Roland Juno-106 Analog Synthesizer

[Musikstudio24]

Marko you sould make some Techno Music !

You have great Gear like the 106 and Alpha Juno you can do a lot more with your gear !

[BrianMorrison71]

I just bought a juno 106 for ten dollars at a yard sale. Now I have to order a power cable for it...

[videotitan1]

My mom's friend sold one of these keyboards in working condition at a garage sale for 65.00 Dlls is that a good price? She said she didn't know anything about keyboards, it was from her ex huband. I think she sold it way too cheap?

[peterjussi]

@videotitan1 wow she ripped that dude off

[subbahh]

@videotitan1 you can sell it for ten times more.

[sneakykebab]

@videotitan1 Well i just bought one here in Ireland for 650.00 Euros....you figure it out! lol

[christsminstrel]

In the world of vintage analog synths the Juno 106 is probably the best one there is, except for the Juno 60 and the Jupiter 8. Synths I own right now: Roland Juno 106, Roland Alpha Juno 2, Roland GR-1 (guitar synth), Korg Poly800, Korg Poly 61M, Korg DW-8000, Korg Wavestation SR, Korg Trinity TR, E-Mu Systems Proteus 1 (two of them), E-Mu Systems Vintage Keys, , Kawai K4r, Ensoniq EPS, Ensoniq VFX (two of them), Ensoniq SD-1, Crumar Performer, Alesis Micron, and YouRock guitar.

[soundsurgeon]

I have a Juno 106 that I'd like to get rid of. It's in good condition. The only issue is that the volume and portamento knobs need to be cleaned because they're a little dusty. A crackling sound can be heard when the knobs are being tweaked. Would you know of any product I can clean them with, or is it something that a repair person would have to look at?

[Mattyuk1]

This is my favourite synth of all time...Just listen to those phat string sounds and the bass is amazing!

[retrosound72]

@chiperta

this is a preset sound

[retrosound72]

@chiperta

B 81

[iOzznialt]

0:15 sounded like the beginning to Rush's Tom Sawyer

[Booger6995]

and Tune for a particular note. The resultant output of each counter will be a rectangular wave at audio frequency. This signal in turn goes to the MC5534 dual chip (IC4, 8 and 12) which with a given rectangular at CLK IN is capable of generating three different waveforms; divided by two rectangular, sawtooth, and variable width rectangular (PWM). That is how it really works per the JUNO 106 manual.

[Booger6995]

The oscillator consists of a master oscillator (8Mhz) and a divider IC35. The IC35 divides 8Mhz by two, four and eight according to the position of range (4’,8’, 16’) on the panel and feeds it the DCO’s IC33 and IC34 which are 16-bit Programmable interval timers. Each of three counters in one Timer divides OSC frequency by a number defined by a divide data info on the data bus of the slave CPU IC29.The divide data is the sum of a key number and the outputs from the LFO,Bender, Portamento, and

[Juanpadillaelperro]

FIX IT there is nothing like a JUNO!

[isaacrife08]

i can barely listen to this... it makes me want my juno back! Truly one of Roland's best creations...

[HomesliceDrummer]

My band is playing Tom Sawyer this month. Do you have any solid settings on the 106 that I can use to program my 106?

[maccagrabme]

The greatest thing about the Juno's is the chorus. If they didn't have that then there is no way they would be so revered today. Not many people would play one of these without the chorus on, its essential to the sound you hear and love.

[culturaleyes]

I keep going back and forth between videos of the Juno 60 and 106 and I can't decide which one I want to get. They both sound so good in their own way!

[ShakerCuda71]

@culturaleyes I was once in the same boat. As many others do, I got the 106 because it has midi.

[intromix]

@culturaleyes If you decide you want to buy a 106, let me know, I do have one for sale, fully serviced and guaranteed for many years, thanks

[module19]

The only problem with the Juno 106 (and 60) is that there is only one envelope generator. If Roland had only added another so you can control VCF ADSR with it this synth would be awesome (still love it though, I have 2 of them !) Bought one new in 84...

[pwkleung]

how many pad presets are there? From what I recall, the 106 only had 1 bank of 128 patches in total right?

[MrWalbass]

If you can find one in good condition grab it. Had mine for 2 years and love every minute only paid $500. Throw some effects phaser,delay etc and Holy %@#$.

[PandPfreestyle]

Those sounds at 1:00 , that just sold a juno 106 , with me as the buyer! i gotta get one now!

[SORENMDK]

Mine works... But some of the buttons (potmeters) have dust in them and therefore they "simulate" that I turn down the filter which results in "no sound".... But it's a purely mechanic defect

[mima14031985]

@SORENMDK A bit of WD60 contact spray in the sliders will resolve your problem. Mine had a problem with the attack slider on the EG, so I firstly cleaned all the panel board with an air compressor (also into the sliders) to remove any dust and dirt, and then sprayed the WD60 into the sliders. Now all works like new.

