Roland Boutique JU06a | Roland 1909 Launches

This is a new release, and its not as far as we know going to be limited edition like many of the other Boutiiques. Its an updated JU06 which now features the 106 model and the Juno 60 (which used VCOs not DCOs). This is using the ACB (Analog Circuit Behaviour) tech at 48kHz like the other Boutiques. Gone are the mod strips, replaced by an arpeggiator and mode selection switches. Still with four voices but has some classic sounds from what we heard.
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[@guyp3599]

It wouldn't take much to take the polyphony from 4 to 6 notes, but it makes SOOOO much difference to us players. Come on guys, listen to your audience.

[@petrokemikal]

4 voice, 4 voice, Whacha gunna do, Whacha gunna do when some strings are due !!!

[@ryanwest5551]

hahahaha!

[@MattiasEliasson74]

I´m waiting for Behringer Juno 60/106, with 8 voices.

[@looneyburgmusic]

Layer tracks? Buy two? Use a different synth, one with more voices? Most users of the Boutiques I've seen are not using these synths as their ONLY sound source. A friend of mine has a JU and JP attached to her Korg Kronos. Like myself, (mine are attached to my Yamaha SY77 and Korg Krome), she uses the Boutiques exclusively for "lead" sounds, which doesn't require more than one or two voices. The BIG string/pad parts are handled by the synths with 16/32/64/128 voices, as they should be.

[@MattiasEliasson74]

@@looneyburgmusic Or wait for Behringer to do it right. Roland dosent seem to care. They could have done a lot.

[@looneyburgmusic]

@@MattiasEliasson74 Roland did the Boutiques just fine. They were never meant to be 1-1 copies of the original synths. If Behringer does decide to make clones of the Juno or Jupiter, (which there is no reason to expect they will), I wouldn't think they could hit a sub-$400 price point either.

[@BioSoftStudios]

Preordered mine Finally, my first ever Juno synth

[@AndyVonal]

Must comment...the original Juno 6 and 60 had DCOs...just like the later 106. The 6 and 60 do, however, seem to sound "nicer".

[@DJ-sn2wn]

If it was more than 4 voices I would instantly buy

[@leemortimer80]

The biggest gripe about the JU-06 was the lack of voices. Can't understand why they stayed with only 4 on this.

[@tonylancer7367]

I don't understand. Does this mean if you connect MIDI keyboard to this, regardless of the chords you play, only 4 voices will sound (and not 6 on a CMaj7 chord for example)?

[@elsongs]

@@tonylancer7367 Yes. the technology exists to play all 6 voices, but Roland decided to cheap out on us again. :(

[@tonylancer7367]

@@elsongs Funny, I was so excited that I would actually be saving up for this, now I just wonder if I really need it. How much polyphony do we need anyways (especially for this)?

[@elsongs]

@@tonylancer7367 6 voices just like the original is good enough for a faithful re-creation of a Juno. But noooooooo...

[@thomaskolb8785]

That's because of the processor limitation. More voices would mean a less accurate sound and Roland apparently went for a better emulation instead of more voices. In the software ACB versions (Roland Cloud) you can switch to a lower fidelity in case you have an older computer. The System-8 has a multi-processor design so it can handle more voices. It is a matter of cost vs features.

[@marcuskruse1]

JU04a - sounds great though.

[@dxtrs_mnpltr]

Wow! Thank you Roland! This is amazing!!

[@mikebowlesmusic4515]

1982 (UK) Juno 6 released, 6 voices. 2019 Boutique JU-06a released, 4 voices. ??? Has Moores law passed Roland by in the last 35 years? What? Why?

[@leftmono1016]

Get Real Music - for some folk even using a VST in a box is more appealing than using a VST within software. It’s whatever floats your boat!!

[@HazeAnderson]

Behringer is about to lay down the checkmate on Roland.

[@dj-7154]

Still waiting for their oberheim replica.. Can't wait

[@leftmono1016]

Haze Anderson - Behringer amaze me, take their 808, so desirable they could sell bucket loads at 3 times the price. But it’s cheap as chips.

[@richnewman]

Nah. Some of us are perfectly fine with quality made digital instruments. Boog wouldn't stay in tune for longer than two songs--sold it on Reverb (they and Musician's Friend/Guitar Center are flooded with used Boog's now for the same reason). The Roland boutiques on the other hand sold like wild fire, with most of them selling out. Roland knows their customers and it's not the whiny bedroom wannabes buying cheap Behringer knockoffs (ripoffs).

