juno 106/60 or elektron analog four

[tenga]

i'm into techno and house and have some gear (you can see in my signature)... im hesitating between buying a Roland Juno 106/60 or a Elektron analog four...

what do you think will be more fun and integrate better with a roland TR-8 ???

i've started using gear after a long period of playing ITB...for some reason its more fun for me and i dont have to stare at the screen so much ....

Thanks for Reading !!!
(i accept sugestions on other elektron machines too)

[Lost to the Void]

Well, the 106 is my fave synth of all time, I have one and it is just beautiful.
In good condition it will cost you more than an analog 4.

However you can`t compare them at all. Well, the Analog 4 does have a very roland sound, but it is 4 voice (2 osc and 2 sub osc per voice) synth, which can be treated as 4 separate mono`s, or 2x 2 voice (each with 4 osc and 4 sub osc) synths or one monster 4 voice mono (or poly) (8 osc + 4 sub osc), then you have the Elektron sequencer on top of that.

The 106 is strictly a poly, but it does sound gorgeous and is very easy to program.

You`ll probably get more workhorse usage from the A4 as it is a good solid and versatile synth for every day goodness.
But the 106 is a good addition to have once you have your main studio workhorse setup done and you want to add a character synth.

[tenga]

lets say i can buy both... which one should i buy first ??
wich one would more fun , considering im a lousy keyboard player

[Lost to the Void]

A4 will allo wyou to make more complete tracks more quickly, and it sequences.
It`s hard to say which is more fun, the 106 was my first ever synth and I love it like a family member, but the A4 is instant pick up and play techno.
For lovely chord washes and stabs and Underworld style joy, the 106 is wonderful.

[WOLF!]

A real slut would buy them both .
It all depends on what you want.
A few things that come in to my mind in the A4 vs Juno debate.
- A4 will only go down in price, Roland Juno will only go up in price or at least keep its value.
- It's menu diving versus hands-on; but also many versus few possibility's.
- A4 is small - Juno is big. Do you plan a liveact or are you a studio musician; you choose what suits you best.

Keep the voice problem in mind with the 106's (they all (6 voices) die). Juno 60 doesn't has that voice chip problem.
If you find a Juno in very good condition for a nice price I would say Juno.
Also the JX3P +DT200 is a nice synth that doesn't has the voice problem and comes in the Juno territory but lacks the famous (but noisy) chorus that the 106 has.
There is a nice comparison between a 106 and JX3P on YT.
Some food for thought...

[Lost to the Void]

- A4 will only go down in price, Roland Juno will only go up in price or at least keep its value.
- It's menu diving versus hands-on; but also many versus few possibility's.


Keep the voice problem in mind with the 106's (they all (6 voices) die). Juno 60 doesn't has that voice chip problem.

Not true, Elektron stuff holds it`s value extremely well. Much better than a lot of "new" stuff as it has boutique sensibility. MD and MM prices are rising now on the used market, and there is no doubt Elektron stuff will be (already is) considered "classic" gear.

Juno`s on the other hand have lost value over the last few years.
They for for around 1100 in good nick these days.
about 3 years ago you saw them for 1500 to 2000. (I always keep an eye on the value of my Juno).

Also, my voices have never died and I have had my Juno since new in the 80`s, they don`t always die but they can. These days a lot of the ones coming up on the market in good condition have been serviced and had voices replaced (which if it does happen is easy to fix/replace)/

[WOLF!]

Well Void, I somewhat agree with you on the value part of Elektron stuff; because it's so wanted now it quite value stable indeed.
Elektron surely is hot in the 'electronic genres' scene but the Juno106 has much more appeal to a wider audience.
For me the Elektrons are not (yet) in the same 'vintage' league as the old Rolands (they also differ to much in age to compare).
I'm following the value of stuff quite good as I'm looking at least once a week on the local 2ndhand websites (never on ebay!).
It will be a lot easier to fix a Juno then the Elektron stuff (read thru hole vs SMD boards). Of course it depends on spare parts as well but for Juno's there are no problems with that.
I also heard that there are no more spares for the MD mk1 so I don't consider it a valuable investment (encoders are a weak point).
I know professional techs that don't even start on Elektron stuff.
I'm very curious if the Elektron stuff will age as good as the Roland stuff in a technical perspective (it's quite possible that techs will specialize more in SMD repairs in the future because they need to). It then again will depend on the availability of spare parts.
I do need to say that I don't want to piss on Elektron gear and I do want to try some of their devices; it's just that I have a boner for old synths .

