From: Randomizer@cup.portal.com (Aron Fingers Nelson) Subject: Re: Roland JD-800 -- BEAUTIFUL! Date: Fri, 22 Jan 93 21:06:41 PST >Huh? What is that beast? The JD-990 is a cross mix between a JV-80, JD-800 and the "good stuff" that you missed from the D-50. Seems like Roland realized that people really did want the multi-effects of the JD-800 as well as the Super Jupiter/Moog etc.. samples + the Pop style sounds of the JV-80, and the oscillator modulation/sync capabilities of the D-50. So they put it in a box for $2095. It has extremely wide bandwidth. Sounded good to me. Aron_Nelson@Cup.Portal.Com From: nsw@luna.att.com Subject: New Roland stuff (JD-990) Date: Tue, 30 Mar 1993 15:36:00 EST Just got the new Roland propaga- um, "User's Group" Magazine. Much interesting new stuff, with the JD-990 definitely at the top of the list. Sounds like they're building a real synthesizer. Key features off the top of my head: 1) Multi-mode filters 2) Ring modulation 3) Oscillator sync 4) Polyphonic portamento 5) Matrix modulation 6) "Structures", with several "algorithms" to allow different arrangements of the resources of two tones. For example, for a two-tone patch, you could put the two filters in serial, each with a different mode and different modulation. 7) Cool multi-effects. Of eight parts (the unit is 8-way multitimbral), one can be the "super-synth", with something like 8 simultaneous effects. The other 7 parts all have settable send levels of chorus, reverb, and delay(?). 8) Two rack spaces, nice big LCD. 9) Accepts JD-800 and JV-80 *patch* and PCM data. Anyway, it certainly reads well, and if it's typical Roland then it will sound good. The synth section sounds pretty thorough, and the effects sound like the first real effective scheme for using effects in a multitimbral synth. So, has anyone played one? Does it support any form of PWM (no mention of that in the "article")? Does it live up to its propaganda as "the most powerful synth Roland has ever produced"? Intrigued, - Neil --==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==-- Neil Weinstock @ AT&T Bell Labs // What was sliced bread att!luna!nsw or nsw@luna.att.com \X/ the greatest thing since? From: coutsoft@cheshire.oxy.edu (Michael Coutsoftides) Subject: JD990 Date: Thu, 27 May 1993 02:42:45 GMT Went and looked at a JD990 rackmount today... the thing was absolutely unreal. Kind of like a JD800 in a box but with the added features of a JV880. In fact it can read both JD800 and JV880 cards and can even use the JV880 expansion boards. The display is great and easy to read, especially when editing waveforms. Its like having an editor librarian on board, the resolution is incredible. From what I heard of the sounds, they were great too! I can't wait to get one! The guy said it was like $1570 +tax.. if anyone knows where I can get on cheaper.. please fill me in! Oh yeah, it also has the ability to use four separate effects processors per channel. I believe it is 32 voice polyphonic and 20 voice multi-timbral (but I could be wrong).. Check it out! M. From nsw@cbnewsm (Neil Weinstock) Tue Apr 13 17:01:47 1993 X-VM-v5-Data: ([nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil] ["2108" "Mon" "12" "April" "1993" "02:13:42" "GMT" "Neil Weinstock" "nsw@cbnewsm.cb.att.com " nil "45" "Re: JD-990 Module - What's it like?!?" "^From:" nil nil "4"]) Newsgroups: rec.music.makers.synth Organization: The Flying Squid Patrol Message-ID: <1993Apr12.021342.12571@cbnewsm.cb.att.com> Keywords: JD-990 References: Lines: 45 From: nsw@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (Neil Weinstock) Subject: Re: JD-990 Module - What's it like?!? Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1993 02:13:42 GMT In article hijacker@spectrx.saigon.com (Kristian Ducharme) writes: >Hi everybody... I was just wondering if anyone has purchased the new JD-990 >sound module... is it really as spectacular as it seems to be? I just played with one the other day, and it would seem to be Very Nice. It's got 4 banks of patches (64 per bank): two ROM preset banks, a user bank, and a memory card bank. The ROM banks were nice but unspectacular; they had a lot of the glassy, spacey kinds of sounds I've come to expect out of Roland boxes. The user bank, though, had some really cool stuff. Very good lead sounds, with lots of modulation and expressiveness. Several patches used oscillator hard sync, and they sounded pretty much like you'd hope. Good fuzz guitars, too. I need to play with it more, but it made a good first impression. Oh, most of the factory patches used at least 3 tones, so don't go expecting it to play 24 voices that sound like that. The LCD display is large, well lit, and very sharp. UI seemed OK, though I spend enough time to know for sure. Effects sounded very nice. I think the effects architecture of the machine is very impressive compared to most of today's synths. One of the ROM demo sequences was like a heavy-metal guitar instrumental that was quite impressive IMHO. I'm still trying to figure out if it can do pulse-width modulation. >How much does it run? List is $2195, so figure you can get it in the upper teens. >Are the sounds editable via a patch dump to a PC and then thrown back >into the memory? I would assume so; that applies to almost any synth these days. >Should I sell my house so I can get one? If you're gonna sell your house, you might as well get a Waldorf Wave; you might have a chance of getting some shelter from it at least... - Neil --==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==-- Neil Weinstock @ AT&T Bell Labs // What was sliced bread att!luna!nsw or nsw@luna.att.com \X/ the greatest thing since? --->NOTE NEW EMAIL ADDRESS<---