Roland JUNO DS61 Review

9.8

It’s a JUNO synth.  That’s the bottom line.  They are great instruments and with the cost of this being what it is, there is no reason not to own one.

$799.
Last Amazon price update was: April 3, 2024 9:25 pm
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The Roland JUNO DS61 61 Key Synthesizer is a highly portable synth, making this one of the best synthesizers for touring musicians.  Not only does it deliver everything you would want from a synth it also has solid piano tones, organs, phrases pads and more, which is noteworthy for best keyboards.

The waveform expansion capabilities very strong with vocal effects and more.  It is possible to upload sound directly into this synth and Roland offers hundreds of free sounds on their website.  It’s easy to upload sounds onto the JUNO-DS61 with the built in USB connection.

Beyond that, there are customizable patches that are adjustable in real time in the JUNO-DS61.  The synthesizer is equipped with eight phrase pads that allot you to trigger sounds and samples.  The 61 key version is far more portable than the 88 key version.

While everything is mostly the same, the light weight and versatility is nice for touring musicians to have the 61Key JUNO DS61.  Right out of the box, you have a massive amount of sounds at your fingertips with hands on control and adjustable parameters, including using your own custom built patches.

Because of it’s versatility and expansive sound bank, it is also a solid choice for educators, producers and home hobbyists.  It has over 100 sounds built in and is compatible with older patches from JUNO-Di’s previous generations.  It’s easy and fun to get into making music with the Roland JUNO DS61 Synthesizer.

A nice bonus feature is the that microphone input on the Roland JUNO DS61 has dedicated reverb, auto pitch and a vocoder.  The ability to add depth to your voice while have the opportunity to use a vocoder and autotune is something that in today’s musical environment is a clutch tool to have.

With the Roland JUNO-DS61, you essential have the majority of what you need for a mobile recording studio.  Since you have a built in 8 track sequencer and an integrated USB interface, you have the ability  to have a continuous workflow where you can record audio and MIDI data and use the microphone input and even the tones through the sequencer.

Roland JUNO DS61 Synthesizer Features:

  • Lightweight, gig-ready instrument with pro sounds, enhanced performance features, and battery-powered operation
  • Includes all the sounds from the popular JUNO-Di, plus newly updated acoustic and electric pianos, additional organs, and other stage essentials
  • Wave expansion slot enables users to download new sound waveforms, available for free at Roland’s Axial website
  • Sample import function for playing user WAV files on the JUNO-DS61’s keyboard
  • Intuitive eight-track pattern sequencer with non-stop recording for quickly developing song ideas; USB audio/MIDI and DAW Control model

 

FAQ Frequently Asked Questions

Does it have built in speakers?
No it does not, you will need an amp.
Can it record loops?
Yes, it is great for looping.
Does it have built in drum loops?
You can upload drum loops or create them with the preloaded drum sounds and percussion bank.
9.8 Expert Score

The Roland JUNO series are all exceptional in my opinion.  This is one of my favorites because of its size and price.  It’s an affordable instrument that has an unreal amount of potential in creating music.

Sound
9.8
Price
9.8
Look
9.7
PROS
  • Custom tones are mind blowing
  • The price is right
  • Built in vocoder and auto pitch
CONS
  • Vocoder and arpeggiator settings are elusive
  • Action of keys can be a little strange
  • If you want weighted keys get the 88 key version