Roland JD-08 User manual

JD-08
Owner’s Manual

Table of contents
2
Table of contents
Panel Descriptions ....................................................................3
Control section 1 .....................................................................3
Control section 2 .....................................................................5
PALETTE section ([TONE A]–[TONE D] sliders) ..................... 6
LFO 1/2 section ........................................................................ 7
PITCH/TVF/TVA ENV section .................................................. 8
WG section ...............................................................................9
TVF section.............................................................................10
TVA section ............................................................................11
EXT CLK IN Jack......................................................................12
Rear Panel ..............................................................................13
Turning the Power On .......................................................... 14
Selecting a Tone (Patch) ...................................................... 15
Selecting Groups and Banks ................................................16
Saving a Tone........................................................................... 17
Using the [1]–[13] Buttons as a Keyboard (NOTE) ..... 18
Switching Between Sound Modes................................... 19
Applying Portamento ...........................................................20
Using the Arpeggio ............................................................... 21
Configuring the Arpeggio ....................................................21
Using the Sequencer............................................................. 23
Selecting a Pattern................................................................23
Playing Patterns ....................................................................25
Tempo Settings ..............................................................................26
Creating a Pattern (Note Input) ...........................................27
Inputting Notes for Steps After Step 17 (PAGE)...................28
Selecting the Part for Recording Notes ..................................28
Connecting Notes (Tie Input).....................................................29
Inputting Notes Step by Step (Step Input)............................29
Recording Your Performance in Real Time ...........................30
Setting the Note Loudness and Length (Velocity/Gate
Time) ..................................................................................................31
Making sequencer settings ..................................................32
Saving a Pattern ....................................................................33
Configuring the Effects.........................................................34
Effect A....................................................................................34
Distortion .........................................................................................34
Phaser................................................................................................35
Spectrum..........................................................................................35
Enhancer...........................................................................................35
Effect B....................................................................................36
Delay ..................................................................................................36
Chorus ...............................................................................................37
Reverb ...............................................................................................37
Backing Up Data......................................................................39
Restoring the Settings (Restore) .......................................40
Configuring the Settings of This Unit .............................41
Part Settings...........................................................................42
Configuring the Layer Settings............................................43
Configuring the LFO..............................................................44
Configuring the WG (Waveform Generator).......................45
Configuring the ENV (Envelope)..........................................46
Setting the Tone Key Range .................................................47
Configuring the EQ (Equalizer) ............................................48
Keyboard Settings.................................................................49
MIDI Settings..........................................................................50
System Settings .....................................................................51
Using the Utilities ..................................................................52
Restoring the Factory Settings (Factory Reset)..................53
Prioritizing the Battery (Battery Fixed Operation Mode) .54
Sound List ..................................................................................55
List of Waveforms..................................................................56
MIDI Implementation Chart (Part)....................................59
MIDI Implementation Chart (System).............................62
Main Specifications ................................................................63

Panel Descriptions
3
Panel Descriptions
This explains the controllers and jacks/ports/connectors used on this unit. Touch or click the icons to learn more about a certain
feature.
Control section 1
Controller
Explanation
[TONE A]–[TONE D]
buttons
The functions of the [TONE A]–[TONE D] buttons change depending on the state of the [LAYER-ACTIVE]
button.
ACTIVE
Select the layer to edit.
The TONE button for the selected layer blinks.
LAYER
Turns the layer on/off.
The TONE button lights up for the tone that plays.
[LAYER-ACTIVE]
button
Switches between functions for the [TONE A]–[TONE D] buttons.
Off
LAYER
On
ACTIVE
[ARPEGGIO] button
Turns the arpeggio on/off.
The arpeggio settings menu is shown when you long-press the button.

Panel Descriptions
4
Controller
Explanation
[NOTE] button
When this is on, you can use the [1]–[13] buttons as a keyboard.
[COMMON] button
Displays the settings menu.
Press the [EFFECTS] and [COMMON] buttons at the same time to edit the sequencer. Having done this,
press the [COMMON] button again to show the sequencer settings menu.
[EFFECTS] button
Displays the effects settings menu.
Press the [EFFECTS] and [COMMON] buttons at the same time to edit the sequencer. Having done this,
press the [COMMON] button again to show the sequencer settings menu.

