I have the Juno Alpha 1 and was a Juno 106 owner. I have to say than even when the 106 have an undisputable charm to it, the Alpha have this crisp and at the same time warm characteristic that make it my favorite piece right now.
I've owned a Juno 106, and while I loved it and its no doubt a great synth, the Alpha Juno is a seriously underrated synth. It has a darker, warmer tone IMO, not as bright sounding. The filter sounds great, it just does'nt self oscillate. I use mine with the iPG800 app on my iPad (in PG-300 mode) and a Yamaha MIDI to Bluetooth adapter, works great without the high cost of the real PG-300 controller.
Oh my Goodness, I've been looking for this keyboard for over 30 years, I came across it when I just started getting into synths and music, I had no idea what it was back then, but all I remembered was the jog wheel thing, it was in a friends house, I think it was his house mates, who kindly let me play with it for a bit, but I had no concept of Roland, Korg, etc...It was the first synth I thought of as a real synth. Thank you so much, I am going to hunt one down.. Great talk as usual.
I have a juno 1 that I now had for 35 years. It is such a great synth. I replaced the battery today and I hope it will accompany me for anther 35 years
Ok I know its pretty weak just to agree😊- but I am doing exactly that😁. I happen to get one of these simply because it was really cheap...Once I spent time with it I was shocked at how good it is, it’s a GREAT synth, very underrated, quite a different character from the Roland “6” series. Thanks for doing this overview!
The very first analogue synth I got my hands on in a music shop which warm, floating sound incredibly blew me away. 32 years later I still like its versatility but that crystal clear JU-106 sound is nevertheless out of its reach but I don't bother by enjoying all Junos. Anyway that JU-106/60 price explosion is nothing but hilarious.
I wonder why Roland dropped the resonant self oscillating filter for the Alpha Juno though, I can only imagine how badass it would sound after activating the unison mode 🤯
Everyone who loved either 90s prodigy style rave, or especially dutch "gabber" loves this synth though. I bought it (and surprised it was that cheap for a true classic in my perception), but am now dedicated to get a sane controller for it, menu diving and impossible interfaces are just not for me (perfectly fine if it includes a fair amount of hacking though, just part of the fun :D)
The fact that I found a working one for $350 in 2023 is incredible. You can edit the Juno 2 w patch base for $30 on your iPad. These nuts can go and buy the $2-3000 Juno 106/60s. Lol. Also, check out the Super JX mks-70. Super undervalued.
Great video and we agree +1 to Sneaky Alien :-). The Juno has more instant mojo and is very musical just by pressing one note - it is probably going for these prices because it got used a lot and sounds just great! The Alpha Juno has so much sonic power mainly because of its OSC section but for mojo you need to work it a bit more. Add the 'complex' envelope and the expression possibilities like aftertouch and the sort of three LFO's. Back in the day we can imagine this one landed literally from space if you ask us. There were almost no controls, so you needed an alien to assist you to program the sounds :)
Just bought it for $75 and I’m having fun with it, problem is it’s missing the cartridge, out of curiosity, what the Roland M-64C Memory Cartridge is capable of. Any idea? Do you have a video that goes in depth on that detail?
@@gcoudert Yeah totally understandable. Tbh I think the presets are terrible. And not having sliders probably made it seem subconsciously digital. It's kind of expensive but I bought the Retroaktiv MPG50 and it makes all the difference creating sounds. retroaktivsynthesizers.com/collections/frontpage/products/mpg-50-programmer-for-roland-alpha-juno-1-2-and-mks-50
It's capable of a greater range of sounds than any of the other Juno's. More interesting sounds. I've been surprised at some of the sounds I've gotten out of mine.
Though I don’t mind being shown to be wrong on this subject, I could have sworn the Alpha Juno 2 was introduced before the JX 8p and the 2 Super JX models. If it was unveiled in ‘86 as opposed to ‘85, that kind of makes it enigmatic. It’s been said the Alphas and MKS-50 were based on the innards of the JX-3p (and MKS-30) minus DCO2. If that’s the case, wouldn’t building the Alpha Juno 2 after the JX-8p amount to thinking backwards? Not that I’m complaining about the synth itself. If the first analog poly I got to play and learn about subtractive synthesis on hadn’t been a J.x-8p w/ PG-800 (which motivated me to get a JX-10), I might’ve been tempted to get an Alpha Juno 2 in lieu.
