I'm trying to decide between these two rompler racks to play Roland's SRX cards on, but I want the highest quality/highest fidelty audio possible from them.

I know the Roland XV-5080 plays audio in both 32Khz and 44.1Khz, and the Roland XV-5050 plays all audio in 44.1Khz.

Now this question may seem redundant, considering I know the 5050 100% plays ALL audio in 44.1Khz.. but, it also only has 64 polyphony.. Luckily I only want to use World instruments and Studio SRX, which most likely, won't have anything in it that will make me reach max polyphony and drop notes. I'm keeping any SRX cards that can do that, in my Fantom X6 that has 128 polyphony. So, if the 5080 100% (without a single doubt from anyone) plays all of the SRX cards at 44.1Khz, then well.. considering the 5080 has 128 polyphony, I'd probably go with that one, just to future proof myself.

At this point, for me personally and for my personal needs, it's quality over polyphony. If the SRX card quality will be better in the 5050 but the polyphony will be just 64, well.. so be it. I'm fine with that to be honest, as I need my instruments to sound as real/hi fidelity as possible.

I tried Googling this, and it seems not a single person had asked this yet online. So here I am. Hopefully this helps someone in the future too!


Thanks in advance everyone!!


Edit: As everyone can see, this post got derailed by a few clowns who live in their parents basement, who for the record, I think are also absolutely laughably wrong and tone deaf, so I'm going to stop replying back on this post, as I have a life. In the end, I chose a Fantom XR incase anyone is curious, as I officialy found out that the outputs of the 5050 are too loud due to compression, and I can just upload most of the XV patches into it using the instructions on the Roland site, which is really cool actually! Best of both worlds! :D Plus, 6 SRX slots!

Oh and, for anyone who is curious as to who is right or wrong about older hardware that supports SRX being more saturated and warm in sound vs newer gear, listen for yourselves, and ignore the circus's peanut gallery in the comments. You decide.

Integra 7 playing SRX 04 Symphonic Strings Demo: https://youtu.be/nOFAolm9UhQ?si=jFdVAfrQX7-jwMJG

Roland Juno G playing SRX 04 Symphonic Strings Demo: https://youtu.be/15bFxQiU4UM?si=igX4aax3AJxHk7ll

Now, for reference of which sounds better in general, let's compare both, to one of the most famous scores in the world. The Lord of the Rings movie: https://youtu.be/_SBQvd6vY9s?si=Q2BZk2u2ZDBfaNAA

I say? The Juno G, easily. Gorgeous, lush, warmer, mix ready, and has more life and soul compared to the beautiful, yet sterile, and soul-less sound of the Integra 7. Why? Because of lack of hardware saturation, and it being 100% digital. Any real engineer knows that.

Sorry about these clowns in the comments btw future readers of this thread, all of which who are now blocked too, so I can't see any of their replies anymore. Haha I hope this post can still be useful to anyone in the future! There's so little SRX info out there, hope this helps!

It won't really matter, the samples on the cards are what they are. Playing them back on different synths will be exactly the same

Thanks, but that sounds confusing to me.. The DAC of every rack rompler can only go up to a certain amount of Khz, so the SRX card couldn't possibly bypass the DAC and export audio of a higher quality than the DAC itself, right? or am I somehow wrong in thinking that?

Unless.. every SRX card is in 32Khz? THEN that would totally make sense, since (if I'm correct, I'm just assuming) everything that can play SRX cards are at max 32Khz, so the cards would play equal quality everywhere if that was the case. Which is my only guess.. Are any SRX cards 44.1Khz? If so, how would that work on bypassing the DAC of something like a Roland XV-3080, that maxes out completely at 32Khz quality?

Thanks again for your help!

Also, I just read briefly in a post from 2003, saying that the SRX 06 board was sampled at 44.1 kHz, do you know if that is true for all of them? I assume the XV-5080 would play them at 44.1 kHz then? What if an SRX card was on an XV-3080 whos DAC only goes up to 32 Khz, what would happen then? Would the SRX card bypass the DAC somehow and still export the SRX audio at 44.1 kHz? It seems highly unlikely, but I could be wrong.

