User Manual

When the editor first opens, the browser asks for permission to access MIDI devices. Select Allow so the available MIDI ports can be detected.

The editor then attempts to find the JD-800 automatically. If it cannot confirm a connection, the MIDI Connection window opens and allows the ports to be selected manually.

JD-800 MIDI Output

Select the interface port connected to the JD-800’s MIDI IN. The editor uses this connection to send parameter changes, patch selections, data requests and patch writes to the synthesizer.

JD-800 MIDI Return

Select the interface port receiving data from the JD-800’s MIDI OUT. This connection allows the editor to read patch data, follow hardware edits, load patch names, verify Single Mode and confirm that the JD-800 is responding.

The Output and Return connections are both required for full editor operation.

Controller MIDI Input

Select an optional controller keyboard or other MIDI input device. Notes, controllers, Program Changes, Pitch Bend and Aftertouch received from this port are forwarded to the selected JD-800 MIDI Output.

This input is also used by the editor’s playable keyboard, note display and arpeggiator features. Select No keyboard input if an external controller is not required.

A single MIDI input port can be used for both Controller MIDI Input and JD-800 MIDI Return when they share the same physical connection.

Auto Find JD-800

Select AUTO FIND JD-800 to scan the available MIDI Output and Input ports. The editor sends read-only requests for the current Temporary Patch name and listens for a valid JD-800 response.

Auto Find also checks the JD-800’s Unit Number. When a match is found, the appropriate Output, Return and SysEx Device ID are selected. After a manual search, select APPLY to use the detected connection.

If no response is found, check that:

• The JD-800 is powered on.
• The interface’s MIDI OUT is connected to the JD-800’s MIDI IN.
• The JD-800’s MIDI OUT is connected to the interface’s MIDI IN.
• The correct interface ports are available to the browser.
• The JD-800 is in Single Mode.

Unit Number and Transmit Channel

JD-800 Unit Number sets the Roland SysEx Device ID used for communication. Auto Find normally detects this automatically.

Transmit Channel sets the MIDI channel used by notes and other channel messages generated by the editor. It does not change the Device ID used for SysEx.

Local Control

Local Control determines whether the JD-800’s keyboard controls its internal sound engine directly. Leave it on for normal standalone playing, or switch it off when using a MIDI routing setup that would otherwise trigger each note twice.

The selected ports are remembered by the browser and restored the next time the editor is opened, provided the same MIDI devices remain available.

Select Load Patch Names to read the names of the patches stored on the connected JD-800. The editor steps through the available programs and retrieves each name.

Once loaded, patches can be selected from either the main Patch Select area or the floating Quick Panel:

• Use the previous and next arrows to move through the patches one at a time.
• Click the current patch name to open a grid containing all the loaded patch names.
• Select a name from the grid to load that patch on the JD-800 and update the editor.

The editor automatically recognises the JD-800’s 108 internal waveforms and displays their names in the waveform selectors.

Each SO-JD80 waveform card was supplied with a matching PN-JD80 data card containing patches designed to use those waveforms. For automatic detection to work, both the waveform card and its matching data card must be inserted into the JD-800.

Because the JD-800 does not transmit the identity of an installed waveform card directly, the editor identifies it by checking for recognised patch names on the matching data card. Detection is performed when you select the CARD bank, choose a CARD waveform or use Load Patch Names. It also requires an active MIDI Return connection from the JD-800.

If only the waveform card is inserted, or if the matching data-card patches have been renamed or overwritten, the editor may be unable to identify the card automatically. The waveforms will then be displayed using generic numbers.

In this situation, use CARD OVERRIDE to select the installed waveform card manually, or continue using the generic waveform list. Waveform selection remains fully functional either way.

Because the editor contains a large number of controls, the Easy Links in the floating Quick Panel provide a faster way to move between its main sections. Select a link to jump directly to the area you want to edit.

Each Easy Link also has a keyboard shortcut, indicated by the underlined letter in its label. Select the ? beside the Easy Links heading to view the complete list of available shortcuts.

Auto-jump to hardware edits keeps the editor focused on the part of the JD-800 that you are currently adjusting.