For the money, I think the Deepmind 6 or 12 gets you the classic Juno tone and so much more. For a vintage synth, the Ensoniq ESQ-1 offers 3 osc, 3 LFO's, and 4 envelops. Way more sound possibilities than the Alpha Juno. I love the Alpha sound, but prices, while not yet insane, have definitely gone up. It's a lot for a 35 yr old synth that really only does a few things well.
i got a AJ 1 for 450 Euros a couple of years ago. then i built me a Stereoping DIY controller for it. to me, it was a very impressive synth with nice low end bass. i liked it to create Dub Techno Chords with it. but a year or so later, i got rid of it bc of lack of space and to buy my first Eurorack modules from the earnings, to expand my Moog M32 and DFAM. those modules are also gone now, but that's a different story. i would buy an Juno 1 or 2 again at any time, if i find a well priced piece and legit vendor.
They make an external controller for the ipad called iPG-800 if you don;t want to menu dive. You need a MIDI/Bluetooth adapter such as the Yamaha BT01, I think it's called. Works flawlessly for me.
Alpha Juno 2 has more keys (61 vs 49) and was made with keybed aftertouch, however it is common for the aftertouch to be lost due to age (though it might accept aftertouch signals over MIDI).
so i have a jx8p with a controller and i love it. would it be worth getting an alpha juno as well or do they cover much of the same ground? would they synergize well? i always hear people day to pair the jx8p with something fm like the dx7 but i already have fm8 and other vst so not sure if i really need a digital synth.
@ghost mall agreed! ended up getting a dx7 and will have a juno 6 soon. still thinking of getting an alpha juno as well, they seem pretty sonically unique. the real instruments are so much more inspiring than the vst's
@ghost mall would you get an s8 if you already had the synths you wanted to emulate on it? i wanted one but im probably soon gonna have the two vintage models that i even wanted the s8 for in the first place, the juno and the sh2. and i already have a behringer clone of the sh101, so im not sure how much an s8 would add to my setup. other than for the jupiter 8 sounds which are pretty great from what ive heard
They have the same filter, and similar tone, but you can get different results. The weak spot for the Alpha is strings, whereas the Jx8p excels at strings. The envelopes are much faster on the Alpha, so it's better for bass, perc organ, and drum sounds. They compliment each other, but do both have the Roland DCO sound.
I got one a super techno machine along with the 303 and 909 now the oscillators are pure digital based on a basic additive kind of the same as the korg poly 800 and the crummar bit one their dcos because their digital control but unlike other Juno’s jxs there are no analog wave shapers don’t believe me look at the schematics on line all six voices in one chip goes to a dac converter to the vcf vca chip also the filter vca combo chip witch is analog same as jx8p and jx10 is not a 24 dB low pass but a 12 dB low pass with a 12 dB band pass at the same time great for string and pads!
@ghost mall Unkind but honest. There are a few nice tonal examples, but it does not provide a good picture of the true capabilities. This synth dominated the 90's dance music, even though it doesn't get much credit for this. It really shines with successive swelling pads, deep bass lines, hoovery leads, the polyphonic portamento can sound really awesome. You don't find much example of what it was really used for in it's time nor what it is really capable of. This is a crazy piece of late 80's gear, but there are mostly totally boring demos only.
The alpha juno one is the same , just lack of aftertouch, but its not like the other juno th106 or the jupiter, the dco does someting different not as fat as vco controls are. and yeah the sub ocsillator'amazing , the 106 had it as well , thats why it was a great machine
Not true all. Have you ever actually used one or are you basing your opinion from the sounds that someone else made their demo video? It's capable of some pretty fat bass.
I have the Juno Alpha 1 and was a Juno 106 owner. I have to say than even when the 106 have an undisputable charm to it, the Alpha have this crisp and at the same time warm characteristic that make it my favorite piece right now.
I've owned a Juno 106, and while I loved it and its no doubt a great synth, the Alpha Juno is a seriously underrated synth. It has a darker, warmer tone IMO, not as bright sounding. The filter sounds great, it just does'nt self oscillate.
I use mine with the iPG800 app on my iPad (in PG-300 mode) and a Yamaha MIDI to Bluetooth adapter, works great without the high cost of the real PG-300 controller.
I ordered mine literally three days ago. Super excited.
Oh my Goodness, I've been looking for this keyboard for over 30 years, I came across it when I just started getting into synths and music, I had no idea what it was back then, but all I remembered was the jog wheel thing, it was in a friends house, I think it was his house mates, who kindly let me play with it for a bit, but I had no concept of Roland, Korg, etc...It was the first synth I thought of as a real synth. Thank you so much, I am going to hunt one down..
Great talk as usual.
Thank you!
I have one for sale
@@shelbybenson4550 is it still for sale?
I have a juno 1 that I now had for 35 years. It is such a great synth. I replaced the battery today and I hope it will accompany me for anther 35 years
I had the Juno 1 49 keyboard back in 1986 is was Roland's best keyboard before the D-50 came out in 1987.
Would love to have him do the Korg DW8000.
Love this synth, it's sitting right beside me and gets lots of use
I just ordered one. Shipping tomorrow. I think you're right Zach about this thing going up in value. Also seems harder to find.
