Bought a Juno 60 for almost $2K. Fell in love. Cried tears of joy from the sonic beauty. Felt guilty about what I paid. Sold it. Went on a journey to replace it. Went through a Deepmind 12, JU-06A but neither was right. Tried an Alpha Juno 2. Didn't cut it. Tried the TAL-UNO Juno plugin. Didn't care for it. Tried a Deepmind 6. Still missed the real thing. Bought a Juno 106 and I'm back in LOVE again more than ever. So what if I'm broke.

The design on the Juno 106 is why so many people choose to own one. The look is timeless.

I am a year behind, but I thought I'd mention it as the JU-06A is mentioned here: When the boutiques were new, I bought the three originals: Juno, Jupiter and JX. But I sold all of them in favour of the System-8. It gave me all the synths pluss the System-8 engine AND it gave me the correct polyphony as it has up to eight. I still own the System-8 and I love it.

Hey Jorb, I love your videos. Keep up the amazing content. I REALLY love your calm approach to gear, your honesty, and your wisdom to suggest options that give a brand new perspective. Your channel has helped me alot in my GAS struggles! haha. Keep up the great content man! Cannot get enough!

I bought a Roland Alpha Juno 1 with the Retroaktiv MPG50 controller and have not regretted it. The controller has all the faders for parameters and has two where you can actually apply multiple parameters to one fader. So if you wanted to do a swell with adjusting the PWM, Filter, and LFO Rate, you can do it all with one fader. What's cool about the Alpha Juno is it has the ability to adjust the chorus rate and it has more waveforms. Anyways love your channel Jorb.

I remember when the 106 was the "budget" synth. I knew people who wanted a Prophet 5 but couldn't afford it, so they got a 106. They're neat, but I think this video does a great job of explaining some more cost effective and frankly better options.

I appreciate what you said in your intro. I agree - there’s no right or wrong way to approach choosing a synthesizer. My vibe is just that, a vibe. I am usually looking for a particular sound, and I find that by testing synths out in stores and tapping into my intuition until I hear “that’s it!” in my heart, I’m able to make clear decisions about purchases. So, like you said, it’s about looking for something that does what you want, not being a purist or being stuck in “the best” mentality.

I'm so glad I came across your channel. This video is super informative and I enjoy your style. Looking forward to checking out your videos on the Deepmind. I'm looking to buy my second synth and having a difficult time choosing between the DM6 and DM12.

I subbed because you kept a joyful laugh throughout your video, I stayed cause you have great info! Cheers to you & your channel!

this is a great, great, video. Right to the point and wonderfully informative. Subscribed!

I adore how passionate you are in videos like this.

Love the subtle “redirect your gas” sentiment at about 21:00 with the BEHRINGER SWING tape lol I’m sure it’s appeared before on your vids and you’ve probably spoken about it, but I found that hilarious. Great video

I'm totally happy with my Deepmind. Wouldn't actually exchange it for the original Juno -- mostly because of the rich display and compact size. Also, thanks to you, Jorb, I learned how to program it :)

UI look and feel guiding your creativity is a HUGE point. Well put.

Nice take on the topic with interesting ideas and comparisons. Cheers!

I gotta recommend the Prologue. 😉 Great vid! Covers some really excellent alternatives.

Subbed! Thank you for the info Jorb!

Love your videos, man!

I owned a Juno 106 for several years that I bought new. I traded it and have regretted it ever since. I still have a MKS50 with a programmer that I did acquire a few years later and although it’s not the same, it’s not bad. I have been interested in a Deepmind in the last couple of years. The Roland boutique modules seem like toys and I have not been as attracted to them. I own a couple of software recreations, my favorite being the TAL U-NO-LX synth although I haven’t yet spent enough time with the new Arturia offering to really A-B them. Great video, I have been an advocate of not chasing gear for a long time. Gotta use what you have and not let gear acquisition become the passion over making music. 😀

Jorb, I absolutely love your content and this series in particular. I work as a sound engineer, and theres something that always bugs me to see on the gig: the nord instruments. Would love to see a What to buy instead of Nord stage or something of the kind. Thanks for all your work and all the gas you have saved for so many!

Haha you're awesome dude! Love these kind of vids! Keep going!

thank you for your videos Jorb

Perfect review and recommendations. Great insights, thx!

