Roland Juno-106

This thing is easy! The patches are great out of the box, and it is
easy to edit patches. It has a good thorough manual, that can get a
bit technical in spots, but you don't need it to use the board.
I bought this new in 1984 and haven't needed the manual but two or
three times since I first bought it.

The keyboard action is typical for keyboards of that era, no
pressure sensitivity, the MIDI is fine.

The instruments are not that realistic, but I have been able to get
some PHAT bass, some low drum-like sounds, great strings and simulated
woodwind sounds. This is great for rock, rap and dance.

It's been about ten years since I've gigged with it, I do use it in
the studio though. I have had it since 1984 -- it does skip notes
in polyphonic mode now and the pitch bend/modulation wheel does need
some repair.

Very friendly when I've ordered replacement cables and various items.

I have been playing music for almost 30 years now, and keyboards for
about 20. I compared this to its contemporaries at the time and
found this to be the best. I wish it had appregio and
touch-sensitivity, but you can't have it all! I would buy again
because it is has been a good keyboard for so long.

Why doesn't some one re-issue this awesome sounding warm synth??!!? No need for a manual as editing sounds is effortlessly easy to use because of it's front pannel sliders and simple controls. Having a patch editor would be necessary only if program sliders are no longer working. Take for example my JUNO-106: The frequency 4-position slider under HPF has pysically broken and is not available through Roland any longer(all other sliders are available). The only way to edit this now is through a patch editor. Even though this function is not working on my Juno, that does not stop me from using this synth EVERYDAY for my music productions and I don't use a patch editor. Yes, I like it that much!

Polyphony at six notes is adequate. Keyboard action is so good I would like to use it as my controller, but I don't want to accidentally damage it, plus it has no velocity. Chorus effect is a bit noizy, but for the great sound this synth puts out- who cares! It adds a certain character to the sound and is available in two settings plus the ability to disable it. The MIDI spec is okay, you have the ability to save patches through sysex one at a time, which can actually take a long time. I've read other ways to save patches - too complicated for me. I just plug in a good old fasion tape deck and back-up my patches that way through the tape save function. It's simple, easy and quick.

No real instruments here folks. This synth would work nicely in a church for playing soft warm organ tones. BUT..hidden beneath it's pannel and generic colored push buttons this synth reaks of techno, ambient and alternative dance music. Anyone who has a JUNO knows. In a way, it reacts very cold as velocity and aftertouch are not present. It's warm tone and friendly sound make up for this loss even without different on board effects besides Chorus.

Very dependable instument, I have powered mine on almost everyday for about eight years and have had no problems. I believe one of my voices is going out, but I have found information on the web to isolate the problem and repair it. I would not dare gig with this syth as I would be too afraid to damage it. If I had to though, I would use it on stage without a backup. I belive in Roland reliability.

Just recently (Aug. 2000), Roland Corp was able to provide me with JUNO-106 potentiometer replacement sliders and some other rare parts I needed for my JX-3P. I would say, for having these parts available for keyboards that came out in 1983-4, it's a miracle. That phone call made me a Roland believer. Very friendly and informed customer service rep, for a telemarketer looking up parts in front of a computer. Any authorized Roland reapir site can repair your unit as long as the parts are available.

I would buy this synth over and over again, worth every penny. I am even considering getting another one to sleep in my bed next to me. I have been playing syths for about 10 years now and this is my favorite. I have many other syths to compare to the 106 like the Sequential Prophet 600, Akai AX-60, Clavia Nordlead2, Oberheim Matirx 1000, Roland Alpha JUNO 1, JX-8P, and JX-3P to name a few. None of these have the warm tone of a 106, the JX-3P comes close though (same time erra). I wish it had a keyboard split so I could get two sounds out of it at once, but program changes will have to do. It has grown with me for eight years and I still use it almost everyday. When I first got this synth, I considered it a "It'll get me by for now syth". Now I can't imagine myself without it! It's a sound that grows on you and keeps surprising me as my musical depth continues, my JUNO still keeps up nicely.

This thing is so easy to use. It came with a nice manual but who needs it? You can make up good sounds very quickly, or you can sit for hours and get some really awesome sounds with creative use of the LFO and pedals. You do not need a patch editor. You can download patches, which is fun.

Polyphony is six notes, which is fine. Keyboard action is to my liking. The built in chorus is rich but noisy. I use it ometimes and sometimes I use my DOD Stereo Chorus pedal, which is more flexible. MIDI implementation is good.

THIS THING IS NOT FOR CREATING "REAL" INSTRUMENTS! It's an analog, and a really good one. You can create organ, piano, drums, brass, strings, tubular bells with some work. This thing is PHAT! Don't listen to the people that say it sounds light, airy or weak. There is so much stuff you can do with it if you use it enough. You will not be disappointed in this board. It will make dance floors THROB if you let it. I use it in most every song I write.

I turn it on every day and it turns on and works. I would gig without backup. It's built better than the Yamaha and Casio crap keyboards that they build today. In its day it was a "amateur" board, the Jupiter being a pro board. But today, this completely whoops the crap out of anything.

Heard that Roland is good, no experience. Haven't needed it.

If someone stole it, they would get hurt very badly. I have a lot of time into programing it, and the thing is just awesome. One of my friends has a Juno 60, and I know they sound different, but the 106 sounds clearer and bolder, the 60 is more muddled, and the 60 has no MIDI. I've had it for four months now, and I use it via MIDI with a computer. It inspires me to make music.

No soft. I don't know he preset sound since I modified all and it was sold used. I don't have a manual either (you don't need.) Too easy to use.

Key action is great, though it doesn't have after touch or velocity touch. It has two different chorus,they both sounds good though little noisy. In many cases, this effect is big part of the sound itself. It has sliders just about anything you need to edit your sound. Ask anybody who has it. They don't want to give this synth away.

Don't use it naturalist. this machine is made to kick. It can not create peaky sounds like nord or virus, but warm punchy sounds is what it is for.Combine with some attack with other synth, this is one of a kind bass sound maker too. The bass can shake the dance floor pretty much.

Very reliable. No problem since I bought it.

I never had to. So I don't know.

If I had to choose one analog synth. This is the one, because it has many sliders and easy to use. You don't have to open windows or type in nombers. You are feeling it as you moving these faders. Multi-purpose synth for different kinds of music. I like how it looks too. Oh before I forget, try to press Bank no"A", and no"B" buttons at a same time. Something will happen on your sound,,,(it's not even in manual.)

Takes a while to figure out. Great if you like to morph to a different sound while you continue to play with the other hand. This is very analog, in terms of being able to change the sound using sliders etc. This synth is very unlike what is sold nowadays.

Not touch sensitive. Good for organ-type sound.

A Juno-106 is very expressive in terms of being able to make your own sounds. This is the synth sound of the 70's and early 80's (which was better than the sound of the late 80's and 90's in my opinion.)

Only have had one problem with it in the last 11 years, the sub-octave slider doesn't work right, so I just don't use it.

I doubt if I would replace it if lost or stolen, but I am keeping it for when I want a 70's synth sound or an organ feel.

It's WONDERFULLY easy to use. If you can't use this then you don't need to be composing techno =). I never used the presets, but patch editting is very easy, and you get 128 slots. The manual is straightforward (I have an original).

Its a 6 voice polyphony, could be a few more for those people like me who can use 8-9 keys between two hands. No onboard sequencer, soft sequencers are better anyway. Chorus is the main effect, and its quite nice. Best MIDI implementation of its time, with IN, OUT, and THRU, with sysex control. No expansion. Main drawback is it isn't velocity sensitive.

If you're looking for accoustic or realistic sounds, look away. Else if you're looking for deep ass basses, mad filter sweeps, and other sweetness, go for the Juno.
The Juno can be used for bass accompanyment in bands, but mainly its for Electronica and composition of techno.

100% reliable. I've never had it fail for any reason whatsoever, and don't worry about bringing a backup for the Juno. Make sure the battery is fresh if you play live.

If it were lost or stolen, I'd be f***ing pissed. I'm a bit more of a digital person, I love programmability and EFX. Thats what I'd like to see more of, more programmability, and midi velocity sensitivity =). The analogueness is fat, not supposedly as phat as the 60, but we have MIDI, and sysex, so deal with it. If you don't think its useful because you aren't a techno fiend, reference Madonna's Ray of Light CD. This is a keeper.

