Roland today introduced the JUNO-X, a new polyphonic synthesizer that they say reimagines the vintage JUNO experience with vastly expanded sound possibilities.
JUNO-X includes JUNO-60 and JUNO-106 synth engines, plus an all-new JUNO-X engine with a Super Saw waveform, velocity sensitivity, pitch envelope control, and more.The two chorus modes from the originals are also available, plus a third mode with more “fatness and swirl”. Users can combine them to create seven different chorus effects for use with any JUNO-X tone.
In addition to the core JUNO models, though, it includes models based on the PCM-based XV-5080, acoustic pianos from the RD series, and a Vocoder. Model Expansions from Roland Cloud are supported as well, giving you the ability to load optional titles such as the JUPITER-8, JD-800, SH-101, Vocal Designer, and others.
Additionally, JUNO-X provides integrated support for Roland Cloud Connect, an option that includes the WC-1 wireless adapter and one year of Roland Cloud Pro membership. This allows users to browse, audition, and load Model Expansion titles and other Pro membership content directly to the keyboard via Wi-Fi.
Here’s the official JUNO-X intro video:
Up to four tones can be layered together, and a wide selection of effects are available for enhancing sounds.
First introduced with JUPITER-X, the powerful I-Arpeggio function offers both traditional arpeggio sounds and organic, inspiring movement driven by intelligent algorithms.
JUNO-X comes equipped with an expressive 61-note keyboard with aftertouch and loads of connectivity, including balanced and unbalanced audio outputs, a stereo audio input, and MIDI I/O. There’s also a mic input for vocal performing or feeding the onboard Vocoder. USB is available for data backup, audio/MIDI communication with DAWS, and remote editing with the free JUNO-X Editor for macOS and Windows.
A stereo speaker system provides built-in sound monitoring, and Bluetooth is available for streaming music from a mobile device.
Audio Demos:
Availability & Pricing
The Roland JUNO-X Programmable Polyphonic Synthesizer will be available in the U.S. in May for $1999.99.
So basically it is a System-8 that’s looks less fugly? intriguing.
No. Unfortunately no further plug-outs for the System-8. Juno X got nothing to do with ACB. It is Zen core based (which itself is based on an older processor without a fancy marketing name, and used in many older Roland supernatural products) but all to do with everything Zen core based.
Meh, it’s a pass then. If the SFC-60 controller and Roland’s cloud plugins give me more accurate sound for less money, I don’t see the point.
Hi – this is really fascinating. I would really love to know more about why they went back to the older Supernatural processor for Zen Core, and whether you think that the use of the Zen Core framework makes this less interesting than their other synths. Sorry for asking so much, but you’ve really got me intrigued!
Having owned Roland fa 06 with supernatural synth and current owner of jupiter Xm and system 8 let me tell you something. For me, for my needs, the jupiter xm has the best sound quality and Zencore is greatly improved from supernatural synth. Yes they are digital synths but the sound is gorgeous. The System 8 has indeed more detail in the analog emulation, but it is marginal and the effects don’t sound as good as the jupiter (but still great, especially the Juno chorus). Actually, I route a Waldorf blofeld to System 8 inputs and it sounds very good. But still, I prefer the sound of jupiter xm and its analog emulations because they sound more musical and less dry than the ACB technology. So I am selling the system 8 and keeping the plugin in my computer. The jupiter xm will stay forever.
The early supernatural products (Integra, Fantom’s , JD-XA, BK-9 , RD2000, Jupiter 50/80, FP-30, GR-55, AE-10 and other remixes) used an Renesas processor R8A02021ABG “SSC7”. You can find it in the service notes. The Zen uses something else and looking at the reference manuals of the Zen core based products, you can see many similarities that it almost can’t be an coincidence. The System-8 includes 3 Roland BMC processors, TR-8,TR8S, Boutiques and some other remixes a few less. Service notes, (as Sysex on the in System-8) don’t happen anymore, so it’s ayone guess what the ACB chips actually are (or DCB in the D-05 for that matter), perhaps the same as Zen,who knows ! They could even be the same SSC7 or a respin or scaled down version with other firmware per product. In the end, so in theory, it’s digital (VST) any Zen hardware should be the generate the same sounds for all Zen cores based products. no matter what, if it sound goods, personally, don’t need another keybed, but just everything Zen a box (like an Integra X)
Huh? Older processor? Where did you hear this? As far as I know, zencore uses the BMC chips, which are new, proprietary processors.
