Roland Juno-60
The Roland Juno-60 is an analog synthesizer manufactured by the Roland Corporation between 1982 and 1984. It followed the Juno-6, an almost identical synthesizer released months earlier. The Juno synthesizers introduced Roland's digitally controlled oscillators, allowing for greatly improved tuning stability over its competitors.
Roland Juno-60
The Juno-6 and Juno-60 were introduced as low-cost alternatives to polyphonic synths such as the Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 and Roland's own Jupiter-8. Its built-in chorus effect was designed to make up for the weaker sound of its single oscillator, and it went on to become its signature effect. The Juno-60 had an immediate impact in 1980s pop music, being used on hits such as "Take On Me" by a-ha, "A Different Corner" by George Michael, and "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper.
The Juno-60 continued to be popular in the 1990s, being used by house and techno artists. It experienced a resurgence in the 2000s and beyond, gaining popularity amongst modern pop, indie and synthwave artists. It has inspired numerous software emulations and Roland has released digitally-powered hardware synths inspired by the Juno-60.
Release[edit]
Roland released the Juno-6 in May 1982[5] with a list price of US$1295. It used mostly traditional analog technology, with a voltage-controlled filter, voltage-controlled amplifier, low-frequency oscillator and ADSR envelope generators. However, it also used digitally controlled oscillators (DCOs), analog oscillators controlled by digital circuits. As opposed to the voltage-controlled oscillators of previous synthesizers, which frequently went out of tune, the DCOs ensured tuning stability.[3] According to Sound on Sound, "The Juno-6 was the first analog polysynth that you could carry onto a stage, switch on, and play with complete confidence that the instrument would be in tune."[3] It also included performance controls, an arpeggiator, and an ensemble effect.[3]
Roland released another version, the Juno-60, in September 1982,[5] which added patch memory (allowing users to save and recall up to 54 sounds) and a DCB connector, a precursor to MIDI.[3]
Production of the Juno-60 ended in February 1984, when Roland released the Juno-106,[6]
Sounds and features[edit]
The Roland Juno-6 and Juno-60 are single-oscillator analog synthesizers, featuring a high-pass filter, a low-pass filter, a single ADSR envelope and a single LFO.
Many polyphonic synthesizers contained two oscillators, so to make up for the single oscillator, Roland implemented an onboard chorus effect as well as a high-pass filter that would boost the bass level in its lowest position.[2] The chorus effect is engaged using two push buttons which give slow modulation rates of 0.4 Hz and 0.6 Hz.[7] Additionally, the two buttons can be engaged simultaneously to create an even stronger chorus effect.[8] Although regarded as noisy, the Juno chorus effect is considered a signature feature of the Juno-60. It was based around bucket brigade designs from the 70s, such as those in the Roland DC-50 “Digital Chorus” effect unit from 1976[9] and uses two identical circuits incorporating two ICs (MN3009 and MN3101).[7]
Impact[edit]
The Juno-60 was widely used in 1980s pop, house, 1990s techno music, and even today by acts including Enya,[10] Vince Clarke,[11] Howard Jones,[12] Nik Kershaw, John Foxx,[13] a-ha,[6] Billy Idol,[6] Fingers Inc.,[14] Berlin,[6] Eurythmics,[6] A Flock of Seagulls,[6] Cyndi Lauper[15] and Wham!.[16] It was also a key instrument in Chicago house.[6] The 2010s saw a resurgence of popularity among indie and electro acts such as Metronomy, driving up the price on the used market.[6]
Successors[edit]
Roland followed up the Juno-60 with the Roland Juno-106 in 1984. The Juno-106 featured MIDI, had patch storage of 128 sounds, replaced the arpeggiator with a portamento effect, and introduced Roland's now-standard left/right/push performance lever for pitch-bend and modulation.[17]
The Alpha Juno 1 and Alpha Juno 2 were released in 1985. These synths offered new programming capabilities, backlit screens and a new interface. The Juno 2 also featured a velocity‑ and aftertouch‑sensitive keyboard as well as a cartridge slot for storing patches.[18] They were seen as too expensive and difficult to program, so were a commercial failure,[19] ceasing production in 1986.
Roland revived the Juno name in the 00s, releasing the Juno-D in 2004, the Juno-G in 2006, the Juno-Stage in 2008, the Juno-Di in 2009 and the Juno-Gi 2010.[20] Despite the name, these synths had nothing in common with the Juno or Alpha Juno synths,[21] with Roland instead using the name Juno to denote 'affordable' synthesizers.[22]
In 2015, Roland released the JU-06 as part of their Boutique range.[23] The JU-06 is a 4-voice version of the Juno-106, using Roland's digital Analog Circuit Behaviour (ACB) technology. An updated version, the JU-06A, was released in 2019, which combines 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.[24]
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.[25][26]
Due to its popularity and coveted sound,[27] the Roland Juno 60 has inspired several software plugin emulations of both the synthesizer engine and chorus effect.
Software emulations of the Juno chorus effect include: