Jun-6 V · Armon.ai

How it works

It is subtractive synthesis in its clearest form, with one important detail: the oscillator is a DCO, an analog oscillator whose timing is digitally controlled, so it stays in tune.

The chain

DCO: produces a pulse (with variable width), a sawtooth, a square wave one octave down (sub) and white noise; they can be summed.
HPF: gentle high-pass that removes the lows.
VCF: resonant 24 dB/octave low-pass that removes the highs; it can self-oscillate.
VCA: controlled by the ADSR envelope or by a simple on/off gate.

The PWM trick

If the pulse width varies slowly over time (with the LFO), the wave continuously changes its harmonic content: the result resembles two slightly detuned oscillators beating against each other.

The chorus

A chorus sends the sound into two delay lines modulated by an LFO moving in opposite directions on the left and right: the small variations in pitch and timing create the impression of several instruments and a wide stereo image. On the Juno it is part of the sound, not an added effect.

Character and tone

Timbre

Soft, warm and immediately "ready": a single very stable DCO (bright sawtooth, pulse with rich PWM, square sub-oscillator one octave down, noise) and the 24 dB low-pass filter from the same family as the Jupiter-8. The heart of the sound is the chorus I/II/I+II, which turns a thin mono voice into a wide, shimmering stereo image.

Where it sits in the spectrum

The sub-oscillator gives body between 40 and 150 Hz; the rest lives between 200 Hz and 4 kHz with silky highs. The chorus adds a slight hiss and widens the mids.

Strengths

Pads and PWM strings with chorus: the Juno "signature."
Full basses thanks to the sub; house plucks and stabs in a few seconds.
Very fast ("snappy") envelope, with an attack click that is useful for organs and percussion.
Teaching simplicity: few faders, all of them decisive.

Limitations

One oscillator per voice: no detuning between oscillators (compensate with chorus, unison or voice calibration).
A single triangle LFO and a single envelope in the original (the V adds LFO 2 and ENV 2).
Fixed-slope filter.

Comparisons

vs Jupiter-8: same type of filter, but the Juno has a single DCO, no sync/cross-mod; it is lighter and more "intimate."
vs Juno-106: the 106 has memories and MIDI; the Juno-6 has a rawer character and an arpeggiator.
vs Polysix: direct competitor; the Polysix has a different ensemble and a darker character.

Architecture

Original (Roland Juno-6, 1982)

6 voices, one DCO per voice: pulse with PWM (manual, LFO or envelope), sawtooth, square sub-oscillator -1 octave with level, white noise with level.
Non-resonant HPF; resonant 24 dB/octave low-pass VCF (same chip as the Jupiter-8) with modulation from envelope (invertible polarity), LFO and keyboard.
VCA with envelope or gate; 1 fast ADSR envelope; 1 triangle LFO with delay.
Stereo Chorus I, II and I+II; Up/Down/Up&Down arpeggiator over 1–3 octaves; lever bender to DCO and VCF; no memories (those arrived with the Juno-60) and no MIDI.

Signal path (per voice)

DCO (Pulse + Saw + Sub + Noise) → HPF -6 dB → VCF 24 dB → VCA (ENV or Gate) → stereo Chorus → output.

What Arturia adds (Jun-6 V, V Collection 9)

Extended polyphony (the manual states up to 36 voices), Unison with Detune, constant-time Portamento.
Velocity, Aftertouch, Mod Wheel assignable (3 slots, 35 destinations).
LFO 2 with 6 waveforms (sine, triangle, saw, ramp, square, S&H), sync, retrig Off/Mono/Poly and 2 destinations.
ENV 2 ADSR (wired as an option of the VCA) with 2 destinations: separate envelopes for filter and volume.
Simplified Delay and Reverb in addition to the original chorus; option to turn off the chorus noise.
Chord mode (Octave, Fifth, Sus4, minor, major, etc. + Custom), Hold, tempo-syncable arpeggiator and LFO.
Voice Calibration: Good, Avg, Poor (dispersion between voices, also in the filter key tracking).

The controls, one by one

Hold, Chord, Arpeggio

Hold: Keeps notes sounding after release (with Sustain at 0 the sound dies out anyway); useful for programming.
Chord: On: Each key plays the chosen chord, with the key as the root.
Chord: Select: Chord choice: Octave, Fifth, Suspended, minor, Major, etc., or Custom.
Arpeggio: On: Turns on the arpeggiator (with Chord on, it arpeggiates the chord).
Arpeggio: Mode: Up, Down, Up & Down (like the original, no random).
Arpeggio: Range: 1, 2 or 3 octaves; always starts from the lowest held note.
Arpeggio: Rate: Free from 1.36 to 45 Hz (default 8 Hz) or, in Sync, from 1 to 1/64 (default 3/16).
Arpeggio: Sync: Locks the speed to the DAW tempo.

