knudsen@ihwpt.UUCP (mike knudsen) (12/04/85)
[This is an expanded version of my email reply to someone requesting Juno-106 opinions. At the risk of getting flamed to Helen Back, I'll share it with the net.] I've been shopping (can't you tell from the news!) and played with a Juno 106 just last nite. I really want a touch-sense keyboard, so I won't get the Juno. Plus I want 8, not 6 voices (guess what I usually play on). That said, I think the 106 is a nice box and easy to work with. The controls and the colorfully labeled sections make you feel you're twiddling with a SYNTHESIZER, not programming a computer (quote Dr. McCoy re the new Enterprise's sick bay). I liked the quick selection of 16', 8', or 4' octaves, PWM, and the simple way of steering the bender wheel to various parameters (controls located right by the wheel). For human engineering it's hard to beat, especially if you've used good old Moogs, etc. BUT -- What I didn't like is the invisibility of the preset patches-- like, what the hell values did the last preset put into all those slide pots? After seeing an AKAI AX-80, you will not like this. With experience, you may come to know just which parameter(s) to tweak to customize a preset, but I found this confusing. To be fair, the Korg DW-8000 suffers the same problem -- but it has so many good presets maybe you can live with it. Sound? Full and bright both. No problems here -- probably up there with AX-80, need a Korg DW-8000 to beat it. About price -- this little store in suburban Chicago wants $650 for the 106, $690 for the AX80, and $850 for the Korg. They're out of AX80s !"#$%&'()! In summary: Juno is nice, but for a few more bucks you can get an AX80 with 8 voices, touch-sense (velocity), and graphic display of all parameters (fun to watch while changing presets). "Standard" price for AX80 around here is $895 (vs. $850 quoted for the Juno by the messager), so why not step up? mike k PS: I've never seen anything bad about a Juno here, and a friend is very happy with his (maybe different model?). There are lots of Rolands out there. It's just that there are better keyboards now for the $$.