JD-08
$420 roland.com
Strengths
+ There's a lot packed in here for the money
+ Huge sound delivers everything you'll want and need from the original synth
+ We like its interfacing and mobile aspirations
Limitations
− Tiny footprint won't be good for the bigger-fingered
− It has a very distinctive sound that won't be for everyone
− Screen doesn't give a lot away
Long before the analog synth revival the Roland JD-800 brought hands-on control back to synth users. And it was much needed. This was the early '90s and slap bang in the middle of the digital synth craze which had seen synthesizers becoming less controllable, more menu-driven and far more, well, some might say — boring. The JD-800 was an attempt to bring back the excitement of analog synths, albeit surrounding a very digital engine, based on that found in Roland's ubiquitous D-50 (more on