LFO

Sync: Speed in musical values from 8 bars to 1/32, including dotted and triplets (default 1/16).
Rate: In Hz from 0.038 to 21.5 Hz (default 1 Hz). Fixed waveform: triangle.
Delay Time: Gradual fade-in of the LFO from 0.007 to 2.89 s (does not act on the PWM).
Delay Mode / Retrigger (switch): Up position: on every key, an automatic delay + gradual rise. Down position: restart on every key with an immediate rise according to the Delay Time.

DCO

LFO: Depth of the vibrato from the LFO on the DCO (0.00–1.00); independent of the mod wheel.
PWM: Pulse width in Manual (0 = square, 1 = narrow pulse but never silent) or modulation depth if the switch is on LFO or ENV.
PWM switch (LFO / MAN / ENV): PWM source: LFO (cyclic movement, strings and pads), Manual (fixed), Envelope (width follows the ADSR).
Pulse (on/off): Turns on the pulse wave.
Saw (on/off): Turns on the sawtooth, very bright; added to the pulse it gives a bigger sound.
Sub (on/off) + fader: Square wave one octave down, with its own level: body for basses, kicks, anchoring resonant sounds.
Noise: White noise level: breath, air in pads, synthetic hi-hats and snares.

HPF

HPF: Non-resonant high-pass at -6 dB/octave, not modulatable: at the bottom the sound passes intact; raising it lightens the bass and gives a small boost around the cutoff. Useful for pads and light bells.

VCF

Freq: Cutoff of the 24 dB/octave low-pass.
Res: Resonance up to self-oscillation; with a low cutoff it gives the 'thump' of basses and percussion, and on pads it makes them 'shine'.
Env Polarity (switch): Positive: the envelope opens the filter. Negative: it closes it (a high cutoff is needed to hear it).
Env: Amount of envelope modulation on the filter.
LFO: Amount of LFO on the filter (wah, periodic sweeps, also tempo-synced).
Kbd: Key follow: the cutoff follows the note (at maximum with high Res the filter is a tuned sine wave).

VCA

Switch ENV / GATE / ENV2: ENV: volume from the main envelope (default). GATE: on/off with the key (organ, 'switch-like' sound). ENV2: volume from Advanced envelope 2, so ENV 1 stays free for the filter.

ENV (Envelope 1)

A (Attack): From 1 ms to 2.97 s (default 1 ms).
D (Decay): From 2 ms to 19 s.
S (Sustain): Held level (default 1.00).
R (Release): From 2 ms to 17 s (default 10 ms). With all times at zero you hear the characteristic Juno click.

Chorus, Tune, Volume

Chorus I: Slower, shallower LFO: light chorus.
Chorus II: Deeper and more modulated: the 'big' pad chorus.
Chorus I + II: Lines no longer panned (mono) and a much faster LFO: vibrato/'Leslie' effect.
Tune: Master tuning 400–480 Hz (default 440).
Volume: Master volume from -60 to 0 dB (default -15).

Voice Calibration (door at top left)

Good / Avg / Poor: Simulated calibration state: from a factory-fresh instrument to one in need of servicing (more differences between voices and imperfect key follow).
Chorus Noise: Turns the chorus hiss on or off.

Advanced: Assign (mini matrix)

Mod Wheel → destination + amount: In addition to the fixed connections to DCO and VCF, one free slot among 35 destinations, amount -1/+1.
Velocity → destination + amount: One slot (e.g. VCF Freq or level) with bipolar amount.
Aftertouch → destination + amount: One slot for pressure.

Advanced: LFO 2

Sync / Rate: Free from 0.038 to 30 Hz or synced from 8 bars to 1/32.
Waveforms: Sine, triangle, saw, ramp, square, sample & hold.
Retrig (Off / Mono / Poly): Free, restart on every key (monophonic) or one LFO per voice restarted on every note.
Destination 1/2 + amount: Two destinations among 35, amount -1/+1.

Advanced: ENV 2

A / D / S / R: Same ranges as ENV 1.
Destination 1/2 + amount: Two free destinations in addition to the VCA connection (ENV2 switch).

Advanced: Delay

On: Turns on the delay.
Time: From 2 to 2000 ms (default 250 ms) or musical values.
Sync: From 1/32 to 2 bars, including dotted and triplets.
Feedback: Amount of repeats (0–1, default 0.3).
Stereo: Stereo widening of the repeats.
Dry/Wet: Mix (default 0: no effect).

