Full Tracks, Extended Jams, Sample Packs: www.patreon.com/audiopilz Support the channel regardless of what your Bad Gear G.A.S. commands you to buy: EU: www.thomann.de/de/index.html?offid=1&affid=3105 US: link.perfectcircuit.com/t/v1/8-12626-261103-9759
Hey, I dunno if you could find a Roland D2 Groovebox, ,never had one but would love to see you tear it down and up, great tunes when you demo. Love from Scotland.
Florian: If you're able to also add all the memes you used as a ZIP file, I'll actually start a €1 membership right now. Can't afford €5, but I'd gladly pay a little to support you AND get those memes myself.
In college I bought an Alpha Juno 1 off of Craigslist for $40, replaced a broken key, and sold it for $200 on eBay because I didn't know what to do with it.
My first analog synth. I had no idea how to program so I just worked with presets. - years later after I had more experience under my belt I went back to it this time with a Juno 2 and loved all the features. Snappy envelopes, adjustable chorus rate, pwm on sawtooth, velocity. Some of the phattest bass sounds I've ever heard. I know they don't get as much props as the 106/60 but if you get yourself a decent controller they're fantastic.
Do not think I’ve ever commented on a RUclips video before but my man that LAST JAM took me right back to being a little raver kid DJ and I love it so much
YES! It's about time for the Alpha! Great job! The Alphas do have little tricks up their sleeve: Creating a massive-sounding chord stack is something a Juno 60 or 106 can only dream of and the "saw-width" modulation is quite unique!
I was quite surprised to recently hear and see that 1982's Fender/Rhodes Chroma was apparently the first (more or less) well-known SWM synth. I've always been thinking Oberheim initiated it with the OB8 in '.83 Just about 2 hands fulll of synths have that rare feature but no common term for that.
You can’t talk about the alpha dial without mentioning how it was better than other single knob interfaces at least because it was big, smooth, and fast. And had that finger indent. We were used to rotary phones, our fingers were ready.
OMG Space:1999 was my favourite sci fi growing up. Possibly the scariest programme ever to be shown on childrens' TV - ever. Almost as scary as the UI on the Juno. I have a real soft spot for this synth, Would D & B have existed without it??? Much love as always Florian!
I love the saw with pulse width modulation and the chorus. This synth makes some unique sounds. Awesome for pads,strings,layered sounds and of course the Hoover! Also great Roland envelope that no other analog synth that I know,has.
I love the IR-3R05 VCF of the Juno 1. It was called the Depeche Mode Synth for the poor because with the IR-3R05 Resonance you are able to create those VCF Velocity Bass Sounds beeing used in "nothing" from the album Music for the Masses. It does have the same Resonance Character.
I'm not sure if this was mentioned, but a unique thing on the Alpha Juno is key tracking on the envelope times. You can use that to create sounds that are similar to samples in that the envelope gets shorter as pitch increases.
Aw, my first real synth I bought in 1987 and I love it to bits. I absolutely hear the comments about not being able to easily access the variables, but otherwise it's a truly great synth once you get on with it. And that is pretty damned close for the "What the" patch. I can happily give you the patch details if you really want it. The envelope#s a bit basic, but it does have sweeps to die for.
Still some of the SICKEST content on RUclips. Space 1999... excellent choice for stock footage today my friend. Thank you for all you do, hope you are doing well and have a great weekend!
If there’s one synth I know a lot about, it’s the Alpha Juno-1. Bought mine used in 1992 for $125, and lucked into a PG-300 a couple years later for $50. The expression pedal opens up a ton of flexibility. I ran mine through DOD fuzz and phaser pedals, and into a keyboard amp with spring reverb. It can generate huge amounts of bass when you want, but be incredibly buzzy and angry as well. It’s such an underrated synth for the price at the time.
Keep an eye out for the "home-market" twin of the Alpha Juno-1, the HS-10. The only difference is the color scheme and the "Synth Plus 10" on the upper right corner. I have a couple that I bought years ago much cheaper than the Juno versions.
I still have mine, bought new in 86. I still love it, it was my pad/strings workhorse for years. My only complain is its lack of a self oscilating filter.
The Juno is like the Helvetica of synthesizers. It may not be the most original choice, but it has not failed anyone who knows how it's supposed to be used.
I have the Hs-10, it was the consumer model with a different color scheme. I use my old Novation X -Station as an editor and controller so I can use the aftertouch and velocity sensitivity. Sounds as good as a 106 and is deeper once you have an editor for it.
Since you asked: the original hoover patch (called "what the???" Or something like that) was actually a lot slower than your recreation (and the classic hoover sound in general). It was just meant to be one of the weird sound effects, but when people sped up the envelope they could actually make music out of it. I dont know anything about such music but the alpha juno 2 was the first synth I played as a kid since it was the one my string player father had from the 80s. I wouldnt mind learning how to program it at some point but i really cant be bothered without a controller... which cost as much as actual synths. If roland release a boutique though ill be the first to order one.
Another classic I used to have (Juno 2 version). This was one of the first “real” synths I had. Maybe it’s the nostalgia talking but the jams in this episode were extra sweet!