Waiting for the Integra-x that combines all the zen core models/engines into one box without needing to buy different cases with a remix of different buttons and firmware based on the same hardware.
I woke up this morning thinking there needs to be much more Juno’s in the world because we always need that Juno sound and absolutely no other sound will do. I wish they would hurry up and make more 101/202/303/505/606/707/808/909s too. They should just have made more the first time, shouldn’t they? With spares.
I’m not sure how many people are waiting for a 505 clone, but hey to each their own. That HKA mod is pretty rad.
YES!
Could you compare the Vocoder (e.g. sounds & tweak-ability) between the Jupiter-Xm and the Juno-X? Ideally, you could also include the Voice Designer Expansion Pack as a factor.
It DOES look pretty rad, but another swing and a miss from Roland to target their core demographic IMO.
Hi – why do you think this is a miss? I’m a Roland fan but not a fanboy, so I’m always interested in what disappoints people. Roland is such a weird company – they seem to have a policy of refusing to listen to their customers, marketing their stuff badly, and not caring about the results. I’ve got a JD-XA, which was marketed so badly but is an incredible synth (with silly Roland limits of course)
I think part of the issue is that the people who are constantly complaining on the Internet about how everything they’re doing is wrong and missing the point are, drumroll, not the customers Roland caters to at all.
I think most people would agree that it looks the part now – a modern looking Juno with a generous nod to the aesthetic of the original
However it’s built around bullshit Zen core engine with a load of stupid bells and whistles nobody was asking or looking for
The boutiques sounded really good – but were hampered by the voice limitation
The System 8 also sounds great – but looked like an EDM gamer bros bedroom synth
The thing to do here would have been to put the ACB technology (which sounds great) into this new synth instead of Zen core (which sounds mediocre in comparison)
Give it 8 to 12 voices and a bunch of classic Roland models (Juno 6/60, 106, 101, 202 etc…)
An Juno-X plugout for the System-8 🙂 The Zen goal is polyphony, sacrificing the processing power for getting it closer to analog originals. But since there is no analog Juno-X, perhpas Roland can think of a System-8 plugout for an Analog Behaviour version of the Digital Juno-X Zen circuit ? 🙂 At least that means another good use of the System-8 plugout functionality.
I love the look, but this seems like a kid with an identity crisis.
I don’t really like the idea of a device, which have to sound like everything and at the end not unique anyway, which was the reason Juno 60 and 106 are praised by people in the first place.
“And the uzi has a bayonet on it, and also it’s a flamethrower, and then also it shoots grenades, and and and and if a bad guy touches it they get electrocuted!”
Nope! If this was fully analog, built out of metal and didn’t have those ridiculously cheap looking colorful light buttons, we might have something special on our hands and it would justify that price. This, as it is, is horrible.
Another case for the zen core.
Another synth without identity.
Feasting on the aesthetics of the past.
Powerful soft and hardware but still boring ?
Absolutely. Zencore + Juno-106 case for SynthMania and other nostalgic people. Selling same techs over and over.
Lol what? SynthMania owns all the vintage synths you could only dream about, he is exactly not who this is aimed at.
I’m hoping they might have got this one right!
Why not ACB?
The Zen core does not sound as good
Why all the other secondary less useful synths shoehorned in there?
Could they not have just made a Juno that sounds like a Juno ?
Yeah I’d like to know a lot more about their processor/computing decisions. People said that ACB consumed too much CPU power, but chips are so so so much more powerful, I don’t understand why Roland doesn’t use more powerful processors.
I’ve got a JU-06a and I love the sound, but yeah I use it to make “Juno-type” sounds
Agrees the boutiques have the sound
Zen core is fine but certainly nothing to write home about
Why not make an actual interface for the Zen Core engine itself?
Why build old interfaces for a new sound engine?
Either do retro properly or make soemthing futuristic.
Roland is retro marketing only these days.
