Roland J-6 Tutorial | In-Depth Overview!

[@WaveBits]

Link for Roland J-6: amzn.to/3CVgUst (Amazon Affiliate)

[@vasil3089]

get an NTS-1 as well

[@stoneysdead689]

I'm 2 years old and have spent life making music the old fashion way- this is a game changer. That said- because I'm finally getting into all the current technology and electronic music in general- I say that about once a week. Seems like every few days someone shows me something that makes me be like "This changes everything."

[@ImFreezerBurnCompared2Cool]

You seem pretty musically intelligent to only be 2 yrs old

[@stoneysdead689]

@@ImFreezerBurnCompared2Cool LOL- 52.

[@IsshmanGarcia]

PRO TIP:Each step has its own preset, but if you want to change the preset for a given step: 1. Press Pattern button. 2. Select the step(from sequencer) you want to change. 3. Press Sound button. 4. Select ANY sound from the 64 provided presets. 5. Press Pattern button. You now have the sound you want in the selected step slot. You're welcome.

[@IsshmanGarcia]

FYI: Shortcut to change step length in Pattern/step sequencer mode( instead of menu diving and going to "Beat" setting ) is to hold down Pattern button and turn Tempo/Value knob so you can change on the 🪰. Bzzzz!

[@patrickgregitis4521]

You’re the goat for that

[@andybside]

Nice. Thanks a ton.

[@BD-zg7is]

THANK YOU!

[@IsshmanGarcia]

FYI: Hold Shift button with Filter(for Resonance- without shift is cutoff frequency), with Envelope(for Attack- without shift is Decay), with Delay and Reverb(for timing settings- without shift is non synced).

[@HotStrange]

Great to know you have control of resonance and decay. That adds a lot considering there’s only 64 presets

[@maikvanrossum]

@@IsshmanGarcia timing vs non-synced…? I was thinking no shift is simply Feedback for Delay and Reverb.

[@dr.greggeddins1723]

You really are making a positive difference in many peoples’ lives !!! I was not going to purchase this until I saw you demonstrate most everything it does. Keep doing what you do my musical technical teaching friend !

[@WaveBits]

Wow, thank you for your comment and feedback, I try to put as much valuable tips and insight with each video. So it feels great to see comments like yours. Enjoy the J-6! 😃

[@MikeJayMusic]

This does quite a bit more than I had thought I understood. I'm usually on the fence about Roland pricing, but they've done something special here, comparatively speaking. Thank you

[@cjoules3235]

That’s helpful thanks. Is it possible to program different lengths for individual steps?

[@vectorhold6489]

Dude, yes. Thank you. 11:35 was what was driving me nuts. Couldn't figure out why the sequence wasn't looping. Lol. Huge help.

[@digitalninjatools5670]

Thank you so much for this - best j6 tutorial I've seen by a mile!

[@themorningstar8122]

These are some of the best tutorials that I have ever watched easy to understand And listen to thanks 🙂

[@delmeteor717]

Your Roland Aira videos are excellent. Really made using my J6 and T8 so much more enjoyable with your clear explanations of diving into the menus.

[@Raku777]

Thanks for sharing. It is a good overview and I like how you demo-ed the interface between a DAW and the unit, showing a very full utilization of the J-6.

[@david_pilkington_music]

Great Video, thank you. Personally I think that this unit is the best out of the J-6, T-8 and S-1. The integration with Ableton live is impressive. You know your gear !

[@alexanderscott6332]

Thanks so much for this, it has to be asked, will you possibly complete the set and do a S-1 video?

[@theofuqua2599]

I was thinking about buying this to add to my synth family. I watched this video, love the in depth features you showed, then ordered it. THANK YOU!!!!

[@bobclark5360]

Can I control the J6 with my Novation LaunchKey 37 which a midi out and USB?

[@StrillLife]

Thanks for this tutorial. I didn't know how to access all these features or even save a pattern. This was very helpful.

[@davehyper7835]

OMG 16:42 reminds me of a track on the Fantazia First Taste album. I love this little thing and you've just helped my buy one! Many thanks for this excellent tutorial.

