Roland MKS70

This is a rackmont version of the jx10 it is a dco analog synth know for its pads.
Popular users include Angelo Badalamenti.Think twin peaks intro strings.
Very smooth filters this is not an aggressive synth at all very roland sweet and smooth.
But the hard part is editing.I thinkyou really have to have th pg800 to go into editing on this synth which I had and still its not so easy.
If this was not the case and this synth was easily edited then I feel it would be a lot more fun to work with.

I do like what it does sound wise despite this.
In fact it really does excel at pads. Bouncy sharp aggresive sounds look elsewhere but for smooth deep pads this synth is cut of that cloth.

You can update the os to 1.08 and this makes it friendly with software editors.
In fact even 1.05 works with Unison I think.
But I like tactile synths and find more looking at screens tedious and uninspiring .
If you don't get bogged down by this stuff this is a really good find.


from vintage synth.com:

The MKS-70 is an identical rackmount version of the JX-10 synthesizer. Released in 1985 it combines two individual JX-8P synth engines for an outstanding warm and analog sound which is used in many modern studios all over the world. It comes with onboard effects like Chorus and Delay and offers a wider range of programming using the optional PG-800 Programmer. This programmer is highly recommended for those who will be programming unique sounds since editing from the rack-face itself is cumbersome and tedious. The MKS-70 has a "chase-play" function which allows programmable delayed repeats of voices from either of its tone modules. The chorus is either off, slow or fast.

The onboard chorus is a sweet addition and really gives the stereo feel to the pads.
Although it is more intuitive with a pg800 I still felt that the strange architecture of having some voices editable and some not a problem on some older synths is a real downer and I felt got in the way of quick edits sometimes" woops not that tone...."

However it is far more interesting then any softsynth and miles cheaper then an mks80 so it has something pretty appealing to offer especially if you consider what this thing would cost to make nowadays.

All in all its a classic unit and produces some beautiful instruments/sounds