I could only read a tiny bit of that 2003 post, as it was a post from Roland Clan, and Roland Clan seems to be down for what feels like a year already, so I couldn't click on the article to read the rest.

Use forum search or Google search for site:gearspace.com

We've discussed this topic plenty enough on this forum

The SRX cards have mixed content of 32k samples which were lifted from the older SR-JV80 cards made for the JV and JD lines and newer samples at 44.1khz made for the newer SRX models

Some of the cards are all brand new sample content while others are all older sample content

There is a lot of conflicting information about the sample rate outputs of the various XV models. IMHO it's a waste of time and effort to worry about any of it

I used to have all of the XV series rack mount synths in a rack at the same time and can tell you from first hand experience that if i was playing a preset from the XV3080 off an SRX Card it sounded exactly the same as if it was played on my XV5080

At the end of the day you are not buying an XV series synth for hyper realism, the samples are small and even at higher bit rates are still compressed with Roland's companding scheme. If you want hyper realism buy Kontact and some higher end sample libraries for it

All of the end of the day, every XV models has different features than the others with things like Polyphony, effects, screen size, number of SRX/SR-JV80 cards, and number of analog and digital outputs

If you can swing it I would get a 5080 as that will give you the best of everything, including 128 voices of Polyphony

In reality however in 2023/2024 if you really want a Roland Rackmount Rompler and are planning on buying SRX cards, I would most certainly not do it. I would get a Roland Integra 7 which comes with all the SRX content and a whole lot more, and will cost less in the end

There's a fundamental difference between what the DAC runs at and what the samples were recorded at. Don't forget it is a sampler, so it is effectively converting the sample rate of the source waves to come out at the right pitch for the DAC, with the goal of messing up the sound too much. You can get content up to 20kHz by transposing a 32kHz sample upwards.

There are many factors to consider in the Rolands besides the DAC. Different models have different reconstruction filters and they even changed what compression schemes (none to a lot) are used to store the waves, from the JD-800 onwards. The onboard synth processes are different on each machine even though to the user the parameters seem very similar. Mainly this is with the filters and the effects engine.

Apart from the Integra 7 which is the ultimate as @ Grasspikemusic already pointed out, 5080 and 5050 are pretty much as good as it gets for Roland ROMpler. But the way it sits in the mix compared to a JD-990 or JV-1080 or WHY will depend on all of the other factors, and is entirely subjective. There is no "better" because the presets are programmed on each machine by people with very good ears and musical ability, who can work around and with the **subtle** differences.

But if you want, our own @ Don Solaris has already gone down that rabbit hole for you. There are even some audio examples so you can hear for yourself.
https://www.donsolaris.com/?tag=xv5080

I did do a Google search then typed in "gearspace" in the end, which I actually always do for SRX questions, and nothing came up somehow for me.

