The Roland JX8P, JX10 and MKS70 are fantastic analogue instruments with a unique sound that is still very much in use today. After 30 years, many VFD displays in Roland instruments are starting to fail, either due to FIP transformer failure, segment connection corrosion or the heater filaments in the Vacuum Florescent Tube reaching end of life. When the heater reaches end of life, the filaments can suddenly break after an instrument has been transported and subjected to vibration or shock.
Display failures started with the JX10, losing a 12 voice analogue flagship synthesizer is considered a tragedy by many so this project was started to keep instruments working and delivering their potential. We have since moved onto the JX8P using an OLED display and values are increasing as people realise it’s fabulous sound.
Picture below shows the fabulous JX10 Replacement VFD module.
The end result not only replaces the existing display from a functional perspective, but improves usability when using a Frédéric Vecoven OS upgrade. The pictures on this page show the new enhanced arrangement.
For a good look at how the display functions check out this video…
Check out the new Anniversary Edition firmware containing a 14 segment starburst emulation to enhance the retro styling of the instrument: SuperJX Display Anniversary Edition
OLED Versions
Lower cost versions are available that still present the same enhanced data as the VFD when running Vecoven OS in the instrument. rather than use a graphic display it uses 40 character by 2 lines to show the data. See here for more information.
For the JX8P, only OLED is available and uses 26 x 2 characters to represent the data in enhanced mode when using Vecoven SuperJX Flash firmware.
MKS70 VFD Images by kind permission of Serge Pomorski
Copyright © 2022 Super Synth Projects, Guy Wilkinson
Super Synth Projects 
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