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Roland JX-3P, JX-8P, MKS-30, MKS-50 - MIDI Designer Q&A

Rating: PlatinumRoland JX-3P, JX-8P, MKS-30, MKS-50

+8 votes
Rating: Platinum
Platinum
asked Aug 4, 2012 in Community Shares by rainer (3,590 points)
edited Oct 3, 2016 by MIDI Designer Team (Dan)
Amazing! Thank you, Rainer, for your continued forward movement on these layouts. They're truly awesome and great gift to the World.
there is a problem, as it seems, with the alphajuno/mks50 , as half of the screen shows parameters for it, but the other half shows juno 106's, and if i click on the alpha juno on the right side i get additional alphajuno/mks50 parameters, but  changes the left side to juno 106 parameters.. :/
The solution for your problem is to enable 'One Big Page' and 'Banks Change Together'. Click on the 'More' button at the top, then 'Config'. Now go to tab 'Options', where you'll see these options - just enable them and then click on one of the Bank buttons to allow the banks to change together.
Have fun editing your synth!
well, it does not change a thing, you see, whats happening here is this, at the left side I get , in sequence : jx3p/mks30/jx3p2/jx8p/alphajuno/juno106 BUT in the right corner I have jx3p/mks30/jx3p2/jx8p/juno106/alphajuno, so half of the screen will always be for the other synth. I have no idea how to fix this..and the options you mentioned have been enabled from start.
well, i found the way, went to the option "design" and tried to drag the right alphajuno layer to the position of the juno106 and it worked, so simple..problem fixed! cheers
Great stuff. Shutting off One Big Page is part of it, and the other is that pages can be reordered in a variety of ways (including dragging the tabs in Design Mode). Thanks!
Actually you CAN change the title without it breaking links. This works http://mididesigner.com/qa/171/roland-jx-3p-jx-8p-mks-30-mks-50 as does this http://mididesigner.com/qa/171/controls-the-universe
Problem with Roland JX-P8 programming...

 

MIDI Target Manufacturer(s): Roland
I got the roland "template" pack for midi designer and want to program my Roland JX-P8 with it... sadly it doesnt work as expected...

I am on a MacOs System with a M1 Chip. Midi Designer itself runs without any hickups. But the JX-P8 only receives following things :

\-> Note Buttons C2 - G5

\-> Portamento Button

\-> Program Selector Slider (switches through the presets)

\-> MW (Modwheel)

\-> AT (Aftertouch)

\-> PB (Pitchbend)

But not a single parameter works that actually changes the patch...

The synth receives midi (from my daw and is working), and write protect is off... Is there anything i oversee / have to press i just dont see ? Is it to begin with possible even to directly program the synth via the software without changing anything at the synth itself (modification) ?

It would be super great if anybody has an idea what i could do.
Do you have direct knowledge of the Roland JX-8P and know how to set it up to work properly ? That would be of huge help :)

5 Answers

+1 vote
 
Best answer

Roland JX-3P, JX-8P, MKS-30, MKS-50 by rainer


MIDI Target Manufacturer(s): Roland
Summary: An historical first, Rainer's first layout controls many of the most important 80s synths by Roland: JX-3P with Organix mod, JX-3P with KiwiTechnics upgrade, MKS-30 with Johannes Hausensteiner mod, JX-8P, Juno 106, Roland Alpha Juno 1 & 2 + MKS-50, Roland MKS-70 A + B, and the Roland MKS-70 Patch. This layout inspired the entire Community to get to work. It's not just a classic: it's the first Platinum Layout ever, so it's not just a work of art. It's a trail-blazing work of art which inspired so many others. Thanks to Rainer for inventing this activity!

Enjoy!
Rating: Platinum

This is the latest version (2013-07) of my  Roland 80s synth layout, made for the iPad version of MIDI Designer, v1.5.3 or higher. It covers the following Roland synthesizers:

Bank 1 / 5

Bank 2 / 6

  • Roland MKS-70 A + B
  • Roland MKS-70 Patch

Make sure to enable the options "One Big Page" and "Banks Change Together" in the Config - Options screen.

  • The MKS-70 layout has turned out great! I've done my best to make all parameters as accessible and clear as possible - on both the "main parameters" pages and the "Patch" pages, the Upper (A) and Lower (B) sections are available at the same time, which is impossible with ANY other controller I know of. This makes it possible to use it as a 4-DCO polyphonic synth, with access to every parameter simultaneously. I hope it will give you new joy in using it :-) I actually didn't use the MKS-70 that much before, because it was just too daunting/unclear to edit, even when using the BCR2000 patch that I made for that controller.
  • A new addition is the Roland  Juno 106. I haven't tested this one though, 'cause I don't have a 106. It might even work with the MKS-7, but as I don't have one of those either, I can't test :-)

From MIDI Designer v1.5.4 and higher, you can use the new "Append Layout" functionality to append this layout to your 'favorite synths' set. This is a BIG layout though, which takes a while to load.