Panel Descriptions
5
Control section 2
Controller
Explanation
[START] button
Plays back (the button lights up) or stops the sequencer (the button goes dark).
Press this button together with the [1]–[16] buttons to switch to different patterns.
[EXIT] button
Returns to the previous screen.
[VALUE] knob
Turn: Edits the parameter’s value.
Press: Confirms an operation or value.
Display
Shows the bank and patch number, parameter value and tempo.
[1]–[16] buttons, [PAGE/TIE]
button
Use these buttons to switch between tones (number/bank), and to input notes into the
sequencer.

Panel Descriptions
6
PALETTE section ([TONE A]–[TONE D] sliders)
These sliders control various settings for the tones.
Controller
(Parameter)
Value Explanation
[TONE A]–[TONE D]
sliders
(Depends on the assigned
parameter)
Sets the parameters for each tone.
The last parameters you operated are assigned to the PALETTE
([TONE A]–[TONE D] sliders).

Panel Descriptions
7
LFO 1/2 section
Adds cyclical change (a swelling effect) to the sound.
Controller
(Parameter)
Value Explanation
[LFO SELECT]
button
LFO 1, LFO
2
Selects the LFO to operate.
[RATE] slider 0
–
100
Sets the speed of the LFO cycle.
[DELAY] slider
0
–
100,
REL
Sets the time it takes before the LFO effect begins after you press a key.
The larger the value, the longer it takes for the LFO effect to start after you play the
keyboard. By setting the value to REL, the LFO takes effect after you take your hands off the
keyboard.
[FADE] slider
-50
–
50
Sets the time-based change of the LFO as it takes effect.
Positive values make the LFO amplitude increase gradually. The larger the value, the longer
it takes for the amplitude to reach maximum.
Negative values make the LFO amplitude decrease gradually. The smaller the value, the
longer it takes for the amplitude to reach minimum.
No time-based change occurs when this is set to “0”.
[WAVEFORM]
button
Selects the LFO waveform.
TRi
(đ)
Triangle wave
SAľ
( )
Sawtooth wave
SQr
(ē)
Square wave
S_H
(ĕ)
Sample & hold
RnD
( )
Random
[OFFSET] button
-, 0, +
Shifts the LFO waveform up or down. You can shift the waveform up or down in respect to
the base pitch or cutoff frequency (value).
[KEY TRIG] button
This sets the timings for when you play the keyboard and when the LFO cycle starts.
OFF
The timing of the LFO cycle is not affected by when you play the keys (no synchronization
occurs).
ON
The timing of the LFO cycle is synchronized with when you play the keys.

Panel Descriptions
8
PITCH/TVF/TVA ENV section
This section controls how the pitch and filter changes.
Controller (Parameter)
Value
Explanation
[TIME KEY FOLLOW] slider
-10
–
10
This sets the envelope time (T2–T4) according to which keys you play.
When this is set to a positive value, higher keys above C4 (middle C) produce
shorter pitch envelope times. When this is set to a negative value, the pitch
envelope time gets longer.
Larger values produce greater change.
[L0]–[L2] sliders (*1)
-50
–
50
These sliders set the pitch envelope levels. This sets how much the pitch at each
point from L0 to L2 is changed.
Use “+” values for pitches higher than the reference pitch, and use “-” values for
pitches lower than the base pitch.
[L1], [L2] slider, [SUSTAIN
LEVEL] slider , [L4] slider (*2,
*3)
-50
–
50
(*2) Adjusts the TVF envelope levels. This sets how much to change the cutoff
frequencies for L1, L2, SUSTAIN LEVEL and L4 in respect to the base levels.
(*3) Adjusts the TVA envelope levels. This adjusts the volume for L1, L2, SUSTAIN
LEVEL and L4.
[T1]–[T4] sliders (*4)
0
–
100
These knobs set the envelope times.
Larger values make the time longer to reach the next change in pitch or filter (for
example, T2 sets the time it takes to go from L1 to L2).
[ENV SELECT] button
PITCH,
TVF, TVA
Selects the envelope you want to set with the sliders.
●(*1) Enabled when the [ENV SELECT] button is set to PITCH.
●(*2) Enabled when the [ENV SELECT] button is set to TVF.
●(*3) Enabled when the [ENV SELECT] button is set to TVA.
●(*4) The [T1]–[T3] sliders are enabled when the [ENV SELECT] button is set to PITCH.

