The Roland Juno-60 Synthesizer from the year 1982 is one of my Top5 synths ever. Here can you find the full Juno-60 playlist with single sound demos and one synth demo tracks. Enjoy. The Juno-60 playlist ----> th-cam.com/play/PLe08Lbpy8pPb6Q9YN5hah5QwEaUs9YaZp.html
I was 16 in 1982 and that Christmas I found a PolySix under the tree! Such a solid build and smooth sound. My parents, who knew nothing about synthesizers, inquired about the PolySix, Roland Juno-60 and the Sequential Circuits Prophet 5. The Prophet, at $5k, was right out and the salesman touted the Korg as the more affordable and yet versatile instrument. Sadly, and stupidly, I sold it around 1991 for $800. I really wish I hadn't done that...
If you sold it in 1991 for $800, inflation suggests that, in today's money, that would be $1485. The polysix now goes for appx $1,100 - $1,500, according to Reverb.com. This means that you actually made about as much as the higher end of its worth - don't be too sad.
Haha I thought getting a $300 Nintendo was the absolute paramount for a kid to get under the tree. My parents leaned on that "I don't know anyone who gets an expensive playstation for Nintendo" anytime they could. To think there were parents in the 80s dropping thousands on synths they knew nothing about solely because they believed in their kids.
***** Same category... Juno sounds polite and kind and the poly six sounds more edgy... leaving behind that they both share the same kind of architecture and both sounds smooth and warm... and cozy... it's like comparing twins... hehehe Juno Chorus sounds more transparent and Poly's chorus sounds more dirtier and wetter and tames a little bit of the high end... those little beautiful details keyboard players like to geek about... ;)
I own a Polysix and always wanted this comparisson! Based on your review the Polysix sounds a bit more "unstable" wich is part of its character that I love. Both great synths though! Great work! This is the best synth review channel! :)
I agree, having had them both. Polysix is a 10 to Juno's 7. I actually prefer the slight tonal difference on the Juno 106 vs the 60 (I found the 60 a bit too static/samey but the 106 is a bit more pliable). The 60 does have much nicer envs though but for pads and leads/fx the 106 is better imo. Polysix is better than both but it won't quite do that roland sweet pad (but it does everything else inc PWM much better)
The Korg VCO's + PWM and Sub ocs sound absolutely insane .. man ..deep. The Juno 60 sounds more stable i guess and the Korg rougher, little deeper while the 60 sounds more 'transparant' The FX section on the Poly 6 is totally awesome. Both synths have their own character and i love them both in the end.
Amazing video, thanks so much. Owned a 106 and 60 but never a poly. This made me put the poly at the top of my shopping list. So warm and fuzzy, really alive. I never really got on with the 60.
I used to play with a Polysix back in the day. I love the sound, but I am reassured by the stability of Roland's DCOs, especially when the filter sweep doesn't seem to change the fundamental pitch.
Thank you for that awesome channel, you can be proud you transmitted your passion and synth-fever to a lot of people like me ! You help me recognizing the different classic synth, and it's important in that DAW-era
The Polysix sounds so good! The chorus effect on the Juno is unbelievable though. If I had to choose only one I'd buy the Polysix. But we all know we need both :D Thanks for this video
I've had both (inc Juno 6, 60, 106 x 3 and even the alpha junos) had 2-3 polysix and still got a Polysix, to me it's easily the better synth in hardware. Juno (fast juno 60 envs aside) is not as worthy of owning in old hardware compared to Polysix which actually SOUNDS vintage and is very organic. Love the polysix filter and discreet VCOs too. Got bored with Juno everytime. For you of course you can own them all and keep them as you run a channel, but for many we need space/cash too so when making those kinds of choices I've many times chosen polysix over juno. Even though its tempting to keep juno as they sound so sweet, the polysix just kills it in the end and feels much more varied in scope of sounds and textures over many songs vs the juno which does basically 4-5 sounds (and variations on them) well but also very bland vs Polysix/VCO or 2 Osc VCO/DCO synths.
@@kevinschoenbohm1611 Was going to say - 3 years ago, they were probably on par with each other, but for some reason, the Juno just jumped way up to the point of not even being obtainable for many (at $3000). To me, that's way too much and I'm sure 5 years from now someone will come around and say, "Yeah, but now they're worth $5000."
When I was in a rock band in the 80s, my friend had the Poly6 and I had the Juno 60. It kills me to say that even back then, I remembered feeling like the Poly6 had deeper richer tones - bit of a bummer given I wanted so much for the Juno60 to shine.