“we design the future” LOL
if they would swop the Piano for the Roland wavetable thing – enzyme it would be much for futuristic, for Roland ^^
Spot on!
They really could make synths move forward if they had the guts to actually create a synth with a Zen Core interface. Such a weird company – I don’t know if they ever would do something like that, because they just aren’t able to be radical anymore.
If you’re playing live with a band, it looks pretty cool and it’s reliable. And it still has all the high quality sounds that you need.
yay! the vintage units retain their value. this is just a few roland cloud plug-ins in a box.
i do wonder if they’ll every do analog again. JDX-A seemed cool and was headed in the right direction.
The JD-XA is an absolutely amazing synth. The filters are beautiful; it’s a sound design monster. But Roland never learned its lesson – remember how the TB-303 was aimed at actual bass guitarists, and they just didn’t sell any. They do that again and again, they build new synths/machines and don’t “sell” them properly. The JD-XA is a failure for Roland – they tried to be radical with the design, but it’s horrible. They could’ve marketed this synth as a device for people who want to get lost in sound. But they sold is as “a modern Jupiter 8”. Total failure.
Roland = releasing the same synths since 1980 over and over again.
…. not really. They keep on referencing the past, reusing names like Jupiter, Juno, 808 and 303 for instruments that are sometimes quite different to the originals, which upsets some people. I don’t know if UHF was being serious but there is a demographic that wants reissues of past glories, as Behringer have noticed. Meanwhile Roland appears to be trying to dance to two tunes, modernising and moving on what trying to cater for people looking for heritage sounds.
Products in the Zen Core range seem to be largely differentiated by user interface, so they all sound the same, albeit the Zen Core is a deep and capable synthesis ecosystem.
I think this will be a bit with gigging musicians; it is cheaper than the Jupiter, has hands on programming, aftertouch and sounds close enough to an OG Juno that most punters won’t notice the difference
It seems like all the other manufacturers but Roland are trying hard to make their synths as affordable as quality allows but Roland is just like « nope let’s just give them pcm as bonus and our most limited synth at a premium price »… 1999.99 is insane
they say you can access a JD 800 on this thing, but i have a feeling it is just the sound set/ presets because the jd 800 had an 8 stage env etc… so if it is possible on the juno x youll need to menu dive but it just sounds messy.
What is the polyphony count ?
Something I’ve noticed with Roland is they have really fantastic fresh concepts and yet they insist on pushing the idea of digital emulations of their golden oldies. Zen Core to me is the advancement in LA Synthesis of the D50 and JD 8000. They also came out with the N/Zyme expansion of wavetable synthesis (Something new for Roland) and yet it’s…..”Everyone asked for a Juno right? Here’s a digital one!”
The JDXa proved Roland could still do analog if they wanted to….the idea of an 8 voice or 10 voice analog synth was not out of the realm of possibility….yet it’s pretty much abandonware at this point.
The System 8 engine sounded unique and with the FM Oscillator update it had a fresh new sound pallet/concept…yet they just kept pushing the plug outs of the Jupiter and Juno.
If Roland has no interest in doing analog again….fine……but then make the ZenCore engine and N/Zyme engines the main focus. Let’s hear something fresh…..we don’t need a virtual sawtooth wave…..we have analog ones readily available now. Either move on, or don’t.
Roland introduces Deepmind knock off.
$1999.99 !!?? This should be $799.99 or less.
The Roland-hate is beginning to compete with the Behringer-hate. Its not a yard-long scorpion. Its mostly a simpler hardware front-end for their Cloud. If the keys are even halfway solid, I’d call $2k a fair price. Yes, they recycle, just like all of the other major players. So? I kiss Roland ass because they’re part of why we have MIDI. You should pucker up, too. Everyone wants a Jupiter-8 in some form.
I like this take on their gigantic library. Its got simple but workable grab-&-go hardware, with an effects section like the one on the VR-09. It could easily sit in the center of a home rig (or close to it) and be a good team player. The connectivity is a real WIN.
Besides, Roland tried “fresh” with the amazing V-Synth and it mostly tanked. “People” want vintage analog because its the easiest to understand. “Fresh” is for those who sample seriously or like MAX for Live.
its 25 years later now, who doesnt understand granular or wavetables these days???
