Roland unveils new Juno-106-style hardware synth – Juno-X

Roland has unveiled a new hardware polysynth called the Juno-X. Based on Roland’s hardware polysynth classic, the Juno-106, the Juno-X features a similar layout and colour style to the 106, with updated features you might expect from a modern poly. 

The Juno-X features 61 keys with aftertouch, and five ‘parts’, with one drum and four synth voices. There are over 4,000 presets, with 256 user slots and 90 drum sounds. While the Juno-X retains the classic Chorus FX sound of the original, it also adds a host of other FX, with 93 types in total. There are eight reverbs, five chorus types, five delays, a mic compressor and a master compressor, plus plenty of presets for each. 

While it was the Juno-60 that famously had a flexible arpeggiator, Roland has added it to the Juno-X, with multiple directions and playing detection functionality. There’s the iconic pitch and mod stick from the 106, which can be assigned to various modulation sources. One function that definitely wasn’t available on the original is Bluetooth – the X supports both audio and MIDI over the wireless protocol. 

The original Juno-106 also had a sister product – the 106S – that featured built-in speakers, so the X has taken its cues from that, adding two ‘full range’ speakers. 

The Juno-X is powered by Roland’s ZEN-Core sound engine, so while it’s fully digital, it’s designed to sound analogue and can also be used as a plugin, when you need access to the Juno-X sound on the go. Vintage and modern tones can be achieved with ZEN-Core, so expect the sound of the original Juno range with an updated twist. 

The X also features Models from other Roland hardware like Jupiter-8, SH-101 and JD-800. 

The Juno-X is priced at $1,999. Find out more on Roland’s website.