To me it sounds like they have given us the JV1080/2080/XP waveforms plus added the equivalent of a new session expansion board and some of the old JD waveforms. Couldn't Roland just be kind and give older JV users access to these extra waveforms in new expansion boards.

It seems strange to me why Roland haven't simply completely overhauled the older waveforms. I thought that Roland had a saying of 'WE DESIGN THE FUTURE!'.

No I'm not rubbishing a product I haven't even played yet (and believe you me, I'll sell my JV1080's and replace them with one of the XV series if they are good enough) but I hope we won't be hearing more of the same (non eraseable) factory patches that have been around since 1993/1994!!!!!

The new waves have nothing to do with older XP/JV except the names and philosophy. XV series has new synth-engine using not only new software algorithms and FX routes but also new A/D converters, DSP units, and true stereo multisamples at a tone level.
So even old (named) patches are more crisp, better sampled and with excellent S/N ratio.
Don't be fooled by old names. The XV sound is the best (not only in my opinion).
I have a K2600 with its excellent piano, a new Yamaha S80 + PLG cards and Korg Triton. After listening XV88, i ordered one and i'm going to sell my old grand.

I have orded a XV 5080 and VM 3100pro.Xv 5080 is great synthesizer with sampler playback and R-bus, and it can sample akai s 1000 programs and roland s700 patchs+performance.

32 parts.
128 voice polyphony
64 MB wavememory.
1083 waveforms :
424 new ones include everything form grand to analog synthesizer.
448 jv waveforms.
112 jd 990 waveforms.
100 drum samples.
4 sr jv 80.
4 srx.
128 MB ram.
1152 preset patches/128 user.
18 drum kits/4 user.
64 performance/64 user.
Effects :
11 reverbs(srv 3030).
1 chorus.
over 70 multi effects (cosm/RSS...).
one master EQ per out.
and more...

I also have Waldorf Q,supernova and yamaha cs6x.

Inray-
Very nice setup man!
But remember, no electronic instrument will ever replace the beautiful natural naunces you can get from your 'old, real and 'acoustic' grand piano.

Please give me your personal differences in sound quality between the XV88, S80 and Triton. Cheers.

In Japan, XV-5080 ships in the next week, XV-88 in May (XV-3080 has shipped in the last month).

Korgasm...
I agree with you, there is nothing better than a wood old black piano in the middle of a living room
But my wife has different opinion as our new home is a small one and in my small studio room the space is limited.

Triton is excellent (as you know) for everything but classic sounds. Its pianos, even with the extra PCM card i own, are useless. When i sold some old gear i bought the Yamaha S80 as a master kbd to drive my rack modules. I found that it has some of the best pads,EP,vintage and ,using PLG boards, excellent analog voices and grand pianos. It has very good Rhodes and 60s,70s organs. Though it has a two line LCD its editing is very easy. It is not Triton on insertion FX routing but has its own quality and sound signature. I like it a lot.
I think that Yamaha didn'd realize that they built their best synth. It's not THE workstation but has the sound,build quality,keyboard feel,synth engine,polyphony etc. i ever wished for.
As you understand from my setup, i prefer keyboard synths instead of racks. This happens because many times i use just a single one of them for studio recording. So i want to have my favorite sounds and kbd feel with me. As i was in market search for a good 72 or 88 keys synth i saw a Roland XV-88 prerelease demo and i played a little with it. It really has THE sounds and THE keyboard (if you like weighted action).
The sounds are JD990,XV/JV and many new ones. The overall sound quality is better than those synths as XV series synth engine has new AD converters and true stereo samples for most of the tones. The FXs are brilliant and the number of them enough for most of realtime playing or studio recording.
The only thing i didn't try is the piano PCM board but hearing a CD sample i found that Kurzweill has now a competitor.
XV has nothing to do with prior Roland keyboards. It has better sound, clean output, better FX, and a keyboard that in my opinion has better feel than Roland's Axx master kbds.
I'm sure that soon Roland will introduce workstations (aka SEQ,large LCD etc) based on XVxxxx.

So if you need to know: Triton - S80 or XVxx the answer is simple for my and my needs:

Triton for dance parts and atmospheric pad tracks.

S80 for EP,analog (with plg150/AN board),vintage organ tracks.

Roland XV for pianos,drums and classical tracks.

... and K2600 for sampling anything else

That's only my personal opinion and just for my needs and setup.

PS: I write and play soundtracks, R&B and slow rock.

Inray-
Thanks for the excellent/fantastic info you provided (unbiased also). I have an organ and piano background and I suppose that sound is a very personal thing but I don't mind the Triton Piano PCM board. However, I hate playing these sounds from an unweighted keyboard (piano sound that is) although I haven't really got any choice at the moment!

Does the new XV series have all the factory patches of the JV2080 and JD990 or 'the best of' patches plus a whole heap of new ones?

What is the basic difference between the K2600 and K2500 besides the fact that the 2600 comes with the KDFX option installed?

I do alot of backing tracks for singers as well as whatever else comes along from rock to 'Slovenian' folk music.

My midi gear consists of-
Korg Triton with Piano, SCSI and MOSS boards.
Korg Z1 with 18 voice expansion.
Korg T3EX.
Korg DW8000 (this should have become a classic!).
Korg TR Rack.
2 Roland JV1080's (but I wont to sell one to get either a good priced JV2080 or save a bit and get the XV3080- should I just bite the bullet and get the XV instead of a bargain priced JV2080 now that their price will most probably drop?).
Roland MDC1 Dance expansion module.
Korg Wavestation SR.
Korg Wavestation AD. (I love these 2 beasts!).
Yamaha O3D Digital Mixer.

I hope to check out the XV3080 ASAP as I don't think I'll need all the extra features of the 5080 (plus 'cost' also comes into it!).

Thanks once again- Korgasm.

Korgasm...

You have excellent setup.
I had 2 JV2080 too with many boards but i sold'em (except PCM boards) and i ordered XV88 and one XV5080 because they are 100% compatible.

Roland XV synths have ALL XP/JV (2080) waveforms so they're really 100% compatible with them. XV have also 112 waveforms from JD-990 (the best ones). These waveforms sound better on XV than XP/JV & JD because of then new fx routing and A/D (24 bit)converters. You can also use all JV PCM expansion and patches. (Up to 512 MBytes of sound ROM)

K2600 has KDFX installed plus better fx routing using updated algorithms. The sample option has new 20bit A/D with better s/n ratio. In K2600 Kurzweil redesigned the audio path and now the synth has new audio output circuit with new 8 balanced or unbalanced TRS outputs.
There is also a Digitech FX emulation mode that can be used with all programs and new filtering with 48 db filter resonance.
K2600 has also all new programs and setups, more memory and better (but still difficult) operating system.
Generally speaking 2600 is a refined K2500 with less bugs and more audio path power.

The XV 88/3080 and 5080 have all jv 2080 patches(640).
XV 3080/88 has 1024 preset patches and 16 drumkits.
XV 5080 has 1152 preset patches and 18 drum kits.

MY gear :

Waldorf Q : the best analog modelig synth now with wavetables(256 waves).
Supernova 44 voice.
Yamaha CS 6x with plg 150 AN & DX.
And later i want to get a ARP 2600.

Nice analog setup Morten...
By the way Waldorf Q is excellent with the exception of some minor software bugs.

PS: Today Roland distributor in my country told me that my (preordered) XV-5080 will be in me hands after ten days and XV-88 after April 25.