Roland JX-08 – How to Use the JX-08

In our Roland JX-08 Setup Guide, you learned about registering, updating the firmware, and also the connections on your JX-08. In this guide, we will show you how to use the JX-08! Follow the sections below to get started.

1. Getting sound out
2. Patches (tones)
   • Selecting a Patch
   • Playing a Patch
3. Parts
4. Initialize and save a Patch
   • Initialize a Patch
   • Save a Patch
5. JX-08 MIDI channel settings
   • Set the MIDI Receive port
   • Set the system MIDI channel
   • Set the part’s MIDI channel

Getting sound out

Once your JX-08 is registered, you can start making all your connections. The easiest way to get sound out will be connecting headphones to the PHONES jack. This will work after inserting batteries into the bottom of the unit and powering on the unit.

NOTE: The unit can also be powered via the USB-C port as long as the power source provides at least 500 mA.

After the connections have been made and the JX-08 has been turned on, turn the volume knob on the back next to the PHONES jack all the way down (fully counterclockwise), then press the blue START button at the bottom left of the front panel to start playing the default sequencer pattern. Slowly turn up the volume knob (clockwise) to your desired volume level. 

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Patches (tones)

The JX-08 has patches stored in groups, banks, and patch numbers. There are four groups, eight banks per group, and eight patch numbers per bank, which equates to 256 patches. 

Groups are notated on the screen by the first letter (A–D); banks are notated by the first number (1–8); and patch numbers are notated by the second number (1–8). The JX-08 comes with factory patches from A11–C27, and C28–D88 are blank patch slots where you can save custom patches. Below are the steps to navigate through the groups, banks, and numbers to select a patch.

You can also play the patch by sending MIDI into the JX-08 via the MIDI In DIN connection or via USB-MIDI. Follow the steps in the MIDI section below to set the MIDI channel on the JX-08 that corresponds to your MIDI source.

Selecting a Patch

1. Make sure you are not in Note mode, Sequencer mode, or Arpeggio Edit mode. The yellow NOTE, blue SEQ, and red ARPEGGIO buttons should not be lit. 
2. Press one of the four BANK buttons. The NUMBER buttons will begin flashing.
   • Repeatedly pressing the same BANK button will cycle through the groups and banks within that BANK button. 
     • For example, pressing the button BANK1 (5) repeatedly will cycle through Group A Bank 1, Group A Bank 5, Group B Bank 1, Group B Bank 5, etc. 
     • Pressing the button BANK 2 (6) repeatedly will cycle through Group A Bank 2, Group A Bank 6, Group B Bank 2, Group B Bank 6, etc.
3. Press one of the NUMBER (1–8) buttons to select the patch. 
   • If you were already in the desired group and bank, you can simply press one of the NUMBER (1–8) buttons to change patches within that group and bank. 

Playing a Patch

Once you have a patch selected, you can play the patch using the buttons on the JX-08 after setting the buttons to NOTE mode. To enter NOTE mode:

1. Press the yellow NOTE button so that it is lit. 
2. Use the first 13 buttons to play the patch 
   • These buttons have a note letter under them. 
3. Buttons 14 and 15 will lower and raise the octave, respectively. 
4. Buttons 16 and PAGE/TIE will set the sound mode of the patch to SOLO, UNISON, and POLY.

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Parts

Additionally, the JX-08 is a bi-timbral synth that allows you to load two patches simultaneously. Follow these steps to load a patch into each part:

1. Make sure you are not in Note mode, Sequencer mode, or Arpeggio Edit mode. The yellow NOTE, blue SEQ, and red ARPEGGIO buttons should not be lit. 
2. Use the PART A and PART B buttons to select one of the two parts.
3. After selecting a part, follow the steps above to select a patch.

Once you have patches assigned to both parts, you can change how you play the patches together.

• If you want to layer the patches together, press the DUAL button. 
• If you’re going to split the patches on the keyboard, press the SPLIT button.
• If you want to play the patches independently, make sure that neither the DUAL nor SPLIT buttons are lit.

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Initialize and save a Patch

The JX-08 has initialized patches from C28–D88. You can also initialize any patch if you want to create a new patch from a blank slate. Note that initializing a patch will erase the current patch’s parameters.

