Juno-D

Back in 2005, this synth arrived as an affordable entry into the legendary Juno family, packing a jet-black metal chassis that's light enough to gig with but tough enough to take a beating on the road.

Its sample-based subtractive synthesis draws from 32MB of waveforms, including a stereo multi-sampled grand piano and vintage synth emulations, with 640 patches organized by category like Piano or Orchestra, plus 20 drum kits and GM2 compatibility for seamless integration. The 61 full-size, velocity-sensitive keys feel responsive for the price, paired with a pitch bend/mod wheel, D-Beam for hands-free sweeps, and five front-panel knobs that tweak filter cutoff, resonance, attack, release, and more in real time. Layer or split up to two tones per patch, fire up the arpeggiator with 400 patterns, or use Multi Chord memory for one-finger harmonies and a Rhythm Guide with real drum patterns—effects shine too, with 47 multi-types like slicers and quirky delays, eight reverbs, and eight choruses, all routed through a stereo output and optional pedals.

Over the years, players have praised its generous 64-voice polyphony and versatile sound library as a live workhorse, though some note the editing is basic without deep dive menus—still, it's a favorite for quick setups and inspiring jams that echo the classic Juno vibe.