It does, I've let numerous junos go over the years but always kept a Polysix. It's not only better than juno but better than many upper-class synths even with its basic 1 osc engine. Discreet VCOs + SSM filter = WIN!
Got to use both on a session yesterday. They sounded very different. I think I liked the filter on the Polysix better but would probably find the Juno to be more versatile in the long run because it can have multiple waveforms simultaneously from its single oscillator, plus it has noise (which I couldn’t seem to find on the korg🤔)
Thanks, great demo. They're very similar sounding and both sound great, but I'd vote for the Roland, hands down. A cleaner, deeper, more professional sound. Some others below disagree though, so I guess it's a personal choice.
Owned both. Always grabbed the Polysix for gigs. I LOVED the way it sounded straight into an amp. I liked the way the 60 looked better, but you could have a cookout over the power supply. My JP-6 ran just as hot. I am all software now. I hate these videos because they show me just how much better the real ones sound. No. The software Poly doesn't even come close. Now the Juno softies get pretty close...Tyrell or Poly 2106 and the TAL ones anywho...
The software is SO much more convenient than hardware to sequence. But what sounds good is what really matters. I hate trying to ram samples into things. This is of course, why Deadmau5 is a sequencing master.
Deadmau5 mostly records and performs wiht analog hardware synths, from what I understand. For him to do this, however, he has to be able to run midi patterns OUT of the DAW, into the analog synth (and the older ones do NOT have midi ports, just cv plugs) and then back into that DAW or a mixer of some type. I don't know how he does it, I just know that's what he has to do. You'll have to research elsewhere to find out how he does it.
foto21com Ah, I see what you mean. CV can in itself be used for a lot, when one's creative. Judging from various deadmau5 studio-videos, it seems he's mostly using his huge analog modular synthesizer... wall :D I'm sure that one has midi built-in:) Personally, I don't miss outboard gear. Have worked with it quite a lot, back in the late 90s and early 00s. Biggest problem was that not all sounds could be saved and recalled easily, so we always had our studio turned on, 24/7, working on one track at a time. Today: I just load up Bitwig Studio and off I go :) I think there are lots of excellent sounding VSTs available. The "Legend" MiniMoog emulation is VERY close to the real thing. And in a mix, no one can hear a difference. That said, I do miss a hardware synth or two, with lots of knobs to tweak, live, recording it back into Bitwig. Preferably a synth that drifts like mad. Just haven't found "the one" I want, yet.
Superb Analog Sounds & Atmosphere... Hat Off & Thanks For This Great Demo Featuring 2 Analog Beauties With 2 Different Personalities... Love Them Both... Keep Creating & Sharing These Delights !; -))
@@retrosound72 I have been binge watching. I use it as study music for my college coursework. You make some fun content. Just curious- do you own all of them? Those synth rooms blow my mind. I love what you do with them so it’s quite enjoyable.
Seems like it would be easier to replicate the Juno in digital as a vst, while the Korg has that muscle car sound that is so alive a static digital reproduction would evaporate in its presence.
I was thinking EXACTLY the same thing. I write digital synth software and my synth can do the random detunings etc. and yet is still missing some kind of "wet" quality the PolySix has. My software sounds pretty much like the Juno-60 and there's nothing special in my software that would make it so--just straightforward "by the book" oscillators and filters. I'd rather use software than the Juno-60. I could see actually getting a PolySix to do things I can't do with software.
@@lqr824 I know what you mean. But in the end, its just great that we have so many synths potentially at our disposal. Amazing time to be making music.
Great comparison... The Juno sounds a little bit more polite to me compared to the Korg, but the filter of the Juno is... wow! Both are great Synths... Difficult to say which one I would choose...
I've had both (in fact I've had many of each) and I ended up only keeping the Polysix. I really like the Junos though but when I had to streamline it was no contest. Juno is a lovely synth but it's more limited and 'samey' vs the Raw Polysix which sounds like a real vintage analog.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Polysix absolutely kills it. Those epic strings... I love it. Nothing comes close. I'm very blessed to own both a Polysix and Juno-6.
The Korg Polysix Synthesizer from the year 1982 is a great polyphonic analog synth. For the most people the rival of the Roland Juno-60 but the sound character is very different. The P-6 sounds more like the 70s. Here can you find the full Polysix playlist with single sound demos and one synth demo tracks. Enjoy. The Polysix playlist ----> th-cam.com/play/PLe08Lbpy8pPYxsuC2F38Gx2zkhCx4TmKX.html
I had both at the same time.. I remember that the Polysix sounded "warmer", the Juno60 more sterile.. I hear this here too.. I also had another Polysix in the past, it was interestingly different from the later polysix, it sounded better for some reason, a series made for Norwegian import volt. The person I sold it to created a midi for it and called me several times to tell me what great patches I edited into it...
