Juno Stage on Sale $799.99 at Best Buy

[GigMan]

The Juno Stage is hardly a "must-have" keyboard due to it's less-than-stellar sounds - - but it is a lightweight, 76-key machine and might make a good "1st synth" board for my son, a 13 yr. old piano player if it's steeply discounted, which it now is: I just got an email from Best Buy that they've slashed the price on 'em by 600 bucks - from $1,399.99 to $799.99 -

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Roland+-+Full-Size+Keyboard+with+76+Full-Size+Touch-Sensitive+Keys/1679464.p?skuId=1679464&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=1679464&ref=06&cmp=RMX&loc=01&id=1218278346614

 

...I wonder if, at that price - it's worth considering, as a kybd. for my son to hack w/in the basement and for me to use on occasion as a lightweight, easy to move all-around general 'board w/a few decent sounds in it for general purpose giggin': pianos, EP's, organs, strings and some synth stuff?

[Mediterranean]

"Two birds [GigMan & Son] with one stone [Juno]":thu:

 

Now that you found it that cheap, you can fill out this form and get it even cheaper from zZounds [free ground shipping]

 

http://www.zzounds.com/lowestprices/supplier_item_id--62648

[DukeOfBoom]

i just picked up a used korg m50 for under 600.

[Paolo Di Nicolantonio]

I think your son would be happy with it.... true that it's the budget model, but for you also... it can take two SRX boards, so that would help a lot too for your "more serious" gigs - just pick two that are good for the genres you play

[GigMan]

http://www.zzounds.com/lowestprices/supplier_item_id--62648

 

Great - I just filled that form out, thanks! I wonder if Sweetwater does same, I order lots o' stuff from them - I'll email my guy...

[DevilRaysFan]

Roland..this is the same company that made the RS Series of keyboards with faulty analog filtering sections. They fix the problem with the analog filtering sections, add a few bells and whistles, and repackage them all as the 2000s Juno Series...My RS-5 is the last unit made by Roland I will ever buy...............

[McHale]

 

is the last unit made by Roland I will ever buy.

 

 

I've made that statement before. I even purchased Roland products AFTER that which quickly reminded me of that statement. Roland makes thin sounding, unreliable junk.

[AnotherScott]

 

Roland..this is the same company that made the RS Series of keyboards with faulty analog filtering sections. They fix the problem with the analog filtering sections, add a few bells and whistles, and repackage them all as the 2000s Juno Series...My RS-5 is the last unit made by Roland I will ever buy...............

 

What was the filter problem in the RS-5? (I don't think the filters were analog, though...)

 

I think it's common that a lot of models (not just from Roland) are largely repackages of previous models with some changes, no? Though the changes can just as often be removal of features as additions. I don't know the models well enough to know how similar the RS and Juno were, but I think the RS had better MIDI controller capabilities.

[Thorhead]

You may want to read the "Most overpriced thing ever" topic.

[DevilRaysFan]

What was the filter problem in the RS-5? (I don't think the filters were analog, though...) I think it's common that a lot of models (not just from Roland) are largely repackages of previous models with some changes, no? Though the changes can just as often be removal of features as additions. I don't know the models well enough to know how similar the RS and Juno were, but I think the RS had better MIDI controller capabilities.

 

 

Check out the RS-5 above. With the exception of the location of items (such as the knob matrix), the addition/deletion of the banks feature, and a few minor bells and whistles (V-Beam), does it (**cough** Juno-D) remind you of another Roland? (Sounds like it too...even the OS seems identical .. if you ever owned a Roland RS and then tried out a Juno-D, youll know exactly what Im talking about)...the Juno-D pretty much is an amalgamation of all the best parts of the RS-Series, including the RS-70

 

RS-series keyboards have a series of knobs for "hands-on" control of cutoff, resonance, attack, LFO, etc like most modern keyboards have except Roland RS keyboards were one of the first of modern-generation keyboards to bring back this feature...almost the same setup as the Juno-D (minus two) just in a different location. This section likes to move on its own (you can even see it happen in the window while Im playing). Theres is nothing more splendidly charming than being onstage playing a nice piano and strings ballad when - zing! - the LFO maxes all by itself! Now my beautiful piano pad sounds like Jimi Hendrix Purple Haze wah wah. Same with the other controls of that section. i can be playing something then - zing - Resonance peaks out and the warm string sound I was using now has a filter sweep in the middle of it. Basically, for live play, its a crap shoot that this thing will work correctly each night I play

 

Ive talked to other RS Series owners and, while it doesnt happen to everyone, it is a common problem - enough a problem where Roland shouldve had a factory recall and replace users with the (now fixed RS-5) Juno-D

 

compare the top photo with below

[GigMan]

You may want to read the "Most overpriced thing ever" topic.

