The Roland JV-1080 is a Sample-based

Sample-based synthesis

Sample-based synthesis is a form of audio synthesis that can be contrasted to either subtractive synthesis or additive synthesis. The principal difference with sample-based synthesis is that the seed waveforms are sampled sounds or instruments instead of fundamental waveforms such as the saw waves...

 synthesizer/sound module in the form of a 2U rack design.
The JV-1080 features a 64-Voice Polyphony, as well as 16-part Multi-timbral capabilities. From the factory, the JV-1080 comes with hundreds of patches, and several rhythm kits (8 megabytes total). It can be expanded with up to 4 SR-JV80 expansion cards, as well as a PCM and Data card, to provide up to 42 megabytes.
The core sampled waveforms of the JV-1080 were developed by Roland R&D-LA in Culver City, California.

Many of the most well-known Factory presets and Xpansion board sounds of the JV-series were created by Eric Persing

Eric Persing

Eric Persing is a professional synthesist and producer in Los Angeles, California. He is best known as the Founder and Creative Director of the leading music software and virtual instrument company Spectrasonics...

 of Spectrasonics

Spectrasonics

Spectrasonics is a music software company based in California, United States. Founded in 1994, the company originally produced sample libraries and then became one of the first companies to create software instruments in 2002 Their flagship product is Omnisphere, an extensive software synthesizer...

 and Ace Yukawa.
The JV-1080 has been used on more recordings than any other module in history.