Programming is achieved either by means of one "edit" slider and a table of parameters for selection by number input, or by means of a separate unit, the Roland PG-800 programmer. All parameters are available without the programmer, but editing with the data slider requires patience, and it is severely limited for live tweaking as only one control can be accessed at a time. The PG-800 provides dedicated slider controls for most parameters and fits comfortably onto the synthesizer. The PG-800 connects to the JX-8P via a dedicated port, with a proprietary 6-pin DIN cable.