[ORDER] PG-800 Mini for Roland JX8P, JX10, & MKS-70 Synt

[NewEnglandAnalog]

I just built a PG-800 clone for Roland JX-8P, JX-10P, and MKS-70 synthesizers. It's available in a few different formats. I am offering bare PCBs & graphic overlays (with BOM), fully assembled & tested boards with graphic overlays, and a fully assembled unit in an external enclosure & DIN cable. The programmer fits into the chassis of the JX8P and JX-10P if you want to install it into the synth itself. (Drill template is included with kit) The parameter being controlled is shown on the screen of the synth when you move a knob. I have provisions on the PCB for MIDI in/out/thru, though there is currently no firmware support for those. If you're an adventurous DIY-er, you can play around with that. Firmware is based on the project http://www.poesboes.com/index.html?./po ... index.html and is being used with permission of the author. (firmware on Poesboes will not work on this unit. There are a bunch of modifications) Firmware is available from me for the cost of the Atmel and shipping, if anyone wants it.
I am taking orders for these now, and will be mailing out the first production run in about 4 weeks. I have 25 units available.

I have added some new features, which I find useful. The "manual" and "tone write" buttons on the PG-800 Mini can be configured to behave like a stock PG-800, or you can enable a set of enhanced button features. New features are as follows:

Tapping the TONE WRITE button will produce a scratch program, which functions as a useful starting point when creating a new sound. (Think Jump by Van Halen)

Holding down the TONE WRITE button will produce a random program, where all 44 pots are assigned random values. This can be a fast way of discovering interesting sounds.

Tapping the MANUAL button will set all 44 parameters to the corresponding functions on the PG800 Mini, just like the MANUAL button does on any typical polysynth.

Holding down the MANUAL button will copy the current state of the controllers on the PG-800 Mini, but won't send the values to the JX. If you hold MANUAL down again, then the copied state will be transmitted to the instrument. This is a handy way to transfer a tone to another patch, or just hang on to an idea. I use it frequently now.

Holding down the MANUAL and TONE WRITE buttons will disable the PG800 Mini until you press the MANUAL button again.

With two buttons, you can add a lot of additional functionality to the PG800.


The pricing scheme is as follows:
Bare PCB, schematic, programmed processor chip, graphic overlay, BOM, and drill template - $99. (Requires SMD soldering)
Assembled & tested board with drill template and graphic overlay $250
Fully assembled and tested external unit with 5' DIN cable - $350
If you're interested in getting one, please PM me. Thanks!



A giant photo gallery with lots of angles of the product can be viewed here.


A couple videos can be viewed here:

[Neil]

NewEnglandAnalog
This looks Great ! Doe's it also allow for the Vecoven and PWM mods ?
And could you please post a full view picture of the controls/overlay so we can see what it does ?
Thanks !

[localhero44]

Hi,
Very interested in this one. Could you give the dimensions and a better and closer look ?
Thanks

[NewEnglandAnalog]

NewEnglandAnalog
This looks Great ! Doe's it also allow for the Vecoven and PWM mods ?
And could you please post a full view picture of the controls/overlay so we can see what it does ?
Thanks !

Done. Please see the link to the Imgur gallery I added to my original post. It has about 25 pics. Yes, this will work if you have the Vecoven mods, but the controller itself is a clone of the original PG-800, so it doesn't have PW or PWM controls. It is basically an exact replica of the original PG-800 in a different package.

[NewEnglandAnalog]

Hi,
Very interested in this one. Could you give the dimensions and a better and closer look ?
Thanks

I added an IMGUR gallery to my post ( so you can see many angles of it. The unit is 7" x 4.4" x 1.5". The PCB will fit in the panel of an 8P or 10P. The cords are 5' long. Longer cords are available upon special request.
-Rob

[localhero44]

Thanks Rob.
How complex would it be to install this board and knobs into a JX10 ?
I have never drilled any hole for a synth and doesn't want to damage it.

[NewEnglandAnalog]

Thanks Rob.
How complex would it be to install this board and knobs into a JX10 ?
I have never drilled any hole for a synth and doesn't want to damage it.