When the editor detects a parameter change made from the JD-800’s front panel, it automatically scrolls to the corresponding section. Supported destinations include:

• LFO 1 and LFO 2
• Waveform
• Pitch
• TVF and TVF Envelope
• TVA
• Key Range
• Patch Common
• Effects

Tone parameter changes are normally detected from the SysEx messages transmitted directly by the JD-800. Effects and Patch Common changes require Poll hardware Effects + Common to be enabled because the JD-800 does not reliably transmit these edits from its front panel.

The separate Auto-select Effect tab option opens the appropriate Distortion, Phaser, Spectrum, Enhancer, Delay, Chorus or Reverb tab when a hardware edit is detected. This can be used alongside Auto-jump, or independently if you want the correct tab selected without moving the page. Enabling Auto-select Effect tab also enables Effects and Common polling.

Auto-jump ignores bulk data received during patch loading and patch-name scanning so that routine synchronisation does not unexpectedly move the editor. It is also temporarily suppressed during startup while the initial MIDI connection and patch data settle.

Layer and Active Tone changes update the Tone Select controls directly but do not move the page away from the section you are editing.

Auto-jump can be enabled or disabled at any time from Editor Settings.

INIT PATCH loads an editor-defined basic patch into the JD-800’s Temporary Patch memory. It provides a neutral starting point for creating a sound from scratch, without having to reset each parameter individually.

The initialized data includes:

• Patch name and Common settings
• Effects settings
• Tone A, B, C and D parameters

Selecting INIT PATCH updates both the JD-800 and the editor. The patch is marked as edited, and the controls and graphs are refreshed to show the initialized values.

INIT PATCH does not overwrite the currently stored Internal patch. The initialized sound remains in Temporary memory until you select another patch or turn off the JD-800. To keep it, choose a destination and use WRITE PATCH.

The complete initialization is treated as a single editing action, so it can be reversed using UNDO while the current editing session remains active.

For safety, INIT PATCH is available only after the editor has verified that the JD-800 is operating in the required Single Mode. An active JD-800 MIDI Output connection is also required.

Selecting a patch loads it into the JD-800's Temporary Patch memory and synchronises the editor. Moving an editor control sends the new value to Temporary memory immediately, so the result can be heard without a separate Apply command.

The EDITED indicator shows that the Temporary Patch differs from the version originally loaded. These changes are not automatically stored in Internal memory. Use WRITE PATCH to preserve the sound, or save it as a single-patch SysEx file.

Avoid changing patches until important edits have been written or saved. Loading another patch replaces the current Temporary Patch.

As on the JD-800 itself, Tone Select has two separate functions:

• Tone On/Off determines which Tones are heard as part of the patch.
• Tone Active determines which Tone or Tones are selected for editing.

Tone On/Off

Use the ON/OFF button on each Tone to include or remove it from the audible patch.

Keyboard shortcuts:

• 5 — Tone A
• 6 — Tone B
• 7 — Tone C
• 8 — Tone D

Tone Active

Click a Tone button to make it the active editing Tone. Its values are loaded into the controls, and its colour is used for the main graphs.

• Single-click selects that Tone by itself.
• Double-click, Shift-click or long-press adds or removes a Tone from the multi-edit selection.
• When multiple Tones are active, parameter changes are sent to every selected Tone.

Keyboard shortcuts:

• 1 — Tone A
• 2 — Tone B
• 3 — Tone C
• 4 — Tone D

Solo audition

Solo temporarily isolates a Tone so it can be heard without the other Layers. When Solo ends, the original Layer settings are restored.

• Right-click a Tone button to start or end Solo.
• Alt/Option-click a Tone button to start or end Solo.
• Press Esc to end Solo and restore the original Layers.

A Palette icon appears beneath each Tone parameter. Click it to open an All Tones view, where the parameter can be viewed and adjusted independently for Tones A, B, C and D.

Palette edits are applied directly to the chosen Tone, regardless of which Tones are currently active for editing. This makes it easy to compare or fine-tune the same parameter across all four Tones without repeatedly changing the Tone selection.

The Pitch, TVF and TVA envelope graphs provide a visual way to understand and edit how each JD-800 Tone develops over time. The graph and the envelope faders remain synchronised: moving a graph point updates the corresponding faders, while moving a fader redraws the graph.

