Roland Juno-106

Released in 1984, the Roland Juno-106 became a cornerstone of 1980s pop and electronic music due to its warm analog sound and built-in stereo chorus effect. It was also one of the first synthesizers to feature MIDI capabilities, allowing it to easily interface with modern sequencers. Its lush pads and punchy basslines defined the sound of the decade.

The Roland Juno-106 is a six-voice polyphonic synthesizer, allowing players to play up to six notes simultaneously. It uses Digitally Controlled Oscillators (DCOs) instead of traditional Voltage Controlled Oscillators (VCOs) to ensure the tuning is completely stable. This ensures consistent sound across all the keys.

Yes, the Juno-106 features 128 patch memory locations, which was revolutionary at the time for saving and recalling custom sounds. Players could easily store their presets and recall them instantly using the onboard buttons. This made it highly reliable for live touring musicians.

The most notorious issue with vintage Juno-106 synthesizers is the failure of the voice assigner chips, specifically the 80017A chips. When these chips fail, the synthesizer drops notes, resulting in a symptom affectionately called "dead voices." Replacement and re-issue chips are heavily sought after in the synthesizer repair community.