Vintage synthesizers. They’re either digital boxes with pre-built sounds or analog instruments with tons of hands-on control, right? Not always. In 1991, Roland built a keyboard that dared to be both. The JD-800 can be unabashedly digital, full of lavishly layered sounds that would define the ’90s. But it’s also loaded with knobs and sliders, enough so it looks like you might be able to pilot a UFO with its panel. In the ’90s, that combination made the synth the go-to for everyone who owned one and the envy of everyone else.
The Everything Synth
Ask a JD-800 owner where they used this instrument, and there’s one common theme—on everything. There’s never been a better time to revisit this 1990s synth. Whether it’s acting edgy, ravey, or warm, these days the JD-800 sounds fresh all over again.
The JD-800 even impressed veterans like Rick Wakeman of Yes. As he told MusicRadar in 2020, “By the time the ‘90s came around, synths were getting boring. It was all about presets,” he griped. “I wanted a synth you could get your teeth into.” And the JD-800? “This was the first digital one that reminded me of the early days, plenty of knobs and sliders to play with. Even though it was digital, it had some nice, analog-style sounds,” he said.
"Because it does have all those hands-on controls, it’s an instrument that shines in the hands of the best producers."
LA (Linear Arithmetic) All the Way
The sound engine on the JD-800 starts with the same sound creation technique that made the D-50 such a hit: Linear Arithmetic Synthesis. It combines PCM-based samples (small snippets of audio) with subtractive synths. That combo is both expressive, thanks to the subtractive bits, and distinctive. The waveforms pack the instrument with luster and character.
The first breakthrough on the JD-800 was providing an even more powerful sound engine than on the D-50. The second was exposing those parameters with physical controls to tweak. Legendary synth designer Eric Persing worked on the JD-800, as he did the D-50. You can hear it in the results.
Because it does have all those hands-on controls, it’s an instrument that shines in the hands of the best producers. This makes certain tracks well deserving of close listens. ’90s nostalgia makes these deep dives a blast; the trancey, ravey sounds of that decade are back in style. Make no mistake, however. Many of the JD-800’s sounds are so futuristic you won’t be thinking about turning back the clock.
PLAYLIST
Anything by A Guy Called Gerald (1993)
“It’s a really interesting synth,” says A Guy Called Gerald, aka UK producer Gerald Rydel Simpson (also an early 808 State member). “It was more a string specialist,” he recalls. He tells us he tapped the synth for pad textures, “dynamic” string sounds, and “the most realistic synth guitar.” Gerald also reveals it’s behind the gorgeous strings on “Anything.” We might even hear a few other JD sounds on the breakbeat classic. 28 Gun Bad Boy, AGCG’s jungle crossover and proto-rave album is packed with JD-800.
"A Guy Called Gerald tapped the JD-800 for pad textures, 'dynamic' string sounds, and 'the most realistic synth guitar.'"
“Future Dub” by Mouse on Mars (1994)
From their founding in Düsseldorf, groundbreaking experimental/IDM duo Mouse on Mars was heavily into the instrument. Sparkly, exotic futurism—chillout for some alien lounge—oozes from the JD-800 on “Future Dub.” “We used JD-800 quite extensively,” Jan St. Werner reveals. “We even bought some additional waveform cards. Also, Microstoria [duo with Jan and Markus Popp on Mille Plateaux] were quite deeply into the JD-800.”
"We used JD-800 quite extensively. We even bought additional waveform cards. Also, Microstoria were quite deeply into the JD-800."
-Jan St. Werner (Mouse on Mars)
Magnetic North by Sasha (2002)
“We used it on absolutely everything,” Sasha told the MusicTech podcast of the JD-800. “One of the synths that got away is my beloved JD-800. We used it on Airdrawndagger, all that music I wrote in the late ’90s and early 2000s.” In fact, it was enough that he and his team had to make a conscious decision at some point to stop using it on all their tracks. Airdrawndagger plays like a love letter to JD and LA synthesis. Nowhere is it as luxurious as on “Magnetic North,” practically a jacuzzi bath of synth layers.
"One of the synths that got away is my beloved JD-800. We used it for absolutely everything—all that music I wrote in the late '90s and early 2000s."
-Sasha
Voodoo People by Prodigy (1994)
Nope, that bass you’re hearing is not a TB-303. The fatter, more guitar-like sound is straight out of the JD-800. For further examples, check out “Poison” and “Their Law.” It might well be a perfect choice for the 21st Century when you want something acidic that isn’t the familiar 303. And it cuts straight through the dense Prodigy mix in a way even the mighty 303 doesn’t.
If Everybody In The World Loved Everybody In The World (King Britt Scuba Mix) by Stylophonic (2002)
“Dude, my Scuba stuff was all JD-800—that was my go-to keyboard for ten years,” says Philadelphia icon King Britt. “Helped shape that sound.” It’s worth listening to all King’s Scuba output. It has JD-800 sounds all over it—from bass grooves and sharp stabs to lush pads. A perfect example is King’s take on Stylophonic’s 2002 single. The track is timeless and seductive.
"My Scuba stuff was all JD-800—that was my go-to keyboard for ten years. Helped shape that sound." -King Britt
Leaf (King Britt Scuba Ambient Mix) by Jeanette Lindström (2007)
For contrast with the above, the instrument elevates King Britt’s remix for Jeanette Lindström, the Swedish jazz talent. Here, the JD-800 provides pulsing, interwoven synth textures. The underwater reference “Scuba Ambient” in the parenthetical subtitle is apt as the track evokes inky aquatic depths.
“Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic” by Prince (1999)
The word “rave” inevitably comes up around both the JD-800 and the 1990s. Still, when Prince does rave, it doesn’t sound like anyone else. Prince’s obsessive production skills were an ideal match for the JD-800. The synth was a no-brainer upgrade from his D-50. Leads and brass and lots of weird ornaments are all over this album—but you can start with the title track.
Liquid Men with Liquid Hearts by Air Liquide (1992)
From Cologne, Germany, the duo of Cem Oral (Jammin’ Unit) and Ingmar Koch (Dr. Walker) went on a deep mission. The pair traveled into the furthest reaches of experimental acid and techno. 303 bass is everywhere, but the pads and space sounds are all JD-800. For a taste of those otherworldly pads layered atop a TB, “Liquid Men with Liquid Hearts” is a perfect example.
"'My Genre' by Aspects features the JD-800 as the carrier of a vocoder input for the rough and raw robot refrains, jacked into a cheap effects unit."
My Genre by Aspects (2001)
Welcome to the Bristol bonus round. “My Genre” features the JD-800 as the carrier of a vocoder input for the rough and raw robot refrains, jacked into a cheap effects unit. Even the disbanded, yet still influential, Daft Punk would respect this track’s plucky, android spirit. In keeping with its VHS-centric cover art, the irreverent banger references everything from Clubber Lang to The Last Starfighter.
