Roland JX-03
Boutique Desktop Synthesiser

The Roland JX-03 was one of the first of the Boutique Synthesisers to be released in 2015.  The other two boutique synthesisers to be released at the same time were the Roland JP-08 and Roland JU-06.

​

This Boutique desktop synthesiser was an emulation / clone of the Roland JX-3P synthesiser a classic synthesiser released by Roland in 1983.

​

As with all the other desktop synthesisers in the Boutique range the module is styled on the original synthesiser with Red, Blue and Green lines running across the synthesiser indicating the preset tones (banks A & B) and the user bank (bank C).

​

Where the Boutique departs from the original styling is that you can edit the tone directly on the JX-03, where as the original JX-3P really needed the PG-200 programmer to program it.  (Although some friends that used original synthesiser for their music tell me that you can program the Roland JX-3P through the limited interface.)

​

Roland retained the original step sequencer so that 16 step patterns can be programmed into the desktop module like the synthesiser it is based on.

 

An additional Chorus effect has been added to the module.  This chorus is based on the Chorus effect of the Roland Juno-60.

 

In addition to the features of the original Roland JX-3P the Roland JX-03 provide a fully functional MIDI implementation that can be accessed either through the 5-pin DIN sockets or USB socket.  The USB socket also provides audio outputs to your computer and intern your DAW. 

​

So how does the Roland JX-03 compare to the Roland JX-3P?  I have been lucky enough to have borrowed a JX-3P and plugged this in with the JX-03.  Linking the two together via standard MIDI.  When switching between the legacy and desktop synthesisers, I would say the desktop tone is very similar to the original, if not a little brighter.  

 

Generally perfectly useable for if you wanted to use this desktop module to give you the JX-3P in your production. The original synthesiser was used a lot in the Drum'n'Bass and Synth-wave spectrums, and this Roland JX-03 will definitely meet this use case.