 

Yes - at $1,600 USC the Roland Juno Stage IS definitely way overpriced...

 

Normal price is $1,399 though and I just found a Best Buy price of $600 less so at $799.99 which prompted me to start this thread & think that maybe it's NOT the most overpriced thing ever at that price (of $799.99) - but maybe just an average 76 key lightweight, all-purpose 'board that is not too bad considering the lower price tag...

[AnotherScott]

 

Check out the RS-5 above. With the exception of the location of items (such as the knob matrix), the addition/deletion of the banks feature, and a few minor bells and whistles (V-Beam), does it (**cough** Juno-D) remind you of another Roland? (Sounds like it too...even the OS seems identical

 

Actually, the knobs and buttons seem quite different to me between the two units. Even forgetting about physical location, I actually don't see a 1-to-1 correlation between the controls... I mean, I see some overlap, but see plenty of differences too. It looks to me like they re-worked the physical interface quite a bit. That said, I'll take you at your word that the sounds and the OS seem the same.

 

I've never heard of any company recalling a model and giving people a new model instead. And in this case, some people would probably be upset by that, because there are also ways the newer model wasn't as good. But if there was a high failure rate, they should have at least come out with a fix for the earlier model that could be retrofitted and had it covered under an extended warranty. In fact, Roland did that for the GW-7 I had, there was a keybed failure, and it turned out that they had had a high failure rate, and they gave me an improved replacement keybed for free even though I was out of warranty (though I had to pay the local tech for labor). Maybe it's worth checking if they may have done something similar for your model.

[DevilRaysFan]

 

Actually, the knobs and buttons seem quite different to me between the two units. Even forgetting about physical location, I actually don't see a 1-to-1 correlation between the controls... I mean, I see some overlap, but see plenty of differences too. It looks to me like they re-worked the physical interface quite a bit. That said, I'll take you at your word that the sounds and the OS seem the same. I've never heard of any company recalling a model and giving people a new model instead. And in this case, some people would probably be upset by that, because there are also ways the newer model wasn't as good. But if there was a high failure rate, they should have at least come out with a fix for the earlier model that could be retrofitted and had it covered under an extended warranty. In fact, Roland did that for the GW-7 I had, there was a keybed failure, and it turned out that they had had a high failure rate, and they gave me an improved replacement keybed for free even though I was out of warranty (though I had to pay the local tech for labor). Maybe it's worth checking if they may have done something similar for your model.

 

 

I can see what you are saying if youve never owned an RS...in truth, the Juno-D borrows from the entire series and built on the mistakes. in a nutshell, the Juno-D is a suped-up version of all the RS keyboards with added features and a modded physical layout. Remember the old D-70? It was way different than the other D-Series keyboards yet it was still grouped in the D-family. The Juno-D is nothing like that: its a refurbished, repackaged RS. Someone not familiar with an RS wont see what Im saying; Im hoping some owners who have/had one and have done an A/B with the Juno-D will post and concur

 

Thanks for the advice too...great idea: Ill look into that

[burster]

You guys were so close. Actually the Juno-D is based on a RS-50. Change the rom, presets and color and you have a Juno-D. I have a LE version and use it to control my rack synths. I use the sounds once in a while but, considering I bought it at a GC blowout sale for $249 I really can't complain.

 

[DevilRaysFan]

Thanks for posting this!! I have an RS-5 and its the one I am familiar with which is why I posted it...when I test-drove a Juno-D, I really didnt hear much of a difference in the ROM set than my RS-5 (like I said, theres a few enhancements, but not any that warrants a whole new series per se). But you have made my point by posting the RS-50. Its too bad that you only use it for a controller because Id like to know if you are yet another person with the faulty filter section. Do CC messages come and go on your screen sometimes, even if nothing is affecting your slave units?

