Juno 106 vs Jupiter 4 vs Jupiter 6

[gunark]

Hello,

Recently I got back on the 106 train when a HS-60 came up for a good price. I had a 106 before but only for a bit as I got a Pro One and the 106 for £400 but had to sell one to pay for the other and a Pro One for 'free' is hard to pass up.

Anyway, I remember it being ok, if a little thin compared to a Juno 6 I had owned but I didn't have it that long so later when the HS came up I grabbed it. After all, while it has it's detractors, it is one of the sounds of the 90s, and some swear by it.

However, simple though it is, and MIDI is a boon, it's still not setting me alight, especially with my JX3P turning some slutty synth tricks with it's warm bottom.

I want a big sounding poly. I love the OB sound as much as the Roland but OBs here are very expensive, and as Polysixes go here for £800 with some sort of MIDI and a clean bill of health, I think that's too much for what they are. In poly terms now I have the 3P, an AJ 1 and a Mopho Keys / Tetra too.

So...

A) tell me I'm a tool and the 106 is ace. Keep it and learn to love it despite it's flaws and it will reward you in kind. Pro - I already own it, MIDI, classic sonic signature, easy, that chorus. Cons - sound relies a little too much on that chorus, thin compared to my sadly PWM less JX, a smaller sonic palette.

B) flog it for £500 and stick another £5-600 on top and get Roland's most unruly poly, a JP4. Pro - unique 70s poly, maybe closest to the OBx sound in the Roland stable? Con - no CV, io and poss recap needed, can be technical nightmares.

C) flog it for £500 and stick £1000 on top (kissing goodbye to an Octatrack too) and getting the often maligned JP6, the 106 of the Jupiters it seems. Pro - unique 80s poly with multimode filter, rock solid, Europa. Con - claimed to be thin to some, still not cheap.

I've liked demos of both the 4 and 6, the 4 seems quite wild and takes you for a ride like a rodeo Phil Oakey, whereas the 6 sounds like a massage from Phoebe Cates straight out of Fast Times with a wailing sax being played in the background.

[Stab Frenzy]

JP4 > JP6 > 106

The 106 is highly overrated, the interface is good but apart from that you might as well have an Ion. JP4s rule the school.

[gunark]

JP4 > JP6 > 106

The 106 is highly overrated, the interface is good but apart from that you might as well have an Ion. JP4s rule the school.

Actually I do like it more than I did my ion though its not as flexible obviously. I'm leaning to the JP4 but their relative fragility combined with not even CV on board gives me the feeling of biting off more than I can technically chew...

[madtheory]

For a big sound you need two oscillators. Even when multitracked to achieve that, the JP4 doesn't sound like an OBX. A good example is Thomas Dolby's "She Blinded me with Science". In the 7" you hear two tracks an octave apart of JP4 doing the brass, and on the intro to extended mix you'll hear just one. It's sounds great, but it doesn't sound like an OB.

I don't think a JP6 is "big" sounding either (in comparison to the OB sound), it's typically Roland, as you'll be familiar with from the JX-3P.

The best thing about the Juno 106 is the interface. The sound is great too, but it's limited firstly by having only one oscillator per voice, and secondly by having only one envelope. The JX3P is an improvement with its two oscillators per voice, but lacks the great interface.

So as an interim solution, perhaps you should try the Kiwi Technics Patch editor for the JX3P, to give you an improved interface?

[Richard Gear]

+1 for the JX-3P Kiwi upgrade ; Smart move.

[gunark]

I have considered the Kiwi upgrade and a PG 200 combo actually. I got the Organix one for my previous 3P but never got round to installing it, but I might just pay someone to do it this time! I know it'll bring the synth into a pseudo Jupiter class and that really floats my boat as I love the sound (Filter Flow and Fat Fifth still kill), just got to get over it's lack of PWM. Does the upgrade speed up the envelopes at all?

Hmm, maybe that would be great enough to work and be unique at the same time too...maybe find someone willing to straight swap the 106 for a P600 then!

Cheers!

[edfunction]

i like them all.
i think the jp4 has the nicest sound to my ears but i'm not sure it will get you that far into the "big poly" zone with one osc.
the big downside (for me at least) is that i would have to play the keyboard too much, no midi for a poly is a pain for non keyboard heroes. could be different for you.

the jp6 sounds great and also the 106 in its own way too and they integrate easily into a studio but yeah the jx3p probably covers enough of their territory already.
maybe try stacking all your midi synths for the mega sound?
or try buying some synths from continental europe, they seem to go for a bit less than the uk...

i don't have any experience with them but perhaps some of the modern analogs could work also? the prophet 08 seems reasonably priced. andromeda, sunsynth and code could be sell everything options....

[gunark]

I'm liking my mophetra more and more actually, referring to the P08. Weirdly it seems my medication might have clouded my judgement to it!

I considered manning up and going for an Andy as they do sound awesome but the price and the interface are a little daunting!

The 3p may be the way then, save a few £ too, maybe get something different like a VP9000, Space Echo or Roland V Drums instead of more keys. I blame GAS...

[Pro5]

dump the 106 - you have a JX-3P a much better synth already

[philip]

106 is the best choice of all three. Just don't think about those one osc limitation and chip problems, sound that does make 106----is simply flawless. U can get out of this almost every analog sound u want,and make it really fast, and u want need any outboard effects,sound pretty amazing by itself. I prefer 106 to all polyanalogs exist.

ps=shame there's no arp

[Ned Bouhalassa]

106 over a Jupiter 6? Really? Bizarro twilight zone, IMHO.

[philip]

106 over a Jupiter 6? Really?.

Certainly. 106 is just better sounding synth.

[Ned Bouhalassa]

I have both, and I say no, you're wrong, IMHO.

[Ned Bouhalassa]

. I prefer 106 to all polyanalogs exist.

Right. And you've tried a JP8, Prophet 5, Oberheim OB-X, MemoryMoog, etc. And you prefer the 106. Why am I bothering to reply to your posts? On vacation, that's why!

[Pro5]

I have both, and I say no, you're wrong, IMHO.

I agree with you without owning either Have played on a 106 - left me as cold as all my other Junos did eventually, and heard enough demos of JP6 to know while it's not everyone's cup of tea it at least can sound properly interesting if it's what you are after.

Seems like I have it in for Junos, I don't they are all valid instruments and they make noise but they just do not appeal to me anymore. Something about ALL single DCO synths I've lived with eventually get so boring, there's only so many times you can dial in those same basses and those strings - esp in the case of the 106 which is very restricted. Always sounds 'sweet' but it's because Roland limited what you could do on them as they WERE targeted at the more basic/home user (bottom of the range, even below the JXs) - yes I know i sound slightly hypocritical considering I own 2 SH-101s which could also be called 'limited' (unless you dig in) but the 101s are different from the get go - similar edge to a JP6 in places I guess with that VCO and IR3109 combo.