Roland Juno 106

"Iconic and popolular polysynth from the 80', successor of the Roland Juno-60 adding Midi interface"

Overview

KEYBOARD 61 keys, main panel features a basic segment display, 20 levers, 2 knobs, 3 switches and 34 buttons, on the left side there is a joystick for pitchbending or modulation assignable to filter cutoff. The juno 106 has been released in a rare version with internal speakers the Juno-106S a module version the MKS7, a consumer home edition HS-60 synthplus and later a digital module in limited edition Ju-06 boutique; not to mention A LOT of VST plugins and sample pack.

TERMINAL CONNECTORS
1- master pitch tuner trimmer
2- TAPE I/O for saving loading patches
3- pedaswitch input for program UP
4- Sustain pedal input
5- headphones out
6- Main out (stereo for chorus effect)
7- signal out impedance switch High, Med and Low

Sound

SOUND main core CPU NEC D7811G manages 6 voices polyphony, each voice is composed by 1 DCO digitally oscillator controlled based on 3 IC X MC5534A WG waveform generators. Each DCO features 4 summable waveforms: square with variable width, triangle, square sub-oscillator (set to 1 octave lower) and white noise generator.

The DCO can be sequenced in 3 playmodes:

- poly1 voice is assigned restarting from first free available

- poly2 voice rotate always from 1 to 6

- unison stacks up the 6 voices, sadly it misses a DETUNE option

TIP: press [poly1] + [poly2] to access to access special unison.

FILTER: Classic analog filter based on IC Roland IR3109 with 2 modes: Lowpass resonant (self-oscillating) at 4 poles + Highpass (not resonant) .

LFO: Single delayed triangle modulator, relative frequency range from 0.1 to 30 Hz and 3 destinations: DCO pitch, VCF cutoff and DCO pulse width

ENVELOPE: 1 ADSR (4-segments) EG for both VCA amplitude and VCF cutoff filter (Note: bass generator DCO "7" has its own EG.). The EG structure (and the VCA) are based on dreaded IC 80017A with frequent failures (read more)

Effect, memory and Midi

EFFECT chorus is based on BBD chips (2 X MN3101 + 2 X MN3009) and 2 presets.

MEMORY MEMORY 128 patch RAM, sounds patches can be saved / load either by Midi exclusive dump or tape player.
Battery replacement: a BR-2325 lithium battery soldered to the mainboard / J-106 TEST MODE : turn on the synth with the KEY-TRANSPOSE pressed- testmode is useful to discover a faulty voice.

MIDI the J-106 offers one of the most impressive Midi implementation for the time: in fact all sliders sends and receive Midi exclusives systems! a big advantage to the father Juno60 however the 106 lost the precious arpeggiator.