monochrome's Reviews
4 reviews Back to monochrome's Equipboard
1064
Another World in a reverb module.
I was looking for something rather more exotic to pair with classic Juno, Ax sound for ambient and after some search I have found what I needed. It’s not a traditional reverb for sure. It can go into very wild, psychedelic zones… adventure mode on… like opening a portal into a different realm. The space it generates is not natural from the model I am hearing which is great. You can tweak it quite well. The parameters have huge range imo. The additional CV and fx send/return path really open this thing up and you can start playing it like a sound source on its own with a nice Juno arp line fed into the input.
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1064
Perfect DCB recreation of original D-50.
It's great. Honestly, they did pretty good work at Roland. PG programmer is there for easy/fast sound design + you can load your original patches from either your D-50 or D-05 boutique. There are also a lot of amazing sounds to be had on the internet either for free or for a commission if programming your own sounds is really not your thing. Amazing synth with otherworldly sounds and a great pick for those who are looking for something unconventional and exotic. If you already have some outboard or tapes etc... you can easily diminish the differences between originals D/A converters by printing this to tape and then running it through some old gear.
Preferred Settings + Usage:
Fantasia. Pun intended.
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1064
Great with Juno-6/60.
Get one while you can. They are getting rare these days... sounds to be had are amazing and it does not sound too "plastic" even though it is fully digital.
1064
Best synth I ever heard/owned.
All I can add is that if you want this sound, you need to get one while they are cheap. A serviced Juno-6 will serve you for ages. Especially if you mod it with some goodies it can be very useful in any situation. Undeniable sound. One thing to point out is that the VCA is fully voltage controlled from the ADSR + analog HPF has the full range. Best Juno sound. I use it mainly for arps and ambient.
27237
Why this over Juno 60, in your opinion? Simpler = more serviceable, or do you feel it also sounds better than your Juno-60?
1064
I am finishing another beer lol. Czech... I deserve them today though. Making me wanna go do some music but I will regret it tomorrow! Anyway. When they first came out with the Juno-6 back in the day it was a fully analog machine. Juno-60 came shortly after that. In order to implement some of the "newfound" technology like preset storage (which also translates to the ability of the machine to save corresponding values of the parameters found around the synth and recall them at any time you desire), there were sacrifices being made. Like a stepped HPF analog filter that does not cover the full range. Juno-60 has HPF stepped. The VCA in Juno-6 is directly controlled by ADSR voltage signals so it is more in the alley of a modular synthesizer. Most of the implementation that went into Juno-60 to get that technology into the synth hindered the sound output.
These days. Or at least a year ago when I got mine for the first time through a reliable vendor, fully serviced at a good London venue... they were like 2x less in price. They doubled since then for a mint condition but still, you won't be paying 4x-6x the price of a Juno-6 for a Juno-60. Properly serviced then it will work for ages. Add a KIWI mod and you are all set. DCB converter for some MIDi goodness if you feel a little bit lazy. I usually play all the arps by hand... but I like playing the piano/organ... my background. Never heard an arp that plays with you with its own spirit and vibe like that before. I have also never owned a synth built like that and I own many... imagine WW2 tank engineering-grade stuff. It is my personal bias but I love OPN's work so yeah. I kind of got all he was using on the first couple of albums out of listening to it for some time. Loving the results. Still it is me, not him, but the knowledge that translated from understanding his techniques and the way he approaches sounds made me go places as well. I have a different mind, so also a different music output.
The ability to dial in any sound you want within 5 minutes with some decent synthesis knowledge is also a huge plus. Although. Juno-6/60 is a one-trick pony. You either like the sound or you do not.
27237
thanks for the detailed thoughts! The stepped output makes total sense. With early 80's tech/digital resolution, either the output it stepped, or the patch you save isn't going to be exactly the patch you were hearing when you hit save... pretend that makes sense... Anyway, I was lucky to pick up a Juno-60 for a little under $400 US many years ago... I don't think I'd spring for another or a Juno-6 at prices they now go for, but nothing else in my arsenal sounds as classy as that thing. I settled for a DCB-2-MIDI converter and left well-enough alone :)
41016
The hpf is exactly why I bought a 6 and not a 60. It's a bigger deal than people think.