Editing graph points

Drag a graph point to edit its envelope stage:

• Horizontal movement changes the associated T value.
• Vertical movement changes the associated level.
• Changes are sent to the connected JD-800 as the point moves.
• The corresponding fader and numeric value are updated automatically.

The graph provides a generous invisible grab area around each point, making closely grouped points easier to select. If several points occupy almost the same position, repeated selections cycle through them.

Tone selection and comparison

Each Tone—A, B, C and D—has its own envelope. The currently selected Tone is shown as the main envelope using its assigned colour.

When envelope data for the other Tones is available, their coloured comparison curves are displayed behind the main envelope. These curves allow the four Tone envelopes to be compared without changing their settings.

To select an inactive Tone directly from the graph, click its coloured comparison curve. A wider invisible target surrounds each thin curve, making it easier to select. The chosen Tone becomes the active editing target, its curve becomes the main envelope, and its graph points and envelope controls are loaded into the editor.

Selecting an inactive comparison curve returns the editor to single-Tone editing. It does not add the Tone to an existing multi-edit selection.

Tones can also be selected from the Tone buttons in the Quick Panel:

• Click a Tone button to select that Tone by itself.
• Shift-click, double-click or long-press a Tone button to add it to or remove it from a multi-edit selection.
• When several Tones are selected, changes made with the graph or envelope faders are sent to every selected Tone.
• The toolbar and Tone buttons indicate which Tones are currently selected.

The primary Tone in a multi-edit selection supplies the values displayed by the controls and the main envelope curve.

Tone edit selection is separate from whether a Tone is sounding as part of the patch. Selecting a Tone chooses it for editing and synchronises the JD-800’s front-panel ACTIVE Tone selection. The Tone’s Layer control determines whether that Tone is included in the audible patch.

VELO and TIME VELO

Positive and negative VELO settings reverse the relationship between playing strength and envelope response:

• Positive VELO values make harder notes produce a stronger envelope response.
• Negative VELO values make harder notes produce a weaker or reversed response.

TIME VELO affects T1 only, matching the JD-800’s documented behaviour:

• Positive TIME VELO makes T1 faster when a note is played harder.
• Negative TIME VELO makes T1 slower when a note is played harder.
• T2, T3 and T4 are not changed by TIME VELO.

Note Velocity preview

Each graph includes an optional Note Velocity preview:

1. Turn the preview ON.
2. Move the Note Velocity control between 1 and 127.
3. Compare the white preview line with the programmed envelope.

The preview reads the current VELO, TIME VELO and envelope settings. It is visual only: moving the Note Velocity control does not modify the patch or send MIDI data to the JD-800.

The preview accurately represents the documented direction of VELO and TIME VELO and applies TIME VELO to T1 only. However, Roland does not document the JD-800’s exact internal scaling curve, so the amount of graphical change is an approximation rather than a sample-accurate simulation of the hardware.

The Filter Response graph provides a visual representation of the selected Tone’s TVF settings. It shows the current filter mode—HPF, BPF or LPF—together with its cutoff frequency and resonance.

Use the graph to edit the filter directly:

• Drag the coloured point horizontally to change Cutoff.
• Drag it vertically to change Resonance.
• Use the mouse wheel over the point for fine Cutoff adjustments.
• Click elsewhere on the graph to cycle through HPF, BPF and LPF modes.

Optional curves show how ENV DEPTH and maximum A-TOUCH can move the filter response. The responses of the other Tones can also be displayed for comparison. Click an inactive Tone’s coloured curve to make it the active editing Tone.

The graph updates whenever the related TVF controls are changed. It is a visual approximation of the filter response rather than an exact frequency-analysis measurement of the JD-800 hardware.

Key Range determines the section of the keyboard over which each Tone can sound. Tones A, B, C and D have independent LOW and HIGH note settings, allowing you to create keyboard splits, layered regions or combinations of both.

Each Tone’s range is shown as a coloured bar:

• Drag either end handle to change the LOW or HIGH note.
• Drag the centre of the bar to move the complete range while preserving its width.
• Use the LOW and HIGH menus to select exact notes.
• Use the mouse wheel over a menu or end handle to move it one semitone at a time.

Changes are sent to the connected JD-800 as they are made, and the menus and graphic remain synchronised.

The keyboard beneath the ranges can be played with the mouse to audition different notes. Notes received from an external MIDI keyboard are also highlighted, making it easy to see which Tone ranges cover the notes being played.

