J-6 With a Keyboard!

J-6 With a Keyboard!
Today we're exploring using the Roland J-6 with an external MIDI keyboard! While lots of folks have covered the J-6 already, I haven't seen many videos just using it as a typical synthesizer. Turns out, it works great! So if you want an affordable Juno 60 preset machine with limited filter and envelope controls, you can plug in a MIDI keyboard and use the J-6! While the main focus of the device is still obviously the chord sequencer, the preset sounds are excellent, and can absolutely get you by in a pinch!
My favorite gear in one list, courtesy of zZounds.com:
www.zzounds.com/share--freebe...
GEAR IN THIS VIDEO
Roland J-6: amzn.to/3J49wOm
Arturia Keystep 37: amzn.to/3mAg53i
Zoom Livetrak L-12 (audio recorder): amzn.to/3ZvRYSe
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[@Drumsdude123]

Wow! The best review of the J6 on KZbin!) please, don’ stop!!) ❤❤❤❤❤

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks so much! This wasn't a review though, I MIGHT be doing one in a couple of months :)

[@Sarahbuildsstepsequencers]

Nice one, Free! Loving the sounds you created with it. Hoping you’ll do more!

[@FreeBeat]

Absolutely!

[@Kyle-xk4ke]

Loving the J6 videos you're putting out 👍🏼

[@FreeBeat]

More on the way!

[@joshuagotto8201]

Thanks this is exactly what I wanted to know!

[@MisterMoccasin]

I love the J6 and I had the same logic as you. It's an awesome instrument on it's own, but on top of that I can use it with a keyboard to have some sweet juno sounds with some decent control over their sounds too! Really sweet piece of gear over all

[@FreeBeat]

Absolutely!

[@karentighe5603]

Well this is fun- I just minutes ago ordered my keystep to go with my J6 and hopped over onto you tube to see this on top of my timeline. I have the aira trio J6,T8 and E4 . J6 is getting the most use because of its portability. I’ll stay tuned for more

[@FreeBeat]

Awesome, more on the way!

[@edwardaverilliii1658]

Thanks for posting this! I was considering getting a J-6 to use with my sequencer and in live jamming, but couldn't find info on how well it worked when triggered via MIDI. Since it'll play chords and arpsd with a single note, it'll fit in with what I need in my cheap-arse tiny home studio. YAAY!

[@FreeBeat]

Awesome! Thanks for watching :)

[@rexcellencemagee6729]

Although I don’t own a Juno, I have all the sounds from the Integra 7 and a sound pack from the Roland Cloud, it’s all digital but the Integra has a Jupiter built into it. I love the unique sound of it! It’s an unmistakable oscillator! I didn’t know either you could separate the chords into separate sounds on the J6. But your right it makes more sense to get the boutique. But still for two hundred bucks it sounds like a real Roland Juno! Ty for the video!

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks as always!

[@mastaboog749]

super cool! i just hooked up a keyboard to my volca sample using the pagan software upgrade, had it hooked to my TD 3 via sync. so drums through the sample, bass on td -3, and i did a live lead over the keyboard thru the sample. the whole point of this was it made me realize i can use my launchkey mini with USB battery bank and use some device to actually have a mobile keyboard. this thing sounds nice!

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks for watching!

[@dudeseriously79]

That is really freaking cool

[@FreeBeat]

It is!

[@Sarahbuildsstepsequencers]

Loved the Red Barchetta sequence! *R U S H* And 4:30 is spooky how it sounds like Alex’s guitar!

[@FreeBeat]

Glad you liked it!

[@ilovecatsandsynths9702]

I enjoyed that, especially the Red Barchetta sequence. The Juno 6/60/106 were always great sounding synths, and this thing delivers on the sound. You’d probably love the JU-06A if you like Juno sounds. I recently ordered the new SH-4d, you might want to check that one out too, it’s got 4 synth parts plus rhythm, in a groovebox-ish form factor, but with plenty of knobs for sound design/tweaking.

[@FreeBeat]

Yeah it definitely looks interesting! Thanks for watching :)

[@ChaswellQuint]

My uncle has a country place that no one knows about....

[@sol.green.energy9515]

That thing is so much fun

[@FreeBeat]

Absolutely!

