Roland Juno D Review

One of my favorite all time keyboard synthesizers is the Roland Juno D 61 Key Synthesizer. I was lucky enough to use one of these while studying for a music qualification and the sounds from it and the possibilities just blew me away. I've tried quite a few out on various studio setups but this is one of the best. I always love the fact that it's a full sized keyboard with 61 keys. There's no need to bother with any pitch shifting buttons here. As you'd expect from Roland equipment, the quality is amazing. There are various types of effects you can use as well as realtime performance controllers.

One of the best features is the fact that the patches that come with the synthesizer are split up into different categories so there is no need to be scrolling through and endless list of menus. You simply jump to the category you feel and move on from there. There are over 640 patches to choose from so you're spoiled for choice. There is also an extremely powerful arpeggiator with over 400 templates leaving you with endless sound possibilities.

If you're like me and switched from being a long term PC user to Mac then fear not. The Roland Juno D is available in both formats. I have it rigged up with Ableton live in my home studio and works tremendously well. The synthesizer has been around for a few years now so you may pick up a bargain on Ebay or Craigslist. It's a great way to get the Roland Juno D price down to a much more affordable level. If you do decide to buy the Roland Juno D second hand make sure you check each of the keys to make sure they work. The synths are unfortunately notorious for having defective keys which may stop working after long term use. It has something to do with the key bed lubricant being corrosive. Fear not, taking it to your local music store and they will be able to fix it via a call to Roland. If you buy a brand new Roland Juno D then this won't be an issue as they have changed the way the keyboards are constructed. In any case, keep your warranty and I can testify that the Roland customer care is excellent if you do run into any problems. The other thing to look out for is to make sure you get a manual with the keyboard as it has proven to be invaluable to me.

My favorite sounds have to be the string sounds. I'm also amazed at the lower registers especially if you have good monitors in your studio. If you have a sub woofer you'll find it an excellent experience. There are a number of Roland Juno D reviews online which I'm sure you will look up before you buy. I can only tell you from my experience that it has been a great buy and one that I don't plan to sell anytime soon. If you can live with the slim possibility that you might have a few key problems especially if you buy it second hand then you will be rewarded with an amazing piece of kit which comes with an almost endless list of features.