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JEN SX1000

28-Mar-2024

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JEN SX1000



Category:  Products / synthesisers / analog synthesisers

Added: 22-Dec-98  |  Author: admin

New price: discontinued  |   S/H price: £800 - £1200


JEN SX1000



An often overlooked Italian bargain bucket old classic from 1977 which is analog but with a difference and thus could lay claim to being the first DCO synth, except it's not really a DCO synth. The Jen SX doesn't have a lot of sound variety, but despite what people say it has a very nice filter. Check one out.



There are so many of these knocking about in the Uk, but I only ever came into contact with one once over at a mates house.. he had George's (Solar-Quest) brother staying at his yard for a while, and this guy had a wicked tune going, like an ambient trance-y thing... He was running the tune with a Casio RZ drum box, and a W30 sequencer I think..... anyways.... it's a basic monosynth...



I believe it has some sort of trigger input, cos he had this synth being tipped by an old simmons mixer-module thing that was converting midi... as i say, the sounds seemed limited to me, but it may have been faulty..... it had a nice attack... pretty fast , and sounded solid.... take a look at one if it comes around.... they do have a limited sound , but in a mix it sounded alright,... it's analog, and they are very cheap.... you might need a trigger converter to get the best out of it... but they are cheap...



So.... The JEN SX1000.... comments please.....








Product Videos


Jen sx1000 - analogue synth

playing with my jen sx1000, an analog monophonic synth...







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User Comments

Product:  JEN - SX1000
Name: chrisk
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity:
Date: 26-Aug-00

Wow! my first ever synth:) I remember these wherebeing sold in mail order catalogues when they first came out which might explain while theres so many of the ruddy things.
Interfacing is real basic, you get one 240V in for power and one jack out for audio and thats it!!
I heardtheres a trigger unit you can attach (I guess you have to solder it in as there is no built in expansion options.) though from what i understand its a specialist unit and not the traditional gate/CV standard.
Whats so cool about it is if you open it up its so simple and 'open', i reckon with a little electronics knowledge you can easily install jack inputs and use it as a modular along with other gear.
But at the end of the day its a pretty basic single oscillator synth andlimited, though it has loads of nobs and wooden end cheeks so its at least looks the biz:)

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Product:  JEN - SX1000
Name: CHRIS SLOAN
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 18-Mar-01

I am in the us and have been lookin for one of theese.If anyone has one for sale please email me. I would like one in working order more than one that just looks new. Any help maybe have seen one in a second hand store or something. Please let me know.
ps I am in America, they have been hard to locate here. But I hear there like everywhere over in the UK.

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Product:  JEN - SX1000
Name: novastatic
Email: Email supplied but hidden
www.novastatic.co.uk
Activity: part-timer
Date: 12-Apr-01

I had one of these until recently. I paid 40 pounds for it and sold it for 100 pounds. I didn't use it much on tracks but I did get some nice squealing theramin noises out of it. I have to say it's worth picking up if you can get it as cheap as I did. The l.f.o. on it is pretty good, not so keen on the filter

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Product:  JEN - SX1000
Name: acidhead
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 13-Apr-01

I found a few of these going in newspapers pretty cheap, but they where a good hrs drive away. Could someone please send me an MP3 file with some sounds recorded from this instrument on , so i can hear it before i treck off across the country to find one :).

thanks

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Product:  JEN - SX1000
Name: B
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 17-Oct-01

My first synth too. Ive had her 'bout 15 years and never sold her. I got the Kenton CV/ Gate interface done which got her up and running with a sequencer. Recently modded the old girl with an extra Sub Oscillator, twin speed LFO and an inverted filter modulation control. She now produces some wild analog/ FM style sounds.

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Product:  JEN - SX1000
Name: paul
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 17-Jun-02

I got mine secondhand for £80 in 1983!! I was only 16, it was my first proper synth and I loved it! Mainly used it for thick bass sounds, drones or strong lead sounds. Okay, so I really wanted a Juno 6 (but they were expensive way back then.) Used to play mine live along with a (don't laugh) Casio MT40 (from Argos)!! If you set the waveform dial slightly inbetween 2 settings you could get a pseudo chorus sound - but you had to be precise.