Alpha Juno kinda reminds me of Metroid Prime for some reason. Wouldn’t be surprised if it was used on that game’s soundtrack.. Also, Chicklet keys are a design choice that should definitely stay in the past, I’m more of a Knob and Slider person tbh.
the dirty secret is that this synth actually uses digital oscillators (NCOs - numerically controlled oscillators). So it’s a hybrid synth since the filters are analog. It’s the same basic design as the novation peak and summit,
This comment made me look it up because a lot of people claimed the Alphas used FPGAs over a few years lately. Roland definitely called them DCOs but with the term NCOs I’ve seen some discussion (and literal dissection) suggesting the “digital sounding” waves actually indeed are.
Surprisingly I have bought certain items in the past that you have reviewed on here as a result of your review. I have always been a big Roland fan and this is a synth that interests me. Manufacturers should be pleased and offer you new synths as they are put on the market as despite of the shows name, the majority of the reviews have a positive outcome.
I'm surprised they haven't done a Boutique or a Roland Cloud version of this synth. Hoovers aside, it was good at a lot of things and fit very well into pretty much any dance song of the 90's.
I bought one in 1991 and a 106 and we all mostly preferred the 106 but the alpha still had its charms. It was readily apparent at that time that the golden age of synths was over. I appreciate all the fun you pour into your vids.
I am puzzled by the fact that Roland never released a Boutique and/or VST remake of the Alpha Juno 1/2. In the meantime AudioRealism's version has been around since 2014, and TAL recently released their version. Money I could have sent to Roland but didn't.
Ha, finally! Was hoping we'd hear some proper hardcore techno in this episode. Perhaps you could do that in the upcoming episode about the MKS50. 😉🙃 Happy weekend!😀
Ah, now you are tugging at my heart strings - An Alpha Juno-1 was my first “real” synth after playing with a few Casio’s and borrowing a friend’s Poly-800 one Summer… I’ll be real, it was the ONLY synth I could afford at the time (yes, 80’s synths weren’t cheap in the 80’s), but it was MINE and I loved it! Believe it or not, I was saddened when I sold it in early 2001. Whoever bought It got a great deal; it still looked brand new and I still had the original box, packaging, manual - and yes, even the sheet music holder!
After a five-year gap to a local band's Poly-800, the @JU-2 was the very second analog synth I played at Musikhaus Hergeth/Klagenfurt in 1991. That's the time when almost any traditional music shop had cool synths in stock. The revelation happened when putting on headphones: I hardly trusted my ears how warm, sweet and wide the Alpha caressed me with his magical depth & width. Besides that's been the very first time learning the positive effect of single trigger on monophonic sounds. That time Alpha's sound's incredibly put me under its spell. Unfortunately, when I came back it had finally been sold and I was terribly frustrated. 12 years later I'd the opportunity to come across @JU-1 by a newspaper's announcement. The device, not in the best condition, went into my possession for a whopping 250,- at the time. One key looked like a tooth gap. I stuck it shut with white tape. (That key's meanwhile replaced.) There even were food residues on and between the keys, that I tried to remove during the train journey home The JU-1 is so small and cute, & it's crazily funny how people look when such a cute synth is pulled out on public transport, especially in my rural region. Even 12 years after the first @JU-contact, it had barely lost its magic. PG-300 of course was needed & provided. Not just that, I terribly wanted the JU-2. At the exact time when a not too distant one at Fürstenfeld appeared, I was broke. What I still regret today is, having taken (or stolen) the paltry 200,- from my mother's wallet. A common Roland-mistake at the time was that they often forgot to insert the After Touch sensor into its necessary socket. That resulted in rumours that AJ2 are key pressure-less. Of course the previous owner was sure as well that it does without. I indeed had to open the device & plug the sensor back. By lack of space I currently don't use the Alphas but I could not part with because their overall sound & possibilities are very harmonious. This time's suggestion is the Sonicware Liven Texture Lab (Granular Synth)
One of the reasons I loved my 106 was that it basically taught me subtractive synthesis thanks to the UI. but it also made every bass and pad sound for me for like 10 years heh. I used to sneer at this thing but these days I’d kill for one
Mine didn't have the "what the?" preset when I bought it 😭Was fairly easy to find on the internets though, turns out different batches had slightly different default presets I stumbled upon a pretty cool project on Instructables to build a controller for it (or a lot of other gear) by the way.. search for "(almost) Universal MIDI SysEx CC Programmer (and Sequencer...)"
another thing to keep in mind you can use behringer bcr 2000 midi controller with it! makes programming better and you don't have to pay atrocious amounts of money for a dedicated controller
Sad that I sold my Alpha Juno 1. Now running with a Wavestate and a MODX7, so not really missing out on sound creation but I would pay to have this one back. I also keep my Roland SH3A - another classic.
I remember walking into a shop and playing an Alpha Juno 2 hooked up by midi to a DX7 back in the 80’s…at the time it was mind blowing how epic that combination sounded.
Picked mine up from a pawn shop like a decade and a half ago. A midi controller sending sysex to control the patch completely changes the game with it and makes it a joy to tweak.