Please leave your comments and suggestions in this thread, I'd love to hear from you!

Change log

2013-07-20

  • Added Roland Juno 106. This synth has a rather crappy "several parameters in one Byte" implementation, making two big multi-knobs necessary to control several parameters at once. I
  • Removed separate MKS-50 page as it  uses the same Sysex as the Alpha Junos
  • Added "Named ticks" for options that could benefit from it
  • Added Program Change controls for most synths
  • Lots of other optimalizations

This is the latest version: Roland 80s Synths 2013-07

2012-11-09

  • Various bugs squashed
  • Colored controls in all editors
  • New MKS-70 A+B edit page
  • New MKS-70 Patch edit page with performance controls. The "Key Mode" and "Bender" controls are using both controls, they need to be used together because they are Binary - sure sucks but hey, that's how Roland implemented them...
  • The Alpha Juno and MKS-50 tabs have been moved to Bank 3+4.

If you would still want to use this layout, you can find it here: Roland 80s Synths 2013-01-20

2012-09-01

  • Arp Mode settings on JX-3P KiwiTechnics corrected

This older version can still be downloaded here: http://mididesigner.com/qa/?qa=blob&qa_blobid=775618293856563988

2013-01-20

  • Added MIDI Channel selectors to every editor, so you can select the MIDI channel *your* synth is on
  • Removed the VCF ENV 'sweepers' from the MKS-30 and JX-3P (Organix) layouts as they just didn't work out the way I wanted and I never used them anyways :-)
  • Controls that can be - or + are more clearly labelled and will show - and + values
  • Revamped the MKS-70 Patch page including the performance controls
  • Various bug fixes and refinements

PS: try to find all frog faces :-)

Downloads: 1712
Roland 80s Synths 2013-07
Downloads: 1714
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answered Nov 9, 2012 by rainer (3,590 points)
edited May 25, 2016 by MIDI Designer Team (Dan)
How did you get those extra icons in your layouts?
this is a really great Layout. I can play the Notes on my mks 50 Bender modwheel. But i like to  VCA, DCO, ENV ... but i cant control.
The MKS indicates Midi wen I conrol them... but nothing happens...
what am i doing wrong?
Note i only can use the older version: from 2012-08-31
The "extra icons" come from the "Emoji" keyboard that is present on every iOS device - just add the Emoji keyboard under the General settings.
What is the reason you can only use the older version?
I don't have an MKS-50 myself, so haven't tested it - I just created the layout using the SysEx codes/values from the manuals. It sends the SysEx data on MIDI channel 1 only; is your MKS-50 set to that channel? I have a newer version almost ready, that uses a global MIDI setting to select the channel it should send on, but I still need to upload it :-)
Yes it is on Channel 1
The newer version dident work on my i-pad 2 it only showed 2knobs in all Layouts... the older worked....
Well, I'm finally collecting the layouts (marketing day) and I get a chance to really look at this. I'm absolutely floored and impressed. This is GREAT. Wow.
Okay…this is a bit of a kludge, but it WORKED on my MKS-70 and my JX-8P using Mac OS X 10.8 and Logic:

The trick is to add a Live Routing in the Audio-MIDI Setup Network session that will pass the controller data DIRECTLY to the machine.

In Audio-MIDI Setup, I set a network session for each MIDI port on the interface that I have a device connected to:

e.g.
- JX is hooked up to MIDI Port 1 Channel 16,
- MKS is hooked up to Port 2, Channel 8.
So I have Two Network sessions set up (called "JX" and "MKS"), each with a Live Routing from that particular network session to that device's MIDI port - Network session "JX" is routed to MIDI Port 1, and Network session "MKS" is routed to Port 2.

Connect iPad with both sessions (both within Audio-MIDI Setup and within MIDI Designer on the iPad), and you can switch between layouts and control alternate devices on the fly.
Now here's the problem: The MKS' MIDI implementation is shit — sending it too much SysEx will cause massively hanging notes (works fine on the JX). Is there any way to thin out the flood of SysEx, say, set a maximum so that the MKS won't hang?
Hi analogika, right now MIDI Designer doesn't provide a way to throttle connections. That's coming soon.
FWIW, I can confirm that the MKS-70 A/B works for the Roland Super JX-10 with Colin Fraser's ROM upgrade http://colinfraser.com/jx10/jx.htm, but only on  one "tone" at a time, and only with the "A" controls. That is to say - you can edit all of the parameters for upper/lower, but you need to switch upper/lower manually on the keyboard (one touch - it's not the end of the world), and you have to use the "A" controls for the MKS-70 in Midi Designer.  I haven't had any hangs from MIDI programming input yet.