Thanks, but I do not like the Integra 7, it sounds amazingly clear, but due to a lack of the saturation and EQ that the DAC on the older hardware gave it, it sounds soul-less to me. Same with the SRX VST. I've A/B'd comparisoned a nonstop, and the SRX cards coming from older hardware, just sound better, and mix ready. Uncompressed and unsaturated isn't always better, it's just a different flavor for a different musical need. For example, uncompressed and perfectly sterile audio like the SRX cards on the Integra 7, let's say SRX 06 orchestral strings, if you're scoring a movie amd you need to make a orchestra seem like its really playing in front of people, it is PERFECT for that. Clear, unsaturated, not mix ready, just in your face an unprocessed instrument like you would find in real life. Add some reverb to fit the room in the movie for realism, and you're done. Now, throw that into a mix? and you're doing some heavy editing to make it sound mix ready. On the other hand, if you toss an SRX 06 card coming from old hardware in to a song, well.. that's.. pretty much almost mix ready at that point, if not fully. The effects of the hardware, the EQ, the compression, the hardware processing in general, the saturation the DACs of the older hardware give to the sound, it all creates a final product that is mix ready. Same thing with a Fantom vs a Fantom 0, the Fantom 0 to me? Sounds better, and is one of the veryyy few keyboards today that just.. sounds almost perfectly mix ready for a song. Regardless of it's price, and regardless that it's not "the top of the line model", I know what I hear, and have lesrned to listen to my ears and not price or what's considered, modern and new, because rarely today does new and modern equal better. It just equals newer and more expensive... and the companies know most people lack this knowledge and hearing, so they keep making things that sound worse than things made 20 years ago, because people keep buying it. Like look at the Yamaha MODx8+, or the Montage 8, both sound like hilarious toys to me that have samples that sound like they belong in kids toys to me.. I remember seeing people ogling them in stores and online, and thinking to myself, "These people are tone deaf.. I can't believe the standards are this low today.." , then I would go back and listen to a Motif XS on youtube, and it's like, "Oh.. this.. this 20 something year old hardware and samples sound better than what's available today.. that's concerning." That's how I feel anyways. I'm sure everyone who spent thousands on the soul-less clean and pristine (yet amazing sounding) Integra, will feel bitter about what I said, but it's the cold truth. I definitely think the Integra has a place.. but only for movie scoring, and for masochists who love to EQ and edit nonstop for days to get an orchestral sound to sit good in their song mix. God bless those people with that kind of passion to mix for seemingly endless days because they bought a rompler that didn't have mix ready sounds due it having perfectly clean and sterile (yet amazing sounding) sounds that stand out on a mix like a sore thumb.. but I'm a song writer, and like to just get things done while sounding as great and mix ready as possible from the start, with the least amount of editing needed after, then call it done, and move onto the next song or score, and get my bills paid. Don't get me wrong, there ARE keybaords today that sound amazing and WAY better than anything from before. Look at the Korg Nautilus for example.. beautiful grand piano sounds that sound mix ready, and leagues better than anything from 20 years ago. But my point is, is that THOSE kind of mix ready keyboards and samples, are far too few today. I can count them on my hand.. and in world filled with endless companies making keyboards, that's a problem. I totally see why some people stick to sample plugin software. Unfortunately, that's just not for me, as plugins slow down my creative work flow, and did for years. With hardware romplers, I spin a wheel, and record, and done, and move onto the next aample instrument. No looking thru 500 plugins to find a violin sample, then waiting for it to load (or immediately crash) then chose a preset, then record. I mean this with no ego, but I'm autistic and mind works really fast creatively, and time and time again, I've found myself losing my next 3 ideas because I took 5 - 7 minutes looking for a saxophone plugin, or 3 - 5 minutes to find a synth plugin. Every second counts to me, and hardware rack romplers are just.. right there.. and sound amazing and I always have a pdf patch list if I need help finding a sound. Yea I will still use plugins, but after the main sounds are done being recorded if I feel I need something different or more hi fidelty.

Which brings me back to this post. All I really want to know is, do the SRX cards that have 44.1Khz samples in them, truly play at 44.1Khz when in a Roland XV 5080? If so, that's the one I'll chose. I wish I knew for a fact that the 5080 100% does play back 44.1 kHz samples in general.. then the choice would be easy. Same with sampling from a CD, I would love to know if when sampling from a CD on the 5080, does it play back sample cd that are in 44.1Khz in 44.1 kHz? or would it keep it locked in 32Khz?

I know you're going to say, "well I can't tell a difference between SRX cards between the 3080 and 5080 so it doesn't matter" but I can almost always tell when a sample is lower or higher quality when A/Bing. So considering I want a old rompler to use with SRX cards, I'm being as picky as possible, to attempt to squeeze out the highest possible version of the SRX cards on hardware. I will already have a Fantom X6 playing 4 of them, I will have 2 left, and yea I could get the Fantom XR,l with holds 6, but have you heard about how the screen fails, and the resistors (or something like that) inside that control the DAC have been failing lately in them that require welding? I don't want to have to start welding.. I want to make music. So I'm wearing of the hassle. So now, my seemingly only two options, are the 5050 and the 5080.