[burster]

I haven't noticed anything strange with my Juno-D. All kinds of weird things happened with the Juno-G I had. From performances changing on there own to the sustain getting stuck. Granted most of these things happened when my MPC would transmit timecode to the G to sync the efx and arps but, this made the G worthless to me. The Juno-D never acts up when receiving timecode. FWIW. The Juno-D presets were meant to be more dance oriented which is why the marketing claimed it to be radio ready.

[DevilRaysFan]

I haven't noticed anything strange with my Juno-D. All kinds of weird things happened with the Juno-G I had. From performances changing on there own to the sustain getting stuck. Granted most of these things happened when my MPC would transmit timecode to the G to sync the efx and arps but, this made the G worthless to me. The Juno-D never acts up when receiving timecode. FWIW. The Juno-D presets were meant to be more dance oriented which is why the marketing claimed it to be radio ready.

 

ah....i thought you had the RS50

[AnotherScott]

 

You guys were so close. Actually the Juno-D is based on a RS-50. Change the rom, presets and color and you have a Juno-D.

 

 

From google searches of some reviews and discussion groups, it looks like the Juno-D was the RS-50 replacement... yes, with different ROM (at least some different patches) and color, but also supposedly a better feeling keyboard. The RS-50, in turn, was the replacement for the RS-5. There seem to be more differences between the RS-5 and RS-50 than there are between the RS-50 and the Juno-6. I guess they thought it might sell better with a new name.

[DevilRaysFan]

 

From google searches of some reviews and discussion groups, it looks like the Juno-D was the RS-50 replacement... yes, with different ROM (at least some different patches) and color, but also supposedly a better feeling keyboard. The RS-50, in turn, was the replacement for the RS-5. There seem to be more differences between the RS-5 and RS-50 than there are between the RS-50 and the Juno-6. I guess they thought it might sell better with a new name.

 

And this is why I will never buy another new Roland piece ever again: Public/Buyer Quality Control......because Im the guinea pig that spent hard earned money on the RS-5 just so Roland can "fix" it twice over into new products.....Bye Roland

[GigMan]

From google searches of some reviews and discussion groups, it looks like the Juno-D was the RS-50 replacement... yes, with different ROM (at least some different patches) and color, but also supposedly a better feeling keyboard. The RS-50, in turn, was the replacement for the RS-5. There seem to be more differences between the RS-5 and RS-50 than there are between the RS-50 and the Juno-6. I guess they thought it might sell better with a new name.

 

I don't care about all that... - am just wondering if the Juno Stage is worth $799.99 as a beginner's use kybd. for my boy and an occasional Gig board for me.

[DevilRaysFan]

I don't care about all that... - am just wondering if the Juno Stage is worth $799.99 as a beginner's use kybd. for my boy and an occasional Gig board for me.

 

All this is related...you are asking advice here if the now 799.99 Juno Stage is worth an investment for your son and an occasional gig board for you...... Only you can answer that...If you are seeking answers here, you will get various answers, some that you may not want to hear --As you can see that there is some proof that Roland isnt a wise investment at all and somebody like me will tell you to get a Yamaha MM8 for a few hundred dollars more.................

[AnotherScott]

 

And this is why I will never buy another new Roland piece ever again: Public/Buyer Quality Control......because Im the guinea pig that spent hard earned money on the RS-5 just so Roland can "fix" it twice over into new products.....Bye Roland

 

Probably more than twice. The problem probably hasn't reappeared in later Junos either. ;-) At any rate, it doesn't make sense to be mad at them for fixing the problem in later models (better that they should sell more units that don't work right?), but sure, it is understandable that you're upset that the model you have seemed to have an endemic problem. No company is immune from that, though. The question is how the company deals with it. As I said, I had good experience with Roland in that department, where a failure prone piece was automatically covered even though I brought it in past warranty. I'll be curious to hear whether they may have done something like that for your model... it may be unfair to rail against them if you don't even know whether they may have addressed it. Though also, I think they made the RS-5 from 2000 to 2003, so even if they did extend the warranty on that issue, at nearly 2011, I wouldn't be surprised if any "extended coverage" had expired by now as well.

