Roland Alpha Juno 1 + 2, MKS50

– the Roland Juno + Alpha Juno Synthesizer Series

ROLAND SYNTHESIZERimages (click the pic to enlarge it – if available)
JUNO SERIES
its simple user interface and the absence of ringmode, crossmod or any other „dirtmaker“ is responsible for the juno’s sound that always sounds „good“.. but is also reduced to the minimum.

it has DCOs (one DCO plus SUB with pwm,saw,noise), it’s not as versatile like the jupiter series but this may be the cause for the name: juno a moon of jupiter?.. it’s LFO has one waveform (saw) like the alpha juno series, but its 20hz max (the alpha series LFO is much faster)
btw: the juno is also digitally controlled like the jupiter 4 even if they both look „analogue“.. of course the audio path is still analogue – same for lots of instruments of that time.

did you know the Juno106s? it was a Juno106 with loudspeakers built in!! rare! and another strange version the HS60 with speakers for the „hobby“ market.

Racked juno 106 = yes, its the mks7

midify a juno ?
if your juno has DCB (this depends on the release date) you can get a DCB to midi interface
some are already equipped and some have non of these.. in that case it’s not impossible but more expensive to midify your juno.. in case of the junos it may not be worth it if there is no interface (dcb)!! ..–> (service tech!)
Roland Juno series juno-6,juno-60,juno-106:
Alpha Juno see below!
here with FX/hier mitEin einfaches System: DCO-VCF-VCA.. nicht so voll/voluminös wie SH101 und eben mit DCOs.. aber ähnliche Struktur.. trotzdem immer wieder im Umlauf – selbstresonante filter

die modelle juno60 und juno106 haben als unterschied speicher und der 106er midi.

simple DCO-VCF-VCA.. but self resonating 24dB/oct lpf filter 1 VCO with subosc, PWM, white noise and static 4 step hpf.
some quite similar to the juno6
the juno series are the juno60 and juno106 that have memory for patches. the juno 106 is simply a juno 60 with more midi and memory capability.

this is the simplest model: no midi and no memory ;)
little tips: on the juno60 you can press the patch buttons 5 and 1 or 2 simultaneously! this frees up 19 (!!) more patch memories!

want mono/uni mode on the juno? just press key transpose while power up (hold!) and you will hear all 6 notes to the last key held down! ;)

there are some test programs on board, that can be reached by 5 (hold down when you have plugged something into the patch select jack, then 4 or 5 for bank 8 and 9.

THE ALPHA JUNO SERIES (1 and 2 and mks50) are also juno synthesizers, but with a complex envelope , 1 VCO and SUBOSC , LPF 24dB/oct, quite fast LFO, nice with pg300 programmer, the alpha juno 2 has velocity sensitive keyboard (5 oct) and a card slot, the apha juno 1 has 4 oct. keyboard., no card slot. the UI is quite digital, so try to use the programmer (sometimes as expensive as the synth itself)..

roland juno synthesizer series
juno 6 by roland

roland juno synthesizer

racked juno? yes! MKS-7! incl TR707
there was a Juno106s with loudspeakers!
funny? hmm.. yes..

juno 106

juno106
juno106
remember: click the pic to enlarge..

service manual juno 106

control your juno via sysex?
no controllers but sysex commands can control alpha juno / mks50 and the juno106.
the tipps by vintagesynth

Juno mit Moogerfooger Effekten..
audio juno with moogerfooger FX

some Manuals and Schematics stuff about juno106 in english and (prefered) in german can be found here

Roland Alpha Juno 1 / Alpha Juno 2
Rack: MKS50 / pg-300 also: mks50 as rack version. – programmer: pg300
came out 1986
often most ppl. do not believe it can sound like this:
alphajuno.mp3 audio demo..

this little 4 oct (alpha ju1) and small synth is really a JUNO! also available as 5 oct keyboard (alpha ju2) only the ju2 has velocity and aftertouch sensitive keyboard but the ju1 can receive velo/aftertouch data via midi!

same for mks50 (well ,not keyboard! 1 unit rack machine!)

OSCS: it provides: DCO with lots of pulse wave variations and separate PWM „lfo“. in ADDITION to that you can add sawtooth including varations of modulated symmetry (not PWM but quite close!)
also: subOSC with rectangular waves (octaved ,some variations! and with hi overtones)

Filters:
hpf (static) and 24dB/oct LPF – no self osc’ing but nice sounding filter!

FAT sound!! imo it is much richer than that of a JX8p or JX3p (and they sound quite fat!).. so it is a real juno, made in 1986 – anyway a full fat synth. maybe a „secret tip“ these days..

chorus (incl rate setting for mod.)

dynamics for filter,dco,vca

env: gate or a multistage env (see image on the right)–> T1-T4 rates and 3 levels can be set! – quite fast – so also good for basses and percussive sounds

LFO: sine only but quite fast!! (really fast!).. not as fast as the jupiter 4 LFO, but app 40-50hz (estimated).. so it reaches audio.. can be routed to filters,dcos,. lfo can be „faded in“ (delay paramter)

in fact: you have 3 LFOs : the above mentioned (controlling DCO or/and VCF), the PWM lfo (about 20hz max) and the chorus lfo (also about 20hz max), the main lfo is as said audio speed!.

VCA: gate, dynamic gate or envelope. (no lfo mod..)
quick access buttons for „brilliance“, mod amounts (all), lfo speed, env time) – very cool and quick to use.. but no „knobs“ here to use as controllers.. anyway: use the pg300 that is connected via midi (sysex).
(the earlier programmers had an extra special multi pin plug for the pg)
most parameters range from 0 to 127.
sound is junish fat (so imo it is a modern juno 6/60/106)..

Roland Alpha Juno 1 / Alpha Juno 2
Roland Alpha Juno 1 / Alpha Juno 2
look at this table: see the pulse and saw variation (one osc at same time)? – click the pic to see the ENV diagram!
Roland Alpha Juno 1 / Alpha Juno 2 parameters
Roland Alpha Juno 1 / Alpha Juno 2
roland pg 300 programmer for alpha juno + mks50
the PG 300 programmer.. for alpha juno & mks50
there was another „hobby“ version under the HS10 name.. rare but not much different.. (possibly with built in speakers)

restore factory presets (not really „good“ idea) but if you like to hold 4 and 8 at power on (in poly mode) or 3 and 7 in mono mode. will of course erase all sounds, tune/midi chord memories etc. bank A will completely overwritten..


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