Roland Juno 106 - still worth buying?

[BernMeister]

Even with the possible long term repair and maintenance issues aside, is a Roland Juno 106 still worth buying today?

What's it worth on the used market, realistically (not relying on Reverb prices as a reference...)?

[Baldwin Funster]

I've seen them for a few hundred and I've seen them for a few thousand. Personally Tal-uno-lx software is so good I would skip the hardware but it is a great and classic synth that does alot with one oscillator and the chorus set the bar for all time. 

[Thethirdapple]

Many good emulators are out there, each with some really nice additional features, decent reproduction of the “tone” but each of these soft synths have their quirks as well. 
 

I love the work from TAL. The 106 emulation has interesting differences from the hardware synth, “good or bad”, for each to decide. 

The hardware synth is fun but like any vintage(classic) gear like cars spends a lot of time being looked at and driven gently. 
 

I will happily “overly excitingly tweak” a midi controller to slide a soft synth fader in a way I can’t believe I used to actually do on any of my actual synths. 
 

WHAT WAS I THINKING

 

Like as a kid in the 70-80’s, shooting, with BB rifles, Star Wars figurines… nice

 

 

 

 

PEACE

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[Stokely]

I'm as close as I'll get to one with the Fantom.  I'd need to A/B to know if they are really comparable, all I know is that the synths on the Fantom (from the Junos to JX, Jupiter to zencore) sound darn good to my ear.

So far I've mainly gravitated to the JX model (having owned a JX10, I like the clean forward sound it has for my rock needs) and various zencore sounds.   I could see using more Juno if we were doing some dancey 80s etc.   I could also use it for synth strings but just about anything will do that.

If I'm not mistaken, the free Tyrell N6 is also a Juno software emulation (though not entirely sure its the 106).

[ProfD]

18 minutes ago, BernMeister said:

Even with the possible long term repair and maintenance issues aside, is a Roland Juno 106 still worth buying today?

Nope.  There are better options that cost less and are more reliable.😎

[DroptopBroham]

F No! With the Juno-X out there it makes absolutely no sense to get a real 106 if you want the full GFE. If you're just looking for sounds a soft synth will get you there. Cherry's is only $20 and you've got the aforementioned TAL and Arturia. You need a real 106 like you need a hole in the head.

[ABECK]

Hardware units are way overpriced, IMHO.  There is no magic that you can't get from a number of other sources, VI, or hardware.  There seems to be some sort of street cred thing happening with that model in particular.  If I had $2k I wanted to spend on a poly, and it had to be vintage roland....I'd go with a JX-10 and programmer.  Or a D-50 with programmer.  

 

(Edit - I see multiple units for sale at or above $4500 right now.  Just....no.  STOP THIS MADNESS!)

 

[Bill H.]

I'm of the opinion that a Juno 106 was never worth buying  so should probably stay out of this discussion. That said, there's so many ways to get this very simple synth's sound today. In the hardware realm, I think my DM12 does a pretty good job for example. 

[Dave Bryce]

One oscillator per voice DCO.  Kinda thin without that chorus circuit.

 

dB

[JoJoB3]

1 hour ago, BernMeister said:

Even with the possible long term repair and maintenance issues aside, is a Roland Juno 106 still worth buying today?

What's it worth on the used market, realistically (not relying on Reverb prices as a reference...)?

 

Imo, no (based on actual instrument output meets very real maintenance. There are better out there now iow). Do so only if you know you want a vintage 106.

 

But replies of VST instead? Were you talking about a VST and being tied to computer (often gets lame and fast)? Sounds to me you were talking about hardware additions.

 

*I know you read the Behr hate here but definitely DO consider the Deepmind 12 or the desktop version (a super 106 of sorts minus the known issues). I did NOT expect to like this board but that changed quickly.

You can likely find one good used between $300-$500. 

 

Had the 106 (with the SQ sequencer) in late 80's and loved it at the time but there are hardware choices now.

 

** And psst...I'd hunt an Ensoniq SQ80 or ESQ1 well before the 106. More interesting.

[JoJoB3]

40 minutes ago, Dave Bryce said:

One oscillator per voice DCO.  Kinda thin without that chorus circuit.

 

dB

 

But...we place carefully chosen outboard to follow these vintage classics. 

 

Do or do not. There is no try.

[Nowarezman]

I recommend the System 8 to get the 106 and a world of other synths.

 

They are not expensive relative to an old actual 106.  And the System 8 keyboard has so many controls laid out brilliantly.

 

Make up your own mind about whether the System 8 sounds good by hitting Youtubes extensively.  Everyone has an opinion etc etc.