Just enough that its appeal is only now beginning to catch up with its brethren in the preowned market as of 2024. If I didn’t have two JX models already, I might be tempted by one of these.
I always thought that measured up against did you know 60 and the Jupiter 8, @@synthetic24, slider-per-function models, the Alpha Juno and MKS-50 models historically looked like underlings. Not that they were, only that they didn’t seem as appealing because of that interface. And, this is the other PG-500 programmer is even tougher to come by than the one ordinary attached to the JX-8p, the PG-800.
The Alpha Dial is a life saver for this one, can get some lovely live filter sweeps. I also used to spend a lot of time with the '88 Timps' preset trying to go for the Gesaffelstein vibe a few years ago. Mine is in bad shape after a number of international moves and a mischievous cat, but looking forward to getting it back in action again soon.
There is a ctrlr free editor for it that works great as a VST (With the MKS50) you could retrieve with it the "hoover sound" (what da) since it includes all original presets. For whoever thinks this synth sounds "thin", most of the preset are with the HP filter engaged, i guess it's because synths use to emulate acoustic instruments, bypassing this gives it way more weight.Also, there is a filter mod that compensates for the lack of bass with high resonance.
Yes! This is my favorite synth. I play it live in a jam band, and having the PG-300 is key. I got it so long ago that I didn't even realize what I was getting. I just loved the organ sound. All I had back in the late 90s was a JV-35 Rompler. It had nothing that came close to a B3 sound, but the Juno-1 did. Guess you can make a pretty convincing sine wave when you have a true analog synth! I also have the JX-10, and it's a whole different monster. The Juno-1 has far more wave forms to choose from, and it has pulse width modulation. I can't believe they didn't have PWM on the JX-10 or the JX-8P.
Still a wicked cheap synth for those Juno sounds. If people are buying DX7s for big bucks these days, then the much cheaper Alpha Juno is very worth it! (although you should just spring for the slightly more expensive JX-3P in my opinion)
Managed to find an Alpha Juno 1 for cheap in 2020, loved how it sounded but hated editing it. Ended up getting a nice software editor for it but found it took up too much space in my small studio for what it was and sold it. Been on the search for an MKS-50 (rack mounted version) but they are pretty pricey nowadays if you happen to find one.
Others dream of a CS-80, I dreamt of a Alpha Juno. And last year I got one! Because "What The" is the best sound in the world :D I still recreate this sound on any synth I own (even on the Digitone, check my "Gabber 166 BPM" video :D :D :D ) - Best wishes, Jeanne
You are kind of genius dude. Ive been watching your stuff more and more lately and yeah..crushing it. Super well produced, funny af and with the right amount of weird and quirky.
The Alpha Juno is a wicked temptress... all the Juno-y goodness and extra features for what, half, a third, a quarter the price of a 106? Oh, but you have to go for the Alpha Juno-2, which adds another octave to the keybed and gets you aftertouch as well.
And I just learned that the good folks over at KIWI have a mod for the Alpha Junos that gives them a whole raft of new capabilities for not a lot of money.
Roland should pay you a commission for that split screen jam; beautiful!! Unless you object, I am going to co-opt the word “wintage” as a description of the December to February weather in the southern US. 😂 Rarely achieves full “winter”!
Another Bad Gear episode, another piece of my studio... Almost every machine I own had been reviewed. Except maybe ye olde TR-330 and my Roland D-5 (but you almost did when covering the D-110). 🐎
Finally, another piece of Bad Gear that I own! I actually have 2 of the re-labelled HS-10 models that were a much cheaper alternative back when I bought them. They do have a great sound! I started building my own MIDI controller for the filter parameters using an Arduino a few years back. Now that I can 3D print my own enclosures I might have to restart that project.
The PG300 completely opens up the Alpha and makes it worthy of the Juno name. It's so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.
The timing of this video is superb! I just dug out my Alpha Juno 1 after seeing Lords of Acid live a couple weeks ago. I needed to scratch that rave/trance itch! It was the first vintage synth I bought over 20 years ago and I bought it soley because it had the word "Juno" on it😂. $200 Canadian or about $150 USD at the time. So much fun to dust it off and let it rip!😃
I like the sound. But not in the market for a standalone synth especially as I managed to get an Akai mpk mini for €20 to go along with my mpc one ( I really need to stop buying midi keyboards this is my sixth one in a year, granted I have managed to sell all of them on except for the Alesis v49, which although a great keyboard is too big for me and it is listed on eBay atm so (hopefully) it’s days are numbered) I’m rambling now, love the video, keep em coming , wouldn’t buy one but adds to my education on the history of modern synthesisers 😀
Aww 😢, I had the Alpha Juno-2 in my beginning journey of discovering synthesizers and it was the first synthesizer that just had a lot of character compared to what I had tried out before. I miss it!
This is a great synth. If you use a MIDI controller and master keyboard like I do, fewer keys and lack of velocity isn't a problem. It has a nice key bed. So an Alpha Juno 2 would make a fine master keyboard. But if all you need is the sound, save money and space and get the 1. I am glad I added it to my collection. Chord mode doing power chords + distortion pedal = hell yea. It gets you that heavy metal vibe without a guitar. In that kind of situation I want full velocity. So the lack of velocity is good. Just hit a single key and rock and roll.