Great review! and very nice timbres. I should use my AJ1 more often.
Listen to this demo then listen to an Oberheim 4 voice to hear the difference in dco vs, vco.
Ok I know its pretty weak just to agree😊- but I am doing exactly that😁. I happen to get one of these simply because it was really cheap...Once I spent time with it I was shocked at how good it is, it’s a GREAT synth, very underrated, quite a different character from the Roland “6” series. Thanks for doing this overview!
The very first analogue synth I got my hands on in a music shop which warm, floating sound incredibly blew me away. 32 years later I still like its versatility but that crystal clear JU-106 sound is nevertheless out of its reach but I don't bother by enjoying all Junos. Anyway that JU-106/60 price explosion is nothing but hilarious.
I wonder why Roland dropped the resonant self oscillating filter for the Alpha Juno though, I can only imagine how badass it would sound after activating the unison mode 🤯
Out of vogue at the time sonically
I only like self-osc in a monosynth personally. To each their own but I'm indifferent about that lack of it in these filters.
Everyone who loved either 90s prodigy style rave, or especially dutch "gabber" loves this synth though. I bought it (and surprised it was that cheap for a true classic in my perception), but am now dedicated to get a sane controller for it, menu diving and impossible interfaces are just not for me (perfectly fine if it includes a fair amount of hacking though, just part of the fun :D)
Retroaktiv MPG-50 by far the best for Alpha Juno 1-2/MKS-50
Fabulous vid and I think you channeled A Clockwork Orange, or at least I wanted your playing over the original soundtrack!
The fact that I found a working one for $350 in 2023 is incredible. You can edit the Juno 2 w patch base for $30 on your iPad. These nuts can go and buy the $2-3000 Juno 106/60s. Lol. Also, check out the Super JX mks-70. Super undervalued.
Shhhhhhhh😂
Great video and we agree +1 to Sneaky Alien :-). The Juno has more instant mojo and is very musical just by pressing one note - it is probably going for these prices because it got used a lot and sounds just great! The Alpha Juno has so much sonic power mainly because of its OSC section but for mojo you need to work it a bit more. Add the 'complex' envelope and the expression possibilities like aftertouch and the sort of three LFO's. Back in the day we can imagine this one landed literally from space if you ask us. There were almost no controls, so you needed an alien to assist you to program the sounds :)
Just bought it for $75 and I’m having fun with it, problem is it’s missing the cartridge, out of curiosity, what the Roland M-64C Memory Cartridge is capable of. Any idea?
Do you have a video that goes in depth on that detail?
$75? You basically stole it
Just saves the bank of sounds
Roland Alpha Juno series are definitely hidden gems.
With hindsight, yes. At the time though, those of us who owned a Juno-60 thought the α-Junos sounded terrible.
@@gcoudert Yeah totally understandable. Tbh I think the presets are terrible. And not having sliders probably made it seem subconsciously digital. It's kind of expensive but I bought the Retroaktiv MPG50 and it makes all the difference creating sounds. retroaktivsynthesizers.com/collections/frontpage/products/mpg-50-programmer-for-roland-alpha-juno-1-2-and-mks-50
It's capable of a greater range of sounds than any of the other Juno's. More interesting sounds. I've been surprised at some of the sounds I've gotten out of mine.
Though I don’t mind being shown to be wrong on this subject, I could have sworn the Alpha Juno 2 was introduced before the JX 8p and the 2 Super JX models. If it was unveiled in ‘86 as opposed to ‘85, that kind of makes it enigmatic. It’s been said the Alphas and MKS-50 were based on the innards of the JX-3p (and MKS-30) minus DCO2. If that’s the case, wouldn’t building the Alpha Juno 2 after the JX-8p amount to thinking backwards?
Not that I’m complaining about the synth itself. If the first analog poly I got to play and learn about subtractive synthesis on hadn’t been a J.x-8p w/ PG-800 (which motivated me to get a JX-10), I might’ve been tempted to get an Alpha Juno 2 in lieu.
Great demo.
For the money, I think the Deepmind 6 or 12 gets you the classic Juno tone and so much more. For a vintage synth, the Ensoniq ESQ-1 offers 3 osc, 3 LFO's, and 4 envelops. Way more sound possibilities than the Alpha Juno. I love the Alpha sound, but prices, while not yet insane, have definitely gone up. It's a lot for a 35 yr old synth that really only does a few things well.
@ghost mall look far an HS 10 aka Synthplus 10. It's an alpha Juno in a different box.
So when i hear the word "Synthesizer ", these are the type of sounds that i hear in my head
I want one!
