Freeing up the Roland JX-3P - MIDI to JX-3P Protocol Converter from Xonik Devices

The Roland JX-3P does not support editing of its parameters over MIDI by default. If you look at the back of the JX-3P, you will see MIDI ports and a Programmer port. The Programmer port was meant for the optional PG-200 programmer. Until now you either needed a PG-200, Mode Machines DT-200 clone of the PG-200, or an upgrade from Kiwitechnics to edit the JX-3P externally.

Xonik Devices wrote in to let us know they have documented the Roland PG-200 protocol and created a MIDI translator/converter for it.  You can find the documentation here.  They have also created a hardware device, the MPG-200, that handles the translation. This means you will be able to control the internal parameters on a stock JX-3P with MIDI.

via A to Synth (Xonik Devices blog):

"Around three years ago, in april 2012, I decoded the PG-200 protocol. Using a Saleae logic probe I took a closer look at what happened while using the PG-200, and built a device that converts MIDI CC messages into PG-200 commands. This device, the MPG-200, also receives and transmits MIDI note messages, making it possible to completely control the JX-3P using MIDI.

To my knowledge, at the time I started the project only two other devices existed that could do this - the KiwiTechnics JX-3P upgrade and Patch Editor and the Organix Midi upgrade kit. These both require extensive modification of the JX-3P. Later, Mode machines made a PG-200 clone called the DT-200. I have yet to see the PG-200 protocol fully documented, but I may have missed something as I have not searched the web lately.

As a tiny gift to the synth community in honor of my daughter's birth, I now release all the information I have gathered. This document is based on the data found in the JX-3P/PG-200 service manual as well as a lot of work done by myself. Feel free to use it in any way you see fit, but I would be really happy if you acknowledged my contribution."