[@leftmono1016]

Rich Newman - if you have an ear for it, it only takes a few seconds to coax a Boog back into tune. I'd say bedroom wannabes are the main market for nearly all these synths. Lots of Boogs for sale 2nd hand because of the numbers sold, Boutiques were limited because of Roland's own lack of confidence in the product. If Roland did know their market they'd have been making true analog synths years ago, Korg certainly do know their market. One of the best monosynths is the MS20, Behringer haven't copied that (yet) because Korg released the mini. Behringer are giving the consumer exactly what Roland have refused to. Anyway, the JU06a may be my first boutique as I loved the old Juno 60.

[@ooktar]

@@leftmono1016 Actually Behringer did copy the MS 20. The Behringer K2 is available for Pre Order right now.

[@GordonBraicks]

This looks like my weapon of choice as a someone who is going to buy his first analog (like) synth. Simple layout and powerful underneath.

[@SRDhain]

The 106 filters and vcas had, if i remember correctly, a shorter shelf life than the 60. Having owned both, they've nailed the sound, which always had a lot of bottom end. I wish it had 6 voices like both the originals, but other than that, with the chord mode & sequencer, this is a winner.

[@samprock]

Anyone knows if I can connect it to iPad thru USB/lightening ONLY to send midi to JU-06A and pickup AUDIO into Korg Gadget? (without an audio interface in between). Cheers!

[@Rialas]

4 voices? Just adding my voice to all the complaints.

[@martythevampire1]

I got quite excited when I first heard about this and then saw the 4 voice limit. Roland, please just make us the 6 voice version anyone who has ever played or owned Juno 6, 60 or 106 will understand! Make it £525 (half as much again) to factor in the cost of the extra voices. I’m not alone in finding hard to understand what has gone so seriously wrong with Roland that they just keep ignoring their customers simple requests. So many comments here asking for a 6 voice. It can’t be that hard. I’m sure if they ever release a Jupiter 4 boutique it’ll be a 2 voice just to piss everyone off! It’s a shame - and I say that as a current owner of a D-50, Jupiter 6, VP770, TR-8, JDXa, RE-501, JX-8P and have a lot of their older Juno’s, TR drum machines and fx units.

[@gherat]

So Behringer, can you guys please show Roland how it’s done and make a us 6 voice Juno?

[@ooktar]

They already have a 12 voice Juno. It's called the Deepmind.

[@ChazSeamus28]

Awesome sounds from that thing

[@savanaviolenta]

I'm getting this for sure.

[@Riktenstein]

FOUR VOICES - FOUR VOICES - FOUR VOICES!!!!!!!!! Now I know Roland are trolling me.

[@jeffc1753]

Same old greedy fucking shit from Roland, it’s 4 voices for no other reason than to get people to buy 2.

[@Riktenstein]

@@jeffc1753 Agreed. Though times are changing. An 808 from Behringer, and 300 quid. Thanks you very much. Buy Roland.

[@josephlepkowski2383]

@@jeffc1753 but buying two does NOT increase true poly. All you get in chain mode is a layer of 4 voices not 8 voice poly 😥

[@MattiasEliasson74]

@G Lol yea, what the hell are Roland doing? Behringer will be so much better.

[@looneyburgmusic]

@@jeffc1753 No. It's 4-voice because that is the balance point for the ACB engine between cost and sound quality.

[@PCoyte]

It doesn't make sense why it's only 4 voices. The 6 in Juno/Jupiter meant 6 voices and works perfectly for playing pads with 2 hands without getting messy overlapping notes. Restricting polyphony to 6 voices is a good technique but 4 voices?

[@MusicFed]

Peter Coyte doesn’t make any.sense.whatsoever other than forcing buyers to fork out for 2 units

[@craigpacker2693]

Buy 2, or buy a System 8. The 4 voice architecture is all about the form factor and the price... it's called marketing - if you need the extra voices, you have several options including the Cloud, to get around it.

[@PCoyte]

Craig Packer of course - I shouldn’t have expected the complete package in this mini form

[@SPAZZOID100]

Craig Packer ????

[@looneyburgmusic]

"It doesn't make sense why it's only 4 voices" - That would be because you have no idea how the ACB engine works internally. Don't feel bad, I didn't either, until I had the chance to see for myself, (don't ask, I can't tell). The 4-voice limit really is the perfect balance point between the cost to manufacture a Boutique, and the sound quality the engine produces. It is what it is.