[@NicolasMelis]

best tutorial about the J6 i found on youtube! thanks

[@scorpionleader1967]

How many sequences can you store? How do you recall them?

[@vonbarfuss]

You’re the best J-6 ,,how it worx‘‘ teacher so far 😊!!!

[@crittercamproductions]

I'm just starting out with electronic music, and picked up a J-6 today. Your video was tremendously helpful to me, thanks!

[@sechabatheletsane9784]

How's the journey going😊 I'm starting out with music when I get it this weekend.

[@crittercamproductions]

@@sechabatheletsane9784 Having a lot of fun with my tracks and music. Hope you enjoy your J-6 as well!

[@henryblanchard4166]

Hi. Awesome tutorial. Can you change the beat between steps in a single pattern? Say 6 steps with 1-3 in “4 time” & 4-5 in “2 time??

[@bobclark5360]

Thank you. Would you believe you are the only one I found actually demonstrating how to use the J6 with a DAW.

[@CatGPT_]

bro.. you're doing gods work with this tutorial. much love

[@EchoKraft]

Your videos are awesome man! Thank you so much for sharing this tutorial. I haven’t hooked mine up to a keyboard yet. Curious would it play chords if I connected it to my Deepmind 12 ?

[@WaveBits]

I don’t know much about Deepmind 12 but I think you can trigger any synth that recieves MIDI input with the additional MIDI cable you can buy

[@IsshmanGarcia]

I forgot to let you know I learned alot from your tutorial. Great stuff.

[@BrandInman]

Great video, thank you! I really learned a lot about this little guy from watching. Nice work!

[@sodiumlights]

Great video, thanks. Hope they add what note/chord is being played via display.

[@enphour7960]

Great in depth tutorial of J-6. I just got mine a few days ago, and I love the Juno sounds and chord function. I hope to start building patterns next.

[@palomiarhs]

Great video! The only one which mentions the fact that, when using the J-6 with your DAW, you can use it to record the sounds it comes with, besides using it as a controller for other VSTs. Thanks a lot! Keep up the great work 😉

[@zzrwood]

The J-6 is also a class compliant midi/audio interface which means it works on iPad/iPhone with GarageBand and other mobile DAWs like Cubasis, Drambo, etc. This makes the J-6 and any iPhone a pretty capable and very portable setup. Ironically, the only DAW it has an issue with is Zenbeats - it doesn’t sync properly…

[@WaveBits]

Can’t wait to try the J-6 with iOS eventually!

[@9877joseph]

That's hilarious

[@rorz999]

@@9877joseph classic Roland! 🤦‍♂️

[@oliverdepauw5663]

Picked one of these up to mangle it with a mood mk2 - really excited to dive in and make some crazy sounds with it - i plan on using a 3.5 to /4 inch male trs cable to link them up and i’ll probably add an expression pedal to the mix- should be a fun build

[@subspeciez]

How do you change the velocity per step? I had this figured out months ago but I haven't picked it up recently and can't remember.

[@danielguerralopes]

Is it possible to make a chord sequence making chord changes on the second eight note of a beat? I really loved your videos about the Aira Series. Thank you very much!

[@PeterJoslynHarris]

Thank you so much for this! I've been really struggling with how to use this thing.

[@WaveBits]

Definitely, it takes time. I’m still learning all the nuances myself, but it’s a joy to explore!

[@jaguarvssnake]

Thanks so much for this ! Just one question: what is the “record” button for?

[@fakefirmware]

While it's playing a sequence you can record noodling with the filter cutoff delay time etc to liven up your pattern

[@greigclement9081]

Are you going to cover the Roland Aria S-1 Tweak synth ?

[@rochefsky]

GREAT video! Easier way to insert rests I think is to just un-light any notes. in the step... so no notes are present.