Former Juno 6 owner here. I recently got a JX-08 and it’s soothing my Juno lust and offering quite a few extras.

I have my 106 since 1984(?) and will never, ever sell it. It is limited compared to more modern synths, but the interface is so immediate. It can so pro sounding, bass, leads, strings, winds, etc. Extremely versatile. Mine needed one overhaul about 5 years ago and is still fizzy like it was back in the 80s. It’s a lot of cash for a newbie, but if it’s what you want the analog warmth and classic tone is tough to beat.

My first synth was a DM6, a damn fine piece of kit. Still a complete noob on its workings but thanks to your channel, I'm getting to grips with it. Quite like the looks of those hydrasynths...and then there's the Lyra 8 to buy too... damnit. Anyhoo, another sub here. Great channel.

I paid 550 pounds for mine back in 2012 and it needed an additional 150 pounds to restore it to full working order as a few voices stopped working not long after I bought it (voice chips replaced). It's worth noting that the synthsizer was sold as "fully functional" when I was buying. It took a couple of months for it to exhibit problems. After the voice replacement it's been solid.

Just subbed! Love the videos. I would say the workflow is still not all the way there on this for example the sequencer. I almost got this device but that was the deal breaker. Sucked it up and just got the JunoX on a really good deal.

Nice balanced video. For me it boils down to: most things sound as good if not better than my Juno-60… but none of them play or give me that smile that the Juno-60 gives me. It’s an instrument.

For several years my on stage rig consisted of a Juno 106, an Akai AX-80, A Kong DW-8000 and an Akai S-612. I had to sell my Octive Cat to raise money for the 106… I think I myself might be “vintage”. 😉

I bought an Integra 7, yeah it cost a lot, but it’s got a Jupiter built in and plenty of Juno sounds that are tweakable with my Behringer X touch. Both are worth every cent! Love your channel Jorb!

super interesting video - I think I may go for Deepmind based on everything you've said and shown.

I spent 2.5x the cost of a juno 106 trying most of these options to get a juno 106 sound. On paper there is a similar feature set/functionality. None of them sounded as good & you cant make a bad sound with the 106. Its beautiful. I feel like the saying ‘buy once, cry once’ applies. All the synths mentioned are pretty good, none as good for that sound. That was my experience

Juno X 256 polophony ,61 keys with after touch,Vocoder,Step sequencer,Synth Model expansions i want one!

Generally I view vintage gear like fine art, something you shouldn’t buy unless you plan to launder money or just look at it. I used to have a Casio AZ-1 keytar, it was truly cool looking and I would often just hold it and look at it, but it doesn’t compare well to modern midi controllers like the Vortex Wireless. Good video, keep up the good work!

Great video Jorb. I still really want a Deepmind 12.

I'm glad you did the Deepmind. I have a Deepmind 12D. It's so underrated. Great build quality, great sound, great FXs. It's sort of a "super-Juno" I think the hundreds of crappy presets that come with it give it a bad rap. The 12D is probably the best bang.

I respect you so much Jorb

We had a 106 at my high school when I was a teenager in the 80s. I get my warm fuzzies from TAL UNO now visit does a great job.

Thank you very much for your video is very informative. I'm a big fan of dreadbox, to they can get some amazing harmonics out of their machines. I only have the Typhon but it's great fun :)

I would have never spent 2 grand on a Juno, but damn it looks sleek. The colour scheme alone inspires me to play some sweet sweet 80s sus4add9 voicings. Great video, made my Friday evening 🎹❤️

The SH01A is actually polyphonic (4 voice) and can do *some* of the Juno 106 stuff almost exactly. Worth a look if your budget is tight.

One thing that I like to do is translating Juno, Jupiter 6 or other vintage synth patches onto a modern synth like the Polybrute. There are utilities that can read Juno sysex patches files and show the sliders positions on screen. Then I translate the parameters on the Polybrute and even if it doesn’t end up sounding identical it can get very close. And most of the time the resulting patch end up being a good starting point to add more modulations and effects that makes it better than the original.

Just grabbed a Hydrasynth Deluxe as my first big synth. I am completely blown away. The polyphonic aftertouch and complex customizability of all the parameters is pretty great. But it tends to sound more ambient and floaty if you only browse the presets (which I'm 100% here for in any case). I binged review videos and ultimately wasn't going to get it...until I played the demo unit at Sweetwater and realized it really does have features that warranted getting it, and not just GAS. I don't think I'll need more gear for a very long time outside of building my own modular.