[@hujuu]

Want to know why you should have 6 voices Roland? Check out your own demonstrator at 3:27.

[@oldschoolebm666]

Ha! Exactly.. Big fail.

[@TsavosAlliance]

I want this Synth!

[@303g]

can the arp/sequence be sent by midi to external synth ?

[@claudiostano]

love this

[@TommyVarekai]

Can you program original sequencers or only use the presets?

[@HotStrange]

Still only having 4 voices is lame, but it does sound and look way better/closer than the original JU-06. The added arp and delay is a nice addition. Also glad the pitch and mod sliders are gone. For $399 I will probably snatch one up.

[@johnk6312]

I think the boutiques are all great though a bigger 49 key keyboard to house maybe two boutiques securely for live use would be great.

[@osands]

would love to know if juno 60 could load into the system 8

[@wejamm]

Helo is it Possible to record chords on the fly to the sequencer thankyou

[@JuanJLopez-ge7vi]

Can you sync the arp via midi clock?

[@mattsynth]

What, still only 4 voices.

[@andrewglassey874]

Glad they finally got rid of the pitch and mod controls that took up valuable space on the previously issued boutique series front panels (you have these controls on your controller keyboard anyway!) but wish they had increased the length of the sliders more to give finer control on sculpting the sounds. I know it’s been built to a price but it was always something that bugged me about using the boutiques, particularly on the JP08 one. The sliders are really fiddly to use on that as well.

[@juxty3102]

Considering the advances in electronics including the price of components I wondered what it would cost to fully replicate these old synths. Surely they still have the original electrical diagrams/designs.

[@mt.borracho911]

Would it be more advisable to get the Juno alpha I .. or just the Juno 06a. 🤔

[@RayyMusik]

Still 4 voices only? Nope.

[@elsongs]

Dealbreaker right there. I was all excited until I found out about the polyphony. For those of you who say, "Oh, 4 voices is no big deal," then you've never played Juno pads/strings before.

[@benjaminwooningmartin6253]

Feels. 😩

[@wrmusic8736]

@@elsongs yes, 6 is an absolute minimum for anything that is presented as a polysynth. What's the point in 4? Can't play any kind of chords with any amount of release, let alone pads, unless very simple. At most 4 voices allow for a monosynth-like playing with release tails, but eh? It's supposed to be a juno

[@tsevetgestoorde]

I have it and love it, please don't judge if you never used it. I guess people flamed Roland too when releasing the 909 808 and 303. Thanks Roland for your products! But please update the Jupiter-50 catalina driver too.

[@-VCO-]

Still only 4 voices? Also nothing new about those sequencer modes that were mentioned: the original boutiques also offered several variations of up, down, up/down and random modes, with step on/off, but the real important question is: can the sequences be transposed? Probably not, I suppose? Overall I would still consider it is a step in the right direction, although not quite there yet.

[@my4trackmachine]

Pretty sure the junos all used DCO. I think the only difference in the voicing is the filter chips in 106. The rest of the differences comes down to arpeggiator, memory, and the addition of midi.

[@aleksandari.7834]

4 voices? Please, just tell me what philosophy of thinking was behind this idea? It's unbelievable!

[@Jaysusitsme]

Daft question, but, is a MIDI keyboard required to use this? or can notes be inputted like the SE-02? (asking for a friend *ahem*)

[@milk_bath]

Does this still boost bass at least in the 106 mode?

[@niktonpanaflex7831]

I dig the boutiques. Kinda bummed I slept on the JX-03

[@carnmarth334]

Really weird. At 1:06 David Åhlund says "we now also added a clock input", and Nick Batt responds "Wow". Then at 4:25 Batt says "oh, I noticed you've got an external clock in there …". What?

[@PRODIGY5369]

Can you please create some more JP08. Thank you.

[@SPAZZOID100]

Juno-60 was also DCO Nick.

[@kaitsu9608]

I think they mostly changed voice chips in 106, which nowdays have become notorious for failing

[@gordon2402]

digital controlled VCO So the DCO‘S are better in tune .

[@gordon2402]

In the 80s because of the dx7 and other digital keys/synths...no one want to hear the word „analog „ anymore

[@gordon2402]

@Joey Begskin hello The post from Nick is gone !!! He said that the juno 60 has VCO s

[@gordon2402]

@Joey Begskin yes i know Digital controlled analogue OSCs Im talking bout the juno 60 I know the juno 06a is digital The last real 80s vco synth from roland was the sh 101 i believe but im not sure

[@inevitablecraftslab]

please re-release the jupiter, i wanted to buy it but it was sold out before i blinked twice. also what about the scooper and those modules, why dont you bring those back ?

