Roland JD-800

The Roland JD-800 is a popular synthesizer that was introduced in 1991. It was part of Roland's JD series, which stood for "Jupiter Descendants," as it was designed to follow in the footsteps of the iconic Jupiter-8 synthesizer however there were no acoustic PCM samples—no saxophones or orchestral strings. This was to be a very synthetic synthesizer.

 

The JD-800 is a digital synthesizer engine with analog-style controls. It had a 61-key velocity-sensitive keyboard and a sleek design with a large LCD screen and numerous sliders and knobs for parameter control.

One of the notable features of the JD-800 was its Super JD synthesis engine, which utilized digital oscillators combined with sample-based waveforms. It had 24-note polyphony and offered a rich palette of sounds, including realistic acoustic instruments, vintage synth tones, and unique synthetic textures. Users could manipulate the sound further using its extensive editing capabilities, including envelope shaping, filtering, and modulation.

The JD-800 also introduced Roland's "Structure" approach to sound design, allowing users to create complex layered sounds with up to four different tones stacked together. Each tone had its own dedicated oscillator, filter, amplifier, and effects, which could be individually edited and mixed to create intricate sounds.

In addition to its synthesis capabilities, the JD-800 included a built-in effects processor that offered a range of high-quality effects such as reverb, chorus, delay, and EQ. It also had an onboard arpeggiator and a comprehensive MIDI implementation, allowing for versatile integration with external devices and sequencing.

The JD-800 gained popularity among musicians and producers for its versatile sound and powerful programming capabilities. It was used by various artists across different genres, including electronic music, pop, and film scoring. 

It has been used by William Ørbit, Emerson Lake & Palmer, 808 State, Ken Ishii, Astral Projection, Rabbit in the Moon, Depeche Mode, Underworld, Tangerine Dream, LTJ Bukem, Apollo 440, Jean Michel Jarre, ATB, Vangelis, Pet Shop Boys, Faithless, Luke Vibert, Mouse on Mars, Laurent Garnier, MC Hammer, Bushflange, Genesis, and Eat Static.

Over time, the JD-800 became sought after in the second-hand market due to its unique character and sound quality.

While the JD-800 was eventually discontinued by Roland, its legacy lived on in later synthesizers, such as the JD-990 and JD-800-inspired software synthesizers. Its impact on the music industry and its status as a classic synthesizer make it a significant part of the history of electronic music instruments.