Roland reveal two boutique synth additions: the JD-08 and JX-08

Roland is introducing two compact synths, the JD-08 and the JX-08, to their line-up of boutique sound modules.

Both pieces of gear pay tribute to earlier products from Roland - the JD-800 and JX-8P - each designed to come with "all the original patches and more", compacted into smaller pieces.

“The JD-08 features sounds from the classic JD-800 piano to big ethereal pads, to raw basses, all the way to something very important for the JD-800 which is really nice, guitar-style distorted sounds” narrates a demo video for the new product.

Read this next: Roland has added a virtual JD-800 to Cloud plugin service

The synths are battery-powered and portable, made for tabletop use with a more compressed feeling. Both products function as USB-C audio/MIDI interfaces, with full-sized MIDI ports.

The JD-08 now allows for users to play two patches at once with bi-timbral functions, allowing for control of “the level of each one separately” the video narrates. “Now we can actually use this as a little mixer for my drum sequence,” he says, demonstrating the multi-patch use.

This synth also uses the same waveforms as its ancestor product, JD-800, with a four-voice synth using “advanced modelling techniques” and effects spanning distortion, a phaser, delay, chorus, reverb and others.

Read this next: Roland has recreated the JUNO-60 as a software synthesizer

The JX-08 also stays close to its tribute JX-8P, adding more effects, an arpeggiator, sequencer, and random pattern generator. “In our new boutique format version, we’ve added plenty of real-time control as well as several other added features,” the video adds.

Both the Roland JD-08 and JX-08 will be available in January next year for $400 each. Find out more here, and watch a demo video for the JD-08 below.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter