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The Roland JUNO-DS88 includes the entire 1,000+ sound set from its predecessor, along with improved pianos and a plethora of new organ sounds. At Sweetwater, we were delighted to learn that the JUNO-DS88 is compatible with all of the previous-generation JUNO-Di's patches. That means that longtime JUNO users won't have to start from scratch! The basic panel layout of the Juno-6 was retained, with the patch memory. Half of the all-conquering Yamaha DX-7, which made the 106 one of the few analog.
Daredevil's Jupiter & Juno Page Latest News - 3/15/2002.is NOW AVAILABLE! I am happy to say that I have been using it for some time now.
It's an absolutely AMAZING improvement in functionality for the JP-6, if not a great achievement in general. Check out Synthcom's web site at for more information.As you may have noticed, the site has moved to a new server.
Please be sure to update your links and bookmarks since I'm not sure how long the old server will be responding to requests.The main purpose of this page is to combine all of the stuff that I havecollected for the Jupiter-6 and Juno-106 synthesizers onto one page. WhenI first got my Juno and Jupiter it took me ages to locate the presets,documentation, and other useful information. I hope that this simplecollection will help you avoid the crap I had to go through. Don't expecttons of pretty graphics or fancy fonts, just enough to get the job done.This stuff is really only useful to owners of these synths and I feelthat it should be free since it should have come with your synth to beginwith. Some of us, however, have purchased our gear second hand and quiteoften the previous owner has not been so kind to include everything.
Mostof what is here has been gathered from various places on the internet. I'dlike to give big thanks to those who helped create the content. Also, Ithink that all of you LOSERS who try to sell the factory patch tapes foroutrageous sums of money can go shove it.
Wisely, they kept the original features, while adding modern amenities—the ability to load your own samples into its synth engine, additional controls for parameter tweaking, eight pads for triggering sequences and samples, and pitch quantization to go with the built-in vocoder. Rounding out the package is an integrated stereo audio interface.
I received the 61-key model for review; a version with 88 semi-weighted keys is also available.SOUNDS, SYNTHESIS AND EFFECTSThe Juno-DS, available in 61- and 88-key models, includes a vocoder with pitch quantization, trigger pads, and a stereo audio interface. In addition to a full range of presets, Juno-DS offers the ability to load additional sounds downloaded from Roland's Axial website.
The DS is packed to the rafters with presets; over 1200 synth patches along with 30+ drum kits and 64 performance slots for customizing sound sets, sequences and the new phrase pads for specific songs in your repertoire. If you’re a current Juno-Di user, you’ll be pleased to know that its sound-bank is represented in the new DS. Moreover, several of the new pianos and organs are compelling in a live performance context. In addition to the original Di sounds and more than 200 new ones, the DS can load sounds from Roland’s Axial website, which includes over 1,000 well-crafted downloadable presets. I checked out the factory sounds and a few Axial add-ons, and the overall vibe of the collection is solidly in the workstation camp—perfect for gigging, commercial and video work, and studio tasks. The only real downside to the presets is that the “analog” sounds have a decidedly in-the-box feel; but hey, that’s what the Roland Aira line is for, right?The Juno-DS’s synthesis engine remains largely unchanged from the Di’s, with every patch consisting of up to four layered tones, each based on a different sampled instrument, with digital resonant filters, detailed time/level envelopes, and a pair of LFOs. Editing these from the LCD is challenging.
But with so many presets, you’re bound to find something that can be quickly shaped using the four front-panel knobs, which include essentials like cutoff, resonance, attack, release, and effects, as well as custom options. The Juno-DS also includes a massive array of effects. Everything from phasers to pitch-shifters to modeled piano resonances are available, in addition to the usual chorus and reverb options. The caveat is that insert effects that are tied to patches can be lost when those patches are applied to the DS performances (which have their own effects assignments). Not a deal-breaker, but definitely something to note.Each performance can consist of up to 16 parts, which include patch information, a few parameter offsets, adjustments to portamento and vibrato, and effects send routing. You can split the keyboard up to sixteen ways, allocate parts for sequencing, and create custom 12-tone tunings for every individual part. Granted, you wouldn’t realize this from squinting at the LCD panel, but in conjunction with the Juno-Di’s software editor, everything becomes crystal clear.
I hope Roland creates an updated DS editor to access its newer features.SEQUENCER AND PHRASE PADSThe Roland Juno-DS (the 61-key model shown here) can run on AC or batteries. It includes a 1/4' mic input with level control, audio over USB, MIDI DIN I/O, an external audio input, stereo outs and headphone jack. In addition to playing back complete songs from a connected USB stick (AIFF, WAV, or MP3 format supported), the Juno-DS includes an 8-track pattern sequencer optimized for live performance. The pattern-based system makes creating eight-part looped sequences a breeze. I was able to whip up credible quantized backing tracks that were easily manipulated in real time via the new Phrase Pads. I could envision creating different song sections with the sequencer and switching between them quickly in a performance situation. If you’re in a band and the guitarist decides to vamp for an extra 16 bars during the final choruses, these pads could be a lifesaver.
As for the sequencer itself, Roland markets it as a scratchpad, and it’s great for that. But with some forethought, you can do clever interactive tricks with it, too.EXTRASWhereas the Juno-Di offered vocoding and reverb for its microphone input, the Juno-DS ups the ante with a pitch quantizer for pop, R&B and EDM. While some may tire of this sound, it’s now as essential as distortion on a guitar for certain genres.As a bonus, the Juno-DS includes basic DAW control for a variety of platforms including Apple Logic Pro, Cakewalk Sonar and Steinberg Cubase. With this you can integrate sync, transport, and some basic control surface features. Unfortunately, there’s no baked-in support for Ableton Live or Avid Pro Tools, though a user-configurable mode is available if you don’t mind spending the time to set it up.Moreover, the Juno-DS supports audio over USB. The resolution of this interface is conspicuously absent from both the website and manual, but since the Juno’s preferred audio format is 44.1/16, it’s a safe bet that that’s the specification.FOR ALL OCCASIONSI didn’t get around to checking out the Juno- DS61’s price until late in the review, and I was completely blown away to find it priced around $700. Between the 128-voice synth, pattern sequencer, phrase pads, sample loading, and integrated audio interface, it’s no exaggeration to say that this keyboard workstation is a genuinely affordable Swiss Army knife for casual gigs, small theater work, school bands and house-of-worship duties.
The Juno-DS resets the standard for price vs. Performance in a keyboard meant for light gigging.