I owned one for 8 years. It's definitely unique and not easily replicated, but big and lacks a wide range of sound. That said, it's great for ambient pads.

I found one that I cleaned and repaired. Just changed a $2 mux chip and it works good now. Somebody had moved overseas and never came back. It was a good feeling having it working (adsr didn't work and a few other sliders). Yeah it's probably overhyped but a good instrument. Wouldn't pay asked price nowadays, don't think so.

Thanks, Jorb! Fab overview, as usual! I missed your 106 patch bank for Deepmind video, and just became aware of it from this video. You should put your gumroad link in the list of links above :-) I just donated and downloaded it and am excited to try out the patches. Thanks!

Thanks for the video, very informative and cheerful. I wanted to point out that the JU-06 does have a delay, but it is sort of a hidden feature and requires pressing several buttons at the same time to access the settings. I don't know the exact combinations on JU-06, but I have the JX-03 and the delay feature is the same on both. It is however described in the manual, as far as I know. JX-03 and the original JX-3P are good alternatives too, as they are cheaper than their counterparts but can do the same things as the Juno 106 and more with their two oscs. Only the chorus is a bit different and PWM requires a bit of patching, and of course the original is more difficult to operate without the PG-200 controller.

yesterday a friend of mine installed new chorus chips and faders on my beloved JX-8P and tomorrow I'll put all the pieces together

I just bought a Hydrasynth Explorer. I love it. 💪🏾. You can grow with it.

I have owned a AlphaJuno1 (my 2nd synth in the later 80's!), the Poly800 (my very first synth in the mid-80's), the AX73 in the 90's and an actual 106 about 20 years ago. If I were to buy 1 of them again, it would be either the AX73 or the AlphaJuno (I would go for the 2 this time, with the programmer). They all sound amazing in their own rights. My take on it is that you just play what you have and learn to program it the best you can. I would add the Juno Stage or the Juno DS to your list.

Brings back such good memories! Use to rent 106 couple times a year. 1985 I think. At 14, no way I could buy one, but parents would help me rent. I think a system 8 is the best bet! 400.00 for a boutique? System 8 gives u 106, jup 8 and much more...

You create great videos. You are very knowledgeable, and have a great voice for narration! Now… since you touched on a number of other similar modern synths, I am wondering why you did not even mention the Roland System-8. I love my System-8 because it comes with 3 of the vintage synths engines including the Juno-106, the JX-3P and the Jupiter-8, plus my favorite is the newer System-8 synth engine has even more parameters to tweak taking it beyond the Jupiter-8, Juno-106 and JX-3P. I really thin the System-8 is a great alternative for a lot of folks who are looking for that vintage analog synth sound plus all the knobs.

I think the Minilogue xd is worth a mention here. Different of course, but very flexible. It's own effects are decent, but with a Boss stereo chorus wonders are possible

so there’s been a used one at my work for a month now for dirt cheap that I’ve been looking at - I’m definitely grabbing it now. your video was a perfect answer to all of my anxiety towards this purchase. All of the damages are DEFINITELY things that are extremely well-documented! Excited to dive in, 10/10 like + subscribe dude :^) any advice before I begin?

“Gear Acquisition Syndrome”! Lmao it’s like you know me. I’m happy I found this. Thanks!

I'm a big defender of the Yamaha reface cs. It is clear they were very inspired by the Juno, and it's a great synth for starting since you can dial great tones in like a minute even with NO experience in synth. Plus it's like 300$ new now so I mean, just try it.

Just got my hands on the MPG-50 controller for my Alpha. It totally unlocks the capabilities of the Alpha. If you're in the US and you can pick up a cheap Alpha then you can get a really nice Juno setup for about the the same price as a Deepmind. Aspen Kraft has also kindly added some amazing patches to the MPG-50 memory which is very cool.

Had one. For sure I will buy it back.