[@damelos4039]

Amazing video! Well done, easy to follow. Kudos to you and THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

[@enjo2258]

many thank's for your awesome work. thumps up

[@BD-zg7is]

amazing video you have no idea how helpful this is!!! THANK YOU

[@leewightman8619]

I just got mine few days ago it sounds so good..iv had the t8 for about 6 months that's amazing too iv not used them together yet .. definitely getting the s1 and might grab the e4 ..I just wish Roland made an aira sampler how dope would that be

[@djmikejolly]

Great video, but could you please add some instructions as to how to get midi and audio from the J6 into Logic Pro X as I've just bought a J6 and can't figure it out for the life of me! Many thanks.

[@S_e_a_n]

Wow amazing tutorial. The best I’ve seen for the J-6. Thank you for the post! Cheers

[@WaveBits]

Thanks for that, definitely! 👊🏻

[@luctussi]

do u have a tut for the s1 too? ur tutorials r awesome

[@helenbrown8016]

Thanks, you really help me get started

[@jackhoad9182]

Hey great video! Ableton recognizes my J6 as an audio device and I can record audio no problem. It also recognizes it as a midi device but can't seem to trigger midi notes/information. Any tips on how to solve this? Thanks!

[@sodiumlights]

excellent video, cheers. Stilllll waiting for 'em here in the UK:(

[@Studio_4to1]

I just can’t seem to play two patterns back to back. Any idea? Great video! Cheers

[@kubaswiercz]

great tutorial!! I have a question - can you set up different durations for differetn steps? Like: step 1 has 4 beats, step 2 has 2 beats, step 3 has 8 beats, etc.

[@Sarahbuildsstepsequencers]

Does it have the capacity to store things you create into memory for later recall?

[@WaveBits]

Yep! Explain Saving Patterns at 15:52 in the video 👍🏻

[@harrycash8713]

Looking for some advice on a laptop to use for music production and ti use with synthesizers. Windows

[@KitCatStudio]

Really helpful Tnx! Couldn’t find the answer to this: how can I change the length of individual steps? Say first four steps in 4 beats per measure and have the last two shorter like a half of the bar… possible? I think it’s really impotent and couldn’t find it anywhere

[@MortChud]

It can't do this and it makes this synth semi-useless.

[@snidedj]

Amazing, thank you for your in-depth tutorial.

[@buddingsignal]

thank *YOU* very much for this. very helpful. the j6 sounds great and has so much to offer.

[@andybside]

Thanks for all the great info, my man.

[@stuartgonsal8443]

Why in the chord sets (PDF), does each set have 12 chords listed horizontally? I would have expected there to be the typical I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII chords (i.e. 7 in total) & to trigger these using the 7 x white keys only and not use the black keyboard keys at all. And looking at the PDF, how do you know what key each of the 4 rows is in for say 1 Pop, horizontal row 1 of 4 in total? For example, the far left chord is E4. Does that mean the key is E major given this is the I chord?

[@petercourt-hampton5679]

Thanks for the tutorial. Very helpful. How can I see what notes are being played in any of the factory preset patterns?

[@WaveBits]

Hey Peter, I don’t think there’s a way to do that (that I’m aware of). You could always using a plugin like Mixed In Key Studio Edition to try and decipher the notes used if you connect the J-6 to your computer and receive audio input with a DAW

[@bartjanc]

Just record the midi in a daw and look at it?

[@rexcellencemagee6729]

I swore to myself I wasn’t going to get one of these! My iPhone has pleanty of chord apps! But since got Komplete Collectors I think it will come in useful!

[@nodoze123]

Thank you for this review!

[@Pilts82]

Can we do this live? I don't do computer recordings but rather play love. Will this work when connected to PA system or amp? Does it generate drums or beats

[@adamelos]

Thank you for this video. I have a few questions, though if someone could answer, please? 1. Is the DAW app a Roland one, or do you use something else, please? 2. If it is a Roland DAW, does it work as a fully functional one. What I mean is, can I add and record tracks from other instruments ( + vocals) to create a song? Pardon my ignorance, but I'm not too familiar with all the software and stuff. Thank you in advance for answers.

