Hi,
I've been playing and making sounds with synth for the past 35 years or so, ranging from analog to digital, from hardware to software to iOS apps, and once had 40 hardware synths, most of them without MIDI. I had Jupiter-8, prophet-5, Pro-One, ARP 2600, D-50, nord lead 1 expanded, Kronos, and so on, but now my arsenal shrunk to about a dozen or so as you can see at the bottom of my post.
Recently, after long consideration, I got the JD-XA new unit at the price of about 1,500 USD, and am overall quite satisfied with it. Here are some of my personal views:
<<Operation>>
It's true that the XA doesn't allow editing every single parameter from the front panel physical controllers, and some require menu diving, but so is Roland JD-800, and Access Virus.
Fundamental waveforms of both analog and digital synth parts like sawtooth, square etc can be selected by front panel knobs. But digital variation waveforms are hidden under the LCD menu system, and needs to be scrolled through the waveform list using - and + buttons. I did at first thought having a rotary encoder would be nicer, but within a couple of minutes I got used to this thanks to the shortcuts being provided, like for example:
1. Press and hold either - or + will have the screen scroll at jet speed.
2. Press and hold either - or +, and then press the other button will have the screen scroll at warp speed.
3. Press Shift and - or + will allow you to skip the values by 10's.
The rotary encoder on the old JD-800 had a lag problem that makes you always over run the destination you want leaving you frustrated, so I find this XA method actually better.
There are a whole bunch of these sort of short cuts being listed on the manual such as:
4. Press Shift and left or right arrow buttons will allow you to skip to the previous or next section in the LCD menu.
5. Press Shift and TFX1, TFX2, MFX buttons will allow you to jump access to the corresponding effects processors instantly.
6. Press Exit and turn a knob or push a slider will show the parameter value without changing it. Same as DSI PRO2's Show button.
7. Press and hold Part On button, and play low end then hi end of the key range to create keyboard splits.
Many shift key operations? Well so is my Clavia nord wave, or nord lead synths.
I know everybody have their own tastes, so if you wanna shoot the UI designer twice, fine go ahead
but I'm happy with mine
<<LFOs and Envelopes of the Analog Synths Parts>>
I've never tried a synth with Kiwi mod before, so if they have faster EG attacks than the XA, then it must be so.
Still, as far as I know the XA's analog synth part has one of the snappiest EG I've ever heard from a synth.
The LFO runs from very slow rate to audio range. And the transition from slowest to the fastest is extremely smooth.
<<Analog Synth filters>>
The cutoff frequency again can be changed extremely smoothly. Also, there goes another short cut to fine tune the cutoff frequency:
8. Press Shift and turn Cutoff for fine tuning the cutoff frequency.
This reminds me of the old Memory Moog VCF that had coaxial coarse and fine tune knobs for the cutoff frequency.
The LPF3/BPF/HPF has very unique character. When the resonance is cranked up to self-oscillation, the whistle sound will start to chirp like a flock of little birds. I read on a Japanese web article that this is due to the filter cutoff tracking the incoming signal. This is something you can't find with any other synths, and when used together with Filter Drive function and/or LFO at audio range, you'll get very wacky interesting noise.
Yes, you can feed the entire 64 voice polyphonic digital synth part together with its own effects processing to analog VCF as a paraphonic synth. And since there are four analog synth parts, you'll have up to four paraphonic synths. Running SuperSaw wave through a VCF saturates the filter and provides very exciting thick sound with guts for example.
Cross modulating analog oscillator with a digital synth part is also very wild and insane, in good sense.
<<Overlay Sheets>>
Mine came with matte overlay sheets supplied from Roland, and it does help to make the front panel more legible so I use them.
Again I know people have different tastes but I do like the original shiny black and red color scheme that reminds me of the kewl movie "Tron" though
But then again, yes the overlay sheet is a practical choice and having a choice is an improvement.
Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you one thing. The red and black cosmetic design matches pretty well with my DSI PRO2.
<<And the sounds?>>
Since Version 1.5 came out the preset sound changed drastically. All the instore display units that I've seen are with lower version and therefore with rather poor preset sounds that fill only first four banks. Ver. 1.5 fills all the sound program banks with variety of colorful sounds. Of course it's a programmer's synth to create your own sound but when I got my PRO2 I was surprised to find very good presets on my DSI PRO2, and good presets always encourages me to do better. Same goes with the XA 1.5. There is even a program that emulates Art of Noise "Moments in Love" with Fairlight CMI-like synth voice associated with various sounds, and by running the onboard step sequencer you can enjoy playing that tune all by yourself.
The analog synth parts on the XA doesn't have a wall of big low ends like a DSI or a moog synth, but still does sound fat and solid. Compared with my DSI MEK and PRO2, the XA's analog synths parts sounds somewhat more delicate and even articulated.
BTW, I read in a Japanese article that XA analog synth parts are made with all discrete circuits.
The digital synth part with virtual analog waveforms plus 450 PCM waveforms adds colorful palette to the sounds, and I enjoy them, namely making swirling pads etc.
On the whole, the XA nicely complements the DSI synths, I guess, well again my personal subjective view though.
The real essence of the XA that I believe is the fact that its a multi-timbral synth that is rather rare for analog and virtual analog synths. You can layer up to eight parts, or up to 16 synths in a single program. D-50 was already a revolutionary synth with its four synth layers. Now you have quadruple freedom.
Also you can drive each parts individually from the onboard step sequencer.
<<etc>>
I do wish if the XA, and also my PRO2 had sample import function, that would be amazing.
I also feel that my V-Synth have better keybeds than the XA, I know its a subjective matter though.
I apprecaite that it's a light weight synth, like my nord wave. DSI synths are rather heavy, even my PRO2 is a bit heavy for its size.
For me, the XA, as someone wrote on another thread, is a wonderful weird strange great synth. Whether you'll like it or not, is a whole different story.
Thanks a lot for reading this lengthy post.
Sorry for my broken English, I’m not a native speaker.