Panel Descriptions
9
WG section
This section is used to select the waveforms that determine the character of the sound, and to set the pitch.
Controller
(Parameter)
Value Explanation
[PITCH COARSE]
knob
-48
–
48
Shifts the pitch in units of a semitone.
[PITCH FINE] knob
-50
–
50
Finely adjusts the pitch.
[PITCH RANDOM]
slider
0
–
100
Sets how much the pitch is randomly changed with each key
press. To set the pitch to a fixed value, set this to “
0
”.
[KEY FOLLOW]
slider
-100, -50, -20, -10, -5, 0, 5, 10, 20,
50, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 150, 200 (%)
Sets how much the pitch is changed when the keyboard is
shifted one octave (12 semitones) up.
To make the pitch change over one octave like regular
keyboards, set this to “100”.
To make the pitch change over two octaves, set this to “200”.
You can make the pitch lower by setting this to a negative
value.
To play the same pitch no matter which key you press, set this
to “
0
”.
[WAVEFORM]
knob
For the values, refer to “List of
Waveforms (p. 56)”.
This knob sets the waveform.
[LFO1], [LFO2]
knobs
-50
–
50
Sets how much LFO1 and LFO2 modulates the WG.

Panel Descriptions
10
TVF section
This section controls the filter to alter the sound of the tone.
Controller
(Parameter)
Value Explanation
[MODE] button
HPF, BPF,
LPF
Selects the TVF type.
[CUTOFF FREQ]
slider
0
–
100
Specifies the cutoff frequency. This gives the sound a more mellow feel, by removing
frequency components that are higher than the cutoff frequency.
[RESO] slider
0
–
100
Increasing the value emphasizes the frequencies around the cutoff frequency for a more
unusual sound.
Excessively high settings can produce oscillation, causing the sound to distort.
[ENV] slider
-50
–
50
This sets the intensity of the TVF envelope.
When the value is higher, the filter produces greater change.
Setting this to a negative value inverts the envelope’s shape.
[KEY FOLLOW]
slider
-100–
150 (%)
Changes the cutoff frequency according to the keys you play.
When this is set to a positive value, playing notes above C4 (middle C) on the keyboard
increases the cutoff frequency the higher you go. When this is set to a negative value, the
cutoff frequency decreases.
[LFO SELECT]
button
LFO1,
LFO2
Selects the LFO used to modulate the cutoff frequency.
[LFO] slider -50
–
50
Sets how much LFO1 and LFO2 modulates the cutoff frequency.

Panel Descriptions
11
TVA section
This section controls the volume.
Controller
(Parameter)
Value Explanation
[LEVEL] slider
0
–
100
Adjusts the layer’s volume.
[BIAS DIRECTION]
button
Selects the BIAS DIRECTION mode.
This corrects the layer’s volume according to the key you press.
UPPER (UP)
The higher the key you play above the key specified by the BIAS POINT, the greater
the volume changes according to the settings of the [BIAS LEVEL] slider.
LOWER (Lo)
The lower the key you play above the key specified by the BIAS POINT, the greater
the volume changes according to the settings of the [BIAS LEVEL] slider.
UPPER&LOWER
(U_L)
The further away that the key (higher or lower) you play is from the key specified by
the BIAS POINT, the greater the volume changes according to the settings of the
[BIAS LEVEL] slider.
At this time, both the UPPER and LOWER indicators light up.
[BIAS POINT]
slider
0
–
127
Sets the base key from which the volume is changed.
A value of 64 equals C4 (middle C).
[BIAS LEVEL]
slider
-10
–
10
Adjusts the amount that the volume changes when the volume is corrected with
BIAS DIRECTION.
Positive values result in higher volumes when you play keys higher than the BIAS
POINT, and negative values result in lower volumes.
[LFO SELECT]
button
LFO1 (LFO.1), LFO2
(
LFO.2
)
Selects the LFO used to modulate the layer volume.
[LFO] slider
-50
–
50
Sets how much LFO1 and LFO2 modulates the layer volume.

Panel Descriptions
12
EXT CLK IN Jack
Use this jack to input clock signals from an external source. You can make the steps of the sequencer advance in sync with the
clock (pulse) that’s inputted.