Advanced: Reverb

On: Turns on the reverb.
Size: Size of the space (0.4 is roughly a small hall, 0.64 a large hall).
Damp: High-frequency absorption.
Decay: Length of the tail.
Predelay: From 0 to 200 ms (default 20 ms).
Dry/Wet: Mix (default 0).

Virtual keyboard and side controls

Bender: Horizontal pitch-bend lever, to DCO and VCF.
Bender: DCO: Pitch range up to 12 semitones (default 2).
Bender: VCF: How much the bender opens/closes the filter.
LFO Mod Wheel: Wheel that sets the LFO amount to DCO and VCF (plus the free destination).
LFO Mod Wheel: DCO: Vibrato depth from the wheel (default 0.02).
LFO Mod Wheel: VCF: Wah depth from the wheel.
Unison: Stacks detuned voices on every note.
Unison Detune: Detuning between voices; with Unison off it only adds a slight 'analog' imprecision to the pitch.
Portamento: Constant-time glide (every note takes the same time, ideal for chords).

Sound design tips

Chorus

The chorus is part of the timbre: program with the chorus on, because it changes the perception of brightness and body. Chorus II for pads and strings, I for keys and plucks that need to stay defined, I+II for vibrato effects.
In mono the chorus loses width and can cause slight cancellations: if a bass needs to be solid in the center, turn it off or use I.

DCO and PWM

PWM from the LFO with depth 0.3–0.6 and the LFO at 0.5–1.5 Hz gives the classic strings; maximum depth and a fast LFO sound "seasick."
Saw + pulse together give more thickness but more energy in the mids: in a dense mix, use only one of them.
The sub at 50–80% gives body in the bass; above C4 it often helps to lower it, otherwise chords get heavy.

Filter

Env vs Freq: with a high Env, lower Freq; for house plucks keep Freq at 20–30% and Env at 50–70% with a short decay.
Resonance and Kbd: with Res above 60%, bring Kbd to 70–100% so the peak follows the notes; otherwise some notes whistle and others don't.
Negative polarity: use it with a high Freq for inverted "swells" and effects; with a low Freq you hear nothing.

Envelopes and timing

A single original ADSR means filter and volume have the same contour: for pads with a slow attack but a fast filter, use ENV2 on the VCA.
Attack vs decay: a 1 ms attack produces the typical click; for pads without a click use 5–20 ms.
Release and tempo: for house stabs at 122–126 BPM, a release of 80–200 ms and a decay around 1/16–1/8 (120–250 ms) keep the groove.

Frequencies

HPF at 1/4–1/3 for pads above a bass: frees up 80–200 Hz.
Juno pads sit between 300 Hz and 3 kHz: a small cut at 300–400 Hz makes the mix cleaner without losing warmth.
Noise at 10–15% in pads gives "air" without raising the EQ highs.

Velocity, glide, unison

Velocity → VCF Freq (0.2–0.4) for dynamic stabs and keys.
Constant-time portamento: with long chords the glide is more even, but beyond 200 ms it becomes an effect.
Unison + chorus II = wall of sound, but watch out for mud below 300 Hz.

Common mistakes

Hold on with Sustain at zero: the notes die out anyway and Hold has no audible effect.
High LFO Delay with PWM from the LFO: the delay does not act on the PWM.
Forgetting the LFO Mod Wheel left up: unintended vibrato.

Presets to recreate

Juno Pad with Chorus II

Pad · Synthpop, lo-fi house, dream pop

The warm, wide pad typical of the Junos: a single pulse DCO with slow PWM, made huge by Chorus II.

Oscillators: DCO Range 8', Pulse ON, Saw OFF, PWM switch LFO with PWM 0.45; Sub ON at 0.3; Noise 0.05; DCO LFO 0.
Mixer: the levels are those of the DCO above (full pulse, sub 0.3, noise 0.05); HPF at 1 (out of 3) to lighten the low end.
Filter: VCF 24 dB/oct low-pass, Freq 45%, Res 10%, Env positive polarity 0.2, LFO 0, Kbd 0.5.
Filter envelope: the same ENV (A 400 ms, D 1.5 s, S 0.8, R 1.8 s) with amount 0.2.
Amplitude envelope: VCA on ENV, A 400 ms, D 1.5 s, S 0.8, R 1.8 s.
LFO: Rate 0.8 Hz, Delay Time 0, Delay mode; acts only on the PWM.
Voice and glide: polyphonic 6 voices, Portamento 0, Voice Calibration Avg.
Effects: Chorus II → Reverb (Size 0.6, Decay 0.5, Dry/Wet 0.25).