[@PostingCringeOnMain]

I love my J6, but didn't personally find much benefit to playing it with an external keyboard... however... playing the J6 through a Korg monotron delay to soften up the harsh digital with an analogue filter! THATS something I find myself drawn to a LOT!

[@FreeBeat]

Nice! Yeah it's not the best synth in the world but I like that you have the option to play it "normally" too.

[@user-rk2xj8gr3h]

The Usus is that J-6 plays in C only.

[@mcgritty8842]

⁠@@user-rk2xj8gr3hyou can transpose… and maybe you haven’t dug enough into the scales

[@Cysubtor_8vb]

I pondered the J-6 at one point, but preordered the Volca FM2 instead for the DX7 patch compatibility. Now, being several months beyond the original expected date and still weeks out from the current theorized ETA, I considered it again, but went with the Cherry Audio DCO-106 instead due to how affordable it is. Plus, figured I'd go soft synth for a retro sound vs the rest of my hardware (not including the FM2).

[@Sarahbuildsstepsequencers]

Waiting on the FM 2 as well. An exercise in patience.

[@FreeBeat]

I wonder if you'll eventually grab one haha.

[@crasheffort]

If you are still in the market for a good mini synth, the new roland S-1 aira compact is a great emulation of the SH-101 with 4 voices and waveshaping abilities that can give FM like sounds. It's also in stock.

[@Cysubtor_8vb]

@@crasheffort I saw the announcement for the S-1, but also, since the original comment, gotten both my Volca FM2 and Liven XFM. While I'm keeping an eye on it, I've barely had these two poly synths for a month, so I need to take it easy for a bit 🤣

[@PhillieCheezeKC]

Hey FB, love the vids. I got myself a J6 recently and i love it! But, I wanted to use the J6 with a midi keyboard and sometimes as midi controller like in your other video. I got a generic midi 5 pin to type B cable, and hooked it up to my roland juno-d which i typically use as a midi controller. But no matter what i tried i couldn't use the juno-d to control the J6 or the other way around. Midi channels were both on 1. So i wonder if it's a: a crummy cable or b: some setting i missed. Any ideas? Thanks!

[@akdm82]

It’s so funny, but I was using the exact same setup earlier this evening myself. I think that for $200 to get a ton of Juno 60 sounds in a 4 voice compact battery-powered device is pretty cool. I’m hoping that Roland comes out with a “JU-06B” boutique one day that has at least 8 note polyphony like how they’ve been recently coming out with newer boutique models with more polyphony like the JD-08 and JX-08. If the current Juno Boutique had that, I’d already have one. I have the JD-08 and JX-08 currently

[@FreeBeat]

That would be incredible!

[@idmxukiii]

Hi, could you please let me know which model of cable are you using to connect the keyboard to the j-6? I'm trying to connect my arturia beatstep pro with a tr-midi cable but the j-6 does not receive any midi note. thanks

[@trig2010]

Great vid, and I think the first of its kind thank goodness. I was ready to give up on the idea of achieving this but turns out I purchased 2 Type B breakout cables instead of the Type A that Roland requires. I hope this saves someone out there the same annoyance.

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks for sharing!

[@MeerkatMuzic]

Brought a J6 a few months back so good to see some decent videos on it.

[@FreeBeat]

Nice!

[@cal-scot]

Were you able to place steps on the J6 sequencer using the keystep 37? Im not sure if i need to change a setting but at the moment my keystep can control the j6 just fine, but it cannot set notes for steps. Any tips?

[@ironingmike]

A bit miffed that you can't seem to program your own chords/patterns from an external midi keyboard, only the buttons on the J6, ie can't enter notes per stage. I can trigger the preset chords and the unit is receiving midi. Am I missing something?

[@ambiguationdotnet]

Thanks for this, and ALL of your videos! Especially love the frequent Rush references 🙂 Subbed! Question - I'm in the market for a multitimbral unit that can preferably also function as an all-in-one portable "walkstation" so I can use it alone and also with my old school Kawai sequencer (and my Keystep, naturally 🙂) - any suggestions that won't break the bank? Many thanks!

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks so much! Honestly I don't really have much knowledge in that department, sorry :(

[@_manasikara]

Can we control the same way the Roland S-1 and Roland T8?