For me, the Roland sounds like a classier, more refined instrument - but I prefer the Korg because it sounds more like the synth pop era (which IMO ended around the mid-eighties when everyone and their dog started using them as a matter of course, and they thus became a little less special).
Lol. I forgot that i used to watch this video after work (nightshift) in the sofa with some great whiskey and a bag of chips. Then it gotten light outside and eventually i made it to bed 😂 Good times. Got both synths now. Juno was my latest score
I've owned both and agree. Juno 60/106 do sound great BTW but next to a Polysix you can really tell which is the discreet VCO through SSM vs the very constrained 'rigid' and more static (but sweet sounding) Juno. Had all the Junos, they are gone but Polysix remains. It's way more flexible too (juno sounds tend to make the same few sounds over and over again while Polysix has a much better range from FX to unison basses)
I much prefer the Polysix. I'm not saying that the Juno sounds bad but it's just not my thing and yes I have owned both. The other thing that helps put the Polysix above the Juno is its chord memory mode which you can use to essentially turn the Polysix into up to a six oscillator monosynth allowing it to well and truly get into Korg Monopoly territory.
I loved my Juno-6 back in the day, but couldn't really get into the Polysix. The Juno was more inviting to program, probably because of sliders instead of knobs, and the chorus turned anything put through it into that warm, silky Roland sound many people (including me) seem to find appealing. Except the white noise, it turned that into jet engines ;-) The Polysix's ensemble isn't even in the same ballpark, and I prefered it off - except that left me with a raw sound I found very unappealing at the time. But listening to both now, what sounded cold to me back then now sounds great. The Polysix doesn't need a great chorus to give up its best sounds, which are in the lower and mid end. For higher up chorussed pads and strings, the Juno wins hans-down. To offset its mushy ensemble, the Polysix has a great phaser, giving a class of sounds the Juno can't do without help. At the end of the day, I'd have them both back: the Juno for strings and filler pads, the Polysix for phased sounds, bass and a certain coldness that I now find very appealing.
I had a Juno 60 in the 80's, it was amazing, however I wonder why I haven't heard more about the Polysix especially since it seems to be more of an Analog instrument.
This is a tough call. I have a Juno 60 (best of all the Junos in my opinion) and I've been thinking about a Polysix. I definitely hear more liveliness in the Korg. It's also a bit dirtier, more aggressive sound. At the same time, one thing about the Juno 60 is that you can put it in any mix, and it just fits. I'm thinking the Korg's VCOs vs the Juno's DCOs lends to the Korgs more "unstable" character, and the filters obviously have their own character as well. Guess you just have to have both!
The Polysix was made in 1981 (not '82). Personally I prefer the Juno 60; the fact that you can select more waveforms at the same time gives you more flexibility in the creations of sounds.
In 1982, I had about $1400 ready to drop on my first real programmable poly synth. I had already borrowed/used my friend's juno-6. I knew it's sound. I decided to test out the poly6. I went to the kb demo room and played the opening of "watcher of the skies" on the poly6. Done. Take my money. Wrap it up. No comparison.
I had a Juno 60 that I sold to buy a bass rig I needed for a band that ended up breaking up a year later. I regret that decision to this day. P.S. This room looks exactly like my ideal in-home studio should I ever win the lottery.
Nice comparison! The Juno 60 wins for me, but I'm biased ;) The Polysix is also very nice sounding. The ensemble effect gives it a nice swirly sound, which is great for strings sounds. But it's also a little "woolly" sounding. The Juno sounds much sharper and "to the point". In comparison to the Polysix it excelled on the arpeggios. The snappy envelopes on the Juno are much better for those kind of sound than the somewhat slow sounding envelope from the Polysix. But in general they are both great, and have their own strengths.
Same here and I've had them both (multiple times). Had all the junos and I do like them, Juno 60's punch arp'd bass is great, 106's soft pads are lovely, but overall the Polysix just feels like more synth and has more power, life and excitement to it. Juno sounds very static by comparison. Also both without effects/chorus etc = the Polysix wins on almost everything.