Filtered House Stab

Stab / Chord · Chicago house, deep house

Short, bright chord for house and deep house, also in Chord mode to play the progression with one finger.

Oscillators: DCO Range 8', Saw ON, Pulse ON with PWM switch MAN at 0.3; Sub 0.2; Noise 0.
Mixer: HPF at 0; saw and pulse at full level, sub 0.2.
Filter: VCF 24 dB/oct, Freq 25%, Res 25%, Env positive 0.6, LFO 0, Kbd 0.6.
Filter envelope: ENV A 1 ms, D 220 ms, S 0.1, R 150 ms (same envelope as the volume).
Amplitude envelope: VCA on ENV.
LFO and modulation: LFO not used; Advanced: Velocity → VCF Freq +0.3. Chord ON with a Custom minor seventh chord (root, minor third, fifth, minor seventh).
Voice and glide: polyphonic, Portamento 0.
Effects: Chorus I → synced dotted eighth-note Delay (Feedback 0.3, Dry/Wet 0.2) → short Reverb (Dry/Wet 0.12).

Round Sub Bass

Bass · Techno, house, synthpop

Full, centered bass: square wave with the sub-oscillator at maximum and a barely open filter.

Oscillators: DCO Range 16', Pulse ON with PWM MAN at 0 (square), Saw OFF; Sub 0.9; Noise 0.
Mixer: HPF at 0 (the lowest step reinforces the low end).
Filter: VCF 24 dB/oct, Freq 18%, Res 20%, Env positive 0.45, LFO 0, Kbd 0.3.
Filter envelope: ENV A 1 ms, D 300 ms, S 0.5, R 80 ms.
Amplitude envelope: VCA on ENV (same times).
LFO and modulation: none.
Voice and glide: mono mode (Unison OFF), Portamento 30 ms if you play legato.
Effects: Chorus OFF to keep the bass mono; light Compressor (3:1).

Crystalline Arpeggio

Arpeggio · '90s trance and dance

Sparkling, synced arpeggio with a resonant filter that closes on every note.

Oscillators: DCO Range 8', Saw ON, Pulse OFF, Sub 0, Noise 0.
Mixer: HPF at 1.
Filter: VCF 24 dB/oct, Freq 30%, Res 35%, Env positive 0.55, LFO 0, Kbd 0.7.
Filter envelope: ENV A 1 ms, D 180 ms, S 0, R 200 ms.
Amplitude envelope: VCA on ENV.
LFO and modulation: LFO not used. Arpeggio ON, Sync, Rate 1/16, Mode Up & Down, Range 2, Hold ON.
Voice and glide: polyphonic, Portamento 0.
Effects: Chorus I → synced 3/16 Delay (Feedback 0.4, Stereo 0.5, Dry/Wet 0.25) → Reverb (Dry/Wet 0.15).

PWM Strings

Strings · '80s pop, new age

'80s synth string section: pulse and saw together, PWM from the LFO and Chorus II.

Oscillators: DCO Range 8', Pulse ON and Saw ON, PWM switch LFO with PWM 0.55; Sub 0; DCO LFO 0.02 for very slight vibrato.
Mixer: HPF at 1 (out of 3).
Filter: VCF 24 dB/oct, Freq 55%, Res 5%, Env positive 0.1, Kbd 0.6.
Filter envelope: ENV A 600 ms, D 1 s, S 0.7, R 1.2 s.
Amplitude envelope: VCA on ENV2 (Advanced) with A 350 ms, D 1 s, S 0.9, R 1.2 s.
LFO: Rate 1.2 Hz, Delay Time 0.3 s.
Voice and glide: polyphonic, Portamento 0.
Effects: Chorus II → Reverb (Size 0.64, Dry/Wet 0.3).

Noise Hi-Hat and Percussion

Percussion / FX · Electro, lo-fi

Hi-hats, shakers and breath sounds generated from filtered white noise alone.

Oscillators: DCO Pulse OFF, Saw OFF, Sub 0; Noise 1.0.
Mixer: HPF at maximum (3) to remove all the low end.
Filter: VCF 24 dB/oct, Freq 80%, Res 30%, Env positive 0.2, Kbd 0.
Filter envelope: ENV A 1 ms, D 90 ms, S 0, R 60 ms (D 250 ms for an open hi-hat).
Amplitude envelope: VCA on ENV.
LFO and modulation: for a long breath sound use ENV A 1.5 s, D 1 s, S 0.5, R 2 s with Env 0.6 and LFO 2 (Advanced) sine 0.2 Hz on VCF Freq.
Voice and glide: polyphonic, Portamento 0.
Effects: Chorus I+II for movement on effects; short Reverb (Dry/Wet 0.15).

