NAMM 2015: Roland Unleash JD-Xi!

Roland have finally unveiled the JD-Xi at NAMM 2015! We’ve been sitting on this news for quite a long time – check out this very cool looking analogue/digital synth hybrid and stay tuned for more Roland news…

Press Release

Tiny, mighty, and affordable, the JD-Xi puts a true analog synth engine, Roland’s famous SuperNATURAL synth sounds, and many other creative tools under one hood. Equipped with 37 mini keys, this compact instrument delivers fat, warm analog bass and lead tones with ample controls for hands-on tweaking, plus polyphonic PCM essentials like pads, strings, brass, and more.

Create impressive loops in a flash with the pattern sequencer and built-in drum kits, and explore expressive vocal textures with the gooseneck mic, Vocoder, and AutoPitch. Small in size and large in versatility, the JD-Xi is all about big sounds and big fun!

Los Angeles, CA, January 22, 2015 — Roland is proud to announce the JD-Xi Interactive Analog/Digital Crossover Synthesizer, a new compact keyboard that’s powerful, versatile and fun. Equipped with 37 mini keys, the JD-Xi features a true analog synth engine along with a wide selection of Roland’s acclaimed SuperNATURAL digital sounds. This affordable instrument also comes packed with many great extras for self-contained music creation, including built-in drum kits, a four-track pattern sequencer, and a gooseneck mic for using the synth’s Vocoder and AutoPitch effects.

Thanks to its unique crossover sound engine, the JD-Xi gives musicians the best of both worlds: the warm, smooth response of classic analog, and the clarity and versatility of modern digital. In one keyboard, players can enjoy fat, warm analog bass and lead tones with ample controls for hands-on tweaking, plus polyphonic PCM essentials like electric piano, brass, guitar, and many others.

The newly developed analog synth section in the JD-Xi features saw, triangle, and square waveforms with pulse-width modulation and an analog filter, plus an independent sub oscillator for low-end power. Two digital synth sections offer 128-voice polyphony and a wide range of SuperNATURAL-based PCM tones for playing any style of music. Sounds can be enhanced with the JD-Xi’s effects section, which includes delay, reverb, and processing options such as Bit Crusher, Slicer, Ring Mod, and others.

The JD-Xi comes with a sturdy, high-quality gooseneck mic and onboard vocal effects. With the Vocoder, users can sing into the mic and control the tone and pitch via sounds played on the keyboard. AutoPitch makes it simple to achieve the robotic vocal sounds common in today’s pop and electronic music styles, while the cool Auto Note function provides the ability to “sing” JD-Xi synth sounds without touching the keyboard.

Using the built-in pattern sequencer, it’s possible to create and perform sophisticated music with only the JD-Xi. Four separate tracks—two digital synth parts, analog synth, and drums—make it easy to build rich-sounding loops. Real-time and step recording modes are provided, along with a special TR-REC mode for programming in the style of Roland’s classic TR-series beatboxes. Patterns can be queued up and manipulated while playing the keyboard, and many preset patterns are included for jamming right out of the box.

The dynamic drum kits in the JD-Xi offer high-quality rhythm tones to support any groove. Included are many types of electronic and acoustic kits, and the drum instrument assignments are conveniently labeled above the keys for quick identification. Users can modify the sound of the kits with filter, envelope, pitch, and pan parameters.

Supporting both MIDI and audio over USB, musicians can use the JD-Xi with their favorite computer music applications. USB also provides the ability to access a growing collection of free JD-Xi patches programmed by top engineers and artists, which are available at Roland’s Axial sound library site.

Featuring red and black styling to match the synth, the optional CB-JDXi gig bag provides a convenient way to carry the JD-Xi and its gooseneck mic along with cables and other accessories.

For more information, visit www.RolandUS.com.