A Tone must also be switched on as a Layer before it can be heard. Key Range determines where the Tone can sound, while Tone On/Off determines whether it forms part of the patch.

The JD-800 processes its effects in two consecutive groups: Sequence A followed by Sequence B.

• Sequence A contains Distortion, Phaser, Spectrum and Enhancer.
• Sequence B contains Chorus, Delay and Reverb.

The effect tiles show the order in which the audio passes through each processor, from left to right. Drag a tile to a new position within its sequence to change the processing order. For example, placing Distortion before Phaser can produce a different result from placing Phaser before Distortion.

Click an effect tile to switch that stage ON or OFF:

• An active tile is shown at full brightness.
• A bypassed tile appears faded.
• Switching a stage off bypasses that effect without removing it from the sequence.

The switches correspond to positions within the sequence. If you reorder the effects, check the switches afterwards to confirm that the required stages remain active.

The DRY/EFFECT B control sets the balance between the untreated signal and the output from Sequence B. Move it towards DRY for more of the unaffected sound, or towards EFF for a stronger contribution from the Sequence B effects.

Changes to the sequences, switches and balance are sent to the connected JD-800 immediately and are stored as part of the patch when you use WRITE PATCH.

Effect Master Switches

The Chorus, Delay and Reverb Master Switches in the Tune/Function section operate independently of the patch’s Sequence B switches. A Sequence B stage must be enabled in the patch and its corresponding Master Switch must also be on for that effect to be heard.

The Master Switches are useful for disabling Chorus, Delay or Reverb globally without changing the effect routing stored in individual patches.

Changes made in the editor are sent to the JD-800 immediately. The corresponding controls, values and graphs update at the same time.

When a patch is selected, the editor also reads its Effects and Patch Common data. This includes settings such as:

• Effect parameters, sequences and switches
• Key Range
• Patch Level
• Bender and Aftertouch settings
• Portamento
• Layer and Active Tone states
• Equalizer settings
• MIDI transmit settings

However, the JD-800 does not reliably transmit Effects or Patch Common changes made from its front panel. Without additional checking, a hardware adjustment may therefore change the sound without being reflected in the editor.

Poll hardware Effects + Common

Enable Poll hardware Effects + Common in Editor Settings if you want the editor to follow these front-panel changes.

While enabled, the editor alternates between reading the Effects and Common blocks approximately every 550 milliseconds. Each individual block is therefore checked roughly once every 1.1 seconds. The controls are refreshed only when a change is detected.

Polling is deliberately conservative to avoid unnecessary MIDI traffic. It pauses:

• While the browser tab is hidden
• During a patch-name scan
• While you are adjusting an Effects or Common control in the editor
• Until the previous request has received a reply or timed out

Polling only reads data and does not alter the sound or write anything to patch memory. It requires both the JD-800 MIDI Output and MIDI Return connections.

Compare lets you audition the original patch alongside your current edited version.

When a patch is loaded, the editor captures its original settings. After making changes, select COMPARE to send the original version back to the JD-800’s Temporary Patch memory. The button changes to RETURN TO EDIT; select it again to restore your edited version.

Compare includes the complete patch—its Common settings, effects and all four Tones—so you hear the difference on the JD-800 itself rather than through a visual preview.

Your edits are retained while you listen to the original, and neither version is written permanently to Internal memory.

Compare requires an active JD-800 MIDI Output connection. If the original patch data is still being received, the status will show COMPARE WAITING FOR PATCH SYNC; allow the patch to finish loading before trying again.

UNDO reverses the most recent change made during the current editing session. REDO reapplies the last change that was undone.

Changes are applied to both the editor controls and the JD-800’s Temporary Patch, allowing you to hear the result immediately. A complete fader or envelope-point movement is treated as a single action, rather than creating a separate Undo step for every value passed during the movement.

The editor retains up to 40 recent actions. The buttons become available whenever there is a change that can be undone or redone.

Keyboard shortcuts:

• Ctrl/Cmd + Z — Undo
• Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Z — Redo
• Ctrl/Cmd + Y — Redo

Making a new change after using Undo clears the available Redo history. The history is also reset when another patch is loaded.

