AudioPilz and the JV-1010: A Love-Hate Relationship

Kicking off with a spot-on quip, Florian Pilz, alias AudioPilz, dives into a retrospectively unlucky episode of ‘Bad Gear,’ subjecting Roland’s JV-1010 to his incisive critique. The JV-1010 is not merely a synth but a clear marker in music tech, dividing opinion like anchovies on pizza. With its roots in 1999, this Roland gem captures the tail end of what many see as the golden era of Romplers. AudioPilz doesn’t hesitate to point out the JV-1010’s minimalist design—one that seems to prioritise compactness over usability, featuring a display smaller than the patience one needs to navigate it. It’s less a user interface and more an exercise in existential perseverance.

AudioPilz gives an exhaustive breakdown of the JV-1010’s offerings, proving once again why his ‘Bad Gear’ series can make even the driest synth discussion pop like an electrified balloon. This little beast borrows heavily from the JV-2080, incorporating its revered tones and adding a non-removable session card expansion, akin to finding a spare quid down the back of your Gran’s sofa. Yet, despite these throwbacks to an era where techno was king, it comes with a single expansion slot, a real tease for lovers of more than just a dab of digital nostalgia. As AudioPilz scrolls through the unit’s features, the general MIDI bank resonates with echoes of a boomer shooter soundtrack, bringing a tear to the eye of any 90s gaming aficionado.

Here, the JV-1010 flexes its muscles—or tries to—through a jamboree of presets that Florian cheekily dubs a ‘preset doom-scroll.’ The bold, brassy noises and nostalgic synthwave vibes showcase its potential. Yet, in AudioPilz’s exploration of this digital soundscape, the cheesier aspects inevitably bubble to the surface. It’s like trying to keep your punk handshake unsticky while holding a pint of lager, inevitably you’re going to spill a bit. Each preset is a nod to Roland’s once cutting-edge but now slightly stale offering. However, there’s no dismissing the unrefined charm in those classic Roland waves when the right settings are dialed in.