Initialize a Patch

Follow the steps below to initialize a patch:

1. Make sure you are not in Note mode, Sequencer mode, or Arpeggio Edit mode. The yellow NOTE, blue SEQ, and red ARPEGGIO buttons should not be lit. 
2. Select the patch you would like to initialize.
3. Press in the MENU button.
4. Turn the VALUE knob so that the fifth button flashes and “UtiL” displays on the screen.
5. Press in the VALUE knob.
6. Turn the VALUE knob so that the second button flashes and “t.CLr” is displayed on the screen.
7. Press in the VALUE knob. “t.CLr” on the display will flash, indicating the patch has been initialized.
8. Press the MENU button twice to exit the Menu. 

Save a Patch

Once you have created or edited a patch, you must save it. Switching to a different patch without saving will revert that patch slot to what it was set to when you loaded that patch. A small dot at the end of the screen indicates if a patch has been modified.

1. Make sure you are not in Note mode, Sequencer mode, or Arpeggio Edit mode. The yellow NOTE, blue SEQ, and red ARPEGGIO buttons should not be lit. 
2. Press the BANK 1(5)–4(8) buttons to select the group and bank where you want to save the data.
   • Instructions on how to navigate groups and banks are above.
3. Long-press one of the NUMBER 1–8 buttons to select the patch number you wish to save.
4. The display blinks several times, indicating the tone is saved in the selected patch number.

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JX-08 MIDI channel settings

The JX-08 allows you to set a system MIDI channel and a MIDI channel for each of the two parts. The system MIDI channel will control the current part selected on the JX-08, but if you would like to control each of the two parts regardless of which part is selected on the JX-08, you can set each part to its own MIDI channel. Follow the steps below to set the MIDI channels.

Set the MIDI Receive port

1. Make sure you are not in Note mode, Sequencer mode, or Arpeggio Edit mode. The yellow NOTE, blue SEQ, and red ARPEGGIO buttons should not be lit. 
2. Press in the MENU button.
3. Turn the VALUE knob so that the third button flashes and ‘nidi’ is displayed on the screen. 
4. Press in the VALUE knob. The first button should be flashing now, and ‘CH’ is displayed on the screen.
5. Turn the VALUE knob so that the fourth button is flashing and ‘r.KEy’ is displayed on the screen.
6. Press in the VALUE knob.
7. Turn the VALUE knob to select ‘OFF’, ‘nidi’, or ‘USb’.
   • ‘OFF’ will prevent MIDI from being received.
   • ‘nidi’ will allow MIDI to be received from the MIDI DIN connection.
   • ‘USb’ will allow MIDI to be received from the USB connection.
8. Press in the VALUE knob to select one of the three options.
9. Press the MENU button twice to exit the menu.

Set the system MIDI channel

1. Make sure you are not in Note mode, Sequencer mode, or Arpeggio Edit mode. The yellow NOTE, blue SEQ, and red ARPEGGIO buttons should not be lit. 
2. Press in the MENU button.
3. Turn the VALUE knob so that the third button flashes and ‘nidi’ is displayed on the screen. 
4. Press in the VALUE knob. The first button should be flashing now, and ‘CH’ is displayed on the screen.
5. Press in the VALUE knob. The MIDI channel number is displayed on the screen.
6. Turn the VALUE knob to select a MIDI channel number.
7. Press in the VALUE knob to set the MIDI channel number.
8. Press the MENU button twice to exit the Menu.

Set the part’s MIDI channel

1. Make sure you are not in Note mode, Sequencer mode, or Arpeggio Edit mode. The yellow NOTE, blue SEQ, and red ARPEGGIO buttons should not be lit. 
2. Press in the MENU button.
3. Turn the VALUE knob so that the third button flashes and ‘nidi’ is displayed on the screen. 
4. Press in the VALUE knob. The first button should be flashing now, and ‘CH’ is displayed on the screen.
5. To adjust the MIDI channel for: 
   • Part A, turn the VALUE knob so that the second button flashes and ‘CH.A’ is displayed on the screen.
   • Part B, turn the VALUE knob so that the third button flashes and ‘CH.b’ is displayed on the screen.
6. Press in the VALUE knob. The MIDI channel number is displayed on the screen.
7. Turn the VALUE knob to select a MIDI channel number.
8. Press in the VALUE knob to set the MIDI channel number.
9. Press the MENU button twice to exit the Menu. 

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