I highly recommend this synth. Much better than the original JD-800. The original models faders used to jump drastically from 0 to 100. The JD-08's faders are ultra smooth without any jumping. It's got beautiful lush sounds in it. Plus it's got the expanded amount of waveforms. Great Synth!!!

Listening to this instrument with good headphones is a joy. The highs and lows along with the autopan are fantastic. Especially because the sounds are multi-timbrel and so well crafted. Now I understand why so many prominent keyboardists
love it so much. I could never afford it until Roland re-released it in boutique form. It's a dream come true.

Please share your thoughts (a message from Sweetwater)... my back hurts and my feet are sore... but onto a serious note: I like the sound of Roland's JD-08, and I also like the Roland brand. More importantly, this Boutique is a lot of fun to play and experiment with (especially if you enjoy turning knobs & adjusting slide switches). Connect/try out a few different effect pedals with the JD-08 and viola: this synth becomes a different creature and the enjoyment factor gets even better. If you are into compact, no keyboard synths, this one is worthy of being included into a synth collection (and it has a pretty fair price point). I'm not a fan of USB power, but I am glad Roland engineered this one with a type-C connector.

I'll keep this simple, first off I am a big fan of all of Roland's Boutiques Series Synths. I have the JU-06A, JX-03, JP-08, JX-08 and now the JD-08. Like the others this is a great Synth while bringing back so much of the original JD800. I never owned a JD800, I was to busy with my Yamaha DX7 at the time but I always wanted one. This JD-09 Includes all 108 original waveforms and all 64 original factory patches, plus 21 new presets
The 4-part tone layering allows for vey complex sound design. It's got all of the other features like a 2-part, 64-step polyphonic sequencer that you can save up to 128 original patterns
Random pattern generator, a Motion Recorder allows you to capture complex parameter changes in your patterns and of course an Onboard arpeggiator. Overall just another great Boutique Synth with tons of sonic power!

OK now for the MIDI BUG. MIDI Bug Alert! I learned of this bug when I got my JD-08 a few months ago. I noticed that the JD-08 plays an init tone on MIDI channels 4 and 5, no matter what the MIDI settings are set to (I have mine set to Ch16). This is known and is in fact a bug in the JD-08. The JD-08, is a repackaged, Jupiter X synth, which uses midi channels 4 and 5, like I am seeing. So if you have other devices in your setup that use MIDI Ch 4 or 5 you will have an issue. Roland didn't bother to take this out when they ported the firmware over to the JD-08. The problem is, these can't be edited, or turned off., it just plays a INIT sound. There is no setting for this and it is hardcoded, into the units firmware. Many of us have already gotten in touch with Roland about this, of course, with no reply to fix the problem. I happen to know a Tech Support Person at Roland that I could call and he confirmed it. If enough users complain hopefully they will get their act together and get this fixed in a future update. What is interesting is it seems all of the Boutique Series are all sharing the same firmware, notice how all the new synths are on V 1.02? I think this is part of the problem.

This synth is perfect for anyone with a space constrained home studio or for anyone looking to make music on the go. The sliders though small are more than adequate, the battery life is good, the synth engine is deep, and the sound is amazing. An incredible bonus for me is that this also acts as an audio interface, and it actually outperforms another dedicated audio interface I had previously purchased.
The only drawback is the built in speaker, which is practically useless. Overall this thing is a synth powerhouse.

This unit is Amazing. The sound possibilities are many. The sound that outputs this unit is Amazing! As other reviews have mentioned, the 20 mm sliders can be a little bit to work with, but are fine once you get used to it. I am into the small form factor and portability. Kudos to Roland for creating a monster synth (JD-800) into a small box. Love it.

The Roland JD-08 offers a good emulation of the early 90's slider laden JD-800 digital synthesizer in a much smaller package. Unfortunately, the MIDI implementation on the JD-08 is not so good. When using the JD-08, connected via MIDI, there is a preset like sound (a saw wave lead with portamento) on MIDI channels 4 & 5. You cannot access those sounds nor turn off their MIDI channels. I was hoping the JD-08's latest firmware update would have resolved this issue BUT it has not. This issue can be problematic, especially if you are integrating the JD-08 in a DAWless set-up where you are using several hardware synths on various MIDI channels. Hopefully Roland will correct this issue.

This synth is so inspiring. I always wanted an 800, but in my small studio I don't have the room. I bought the D-05 and love it to pieces, but wondered if the JD would be a redundant purchase. It isn't. Although they both use a similar synthesis process, they are very different. I wish the JD could load original 800 patches as the D-05 can load all the old D50 ones, but I will probably explore my own sound design on the 08 more because of all the unused patch space it has and the comprehensive panel controls. The quality of the controls is really outstanding for a $400 home studio synth. The sliders especially surprised me. Short throws, but high quality. If I can get a patch editor at some point like the excellent one I have for the D-05, so much the better. The sound is wonderful and every time I play it I'm creating something new in minutes. I saw Steve Hackett the other day and was feeling inspired already, but this synth takes it to a new level. Roland did a great job again on this one. I use hundreds of VSTs, but even in 2022 there is still a place for a standalone device lime this. If you buy it I don't believe you will regret it. An instant classic all over again!