[@missteachbytouch8623]

Nick you have become my favorite demonstrator. You are down to earth and seem to cover many more details of the products. I’m not interested in hearing someone talk for 45 minutes or listen to 45 minutes of arpeggios. My problem is I’m recently retired after 50 years of playing and recording. A guitar player at heart, I got stuck playing keyboard because I could. I owned the original Minimoog and s a Juno 6, both of which I regret I sold. Now home, retired and recording I own a Casio WK-3500. And I’m looking for a way to expand it with arpeggio and portamento. I have watched and listened to 100’s of videos and I am exhausted. I’m looking for a way to add those features without breaking the bank. Can you give me any suggestions? Thanks Jan

[@localtechnique]

Nice upgrade from the original JU-06 but without a beefier processor to fix the voice count it's not for me.

[@SPAZZOID100]

Get Real Music hardware

[@MrRyancangri]

They need to make more!!!!!!!

[@nailbiter82]

Have they fixed the ACB lag over midi?

[@craigpacker2693]

All later Boutiques are less suceptible to this problem.. and it was not MIDI, but the 1st generation ACB processing which was causing the lag problem. Much less noticeable in the SH01a fro instance.

[@nailbiter82]

Craig Packer Good to know. It’s about 15ms on my TR-09 which isn’t a big deal if I set it to master.

[@XDanimalzX]

That “dirty black color” comment at the end had me dying 😭

[@Wagoo]

So will there be a System-8 Juno-60 plugout?

[@fortheloveofnoise]

Do the plugouts cost extra or are they all free?

[@Wagoo]

@@fortheloveofnoise it depends. The last firmware update to the System-8 added the JX3P plugout for free.. so they might enhance the built in Juno-106 plugout to have a Juno-60 mode. But in general you have to get them from the Roland cloud I think.. (was also originally a purchase options but I don't think all plugouts made it onto that when they lauched the cloud stuff :/)

[@fortheloveofnoise]

@@Wagoo oh ok

[@josephlepkowski2383]

Really no need to have the poly cut on these again. As a JU06 owner id gladly buy this if it was 6 voices. I get it they dont want to compete with their other products(that uses the Juno with full voices). At 400 USD makes it the one most expensive boutiques.

[@ianmcginlay1662]

Joseph Lepkowski I think the SE-02 was more expensive, but its more than the others certainly.

[@RayR]

Actually sounds very good. You can almost hear the electricity. Between this and the new Fantom and MC707 I'm actually impressed. The new Jupiter left me cold however. I'll probably buy the JU06a first and then the Fantom. Still waiting on a true Analog Roland...

[@cgraysonsmith]

SE-02; wicked, check it out!

[@willvine4921]

1909 that was a long time ago !

[@Lyynkstudio]

Still 4 voices on JU-06A...

[@fortheloveofnoise]

IKR, is it that hard to add two more?

[@tonylancer7367]

I don't understand. Does this mean if you connect MIDI keyboard to this, regardless of the chords you play, only 4 voices will sound (and not 6 on a CMaj7 chord for example)?

[@elsongs]

@@tonylancer7367 Yes, unfortunately.

[@evildead2002]

It’s 2019 🤷🏻‍♂️🙈🙈

[@SPAZZOID100]

Tony Lancer yea

[@XanderEwald]

Again with the 4 voices....WHY?!

[@fortheloveofnoise]

@Murada Why get mad at a legitimate question, would it have been hard to add 2 more voices to this thing to make it more authentic?

[@breslin44]

Yeah real pity it’s only 4 again. Strange decision.

[@SyntheticFuture]

@@fortheloveofnoiseagreed, but also 2 more voices = 50% more processing power required. I wouldn't think that's a huge deal but I don't know how much it has too spare.

[@fortheloveofnoise]

@@SyntheticFuture They did great with the D-05 though.

[@SyntheticFuture]

@@fortheloveofnoise difference being that that is a digital synth. No fancy "analoge modeling" going on under the hood. I can't honestly say how much processing power that ABC stuff takes (or how much of a difference it makes...) but roland has been on record that it takes more processing power than they like and it is restricted. Does make me wonder why they released it as is as it is a very not future proof setup right now =/

[@thefool2007]

Love this unit. Needs 8 voices before I’d buy it. But I would buy it.