[@JohnWarehand]

He was using Ableton.

[@taisilva5101]

, can i choose everykind of chords, out of scale etc? Thanx

[@9877joseph]

Very crispy sounding! I want all three! I honestly hope that they stay with this form factor. Subbed!

[@meBrokenBody]

Is it not a sort of hardware version of Scaler 2, with limitations?? I don't see what that would bring me. Maybe I'm missing something?

[@englishiowa]

This was hugely helpful! I'm loving my J6 but hadn't really cracked the "recall sound/chords that I dialed in" and you've really shown how easy it is. +Subscriber!

[@technodrone313]

j6 + microfreak is super nice. it also pushes td-3s pretty well

[@specialk1287]

How do you connect them? I have the right cords but I can't get them to talk to each other 😭

[@technodrone313]

@@specialk1287 i think theres a bug with the midi ports. i use it over usb.

[@specialk1287]

@@technodrone313 USB to USB on the microfreak?

[@technodrone313]

@@specialk1287 to a daw.

[@karl.weaver]

Noobie with J-6 question, how you choose between minor/major chords etc?

[@jeffmorrison2915]

With all these gadgets, what songs did we produce?

[@itaydagani1704]

great tutorial, only one issue with this synth there is no way to use automation to change even the limited params of the synth so come on Roland, in 2022 every hardware or software synth has midi cc to control the synth parameters, give us a firmware update that allows us to do the above.

[@Random-pf3ne]

Great video! Is there a way to change the length of a individual step? Thanks

[@WaveBits]

Yes, you can! I show it at 11:51 in the video, really useful way to customize your patterns 👍🏻

[@Random-pf3ne]

@@WaveBits Thanks for the reply. Maybe I’m missing it, but let’s say steps 1-3 are the same length and I want to do a turn around and have steps 4-6 to be shorter, is there a way to do that. Sorry if you already explained this. Thanks

[@WaveBits]

@@Random-pf3ne No, unfortunately. Just the duration of all the steps equally. It would be cool if that was possible though.

[@Random-pf3ne]

@@WaveBits Bummer! I’m still having lots of fun with it. Thanks

[@pameladolin929]

can you sequence be saved as a standard midi file on a USB Drive on the back of the unit? TYVM your video's are awesome!

[@manitsony6703]

can u start the j6 with ableton ? how do u sync temp between j6 and ableton

[@Fimpiekijke]

Very well explained,thanks !!! And also good comments and tips in the further comments community 👍

[@laurynasmotekunas7095]

It would be great if you could set a different length per step, I hope this comes with a firmware update.

[@genoekenfloeken]

Is there a power cable included?

[@larrylynch8113]

Does it work a standalone unit like can I plug earphones and play with it ?😊

[@JohnWarehand]

Yes it does.

[@JohnWarehand]

Really helpful - thanks very much.

[@lucasmosching8983]

Can i use the J-6 and its Chord functions to midi control the S-1? As a non Musican i would love to use the advantages of the J-6 but still be able to tweak the thing out of the S-1.

[@bartjanc]

Can the styles&variations and chord mode be used when inputting notes by midi? For If i wanted to use a different sequencer, but still make use of all the J-6 has to offer/add to it.

[@BenHall289]

I think this will be my next piece of hardware. Easy chords for house paired with my Digitakt, Cycles and dreadbox typhon. I’ll probably use the typhon as an effects unit mostly by routing the j6 through it.

[@MrSlipstreem]

If you already own a Korg NTS-1, there's an awesome custom oscillator that emulates the J-6 sound and some of its functionality very nicely. And it's free. 😉

[@orregomusic5850]

Good job Bro, the best of life for you.

[@Drumsdude123]

Thanks! Some suggested that Roland Mc707 chord functions can be compared to this small device.. kipping in mind that's in 707 all the pads nobs are much more handy... What do you think?

[@JohnSAitken]

Why is nobody doing a vid about connecting J-6 to a Drum Machine? I’ve been playing around with the J-6 connected to my SR 16 and now I’m trying J-6 plugged into my SR-18 (midi out Drum out off) it’s a nice combination.