The knobs are actually built right into the pots. If you want the internal version, it comes with a drill template. You tape that to the panel, and then use a starter punch or some other device (awl will work) to mark out the hole locations. I usually use a 3/16" bit to start all of the holes, as a small bit won't wander when you make the starter holes like a large bit will. I then drill out the holes with the 5/8" bit (for the 44 pots and the two switches) and then use an 1/8" bit for the 6 screws that hold the board to the panel. I always use a rasp to deburr the holes and remove any remaining bits of metal.
There are 5 wires that run from my PCB to the jack board of the JX. It takes me about 2 hours to install one of these and do a good job. Any tech should be able to do this with no issue. I am also happy to do it for you at my shop in Colorado. If you aren't comfortable doing it yourself and have no local tech that can do it, you can always just do the external unit that comes in its own enclosure.
On a scale of 1-10 on the DIY scale, I rate this at about a 3 or 4 in terms of difficulty.
-Rob

[shabax]

I'd probably be interested in a board kit (non-assembled) but don't have the dough at the moment. How long do you think you will keep these?

[NewEnglandAnalog]

I'd probably be interested in a board kit (non-assembled) but don't have the dough at the moment. How long do you think you will keep these?

I'm ordering a few extras when I place the bulk order for all of the parts I need. I'd imagine they'll last for at least a month or two.

[haudelukas]

nice! i am interested in the diy optipn with bare pcbs. but i have never done any smd soldering. is everything smd? how much will the components cost?

[NewEnglandAnalog]

nice! i am interested in the diy optipn with bare pcbs. but i have never done any smd soldering. is everything smd? how much will the components cost?

The pots are $45 + shipping from Thonk, and the rest is around $18 + shipping from Mouser. If you haven't done SMD soldering, you're definitely going to need the correct soldering tips and flux. This is a good how-to video (with some rad shredding guitar from the early 90s to boot) :

Just buy exactly what he says (Kester flux, SMD tip and tweezers). Make sure that you buy tweezers that come to a point, and are the type that squeeze shut by default. If you leave a leg of any of the multiplexers unsoldered, or it has a cold joint, it will make the unit change parameters at random. You want to make sure you do quality soldering if you're going this route.

In the end, you'd spend about $190 total for the pots, components, and my $99 kit, plus whatever you need for soldering supplies. (you save around $60 if you assemble the kits yourself) The soldering supplies will likely run about $75 + shipping from a place like Test Equipment Depot. So, if you aren't already set up to do SMD, you're going to end up spending around $270 total when all's said and done (assuming you have an iron that you can swap out tips with).

Shipping within the US for all of my kits is $6 for the $99 kits, and $10 for the other two kits using Priority 2-day USPS.

I hope this helps. Let me know if anything is unclear. -Rob

[speedmaster]

Would it be possible to have a kit with:

Bare PCB, schematic, programmed processor chip, BOM + case + din cable?

I mean i would like an external unit soldered and finished by myself :-)

[NewEnglandAnalog]

Would it be possible to have a kit with:

Bare PCB, schematic, programmed processor chip, BOM + case + din cable?

I mean i would like an external unit soldered and finished by myself :-)

Yeah, I can do that. So, the cables are normally all built by me. In this instance I would want to just send you a length of cable and the two DIN connectors. You could solder the cable. I would need $225 for this configuration. It would include BOM, schematic, uP, PCB, case, case hardware, length of cable, 2 din connectors, and the PVC graphic overlay. Basically you'd spend about $70 on parts (pots, muxes, caps, etc) and save around $60 doing it this way. Let me know if you want one.

[rhythmdial]

holy crap this is a totally amazing idea!
major props for this being able to get mounted inside the JX8P / JX10
that is incredible!
wish I still had my JX8P now for this

[Thonk Support]

very nice, mounting it inside is great

[haudelukas]

ok. thanks for your answer. i would like an assembled board kit. do i need a din connector if i mount it inside my jx-8p?

[NewEnglandAnalog]

ok. thanks for your answer. i would like an assembled board kit. do i need a din connector if i mount it inside my jx-8p?

