TAL-J8X Salutes a Classic from 1985!
5,0 / 5,0 | 
TAL brings us another chapter in Roland’s analogue synth swan song from the mid-80s, before everything went digital for a while. Does TAL-J8X do the JX-8P justice?
As the DX7 blazed a trail throughout the middle of the 1980s, rendering the last vestiges of analogue synthesis old hat and uncool, Roland held fast for a few more years, releasing analogue synths that employed the physical visuals of their digital rivals.
When Roland Resisted the Turning Tide
Membrane buttons, cartridges for storing presets, and MIDI were all present, but the engines remained faithfully analogue. The Alpha Junos, MKS-50, MKS-70 and their last true analogue synth, the JX-10, were worthy full stops on a long and rich history of analogue production.
TAL-J8X from TAL Software fills a noticeable JX-8P-sized gap in the plugin market, with Roland only ever producing one as part of their Zenology platform, rather than their ‘Legendary’ range. It’s not the first time TAL have done this, with their excellent TAL-PHA scratching that Alpha Juno itch.
TAL-J8X
So what have TAL actually delivered? Well, they claim that the J8X faithfully emulates the sound of the original, whilst adding more modern features and functionality. TAL-J8X is specifically emulating a JX-8P running the rev2/3.1 OS, for the nerds amongst you.
They’ve added a modern filter mode that delivers self-oscillation and support for micro-tuning, but one of the most interesting additions is that of aftertouch and MPE support, which will excite many people who want to push the recreation beyond the original’s capabilities.
They’ve also added individual tuning for every voice which basically turns the original DCOs into VCOs! Naturally, it comes with some decent EQ and FX built-in, presumably drawing from TAL’s own FX plugin algorithms and there’s also a multi-mode arpeggiator and chord modes.
It comes with over 600 presets, including all the original factory banks, but better still, it can read SysEx files and MIDI from the original hardware, as well as the JX-10 (which was essentially 2x JX-8P’s in a box) and the MKS-70. And if you own the original hardware, TAL-J8X can control it via the plug-in MIDI output, so long as your DAW supports it.
More Information
TAL-J8X has 20% off as an introductory offer until April 30th, 2026, meaning you can grab it for just £52 from the TAL Software website. It’s available as a VST/VST3/AU/AAX/CLAP plugin for Mac, Windows and Linux and there’s also a demo version available for you to try before you buy.
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