[@RoyChartier]

Buy 2

[@MrHarney]

So re the number 6 used in the name 106 60 or 6 of the juno's i assume this stands for 6 poly ..so why the hell are Roland going backwards :( this thing should be called JU-04D

[@PORRFNK]

JU-WD40?

[@jamessisson3703]

The VCO DCO remark made me wonder who's testing who? Brilliant and as a viewer, If it were a joke, it was a very good one, If it were a statement, we're up to the elbow in shit!

[@spookypen]

Cool. More tr-09s please.

[@geluix69]

Boutiques make everyone’s hands look enormous. Baby hands required.

[@thechronicnoizeco.6675]

Oh boy!

[@stevesspiders]

They need to rerelease the alpha Juno/ Juno 2

[@synthartist69]

ONLY 4 VOICES.. NO!!! This synth is a wonderful idea, in other videos the sound is great, but they ruined a great idea. WHY WHY???? Why not a 61 key version with 6 or 12 voices and a random function on the arpeggiator for the rest of us?

[@MarctheDarc]

The JU-06 was 299€ at launch, not 399€, so the price didn't stay the same as he claims. Which would've been fair if they'd upped it to 6 voices, like they should have from the beginning. I don't know, the original was tempting, but ultimately flawed. This looks a tad more "complete", but seems to still fall short in critical areas, which doesn't gel well with a pricehike. And I simply don't understand the part where, because analogue is subject to limited voice count, we're apparently supposed to accept a similar limitation in virtual analogue.

[@blakecasimir]

Marc the Darc Agreed on all counts. The original three Boutiques were launched at under £300 if I recall. At such a price, the 4-voice limit is fair and the price reasonable. At £349, it’s a tougher sell IMHO.

[@MarctheDarc]

@@blakecasimir The JP-08 was 400€ back then, but both JU-06 and JX-03 was 300€. Frankly I don't understand why they weren't all their original polyphony count, regardless of price, digital voices are extremely cheap. The Waldorf Blofeld is 25 voice, 16 part multitimbral, at 400€ - and it's not like they've skimped on that, that thing is a tank, with real 1/4" outputs! Though I know some people experienced stability issues with the software. Modules from the 90's are 128 voice polyphonic with 16 part multitimbral. The aging Virus TI2 had up to 80 voices 16 parts. Their own D-50 from 1987 was 16 voices 2 parts. The list is endless! I know there can be a huge difference in the processor load from the various modellings, but that 4 voice limit never made any sense.

[@HotStrange]

Marc the Darc The Blofeld is a bad comparison. The CPU will drag the voice count down to 3-4 voices once you start using wavetables and tons of modulation.

[@MarctheDarc]

@@HotStrange I respectfully disagree. While it's true complex voicings will drag the voice count down, I've never managed to drag it that low. But even so, we're still talking about more oscillators, filters, envelopes and LFOs than these are even capable of, at a far greater overall complexity. Add in the tank-like build, better connectivity, high spec screen (for its time), and at the same price. It's still making the Boutique 4 voice limit look pretty damn silly. EDIT: And it's a lot older, factoring in that electronics and their performance are constantly getting cheaper.

[@HotStrange]

Marc the Darc the point I was getting as is the Blofeld isn’t a great comparison when making the point that you can get however many voices you want with digital. I see your point though. Not sure about the connectivity part. The Blofeld is well known for having trouble syncing to any kind of clock. At least the JU-06a has the sync/trigger connection. This also has the edge in the interface department and can get those classic “analog” sounds a bit closer. The Blofeld is a hell of a synth though, especially for the price.

[@TonyAndersonMusic]

Roland is so bizarre. So many products in the last 5 years with limited features - and a perpetual unawareness of what the average user wants. I can’t keep track.

[@valdiskrebs566]

Aaron Foltz Yes! Love my SH-01A... it is also 4-voice poly, which works fine for sequencer music.

[@TonyAndersonMusic]

Aaron Foltz agreed. You got me there.

[@louiselay4879]

JU-06A sounds very different and is missing the harmonic details of the 60

[@richnewman]

Wow, a lot of whiners on here complaining about the polyphony. Sounds great and will do great for me. Just pre-ordered it! Everybody cried about the JU-06, too. And then it sold out and everyone cried because they were gone. It seems to me a lot of people think it's 'trendy' or 'cool' to bash on Roland for some reason. You guys keep on complaining and I'll keep on making music...

[@febed01]

Yes, lots of whining and no useful info.