I have tal pha and I can’t imagine life without that plugin . So the alpha Juno is the machine to have seriously. The work on this episode is great! Love it.
@AudioPilz Looking on ebay I found a Roland PG-300 synthesizer programmer...apparently it can program the alpha juno giving it fader's for lfo's and envelopes ect..
Full Tracks, Extended Jams, Sample Packs:
www.patreon.com/audiopilz
Support the channel regardless of what your Bad Gear G.A.S. commands you to buy:
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You do an incredible job with Bad Gear! Please keep up the good work.
Hey, I dunno if you could find a Roland D2 Groovebox, ,never had one but would love to see you tear it down and up, great tunes when you demo. Love from Scotland.
Woohoo, I bought one of these early this year, thankfully I got it before you made this video. Never selling it.
Florian: If you're able to also add all the memes you used as a ZIP file, I'll actually start a €1 membership right now. Can't afford €5, but I'd gladly pay a little to support you AND get those memes myself.
In college I bought an Alpha Juno 1 off of Craigslist for $40, replaced a broken key, and sold it for $200 on eBay because I didn't know what to do with it.
Way of the gear😭
this happened to me with a dx-7 that had a dodgy display. god, 2000s prices. i felt like i was making out like a bandit.
yah blew it
My first analog synth. I had no idea how to program so I just worked with presets.
- years later after I had more experience under my belt I went back to it this time with a Juno 2 and loved all the features. Snappy envelopes, adjustable chorus rate, pwm on sawtooth, velocity. Some of the phattest bass sounds I've ever heard. I know they don't get as much props as the 106/60 but if you get yourself a decent controller they're fantastic.
Agreed!!!
Do not think I’ve ever commented on a RUclips video before but my man that LAST JAM took me right back to being a little raver kid DJ and I love it so much
Thank you so much!!! Happy to hear that!
@audiopilz you’re a legend and an inspiration my guy, never change
@@AudioPilzthat space pirate business was legit!
YES! It's about time for the Alpha! Great job! The Alphas do have little tricks up their sleeve: Creating a massive-sounding chord stack is something a Juno 60 or 106 can only dream of and the "saw-width" modulation is quite unique!
Agreed!!!
I was quite surprised to recently hear and see that 1982's Fender/Rhodes Chroma was apparently the first (more or less) well-known SWM synth. I've always been thinking Oberheim initiated it with the OB8 in '.83 Just about 2 hands fulll of synths have that rare feature but no common term for that.
Yeah, I love those! I have an AJ2, and they really are great little synths
[Edit: The sort of saw/pulse hybrid waves, tbc]
Hydrasynth chuckles.
@@treetopjones737 LOL
You can’t talk about the alpha dial without mentioning how it was better than other single knob interfaces at least because it was big, smooth, and fast. And had that finger indent. We were used to rotary phones, our fingers were ready.
I’m team DX7 slider;)
That Juno-1 sounds so amazing and smooth, especially for making real techno music - early 90's style!
The sounds are cool, the interface tragic, the intros on this channel are just plain MAGIC.
I see what you did
Thank you!!!
OMG Space:1999 was my favourite sci fi growing up. Possibly the scariest programme ever to be shown on childrens' TV - ever. Almost as scary as the UI on the Juno. I have a real soft spot for this synth, Would D & B have existed without it??? Much love as always Florian!
❤️❤️❤️
I love the saw with pulse width modulation and the chorus. This synth makes some unique sounds. Awesome for pads,strings,layered sounds and of course the Hoover! Also great Roland envelope that no other analog synth that I know,has.
1980's Roland design meeting:
"Knobs or Chiclets. Knobs or Chicklets. To hell with it. Chicklets will never get old."
😂
😂😂😂
Massive cost reduction, so you can see the logic even if you don't like the result. I agree chicklets are terrible though.
*Membrane keyboards have entered the chat*
@@jimbotron70 Insane in the membrane
The hoover is so incredibly classic I'm glad you got it into a tune. I would have been sorely disappointed otherwise! HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!!
😀😀😀
I love the IR-3R05 VCF of the Juno 1. It was called the Depeche Mode Synth for the poor because with the IR-3R05 Resonance you are able to create those VCF Velocity Bass Sounds beeing used in "nothing" from the album Music for the Masses. It does have the same Resonance Character.
True that!
I'm not sure if this was mentioned, but a unique thing on the Alpha Juno is key tracking on the envelope times. You can use that to create sounds that are similar to samples in that the envelope gets shorter as pitch increases.
Thank you for the heads up
Aw, my first real synth I bought in 1987 and I love it to bits. I absolutely hear the comments about not being able to easily access the variables, but otherwise it's a truly great synth once you get on with it.
And that is pretty damned close for the "What the" patch. I can happily give you the patch details if you really want it.
The envelope#s a bit basic, but it does have sweeps to die for.
Thank you!!!