Undo and Redo affect Temporary Patch memory only. They do not alter a patch stored in Internal memory unless you subsequently use WRITE PATCH.

Resetting a Control

• Double-click a fader, slider value or compatible parameter readout to restore the value captured when the current patch was loaded.
• Shift-double-click to move the control to a sensible neutral or centre value instead.

A reset is recorded as an editing action and can be reversed with UNDO.

The keyboard at the bottom of the editor can audition the current JD-800 sound. It sends notes through the selected JD-800 MIDI Output using the Transmit Channel. The keyboard can be expanded or collapsed, and Sustain can be applied from its toolbar.

The arpeggiator works with notes played on the on-screen keyboard or received from the selected Controller MIDI Input. Its settings include rate, gate, direction, octave range, hold and swing. Turn the arpeggiator off before changing MIDI ports or when it is no longer required so held notes are released cleanly.

The Incoming MIDI Monitor shows messages received by the editor and is useful when diagnosing connection or controller problems. It can display notes, Control Changes, Program Changes, Pitch Bend, Aftertouch, SysEx and status messages.

Use SHOW to filter the display by message type, or select Clear Log to remove the current entries. If hardware edits do not appear, confirm the JD-800 MIDI Return port and set MIDI > TX Edit Data > ON on the synthesizer.

Editor Settings controls the optional behaviours used during startup, hardware synchronisation and graph editing:

• Default to INTERNAL I-11 on startup selects I-11 when the MIDI Output becomes available. Turn it off to leave the JD-800 on its current patch.
• Auto-jump to hardware edits scrolls to the section associated with a detected front-panel edit.
• Auto-select Effect tab opens the matching effect page when an Effect edit is detected. Enabling it also enables Effects and Common polling.
• Poll hardware Effects + Common periodically reads those blocks so front-panel changes can be detected.
• Interactive effect graphs allows graph dragging, clicking and mouse-wheel parameter editing. The sliders continue to update the graphs when it is off.
• Graph tooltips shows temporary parameter values while an effect graph is being edited.
• Effect graph animation enables moving displays such as the Phaser sweep. Turn it off for a static response display.

Settings are stored in the current browser and can be changed at any time.

No MIDI ports are listed

Confirm that the browser supports Web MIDI with SysEx, MIDI permission has not been blocked, and the USB MIDI interface is connected. Reload the editor after reconnecting the interface if necessary.

The JD-800 is not found

Check both MIDI cables and their direction, confirm that the JD-800 is powered on and in SINGLE mode, then run AUTO FIND JD-800 again. If Auto Find still fails, select the Output and Return ports manually and confirm the Unit Number.

The editor changes the JD-800 but does not receive data

The MIDI Output is working but the Return path is not. Select the input connected to the JD-800 MIDI OUT as JD-800 MIDI Return and check the return cable.

Front-panel Tone edits do not update the editor

On the JD-800, set MIDI > TX Edit Data > ON. Move a physical Tone slider or switch and use the TX EDIT DATA status or Incoming MIDI Monitor to confirm reception.

Effects or Common controls do not follow the hardware

Enable Poll hardware Effects + Common in Editor Settings. These front-panel changes are not reliably transmitted by the JD-800 and must be detected by periodic reads.

A patch or bank cannot be written

Confirm that both JD-800 MIDI Output and MIDI Return are selected, Single Mode has been verified and Memory Protect is disabled. Check the editor status and the JD-800 display for an error message.

My Library is empty

My Library belongs to the current browser's local site storage. A different browser, computer or browser profile has a separate collection, and clearing site data can remove it. Restore sounds from exported SysEx backups.

Active Tone

A Tone selected as an editing target. Active selection is separate from whether the Tone is audible.

Common settings

Patch-wide settings shared by the four Tones, including level, Key Range, bender, portamento, equalizer and MIDI transmit settings.

Internal Patch

A patch stored permanently in one of the JD-800's 64 Internal memory locations.

Layer

The on or off state that determines whether a Tone is included in the audible patch.

SysEx

System Exclusive MIDI data used to exchange JD-800 parameters, patches and banks.

Temporary Patch

The working copy currently being played and edited. It is replaced when another patch is selected and is not preserved until written or saved.

Tone

One of the four synthesis layers, A to D, that can be combined to create a JD-800 patch.