questions about PCM and jv expansion boards

[FatSynthCat]

Hi! first time poster here.

I have a JV880 rack that has been in storage for a while, along with a digital piano and a Juno-106 Synth, but now I have the space to set up a recording studio.

#1 my rackmount does not have a jv expansion board - are they even available anymore, is one even worth getting?

I do have two PCM slot cards - one has song data, the other has drums and percussion on it.

#2 Are there other sounds I could access if I set up a midi connection from my computer to the kybds, instead of hunting around for PCM cards or a jv expansion board and buying sounds?

I don't really want to spend money on a new kybd. I'd rather invest in some virtual recording software, but I want to take advantage of what I do have?

I also have a Boss BR 864, so I'm good on the digital recording end of things

Any suggestions on how I can take advantage of the equipment I do have?

Here is a list of the stuff I have:

jv-880
juno-106
EP-7 digital piano
qx21 digital sequencer
Dedicated computer running windows with a 40 GB HD
M-Audio Audio buddy
Boss BR-864 digital recorder

[Z]

The SR-JV80 expansion boards are no longer made, but are available in the used market for $50 - $200 each depending on the popularity of each board. Ebay is a good place to look.

Other than the expansion boards and PCM cards, there is no other way to get raw waveform data into the synth. You can download new patches using the existing ROM data.

[crystalmsc]

is one even worth getting?

Those SR-JV80 are some of the sweetest synth candies to get, I got: World, Vintage, B & D, Session and Special fx which are still great and usable even up to now.

[braincandy]

I'd recommend the Vintage Expansion. Not because I think that the sounds which come with it are close to being exact replicas of vintage synths, but because it gives you a lot of material to work with. It won't replace your 106 or a D-50 or anything, but it's still the best of the expansions I've used. The Session and Orchestral I expansions were decent, but since I only have 1 slot available in the JD-990 (from what I've found on the JV-880, you only have 1 slot as well), I chose the Vintage board.

[urgetoplay]

Paolo, a mod over at KSS has a page devoted to the JV expansion cards. Worth a viewing.