Roland Juno-106
Synthesizer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Roland Juno-106 is a synthesizer released by Roland Corporation in February 1984.
| Roland Juno-106 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Manufacturer | Roland |
| Dates | February 1984 – 1988 |
| Technical specifications | |
| Polyphony | 6 voices |
| Timbrality | Polyphonic |
| Oscillator | 1 DCO per voice (pulse, saw, square and noise) |
| LFO | triangle with delay and rate |
| Synthesis type | Analog subtractive |
| Filter | Analog 24dB/oct resonant low-pass, non-resonant high-pass |
| Attenuator | ADSR envelope generator |
| Aftertouch expression | No |
| Velocity expression | No |
| Storage memory | 128 patches |
| Effects | Chorus |
| Input/output | |
| Keyboard | 61 keys |
| External control | MIDI |
Features
The Juno-106 is a polyphonic synthesizer with six voices. It is an analog synthesizer but with digitally controlled oscillators and chorus effects.[1][2] Whereas its predecessor, the Juno-60, has 56 patches, the Juno-106 has 128. It introduced Roland's performance lever for pitch bends and modulation, which became a standard feature of Roland instruments.[1] It also adds MIDI and was one of the first analog synthesizers to allow users to sequence parameter changes.[1]
Impact
Artists who have used the Juno-106 include Jacob Mann, Vince Clarke, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Chvrches, Leftfield,[3] William Orbit,[4][5] Paul Frick from Tangerine Dream, Underworld, Reel 2 Real, Jam & Spoon, and Vangelis.[6]
The Juno-106 was Roland's bestselling synthesizer until the release of the Roland D-50 later in the decade.[7] It remains one of the bestselling synthesizers.[1] In 1985, Roland released two versions with built-in speakers: the Juno-106S and the HS60 Synth Plus.[1]
The synth's popularity continues to the present day, especially with EDM and artists such as Tame Impala,[8] Daft Punk,[9] Calvin Harris,[10] Armin van Buuren,[11] Mark Ronson,[12] and Caribou[13] among many others.
Hardware re-issues and recreations
The Roland MKS-7 Super Quartet, a multi-timbral synth module with dedicated sections for each part, used the same 80017 filter chip as the Juno-106 for the bass section.[14]
In 2015, Roland released the JU-06 sound module, a digital recreation of the Juno-106 using Roland's digital Analog Circuit Behaviour (ACB) technology. It is battery powered, has 4-voices and 23 parameters controlled from the front panel.[15] It cost $299 at the time of the release.[16]
in 2016, Behringer released the Deepmind-12, an analog synthesizer inspired by the Juno-106 which features 12 voices.[17] It was priced at $999 at the time of release.[18] In 2020, developer Momo Müller released an unofficial PC MIDI editor with the interface of June-106, called the Deepmind - Juno-106 Editor.[19]
In 2019, Roland released the JU-06A, which is a digitally based synthesizer combining the JUNO-60 and JUNO-106. It has the continuous high-pass filter of the 106, the envelope-controllable pulse-width-modulation of the 60, and the filter of both switchable from the front panel.[15] It cost $399 at the time of the release.[20]
Roland released the Juno-X in 2022, a modern synth featuring digital emulations of the Juno-60 and Juno-106 as well as an additional Juno-X model that features a supersaw waveform, velocity sensitivity and an Alpha-Juno style pitch envelope control.[21][22] The Juno X's control panel design directly references the controls of the Juno-106 while the sound engine follows on from the Jupiter-X and Jupiter-Xm modern digital synths.[22]
Software emulations
In 2017, Roland released some software synthesizers in the cloud, including Cloud Juno-106. The cloud subscription cost $240/yr at the time.[23]
In June 2020, Roland released Zenology plugins for Roland synths, which includes a Juno-106 emulator.[24][25]
In 2020, Cherry Audio released the DCO-106 plugin, a juiced up version of the Juno-106 which was priced at $39 USD in 2020.[26][27]
The Kayrock KR-106 project has code and documentation for an open-source virtual analogue synthesizer inspired by the Roland Juno-106. It provides technical details on the instrument’s design, including oscillator, filter, and modulation implementation, along with development notes and supporting material.[28]