Roland PG-800 and JX 8P

[CJ1973]

I am looking for feedback on those who have used a PG-800 programmer either with their JX8P or Super JX. There is one on ebay and I am considering it but am unsure still. I have a Roland JX8P but can't guess how good a PG800 may be with it. Anyone?

[mamonu]

Originally Posted by CJ1973

I am looking for feedback on those who have used a PG-800 programmer either with their JX8P or Super JX. There is one on ebay and I am considering it but am unsure still. I have a Roland JX8P but can't guess how good a PG800 may be with it. Anyone?

well it really unlocks the jx8p programming wise.... i have an mks70 and without it i was taking more time to create anything the way i wanted.....

howerver if you want to get into the nitty-gritty world of sysex there are other solutions as well... i m using an encore knobby and was using that before getting the pg800,

[danielb]

Originally Posted by CJ1973

I am looking for feedback on those who have used a PG-800 programmer either with their JX8P or Super JX. There is one on ebay and I am considering it but am unsure still. I have a Roland JX8P but can't guess how good a PG800 may be with it. Anyone?

I use my Novation Nocturn to program my JX-8P. It makes a huge difference, effectively turning it into a knobby analogue synth.

There are also software programs that do the same.

D.

[esaias]

without the PG800, the JX8p feels like a preset machine, so yes, PG800 is very useful!

-Tomi

[flat earth]

I was able to create quite a few sounds on my old JX8P without the programmer, although it was quite a labourious task. I never bothered with A PG-800 purely as I wasn't prepared to shell out for the ridiculousley high price people were asking. I came quite close to purchasing a Peavey PC1600x midi controller at one point, but they themselves had become quite rare and desirable too.

Tbh, programming a JX8P is no harder than programming a Poly 800.

[Jarkko]

Originally Posted by flat earth

Tbh, programming a JX8P is no harder than programming a Poly 800.

Yeah, JX-8P is actually quite simple synth. Of course PG-800 would kick ass, but I can live without it. I have PG-800 control maps for Edirol PCR but I still usually program my JX-8P using the front panel. I know most of the parameters by heart, so it's actually pretty fast.

[raffor]

That always worked for me, for the alpha Juno, the JX-8P, the PPG 2.V, and soon the DSS-1. Just buy a dedicated one for less than $150 and you are set.

[inthere]

The Jx8p has always seemed pretty simple to program to me, I had the PG-800 and never used it; I preferred always seeing the value of each parameter on the LED so I could do similar sounds on other synths. Also when the keyboard got lost or stolen I could recall my personal sounds from memory.

I always thought programmers were great for live performances, but as far as making your own personal sounds, I think it's better that you know exactly how you got what you got

[atsushi_hoshiai]

Alternatively get a Mackie C4 pro, which is now available for less than 400 Euros... I use it for my JX-8P (though I got a PG800 as well), Alpha Juno, and Waldorf Pulse. Currently I'm implementing the Mopho-interface.
The C4 is absolutely perfect as a programmer for hardware synths..

[Jarkko]

Originally Posted by raffor

That always worked for me, for the alpha Juno, the JX-8P, the PPG 2.V, and soon the DSS-1. Just buy a dedicated one for less than $150 and you are set.

Awesome! I might get one of these for my D-550... Quick check from manual says it supports "4 virtual groups" of encoders, which sort of fits to D-50/550 partials.

[3Crystals]

Hi,Buy this, by samplezinthebox May be all that you need..Has JX Editor.Looks like the PG-800 and Sound diver which can be used for many synths.I use this and the PG-800 with an MKS-70.Worked with my now sold JX-P8 also.Another program/editor on E Pay by [Sound Loads] sucks and cost more.JD

ROLAND SUPER JX-10 JX8P MKS 70 2,500 SYSEX PATCHES BANK - eBay (item 360203479260 end time Nov-07-09 22:42:21 PST)

[CJ1973]

Hi.. What is that thing called? sorry bout my ignorance?
Does it work as well as the PG?

Originally Posted by raffor

That always worked for me, for the alpha Juno, the JX-8P, the PPG 2.V, and soon the DSS-1. Just buy a dedicated one for less than $150 and you are set.

[CfNorENa]

Originally Posted by inthere

The Jx8p has always seemed pretty simple to program to me, I had the PG-800 and never used it; I preferred always seeing the value of each parameter on the LED so I could do similar sounds on other synths

Don't know how this works on the JX8P, but on my JX-10, I can certainly see the values of the parameters that I change with my PG-800 (though you do have to hit "edit" on the keyboard first).

I owned my JX-10 for about a month before I acquired the PG-800. For me it was like night and day. I know it's a cliche, but it's true: it really opened up the synth for me, making it FUN to program. They're expensive, but worth it, I think.

[CentralBPM]

That's True! Any programmer get's you where you want on the fly! Invest the money - and ease you work and enhance creativity!

Mihai

[raffor]

Originally Posted by CJ1973

Hi.. What is that thing called? sorry bout my ignorance?
Does it work as well as the PG?

It is the Behringer BCR-2000. Works fine for me and the good thing is that you get the optical feedback with these LED rings. You need to program this thing though to respond to sysex.

[clusterchord]

JX8P certainly can be programmed form the front panel... ive done it with JX10 for years... but getting a PG800 makes it so much faster, intuitive and enjoyable..

nowadays, i'm using PG800 with MKS70. whole series has a beautiful sound. probably my all time favorite DCO machines.



so, if the price is right, i'd just get it

[jbuonacc]

Originally Posted by Jarkko

Awesome! I might get one of these for my D-550... Quick check from manual says it supports "4 virtual groups" of encoders, which sort of fits to D-50/550 partials.

just to clarify - the "four virtual groups of encoders (per patch)" refers to just the top eight encoders (which also function as push-buttons as well).