Panel Descriptions
13
Rear Panel
Controller
Explanation
[POWER] switch
Turns the power on/off.
USB Type-C®port
Use a commercially available USB Type-C®cable to connect this port to your computer. This is used to
transfer USB MIDI and USB audio.
You must install the USB driver if you want to connect this unit to your computer. Download the
software from the Roland website.
https://www.roland.com/global/support/
[VOLUME] knob
Adjusts the volume.
PHONES jack
Used for connecting headphones (sold separately).
OUTPUT jack
Connect this jack to your amp or monitor speakers.
MIX IN jack
Used for inputting audio. The sound from connected devices is output from the PHONES and OUTPUT
jacks.
MIDI (IN, OUT)
connectors
Connect a MIDI device to these connectors using a commercially available MIDI cable. This lets you
control the connected MIDI devices from this unit.

Turning the Power On
14
Turning the Power On
Before turning the unit on/off, always be sure to turn the volume down. Even with the volume turned down, you might hear some
sound when switching the unit on/off. However, this is normal and does not indicate a malfunction.
1. To turn on the power, slide the [POWER] switch to “ON.”
When you operate the sound module such as for adjusting the angle or mounting the unit, be careful not to get your fingers
pinched between the movable parts and this unit. In places where small children are present, make sure that an adult provides
supervision and guidance.
Do not use a USB cable that is designed only for charging a device. Charge-only cables cannot transmit data.

Selecting a Tone (Patch)
15
Selecting a Tone (Patch)
The settings for each tone are stored in a block of memory called a “patch.” By selecting (switching between) patches, you can use
a variety of sounds.
The patches are further organized by group (A–D), bank (1–8) and number (1–8), letting you save a total of 4 x 8 x 8 = 256 patches.
1. Press the NUMBER [1]–[8] buttons.
This selects the patch.
●
You can use the [VALUE] knob to select from all of the patches in order.
●You can select separate patches for parts A and B. For details on the part settings, refer to “Part Settings (p. 42).”

Selecting a Tone (Patch)
16
Selecting Groups and Banks
Here’s how to switch the group and bank for the patches.
1. Press the BANK [1]–[8] buttons.
This selects the bank. The group (A–D) switches each time you press the same bank button.
2. Press the NUMBER [1]–[8] buttons.
The selected group and bank’s patch is selected (the unit switches to that patch).

Saving a Tone
17
Saving a Tone
Any settings you have edited for a tone are lost if you select a different patch or turn off the power after editing. For this reason, be
sure to save your important settings.
A dot is shown in the display once you edit a tone.
1. Press the BANK [1]–[8] buttons to select the group and bank where you want to save the data.
2. Long-press one of the NUMBER [1]–[8] buttons to select the patch number you wish to save to.
The display blinks several times. The tone is saved in the patch number you selected.

Using the [1]–[13] Buttons as a Keyboard (NOTE)
18
Using the [1]–[13] Buttons as a Keyboard (NOTE)
You can play the [1]–[13] buttons like a keyboard (NOTE mode).
1. Press the [NOTE] button.
The [1]–[13] buttons light up. At this time, you can use the [1]–[13] buttons as if they were keys on a keyboard.
●
Use the [14] or [15] button (the OCT [-] and [+] buttons) to switch the tonal range of the keyboard in octaves.
●Use the [16] button (the [SOLO] button) to switch between solo mode and poly mode.
●The [PAGE/TIE] ([PORTAMENTO]) button switches portamento on/off.

Switching Between Sound Modes
19
Switching Between Sound Modes
Here’s how to set the way the sound generator of the JD-08 plays.
1. Press the [NOTE] button to make the indicator light.
2. Press the [SOLO] button.
This selects the sound mode.
Button status
Mode
Explanation
Lit
Solo mode
Plays single tones.
Unlit
Poly mode
Plays multiple tones (polyphonic).

Switching Between Sound Modes
20
Applying Portamento
Portamento is a glide effect that smoothly connects the pitches of the first and second notes that you play on the keyboard.
The portamento effect is enabled when the sound mode is set to “solo mode.”
→
“Switching Between Sound Modes (p. 19)”
1. Press the [NOTE] button to make the indicator light.
2. Press the [SOLO] button.
Set the sound mode to “solo mode” (the button lights up).
3. Press the [PORTAMENTO] button.
Select the mode.
Button status
Portamento mode
Explanation
Lit
On
Plays the notes by smoothly changing the pitch.
Unlit
Off
Plays the pitches of each note separately (this is the normal setting).