Wish someone could comment for sure on the DAC output quality of both, as that would help clear things up for once. I heard about the output quality of the 5080 being a mystery, which seems.. wierd that someone hasn't tested it officially after all these years to settle the matter for once. So, here's to hoping someone here does.

I really appreciate your help and advice btw! Sorry for the long rant on modern bs vintage SRX card hardware, but it needed to be said, because I've been researching SRX cards online for the past 5 years, have read endless articles and forums comments, and no one has said this. So there it is, my archived opinion, to piss people off for generations to come. Haha Even though its the hard truth. Hey, hopefully something better comes out in the future with SRX cards.. Have you heard the version of SRX cards that are in th Fantom series, but the better more mix ready sounding samples being on the Fantom 0, called EXZ? They are basically remade samples of old SRX cards, some ruined by sounding unnecessarily synthy, but some made to sound absolutely glorous and like a dream come true. Luckily, I will have a Fantom 08, and old romplers with SRX cards, together, having two different flavors of amazing sounding SRX cards, is invaluable. EXZ is how the SRX cards SHOULD hve sounded in an Integra 7. Modern, hi fidelity, remastered, yet saturated and full of life personality and soul. Hope there's more to come like that in the future with SRX. I am glad they exist how they do though in the Integra 7, because like I said, for clean film scoring? Invaluable. So they atleast serve a purpose being that sterile in the i7. Perhaps one day I'll buy an i7 for that purpose alone.. tempting.

Oh yea I definitely know all of this already, thanks for your help! Thanks for the link too, because after roughly browsing thru that very long article of specs looking for the number 5080, I noticed Don Solaris said in it, "There were some rumors on various forums that XV-5080 is 32kHz (thus being able to play only up to 16kHz). This however is simply not true. We will now take a look at a waveform spectra of a White Noise sample as played from JD-990 and XV-5080. What we can clearly see is that not only they are identical but they both go all the way up to 22kHz, which clearly indicates 44.1k playback." and "I should just state that the 44.1k referenced samples points to models XV-5080 and XV-5050. I can not guarantee that model 3080 contains 44.1k playback engine at all, neither the samples in that format – it has been reported the machine is 32k. I can however guarantee than in 5080/5050 waveforms from the JD-800 are in original 44.1k format."

So now, my question is, if the XV5080 DAC can output 44.1Khz, and it has some samples that are also in 44.1Khz, that should mean, that it 100% IS playing those 44.1 kHz samples/patches in 44.1 kHz and not just 32Khz, right? It may seem silly to ask that, but.. if apparently for YEARS people thought that the 5080 was only outputting audio in 32Khz and not 44.1Khz, then.. their must have been something going on, right? or was it like this mass dissonance where the 5080 somehow sounded like 32Khz to everyone for years for some reason? I find it so strange, that a confusion like that even existed to begin with. It feels like some weird bizzare conspiracy, rather than just a simple confusion.. Haha

Also, I looked on his site for those audio samples you mentioned, and didn't find anything.. could you link me to them?

Thanks again so much!

Please elaborate

Funny. Haha

To reply to the original post; I recently had a jv-880, xv-3080 and Xv-5080 in my studio at the same time. I was able to test the same expansion cards in all of them.

I’ll say that the 5080 is the one I kept and it wasn’t even close. It sounds absolutely glorious. I can’t get over how much I love the sound of that thing, and I have some pretty nice kit here to compare it against.

The jv-880 was warm for sure, but perhaps a bit murky sometimes? It’s also a bear to edit.

The xv-3080 had a harshness to it on some sounds. I could hear what seemed like a lot more aliasing on things like high hats and other sounds with lots of high freq content.