The hoover was and still is etched into the soundtrack of my life. Beautiful decade the 90's
😀😀😀
haha ikr.. grew up near Rotterdam during the gabber era 🤪
@B0K1T0 gabba was a bit heavy for me 😂 loads of good stuff came out of Holland back then though.....and still does
Still some of the SICKEST content on RUclips. Space 1999... excellent choice for stock footage today my friend. Thank you for all you do, hope you are doing well and have a great weekend!
Thank you so much!!!
Moonbase Alpha...well played!
😀😀😀
Totally rockin' it with the Space: 1999 clips!
If there’s one synth I know a lot about, it’s the Alpha Juno-1. Bought mine used in 1992 for $125, and lucked into a PG-300 a couple years later for $50. The expression pedal opens up a ton of flexibility. I ran mine through DOD fuzz and phaser pedals, and into a keyboard amp with spring reverb. It can generate huge amounts of bass when you want, but be incredibly buzzy and angry as well. It’s such an underrated synth for the price at the time.
Probobly a good time to buy one before too many people watch this video
I want one myself now;)
Too late, it's kind of like trying to score a cheap lens five minutes after Zenography tells the world how great it is for 15 quid.
the Juno 1 and 2 prices have been high for a couple years. Same with the Akai samplers. Heck, even the E-MU modules are higher than they used to be.
Keep an eye out for the "home-market" twin of the Alpha Juno-1, the HS-10. The only difference is the color scheme and the "Synth Plus 10" on the upper right corner. I have a couple that I bought years ago much cheaper than the Juno versions.
I’ve been looking for one for a while, they’re quite rare
I still have mine, bought new in 86. I still love it, it was my pad/strings workhorse for years. My only complain is its lack of a self oscilating filter.
Nice!!!
Roland hears you! They will release Roland αJuno t-shirts next month..
I'll buy that for a $
ooo thanks for the info
The AlphaJuno 1 has aftertouch via midi :)
True that!!!
The Juno is like the Helvetica of synthesizers. It may not be the most original choice, but it has not failed anyone who knows how it's supposed to be used.
Nice analogy!!!
Thank you for the video, this synth sounds good, of course you have talent to extract the good juice. Cheers.
Thank you!!!
I have the Hs-10, it was the consumer model with a different color scheme. I use my old Novation X -Station as an editor and controller so I can use the aftertouch and velocity sensitivity. Sounds as good as a 106 and is deeper once you have an editor for it.
Nice one!!!
very unfortunate that some BadGear are so hard to get, I would love to integrate this one into my arsenal
I wholeheartedly agree;)
The sewing machine for the JX at 8:13 is what broke me out laughing in this vid. Well played!
I rattled my nostrils sniggering at that. I hope I don't have a nose bleed before bed.
Thank you!!!
Since you asked: the original hoover patch (called "what the???" Or something like that) was actually a lot slower than your recreation (and the classic hoover sound in general). It was just meant to be one of the weird sound effects, but when people sped up the envelope they could actually make music out of it.
I dont know anything about such music but the alpha juno 2 was the first synth I played as a kid since it was the one my string player father had from the 80s. I wouldnt mind learning how to program it at some point but i really cant be bothered without a controller... which cost as much as actual synths. If roland release a boutique though ill be the first to order one.
Great input, thanks!!!
Outstanding. Concise. This ticks all the Bad Gear boxes we've learned to love so much.
Thank you so much!!!
Another classic I used to have (Juno 2 version). This was one of the first “real” synths I had.
Maybe it’s the nostalgia talking but the jams in this episode were extra sweet!
Thank you!!!
Old skool Hoover filter sweeping up those dance floor memories
Classic!!!
The Alpha Juno is one of my fav synths. So cool to see you giving it some attention here
Nice!!!
Oh yes the one and only dominator
Hell yeah!!!
Alpha Juno kinda reminds me of Metroid Prime for some reason.
Wouldn’t be surprised if it was used on that game’s soundtrack..
Also, Chicklet keys are a design choice that should definitely stay in the past, I’m more of a Knob and Slider person tbh.
Metroid Prime is strong with this one!!!
the dirty secret is that this synth actually uses digital oscillators (NCOs - numerically controlled oscillators). So it’s a hybrid synth since the filters are analog. It’s the same basic design as the novation peak and summit,
DDS for sure, but I've seen some people claim it's driven by old-school FPGAs which is not quite right
?? no, It's DCO, Digitally Controlled Oscillator....so it's still an analog oscillator.....
Wasn’t that a classic DCO design?
This comment made me look it up because a lot of people claimed the Alphas used FPGAs over a few years lately. Roland definitely called them DCOs but with the term NCOs I’ve seen some discussion (and literal dissection) suggesting the “digital sounding” waves actually indeed are.
Any proof to back this up? All documentation states dco (digital controlled analog oscillator)
Surprisingly I have bought certain items in the past that you have reviewed on here as a result of your review. I have always been a big Roland fan and this is a synth that interests me. Manufacturers should be pleased and offer you new synths as they are put on the market as despite of the shows name, the majority of the reviews have a positive outcome.
Happy to hear that!!! Thanks!!!
