Mtm77.review Juno.lb5 - Roland

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Roland JUNO-Di When it comes to busking, keyboard players are often left out in the cold. Hollin Jones asks if Roland has the solution. KEY FEATURES ■ Synth with over 1,000 presets ■ Optional battery power ■ Song playback via memory stick ■ Real-time controls ■ Mic input with reverb ■ USB MIDI and Editor software ■ D-Beam controller JUNO-DI Manufacturer Roland Price £549 Contact Roland UK 01792 702701 Web www.roland.co.uk W hen it comes to making music on the move – or even busking – keyboard players have always been pretty much out of luck. Whereas guitarists and drummers can easily carry and play an acoustic, bongos or a tambourine, there’s really no such flexibility for power-hungry synths or keyboards (and we’re not counting USB-powered models because who wants to stand on the street powering their keyboard from a laptop?). Hardcore buskers can sometimes be seen using small generators or car batteries for this purpose, but this is above and beyond what most people would want to bother themselves with. Roland has made inroads into developing amplification that runs off batteries – check out its Cube Street and Mobile Cube amps. Initially targeted at guitarists and vocalists, the company has now come up with a version of its Juno synth – the Juno-Di – that can also be powered by batteries. The idea is that you can busk with it running through an amp without needing a power source. But if a suitable power source is available – The Juno-Di is very light but feels well-built and would certainly be comfortable to carry in a soft case. Its 61 keys are good, although not the most expressive you’ll find – a trade-off to keep the overall weight down. In truth, there are many heavier keyboards that have better action, but that’s not really the point of the Di. Stylistically, it’s a little basic with a faintly retro feel, but not dissimilar in this respect to the Juno-G. Around the back are stereo audio out and phones sockets, MIDI I/O, expression and sustain pedal ins, plus a mic jack input. There’s also a USBto-computer port so you can connect to the bundled Editor software for easier editing and archiving of patches. It can handle MIDI via USB so you can play software instruments in your DAW without an additional interface. Keep it simple The front panel is appropriately divided into clearly labelled sections and there’s a medium-size backlit LCD screen that The Di offers a pleasing balance between portability and flexibility in terms of power options. such as onstage – its compact size and light weight as well as its feature set become its main strengths. Roland claims a battery life of up to five hours (using rechargeable AA batteries) and there’s a handy battery-condition indicator on the front panel. has an auto dimming mode to save power when it’s not in use. The user interface is relatively basic but this isn’t a problem since the Di’s features are easy to understand, so you don’t have endless sub-menus to contend with. Navigation is via simple arrow buttons On the rear panel of the Juno-Di you’ll find stereo audio out and headphones sockets, MIDI I/O, expression and sustain pedal ins, plus a microphone jack input. There’s also a USB-tocomputer port so you can connect to the bundled Editor software for easier editing and archiving of patches. 66 August 2009 MusicTech MAGAZINE www.musictechmag.co.uk MEASURING UP If you’re definitely after something that can do synthesis and is batterypowered, the choice is quite limited. Novation’s XioSynth 41 (available for around £280) is an audio and MIDI interface, MIDI controller and synth all in one, plus it has some great sounds. It doesn’t have a mic in, though, or song playback capability. Korg’s MicroKORG (around £330) has a far smaller form factor and fewer keys but will run from batteries. Roland’s own AX-Synth is a rather different kind of product – a sort of ‘keytar’ – and a lot more money at around £810, although it is perhaps the most portable of all in being shoulder-mounted. It doesn’t have song playback or mic in, either. Surprisingly, given that this is a more intermediate-level keyboard, the Di has a D-Beam controller, a sort of Theremin-esque infra-red controller that can be programmed to bend and modulate the sound. and a data wheel – on the whole, this is an instrument that’s very easy to find your way around. There are a few interesting features to note before mentioning the sound set, the first of which is a USB 2.0 memory slot inside a special covered section on the left. Pop in a memory stick containing WAV, AIF, mp3 or SMF files and the Song Player section can be used to play them back through the stereo outputs as you play along. Helpfully, the port actually hides away as it is closed, so there’s no danger of snapping or dislodging the stick. The Song Player will be a very