Sorry I can’t comment on the 5050 but if you are thinking 5080, it’s a real gem. HOWEVER, if it hasn’t been recapped it will more than likely need it. All the electrolytics should be replaced. They are all going bad on these.

Thanks so much for your info and help! Did you do the comparison using sr-jv80 cards, or SRX cards? I'm so glad the 5080 sounded best! As that is actually what I'm considering getting now. Especially since I REALLY want the Symphony of Voices CD to just have to knock out choir ideas in songs and experiment since most older hardware romplers seem to be alergic to having more than 3 clean choir patches in them. Haha Plus, it sounds so amazing, that IF I have "demo-itis", if I want, it can stay in the final product, and absolutely no one would be the wiser. Haha

The 5050 is cool, you should check it out. IF some mad scientist out there could mod it to be 128 voices instead of just 64, it would be an absolute powerhouse, because it has every patch of the 5080 in it, PLUS some of the fantom.. it sounds gorgeous too, because every single sound in it that was in the 5080 that was originally 32Khz, has now been upscaled to 44.1Khz, every single one. So everything sounds.. modern. It's cool. The only downside is, when taking a 32Khz sample and forcing it to be 44.1Khz, it can lose low end fatness, and sound, as others have put it, "thin". Still cool though. Plus 2 SRX card slots? Plus only a 1 rack unit? Very cool. But that's just me. I would literally pay someone to mod one to be 128 polyphony, as EQ can fix thinness, and it would be such a unique and rare collectors item, even now though, I still feel like it is, considering it's an upscales 5080. What's really stopping me is that polyphony.. what's the point of having a synth with 1000+ patches, if you're just going to run out of notes, you know?


Also that is life saving info! Thanks again! So it needs to be recapped, check. And it needs all of the electrolytics replaced? Was that maybe a typo? Because I've never heard of electrolytics before. I even Googled it, and nothing. Assuming it wasn't a typo, what is that exactly? Is that all that I need to look out for? Is there anything else? How does the screen hold up? I was going to get a Fantom XR.. because 6 SRX cards.. which is the exact amount I'll have.. but I heard the Fantom XR's are breaking down slowly inside from DAC capacitors (or something like that) to mainly the screens. Luckily, they sell new screens but.. idk.. I don't want gear that's going to give me anxiety everytime I turn it on. Just knowing this about the 5080 right now, is making me a biiiit ify. Is there a way for me to take the Symphony of Voices CD's and rip them to my PC, then stick them in my Fantom X6 in a User slot or PC card? If so, how? I'll probably ask this question on Gear Space next just to see if I can find any leads to perhaps avoid getting a 5080, and maybe sticking with a 5050 since its smaller, and I really like the woodwinds and orchestral sounds in it.

Electrolytic capacitors* These are what need to be replaced. Fwiw I tested with both SRX and Jv80 cards if I recall. The different machines just sound inherently different, with the 5080 being more bright/clear/open. Many of these machines from the late 90’s to early 00’s need to be recapped. Do a search here and you’ll find some info.

One issue with XV-5050 is that it sounds like it has sort of permanent compression on all the time. The output sounds quite loud and overwhelming that can be difficult to mix.

Thanks so much for your help! I only found one on eBay with a new battery, none with replaced electrolytic capacitors unfortunately. I'm so weary of buying one, and then buy the SCSI drive for it, just to have it die on me somehow and need repair.. The 5080 looks great though!

Of you don't mind, could you give this XV5050 demo a listen for me and tell me if it sounds just as good as the 5080, or perhaps better, or perhaps worse? Maybe it doesn't sound like a 5080? Would love to know what you think! For the most part, I listen to the orchestral section of the demo, as that's what I'll be probably mainly using it for, but definitely listen to the full demo to get a feel of it. Personally, I think the woodwinds sound awesome. The feel very Danny Elfman in an 80's/90's movie with their saturation. https://youtu.be/ZVmIC_SIKDo?si=NBhvWX0Hfy4lFOXs

I'm considering the 5050 at this point, since I can get all the 5080 sounds in 44.1 kHz and it has 2 SRX card slots which I need.

