It's quite easy to program from the panel, but a little tedious since every parameter requires two separate button pushes to select (unlike the Blofeld, where many parameters are only one button push away, and the ones that require more still only have you push the same button repeatedly, not two separate ones). I love Star Trek, but it's a shame it inspired synth design so much in the 80's
So I was wondering what you guys use to program yours (or similar synths like the Alpha Junos/JX3P/10P, MKS's etc.)? Obviously, the dedicated programmer is the ideal choice, but I doubt I'll come across one of those for cheap any time soon. MidiQuest have a VST editor for it, but it's very expensive and would probably cost more than the programmer. Of course, it supports a whole range of old and new hardware synths, but that's not really useful unless you have a room full of gear. It would have been nice if you could pay something like $30 - 50 for an editor for your particular instrument only. There's another editor for it, but it doesn't work together with a DAW since it hijacks the MIDI ports.
Apparently, you can't use MIDI CC's to edit the synth, since it only responds to Sysex (at least according to the forum post I found). Is there any way to make the Akai MPK send Sysex from the faders and knobs that the JX can understand? Is there some program that can sit "between" the MPK and the JX and translate the incoming CC's to something the JX can understand?
Some people seem to be using the BCR2000 to control their JX. Does its editor have this functionality or how do they do it? I could buy the BCR, they're pretty cheap now compared to Roland programmers anyway, and I could probably find other uses for it too. But my MPK has plenty of knobs and sliders, so if I can use that it would certainly be good enough.