The Alpha Juno, or as I call it, the 'Em7 Chord Memory Mule For Jungle Sequencing That I Could Afford Instead Of The Poly 61' machine.
That sums it up nicely;)
Yes..!😅
The Arturia keystep has this chord function..
but I never used before..
pretty much spot on take.
I'm surprised they haven't done a Boutique or a Roland Cloud version of this synth. Hoovers aside, it was good at a lot of things and fit very well into pretty much any dance song of the 90's.
Agreed!!!
I love synthesizers and I'm always here Greetings from Brazil...🇧🇷
Obrigado!!!
👍👍
Hooray, another of my keyboards covered. Actually my first one was the Juno-2.
Happy Friday Florian!!
Another piece of bad gear so, I had to own it twice! (1&2)
I have been awaiting this episode for sure!! HOOVER ON!!!
😀😀😀
I bought one in 1991 and a 106 and we all mostly preferred the 106 but the alpha still had its charms. It was readily apparent at that time that the golden age of synths was over. I appreciate all the fun you pour into your vids.
Thank you!!!
I am puzzled by the fact that Roland never released a Boutique and/or VST remake of the Alpha Juno 1/2. In the meantime AudioRealism's version has been around since 2014, and TAL recently released their version. Money I could have sent to Roland but didn't.
Agreed!!!
You mentioned the fast LFO, but one of my favorite things about the AJ is how slow the LFO can go. It’s great for drones.
Agreed!!!
You should release a mix of all the verdict songs because they are so damn good!!!🙌👏👏🔥🔥
Great idea, thanks!!! Shameless plug: full tracks are available on my Patreon
just ordered a timbre wolf. no other fandom would wunderstand.
Underrated paperweight!!!
Ha, finally! Was hoping we'd hear some proper hardcore techno in this episode. Perhaps you could do that in the upcoming episode about the MKS50. 😉🙃 Happy weekend!😀
Great idea, thanks!!!
@@AudioPilz Yes! We want a little hardcore on a Bad Gear)
Ah, now you are tugging at my heart strings - An Alpha Juno-1 was my first “real” synth after playing with a few Casio’s and borrowing a friend’s Poly-800 one Summer…
I’ll be real, it was the ONLY synth I could afford at the time (yes, 80’s synths weren’t cheap in the 80’s), but it was MINE and I loved it! Believe it or not, I was saddened when I sold it in early 2001. Whoever bought It got a great deal; it still looked brand new and I still had the original box, packaging, manual - and yes, even the sheet music holder!
My damn near 3000 $ rd2000 doesn't even have a music stand ! I hate you Roland!😂
I feel you!!!
After a five-year gap to a local band's Poly-800, the @JU-2 was the very second analog synth I played at Musikhaus Hergeth/Klagenfurt in 1991. That's the time when almost any traditional music shop had cool synths in stock. The revelation happened when putting on headphones: I hardly trusted my ears how warm, sweet and wide the Alpha caressed me with his magical depth & width. Besides that's been the very first time learning the positive effect of single trigger on monophonic sounds. That time Alpha's sound's incredibly put me under its spell. Unfortunately, when I came back it had finally been sold and I was terribly frustrated.
12 years later I'd the opportunity to come across @JU-1 by a newspaper's announcement. The device, not in the best condition, went into my possession for a whopping 250,- at the time. One key looked like a tooth gap. I stuck it shut with white tape. (That key's meanwhile replaced.) There even were food residues on and between the keys, that I tried to remove during the train journey home The JU-1 is so small and cute, & it's crazily funny how people look when such a cute synth is pulled out on public transport, especially in my rural region.
Even 12 years after the first @JU-contact, it had barely lost its magic. PG-300 of course was needed & provided. Not just that, I terribly wanted the JU-2. At the exact time when a not too distant one at Fürstenfeld appeared, I was broke. What I still regret today is, having taken (or stolen) the paltry 200,- from my mother's wallet.
A common Roland-mistake at the time was that they often forgot to insert the After Touch sensor into its necessary socket. That resulted in rumours that AJ2 are key pressure-less. Of course the previous owner was sure as well that it does without. I indeed had to open the device & plug the sensor back.
By lack of space I currently don't use the Alphas but I could not part with because their overall sound & possibilities are very harmonious. This time's suggestion is the Sonicware Liven Texture Lab (Granular Synth)
❤️❤️❤️Klagenfurt❤️❤️❤️
@@AudioPilz ...from my destination just 40 km southern. 👾👾👾
One of the reasons I loved my 106 was that it basically taught me subtractive synthesis thanks to the UI. but it also made every bass and pad sound for me for like 10 years heh. I used to sneer at this thing but these days I’d kill for one
Nice!!!
I got one just last week - FOR THE HOOVER!
me too 2 weeks ago
B86 «What The» ;-)
Le Hoover has arrived!!!
