Roland’s Juno-60 synth plugin brings back an ’80s classic

>Roland might not be too keen on releasing direct hardware reboots of their classic analogue synths, but they've certainly got no problem doing it in software. The latest back catalogue classic to get the plugin treatment is the Juno-60, and it’s available now via the Roland Cloud. Manufactured between 1982 and 1984, and one of the defining synths of that decade, the Juno-60 is a much-loved polysynth with a single DCO, sub-oscillator and VCF. There’s also that famous Juno chorus effect.

The emulation is powered by its ACB (Analog Circuit Behavior) modeling tech and promises to recreate the original synth’s “odd quirks and charming limitations”. There are new features, too; choose between the standard Juno60 filter or the Juno-106 high-pass filter circuit, say.

Other enhancements include an extended oscillator range and a second envelope. As on the original, you get two chorus modes plus a third ‘secret’ one, accessed by pressing both chorus select buttons at the same time. And there’s now an extra chorus option based on the sound of the BOSS CE-1 pedal. Reverb, delay, flanger and overdrive effects are here, too.

As well as operating as a VST/AU/AAX plugin on PC and Mac, the Juno-60 also supports Roland’s Plug-Out format, so you can use it in the company’s System-8 hardware synth. You can also use the System-8 or Roland Boutique JU-06/JU-06A to provide hardware control of the plugin.

The Juno-60 is part of the Roland Cloud Legendary series, available on the Ultimate subscription tier of the service. Roland account-holders can also purchase the plugin outright via the Lifetime Keys option for $149.