[@ezassegai4793]

if Roland just made a VA Juno60 keyboard version I am sure they would cash in nicely.

[@maccagrabme]

So after all this time Roland still stubbornly considered the Junos to be novelty items and didn't expect to sell many even though fans had been crying out for them for decades to be remade! I love Roland gear but they really need to wake up, without these 'novelties' they wouldn't be selling half as much gear. I'd like this boutique to be 6 voice with hardware chorus and analog filters and I'd buy it even though I've already got this one. It's great but there is huge demand out here for a full remake.

[@nobel11]

Damn it. Still only 4 voices?

[@looneyburgmusic]

What do you expect? It's the same ACB engine driving the thing. To increase the voice count would mean adding at least 1 - 2 more DSP chips, (along with all the support circuity), upping the cost.

[@adamrowe8674]

Yes finally!! Roland answered my prayers 👏

[@X-101]

Bring back the JX-3p too

[@Deeplycloseted435]

X-101 that was the best boutique.....I have a JX-3P with Kiwi kit, but the UI is crap. Those various sync modes on the 3P take it to all kinds of cool places the Jupiter and Juno can’t go.

[@bradleylinemihler]

4 voices killed the tail on that great pad at the start. Why? Why 4 voices?

[@MattiasEliasson74]

Cus Roland are stupid apparently. Just wait for behringer to deliver.

[@rhamlyn100]

The Juno 6/60 was all chorus and no trousers.

[@mrbreaker101]

Nick - your credits section has a typo in this vid. You copied and pasted from your Jupiter-XM video and forgot to change the text. Guess you need to do a full review now.

[@digitalsketchguy]

That's on my shopping list and maybe the Behrenger Neutron.

[@SourDiesel69]

They need to make more TR09s

[@PORRFNK]

One thing about the 06a, they fixed the latency issues, which is never really talked about by Roland

[@DiamondWoodStudios]

I’m wondering if this is a reason they discontinued it, like the original 3 models were meant to be novelty products but with the latency they had to update the model

[@PORRFNK]

@@DiamondWoodStudios maybe a is the “A”ble to sync 🤣

[@Dougie-]

Nick: Obvious questions would be «Since it's an update, does it now have 6 voices like the original? Why not, it's even in the name? And does it have a polyphonic sequencer? Why not when you put one into the SH-01A which is originally monophonic?».

[@wavelengthrecords-1]

Nick's a shill.

[@ZenMountain]

Can’t believe you guys don’t even mention if the 106 engine on the JU06A is exactly the same as on the JU06 or has it been improved in any way????

[@iantanner7579]

still cheaper than getting my old 106 repaired, and i get a 60 emulation as a bonus, - sweet! ~ hope they do the SH-2 at some point, also without the ribbon controllers ~

[@monowelt]

I'm not sure if a Juno 60 would sound like that if we have 1982. Way to snappy and clean for my taste, but it sounds ok, if you don't think you have a Juno 60.

[@Surfercurtis]

An no 6 voice polyphony. FAIL. Why even bother!

[@Timecop1983]

It's all our fault the Boutique series are still being made. Here the guy from Roland says it was originally made as a novelty. But it was so popular they made more and more. And people kept buying them. It's a easy choice to stick to this small format leaning on massively popular vintage synths. The price is low, so more people buy them. Fullsize flagship synths are more expensive and sell less, so they make less money on them.

[@DaNocool2011]

At least it looks good

[@outerspacebass]

I'm confused about the limitations of this device. Doesn't the jd08 have a gajillion voices? How is this a 4 voice Juno 60? The whole nomenclature of the original is the fact that it's a 6 voice synthesizer. Why would I buy this over the deepmind? I owned a Juno 60 and jsq60 before I was burglarized. I found that I was able to do everything I wanted with the Juno by heavily programming my orbit V2. Of course those patches were inspired by the Juno experience but I'm perplexed over the 4 voice limitation of one of Roland's most simple synths.

[@elsongs]

FOUR VOICES?!?!?! COME ON ROLAND! PASS.

[@mkultraproductions1549]

Agreed

[@Rompler_Rocco]

NOOOO!!! I've kept my JU-06 like new, hoping to one day make some money on the increasing value.. So of course a more desirable version comes out!

[@dmomcilovic9185]

Same here, got two of them in box

[@geevee7823]

Glad they got rid of the ugly, useless ribbons. This thing is brilliant and looks fantastic. However, this thing would be an absolute classic and best seller if it had 6-voices. It'll be a best seller regardless.