Me too, about 2 months ago😅
Mine didn't have the "what the?" preset when I bought it 😭Was fairly easy to find on the internets though, turns out different batches had slightly different default presets
I stumbled upon a pretty cool project on Instructables to build a controller for it (or a lot of other gear) by the way.. search for "(almost) Universal MIDI SysEx CC Programmer (and Sequencer...)"
another thing to keep in mind you can use behringer bcr 2000 midi controller with it! makes programming better and you don't have to pay atrocious amounts of money for a dedicated controller
Space 1999 went so hard in their intro.
Moon Base Alpha FTW!!!
Anything gerry Anderson did went hard af especially joe 90 and captain scarlet
My lovely neighbour was an actress in Space 1999. ❤
@@lairdkilbarchanWhich one??
@@jukesjointOG The very delightful Suzanne Roquette, she played a character called Tanya Alexander in Series One.
Sad that I sold my Alpha Juno 1. Now running with a Wavestate and a MODX7, so not really missing out on sound creation but I would pay to have this one back. I also keep my Roland SH3A - another classic.
Nice one!!!
The «Hoover» synth. Love my MKS-50 ;-)
😀😀😀
Can you detune the voices in unison mode with the MKS50 ?
I remember walking into a shop and playing an Alpha Juno 2 hooked up by midi to a DX7 back in the 80’s…at the time it was mind blowing how epic that combination sounded.
Golden Times!!!
It actually would be the only boutique I'm interested in.
I'd buy that for a $
@@AudioPilz Have you watched Furiosa?
Picked mine up from a pawn shop like a decade and a half ago. A midi controller sending sysex to control the patch completely changes the game with it and makes it a joy to tweak.
True that!
Quite an underrated Juno synth.
Agreed!!!
Agree
So true. People don't realize that it has more than just the Hoover patch. The synth engine is great
Just enough that its appeal is only now beginning to catch up with its brethren in the preowned market as of 2024. If I didn’t have two JX models already, I might be tempted by one of these.
I always thought that measured up against did you know 60 and the Jupiter 8, @@synthetic24, slider-per-function models, the Alpha Juno and MKS-50 models historically looked like underlings. Not that they were, only that they didn’t seem as appealing because of that interface. And, this is the other PG-500 programmer is even tougher to come by than the one ordinary attached to the JX-8p, the PG-800.
The Alpha Dial is a life saver for this one, can get some lovely live filter sweeps. I also used to spend a lot of time with the '88 Timps' preset trying to go for the Gesaffelstein vibe a few years ago. Mine is in bad shape after a number of international moves and a mischievous cat, but looking forward to getting it back in action again soon.
88 Timps is awesome!!!
Finally a vacuum cleaner so my mom stops yelling about me making the basement dirty.
;)
There is a ctrlr free editor for it that works great as a VST (With the MKS50) you could retrieve with it the "hoover sound" (what da) since it includes all original presets.
For whoever thinks this synth sounds "thin", most of the preset are with the HP filter engaged, i guess it's because synths use to emulate acoustic instruments, bypassing this gives it way more weight.Also, there is a filter mod that compensates for the lack of bass with high resonance.
Thanks for the heads up!!!
Truly a synth of all time. The menu diving is like writing a patch using morse code. Definitely pressing all the buttons with this one. :P
👍👍👍
Best synth ever made. I bought mine for 200 EUR about 6-7 years ago and it has been used and every track since
Great Sigma house for 70s space pirates!
Thank you!!!
Yes! This is my favorite synth. I play it live in a jam band, and having the PG-300 is key. I got it so long ago that I didn't even realize what I was getting. I just loved the organ sound. All I had back in the late 90s was a JV-35 Rompler. It had nothing that came close to a B3 sound, but the Juno-1 did. Guess you can make a pretty convincing sine wave when you have a true analog synth! I also have the JX-10, and it's a whole different monster. The Juno-1 has far more wave forms to choose from, and it has pulse width modulation. I can't believe they didn't have PWM on the JX-10 or the JX-8P.
😀😀😀
6:25 sounds stunning 🥰
Thank you!!!
@@AudioPilz Is it possible to know the patchs ? Thanks ! :)
Everytime the tb3 appears over the table, the music skyrockets to amazement
My precious!!!
boy, that opening montage really had me missing Space:1999 ... now I'll have to buy the DVDs
Still a wicked cheap synth for those Juno sounds. If people are buying DX7s for big bucks these days, then the much cheaper Alpha Juno is very worth it! (although you should just spring for the slightly more expensive JX-3P in my opinion)
Agreed!!!
Managed to find an Alpha Juno 1 for cheap in 2020, loved how it sounded but hated editing it. Ended up getting a nice software editor for it but found it took up too much space in my small studio for what it was and sold it. Been on the search for an MKS-50 (rack mounted version) but they are pretty pricey nowadays if you happen to find one.
MKS is tight!!!
Others dream of a CS-80, I dreamt of a Alpha Juno. And last year I got one! Because "What The" is the best sound in the world :D I still recreate this sound on any synth I own (even on the Digitone, check my "Gabber 166 BPM" video :D :D :D ) - Best wishes, Jeanne
Nice one, thanks!!!
You are kind of genius dude. Ive been watching your stuff more and more lately and yeah..crushing it. Super well produced, funny af and with the right amount of weird and quirky.
Thank you so much!!!