 

Saying that the 106 doesn't sound good without the chorus is, to me, like saying the enchiladas aren't good without the cheese - well, yeah!

 

nat

 

[ABECK]

5 minutes ago, Nowarezman said:

I recommend the System 8 to get the 106 and a world of other synths.

 

 

Perfect example of a much better spend!

[Baldwin Funster]

Funny though that one of the first synth brass sounds is, at least to me, still a standard and comfortably familiar  when I use it. 

[ElmerJFudd]

Not for me.  It’s been modeled in software many times and I haven’t the space or interest in maintaining one that needs service.  

[Mike Martin]

Its is a great sounding synth except one thing, the NOISE from the chorus circuit. Hard pass for me. Nostalgia is a dangerous.

[TomKittel]

Get a Alpha Juno instead and add a cheap Stereoping controller box. The Alpha Junos  are still ridiculously cheap and the sound is at least as good as the overpriced 106. 

[Dave Bryce]

1 hour ago, JoJoB3 said:

 

But...we place carefully chosen outboard to follow these vintage classics. 

 

Yeah, but…that careful chosen outboard could be following a 2 osc per voice JX3P, or JX8P.  That’d make me happier, for sure.  🥳

For my ear/taste, the single oscillator per voice synth is a hard pass - any of ‘em, pretty much.

 

dB

[David Emm]

1 hour ago, TomKittel said:

Get a Alpha Juno instead and add a cheap Stereoping controller box. The Alpha Junos  are still ridiculously cheap and the sound is at least as good as the overpriced 106. 

 

This. The 106 (1984) made a certain splash as affordable and EASY TO LEARN. That simplicity was part of why it became ubiquitous. The chorus hit a certain spot at the right time, but it was too vanilla for me. I was busy Moogin'.    

 

I took on an Alpha Juno-1, released in 1986. It had a single DCO, but I found the sound to be cleaner and more full than the 106. It was especially welcome as a superior expander for my more muscled, 2-3-oscillator synths. The Juno-2 also had a velocity-sensitive keyboard (and 61 keys). In either case, I'd budget for a decent multi-FX unit. It'll rock much harder.

 

Age & maintenance eventually plague every synth. Only you can decide if you want to climb that hill in this case. I encourage you to consider the software alternatives, as none are slouches. Its $89, but this is a solid Juno 1/2 alternative. https://tal-software.com/products/tal-pha

 

I took up Roland's Cloud D-50 and subjectively, it has the company's full synth history on tap. Junos are easy, but the Jupiters are in there, too. If you don't feel drawn to the Juno-X, its a ton of Roland for the money.

[ProfD]

I find it slightly amusing the Juno 106, a budget synth from the 1980s all a sudden became a collectors item. 

 

The 106 sound isn't essential to any type of commercial music being made nowadays. 

 

Roland decided to cash in on the 106 vibe when they released the sardine-can sized JU-06.😎

[J.F.N.]

6 hours ago, BernMeister said:

Even with the possible long term repair and maintenance issues aside, is a Roland Juno 106 still worth buying today?

What's it worth on the used market, realistically (not relying on Reverb prices as a reference...)?

 

Only reason to buy one is if you're a rental/backliner company and want keep one or two in stock due to it's incomprehensible popularity during the last decade.

 

If you for some reason need something that sounds about alike anything in within that universe, there's loads of both hardware and software options made new in this day and age.

[mate stubb]

J106 never appealed to me, whether when new or now.

[CEB]

If you want a 106 you can buy the stand alone chorus circuit.  That is what you really want if you think you want a 106. 
 

PS - If you go for a TC June-60 get version 2.  It’s close with a lot less noise. You will need to turn up the board master volume to compensate for a volume drop of when engaging the pedal.  But it gets you the Juno chorus if you think you want it. 

[CEB]

PPS - most any analog bucket brigade chorus pedals that will handle a synth level signal should get you in the ballpark.   

[Thethirdapple]

So much vitriol !?!? So many triggered knob fiddlers!!!

Is a listicle about a 106 replica still worth reading???

 

https://www.kvraudio.com/best-juno-106-emulation

 

probably not...

 

But I love the 6's straightforward layout, settings don't "go away" when turned off and no two are exactly alike in their "sound" especially after aged faders and pots kick in. SO sure its a dinosaur of a by gone era..

 

As a first synth in the early 80's and still today remains a goto "scribble pad"of instant sound exploration. Sure limited in its feature set and I do use a alternative chorus circuit but isnt that what makes music great: less is more, right?