[Jarkko]

Originally Posted by jbuonacc

just to clarify - the "four virtual groups of encoders (per patch)" refers to just the top eight encoders (which also function as push-buttons as well).

Okay, thanks. Those groups could be then used for the three LFOs associated with the D-50 tones... Sorry for the OT, but I'm getting a bit excited about this .

BCR-2000 definitely looks very good alternative for PG-800, and even for PG-1000. It's simply ridiculous what people are asking for PG-1k.

[raffor]

Originally Posted by Jarkko

Okay, thanks. Those groups could be then used for the three LFOs associated with the D-50 tones... Sorry for the OT, but I'm getting a bit excited about this .

BCR-2000 definitely looks very good alternative for PG-800, and even for PG-1000. It's simply ridiculous what people are asking for PG-1k.

I actually did not like the PG1k because of the double function of almost all sliders. You not only have to be careful to tweak the right part but also the common parameters. I liked programming the D50 directly much better. But that is me.

[Rufuss Sewell]

I owned a JX-8P and PG-800 for many years. It's a great combo. I personally wouldn't bother without the PG-800. Besides making it easier to program, I personally like to tweak while I'm playing. I lightened my load last year and opted to keep my Juno-60 for the 80's Roland sound. But I found them fairly similar. The cross mod and velocity on the JX are missed for sure. But I really love the Juno. I think it came down to the plasticky feel of the JX that made me prefer the Juno.

[Man-Machine]

How do you map a midi controller to edit parameters on the JX-8P?

Can I use continuous controllers?

[Space Station]

Originally Posted by inthere

The Jx8p has always seemed pretty simple to program to me, I had the PG-800 and never used it; I preferred always seeing the value of each parameter on the LED so I could do similar sounds on other synths. Also when the keyboard got lost or stolen I could recall my personal sounds from memory.

Strange because thats exactly what the pg-800 does, displays the function and parameter value on the jx8p led whenever you move a slider or knob. Also its simple to store sounds elsewhere via midi with sysex.

[Xero]

i use my jx8p with this, i actually use the dos version in dosbox under linux:

Marc's JX-8P Ressource Centre - PC-JX8P Editor Software

works great, also comes with tons of new patches you can load and customize.

[bagger288]

I have an MKS-70 and use it with my PG-800. I think it makes a massive difference... before I had it, I was editing the synth but not having too much fun. After I got it, I got a more instinctive feeling for the synthesis engine.

here's a recording of a track I did, tweaking the pg-800 while sending the mks-70 a sequence:

http://bagger288.com/music/smokeAndLanterns.mp3

really opens up the synth

[grumphh]

Without the programmer some of the more interesting (to me) sounds in the various sync/x-mod modes are not really accessible, since that is an area where trial and error ususally work better for getting a specific sound than premeditation.

But using the trial and error method with those parameters by pressing their parameter numbers just is neither fun nor productive.

As everyone says - a PG800 really unlocks that synth.

And if you get another hardware programmer with limited knobbage, make sure that the oscillator section up to the mixer is included in the hardware control scheme.

[Jetty]

Originally Posted by raffor

That always worked for me, for the alpha Juno, the JX-8P, the PPG 2.V, and soon the DSS-1. Just buy a dedicated one for less than $150 and you are set.

When are you ready with the DSS-1 implementation?

[ichabodcrane]

I realize that this is an old thread, but it definitely pertains to an issue I'm currently facing.

I don't have the PG-800 and boy do I wish I owned one. I do have an Oxygen 8 M-Audio Keyboard. I don't use it ever and would like to see if I could somehow connect it to the JX8P as a programmer. Is that possible?

I can't use a laptop on stage for live performances...so, it has to be hardware.

[makasi]

can i use an axiom pro to control the jx8p?

i heard that it does not do sysex..... any one had luck??

or trying to use it via software so:

software>axiom pro>jx8p

[Teknobeam]

Originally Posted by CJ1973

I am looking for feedback on those who have used a PG-800 programmer either with their JX8P or Super JX. There is one on ebay and I am considering it but am unsure still. I have a Roland JX8P but can't guess how good a PG800 may be with it. Anyone?

Grab the PG800. It will open up a lot of dorrs to that synth. It's a great programming interface and you will begin to discover new sounds very quickly. The JX8P is really a huge synth when you get into it. The filter is sweet and it has a lot of mod routings etc. Use the chorus for only certain types of sounds, don't use it as a habit. The synth can sound very raw on it's own. Too many people (myself included) viewed it as a pad machine, which it can be very nicely, but it can be so much more than that also.

[CJ1973]

Originally Posted by Teknobeam

Grab the PG800. It will open up a lot of dorrs to that synth. It's a great programming interface and you will begin to discover new sounds very quickly. The JX8P is really a huge synth when you get into it. The filter is sweet and it has a lot of mod routings etc. Use the chorus for only certain types of sounds, don't use it as a habit. The synth can sound very raw on it's own. Too many people (myself included) viewed it as a pad machine, which it can be very nicely, but it can be so much more than that also.

Hi
Thanks. Yea the thread is from 2009... I bought a 8p, got the pg800, used it for about 2 years and sold it ) yeah. Thanks though. Great synth. Nice sounds.