattern length is 8 bars? I am even considering to give it back because 4 bars is really limiting when I want to record musical ideas, and the sequencer does not really allow to structure songs properly. I think the JD-Xi is designed to jam with, but when it comes to setting up prerecorded tracks for a live set it becomes quite limited. I hope Roland fixed this with an software update, but I am not sure I can afford to keep it and risk to get stuck with the 4 bar x track limitation. Thank you for bringing to my attention the envelope control limitations and the analog synth limited capabilities. I understand that it goes with the price tag as well, however the 4 track length limitation is becoming a deal breaker for me.

[@EDcase1]

You can 8 bars by changing the pattern resolution to 32 and reducing the BPM

[@jjlacey1970]

i find the release/sustain knob dosent give a great feel. you have to menu dive for that to get it right. as i typed this you said the same. a bang on review woody

[@WoodyPianoShack]

cheers jansen, nice that you're backing me up!

[@TheGreatGodPan]

so basically the drums and sequencer are good... Good to see more cons than pros listed, have just been toying with getting this maybe as a step up from mini synths, but from what I gatherer the analogue sound is indeed pretty poor, and that ASDR issue is a huge drawback for me, I don't see how they could do so many things right with a hybrid keyboard and overlook, or just oversimplify, something so crucial.

[@sandrodellisanti1139]

fantastic review, thank you for this, i was originally coming from the Computer Tracker music, and have to learn to play the keys again. But i think, this wonderful small Synth is perfekt für me, so let's see to buy one this Year.. many greetings from Brunswick in Germany :)

[@tommyrose7157]

You can change it to polyphonic in the menu and there are acoustic guitar sounds too

[@nickpritchard7130]

Great vid Woody. Thanks.

[@kidangel101]

I miss the Count In feature from the Groove boxes when recording.