Dtronics DT-800 Controller for Roland JX8p / JX 10 / MKS-70

General

Halfway through 1980s, two Roland synthesizers were particularly popular among bands and producers: the JX-8p and the JX10, with the latter later released as a rack-ready version called the MKS-70. What these synths had in common, was a trend noticed in synths made by other developers at the time: old-fashioned yet faithful sliders and knobs replaced by buttons. While this didn't exactly pose the end of the world for those that knew their synth like the back of their hand, the buttons did make getting to grips with the learning curve of synthesis a lot harder for more novice programmers. As a solution, Roland released the PG-800, a programmer with 'classic' sliders and knobs to make experimenting with synth-based sounds fun again. Since these PG-800 programmers of old are now nearly extinct, they're extremely hard to come by. As such, a much better option would be to invest in the Dtronics DT-800, which is essentially a modern remake of the PG-800 fitted with a USB port with firmware upgrades and fresh components free of any build-up of dust and stickiness.