[@theJauf]

Hi, something i am very curious to solve, how do you set the start button to not be trigered and still listen to midi clock, it seams impossible! as i can see, you turn of the play button as fare as you start the arturias sequencer,..

[@NoizeLabUK]

I just picked up a Keylab Mk3 and it’s totally transformed my use of the J6. I’d like to figure out if it’s possible to use some of the controls on the Keylab to change parameters on the J6 (like use the knobs to control the filter, delay, reverb, etc).

[@TheTalkingPostCard]

I can't get any sound how of the Arturia KeyStep 32... I have the midi cable in and its typeA adapter for the Roland, but I just can not get it to work, Please Advise me I beg you!!!

[@rnr_imbee]

Have you tried to send midi to the J-6 using the usb-c? I have the S-1 and the manual says it can recieve midi with the usb-c but im not getting it to work, i have a data transfer cable, outputting the s-1 sound using the mix output which i send to the daw vie audio input. of my interface, but i just hear noise, even if i draw one note i get a noisy sustained sound thats obviously not correct

[@YikesThump]

Hey, again thanks for these videos. They really help. I wanted to know which adapter you are using to connect the mini din to the 3.5mm. I have two cables that have 3.5mm stereo and the other end is the 5 pin DIN. Neither appeared to work in the situation. I have the MIDI controller set to channel 1 and I have the j-6 set to auto. In a previous video, you had mentioned type b or Taipei a but now I don't know which video that was or which one you had used for the j6. Also can you do the same thing with the t8?

[@levanbleu]

Same problem here. Did you found out the solution ?

[@CleanStepSystems]

What's the main difference between the J6 and the JU-06A? Does the JU-06A just provide additional sound sculpting capability? It looks like the JU-06A also has 64 preset sounds (like the J6), so I'm assuming that they are the same sounds as on the J6. Does the J6 do anything the JU-06A can't do? I believe the JU-06A has a sequencer, arrpegiator, and also has a chords function. Wondering how the two units compare, because I have heard that the new S1 Aira Compact can do almost everything that the SH-01A can do but also do additional things the SH-01A can't.

[@svenwehrheim7188]

Very nice Tutorial , thanks for that at First . Watched many and helped me to get Started with electronic Music .😊 I just try to Play the j6 with my beatstep pro on live Recording Mode. Step Recording Is ok but when i Play the Pads live it has too much velocity and the Volume Is Not the Same . To get the Same Volume i have to press the Pads so Hard that the length of the Note Is too long . Is it because the Pads playing and Not Keys ( like your keystep) Would be nice to fix this Problem ore do i Need the keystep . Thanks

[@levanbleu]

Hey, thanks for this video :D I tried to do the same setup but with an AKAI mini plus, but it doesn't work, the keyboard don't want to control the J-6... Tried every whole haha Any idea on how to connect those two? Thanks

[@mikekerr5940]

I tried this exact setup with the Akai MPK Mini Plus and I can’t get any sound to play off the J-6 from playing the keys on the MPK. Any thoughts? Did you have to put your midi keyboard into any mode for the midi out?

[@levanbleu]

EXACT same problem here, did you found any solution?

[@youngboyfuture]

Insane

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks for watching!

[@CGI.VR.Producer]

Thanks! What is the boutique one, for 400 US Dollars?

[@swantons1119]

What are the dip switches set to on the key step? I use mine to control my microfreak through midi out but the seq and arp won’t fire off. It only works when set to internal. Love your channel and am a subscriber. Any response would be greatly appreciated 🙏🏻

[@FreeBeat]

They are set to "internal" :)

[@manuelsayasferre1721]

How conect arturia Wiht Roland j6??

[@wiggesobk]

This is really cool! Why i've never tried that? Haha Can you make a video about the j-6 sequencer?

[@FreeBeat]

I'll be covering the sequencer a lot :)

[@alitna]

Such a amazing machine! Did I understand it right that it can send midi on those chord and variation settings? That’s amazing if true! Can’t wait for you to try to control your Volvca Keys that way!:)

[@FreeBeat]

Yes it can! The only bummer about using it with the Keys is that the Keys is only 3 voice paraphonic, whereas the J-6's chords need 4 notes.

[@dustmighte]

The FM on the other hand is 4-voice so that seems like a perfect match. Have an FM and just ordered a J-6 and an S-1, can't wait for them to arrive!

