Roland Juno-60

TheRolandJuno-60 is ananalog synthesizer manufactured by theRoland Corporation between 1982 and 1984. It followed theJuno-6, an almost identical synthesizer released months earlier. The Juno synthesizers introduced Roland'sdigitally controlled oscillators, allowing for greatly improved tuning stability over its competitors.

Roland Juno-60
Roland Juno-60
Manufacturer	Roland
Dates	1982–1984
Price	US$1,795^[1] UK£1,199 JP¥238,000
Technical specifications
Polyphony	6 voices
Timbrality	Monotimbral
Oscillator	1DCO per voice (pulse,saw,square)
LFO	triangle
Synthesis type	Analog Subtractive
Filter	Analog 24dB/oct resonant low-pass, non-resonanthigh-pass
Attenuator	1ADSR envelope generator
Aftertouchexpression	No
Velocity expression	No
Storage memory	56 patches
Effects	Chorus
Input/output
Keyboard	61 keys
External control	DCB

The Juno-6 and Juno-60 were introduced as low-cost alternatives to polyphonic synths such as theSequential Circuits Prophet-5 and Roland's ownJupiter-8. Its built-in chorus effect was designed to make up for the weaker sound of its single oscillator, and it went on to become its signature effect. The Juno-60 had an immediate impact in 1980s pop music, being used on hits such as "Take On Me" bya-ha, "A Different Corner" byGeorge Michael, and "Time After Time" byCyndi Lauper.

The Juno-60 continued to be popular in the 1990s, being used by house and techno artists. It experienced a resurgence in the 2000s and beyond, gaining popularity amongst modern pop, indie and synthwave artists. It has inspired numerous software emulations.

Development

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We used a one-oscillator design for the JUNO series to reduce its price, but its sound naturally ended up being thinner than say the JUPITER-8 or JX-3P, which used two oscillators. So our main priority in developing the JUNO series was to produce thick and dense sounds with just one oscillator. To this end, we employed a variety of strategies, such as adding a chorus function and boosting the lows when the high-pass filter was not being applied. So the flat setting is actually just one increment up from zero on the high-pass filter.

— Hideki Izuchi, engineer atRoland Corporation^[2]

The late 1970s and 1980s saw the introduction of the firstdigital synthesizers, such as theFairlight CMI andSynclavier. Roland presidentIkutaro Kakehashi recognized that the synthesizer market was moving away fromanalog synthesis, but Roland had no commercially viable digital technology. He approached American engineerJohn Chowning about his recently developed means ofFM synthesis, butYamaha had already secured exclusive rights.^[3]

Prior to the release of the Juno-6, polyphonic synthesizers were expensive and subject to tuning issues caused by the components in synthesizers' oscillator circuits being sensitive to temperature. At the time, Roland's flagship synthesizer was the Jupiter-8, released in 1981, which cost $5,000 (equivalent to nearly $18,000 in 2024).^[4] With the Juno range, Roland aimed to create a polyphonic synthesizer that was less expensive than competitors, whilst also improving tuning reliability.^[4]

Release

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Roland released the Juno-6 in May 1982^[5] with a list price of US$1295. It used mostly traditional analog technology, with avoltage-controlled filter,voltage-controlled amplifier,low-frequency oscillator andADSR envelope generators. However, it also useddigitally controlled oscillators (DCOs), analog oscillators controlled bydigital circuits. As opposed to thevoltage-controlled oscillators of previous synthesizers, which frequently went out of tune, the DCOs ensured tuning stability.^[3] According toSound on Sound, "The Juno-6 was the first analog polysynth that you could carry onto a stage, switch on, and play with complete confidence that the instrument would be in tune."^[3] It also included performance controls, an arpeggiator, and anensemble effect.^[3]

Roland released another version, the Juno-60, in September 1982,^[5] which added patch memory (allowing users to save and recall up to 54 sounds) and aDCB connector, a precursor toMIDI.^[3]

Production of the Juno-60 ended in February 1984, when Roland released theJuno-106.^[6]

Sounds and features

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Juno-60 Envelope PWM strings

An example of the Juno-60's unique ability to assign its PWM to the envelope generator, creating a rich "swell" effect. Not possible on the Juno-106, or most synthesizers in general.

