older MIDI synths and knob boxes

I have a Novation Remote SL, which I love, but it really seems geared towards using CC messages. This is fine for newer synths, but I have a lot of old gear which doesn't use CC -- Prophet VS, Alpha Juno One, etc. If the Remote SL can talk to these, I can't sort out how (lil' help?).

The Prophet VS, for example... I believe I can set the Remote SL to move its data fader for me, and I could set a button to switch the data fader to effect cutoff... but I can't just have a slider for cutoff. To do that, the Remote SL would have to send two messages (switch to cutoff, then the data slider change) and it won't let me do that.

Does anything do that? I've heard rumblings about Peavy PC1600X, will that do what I want?

I'm sure I could sort this out with Max/MSP or something, but I'd really rather not involve the computer.

Older MIDI stuff tends to work better with the old fashioned breath/foot/mod wheel controllers so if you can't assign the synths parameters to these then you'll be looking as the daunting world of sysex which you can only connect to directly with no separate MIDI channel use for other instruments.

I could enter sysex strings without software on my old Regalwerk and I think the Peavey and other more sophisticated MIDI controller banks like the Drehbank can do this although you often have to set them up with software first.

You really need to know what your doing when tinkering sysex also the chances are you won't be able to use sysex messages as controller info on some older digital orientated synths as you'll need to press a key again to hear the change like on the DX7.

  soundwave said:

I could enter sysex strings without software on my old Regalwerk and I think the Peavey and other more sophisticated MIDI controller banks like the Drehbank can do this

also the cheap and unsophisticated Behringer BCR2000 does it just fine. I use it with an alpha juno, oberheim matrix 1000, yamaha tx81z etc