Roland Boutique JU-06 - Testbericht

Der Roland JU-06 ist eine gelungene Nachbildung eines Klassikers der analogen Ära: des Juno-106 von Roland. Wie bei einem echten Analog­synthesizer gibt es beim JU-06 für jeden Klang-Parameter einen eigenen Regler, was zum Fummeln und Experimentieren einlädt. Trotz seiner nur 4-stimmigen Polyphonie ist der JU-06 ein vollwertiger (quasi-)analoger Synthesizer, der auch dank des günstigen Preises seinen Weg in jedes Musikstudio finden sollte.

Als einer, der die analoge Synthesizer-Ära noch miterlebt hatte, konnte ich nicht widerstehen, als Roland seine Boutique-Linie angekündigt hatte. Ich musste einen haben! Ich hatte mir vor dem Kauf diverse YouTube-Videos über alle Boutique-Module angeschaut, und natürlich hat es mir das Top-Modell, der Jupiter-Klon, besonders angetan. Da ich aber in den 80ern in den Kellern der Musikalienläden an diversen Juno-60 herumgeklimpert hatte, während allfällige Jupiters vorsorglich ausgeschaltet waren, liegt mir der Juno-Boutique trotzdem etwas näher. Daher habe ich bewusst einen JU-06 gekauft.

Die meisten Testberichte bestätigen, dass der Sound des JU-06 dem seines Vorbildes sehr nahekommt. Ich selber kann nur sagen, dass der Sound grossartig ist: warme Pads, grelle Bläser-Klänge, aggressive Bässe... wer die Presets durchklickt bekommt schon rasch einen guten Überblick über die Bandbreite der Synthesizerklänge, derer der JU-06 fähig ist. Und im Manual-Modus zeigt sich erst, wie schnell und einfach sich Klänge auf einem analogen Synthesizer komponieren lassen.

Ich besitze einen Yamaha DX7 und glaube daher, die Vorzüge einer hands-on Bedienung einigermassen zuverlässig beurteilen zu können, die "echte" Analog-Synthesizer dadurch bieten, dass ein eigener Regler für jeden Klangparameter zur Verfügung steht. Hier ist an den Boutique Modulen nichts auszusetzen. Sie bilden die Benutzer-Oberfläche ihrer Vorbilder getreulich nach und laden geradezu zum Befummeln ... sorry ... Experimentieren ein. Beim JU-06 sind die Reglerwege auch genügend lang, um jenen sweet spot im Klangspektrum zu treffen, den man für seine Kompositionen benötigt.

Da sich die Geräte der Boutique-Line als mehr oder weniger getreue Nachbildungen der analogen Keyboards verstehen, darf man allfällige Einschränkungen auch nicht unbedingt als Mangel verstehen: der Juno-106 hatte nunmal nur einen Oszillator, und beim JX-3P gab es zwar 2 Oszillatoren, aber keine Pulsweiten-Modulation. Insofern ist die Nachbildung vorbildtreu.

Natürlich ist es schade, dass Roland nicht gleich den ganzen Weg gegangen ist und das Modul 6-stimmig gemacht hat -- wie das Original. Aber ich erachte auch diesen Makel als gerade noch verkraftbar. Wer unbedingt mehr Stimmen braucht, kann ja ein zweites Modul dazukaufen und kommt dann immer noch massiv billiger, als wenn man irgendwo einen "echten" Juno zum Liebhaberpreis erstehen muss.

Wer sein Modul vor allem mit dem Sequenzer seines Software-Aufnahmestudios bespielt, wird kaum je an die Grenzen stossen. Ich habe einen Synth-Song spurweise via MIDI eingespielt (Bass, Pad, Stakkato-Akkord und Arpeggio) und das Resultat tönt phantastisch. Die vierfache Polyphonie reicht dann vollkommen. Beim direkten Bespielen mit dem Keyboard fällt halt vielleicht schon mal der eine oder andere Ton über Bord, vor allem wenn man Akkorde "legato" spielt.

Zu bedenken ist vielleicht auch noch, dass die Ausgangsbuchse ein eher untypisches 3.5mm Format aufweist. Man sollte daher nicht vergessen, gleich ein passendes Adapterkabel mitzubestellen. Dasselbe gilt auch für das MikroB-USB-Adapterkabel, das man für den batterielosen Betrieb benötigt, und das leider nicht im Lieferumfang enthalten ist.

Wer in den analogen Synthesizer-Klängen der 80er Jahre schwelgen möchte, kann mit einem Gerät aus der Boutique-Linie nicht gross daneben hauen. Ich jedenfalls würde den JU-06 nicht mehr hergeben und spiele bereits mit dem Gedanken, noch einen JX-03 dazu zu kaufen...

Roland Boutique JU-06

I've just received the brand new JU-06 sound module of the Roland Boutique range. These are compact 4-voice polyphonic synthesizer modules that are modeled and named after Roland's most famous vintage analog synthesizers. This one's modeled after their Juno 106 synthesizer that was quite popular in the 1980s. There's also a JX-03 reminiscent of the JX-3P, and a JP-08 that is modeled after Roland's Jupiter-8 flagship synthesizer.

