JX-3P

Name: JX-3P
Price: 199 USD
Author: Roland

by Roland · Synth · JX-3P analog polysynth emulation

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JX-3P is Roland's software version of the six-voice 1983 JX-3P, with two DCOs, a VCF and HPF, and the original chorus.

It includes a virtual PG-200 programmer, Circuit Mod and Condition controls, an arpeggiator and effects; it is a Lifetime Key or part of Roland Cloud Pro and Ultimate.

Best for: Keys & Synths, Bass, Sound Design. Genres: Electronic & EDM, Pop.

Keywords: 80s, polyphonic, arpeggiator, analog, basses, hardware emulation, leads, lo-fi, tempo-synced, brass, modern, monophonic, pads, resizable UI, sound design, subtractive, thick.

What it does

JX-3P is Roland's "authentic virtual recreation" of its six-voice JX-3P polysynth from 1983, one of the first synths with MIDI. It is built with Roland's ACB (Analog Circuit Behavior) modeling and keeps the original workflow, with modern extras added on top.

Two DCOs: DCO-1 offers saw, square and pulse; DCO-2 adds noise, plus tuning, fine tune and Cross Mod. Both cover ranges from 64' to 2' and take LFO or ENV-1 pitch modulation.
Filter and amp: a resonant low-pass VCF with pitch follow, velocity and LFO/ENV-1 modulation, plus a high-pass filter; the VCA runs from ENV-1, ENV-2 or Gate, with a Brilliance control.
Envelopes and LFO: two ADSR envelopes and an LFO with sine, square and random shapes, delay, rate, key trigger and tempo sync.
PG-200 programmer: a virtual version of the optional hardware programmer, so every parameter has a knob or slider on screen.
Effects: overdrive, distortion, the JX-3P Chorus, fuzz, crusher and phaser; delay, panning delay, chorus, flanger and delay+chorus; and ambience, room, hall, plate and modulation reverbs.
Circuit Mod: an Amount control for the sound's character and a Condition setting (-128 to +127) that moves from a factory-fresh unit to a "road-worn" one.
Play and arp: polyphony from 2 to 8 voices, Poly, Mono and Unison modes, portamento, and a six-pattern arpeggiator (one or two octaves up, down or up-and-down) with tempo sync.
Patch browser: search, sort, rate and annotate factory, user and Roland Cloud patches.

The current v2 adds high-DPI resizable graphics, Circuit Mod and new sounds. It runs at 44.1 to 192 kHz and works as a PLUG-OUT on SYSTEM-8 hardware. It is sold as a Lifetime Key or included in Roland Cloud Pro (via Pro Selector) and Ultimate memberships, with a 30-day free trial.

Source: Roland product page

When to use it

JX-3P is a focused model of one early-80s Roland poly with a bright, glassy top end and a cross-mod second oscillator. Compared with Diva, it is a single instrument with a smaller, simpler panel, but it is built by Roland and comes with the PG-200 layout and the original chorus character. Compared with JUPITER-8 it is thinner and less powerful, but quicker for chiming keys, bells and brassy stabs. Unlike Serum 2 or Vital, it offers no wavetables or deep modulation routing; its strength is period-correct sound with little setup. Its Circuit Mod control also lets you set how clean or worn the unit sounds.

Best for: 80s pop pads, chiming bells and keys, brass stabs, sync leads and thick mono basses in Unison mode.
Genres: synth-pop, pop, synthwave and electronic.
Look elsewhere if: you want a bigger analog engine (Diva or JUPITER-8) or modern sound design (Serum 2, Vital).
Tip: for a chiming tone, set DCO-2 to pulse at 16', flip Cross Mod to Metal and push the chorus depth, as MusicRadar's walkthrough shows.

What producers say

Reviewers find it a convincing and practical take on an underrated Roland, with the PG-200 panel solving the original's lack of controls.

Attack Magazine said it "sounds great, with the same shimmering high-end" as the hardware, though "not as deeply analogue-sounding" as Roland's Juno-106 plugin.
MusicRadar called it "a terrific source of thumping basses, searing leads" and textures, and praised the built-in PG-200 editor and DCO-2 cross modulation.
Criticisms: Attack noted (in a review of the earlier version) that it used a stock chorus rather than the original, and that Roland Cloud synths take a heavy CPU hit.

Where to buy

Plugin Boutique: $199
Roland: see store

Tutorials and reviews

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