[Lost to the Void]

I have no idea, I`ve never had any trouble with any of my elektron gear in build terms.
I had my MD from pretty much when they came out and never had an issue.
I`ve owned all the machines apart from the MM (still want) and again, never had an issue and have taken them out and about.
It`s like anything really, treat em like shit and they don`t last as well.
I know lots of people with em who have had zero trouble ever hardware wise, and have read tales of people with trouble in forums, but sometimes I just think they are the type of people that don`t treat their shit well.
Currently you can buy and sell newer elektrons and lose very little money, and demand for them has never really changed that much, they always sell well and hold their value well historically so far.

Juno`s aren`t built that well really, you get a lot with damaged faders, and especially the assignable pitch bender, buttons also sink easy from heavy handed button pressers (though again, I`ve always treated my Juno with respect so it is pretty much mint).

It`s still my fave synth, they go in and out of fashion so value fluctuates. About a year and a half ago good condition ones were coming up for 700-850. I very nearly bought another during that period.

[tenga]

i guess i will buy a A4 to use my time.... while waiting for a good deal on a juno... probably a juno 60..
by the way i'm electronic engineer so its not a problem fixing trhough hole or smd components...

what about the octatrack ??

[WOLF!]

Okay Tenga, should work out fine then if your stuff gets broken. In the meantime don't think about repairing it, just enjoy it and make music .

For people that think what the fuck is the SMD vs Through hole thing:
SMD (Rytm)


Through hole (Juno106)

[Lost to the Void]

So getting back to OP, the real question is, what results are you looking for, these are very different machines.

[Lost to the Void]

Well, the Octa is a different machine again.
For me it is the "best" of the Elektron devices. Truly unique in what it does as an extremely versatile and deep sampler (and not as difficult to get to grips with as people like to say, it is very deep, in that there is a lot to it, but it`s not hard to use, you just constantly find new tricks).
IT is so deep it`s hard to capture everything in a post. It also has 8 tracks of external sequencing, so it makes a very good hub at the centre of a hardware setup.
It`s just a crazy sampler monster.

An Octa paired with a Juno is a good combo.
An Octa paired with an A4 (my central setup) is a very powerful combination. With just those 2 machines you can do a hell of a lot.

You really have to refine what it is you want to do, before you make a decision. What purpose do you need to fill, do you want a multirole unit or something more specific.
Define what you want out of your setup before you ask which machine to get because you are going to be making the music, not us.

[tenga]

Void , this is good stuff...
would the octatrack run well paired with 2 of my rack synths ?? yamaha TX7 and jv-1080 ???

[The_G]

I mean...I'm obsessed with Junos, and always have been, so I would get the 106. But that isn't necessarily the rational choice.

[Lost to the Void]

Void , this is good stuff...
would the octatrack run well paired with 2 of my rack synths ?? yamaha TX7 and jv-1080 ???

Well that's an interesting combination. No reason you can't make it work.
The tx7 is a fuckery to edit but you can get great patches for it.
Jv1080 is solid.
That's a lot of digital. You may want to add an analog unit. Maybe a nice mono. Or a Minilogue for poly. Affordable and nice sound.

[arkos]

Regret selling my Juno-6 everyday those things are just so damn fun to play and sound gorgeous. But why not go for the Deepmind12 instead? Heard some examples over at Gearslutz the other day that sounded very very close to a Juno.

[ekwipt]

I'd have a look at the deepmind 12 as well, you'll get warranty for at least 12minths also, can't say that about vintage gear, and Juno 106 are known to get funky in the repair chip department

[The_G]

The one thing that unnerves me about Deepmind 12 is the fan.

[tenga]

That's a lot of digital. You may want to add an analog unit. Maybe a nice mono. Or a Minilogue for poly. Affordable and nice sound.

you are right... i have lot of digital and almost no KNOBS TO TWEAK

[Lost to the Void]

The one thing that unnerves me about Deepmind 12 is the fan.

Me too.
I'm waiting a year to see what people say about them.