Behringer needs to make a Alpha Mini!
Alpha Uli
Yeah Roland would make a mess of it (usb power, mini jack and tiny faders) pah ! 😢
I knew my beloved Alpha will have a place in Bad Gear! I love it for dark industrial pads.
😀😀😀
Great Synth, but you neeeeed a hardware programmer to enjoy it!🐰
Agreed!!!
Funny and creative as always! And what a surprise to see that meme at 2:52 of Chico Buarque, a famous singer from Brazil!
Classic!!! Thanks!!!
The Alpha Juno is a wicked temptress... all the Juno-y goodness and extra features for what, half, a third, a quarter the price of a 106? Oh, but you have to go for the Alpha Juno-2, which adds another octave to the keybed and gets you aftertouch as well.
Agreed!!!
And I just learned that the good folks over at KIWI have a mod for the Alpha Junos that gives them a whole raft of new capabilities for not a lot of money.
Roland should pay you a commission for that split screen jam; beautiful!! Unless you object, I am going to co-opt the word “wintage” as a description of the December to February weather in the southern US. 😂 Rarely achieves full “winter”!
Thank you!!!
Another Bad Gear episode, another piece of my studio... Almost every machine I own had been reviewed. Except maybe ye olde TR-330 and my Roland D-5 (but you almost did when covering the D-110). 🐎
I honestly don't know if I did the D-5;)
Finally, another piece of Bad Gear that I own!
I actually have 2 of the re-labelled HS-10 models that were a much cheaper alternative back when I bought them. They do have a great sound!
I started building my own MIDI controller for the filter parameters using an Arduino a few years back. Now that I can 3D print my own enclosures I might have to restart that project.
Nice project!!!
I would like to see you do Kontakt! Some people do hate on it...
Great suggestion, thanks!!!
bad gear has officially covered every piece of gear I own
Bad Gear Bingo!!! Congrats!!!
The PG300 completely opens up the Alpha and makes it worthy of the Juno name. It's so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.
Isn't it more expensive than the synth?;)
@@AudioPilz It probably is now, I bought the alpha Juno for $400 USD about 20 years ago, and paid $385 USD for a minty PG300 about 10 years ago.
Novation sl mk1 with a sysex template does an excellent job + virtually any other synth you can think of 😊
The timing of this video is superb! I just dug out my Alpha Juno 1 after seeing Lords of Acid live a couple weeks ago. I needed to scratch that rave/trance itch!
It was the first vintage synth I bought over 20 years ago and I bought it soley because it had the word "Juno" on it😂.
$200 Canadian or about $150 USD at the time.
So much fun to dust it off and let it rip!😃
Nice!!!
bought one of these a few months ago and have no regrets!
😀😀😀
I like the sound. But not in the market for a standalone synth especially as I managed to get an Akai mpk mini for €20 to go along with my mpc one ( I really need to stop buying midi keyboards this is my sixth one in a year, granted I have managed to sell all of them on except for the Alesis v49, which although a great keyboard is too big for me and it is listed on eBay atm so (hopefully) it’s days are numbered)
I’m rambling now, love the video, keep em coming , wouldn’t buy one but adds to my education on the history of modern synthesisers 😀
Thank you!!!
Nice jams and memes as per usual Mr Bad Gear, now have my upvote!
Thank you so much!!!
Aww 😢, I had the Alpha Juno-2 in my beginning journey of discovering synthesizers and it was the first synthesizer that just had a lot of character compared to what I had tried out before. I miss it!
❤️❤️❤️
Loved that funky hoover brass on the final jam. Stevie still wonders.
Thank you so much!!!
Space:1999 intro, and Space Battleship Yamato clips in Jam 3. Excellent nostalgia pull on this one.
Thank you!!!
This is a great synth. If you use a MIDI controller and master keyboard like I do, fewer keys and lack of velocity isn't a problem. It has a nice key bed. So an Alpha Juno 2 would make a fine master keyboard. But if all you need is the sound, save money and space and get the 1. I am glad I added it to my collection. Chord mode doing power chords + distortion pedal = hell yea. It gets you that heavy metal vibe without a guitar. In that kind of situation I want full velocity. So the lack of velocity is good. Just hit a single key and rock and roll.
Agreed on the lack of velocity!!!
@7:22 with 1.75x playback the visuals and the music really work! :)
;)
That outro was banger! Using What The but chopping it short like that was actually musical! Well done
Thank you so much!!!
I have tal pha and I can’t imagine life without that plugin .
So the alpha Juno is the machine to have seriously. The work on this episode is great! Love it.
Thank you!!!
Love the show! Definitely an underrated synth. I have the Retroaktiv programmer and it really opens up the sound design.
Nice!!! Thank you!!!
Fantastic video - I know the filter doesn't self oscillate like on a 106/60 but I still prefer it to either sound wise by a sizable amount.
Thank you!!!
An @Juno Boutique would be awesome.
Agreed!!!
@AudioPilz Looking on ebay I found a Roland PG-300 synthesizer programmer...apparently it can program the alpha juno giving it fader's for lfo's and envelopes ect..
It does!!!