The Jen SX1000 Part 1

[Dazbo10]

This was actualy the very first Proper synth i owned,later on i found out that other synths could be connected etc via Cv but this Jen couldnt,.so i am ashamed to say i opened mine up and began swapping chips around to try to make it sound wackier . . . . i blew it up.

Shame.

[savaloynchips]

I recently found one of these, but i cant get a range of key notes only one note for all noises , is there something im not doing or is it nackered? please help someone

[SPFXsynthesisers]

I have made a version of the Jen for Kontakt 4 and it comes with a sequencer based on an analogue sequencer.

The Jen is a great synth and I have added lots of extra features to it.

See my channel.

Peace.

[bcitral]

Its not a DCO its a multi vibrator IC. Kenton did a DCO retro fit with cv and gate in. I had mine done years ago and a few mods too. It made it more interesting.

Don't think they do the boards anymore though.

[leewot]

That's it I'm off to the attic to haul out my Jen SX 1000 for the 1st time in over a decade- hope it still works- but yours looks different with black end pieces to my teak ends?

[thepauloapo]

it just seems boring. not just limited but limited to what every other synth and their cousin can do. pardon me if I'm missing the point.

[AutomaticGainsay]

@thepauloapo I don't think you're missing the point at all. To be honest, I found that of the things it does, it doesn't really do any of them in a manner that makes it a must-have.

[l170000]

Where can I buy this synth online?

[pinkyman5155]

The damn things always had crackly pots and sometimes would'nt work at all depending on what mood they were in. Paid £70 for it in the late 70s sold it on eBay last year for £250.

[SeraphimKnight]

I've been looking around for one of these and cannot find any for sale that's usable as-is; can I get a link to a place that sells one and ships to Canada? =/

[AutomaticGainsay]

@SeraphimKnight I bought this one on eBay!

[alkoolblue]

great video!

[AutomaticGainsay]

@alkoolblue Thanks!

[OMGSpiderMonkey]

Yeah, the LFO sounds like a triangle waveform. Still sad that they only used one LFO...A great little synth though. :]

[CreepyT]

I hear white noise bleeding noise into every key pressed. Is that from the synth or the audio conversion/upload? The lack of mod (only one LFO? Seriously?!) is way too limiting. I like the simple layout and visual look of it though.

[AutomaticGainsay]

@CreepyT Yeah, when the envelope opens on this thing, it's noisy. You're hearing white noise, but it isn't THE white noise... it's just noise. Many vintage synths are like this... it just comes with the territory with a synth of this quality.

Yes, they were generous with noise control and envelopes, but very stingy with the LFO.

[inbetweenmovements]

very good demonstration, thanx!

[F0nkyNinja]

Can't you review some SIEL synthesizers? They're pretty basic, but I think they sound good. You can get some really, really awesome sounds if you're clever enough and trick the machine, like getting an lfo vibrato on the self-oscillating filter. (On the SIEL Cruise which I own.)

[LubricatedBeat]

8bit ftw! :D

Great demonstration mate. Thanks

[skinnypuppy1]

I love this synth, but it's not beter than my korg monopoly

[AutomaticGainsay]

@skinnypuppy1 Agreed!

[skinnypuppy1]

I love this synth I wish I could find one, but its not better than my korg monopoly

[MrAndromedean]

Woooo! White and Pink!

I'm impressed by that little addition.

[acousvnt]

I wasn't familiar with this synth, so I checked out some other YouTubers' Jen videos and it looks/sounds pretty nice. Was "Jen" the name of the company? Since it's apparently Italian, I assume you couldn't plug it in in the U.S. without a special converter?

[AutomaticGainsay]

@acousvnt "Jen" is the name of the company! Mine didn't require a converter, no...

[soundmanhaven1]

HI i knew a friend back nearly 30 years ago who had one link to a roland space eho really good sounds from this jen....even today its still going..

[JingleJoe]

The music at the start and end is great! :D

Another great demonstration of a great synth but unfortunately this is one heck of a boring looking synthesizer XD

[AutomaticGainsay]

@JingleJoe But what about the pretty knob colors?? The knob colorsssss!!! Ha ha, thanks!

[JingleJoe]

@AutomaticGainsay The pretty knob colours are pretty but they do not help when you have clone knobs! :P

[AutomaticGainsay]

@JingleJoe Are you saying I have clone knobs? I don't think these are clone knobs, but I suspect that they are very faded.

[JingleJoe]

@AutomaticGainsay oh haha XD I didn't know clone parts existed, I didn't mean to say they weren't the originals but they are all so similar and so evenly arranged they look like the same one was copied and pasted accross the whole synth :P

[AutomaticGainsay]

@JingleJoe  Ohhh, I see! Yes, definitely. The MonoPoly also has that problem.

[JingleJoe]

@AutomaticGainsay I'm prepared to overlook the look of the monopoly because it does have a flashy light or two ;) and a brilliant sound with tons of things you can do! I think the demo of it you did is the one I go back to most :)

[VincentsVideoVisions]

right around 5:15 you had a tone going that reminded me of an Underworld song... id like to hear it with a pattern sequenced :)

[v1o]

You don't sound too impressed with it. But It actually seems like its pretty cool to me. Nice analogue sound. They also go quite cheap on eBay.

[VincentsVideoVisions]

@v1o I guess that depends upon your definition of "cheap" :)

[AutomaticGainsay]

@v1o I think it is a synth which is well worth the price it is currently going for, and even with it's wacky DCO, it still sounds very analog. I would encourage people to purchase one if they have the chance and the price is right! All of that being said, it wasn't my favourite analog synth, no. : )

[ajantred]

Cool :) You make excellent videos that make the functionality of many synthesizers very easy to understand.

[magikroom]

Again...another quality breakdown of Synths of yesteryear! Love your vids mate!

[AutomaticGainsay]

@magikroom Thank you, and thanks for watching!  : )

[GNeuman]

Oh, the sweet memories of youth! My first "proper" synth (first synth was a Casio VLTone).

Thanks for posting, warms the cockles of my heart!

[alecjahn]

Oh, it's so good to get proper explainations and high-quality sounds from synths when I'm not lucky enough to lay my hands on them; you do a great thing, here.

Excellent little intro! Can you estimate how many parts there'll be?

[AutomaticGainsay]

@alecjahn Thank you! I don't have to estimate... there are two parts! The second will be coming along soon. Thanks for watching!

[alecjahn]

Oh, haha! Certainly isn't as much stuff to go over in comparison to the Realistic.

[alecjahn]

I suppose there certainly isn't as much stuff to go over as the Realistic!  Hah.