[SORENMDK]

I have one myself.... And.. Juno-G is not entirely analog as the Oscillator (which creates the tones) is digital (it's a Dco)..... But the amplifier and the filter is analog .....

[helicoptered]

phew it,s a great synth I want one

[darkshiningstar3]

sounds alot like the PPG Wave

[DJGahann]

Whoopee! I just bought one of these babies :-D

[MrFilipFischer]

@DJGahann congrats!!

[Coolspike666]

I have a broken Juno 106...should i fix it you think..???

[adrifromhh]

what a question...

[KennaOkoye]

@adrifromhh LOLLLL

[PHAEDRIDER]

of course

[sticknmove97]

@Coolspike666 Of course man. providing its not hugley expensive.

[discotechwreck]

you should sell it to me ;)

[LinuxManUK]

@Coolspike666 so have i mate :(

[workidsaworkieticket]

mine is 25 yrs old bought from new... would love to fix mine too.... :o(

[systemlfo]

@coolspike666 - Part of having older analogs is fixing them. I had what sounded like the classic 106 deadvoice chip issue, where some notes would randomly drop out in a sequence. After checking all the chips the problem continued. Eventually we found it to be a faulty wave selection chip ... Short story long - Its not always the famous dead voice chip issue ...

[Leaderspdx]

@Coolspike666 Naw, just throw it in the trash.

[BrianMorrison71]

@Coolspike666 Yes, they are worth around 700.00 repair will probably be around 125.00

[tatsujincorp]

wonderful flats! must gte me one too.

[normloman]

used to own one. Very 80s sounding.The sounds were nowhere as phat as a moog or anything. The juno, on the contrary, was shimmering. The only way you could make very low warm sounds was with the chorus button, and I think that has a lot to do with the feel of a Juno 106. Very fun to play and easy to design sounds with. Wish i hadn't sold it.

[angie4josh]

fear not normloman, you will find another one if you seek it so, i just found one on ebay for just $500AU. best of luck!

[damage5f6a]

can someone reccomend a sequencer for the 106?

[retrosound72]

MSQ-100

[jcarterize]

@retrosound72 i say pg-200 but thats for the jx-3p

[deejee1971]

it's got midi so any sequencer will do the job i think.

[mattbfc2009]

@damage5f6a cubase 5

[Keyboardman88]

I had two of these midied together. I had the A bank patches doubled up and the B bank patches complimentary. I used them in stereo patched into an 8 channel stereo mixer. WOW! I had my "JUMP" patch that sounded as good as the Oberheim OB-8 that was used on the record. 2 106's cst less than 1/2 of the Oberheim

[digevoc]

That's awesome.

[Shotec1]

Very very good. Thanks

[LeathanL]

Used to have one of these back in the mid through late eighties. Got a lot of use out of it too. DX7 always seemed a bit too expensive.

[nlewis4]

every sound that comes out of the juno-106 is like a time warp to the 80s

[treeZon1]

how do u make sounds like the ones at 1:03...could u make that on a moog?...i have a virtual moog..like computer software teaachh meee

[plague1715]

minimoogs(i presume what your software emulates) are monophonic, and this sound uses chords.

[treeZon1]

nope there is a setting i can make it poly

[Shotec1]

I'm user of virtual Minimoog too. And there is option for Monophonic or 5 polyphony

[UnchainTheNight1]

hey retrosound, what kind of amplification and speakers do you recommend? i am currently running through my stereo, but i was wondering if i could get something better that i could use multiple synths at a time on.

[sanshuz]

Hi can you get a grand Piano sound on one of these synths or are they purely electro sounds

[retrosound72]

the juno-106 is a real anlog synth and no sample rom synth like the Juno-G

[wreck93]

@sanshuz PURE LECTRO

[thephaseshifter]

@sanshuz If you want piano sounds, you need a good sample pack. Were they sampled each nod individual the piano sounds.. Native instruments released a nice one from Alicia keys.. Ore you can bay a WOrkstation, Yamaha build nice one. DR dre use these alot.. Cant com up the name ad the moment.. Or you go for the stage piano.. But i recomend the sample packs.. they are like 30 gig.. And sounds the best, most like a piano..

[Microsloth]

Beautiful pads... I always wanted one of these synths.

[freezazoid]

the korg polysix is a great other option if you can't get one of these.... they're similar in price, but I think the korg may be a bit warmer. Less electronic sounding maybe?.... I think this keyboard maybe had a digital section through analog filters... don't remember.

[UnchainTheNight1]

totally analog keyboard with digitally-controlled analog oscillators. just like the poly six i believe

[freezazoid]

nah.... polysix is 100 percent analog. Some prefer the digital/analog because it stays in tune. My korg often sounded out of tune (besides tuning it.... each oscilator would vary in tuning).