Nice one, but I'd have to add that the Plug-out on my System 8 is the closest thing to a Juno 106, the boutique range are just not equivalen to me though they sound great :) Plus on my System 8 there is just the Juno filter as well which also sounds great :)

Thanks for the in depth review and recommendations. Poly 800 is a neat board, and pretty substantial with the well documented filter mods. However, it has a couple of huge drawbacks. One, it's paraphonic. Only one filter shared among 8 voices (4 in dual mode). But the big difference is the waves themselves. The oscillator only provides a square and divides it down into 4 registers (2 feet through 16 feet). The square is then manipulated by math to approximate a saw wave (when the saw wave is chosen from the menu). It's good for what it does, but very different from the 106. The Alpha Juno is a great choice, and one of my favorite synths. Lack of real time controls is a bummer, but an old Roland/Edirol PCR midi controller can load what Roland calls a map, and you can use the knobs and dials to control the Alpha. This has to be spread over 3 programs in the PCR.

Juno 106 was my first full-sized-keys synth. Loved it. It's chorus was awesome! I miss it sometimes and have tried to replicate that chorus a number of ways. Most recent attempt is the June 60 chorus. Jury still isn't in yet. I have plenty of good keyboard alternatives though - so i don't miss it that much. But oh that chorus!

Just wanted to note the JU06 also has built in delay/echo. The 4 voices is pretty limited - 8 would have been ideal, but the sliders make for really nice real-time modulation for lead lines and it does sound great.

You & bad gear are the best gear shows online!

Good overview, good perspective. A bit surprised no mention of the System-8, but I guess that's just assumed along with the ACB module

System 8 is my best choice for a modern Juno. It has the same ACB tech as the Boutiques but 8 voices, and lots of controls. It sounds so good I don't use my 106 anymore. It comes stock with the 106, JX-3P and Jupiter 8 ACB models, as well at its own very deep digital synth engine.

i have a 106 that's in near mint condition with a handful of the usual upgrades (3 prong power, battery holder and voice chip sockets soldered in for easy replacements, handful of electronics replaced or cleaned up), and although I do LOVE it for that Juno sound.... i find myself using the JX3P for a lot of stuff that people would normally associate with the 106. if you can get your hands on a JX3p for cheap, i Highly recommend it.

what a great timing. i was thinking since a couple of weeks, how to get the juno sound as hardware.

Got a fully working Juno 106 (except a problematic HPF) with a 6/10 cosmetic for $800 yesterday. I love that thing! The logical thing to do is for sure getting a Deepmind 12 (I actually found one available in te past for $600), but something about original synth just tells me I should get the OG. Great video by the way!

I remember not so long ago when you could typically buy a vintage 106 for around $300-$400. It's crazy how much prices of vintage gear skyrocketed over the past several years. I finally got a chance to actually see and play a Juno 106 last year. It is indeed a very nice sounding synth.

Howdy, Jorb! I got myself a DeepMind, but you betcha I still want a real 106. I really wish the analog ensemble was in the DeepMind. I'm not a fan of the digital FX since I scored a nice pile of very quiet analog bucket brigade pedals. Cheers brother! Happy music-making!

106 has the proper sauce. Hoards of successful producers agree. Ive kept mine over p6, virus that have long gone. Alphas also brilliant. Roland cloud version is the best bet for authentic cheap alternative.

i bought a deepmind 12 as my first synth and it is huge....! it is a synth that can grow as your skills grow. the more you learn the more the synth delivers.

thanks for this good video. I think one more of the alternatives to the Juno 60/106 you didnt mention is a Novation Nova from the 80's as well. Knowing that it is indeed a virtual analog synth it may have differences to the original Juno sounds. But for actually around 600 €$ you get a (with the newest firmware) 16 voices synth with 3 oscillators and even an arpeggiator with tons of stored arp lines. And you get a cheap (49$) editor for PC as well. Even if I do have a deepmind in order to "substitute" the unpayable Juno, I didnot get rid of my Nova coz of the many possibilities it offers, even being multi-part. Small, BLUE box with super sound.

I'm down to a vintage shortlist including the Juno 106. I feel that the "overall combination of features" argument is going to prevail. I can always sell it and get a modern one later.

I have both the DeepMind12 and the Juno-60. The DM12 or even a DM6 can do as a replacement for the juno, but theres nothing but thereal thing ;)

I’ll be honest, software really does so many things that vintage and even modern hardware can do, if not better sometimes. It’s typically much cheaper and of course more space efficient…BUT: I genuinely think many people don’t use hardware for simply sound quality or on the other end, the aura of magic of vintage synths. The tactile, physical and material aspect of hardware is extremely hard to get somewhere else. I only say all this that thank you for these G.A.S videos, I think it’s important to dull a bit of the sheen of vintage gear, especially when substantially over priced, but to also admit that there is something special about physical gear. Thank you!

