Roland Juno-60

A 6-voice polyphonic analog/digital hybrid synthesizer with a 61-note keyboard. Released in 1983.

The Juno-60 offers a single DCO per voice, switchable between sawtooth, pulse (with PWM) and square waveforms. Pulse width can be modulated by the LFO or the envelope generator. There is also a sub-oscillator fixed to square wave.

The filter section contains a 4-pole resonant low-pass VCF plus a non-resonant high-pass one with 4 fixed settings. The former filter can be simultaneously modulated by the LFO, the EG and keyboard tracking. External VCF input is also included.

One single-waveform LFO is shared between all voices and features typical controls for rate and delay. The VCA offers one ADSR EG.

Other features include an internal memory that holds up to 56 user patches (64 in a special mode - thanks chrisjh!) with a tape interface for more storage. There is also a simple arpeggiator, plus a chorus effect. The Juno-60 predates MIDI, so only a DCB interface is available for external sync.

Famous users include Enya, Faithless and chrisjh. :)


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Many people would argue that a Juno-60 has a better chorus and fatter filters than the Juno-106's. Some sekrit tips:

The Juno-60 can hold 8*7 (56) patches, but if you put a patch cord into the "patch shift" port in the back, you can access a total of 64.

The Juno-60 can also be put into a 'test' mode if turned on while holding down the 'key transpose' button. Then, if you turn the arpeggio switch to the 'up' setting, it combines all of its oscillators, changing any patch to an ultra-fat, monophonic version of the original patch. Turn the arpeggio to the 'up&down' or 'down' settings to return to normal.

Although there is a switch on the bottom left to transpose octaves with three settings, if carefully placed between the second and third setting, an ultra-high octave transposition can be reached. Enjoy