[@anthonytalley55]

I can't wait till CHOMPI come out

[@FreeBeat]

It looks interesting!

[@gerinovmedto3127]

great video here! I tried the same way, plugged my keystep 37 using BOSS BMIDI-5-35 Type A 3.5mm TRS to Male 5-pin, but it only works for the play button & rate knob on it, not with the keynotes.. Any advice?

[@SFN999]

SFN999 för 1 sekund sedan Arturia uses different midi type b than than Korg and Roland who uses type a. I have the same cable with Roland a49 keyboard and it works.

[@franciscoromero4090]

Hello, thank you very much for the video. I have a midi organ pedal board and it is now clear to me that by pressing a pedal I could create a chord, my question is, can the midi data of that chord be sent to a third device? (sound module)

[@FreeBeat]

You could do that, but have you considered just getting a sampler, sampling a chord off of something (hardware or software instrument), and then triggering the sample with your midi pedals? I'd recommend something like the Roland SP-404MKII or the Nanobox Tangerine for something like that.

[@franciscoromero4090]

@@FreeBeat I hadn't considered it, thank you!

[@complexicus]

Ordered one yesterday, can’t wait to try it. Also very curious how it is going to work and sound to control some vst, gonna try some orchestral library’s and hope on some cool ostinatos with the arpeggio chords 🎉 great vid thanks

[@FreeBeat]

It's fantastic, I've been playing with the Minifreak V VST and the J-6 and the combo is great!

[@XuongTranTrieu]

Really inspiring guy!!! But I have a request, can you help test if the tap tempo on Keystep 37 can control the tempo on the Roland J-6?

[@FreeBeat]

It should be able to just fine!

[@XuongTranTrieu]

@@FreeBeat If it's as you say it is, then combo of Keystep and J-6 is really suitable for my use case, which is accompanying my band using chords but practicing chords are not a one day or 2 things. :D Thank you!!!

[@terrytorain5364]

hello and thanks for the videos. could you tell us if the j-6 has midi thru?

[@karl.weaver]

It does not.

[@jornhimstedt3515]

Hmm, I cant get it running with an external Keyboard. Channel of course the same. Tried two differen controller keyboards and non ist working. What am I missing? In the Video it looks like it is running right out of the box.

[@ryno583]

Hey! Make sure you have stereo midi trs cables and not just plain trs cables that was my problem..i was using mono patch cables

[@jenewbee]

Will you be comparing The NTS-1 J6 to your new Roland J-6?

[@Ro-pg2lb]

Would be interested in this idea as well :)

[@FreeBeat]

I probably will :)

[@rayderrich]

Another fun experiment would be to use J-6 as the controller and another synth, say the MicroFreak, as the sound source.

[@adambuscher]

I do this with my J6 and Mc101. Works great

[@FreeBeat]

Yup, already doing that outside of the videos haha, content to come!

[@ludwinhooi6982]

Hi hi.how can i conect roland j_6 on my alesis keyboard controller??

[@FreeBeat]

Which controller do you have?

[@ludwinhooi6982]

@@FreeBeat good morning..i have alesis keytar

[@FreeBeat]

@@ludwinhooi6982 connect a 5pin MIDI cable from the MIDI out of the Keytar, then you'll need a 5pin to 3.5mm trs MIDI adapter, I believe the J-6 uses "type a," but you'll want to confirm that, then plug the end of the adapter into the MIDI in of the J-6.

[@Rafix-drummer]

A question for the experts. *How do I connect devices with built-in sounds Directly to a control keyboard that has no sounds? *Which cables do I need? And what is the friend why? - I have: launchkey 25 mk Novation control keyboard and want to connect it for example: to CIRCUIT TRACKS. Or - for the Roland device / Roland Aira S-1 and use their sounds

[@EarJuice]

Doesn't just hitting the chord button make it mono

[@FreeBeat]

Nope, it's still polyphonic. The chord mode just makes it so you can play it like a normal keyboard without trigger chords with one key.

[@donflanary2461]

Hmm... I plugged my key step into my J-6 and nothing happens😬. Midi out to Midi in and nothing... Any advice?

[@FreeBeat]

Do you have the proper 3.5mm to 5pin adapter?