Eventually sold my Jen for £30 when I bought a Casio CZ1000 (which was also excellent). Buy one back if it was cheap - just to relive the old times!
For £80 it was unbeatable!

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Product:  JEN - SX1000
Name: Bcitral
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 25-Jun-02

Ive owned a SX1000 for about 15 years, it was my first synth. I had a CV and gate convertion done at Kenton many years ago which gives you the same control as the rolands. Its also been modded with super fast LFO (for ring mod sounds) a sub oscilator and extra inputs to filter (both audio and CV).

Its a cool little synth and has a sound of its own. If its cheap buy it but don't pay more than 80-90 quid.

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Product:  JEN - SX1000
Name: five letter
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 15-Apr-03

the jen sx1000 was made in italy in the late 70's, its monophonic with one DCO (better than the more common VCO's as it doesn't detune). the sound is frankly phat but no kind of midi, cv/gate control included though you can take one apart and tamper away with it.

i think luke vibbert (wagon christ) uses one.

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Product:  JEN - SX1000
Name: Dean
Email: Email supplied but hidden
n/a
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 31-Jul-03

My first ever synth (along with an MS10 and a CS01)! Good as a backing synth somewhere on a 32 track session. Capable of some Wacky sounds. Plastic caps fall off knobs, and keys tend to repeat. Very basic but useable if you don`t expect too much from it! DON`t spend too much dosh on one; aint worth it.

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Product:  JEN - SX1000
Name: Neil Johnson
Email: Email supplied but hidden
http://www.njohnson.co.uk
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 08-Aug-03

After restoring and upgrading my Jen SX1000
(see my website) it sounds really nice. Added
MIDI, wave multiplier, enhanced LFO, sub-
oscillator. Kicks the bass, and plays gently too
:-) I also replaced all of the knobs with silver-
capped ones, as although they are still made, I
think the coloured ones look a bit naff. After
adding MIDI I also added enough analogue
outputs to drive other analogue synths, as well
as adding external inputs to the VCF, and a
headphone amp for solo noodling.

One sweet little lady.

Oh, and only cost me ten quid as it was
broken, but spent, maybe, 80 quid on new
parts. So although I know what mine sounds
like, I have no idea what an original SX1000
sounds like!!

Cheers.

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Product:  JEN - SX1000
Name: k
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 08-Aug-03

nice site man!

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Product:  JEN - SX1000
Name: alieN
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 10-Aug-03

I have a jen sitting next to me right now. Nice synth, sort of moog clone type thing. My dad bought mine for about £60 (I was 13) in a secondhand shop that sold everything; if they knew what it was they might of been able sell it for more. We bought it to take apart and bypass the oscillator with a microphone input. I'm glad we didn't because the sound it has now is amazing, especially through a warm distortion. I've used for everything, guitar sounding stuff, TB sounds, dnb bass lines. I love it to bits, I haven't found a vst that recreates the noise (from the dirty contacts) when you turn the knobs.
Theres no midi without a retrofit, but that adds to the character of the synth. a

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Product:  JEN - SX1000
Name: isaac delongchamp
Email: Email supplied but hidden
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/nov99/articles/jen.htm
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 17-Aug-03

heres a good article on it. if someone's selling one, let me know

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Product:  JEN - SX1000
Name: MYKKL
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 11-Sep-03

Well, I picked it up at a car boot sale for £10. I never usually go to sales, but fate woke me up and and made me go with me old Mum!

Now, when I first got it I was all young and like "wow, real analog!" but being a nipper, didn't really no what to do with it...So it sat growing dust, now I'm all grown up (in body anyway) and I can talk about Hz and all that jazz.

Basically, this synth has a lovely sound. I make Drum and Bass mostly and all my bass starts from this machine. It has something there...around the 35-50 hz mark and below there's this deep (very smooth)rumble that remains solid over the octaves. Just sample that alone, and you WILL need to eq some bass off. That's what I forgot, you need to be sampling it, 'cause live it wont like being on the road, mine isn't earthed so we have a little arrangement, I wont move it, and it wont kill me simple. :)


Filters are a little gash, and mine smelt of fags, but I smoke now so we bond...fags I mean cigerettes ok?