This synth is so inspiring. I always wanted an 800, but in my small studio I don't have the room. I bought the D-05 and love it to pieces, but wondered if the JD would be a redundant purchase. It isn't. Although they both use a similar synthesis process, they are very different. I wish the JD could load original 800 patches as the D-05 can load all the old D50 ones, but I will probably explore my own sound design on the 08 more because of all the unused patch space it has and the comprehensive panel controls. The quality of the controls is really outstanding for a $400 home studio synth. The sliders especially surprised me. Short throws, but high quality. If I can get a patch editor at some point like the excellent one I have for the D-05, so much the better. The sound is wonderful and every time I play it I'm creating something new in minutes. I saw Steve Hackett the other day and was feeling inspired already, but this synth takes it to a new level. Roland did a great job again on this one. I use hundreds of VSTs, but even in 2022 there is still a place for a standalone device lime this. If you buy it I don't believe you will regret it. An instant classic all over again!

Sounds just like the original. I owned two!!!

I have a confession to make. I am a serial gear flipper. I buy a synth. I use it. I enjoy it. I tire of it. Then I sell it and look forward to my next purchase. I've gone through a lot of synths over the years. But sometimes, you just know right away when a purchase is a real 'keeper'. And the JD-08 is a keeper.

The JD-08 sound contains an indescribable - almost magical - quality: a pure, rich, three-dimensional tone - an immersion in digital clarity. I really can't put into words just how good it sounds. I guess, for contrast, I can tell you this: I owned a D-05 and ended up selling it, as I found its sound to be surprisingly dull and thin. Not so here. Yes, this is a digital synth. Wonderful, glassy, bright, metallic, swirly, digital deliciousness. If that's not your thing, the JD-08 probably isn't for you. (However, I should mention that you can coax some pretty convincing analog-sounding timbres out of this thing as well.)

Now, there are some things I don't like: 1. The sliders are small - makes programming somewhat tedious. 2. You can't import JD-800 patches (though I am hopeful some coder will write a program to translate JD-800 sysex into something the JD-08 can use.) 3. An LCD would have been nice - even a tiny one. I hate that I'm always referring to my waveform cheat-sheet.

But none of my gripes have anything to do with how this thing sounds - the JD-08 is a sonic beast. And unlike many synths that I've loved and lost over the years, this one is a keeper.

The JD-08 can be described as 'That synth' from the 90's. The presets range from familiar to iconic, and of course it's a huge palate for tone creation. Chords are rich and leads can be mellow or really stand out. The stats do not lie: this thing has a ton of functionality. Ironically, this synth's original format was created in opposition to menu-driven synths of the time. The JD-08 is not 'menu driven' but it is definitely 'menu dependent'. You'll need the manual early and often, but fortunately Roland is among the best with these simple interfaces. The build is premium Roland-grade. Absolutely proper sliders, pots, & buttons. Small, but smooth with definite detents. The 13 button 'courtesy keyboard' is miles above most of the others out there, and great for firing up the arpeggiator and auditioning your sounds. Alas, not a performance keyboard.

In a world of $500+ distortion pedals, the value of this synth is tremendous. Pair this with a Neutron, and I do believe you could recreate all of western (and eastern) music for much less than a grand. Definitely the backing tracks. I can see using the JD-08 for ambient, pop, funk, and new wave immediately. Don't want to parrot stats but take a look at layers, waveforms, effects, patches, connectivity, oh my. Finally, you deserve to be treated like a star. And that's why I shop at Sweetwater. Really fast shipping and great communication.

I've been a big fan of the JD800 for years - it was a staple in many of the hard trance classics I grew up on. It was thrilling to find out Roland was doing a boutique reissue with more polyphony and USB-C connectivity. And when mine arrived today, I just *had* to sit down and start testing sounds and see if this synth sounded anything like its predecessor.

And OMG, Roland delivered. Above and beyond expectations, across the board (getting the MIDI and audio connections sorted was a bit of a mess, and the user manual isn't super helpful). Sound is bright, clear, and has every bit of the original's sound.

I've only messed with the factory patches so far, and this is the second synth I've ever used where the factory patches are impressive enough to not need modding to be useful in music I'm writing.

When I get round to doing real sound design on it for my singular sounds for my music, I'm going to have a lot of fun with this thing. Just browsing the factory presets I could hear where I'd have uses for these sounds in my works in progress. I foresee a lot of complete songs very very soon.

Also helps that SW shipped it out immediately when they got it, and it arrived 3 days early.

Nothing but thrilled right now

Roland totally nailed it on this one