[@HotStrange]

I agree. I’m probably gonna snatch one up but having 6 voices would turn this into something else completely.

[@nobel11]

I had a piece of gear fall on my JU06 and dent the pitch ribbon, so now it's always bending the pitch.

[@buscrates412]

OMG I HATED those ribbons!

[@dmomcilovic9185]

They could have made those faders longer this time , but no

[@oldschoolebm666]

4 voices so you can spend more on their system 8 or jupiter xm etc. Just good ole marketing

[@ShaunCymruDS8]

TAKE MY MONEY! very nice..I do miss my old Juno 6 and 60

[@YotamPiano]

If it's digital why only 4 voices?? The whole idea of digital is to remove to analog polyphony limit lol, Roland completely missed the point. It should have been 16 + voices with split layer

[@HotStrange]

Lmao that’s not the “point” of digital. Its a benefit. And now you’re asking for a bit too much. It should’ve been 6 voices like the original. Expecting 16+ voices, with split/layer functionality for this price is just silly.

[@YotamPiano]

the point of digital is to expand on all the limitations of hardware analog gear in general. The point is not about the "polyphony" itself per se, I said "the idea" .. and historically it is true as the first digital synths appealed to people mainly due to improved polyphony and expressiveness. no need to be petty over wording just to appear knowledgeable. BTW, for the price listed it's hardly the best bang for buck, and that's a fact not an opinion.

[@HotStrange]

Yotam Cohen Not fair of you to say I’m using semantics to seem knowledgeable when you pulled that last sentence out of nowhere. I never mentioned anything about it being the “best bang for your buck” and yeah clearly this isn’t. It’s a niche product for someone after the Juno sound that doesn’t want to spend an outrageous amount. Also, you said it was the “whole idea”. Without expanding on your comment, as you just did, anyone would assume that’s what you meant. So I was “trying to appear knowledgeable”, I was taking what you said at face value.

[@YotamPiano]

@@HotStrange "The Whole idea" doesn't mean the 'only thing' but rather in a context of a major part of what it is (figure of speech). Making a digital synth but not exploiting one of the major advantages of digital over analog ( ability to have great polyphony ) is a big missed opportunity and bad for their sales as well. Analogs with just that amount of polyphony (4) may cannibalize sales... I never stated you were claiming the JU is best bang for buck, I was responding to you but that doesn't mean every one of my sentences has to contradict everything you say. I wouldn't have said you were trying to appear knowledgeable if you understood my comment right, which seems as in so far you're the only one who didn't - so... don't assume for everyone. And if you're **personally** not sure, ask for clarification else you would be perceived like a troll (the "LMAFO" didn't help either) It's okay tho. no sweat

[@YotamPiano]

yeah and claiming to know what I am and what and how I think while not knowing me at all just shows how big your ego and narcissism is. Hilarious that I just posted my opinion and got so much backlash ... the internet is a zoo that's for sure.. so all in all your comment not really contributing to the synth discussion as well are you? nice self shot :D

[@SPAZZOID100]

4 voices

[@MeAlexSenna]

The sweat 😓 of the Roland dude went down as they ask him (only 4 voices yeah?) - ridiculous company that never listens their costumers- Better get a Deepmind 12

[@andydarby52]

Let's hope for a Ju o6a plus I'd happily pay $500-$750

[@JackJackJackJackJaxk]

Sure I'm echoing others but it totally baffles me how Roland are unable listen to any of the very valid negative points raised about the Boutique format, anywhere you look online. 1) 4 voice in 2019... I would buy if it had 6 voices, but why not give it more than 6, seeing as it's ACB and therefore make the polyphony better than the 80s, not worse!!! (Marketing to sell higher end System8?) 2) Power via mini USB!! Very poor design choice IMO. My TR09 - Slightest knock and it disconnects. Why not offer a power input? Batteries is an option but is there really need for yet more batteries in the world? 3) Unused space above the faders, so why not make the faders bigger?! 4) Mini jack outputs One potential saving grace is the SE-02 has Elektron style parameter locks per step on an analog synth.... Does this one have p-locks? As it's Roland... I doubt it! Would be a pleasant surprise to be proven wrong re: p-locks, but whatever the answer is; the voice limitation is the killer blow for me.