[@donflanary2461]

Yeah I believe so

[@sumairzubairy]

I too have the same issues I'm using a TRS 3.5 to 5din midiB cable that goes to the out midi in my keystep pro

[@SFN999]

Arturia uses different midi type b than than Korg and Roland who uses type a. Try an other adapter

[@vinceromanelli5939]

@@FreeBeat got a rec for the 'right adapter' ? I bought a bunch of amazon and none of them seem to do what this does. lol. (but i found this video because of it!)

[@logemann74]

Roland should make the connections all on top as Korg does. THen we can reuse our volca racks ;-)

[@FreeBeat]

That would be great! Although USB on top might be a bit odd haha.

[@JohnSAitken]

The interface between the keyboard and J6 (MIDI). A link to this adapter would help people. Do you think people are mind readers.

[@Flyingrabbit2222]

I was hoping I could use the J6 sequencer via midi to drive another synth with a larger sound capacity. No go. Anyone succeed in that endeavor?

[@FreeBeat]

Yeah I use mine that way all the time. What are you trying to use it with?

[@Flyingrabbit2222]

@@FreeBeat Two Synths. I was able to drive my Yamaha s90es...no problem. The first synth I tried was as ASM Hydrasynth deluxe. Didn't recognize it.

[@Flyingrabbit2222]

After doing a bit more searching it looks like the Hydrasynth doesn't auto handshake with incoming midi. I've got a lot of reading to do...and may be content driving the Yamaha for now!! Thanks for checking back with me!!

[@mounirlucmaghraoui357]

Hi free beat, Thanks for this new video. I don't see any thank button. Why?

[@FreeBeat]

I honestly didn't think I qualified for that feature yet hahaha, it's active now though. Thank you so much!

[@SonicVibe]

now ya just need the t-8 to complete the set

[@FreeBeat]

Not sure if you saw the J-6 unboxing but I showed that I have the T-8 too haha. That video is coming :)

[@SonicVibe]

@@FreeBeat o snap i saw the vid but missed that part

[@noshkispichki]

pls do this with the t-8 🙏🙏🙏

[@gobblegobble831]

Red Barchetta RULES

[@FreeBeat]

Yes it does!

[@user-rk2xj8gr3h]

Well it looks to be a nice Part for lazy hours at a music studio, isn't it dude? The best way for using it is to connect that part with a real synth like NORD or KURZWEIL via MIDI I/O I think.🎉

[@coltonmuri3672]

"You guys are probably getting tired of that riff". Nah man, jamming out with internal sequencers means listening to the same thing on loop for 4 hours straight lol

[@Melodic623]

More j6 videos

[@FreeBeat]

Yup, they're coming!

[@bebussound7991]

You sound like Will Forte a little bit

[@FreeBeat]

I'll take haha, he's hilarious!

[@MrKwixster]

I’ll tell you something annoying: you can’t program the J6 sequencer with the midi input! 😠😩😖 Please double check for me!

[@FreeBeat]

Yeah that appears to be the case, probably because its unique to the J-6.

[@MrKwixster]

@@FreeBeatI found out you can program the j6 with an external midi controller if you program in live record mode (entering/recording notes as the sequencer is playing).

[@brooklynboy1000]

Yap yap yap. Get to it

[@MyBichSustained]

Kinda defeats the purpose of owning this if you are useing a external keyboard.

[@rjakiel73]

How exactly? You can go small with a few small modules like this and a battery speaker and go mobile. You can hook it up to a keyboard and a few other goodies and gave a cool desktop setup.

[@MyBichSustained]

@@rjakiel73 I didn't say not to hook up modules...why would you hook up external keyboard to a keyboard? Unless it don't have octave settings.

[@rjakiel73]

@@MyBichSustained yes because the built in keyboard is just SOOO easy to play... 🙄

[@FreddieShreddieTV]

the keys are pretty small on the j-6 for one. another is midi chaining. loads of reasons really. programming in your own sequences with a bigger keyboard etc etc@@MyBichSustained

[@MyBichSustained]

@@rjakiel73 It's not bad...it's meant to tweak out some fun than perform complex arrangements..

[@mcgritty8842]

Why you ask people to subscribe before presenting content? No, I will not subscribe because you claim your channel will provide X. Show me this content first. Lame!