NKD (New Keyboard Day!) – Roland Juno-X just arrived today!

flyingace

Active member
Roland just announced this last week and I was lucky to get in on the first order coming in from Musicians Friend. I own and love my Fantom 7, one of the best Roland keyboards (platform really) that I’ve ever owned. And I‘m so proud of Roland for taking such good care of us owners these days with tons of updates, constant care, sound packs and support!
I bought the Jupiter X a few years back and just didn’t really enjoy it or it’s workflow… I have to admit, the Juno-X is built on that platform but thankfully Roland saw fit to create a desktop editor to make major scene/tone building easier. The Juno-X of course looks a lot like it’s name sake, the Juno-106, which I owned in 1986! I own several vintage synths but honestly, the modeling is getting so good, it’s nice to not have to worry about the old vintage stuff breaking, using reliable new tech that gives me the feel and sound but options with future forward rigs. I love my studio’s combination of analog and digital, the Juno-X will fit in perfectly!
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Cool! Congrats! My first synth was the Roland SH3 back @ 1974... built like a brick shit house in it's own case. I still own it but it's been years since I broke it out. Things are so easy now and I have little patience for going deep...( I'm old n lazy) running a MODX 88 and 73 electro 4 as my rig. Pretty much gives me anything I need plug n play... too many balls in the air for me right now to spend a lot of time "programming" or tweaking sounds much but I really wouldn't mind taking a dive in sometime if the clock of life ever slows down a smidge....
 
She's a beauty, eh'

Roland is pretty good going backwards. It probably has the Jupiter in it. Their waves are so classic now. It should have most of the vintage JV-04 waveforms and do the SRX 07 stuff. Roland at some point became more than a cheap plastic deck to me..Roland is junk, but really really good junk.

My Fantom X is awesome too. FANTOM!!!
 
They look like decent keys.
I looked at the VR-09 keyboard, but the keys were short, and looked too plasticy. Shame.
They since decanted it into the VR-730, with much better keys.
Full size keys is the only way.
Hope you enjoy it.
 
They look like decent keys.
I looked at the VR-09 keyboard, but the keys were short, and looked too plasticy. Shame.
They since decanted it into the VR-730, with much better keys.
Full size keys is the only way.
Hope you enjoy it.
That was always my problem with the VR-09, great offering but terrible build and feel. The VR-730 improved on it for sure.
I’m really happy with the build quality on the Juno-X, it’s built like a tank but not overly heavy. And the keys are very nice, pleasant even. I still prefer my Fantom 7, but the best Roland key bed I ever played was on my Jupiter 80! Man I miss that feel!
 
I hate you guys....I read through this thread a few weeks ago and started going down the never ending rabbit hole of rig change and the plethora of options out there.

Ok here's my current set up for the Brent Payne country gig: Using a MODX 8 and Nord Electro 4. Between the two pretty much everything I need.

Really for the country gig I just need a good acoustic piano, a good EP, a nice clav, a good Moog sound and a kick ass Hammond sound...some horns, some strings and something that sounds like bag pipes. The Nord provides the Hammond and The Clav , the MODX provides the rest

That said I am really unhappy with the key clacking on the MODX and it's only going to get worse. I connected a novation impulse to it and it was SOOOO much nicer a feel even though it's not weighted... Not being weighted when playing synths OH HELL yeah and tough really fast intricate parts...day n night...

So that got me thinking maybe grab a Montage 7 sell the MODX8...but then I read this thread...again damn all of you!~

I love the hammond sounds I can get from the Nord but it s an arduous task getting to the various patches and then editing them on the fly playing live.

Enter this damn thread and Roland

I had noticed the band director for the Voice Paul Mirkovich uses Roland and I have high regard for him. Of course he is also sponsored by them so he's a bit biased.

IDK after falling down the rabbit hole and comments in this thread I just kind of have fallen for the VR 730 and or the Jupiter 80 and am thinking I might just be able to have everything I need in either...

Then again there's another whole rabbit hole Korg and PAX4 or 5 Fer fucks sake my head hurts

Thoughts?
 
I have a VR700. It wasn't a mistake. Nice fast keys, and you can tweek a great deal under the hood organ-wise. Has the entire GM2 sound set.
I was considering the VR09, which is functionally identical to the VR730, but the keys on the VR700 were so much better.
The only drawback with it is just one set of drawbars, for upper, lower, and pedal.
For that reason I am currently lusting after a Hammond SKX Pro.
The VR700 is still a great keyboard though.
 
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I hate you guys....I read through this thread a few weeks ago and started going down the never ending rabbit hole of rig change and the plethora of options out there.

Ok here's my current set up for the Brent Payne country gig: Using a MODX 8 and Nord Electro 4. Between the two pretty much everything I need.

Really for the country gig I just need a good acoustic piano, a good EP, a nice clav, a good Moog sound and a kick ass Hammond sound...some horns, some strings and something that sounds like bag pipes. The Nord provides the Hammond and The Clav , the MODX provides the rest

That said I am really unhappy with the key clacking on the MODX and it's only going to get worse. I connected a novation impulse to it and it was SOOOO much nicer a feel even though it's not weighted... Not being weighted when playing synths OH HELL yeah and tough really fast intricate parts...day n night...

So that got me thinking maybe grab a Montage 7 sell the MODX8...but then I read this thread...again damn all of you!~

I love the hammond sounds I can get from the Nord but it s an arduous task getting to the various patches and then editing them on the fly playing live.

Enter this damn thread and Roland

I had noticed the band director for the Voice Paul Mirkovich uses Roland and I have high regard for him. Of course he is also sponsored by them so he's a bit biased.

IDK after falling down the rabbit hole and comments in this thread I just kind of have fallen for the VR 730 and or the Jupiter 80 and am thinking I might just be able to have everything I need in either...

Then again there's another whole rabbit hole Korg and PAX4 or 5 Fer fucks sake my head hurts

Thoughts?
I love the VR 730, everything that was working in the smaller one but with 76 well made keys and a much more professional build! IT would be a great main keyboard for the stuff you mentioned you need the most..
That said, my Fantom just up and died July 20th, after only 3 years, no reason, no gigging, no abuse, just dead. Took it in to the tech and it was the main board that had failed! Roland would not cover it since it was out of warranty. It was going to cost me over $1500 to repair a $3700 keyboard that was 3 years old. After many emails, posts on FB and several forums, I finally go them to cover the parts cost. I got it back Aug 15th for $67 total outlay…. Whew! Then I got it home and tried to restore from my backup… the tech neglected to register the new main board with my keyboards’ serial number and it corrupted my backup USB drive. Then it wouldn’t let me load expansions and models… after another week of wrangling with a very quiet Roland support dept, the tech realized his faux pas and sent me the instructions to set the registration myself… it works now but the backup and all my songs, settings and scenes are gone. My fault for not storing the BU on my computer, but who knew!
All said, I’m glad to have it back but it has left a bitter taste in my mouth for buying anymore Roland gear for a while.
So, rabbit holes you said... This has sent me down the path of thinking of selling and buying another workstation but honestly, I just can’t seem to find anything that offers what the Fantom 7 offers for me, maybe someone will come out with new gear next january… but until then…
 
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