Though the JX-8P is relatively complex, it may appear otherwise for its lack of traditional synthesizer controls. It features two DCOs per voice, two software-generated (and relatively soft) ADSR envelopes, high- and low-pass filters, two types of (fixed-rate) chorus effect, three different sync modes, etc. Additionally, it offers two "polyphonic" play modes, two "unison", and two "solo" modes, one of which stacks all its oscillators into a single monophonic sound. Further, the synth's MIDI specification is surprisingly polished for an instrument of this vintage (unlike most earlier Roland synths, and even its direct successor, JX-10).