useful feature The sounds are divided into familiar categories – pianos, organs, guitars, orchestral, synths, rhythm sets and so on. On the whole they are good, having punch, clarity and weight. As is often the case, the keyboard-based instruments sound the most believable, so the pianos, electric pianos, organs and a selection of fat synths fare best. The guitar patches are helped by some velocity-based nuances inherited from higher-end models, while the strings are warm and stately. Orchestral sounds, brass and vocal patches are notoriously hard to emulate using synthesis and here they are passable but not really A good all-in-one performance tool with the odd compromise made for the sake of extreme portability. for anyone who wants to play along to accompaniment or backing tracks. What’s more, it’s a breeze to use. Perhaps surprisingly, given that this is a more intermediate-level keyboard, you also get Roland’s D-Beam controller, a sort of Theremin-esque infra-red controller that can be programmed to bend and modulate the sound. The mic input on the rear panel can be controlled via the mic section and there are also level and reverb controls plus a vocoder effect. Sound performer The Juno-Di has more than 1,000 sounds in its 64MB wave memory and 128 user-programmable slots for presets, rhythm sets, performances and favourites, all quickly accessible from the front panel. Sounds can be easily split and layered, while arpeggiator, chord memory, transpose and octave up/down buttons are all to be found on the front panel. Not having to dig around in menus for such functions is important during live performance. www.musictechmag.co.uk award-winning. For every sound, the Sound Modify section to the right provides attack, release, cutoff, resonance and reverb controls for real-time sound mangling – especially useful with the synth sounds. Taking effect There are three effects systems onboard, with 79 types including chorus, reverb, delay, distortion and more, all editable for every patch. Roland is pretty good at effects, and they certainly help to add punch and depth to the sounds. Sound-editing is relatively straightforward since it focuses on simplicity as opposed to dragging you into heavy and complex features. If you feel the need, you can always fire up the Librarian or Editor programs (good for both Mac and PC) via a USB connection. The Editor actually makes things rather more complicated as it appears to be similar to that used for bigger Juno models, so it has a rather more daunting interface than you might expect. Although you can use it, of course, you might find it easier to edit sounds directly from the keyboard. Balancing act The Juno-Di offers a pleasing balance between portability and flexibility in terms of power options, which makes it one of very few synths that can reasonably call itself a ‘mobile’ performance instrument while still having 61 full-size keys. The sound set is good, covering a wide range of bases and categories without ever really blowing you away. Again, though, if you want world-beating sounds you’re going to pay a heavier price both financially and in terms of size and weight, so perhaps this is not the most important criteria on which to assess the Di. Certainly, its sounds are more than suitable for gigging, busking and even recording, but it’s the all-round package that will appeal to those who need a lightweight, portable synth. Battery power is handy if you need it and the Song Player and mic input with reverb make a relatively standard keyboard and sound set a more intriguing package for anyone for whom size, weight and the ability to play absolutely anywhere is a priority. MTM SUMMARY WHY BUY ■ Very light and portable ■ Good all-round sound set ■ Handy MIDI and audio file player ■ USB data and MIDI connectivity ■ Mic in with controls for singing along ■ Very easy to use ■ Arpeggiators and rhythms for accompaniment WALK ON BY ■ Editor software could seem daunting to beginners ■ A bundled ‘lite’ DAW would be nice VERDICT A good all-round synth and all-in-one performance tool with the odd – and relatively minor – compromise made for the sake of extreme portability. ★★★★★★★★★★ METHOD SPOT Imagine you’re busking or wanting to play music in a location where there’s no mains power. Guitarists have it easy, but keyboard players have a tougher time. By powering the Juno-Di from batteries and also using a battery-powered amplifier such as the Cube (also from Roland) you can set up and play pretty much anywhere. Not only do you get synthesis and rhythms, but there’s a microphone input with reverb and a USB Flash memory port for playing back audio or MIDI backing tracks from the Song Player. Taken together, this frees you up entirely from the mains and means that you could conceivably put on a full performance using just the keyboard, a stand and a mic. MusicTech MAGAZINE August 2009 67