Do I want a Juno-60?

Was doing some IT work today and while we all sat and watched a progress bar together we got on the topic of music. I mentioned that I play keys and this gal spoke up about the Juno-60 she's had for years and years and wants to sell. Sounds like it's in perfect shape and everything works.

The question is: Should I bother? Aside from how incredibly cool it looks, I can't picture it doing sounds that I'm not currently getting.

It's a basic synth but its got a sweet sound to it. Maybe if you have other Rolands or other DCOs it wouldn't be that worthwile. But can it really hurt?

How much is she asking btw?

I'll update once I have a look at it.

I'm sure you could unload it here for a modest profit (if you want to do that kind of thing) in the event you don't like it.

I went through this same process after getting a Polysix and thinking I wanted a Juno-60 as well.

But this goes with the same principle of having multiple synths in your arsenal. I don't need to have 6 synthesizers that could very well produce the same type of sound, but they all sound different, and that's what makes me keep my gear; those little nuances that make each piece of kit different from the next.

In the case of the Juno vs. my Polysix, I realized that they both sound different, but they were too similar to justify having them both. If you don't already own a synth "like" that, then I would snag it up seeing how you're 1. getting it from a reliable source with no eBay bull{censored} involved, and 2. if you don't like it you could easily turn around and sell it for pretty much what you paid (the things aren't going to drop in value, that's fo sho...). I personally like the "flavor" of the Juno-60 a little more than my Polysix, but I like the options on the Polysix better, + it's a little unstable due to VCOs which I like...

Get it, or better - check it out first !

The Juno 60 is one of my all time favourites,

a real analog classic !

Although DCO based it sounds just as analog (if not more) than many other VCO based synths.

I had a Juno 60 back when they first came out and were considered state of the art - later had a Juno 106. The Juno 60 is a great synth and is an excellent learning tool for understanding the basis of analog synthesis. That's where I first learned about filters, envelopes, etc.and how to tweak them. It's a good synth for pads, strings, bass, leads, and more. The only drawback, and it may not be a problem for you, is that the Juno 60 does not have midi. It can be retrofitted, but it came out right before the advent of midi, I believe. Also, if I remember correctly, it had a jack for saving certain kinds of data to a cassette recorder, and could later be re-loaded back in from the cassette. Although it's been a while and I don't remember all the details. But I do remember the thrill of getting my first "real" synth after having some cheesy Casio's and a monophonic Yamaha. As other's have said: go for it - you can always re-sell it and not loose anything.

Buy it, it's the 80's sound right under your fingers. But check it out first and don't overpay.

You might be able to get this for dirt cheap, if so, DO it! Or let me buy it from her .... pretty please?

I gotta disagree. strongly. pads and cool sounds I'll go with. I really miss my 106 for that. it was my first synth. but I found it to be a terrible box for playing actual basslines. maybe something robotic or a sub-bass. but not much else. the dirty chorus is really cool though. IMO it's a nice quirky studio piece- and fairly versatile. it's really fun to write patches for too. why not?

In short:

Doesn't matter what someone tells you about Juno 60. You need to hear it. You like it - you buy it. Job done. Just forget stories: "juno is good for this and bad for that....".

If the price is right, go for it. You'll need a midi-dcb converter though if you want to send it midi.

The 6/60/106 are some of the best sounding DCO synths ever made.

This was my first synth. I really learned how to program sounds off it. I really loved the sounds I could get off it. The only downside is it didn't have MIDI. It sounded so good it took me almost 20 years to part with it. I kind of regret selling it mostly because it was my first synth. Like many have said you should listen to it and decide for your self if it will complement what you already have.

I had a Juno 60 to use for a while recently and, to be honest, all it did was remind of of why I'd mostly moved on from hardware. The space, the inconvenience, and the fact that you're taking on 25 year old electronics, with all that implies, just aren't worth it to me any more.