Hi! Thanks for the advice! Here listen to this XV5050 demo I found on Youtube, and tell me what you think of it? https://youtu.be/ZVmIC_SIKDo?si=NBhvWX0Hfy4lFOXs

I ask, because well.. to me the demo sounds good, but in other demos I think the highs are louder than the rest? but then in OTHER demos, the highs are fine and everything is a good volume? Which is.. very confusing to really know what it sounds like. As for outputs, I didn't notice any loudness, it just sounded good? Although! There was somebody going thru 5050 patches on youtube, and some where like almost twice as loud as the previous patch then back down in volume in the next patch, but very rarely, it wasn't a big deal as he just lowered the front panel volume and it was fine. Can you show me a Youtube video where the loudness is bad and the compression is too much? As for compression, can you turn off the internal compressor on it? If there is one? and as for volume, would lowering the front panel volume knob fix the volume problem when you want to record into a DAW with the L & R outputs plugged into an audio interface?

Have you owned the XV5050? or only seen videos?

Lastly, and my biggest question and concern here, is the the two SRX card slots. My main reason for buying this module. Does the XV5050's permanent compression and volume effect the two SRX card patches? I ask because I know the modules internal effects will effect the sound of the SRX cards.

Thanks again! I look forward to your reply!

op, you can choose between 44.1 and 48khz sr on the xv5080, this means that dacs and sound engine always run at either rate. if there's lower sample rate content, it will simply be upsampled.

get the OG XV5080 it is truly great.

If your goal is higher = better, then XV-5080 of course. Max clock rate 48kHz, vs XV-5050 44kHz max clock rate. If your goal is SOUND then it's relative, so no correct answer I guess. But just FYI I had them both, sold them, bought S-750 Turbo, U-220, JD-990, JD-800, D-70, and JV-80. And never looked back.

Thank Don! I actually really would prefer a 5080 to be completely honest.. plus I can use it to get even more samples from CD's, yes please! Unfortunately, I'm hearing things like the electrolytic capacitors go bad, and the pots go bad, all because they are old.. Which is really unfortunate and disheartening to spending $500 on a used one on eBay. What exactly should I look for when buying a used XV5080 on Ebay to make sure I 100% get one that will be built to last for years, without me having to open it up to wield something just 5 years in? I'm new to the 5080, so I'm not sure what is everything I should look for. All I found was one on eBay with a new battery, and I didn't even know it had a battery that could even go bad.. so now that's making the 5080 look even more like a ticking time bomb until something in it decides to randomly die on me.. Haha So, what exactly should I look for in a used 5080?

Also, do any SRX cards go up to 48kHz or 44kHz because if they only go up to 44kHz at max, maybe I would feel safer hardware wise sticking to the 5050, maybe?

Thanks in advance Don!

Prodigious strings or is there more to it?

Judging a YouTube demo of a synth to a synth sitting right in front of me is no comparison really. I’d say if you are prepared to recap get a 5080, 5050 isn’t really a safe bet from old age issues either. Try and get the 5080 for 3-400 and then budget for or a recap job. You might get lucky but it’s gamble. OR just save yourself a bunch of headaches and get an integra 7….

I kind of despise every sound in the Integra 7 other than the virtual SRX cards which sound beautiful, yet.. very very clean, and sterile, and soul-less. Don't get me wrong, that has a purpose in scoring imo, in a song though? I prefer the SRX cards that are in hardware as they have more hardware and DAC saturation and sound lush yet warm, and just fit right into a mix. Funny enough, I compared SRX 04 Symphonic Strings on the Integra 7 with the first Lord of the Rings movie, and it sounded.. close.. too clear.. too perfect.. no soul.. the I compared SRX 04 coming from a Juno keyboard to the first Lord of the Rings movie, and WOW.. like.. excellent.. literally identical. I found it so funny and cool, yet bizzare how a card can sound exactly like the one of the worlds most famous scores in a movie. The power of hardware saturation and warmth I say. Yea you could use llugins for that and an i7, sure.. but why the extra hassle, when it's done already for you? Just my opinion. I will say, it us REALLY nice to have all SRX cards in one unit.. that extra plugin saturation work sounds tempting when you think of it that way.. Haha