Is there a chance of having it back? Maybe even Uncle Uli can restore the classic?
i got a AJ 1 for 450 Euros a couple of years ago. then i built me a Stereoping DIY controller for it. to me, it was a very impressive synth with nice low end bass. i liked it to create Dub Techno Chords with it. but a year or so later, i got rid of it bc of lack of space and to buy my first Eurorack modules from the earnings, to expand my Moog M32 and DFAM. those modules are also gone now, but that's a different story. i would buy an Juno 1 or 2 again at any time, if i find a well priced piece and legit vendor.
I personally as well think that the alpha Juno's are the underdogs vintage synths. Would you recommend this to a beginner,
Maybe 🤔 not a bad one to start on but it is a little bit of an odd duck compared to other basic subtractive synths so that’d be the con
They make an external controller for the ipad called iPG-800 if you don;t want to menu dive. You need a MIDI/Bluetooth adapter such as the Yamaha BT01, I think it's called. Works flawlessly for me.
Unfortunately, the stereo chorus was killed by mono recording!
Thanks for doing these demos "efx-less" so we can get the true sounds of the synths.
I want one so bad but I would be so sad to use an app with it, so I’m gonna have to save up for the controller!
Roland Juno ji - 2 ki price cost kitna hai bechna tha kripya Karke price bataiye
hello
how you connect them? the juno and the pg ?
What’s the difference between the alpha juno 1 and 2? For an uninformed cad like myself
Alpha Juno 2 has more keys (61 vs 49) and was made with keybed aftertouch, however it is common for the aftertouch to be lost due to age (though it might accept aftertouch signals over MIDI).
Is it attached to a midi reverb device?
so i have a jx8p with a controller and i love it. would it be worth getting an alpha juno as well or do they cover much of the same ground? would they synergize well? i always hear people day to pair the jx8p with something fm like the dx7 but i already have fm8 and other vst so not sure if i really need a digital synth.
@ghost mall agreed! ended up getting a dx7 and will have a juno 6 soon. still thinking of getting an alpha juno as well, they seem pretty sonically unique. the real instruments are so much more inspiring than the vst's
@ghost mall would you get an s8 if you already had the synths you wanted to emulate on it? i wanted one but im probably soon gonna have the two vintage models that i even wanted the s8 for in the first place, the juno and the sh2. and i already have a behringer clone of the sh101, so im not sure how much an s8 would add to my setup. other than for the jupiter 8 sounds which are pretty great from what ive heard
They have the same filter, and similar tone, but you can get different results. The weak spot for the Alpha is strings, whereas the Jx8p excels at strings. The envelopes are much faster on the Alpha, so it's better for bass, perc organ, and drum sounds. They compliment each other, but do both have the Roland DCO sound.
@@Jim_KYB thank you! yeah the jx strings are incredible. i may get an alpha eventually but right now i really want a juno 6
Sell the fm8 and get a gen 1 DX7. It’s unmatchable
Love my AJ2. The bass is so fat ✌
I got one a super techno machine along with the 303 and 909 now the oscillators are pure digital based on a basic additive kind of the same as the korg poly 800 and the crummar bit one their dcos because their digital control but unlike other Juno’s jxs there are no analog wave shapers don’t believe me look at the schematics on line all six voices in one chip goes to a dac converter to the vcf vca chip also the filter vca combo chip witch is analog same as jx8p and jx10 is not a 24 dB low pass but a 12 dB low pass with a 12 dB band pass at the same time great for string and pads!
The oscillators are actually digital. They’re numerically controlled oscillators
I just bought one in the case at a Goodwill location for $5💎
😂
Anyone else just here for the Hoovers?
Sorry to say but this demo won't help this truly underrated piece of vintage joy.
@ghost mall Unkind but honest. There are a few nice tonal examples, but it does not provide a good picture of the true capabilities. This synth dominated the 90's dance music, even though it doesn't get much credit for this. It really shines with successive swelling pads, deep bass lines, hoovery leads, the polyphonic portamento can sound really awesome. You don't find much example of what it was really used for in it's time nor what it is really capable of. This is a crazy piece of late 80's gear, but there are mostly totally boring demos only.
@ghost mall I don't hear that 80's synthwave style here either.
My 10$ thrift store find sounds pretty good 😅👍🏻
My jealously is immeasurable
The alpha juno one is the same , just lack of aftertouch, but its not like the other juno th106 or the jupiter, the dco does someting different not as fat as vco controls are. and yeah the sub ocsillator'amazing , the 106 had it as well , thats why it was a great machine
The Alpha Juno 1 does respond to aftertouch if played from an external controller.
Yes it is.
The Juno 60/106 are overpriced, thats why
I've seen videos that make me want to buy an Alpha Juno-2. This one does not.
Who cares?
Now i can understand why this juno thing it is not worth it.......has no ''fat '' or ''full'' sounds on board
Not true all. Have you ever actually used one or are you basing your opinion from the sounds that someone else made their demo video? It's capable of some pretty fat bass.