So far I've played it using the presets and can only say that they sound great! For a while I had contemplated buying one of the reface series by Yamaha, in particular the CS analog synthesizer. But then I stumbled over the Boutique line, and there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to buy one.

I have always dreamed of owning and playing a Jupiter 8 -- now garnering collector's prices on eBay that exceed even those charged for brand new boards back in the day. Nonetheless, it was a conscious decision to skip the JP-08 and go after the simpler JU-06 module. What puts the Juno closer to my heart is the fact, that as a teenager I actually played it for hours on end in the basement of music stores where the keyboard section was invariably located. While I may have seen a real Jupiter 8 once or twice in a store, I never played it because the expensive stuff was usually turned off and I didn't dare turning it on -- or asking a clerk to do it for me. Alongside the Korg Polysix, the Juno range of synthesizers was among the boards that I considered buying before the Yamaha DX7 came along.

I still own the Yamaha DX7, and therefore I think I can appreciate somewhat authoritatively the advantages of the hands-on experience offered by true analog synthesizers. If you can't twiddle the sliders and knobs to find that sweet spot in the soundscape, what's the point? I think (and find my mild prejudice supported by watching several YouTube review videos) that the sliders on the JP-08 are just a bit too tiny, at least for me -- and for now. If you disagree and aim for the JP-08, by all means go for it! I just got a tax rebate and might buy one myself. But for now I want to slide sliders, push buttons and wrest the heck out of my first half-real analog polyphonic synthesizer that I ever owned. I may even make a short YouTube video myself to showcase the little beast!

I'm sure you want one, too. You know you do.

New Age Tune

When I sit down to tickle the ivories, so to speak, of my Yamaha MOX synthesizer I usually call up a piano voice in order to exercise my clumsy fingers and get into the proper mood. The other day, I played a few chords using the Ballad Key piano layer voice and found a chord sequence that had a sweet kind of New Age ring to it. I recorded it and added a step-recorded arpeggio using the Airy Nylon voice. It sounded really pretty. I was onto something. I recorded a simple drum pattern on top of all, and found a gentle lead synth voice (Soft RnB) to play a melody alongside it. It's a bit dull but fits the mood perfectly. Later, I added a Kitaro-ish bridge melody using a Bouzuki voice to lead to the finale of the tune. After I had assembled the instrumentation and recorded all the noises, I built the actual song using the MOX's pattern chain function. In essence, I run section A endlessly and then simply mute and unmute the various voice tracks whenever I think it's appropriate. Easy.

While listening to the finished piece for the first time, images appeared in my imagination, and I hadn't even had a single drink. The pictures that matched those in my head most closely were some that I had seen on the photo-blog by Hanspeter "Happy-Hapsi" Schär. He's a hobby/freelance photographer with professional equipment and stellar talent. He took a series of images of the young Emme river in the Emmen valley, the latter better known by its German name of cheesy fame Emmental. They were perfect to carry the mood of the song, so I had to have them for the music video. After I'd asked for – and obtained – permission to use a few of them in a video, I ...  well ... used a few of them in a video. What did you expect? The result can be watched below.

It is a bit faster than the usual New Age tunes that people listen to in order to reach higher levels of spirituality, and the drum pattern doesn't help either. But it's a rather quiet piece nonetheless. And the stunning pictures in the video should provide ample justification for anyone to suffer through the song.

Two New Instrumental Compositions

I have just uploaded two new instrumental compositions on the YoshiMusix YouTube channel. They are both "old" pieces that I carried around in my head for a very long time and needed to get out. Both tunes are sort of movie sound tracks without the movie (it only plays in your head).

The Chase

The Chase is based on a motif that I had carried in my head for at least 20 years. It is a bit like the notes that accompanies a character in a movie: soft when the mood is somber, fast and hard when he's in distress, for example racing towards his destiny. The Chase is in the second category.

The drum pattern drives the pace: There's no messing about, you need to run! A synthesizer bass line supports the pace and the mood of the song. The motif is carried in the chorus of the tune in tree stages by two trumpet ensembles playing an octave apart: At first it is announced, second it is questioned (or is it?), and finally it is delivered. In between the choruses a distorted guitar improvises a moody if not imploring solo that gets harder each round.

I'm quite happy with the result, both with respect of my performance and how it matches up with the tune in my head. I can let it go now.

Por qué no te callas

It is one of those tunes that occasionally spring up in my mind for no reason whatsoever. When I hear it (in real or previously in my head) I imagine someone riding a motorcycle through the Spanish countryside -- sun in the sky, wind in his hair (no helmet, obviously), no deadlines looming....

The tune starts with an acoustic guitar playing a sweet little melody, accompanied by an electric piano. The melody is then carried over by a trombone (trumpet, actually), and then finally resumed by the guitar. In an earlier incarnation, the percussion was lighter, but I think the more modern, heavier and faster drum pattern goes very well with the tune.

This piece got its name ("why don't you shut up?" in Spanish) at the very last minute, when I remembered the incident during the 2007 Ibero-American Summit in Santiago, when King Juan Carlos I of Spain had to silence Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez because he kept interrupting Prime Minister of Spain José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero's speech. The tune is a happy little composition that has absolutely nothing to do with the Chávez-incident, perhaps apart from its title suggesting a response, should anyone interfere with your listening to it.