Is this new or have I been asleep and missed something!

Just got an email from Roland UK announcing new Juno range:

Juno DS61 and Juno DS88:

Roland - JUNO-DS61 | Synthesizer

.

-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

I wonder if they also updated FA to do that.

Seems rather like an FA replacement to me. There were some rumours about this a few weeks back.

Initial specs -- looks good!

Looks nice too. now waiting to hear it... Priced pretty well too 61 key £549 88 key £799

i dont give a sh*t

To remember, Junos are basically workhorse synths for gigging bands from bar bands to bigger setups. Not something like Reaktor.

I wonder if there are supernatural sounds ?

Im waiting to see what sounds they are putting into this too..

Without the SuperNatural Synthesis VA engine, it's not replacing an FA.

I couldn't help but notice this:

That says to me "like the sequencer on the JD-XI", rather than a workstation style sequencer with song mode.

The piano sounds nice

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=...&v=7R8WXo-TmVY

Unofficial demo by Max Fattori

Best
Grooveman

Ah, nothing like headbanging to Elton John-style pop music.

mmm...battery powered.

I hoped that it will be new version of FA iin non glassy enclosere :(

I like them, I have a Juno Di and couldn't live without it, would love to upgrade to one of these...I like how you can go to Rolands site and download a raft of other sounds and grab a free editor/librarian too..

There's also XPS-30 now which looks almost identical to DS61. Does anyone understand the difference?

It appears to be the same product with slight regional differences.
(Branded "Juno" in US and "XPS" in Latin America, etc.)

I wonder if it is just a sample playback or actual tuned keyboard notes in that mode...

Seems not but this may be enough for some:

"The DS now has enhanced acoustic and electric pianos with an improved tonal response. The selection of organs to choose from has also increased significantly. The weighty 1000-plus sound set from the previous generation Juno-DI has also been added to the already impressive synth mixture as well as the DI’s patches – making the Juno-DS fully compatible!

The Juno-DS also supports an internal waveform expansion unit via USB that gives an unlimited tonal range. Paying Roland’s Axial website is crucial: over 1000 EXP sounds are available for free download and include acoustic piano collections, percussion, world instruments, loops and a whole lot more! Users can also load in the high-quality WAV format from their own personal library collection and play them directly from the new Roland Juno keyboard."

Did not see it mentioned, but hopefully so...

Yeah, I was thinking that too, but then the Rolands wording would be really shady. Still possible, but my cynicism was relieved a bit, when I remembered, that Roland has made such updates in this price range(I mean FA's price range) in past, when the Juno-G got a similar sampler update than I have been wishing for the FA.

[QUOTE=Coorec;11335524]Seems rather like an FA replacement to me. There were some rumours about this a few weeks back.[/QUOTe

No. It is definitely a Juno D/Stage upgrade. It has some features of the FA now but it is still more simplistic in terms of features. It may have a new updated sound engine though, maybe even more so than the FA line. The FA is a low grade workstation not the case with the DS.

The Fantom FA is Roland's current "reimagined" flagship music workstation

Some of what is missing since the last flagship:

After touch
Metal Case
Cromatic Sampling
An even bigger screen than the Fantom G

So Roland have both upgraded the soundset/sound engines and downsized other features. This adds to sound where the Fantom G (last flagship) lacked and triming weight and got the price down. They have also simplyfied its operation and shoved a basic phrase sampler on, so it is not like the Fantom G trying to compete with a DAW, rather to work better with a DAW if needed

It still retains balanced main outs which Roland consistantly give to their top line gear.

The change to downloadable free sound sets is a big change from the old S, X and G Fantoms

What they did makes sense in the market at the time, but it does not rule out a true replacement for the Fantom G as you elude too. If that happens later they will have a fuller variety of supernatural sounds etc to add to it

I can see why you say "low grade workstation" but the FA is not low grade for those that don't need the bits they cut out. In that sense it may be much better than the old flagship Fantoms as it has more sound engine flexibility apart from user chromatic samples, depends on what people need and like to have in a Keyboard

I don't really need a ROMpler, but the DS would be better for me as I do not want the Supernatual synth in that format, much prefer that in the GAIA interface (albeit patch EQ would have been nice) and the one slot for downloadable sounds to the FA's two slots is not an issue. The other supernatural sounds are lacking, but still good for the price point and likely even simpler operation than the FA which is useful if you don't need those bells and wistles all in one keyboard

Only a small difference in cost between these on the 61 key models, I guess that will increase as the cost settles down. Money saved can go on other gear

I really want to know what the deal with the sampling is about. Wave file playback is not a big deal, triggering samples on pads is not a big deal, mapping samples in detail is - that means that affordable hardware samplers are back again.

Perhaps low grade was the wrong word. You are right it is just not as involved as a G, Kronos, or Motif.

this juno appears to have taken the PCM synth engine (one of 2 synth engines) from the integra7 and Fa-06 and put it in a juno case, they also appear to have 8 track sequencer unlike the fa-06 with a 16 track sequencer...

regards the sampler they have 8 pads not 12...so i guess it's the same sampler from the fa-06 but with reduced number of sample slots maybe..

the fa-06 sampler does map each pad to a note on the keyboard with velocity but it's only THAT note = that pad so you can't spread 1 pad sample over 5 keys for example.

and the sampler on the fa-06 is 4 note poly.

..i'm just taking about the Fa-06 so we'll have to wait n see the juno manual to confirm or not.

4 stereo samples. 8 mono phrase sample poly also (which could then have stereo effects)

well spotted..yeh just checked...never noticed..just booted up the FA-06 and yeh you can set the sampling to mono as well as the default stereo