[@looneyburgmusic]

And yet, every single Boutique has been selling like crazy since the day they were released. 1). The 4-voice limit is the sweet spot for the ACB engine, between production cost and sound quality. The ones claiming Roland could just make the Boutiques 6 or 8 voice have zero idea how the engine works internally. Also, the ones who constantly complain about 4-voices are the same ones who heap endless praise on every mono-voice synth Moog comes out with. 2). The USB/Battery power options are fine. I've been powering all my Boutiques off of USB battery packs for a while now - zero issues, and a $5 battery pack from Walmart lasts around 6-7 hours of constant use. If someone is having issues ripping out wires, maybe the real problem is that person needs to learn how to take better care of his equipment? 3). Look up the term, "design symmetry". 4) The mini-outs are the only point you made that is even remotely valid. I've considered modifying all my Boutiques to use a 1/4 jack, but haven't had the time to look into yet. Bottom line is the Boutiques are all excellent synths, in high demand. If I was to sell my 4 Boutiques right now on the used market, (JU/JX/JP/D-05), I could nearly triple the money I paid for them. But I guess that is what always happens when there is zero demand for a product that sucks.... The people complaining and bitching are just complaining and bitching because that is all they know how to do.

[@SPAZZOID100]

looneyburgmusic Behringer will do it right. Just wait...

[@wavelengthrecords-1]

@@looneyburgmusic Roland shill.

[@looneyburgmusic]

@@wavelengthrecords-1 Not even... And I wish, then maybe I wouldn't have to give Roland so much of my $$$ for so many fantastic synths...

[@looneyburgmusic]

@@nycpny8396 Far as the mini-out jacks, it has to be a size consideration. Electrically, the audio signal wouldn't know, doesn't care what type output jack it's being dumped into once it leaves the DAC, so my guess is internally there might not be enough space for a full-size 1/4 jack, or if the jack would end up shorting against the mainboard.

[@volt7cooltangs701]

Why oh why Roland? WHY?! ffs why can the external clock in on the JU-06a work with the step sequencer but NOT the ARPEGIATOR? Why? are you nuts? The SH-01a ext clock works with arp & sequencer. The Original Juno 6, Juno 60, Jupiter 4, 6 & 8, the SH-101, all of these had arpegiators that clock synced via the external clock in via a drum machine trigger. Why build in a arpeggiator section that is hugely prominent on the front panel and the marketing, then build an external clk input, and not use in for the arp. Utter insanity. I want an answer. Anyone got an answer for me?

[@sophia_lazar]

wait what, the arp doesnt sync the clock input? what is the actual point of a physical box that can eliminate a computer in a situation where you want to input clock?? is in any way possible to be fixed in a firmware update you think? am i missing something

[@volt7cooltangs701]

Sophie Lazar Hi, no the trigger clock in only steps the sequencer (which is not bad to be fair) not the Arp. Hopefully Roland will fix that in an update soon. Apart from the I really like my JU-06a, very quick to program and the built in delay and chorus sound great.

[@volt7cooltangs701]

Sophie Lazar; Forgot to say you can clock the Arp from an incoming midi in clock and you have a rotary knob to quickly change for 8ths/16ths/16th triplets etc. Clock divide knob.

[@sophia_lazar]

@Volt7 Cool Tangs Thanks for the reply, this is helpful.. I ordered it and its coming tomorrow.Quite honestly, I will order a few more of the rest of the set, because I honestly think these have a lot going for them for for what I will use them for. I have the tr-09 and the JP-08, and the MX-1. Now to be fair, I also have a relatively decent studio set up with big ticket analog synths like the 0B-6, Moog, etc..and other analog drums, hardware samplers with eight-outs as a rule going to my 16 track analog A&H zedR.. So, these are not to replace anything... is why I am saying that.. If I were more limited in my budget I would feel all the complaints more keenly and would not part with my cash before investing in analog which is my personal preference to have as a foundation. But having that investment out of the way, there is a place in my creative workflow for these that also is invaluable.

[@volt7cooltangs701]

Sophie Lazar Hi, OB-6 very nice. If you have a 3VCO Moog I wouldn’t bother with a Roland Boutique SE-02, lovely as it is (probably the best of the Boutique synths) The TR-08 I love & would compliment your 09 well. I wouldn’t bother with the SH-01a as sonically you are covered there. Love the small size of the Volcas & Boutiques. Talking small, I love the Arturia Microbrute, has a great aggressive sound and triggering its step sequencer from your 09 trigger out would sound immense. Also the Korg Volca keys has a really massive gritty lead sound in unison mode when its 3 VCOs are detuned. Tiny & super cheap but sounds massive in the mix.