[UnchainTheNight1]

DCO's are actually anlalog, only the pitch is controlled by a microcomputer instead of by the amount of voltage running into it

[Booger6995]

Actually if you check schematics it uses master clock and programmable dividers for OSC (square Wave) then modify's that. Not actually an analog OSC per se. But still uses discrete filtering which is analog chips. Hope that helps.

[neonfoxincolour]

god I want a retro synth so bad. for some reason I've been particulary partial to the Roland brand.

what is the cheapest retro synth I could find that still it as majestic as this.

[tekkentool]

why not just go for one of these or a 6 or 60. you're not going to get much cheaper for a real analogue poly. if you aren't that great at programming the juno's will be great too.

[HappiWho2]

How about the JX-3P?

[tekkentool]

well yeah the jx3p, but it's not that much cheaper. and personally i prefer the sound of the juno's even if they aren't as flexible

[ottermill]

Retrosound,  Hi, can you tell are the sounds on this video straight from the 106 or have they been further modified with another processor.

Thanks for all the hard work you have put into your many videos

[retrosound72]

thank you

the sounds in the vid are most self programmed

[mik300z]

Great demo as always marco! My 106 has 2 voice chips gone. I removed them and it gives a unique sound now. I know I can get them on the internet, but I am afraid all the patches I have created with 4 voices will completely change. I kind of like it the way it is!

[retrosound72]

a Juno-106 with 4 voices is also nice.

Jupiter-4 like... ;)

[icez1969]

how do you remove a voice ? just remove the vcf chip ?

I thought there was some pins to ground to disable the chip.

[mik300z]

You can carefully remove them take out the board etc, .....but I got so fed up with them one day I just wiggled and pulled them out once I was sure i isolated the correct ones. No more hissing and unpredictability...

[carocafella]

sounds versatile, i have the juno 60 but it just makes nice thick bass sounds.

[brwest16]

Do you know where I can get one of these for cheap? I love this synth.

[retrosound72]

sometimes on ebay

[ec101dm]

thanx so much for your efforts man, i love your demos!

[retrosound72]

thanks a lot :)

[rightdodgy]

I have a 106 for sale..London.

[sanshuz]

How much you looking for it?

[Santero73]

I have this synth too. I bought it june in 2008.And it`s a like a new. It´s from 1986. Thanx to you :)

[retrosound72]

The JU-106 is really a great synth.

thanks

[cien1975]

Der 106er war mein erster Synth überhaupt und ich würde ihn niemals weggeben! Niemals.

[retrosound72]

Ich auch nicht! :)

[Ris3shadowland]

awesome synth. Im only 15 and my dad bought me one and it has really tought me aton about synthesis. I have a qs.8 too and i would have to say i honestly prefer this over it. good job retrosound. :)

[retrosound72]

thanks

[hermannainkin]

I've owned a Juno 106 for 20 years and i cant begin to describe the pleasure it given me - i dont think ive ever produced a song that it wasnt used in - everything from bass to strings, to leads, to weird FX like resonance, whooshes, noise and some very interesting percussion sounds after being inspired by Vince Clarke's Chorus album in whcih he described using no drums or percussion and that even his percussion eh hi hats were synths and that made me push the envelope creatin amazing textures.

[TR0jAX]

Welcher sagt dir klanglich eher zu der 60er oder der 106er ?

[retrosound72]

Ganz schwierige Frage, deshalb habe ich ja beide. Entgegen der weitläufiger Meinung, dass beide ziemlich gleich klingen, finde ich das überhaupt nicht. Auf jeden Fall macht der 60er mehr Dampf und klingt aggressiver/ brachialer. Der 60er geht von Klangbild eher schon in Richtung Jupiter-8 als der 106er. Das Filter klingt unberechenbarer und er Chorus wärmer. Der 106 er kann aber diese typischen, sahnigen Roland-Pads besser.

Trotzdem würde ich eher zum 60er tendieren.

[hartig1967]

hallo retrosound72 :)

ganz deiner meinung !!

der 60er ist fett und fies... aber der 106er ist aus der synth-landschaft nicht wegzudenken.

viele grüsse

hartig1967

[retrosound72]

Genau so ist es. Sie ergänzen sich prächtig.

[stanley9875]

Very nice. Very cool effects as well. Good job. I need to buy myself one of these now!

-$tanley

[mima14031985]

Pay attention to the faulty voice chip! Test extensively the synth prior to buy it. I've got that synth a couple of months ago and costed me 120 more bucks for a "new" voice chip, replacing the one being damaged. Anyway, now it's great sounding.

[vistasug]

Lovely! Listen to the sounds! =D How many synths do you have retrosound??

[williamc99]

I absolutely love that second synthesizer sound that plays. At about 16 seconds, that sound is amazing.

Again, nice video =)

[retrosound72]

Thanks! Today still comes another Juno video. I have momentarily much freetime. ;-)