Years ago, I had the rackmounted version of the AX73, the VX90. It was a lot of fun and sounded great, and I could pass the Akai S950 sampler through the VX90 analog filter and EG. It was a bit hard to program, though.

I had an AX73. Sold it. Wish I hadn't. Now I'm looking into the one you just pointed out here. Turns out the seller lives down the street. I'm lucky enough to have a JUNO-6, JUNO-106 and the alpha JUNO-1. The JUNO-6 is by far my favorite but as a MIDI instrument the alpha JUNO is an amazing synth to have. All the regular JUNO 6/106 sounds plus some additional modulation features.

Love my Cobalt. Great sound, great keybed and I got it for £499 brand spanking new. Getting it cheap definitely makes it sound better 💲😂💲

Have a Juno, used a deepmind recently. It was Fooking nice

Roland also offers the System 8 with Juno 106 patches. It’s not new but it is a modern option and gets around the limited polyphony of the boutiques.

Man, playing a Juno 106 is just catarthic, ain't no other way to explain it... shit just sounds good

I'm going to add an obvious one you didn't mention: the Elektron Analog 4/Keys. It's only four voice, it's true, but it's cheaper than used 106 prices, especially the mk1, and you can emulate a lot of the sound with it. Also, a strong runner up is the JX3P.

Hey Jorb Amazing Content!!! can the minilogue xd do the juno thing?

Good work dude. Liking your content! Just one thing, how about the UDO Super Six?

Dude these segments are so sick. One for the SP1200 or TR-808 or DP/4 would be fun.

Great video Jorb. I bought a Deepmind 12 back in early January of 2021. I bought it used in mint condition. It included patches of all the Junos and Jupiter 8 bought and installed by the previous owner. It also included a Deepmind cover and a new Gator TSA case. All of that for only $575 USD. I got lucky on that deal. It sounds awesome. I have a friend who owns a Juno 106 mint and promised to only sell it to me for $800 USD. So I'll be lucky to get that too for the price

I really like the Softube Juno emulation (plugin). I WISH THEY DID THE 6/60. haha. But seriously it’s great. TAL one is nice, too. DeepMind is surprisingly good, especially the fact you can modulate FX params.

Awesome video

Im sure many have said this already but the answer is the jx3p. Better in nearly every way. The juno is the modern day, middle class synth that has taken over from the microkorg.

I passed up a juno 60 for 1000.00 a few years back and it still hurts but I picked up a 106 for 600.00 a year later. I just plain like the ways it looks sitting in my room/ studio. Most bands I was in long ago always seemed to have a 106 so the nostalgic factor is priceless in a sense. Had an ax60 back in the day. Never sounded all that great tbh. Have a Juno-2. It rocks

the alpha juno is a good option if u don t wanna spent over a 1000,- for a 6 voice analogue synth from the 80 ties. theres also a rack version called the mks 50 (which i own and love) for those who want to save space.

I was wondering if you were ever in Keyboard Magazine? I was in the January 2010 issue I had 2 of them I had well over 100 synths the only thing was the chips connection went bad thanks for the info

Juno 1 is the best. Looks rubbish but dco waveform mod. Not available on 6. 60 106 (6 sounds much better than 106), but you won't find a HOOVER on any of them. Even Mks50 is difficult with prg. Great video. Thanks. Stock up on juno 1

I started using a Novation Peak in place of my Juno 6, and I almost never pull out the J6 now because of very limited space. The Peak gets the job done for what I need.

Im mainly a guitar player, but im old and lived through the GREAT music in the 80's... I have developed a keyboard addiction, currently I have a Triton Xtreme 61, a Korg Minilogue XD synth and a Yamaha MX49

I use the "audio equalizer" chrome extension when watching your video here the audio was very low and it lets me put a subtle limiter on it to boost the volume so i can hear you.

This is a great video. Thank you! I totally agree that the biggest problem with the boutique version is that it is only a 4 voice. WHY did they do that? Did they really need to hold off on adding a bit bigger DSP chip? So far I’m thinking the Alpha Juno synths with a hw or sw rogrammer are the best thing if you really want a modern Juno.

Totally agree about the X60, especially if it has the Tauntek upgrade.