WOLF retro DESIGN REVIEW. 11th March 2025
A retro review looks at products that are at least over ten years old from a present-day WOLF design perspective. While the technology and fashion of the period influence design, and are taken into consideration, great design ideas will transcend their eras to be timeless.
Interesting and factual information may be provided, but our review aims to deliver insight from the perspective of a designer’s mind and eyes.
How super was the JX-10?
Introduction
Product Focus
As with most reviews the focus is on the design and its evolution with the Keyboard industry. The functioning systems and sound quality are not necessarily not considered.
Product description
The Roland Super JX was released in 1986 as Roland’s new flagship synthesizer. This was still an analogue synthesizer disguised to look digital. It was intended to carry on the successes of the Jupiter 8 while challenging the Yamaha’s DX synthesizers.
Price and Availability.
When new the JX-10 retailed for $2750 US and was considered expensive as it was more than Yamaha’s DX7IIFD. For a flagship synth it seemed underwhelming, remained in the shadows and struggled to sell in large numbers. Today their prices vary considerably depending on condition and buyer’s curiosity. Prices seem to fluctuate between $500 and $2000 US.
Additional information
Roland’s first JX synth was released in 1983 in the form of the JX-3P and was one of Roland’s first to have Midi. The JX-8P came next as a much-improved synthesizer and then finally in 1986 we had the JX synthesizer in the form of the JX-10. It was also known as the “Super JX” to emphasize that this was significantly better and bigger! Interesting Roland tried to revive the JX name with a JX-1 in 1991 as an entry level synthesizer.
Digital looking Analogue?
First impression/ Delight
The Super-JX looks completely unoffensive to us, which is actually testimony to a design that is timeless. Having said that, there is also nothing particularly exciting in the design to stand it apart as being particularly unique. At the time of this review they are almost 40 years and appear as just a typical and simple synthesizer and not particularly cool or even retro.
Exterior Design Review
The Super JX was distinguishable by having 76 keys and from our research was Roland’s first synthesizer to have 76 keys. As such, it is proportionately long and in 1986 would have looked quite slender and sleek. The main body is clad in metal with a shallow inset for all the buttons and alpha dial. The buttons protrude very slightly to be flush with the surrounding panels which further emphasises the sleekness of the design. On either side of the main panel are relatively narrow plastic end caps.
The colour is a rather unassuming grey with white text printed on the surface. The arrangement of buttons and controllers are well organised but seem to lack alignment. Everything seems to gravitate towards the left end of the keyboard and we wonder if there could have been a more symmetrical response. The screen for instance feels like it could have been positioned directly in the center. In regards to the screen, the green vacuum florescent digits are very retro like how vintage calculators were, but we imagine that this would have appeared rather dated compared to Yamahas DX7IIFD from the same year.
We like how the pitch bender is well emphasised in with moulded plastic in a spherical shape.
Craftmanship.
Typical of most synthesizers at the time the JX-10 is externally clad in a single sheet of metal for the main central area and is then capped with plastic end pieces. These plastic panels are quite vulnerable to damage and we’ve noticed that the paint finish tends to ware easily. When this happens, the surfaces tend to look blotchy and dirty. Most of the ones we’ve seen have a lot of ware and damage to the corners, especially where the pitch bender is located.
The sliders are smooth but seem a bit like something you’d find on a Casio keyboard. They could have been more substantial in our opinion. We particularly like the generous size of the square buttons that feel nice and easy to press. Above certain buttons are small rectangular LEDs that sit flush with the surface and these would have been a rather exquisite detail in its day. The alpha dial is quite large and, in our opinion, sits a little uncomfortably close to its surrounding edges. The screen is housed in a plastic frame with nicely bevelled corners, but overall, it feels unrefined and a flusher design and detail would have made a big difference.
FUNCTION- Experience.
The JX-10 is said to be a lot easier to use in conjunction with its PG-800 programmer. Without it, you have to navigate between the limitations of pressing buttons and the vacuum fluorescent display. That being said the buttons are grouped and coloured to be easily understood. The alpha dial should probably have been located on the right end of the keyboard and that might have better balanced the overall layout.
The raised pitch bender is unique and a bit like the gear shifter in a car, serves as nice place to rest your hand, perhaps also encouraging its use. We like the retro screen but it does feel like old technology and limiting with the amount of information able to be displayed.
Looking like a joystick.
Desirability / Collectability
The Super-JX is a substantial synthesizer with many quality features but at the same time feels rather featureless. With so much empty retail space on the body we wonder if there was something else that could have been done with the design. We’ve noticed that the PG-800 programmer is often placed on the right end of the synthesizer where the tone edit map is printed and this begs the question of why they didn’t just incorporate and conceal the PG-800 under a panel in that location to begin with? While a second-hand JX-10 can be inexpensive, the need to compliment it with a PG-800 feels a bit off putting. Unless you’re the original owner of one, the JX-10 is unlikely to be high on your wish list, but for certain collectors a mint one with accessories is certainly something worth considering. It’s still a Roland flagship synthesizer after all, and one with 76 keys.
WORD OF THE WOLF
The Super JX remains one of those rather lost synthesizers that has yet to find its following. This is understandable considering the era and its Yamaha FM rivals at the time. With its minimalistic grey clothes, it looks rather lifeless and was inevitably going to struggle to inspire like its colourful Jupiter 8 predecessor. Roland might have had more success with something like a Jupiter 8IIFD or even a Jupiter-10. From this review it still achieved a 7.8 which is a relatively high and commendable score.
Original user manual
Left- English Brochure, Right- German Brochure
WOLF DESIGN EXCELLENCE SCORE = 7.2
Disclaimer
The information in this review is intended for informational or educational purposes to provide readers an understanding of how something may be seen from a certain design perspective. In this case it is from the view point of WOLF DESIGNS. As design is subjective this review should only be considered as an independent opinion. Information further to being of an opinion is provided to the best of our knowledge based on our own research at the time of doing the review. We cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies or inconsistencies and reserve the right to change or update any content as appropriate.
The final responsibility of the design resides with the original manufacturer.