Take On Me — Juno Riff

Lead · a-ha — Take On Me (1985)

The bright, bouncing riff of Take On Me. On the original recording it is a Roland Juno-60 layered with a PPG Wave, which adds a glittering bell on top; here the Jun-6 V provides the main layer. The riff is sequenced, not played live.

Oscillators: DCO Range 8', Pulse and Saw ON, PWM switch MAN with PWM 0.3, Sub 0, Noise 0.
Mixer: HPF at 1.
Filter: VCF 24 dB/oct, Freq 55%, Res 20%, Env positive 0.4, LFO 0, Kbd 0.7.
Filter envelope: ENV A 1 ms, D 350 ms, S 0.2, R 250 ms.
Amplitude envelope: VCA on ENV.
LFO and modulation: none; program the riff in sixteenth notes at constant velocity.
Voice and glide: polyphonic, Portamento 0. The bell layer in place of the PPG goes on a second track (DX7 V or Prophet-VS V) one octave up and 8–10 dB lower.
Effects: Chorus I (Chorus II for more width) → room Reverb (Dry/Wet 0.15).

D.A.N.C.E. — Juno Arpeggio

Arp · Justice — D.A.N.C.E. (2007)

The opening arpeggio and the chorus chords of D.A.N.C.E. On the original recording Justice use a Roland Juno-106, the first synth the duo bought; here it is recreated with the Jun-6 V, an emulation of the Juno-6 from the same family.

Oscillators: DCO Range 8', Pulse ON with PWM switch LFO at 0.4, Saw ON, Sub 0.3, Noise 0.
Mixer: HPF at 1.
Filter: VCF 24 dB/oct, Freq 55%, Res 25%, Env positive 0.35, LFO 0, Kbd 0.6.
Filter envelope: ENV A 1 ms, D 300 ms, S 0.3, R 200 ms.
Amplitude envelope: VCA on ENV; for the chorus chords set S to 0.8.
LFO: Rate 0.6 Hz for the PWM. Arpeggio ON, Sync, Rate 1/16, Mode Up (or Up & Down), Range 2.
Voice and glide: polyphonic, Portamento 0.
Effects: Chorus I for the arpeggio, Chorus II for the chords; in the mix, pronounced kick sidechain and saturation on the bus.

Genesis — Saturated Juno Bass

Bass · Justice — Genesis (2007)

The bass of Genesis, the opening track of †. On the original recording it is a heavily saturated and compressed Roland Juno-106; here it is recreated with the Jun-6 V.

Oscillators: DCO Range 16', Saw ON and Pulse ON with PWM MAN at 0 (square), Sub 0.8, Noise 0.
Mixer: HPF at 0.
Filter: VCF 24 dB/oct, Freq 30%, Res 20%, Env positive 0.4, LFO 0, Kbd 0.3.
Filter envelope: ENV A 1 ms, D 400 ms, S 0.5, R 100 ms.
Amplitude envelope: VCA on ENV.
LFO and modulation: none.
Voice and glide: mono; for more thickness, Unison from the advanced functions with minimal detune; Portamento 0.
Effects: Chorus OFF; outside the synth, heavy distortion, fast-release compressor with kick sidechain, EQ with boosts at 100 Hz and 1 kHz and a low-pass at 7 kHz.

In genres and records

Synthpop and new wave: the Juno-60 is on a-ha's Take On Me, George Michael's A Different Corner and Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time; documented users of the Juno-6/60 family include Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran), Vince Clarke, Howard Jones, Nik Kershaw, John Foxx, Eurythmics, Billy Idol, Berlin, A Flock of Seagulls, Wham!, The Cure and Men at Work. Pads, arpeggios and PWM strings.
Chicago house, deep house, lo-fi house: the Juno-60 is a key instrument of Chicago house; Fingers Inc. among the users. Pads and stabs with chorus.
French touch and electro: Justice use a Juno-106, from the same family, for the arpeggio and chords of the chorus of D.A.N.C.E. and for the bass of Genesis.
'90s trance and dance: Astral Projection, Faithless, Dee-Lite. Arpeggios and pads.
New age and ambient: Enya and Banco de Gaia. Simple, intimate pads, strings.
Electronic indie and alt-pop: Metronomy, Sneaker Pimps, Sean Lennon. Arpeggios and chords.
Chillwave, synthwave, dream pop: the slightly dirty chorus and warm pads are the color of the genre.
Hip hop, R&B and lo-fi beats: warm pads and chords with chorus.
Techno and electro: basses with sub and essential stabs.