The thing is: it is neither “Vintage” NOR “Fresh”
It is a a powerful mordern synth engine with a vintage interface that does not fit.
There should be a “Zen” synth with direct control for the 4 oscs and many other “zen-core” parameters.
I even think there is a chance for such a “Zen-core” synth, since many ppl agree the synth engine is incongruent with the currently offered interfaces.
It’s called the Fantom. Programming full zencore kinda needs the touch screen.
i want none of it. No expensive Phantom Workstation. No medium priced, monochromatic interface, Zenology software and no hardware mimicking vintage instruments..
The whole concept is too convoluted for me.
I’m outta here.
The Roland – Gaia is 3 synths in one == 3 * oscillatiors.
Does this only have one OSC?
Why make a single oscillator interface for a multi-oscillator synth? Ugh.
There’s a “part” button to switch oscillators. How would you have designed it? 4 separate osc sections, comprised of 6 tiny little mini sliders? Same with the lfo section? And filter section, etc?
Have you ever seen a Jupiter-8? That would be a better starting point.
But this isn’t a Jupiter. It’s a Juno. Of course they’re going to prioritize the Juno model with this one. You have way more hands on control of the oscillator section, with waveform mixing, on the Juno. You don’t get that with the Jupiter.
Neither models gives the complete capability of the zencore 4 partial structure though.
It’s a nostalgia play, which seems to be Roland’s thing, rather than creating modern, innovative synths with useful interfaces. And it can be many synths, which was my point, they’ve just put the UI for the most basic one there.
Soulless
$1999.99 is expensive for what is essentially a soft-synth and controller.
A shame that they’ve essentially recreated the whole look of the 106, except for those iconic gold Chorus buttons! A silly complaint, perhaps, but further evidence that Roland seems curiously blind to their own past symbols of greatness.
I think both this and the Jupiter X series get slagged for their under-the-hood complexity shoehorned into a classic looking interface. Remember that as with deep workstations like the Kronos, you only need to go as deep as you need to go. If you need a modern 106/60, coupled with some modern conveniences like USB, velocity and aftertouch, this can totally fill that niche without having to worry about how to program the intricacies of the included 5080 engine, for example. The audio demos are impressive, the units appear well made. I think this and the Jupiter-X represent good value for money.
Hmm the supersaw isn’t terrible.
I have a Fantom 8 and it is one of the best synths I’ve ever owned. It is essentially the ZenCore interface you’re asking for and a lot more. It has many routing features that work with Aira equipment and I have it hooked up to a Roland MX1.I I also have a System 8 which is also a great synth, so with those this doesn’t appear to offer me anything new. The Fantom 8 is a super controller and a lot easier to use than the Korg Kronos I’ve had for years and still having to dive deep to get to things. The Fantom has everything on top and the OS is great. For someone who doesn’t have one though this might do the trick, but it isn’t clear if it has AIRA connectivity.
madness is to buy the OP-1 field calculator, or the latest model iPhone for the same money. those who say that this is a VST in a beautiful package, guys! A VST in a beautiful package is an iMac with your plugins. I, like many hardware lovers, am trying in every possible way to get away from the computer-Music concept. yes, in a recording studio this is the norm. but if I buy for myself, for the soul, then first of all I pay for emotions. a computer will never give such emotions as something tangible (real). Yes, I bought it, I had many different synthesizers, one of the latest is DeepMind6, my favorite)) . the first impressions of Juno-x were like this – to return it ?. I did not understand how to control where, what and how. but having figured it out. I get real pleasure from the sounds and the game. I have a bunch of purchased vsti on my iPad Pro. and believe me they sound very convincing. but this is a tablet, it’s boring. There are professionals who work only on one computer… well, that’s good. But everyone enjoys it as much as they can afford it ?. One of the big minuses is the screen. And not even its size or color. But how it works. It works as if you were in the cold and it freezes. The response and delay are very large. And when you quickly run through the menu. The text floats. Someone wrote that there are few controls… I’m not a sound designer. I only edit the preset a little if necessary. And for me, everything that is on the synthesizer is quite enough. The built-in speakers are good if you are sitting alone in silence ?. The keyboard itself is very elastic and has a good return. Like a young girl’s breasts ?.