Back in 1986, this hybrid beast gave birth to one of the most iconic sounds in electronic music—the relentless "hoover" techno stab that's still tearing up dancefloors today.
Its digitally controlled oscillator pumps out saw, pulse, square waveforms, plus noise and a sub-oscillator, all feeding into a classic analog resonant low-pass filter with high-pass option, dual envelopes for VCF and VCA, and an LFO for sweeps that go super slow. Editing happens via the clever Alpha Dial—a single endless rotary knob paired with membrane buttons and an LCD display for quick tweaks on everything from PWM to chorus rate—making it surprisingly intuitive despite no sliders. The 61-key synth-action keyboard responds to velocity and channel aftertouch, with 6-voice polyphony, chord memory, portamento, transpose, and MIDI In/Out/Thru for modern rigs. Built sturdy at 38 inches wide, 9.5 deep, and 16.5 pounds, it packs stereo outs, headphone jack, 128 patches (64 preset, 64 user), and a cartridge slot for backups.
Players love its fat basslines, lush pads, and that unmistakable chorus-drenched edge, though some wish for physical sliders—pair it with a PG-300 programmer if you do. A staple in Roland's Juno lineage, it sits perfectly between studio workhorse and stage powerhouse.