EASY!!!! Knobs and sliders make this simple to use. Saving patches really isn't that inuitive, but the manuals are available online so go check them out. I'm not sure about the presets, I think by the time I got it all the presets had been overwritten.

6 Voice polyphony... keyboard action isn't piano like, but it's ok because I wouldn't play this like a piano. No built in effects, no expansion, midi i/o/t, no onboard sequencer. But it's got sliders sliders sliders!!!

Not realistic... it's a synth! Nobody really wants realistic sounds now. Works well for just about any kind of music, I use it for noise and electronic hardcore, but it's range is much bigger than that. Every big electronic artist has one of these, check out this partial list: William Orbit, Uberzone, Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim), Autechre, Vince Clarke, Moby, 808 State, Underworld, Leftfield, Fluke, Josh Wink, Todd Terry, Depeche Mode, Eat Static, Biosphere, The Prodigy, The Shamen, Bushflange, Cirrus, Apollo 440, Babyland, Faithless, Union Jack and the Chemical Brothers. Apparently the newest Madonna CD used this extensively. It sounds so good I've let crowd members come up and mess with the sliders during a set.

It's dependable. It's old so I'd treat it with care, but I haven't hate any problems with it. This is a CRUCIAL part of my sound... good for everything.

It's AWESOME. You can do anything with this synth. I use some pretty heavy filtering on it when I play noise and keep it clean when I play eCore. Nothing else really compares to it (except for it's Juno predecessors and the Roland HS-60 [an uglier version with built-in speakers]). I love everything about it. I use it on every single track I make... this is a staple on the gear list of everyone and with good reason.

It was my first polyfonic synth, but still in use (after 16 years). Its a easy setup when you are used to work with basic analog synths. The chorus section is a must but a lot of sounds are better in solo without it. After 16 years I still found the "green 81" sound a typical useful Roland sound (For giving depth in combination with a string machine for example). The keyboard is excellent for this kind of synth. at does not have key velocity and afthethouch

Six voice polyfony is not much (8 ore more are better). The chorus is simple but effective. Its one of the earlier MIDI machines but it works with all other machines (Yamaha TX7, Emu, Akai900 and Kurzweil micro piano. Not a seq. on-board

If your seeking a real instrument imitator, not this one, but do you like analog sounds and synthesizers and gif sounds a extra tune ore depth this is the machine. In Holland the machine is very much in use private studios and a lot of people do use it for dance.

For me its an absolute reliable machine, i have never had problems with it.

No comments

it wil be a very bad day for me after it is stolen. I would direct try to replace it. I use it 2-3 times weekly for 16 years. I am playing for 21 years and don't hate the machine at all, I love it !! Of course there are better machines but theres allways better.
For example ; I had a Seq.Circuits Pro-one, fantastic sound but always problems with tuning, very unexcepteble keyboard, same price, I sold it. Its just like a Japanese car its not top model but it works for many years without problems, you can relay on it. I use it in combination with a Yamaha TX7/MSX computer, a Kurzweil midiboard with micropiano, and a Korg Lamda.

Its too simple, gets boring.

Great midi. Wins out everytime. Lots of slider, a few knobs, some pitch wheel-age.

At first the sounds are totally amazing, as in the best thing you have ever heard. 15 minutes later you're putting the blanket back on it.

No problems yet, however, the numeric buttons stick sometimes, or don't fire rather.

None yet.

The sounds strangely are a must have yet they get old fast. Great for ambient music where the sounds are four layers deep at least. Not good for lead. Too swishy. I let mine randomly generate sounds in the background during live shows like a sonic fog machine.

It's so easy and intuitive. My only regret is that the sliders are not rotative knobs for more precision in realtime disjunctions.

excellent but noisy chorus. Good midi implemtation for a synth of that generation.

With an effect generator, the juno-106 may work very well in many different kind of music. ambient (with deep reverb), dub (good bass), try distortion and delay with the juno's filter --> TB-303 for Trance-Goa type.
little critic, in monophonic mode, by the association of 6 oscillator, the texture of sound is fat but crap cause "contrephase" phenomena.

No problem to repair. Many pieces in stock

A excellent synth. In combinaison with a digital workstations, the juno106 complete a dimension in your spectral panoramic auditive vision.