Also, I know it was sound leagues better in person, but I prefer to hear romplers over youtube actually, because in the end of the day, I'm going to record the audio from the rompler, plac it in a song.. then upload it to Youtube.. and that's how most people will probably hear the patches anyways. So I just feel like I'm skipping to how it would sound to the audience, not me, and to me that's what matters. If it was for my own private listening and song writing that would be different of course. I'd need to hear it in person at that rate.


Is recapping hard to do on your own? Because I'm just an OK wielder.. lol is recapping the biggest issue with the 5080? How often do its batteries go out? Any other problems I should look out for?

Thanks in advance! I appreciate your help and advice so much! Your advice will save me MONTHS of future headaches and a ton of money in repairs if I just know what exactly I have to look for when buying a 5080.

Also, does the 5050 have an known issues of failing btw?

The info for recapping can be found with some digging. There is a thread about it here but I’d encourage you to do your own due diligence:
XV-5080 "static noise" solution

Yeah, those "Lisa Stansfield" strings are unbeatable! Then there's the early rave piano, but nothing beats the U-220 Choir. Best one Roland ever made... unfortunately never to return again in any of the follow-up romplers. I suspect it must have some (too)famous origin, so there was probably some fear. As a bonus, it has an effects section that gives it incredible 3D sound, it will cut through any mix, again no other Roland can go here except maybe JD series, but they are borderline distorting and I sometimes dislike them, with U-220 there's no filter so no worries in that department. Frequency coverage: DC-daylight. Probably not, but incredible penetration capabilities nevertheless. Any chorus / reverb preset you take, it just instantly adds that something special. Again, never found this FX finger print on later romplers, very primitive but impressive sounding. At $50 it's a no brainer. Really.

Unfortunately I no longer like any of the XV series. I don't follow them. Sorry about that.

The resonance is lacking the high end sheen of the former JD series, the output has some sort of a permanent soft knee compressor and I really don't need that in 2023.

Could you tell me specifically what are the presets you mean here?

Sorry, first thing I do after I purchase a device I delete factory presets. I can confirm U-220 works well with Midiquest though (which is very fortunate considering some other synths, LOL). You will need Midiquest to edit it or find some alternative.

The choir is "that" type of the choir sound that you like.

It is very "mellotronish" and played thru that FX section - it comes out as excellent!

Thanks! Let's assume I find one already recapped, with a new battery. How many years do you think I can get out of it before those components break down again? Also, are the screens known to die on these? As I've been seeing a ton of replacement screens on ebay. They are in different colors though, like black and blue, so maybe it's just a color change option for 5080 users, and not being sold due to the screens breaking down?

Get an integra and (subtly) dirty it up with klanghelm sddr .

Also, does the XV 2020 have the same problem being difficult to mix? As it sounds way different than the 5050. Here's a demo of it: https://youtu.be/uw6uc_Q2KaE?si=bw9vjngpuCcFI4OH

I'd really appreciate your input! Thanks!

Wasn’t there an issue that the xv5080 ran way too hot ( power issues)

Thanks! But sorry, I'm not a fan of the Integra, I think it sounds sterile and lifeless, which may be perfect for film scoring at times.. but I'm primarily making more normal songs than scoring. I know there are a million saturation plugins out there that can be effective in giving the integra sounds some warmth and life, but I just dont feel like spending a stressful week mixing something that should just fit right into a mix first try, as the SRX cards within real hardware would do. I do appreciate you reaching out though! Thanks again!

No experience of XV-2020. I had XV-5050 shortly then sold away many years ago. Now have finally XV-5080 instead.