For the few dollars that this solution (ROM upgrade was about $30 delivered) amounts to vs the PG-800 controller, it's well worth it to get the most out of the JX-10.
we're going to be adding the "by Rainer" back in shortly... we're working through all the hot layouts for inclusion in MIDI Designer Pro 2!
Just redid all the screenshots in Retina format. Also, this is a Platinum layout. Big congrats and thank you!
+1 vote

(This is an older version from 2012-08-31 - the latest version can be found by scrolling down)
I've created a comprehensive layout for MIDI Designer for the following Roland synthesizers from the 80s:

They are all in one Layout on different tabs, using the "one big page" option.
I haven't used specific MIDI channels for any of them - they all use channel 1 except for the JX-8P which is on channel 16. Use your sequencer to send the controls to the proper MIDI output and channel.

The JX-8P, Alpha Junos and MKS-50 use Sysex for programming. At the time of writing (v1.3.8) it's not possible to program the MIDI channel through a parameter, so if you want the layout to work with your synth which is on a different MIDI channel, you'll have to edit the Sysex manually. If you have questions about that, feel free to ask them!
I haven't gotten round to creating the MKS-70 layout yet. If I get a request for it, I might start on that too :-)

As you can see from the screen shots, I tried to cram in as many performance related controls as possible, so tweaking the most important (imho ofc!) parameters can be done with X-Y Controls and even sweeps. These sweeps have some timing issues/irregularities in v1.3.8, but they'll soon be cool and great.

PS: stuff that isn't (properly) implemented yet is indicated with !exclamation marks! surrounding it, like the "!Load Pattern!" on the KiwiTechnics JX-3P. I'll post updates if I make them.

Please leave your comments and suggestions in this thread!

Change log:
2012-09-01 00:28: Arp Mode settings on JX-3P KiwiTechnics corrected

http://mididesigner.com/qa/?qa=blob&qa_blobid=10186685232645409136


Roland JX-3P (Organix Expansion)


Roland MKS-30 (J. Hausensteiner Expansion)


Roland JX-3P (KiwiTechnics Upgrade)
 

Roland JX-8P
 

Roland Alpha Juno 1-2
 

Roland MKS-50

 

answered Aug 5, 2012 by rainer (3,590 points)
edited Nov 9, 2012 by rainer
May I hide this or is it still relevant? Thanks, I didn't realize how deep the updates go until today.
+1 vote
In response to the newly released v1.3.8 of MIDI Designer I've uploaded my updated layouts for the Roland JX-3P, 8P, MKS-30 and 50. I've put a lot of work into these, making them consistant and as performance-oriented as possible.

Enjoy!

Rainer
answered Aug 31, 2012 by rainer (3,590 points)
Thanks MJ! That's great to hear!
The latest version is about to be uploaded, hope you like that too.
Cheers,
Rainer
+1 vote
I have just uploaded the latest (2013-07) version with matching screenshots. This takes full advantage of the "Named ticks" for complex complex controls, and adds the Roland Juno 106.

Enjoy!

Rainer
answered Jul 20, 2013 by rainer (3,590 points)
0 votes
Hi. This works well with my Alpha Juno 1 . So thanks!

Could you help with my MKS-70? I only bought the synth yesterday so I may be missing something.... the firmware version is 1.04.... Is this why I can't get your amazing controller to talk to it?

Any solutions gratefully accepted!

Thanks,
Paul
answered Jun 18, 2014 by electronicaz (140 points)
edited Jun 18, 2014 by MIDI Designer Team (Dan)
Hi Paul,

Great that you like it! I think you will indeed need to update the firmware of your MKS-70; if I remember correctly it consists of three chips that need to be replaced, as they all need to be the same version. There are several places where you can buy them, amongst others here:
http://www.vintageplanet.nl/pages/roland2.html (based in The Netherlands)

Cheers,
Rainer
Got my chip in less than 48 hours from www.vintageplanet.nl as suggested! What a fantastic company. Thanks for the tip.
That's great to hear! I think you'll love editing it :-) Have fun!
Thanks Rainer. Quick question you may be able to hekp with though.... I have a funny thing happening..... I don't know if this is due to the new chip or maybe I could have knocked something on the PCB while doing the change, but at random times the patch select letters and numbers buttons on the front of the MKS70 seem to do random things. They don't take me to "A2" or B5" for instance but completely random patches.... If I turn the machine off and on again it seems OK for a few minutes then it starts doing it again? It's driving me mad! Can't think what could be causing this....
Hmm, that sounds odd indeed. Have you checked the seating of all pins of the ICs? It normally should not do that.
I hadn't thought about checking that! I'll have a look a bit later. Thanks for the suggestion.
Right problem solved... I had assumed I needed the midi OUT of the back of the MKS70 to go back into my mac so the info could travel in both directions to and from the ipad.... it would appear this was causing all the mad problems! I have only got midi going from the mac into the mks now and everything is behaving.... Very scary when it was all going mental! Must have been some kind of weird loop of data I'd caused or something.
Gratz on getting it to work :-) Enjoy!
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