I've written waaaaay to much. Haha!

In a nut shell, dont spend more than 80 quid on a SX-1000, don't lick jack plugs that are connected to it, DO sample some it's niiiice PWM waveforms, DON'T wack the Resonance up too high, 'cause it just sounds a bit weak really. DO, sit with the colour noise generators making wind noises. Do get a life and stop reading about pre-midi synhs. DON'T do chemical drugs.

Peace

MYKKL

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Product:  JEN - SX1000
Name: Inocybe
Email: Email supplied but hidden
http://users.pandora.be/inocybe
Activity: Professional
Date: 21-Feb-04

I have a Jen sx1000,verrrry happy about it,and I never sell her....HA!!
Check our site if you want to hear it among other analogue machines.
ps:I 'm still searching for some extra soundbank-cards.

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Product:  JEN - SX1000
Name: Neil Johnson
Email: Email supplied but hidden
http://www.njohnson.co.uk
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 02-Nov-05

If anyone wants MIDI fitting to their SX1000 then I can
offer this service. See my website for details. Includes
MIDI control of filter freq if you want.

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Product:  JEN - SX1000
Name: Jools Slater
Email: Email supplied but hidden
www.isound.com/we_are_the_projects
Activity: Professional
Date: 24-Mar-06

I wouldn't swap my Jen SX100! It's a terrific little workhorse. In many ways, it's
just a MiniMoog copy. The lovely warm analogue sounds are great. No midi,
mono jack out, made in Italy.
However, if anyone wants to ask specific questions, just mail me. Some of the
sounds are on our band website. www.isound.com/we_are_the_projects

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Product:  JEN - SX1000
Name: DAZ
Email: No email added
Activity: part-timer
Date: 31-Mar-06

HMPH! the Legendary Jen Sx1000!! I refuse to call it the "synthetone" as that makes it sound like a casio or summat..;)
This was the first "real" synth my old band (circa 79-85) used..but it was soon found to be the weakest link. its fine for bass lines (manually played of course)..just don't twiddle anything when you do find that killer sound..or have a camera ready.
amazing to think we did actually use this live several times..but as we were a live band,and this was before or during the advent of midi,it worked ok..I can only assume we either used the same sound on any track required or just used it the once or twice for white noise..the other gear in the KB rig at that time would have been the Roland RS-09,for strings and the Roland JX-3p,for the sequencer and strings sounds.. (yes.I know that had midi,but we never understood it or used it at the time)
This sorry synth ended up under my bed after I "borrowed" it from the keyboard player for my home demos..at the time,it had lost most of the coloured caps,and after a few months under the bed,it sadly lost a few knobs too,after several bouts of vigorous sex.!!
anyway..I tried too sell the SX to the local shop that sold weird and wonderful rubbish,but they just refused point blank..probably had a cupboard full of 'em!!
it ended up in the cupboard of my ex..may still be there for all I know..or in the tip..
it was fun at the time..and cheap..and the colour codes did give a clue to the ideas of synthesis but this was NOT a real synth in my eyes..try the free VST "Leno" i think its called..sounds JUST like am SX..only buy if its £20 or cheaper...pretty much worthless now,although Neal J has worked wonders with his..

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Product:  JEN - SX1000
Name: perry
Email: Email supplied but hidden
www.myspace.com/perrencecorriander
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 28-May-06

Neil added midi to my jen sx1000 and it opened up a new world for me with my
music. I have had a jen now for about 10 years and I would never get rid of it, it's
a great sounding monosynth and now I can get both hands on it's wicked.
Check out my first tune on myspace it's got a nice fat l.f.o. bass line on it from
me jen

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Last added comment

Product:  JEN - SX1000
Name: mark davidson
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 28-Sep-10

[quote] B wrote: My first synth too. Ive had her bout 15 years and never sold her. I got the Kenton CV/ Gate interface done which got her up and running with a sequencer. Recently modded the old girl with an extra Sub Oscillator, twin speed LFO and an inverted filter modulation control. She now produces some wild analog/ FM style sounds. [/quote]

I've just bought one of these pretty little things from ebay. Where did you get your upgrades done?

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