 

Is paying todays prices "worth it" compared to equal tonality and added features of modern synth's?

 

perhaps not, although it is worth remembering:

its just a lithograph of a soup can for crying out loud...

 

value and worth, two very finicky things indeed

 

here is another interesting read about the differences between the 6's. Wonder if its the sounds and features of an analog 6 synth which is beloved, but the 106 brought midi and patch features and but a replicated 6 sound...

 

https://www.devonrosemusic.com/synthstuff/juno6vs60vs106.htm

 

 

 

PEACE

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[AUSSIEKEYS]

Hated mine when they were current.

 

Early adopter in Sydney because one of the big music shops had those incredible sale days that have a few products at cost price or less so people line up overnight. Those wete the days of real sales. Sometimes some shops would have a worthwhile synth for 99 bux.

 

So i stayed overnight outside shop to score the 106 at around wholesale price. I was maybe first or second in line. Used it a year but hated its wimpy sound. Fortunately i was able to recoup my buy in price less 5bux so got a years use for free hee hee.

 

Dont understand the "want" of them but for the hands on controls i figure. Im sure it would still sound wimpy.

 

Ironically a decade or more ago i picked up a MKS7 module that is basically a Juno106 in a box bit with the added feature of a drum module inside but more importantly it has touch sensitivity. Im about to pull it out of storage to see if it still works. 

 

Only got it as i wanted to collect the MKS line. But this is all i picked up. Too late for the others pricewise now. May let this go.

 

So my thoughts are negative on a 106 at todays prices. 

[Jwave]

8 hours ago, DroptopBroham said:

F No! With the Juno-X out there it makes absolutely no sense to get a real 106 if you want the full GFE.

Gear Fiend Experience?

[Baldwin Funster]

3 hours ago, AUSSIEKEYS said:

Hated mine when they were current.

 

Early adopter in Sydney because one of the big music shops had those incredible sale days that have a few products at cost price or less so people line up overnight. Those wete the days of real sales. Sometimes some shops would have a worthwhile synth for 99 bux.

 

So i stayed overnight outside shop to score the 106 at around wholesale price. I was maybe first or second in line. Used it a year but hated its wimpy sound. Fortunately i was able to recoup my buy in price less 5bux so got a years use for free hee hee.

 

Dont understand the "want" of them but for the hands on controls i figure. Im sure it would still sound wimpy.

 

Ironically a decade or more ago i picked up a MKS7 module that is basically a Juno106 in a box bit with the added feature of a drum module inside but more importantly it has touch sensitivity. Im about to pull it out of storage to see if it still works. 

 

Only got it as i wanted to collect the MKS line. But this is all i picked up. Too late for the others pricewise now. May let this go.

 

So my thoughts are negative on a 106 at todays prices. 

I dusted off the Tal app in my iPad because of all the Juno talk. It is far from wimpy. With the right setting it just seems to bloom. Of course it has stuff the 106 didn't have like onboard delay. Maybe yours had a defect? Anyways to me the juno sound however you get it, is bread and butter like B3, EP, Clav ect.

But no I don't gas for the hardware. I got enough vintage stuff I can't take to gigs or jams already.

[AUSSIEKEYS]

3 hours ago, Baldwin Funster said:

. Maybe yours had a defect? 

Nah brand new first owner. One thing roland did in early synths was put out reliable synths in the day.

 

Definately thought it was wimpy but i did go from a Korg Trident to the juno. Mind you i never thought the trident was mind blowing.

 

I think in the early 80s i always wanted real sounds and i think a lot of others back then did too. It wasnt till the Kurzweil K1000 came out which i bought new  then the Alesis Quadrasynth which i also bought when i was happy.

 

 

[J.F.N.]

1 hour ago, AUSSIEKEYS said:

Nah brand new first owner. One thing roland did in early synths was put out reliable synths in the day.

 

Definately thought it was wimpy but i did go from a Korg Trident to the juno. Mind you i never thought the trident was mind blowing.

 

I think in the early 80s i always wanted real sounds and i think a lot of others back then did too. It wasnt till the Kurzweil K1000 came out which i bought new  then the Alesis Quadrasynth which i also bought when i was happy.

 

 

 

I fully agree it's wimpy, I've owned 3 Juno 60s during my life though, which ime is a completely different beast, much fatter, "warmer", and way more interesting imho.

 

Played a 106 in 1995 during a production for about a year or so in a backing band for a G-Funk/Rap talent, accompanied by a Bass Station (the original keyboard version), never got to terms with the 106, in fact I found it awful, but the talent loved my repro of the sounds from his recording and was really happy...