Nope. You just need to connect 5 wires to the jack PCB on the Roland. Those are included with the kit. PM me with your email and shipping info, and I can invoice you via Paypal. -R

[GiliRose]

Yes, this will work if you have the Vecoven mods, but the controller itself is a clone of the original PG-800, so it doesn't have PW or PWM controls. It is basically an exact replica of the original PG-800 in a different package.

As the Fred Vecoven mod is literally setting the standard for anyone
seriously into working with JX-10, would it be possible to make your
controller address the PWM mods?

[NewEnglandAnalog]

Yes, this will work if you have the Vecoven mods, but the controller itself is a clone of the original PG-800, so it doesn't have PW or PWM controls. It is basically an exact replica of the original PG-800 in a different package.

As the Fred Vecoven mod is literally setting the standard for anyone
seriously into working with JX-10, would it be possible to make your
controller address the PWM mods?

I have the PWM mod on my Super JX, and believe me, I thought of this. There are two considerations that stopped me though: The first is that people who have this mod installed are just a small subset of an already small subset of synth owners out there who would want the PG800m. The second is this: The communications protocol that the PG800 uses requires a channel ID for each pg800 parameter in firmware, and I am not certain that Vecoven would have added this. I'm not talking about Sysex. I mean a PG800 parameter ID channel. Unfortunately, it would require a whole other PCB, firmware, and graphic panel to do this. It just isn't practical. I'll be lucky to sell 10 of these. Cool idea though!

If you have the skills, there is a viable option though. I have added MIDI functionality to this board. It's just sitting there unpopulated. Since the WRITE function on the PG-800 is dicey on most of the early versions of the Super JX firmware (Super JX owners typically ALWAYS use the WRITE function on the synth itself when saving tones, as the original firmware will usually mess up your program if you use the button on PG800, which just transmits the # 32 to the synth), you could always change the code so that the PG800M WRITE button acts as a 2nd function button, then wire the MIDI out of the PG800 M to the synth's MIDI In. You could then have the PG800M send the appropriate MIDI Sysex to the JX (As added by the vecoven mod) and it would do what you're saying. That would take a bunch of research and programming though. It could be done though. I'm probably not going to do it, but it's there for anyone with the motivation.

[pieterv1]

Still available? And can you give me an estimate of the shipping costs to Belgium for the assembled & tested board?

I'm not sure about building it into my JX-8P though since it's being used live quite often. If I want to fit it in a custom case, can you send it with a connector & cable?

[synchromesh]

If you have the skills, there is a viable option though. [snip] I'm probably not going to do it, but it's there for anyone with the motivation.

That's great to know, particularly since it sounds like it's just a SMOP.

[amonti]

NewEnglandAnalog

Great timing; just picked up a JX8P and was taken aback at how expensive the PG-800s were on eBay. Currently using the iPad interface, but would prefer physical knobs; will definitely be ordering one!

[Rwicker]

Hi. I want to order one of the pg800 clones. Do you have any left?

[NewEnglandAnalog]

Still available? And can you give me an estimate of the shipping costs to Belgium for the assembled & tested board?

I'm not sure about building it into my JX-8P though since it's being used live quite often. If I want to fit it in a custom case, can you send it with a connector & cable?

If you're doing a custom enclosure, you may just want to order one with the enclosure I already designed for the unit. (See photo gallery above) The plastic cases I designed can be made in a variety of colors, and they fit the PCB/overlay exactly. Any other case is going to require hand wired pots or a bunch of meticulous measuring, etc. I'm happy to provide a kit for whatever you're wanting to do though. Just email me at the address I PM'd you.

[NewEnglandAnalog]

If you have the skills, there is a viable option though. [snip] I'm probably not going to do it, but it's there for anyone with the motivation.

That's great to know, particularly since it sounds like it's just a SMOP.

It is just a SMOP. There are hookups for MIDI IN/OUT/Thru on the board. If someone does develop MIDI capability, I do have a design for a rear panel of the enclosure that has the 3 holes needed for MIDI jacks.