brad@fluke.UUCP (Brad Srebnik) (08/12/85)
This past weekend, I looked at the Roland JX8P, the Akai AX-80 and the Chroma
Polaris. I had very little information on any of them before going out, and
it's very hard to find out a whole lot about such complex toys during a
half-hour visit to a music store. I'm looking to buy something in that price
range, but don't feel that I could make an intelligent choice between them
without taking them all home for 6 months. So, I'm interested in getting
opinions about them. Which one do you think is best? Why? Are any of them
missing important features or parameters? Is one easier to use in the long
run (The Polaris is obviously the hardest to learn at first, but does it ever
get easier?). Has anyone had one go bad? Do you need the programming unit for
the JX8P? Should I look at anything else (like the DX-7)?
There must have been some postings about these before, so if anyone has any
saved, I'd been very interested in seeing them.
Thanks! {ihnp4,decvax} -- uw-beaver -\
Brad Srebnik {hplabs,ucbvax} -- lbl-csam --+- fluke!brad
{ssc-vax,sun,allegra} -------/mohan@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU (Sunil Mohan) (08/22/85)
> This past weekend, I looked at the Roland JX8P, the Akai AX-80 and the Chroma > Polaris. I had very little information on any of them before going out, and > it's very hard to find out a whole lot about such complex toys during a > half-hour visit to a music store. JX8P and also, I believe, the Polaris, have been reviewed in the mag "KEYBOARD"; JX8P sometime around May this year. Another good mag for reviews is the British "ONE-TWO-THREE TESTING". I'm looking to buy something in that price > range, but don't feel that I could make an intelligent choice between them > without taking them all home for 6 months. So, I'm interested in getting > opinions about them. Which one do you think is best? Why? I've played a bit (in a shop) with the 8P and Polaris. Liked the 8P, esp. with the programmer if you like real time tone changes. The presets on the Polaris all sounded rather similar. > get easier?). Has anyone had one go bad? Do you need the programming unit for > the JX8P? Should I look at anything else (like the DX-7)? Try w/o the pgmr first, you can always buy one later. I would like one because I like to fiddle with the sounds in real-time. The DX-7 is more diff to pgm, but that should not be a consideration. It has excellent percussive sounds, but looses in 'thickness of texture'; thus strings etc. are very bad, while piano, marimba etc. are very good. The ideal would be to own both a DX7 (or variant) and an analog synth. I am also in the market for a synth, and almost bought the JX8P, until I was introduced to the VOYETRA-8 at the shop by the guy who did the presets for it. It has TERRIFFIC sounds, is splittable into 2x4 voices, has velocity and press. sensitivity, and a 1700 event sequencer. And it can be had with their own cheap keyboard for under $3000 ! But what about the OBERHEIMs you ask? And you may well. I am going to wait for the MATRIX-6 to come out, which should be soon. See inside back of latest "KEYBOARD" for an ad. Meanwhile I would like comments from anyone on the VOYETRA-8 and the XPANDER or MATRIX-12 or 6. _ Sunil. uucp: ...{harvard, seismo, ut-sally, sri-iu, ihnp4!packard}!topaz!mohan arpa: MOHAN@RUTGERS