Juno-60 Resonance sweep

Creating a "cat's meow" effect with the IR3109 resonance assigned to the envelope, very difficult for most software or digital emulations to get right due to the complexities of analog resonance.

Juno-60 Manual PWM

Manually controlling the PWM while playing chords on the Juno-60.

Juno-60 and Jupiter-4

A Juno-60 playing a lead alongside a Jupiter-4 for the random arpeggio. No external effects only onboard chorus for both.

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The Roland Juno-6 and Juno-60 are single-oscillator analog synthesizers, featuring a high-pass filter, a low-pass filter, a single ADSR envelope and a single LFO.

Many polyphonic synthesizers contained two oscillators, so to make up for the single oscillator, Roland implemented an onboard chorus effect as well as a high-pass filter that would boost the bass level in its lowest position.^[2] The chorus effect is engaged using two push buttons which give slow modulation rates of 0.4 Hz and 0.6 Hz.^[7] Additionally, the two buttons can be engaged simultaneously to create an even stronger chorus effect.^[8] Although regarded as noisy, the Juno chorus effect is considered a signature feature of the Juno-60. It was based aroundbucket brigade designs from the 1970s, such as those in the Roland DC-50 "Digital Chorus" effect unit from 1976,^[9] and uses two identical circuits incorporating two ICs (MN3009 and MN3101).^[7]

Impact

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The Juno-60 was widely used in 1980s pop, house, 1990s techno music, and even today by acts includingEnya,^[10]Vince Clarke,^[11]Howard Jones,^[12]Nik Kershaw,John Foxx,^[13]a-ha,^[6]Billy Idol,^[6]Fingers Inc.,^[14]Berlin,^[6]Eurythmics,^[6]A Flock of Seagulls,^[6]Cyndi Lauper^[15] andWham!.^[16] It was also a key instrument inChicago house.^[6] The 2010s saw a resurgence of popularity among indie and electro acts such asMetronomy, driving up the price on the used market.^[6]

Successors

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Roland followed up the Juno-60 with the Roland Juno-106 in 1984. The Juno-106 featured MIDI, had patch storage of 128 sounds, replaced the arpeggiator with a portamento effect, and introduced Roland's now-standard left/right/push performance lever for pitch-bend and modulation.^[17]

TheAlpha Juno 1 and Alpha Juno 2 were released in 1985. These synths offered new programming capabilities, backlit screens and a new interface. The Juno 2 also featured a velocity‑ and aftertouch‑sensitive keyboard as well as a cartridge slot for storing patches.^[18] They were seen as too expensive and difficult to program, so were a commercial failure,^[19] ceasing production in 1986.

Roland revived the Juno name in the 00s, releasing theJuno-D in 2004, theJuno-G in 2006, the Juno-Stage in 2008, the Juno-Di in 2009 and theJuno-Gi 2010.^[20] Despite the name, these synths had nothing in common with the Juno or Alpha Juno synths,^[21] with Roland instead using the name Juno to denote 'affordable' synthesizers.^[22]

In 2015, Roland released the JU-06 as part of their Boutique range.^[23] The JU-06 is a 4-voice version of the Juno-106, using Roland's digital Analog Circuit Behaviour (ACB) technology. An updated version, the JU-06A, was released in 2019, which combines the continuous high-pass filter of the 106, the envelope-controllable pulse-width-modulation of the 60, and the filter of both switchable from the front panel.^[24]

Roland released the Juno-X in 2022, a modern synth featuring digital emulations of the Juno-60 and Juno-106 as well as an additional Juno-X model that features a supersaw waveform, velocity sensitivity and an Alpha-Juno style pitch envelope control.^[25]^[26]

Software emulations

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Due to its popularity and coveted sound,^[27] the Roland Juno 60 has inspired several software plugin emulations of both the synthesizer engine and chorus effect.

TAL U-NO-62 by Togu Audio Line, a Juno-60 emulation released in 2007.^[28]
TAL U-NO-LX, released in 2012^[29] as a fully rewritten replacement for TAL U-NO-62.^[30]
Arturia Jun-6 V, an emulation of the Juno-6 was released in 2020.^[31]
Roland released a software emulation of the Juno-60 in 2021^[32] as part of their Roland Cloud subscription, which can be used with Roland's PLUG-OUT format.^[33]