 

Probably at least half of all models that Roland, Korg, Yamaha, Kurzweil, anyone comes out with are based largely on previous models. Probably like a first model year car, if you buy one of the models that is very new and not largely based on something pre-existing, it is more likely that you'll find glitches... which hopefully the company will stand behind.

 

Ironically, often someone will come out with a new product and you'll hear people complaining, "it's just a warmed over [last year's model], when are we going to get something really new?" but really new has its risks too... there is something to be said for getting a more refined version of something that's been around, too. Although sometimes there is a tendency for companies to just make things cheaper rather than better.

 

You mentioned that you've spoken to other people who have had the same problem... I would assume some of them had it repaired. I'd be curious to know whether the repaired units were subsequently trouble-free or if the same problem would tend to re-occur. And although there's probably no way to know this, I'd be curious to know if the problem tended to happen after the warranty ran out (and if so, and if Roland didn't extend coverage, what the cost of the repair was).

[AnotherScott]

 

am just wondering if the Juno Stage is worth $799.99 as a beginner's use kybd. for my boy and an occasional Gig board for me.

 

 

I would think it comes down to sounds, functionality (including ease of use), keyboard feel, and reliability.

 

You already know about the sounds... you called them "less-than-stellar sounds" though as others have pointed out, you can put in an SRX card or two to get some better sounds you may need for gigging. If you are not inclined to do that and figure that the stock sounds are at least good enough for you to get by for the gigs you would use it for, then you should compare the Stage to other keyboards in the $800 range; if you think you're going to have to spend the money on one or two cards, then you should compare it to what you can get for that higher final price range. You mentioned your gigging needs as "pianos, EP's, organs, strings and some synth stuff" -- if you don't find the supplied sounds good enough, the expansion card to look at is probably SRX-07 Ultimate Keys. You can hear some of its sounds at http://www.rolandus.com/flash/demos/srx/ -- you can also look at SRX-11 or SRX-12 for their best pianos and EPs.

 

If you don't already know about the basic functionality the Stage has (or what it lacks), or what operating it is like, you can also download the manual from Roland's web site.

 

As for feel, I haven't played a Stage, but people often disagree about feel anyway, so it would be best to try one yourself, or at least buy from some place with a good return policy. From what I've read, it's a decent synth-style action, and quite poor for piano, as most synth actions are.

 

Reliability is the issue that DRF has been discussing, though his bad experience does seem to be limited to one model. I see you own a Roland RD300GX, and tried a Fantom G7, so at least you do have some personal experience with Roland products as well.

 

I don't think Roland, as a whole, has a reputation for higher failure rates than other companies, but I don't know for sure. Certainly a bad experience can turn anyone off to a brand. All companies can have problem units. For models that end up with common problems, IF the failures were generally covered by warranty and IF the repairs genuinely corrected the problem, I wouldn't hold it against them; but if the failures were common and they were generally not covered by warranty, may have been expensive, and often ultimately didn't even really fix the problem, then sure, I'd be more wary, and would probably only consider models that had been out for a while and had developed track records of not being problematic. Some people may think that's the best route to go regardless; others like to have the newest/latest/greatest models, and they take a bit more of a risk, buying a model without a track record. The Stage has been out for a couple of years now... if there haven't been a lot of reports of problems, it's probably a pretty safe bet.

 

As for what else you might look at in its price range, I'd consider the Casio Privia PX-3. Same price, not much heavier (23.6 lbs), and has some good sounds in the categories you're looking at, plus has a full 88 keys. The weighted board will make it much better for playing piano, though possibly not as good for other things.

[clausan]

http://www.keyboardmag.com/article/roland-juno-stage/feb-09/92505

The reviewer should've tried boosting the highs from the Sympathetic Reso EQ. I've got some very bright full sounding patches that way from my X6 and Sonic Cell synths. Stage and Sonic Cell have almost identical wave sets.

I think the Juno Stage coupled with the SRX-7 Ultimate Keys, would make a great one piece keyboard rig.

The only performance feature missing is RAM memory to load your own waves. The main reason you see so many bulky Workstations onstage these days.

[AnotherScott]

There's a lot of discussion about the Juno Stage (good and bad) at rolandclan

 

http://forums.rolandclan.com/?action=show_all&fid=20