Whilst it's nice to have a dedicate control for every function, and it does seem to make you create your own sounds more when you have that, it's also extremely limited by todays standards. I thought I wouldn't notice the limits as much as I did. Even using it with other sources for sounds the limits were only too apparent to me. It's not something which is ever going to surprise you very much..

Its basic warm tone is nice. In particular the filter and chorus are better than most software IMO, and the envelopes are good. But, having said that, you may also be surprised by how close even something like a basic Reaktor ensemble can get these days. I did a few audio examples comparing it to the Reaktor Juno 6 ensemble and, whilst the difference is obvious on some things, you'd really struggle to tell the difference between others especially in a mix, and remember that's just a Reaktor ensemble emulation.

Here's some basic audio examples I made trying to get the same sound out of each. Note that Reaktor is played with one hand and the Juno 60 with the other. So I'm playing on one, then the other, moving between both at the same time, which was a real stretch! It's kept somewhat basic just so you can hear that, even with basic exposed tones, it's sort of difficult to tell them apart sometimes.

Juno60 Vs Reaktor 1

Juno60 Vs Reaktor 2

Juno60 Vs Reaktor Chorus

Regards comparisons with the Reaktor ensemble, the main difference is the chorus is more phasey sounding on the Reaktor ensemble. The last example shows that. The bass on the Reaktor emulation is also slightly more quiet and Reaktor is more bright on the top end. You can hear that a little at the end of the first example. Reaktor's also a little bit more harsh on the top end too. Just as you notice the difference more with chorus set to "on" more you'll also notice more of a difference when the filter is swept at certain positions. Even with all this, and the fact that the oscillators aren't spot on, you can get surprisingly close a lot of the time. People can decide for themselves whether they think buying a Juno 6/60 is worth it for the differences, but spending time with it again has reminded me of why it's most definitely time for me to move on.

Remember that, if you do go that route, midi tends to be somewhat expensive unless you can pick up a DCB interface on Ebay cheaply. Whilst more reliable than a 106 they're also not without problems. I don't think it's wise to buy a 25 year old synth without expecting some problems along the way..

Agreed. I've owned only a Polysix and now own a Kawai SX-240. I really liked the Polysix and I also really like the SX-240, but they are close enough on features and sound that I wouldn't need both. The Juno series fits in that same family. Check out some of the demos at www.synthmania.com. Obviously a personal test would be optimal, but I think that is a pretty good resource for getting some of the basic tonal flavor of those synths. Of course you've been around here long enough to know of that site.

well if you can pick this baby for cheap then do it for sure...

The Juno-60s, Juno-106s, and Polysixes of the world all frustrate the hell out of me.....and I have a 106 that I love to screw around with. I largely use it as a practice keyboard when figuring out songs. But I've never come away from playing it without feeling something like, "Damn, if this thing had one more oscillator it would be so fat!"

Allerian, I've heard your music (very cool!), and I don't see how a Juno-60 would represent any incremental improvement to your existing, stellar sounds. I see you playing it for a while, then becoming bored with it, then rarely playing it afterward.

If you want it, go for it. I love my Alpha Juno 2, it's my favorite synth (although generally the least popular Juno model).

I have a Juno 106 that pops and crackles and hums and gets stuck key sounds. I love it and want to get it fixed, but sometimes when I play with Reaktor it sounds just as good and I figure why bother.

+1 to P321 who mentioned Reaktor.

Yeah, Juno 106s can cut through the mix but can't get as fat as you want them.

I took the Juno 60 sim in Reaktor and added a second Osc and modified it so you could detune the Osc for my own custom soft synth. It's super FAT!

I really appreciate all the input. While its probably not going to be for me, after I see it, I am going to try to hook the seller up with a few people here. Sounds like she was the first owner and it's just been on a stand.

Really, I wonder why people buy synths... Looking back, the first thing I bought was a Virus B. Cool? Way! But what could I really do? Play some pads, play a lead, play along with CDs. Took a lot more understanding, hardware, and experience to reach that moment when I discovered how to really bring ideas together and make more than one sound at a time.