[@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.

[@RaquelFoster]

Let's all just take a second and appreciate how tight this close-up is, and I don't see any dust. Must be some kind of positive-pressure clean room situation where you need to go through a series of airlocks.

[@WaveBits]

Haha, I try 😅

[@JeffMyers-ir3pn]

Great video. Learned a lot. Thx! J

[@davidhall-ei7br]

Excellent review, thanks so much!

[@gapster77]

This was very helpful, this is an unusual instrument and it doesn’t make everything as obvious as I found the T-8 to be. …sooooo, in much the same way as you used the J-6 to control that plug-in via MIDI, I’m assuming I could send MIDI to another synth, like my Behringer CAT? I’m only just starting to use MIDI, it’s all fairly new to me at the mo’.

[@WaveBits]

I think you probably can send it to the CAT - how I’m not sure, haven’t tried to send mine to any hardware yet. Def worth exploring!

[@gapster77]

@@WaveBits I’ll give it a go, and let you know. Keep up the good work👍🏻 (Subscribed)

[@gapster77]

@@WaveBits It did work, and it sounded pretty sweet! 🥳

[@MoeShinola1]

Question: I had to disengage the sequencer on my Behringer Crave to keep it from automatically starting to run whenever I pressed Play on the Korg SQ-64 sequencer I hooled it up to. Can the J-6 sequencer be disengaged in the same way, so it dosen't start automatically, but waits til I press Play on the J-6, even if it is midi-ed up to the Korg and it's sequencer is running?

[@mrfeenix1]

How do i put a chord on the 3rd beat of the bar on the first step of the sequence ? Each step is 4 beats / a bar but i don't want to put the chord on the 1st beat but on the 3rd so i can make Dub chords...

[@maikvanrossum]

You’ve probably found a solution yourself, but in this case I would reduce the number of Beats per Step to two. The first step would get a Rest (Insert from Menu), so the first Beat of the second Step would start you first Chord (or note). Another option would be to reduce the number of Beats to just one per Step, and extend the total number of Steps to whatever you need (max. 64).

[@mrfeenix1]

@@maikvanrossum Thanks for reply .. I ended up getting a Korg SQ-64 to sequence all my Chords and use the J-6 as a sound module way easier . Wish i'd got the SQ-64 first then would have probably grabbed a Juno boutique instead . Still works great as is. 😎👍

[@maikvanrossum]

@@mrfeenix1 that indeed is more of a full-fledged sequencer 👍🏻 Didn’t now it also offered chords sets, too, but then again, it definitely has a whole lot more to offer on the sequencing part.

[@mrfeenix1]

@@maikvanrossum Yeah A,B,C Polyphonic lanes and D drum lane up to 16 tracks. Well worth the money

[@maikvanrossum]

@@mrfeenix1 okay cool 👍🏻 As I already use a RK008 (main), KeyStep Pro, BeatStep Pro, and some built-in device sequencers, I’m using the J-6 solely as a Chord sequencer. Straightforward, simply for what it’s intended for, so no workarounds needed. For that it’s a great and fun little tool.

[@sodiumlights]

update essentials please Roland 1) it displays what chord is being played 2) you can cycle through chords from root note

[@businessaccount9079]

Whats the difference between roland j6 and the S1?

[@davewelch2740]

So the instructions don't tell us this either but I see you are not using the audio out from the J-6 but are plugged into a computer and getting sound. How? If I choose the J-6 under sound properties (W-11) then my DAC doesn't receive sound to hear with my headphones.

[@realdougdouglass]

Excellent in-depth overview. Thx!

[@michicrowave]

hi! how can you record its own preset into your daw with only the usb cable? seems like its not working for me, I choose J-6 as my input source but not hearing sound. This might be a dumb question and I know there are other output options but in this video seems like you are only connecting it via USB cable so I am really curious. Thank you!

[@matthatson]

Great tutorial thank you, I’m still getting to grips with the J-6 and your video is really helping me 😊