+RetroSound Yes, KORG is like an old string machine you said it right! For me Roland Juno is THE synth. I had both synths . The KORG was something to ignore, and the Juno was something to remember. I never felt inspired by the a polysix. Never! I tried. It didn't work on me. :) But the Juno was an instant wow and respect from me when I first tried it. Actualy I started a song quickly that turned out to be something great, it's titled: "When I Was Only Five" - the band was named: "The Casio Samles" ... so in that song the Juno's arpeggio was the inspiration for a very simple but great line of notes. (yeah tht was one of my bands.... years ago...)
Polysix does way more than 'old string machine' - for a start you turn the ensemble FX off. Juno is super popular and I like and have had both but the Polysix is very under-rated because few people have actually had one and programmed it (in modern times)
Both sounds very similar. Juno-60 is also a good sound. I own Polysix and am always impressed by this sound. And even though it's analog, the pitch is great, and even if it breaks down, Korg will still repair it. By the way, the pitch of MKS-80 is terrible...
@@teflondaprince Three years ago, I had a technician involved in the production of the P6 completely repair it. If he still works there, I think he will repair it. Please contact Korg in Japan.
Based on this video I prefer the filter of the Polysix but I prefer the kicking arp, richer sounds and the overall package (interface, keyboard, outputs, etc.) of the Juno-60.
If I didn’t inherently know that the Juno’s oscillators were different from those in the Poly, I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. Is it the camera angle, or does the Juno look 1 1/2 times bigger?
+RetroSound Why would that cause pitch drift though? It does seem to go out of tune, even my tin ear noticed. Cool comparison though. I have the Juno, and borrowed a P6 back in the 80s once. I thought it very dark and thick which I liked at the time. While the Juno is clearer and cleaner (and often thinner) I do like it too. There's room for both, they don't duplicate each other very much.
The pitch is routed to the LFO. You can see the LED indicator slowly light up as the pitch goes up, and go dark when the pitch goes down. Great video! :)
I've had juno 60, 106, polysix (and plenty others) and the only one I ultimately kept/loved was the polysix. And I actually prefered the tone/range of the 106 to the 60 so don't go for the 60 based on hype, it sounds a bit too juno if you get me? very very samey and static. 106 can sound gorgeous it just doesn't punch as fast on the envs (but is a bit more bassy in tone). Polysix is different, it wont be the same 'sweet' syrupy roland pads but it does far more that sounds like real analog, proper vintage analog and has a much higher range of sounds.
Such a shame the poly6 doesn't have a sustain pedal :( should be mandatory for any poly synths imo, really. I always wanted to get one but that one particular feature (or lack of) held me back every time...
Julien Chiasson the midi- and feature-kit for the P6 from tubutec adds a bunch of ”should hade been included”-features, Including a sustain pedal input. It’s very worth checking out.
The KORG is more versatile by far with its multiple effects, chord and unison modes - that right there, the ability to do unison bass/leads is a massive advantage!
I think Korg sounds more alive but lacks in stability (i hear some up and down the pitch). Anyway, both synths sounds really nice. But my choice is P6 of course! =)
The Roland Juno-60 Synthesizer from the year 1982 is one of my Top5 synths ever. Here can you find the full Juno-60 playlist with single sound demos and one synth demo tracks. Enjoy.
The Juno-60 playlist ---->
th-cam.com/play/PLe08Lbpy8pPb6Q9YN5hah5QwEaUs9YaZp.html
Gawwd when that sub-osc hits, it's *chef's kiss*
I was 16 in 1982 and that Christmas I found a PolySix under the tree! Such a solid build and smooth sound. My parents, who knew nothing about synthesizers, inquired about the PolySix, Roland Juno-60 and the Sequential Circuits Prophet 5. The Prophet, at $5k, was right out and the salesman touted the Korg as the more affordable and yet versatile instrument. Sadly, and stupidly, I sold it around 1991 for $800. I really wish I hadn't done that...
We have all done it mate i could scream about all the classic synths I've sold. i'm crying now boo hoo.
To have sold it then for 800 was actually a pretty high price
If you sold it in 1991 for $800, inflation suggests that, in today's money, that would be $1485. The polysix now goes for appx $1,100 - $1,500, according to Reverb.com. This means that you actually made about as much as the higher end of its worth - don't be too sad.
Cheer up! Everyone sold their cool analogue synths in the 90's. I had a MonoPoly and a PolyMoog 😬
Haha I thought getting a $300 Nintendo was the absolute paramount for a kid to get under the tree. My parents leaned on that "I don't know anyone who gets an expensive playstation for Nintendo" anytime they could. To think there were parents in the 80s dropping thousands on synths they knew nothing about solely because they believed in their kids.
Both sound lovely in their own way. Legends!
+synth4ever :)
Juno - Polite
Polysix - Rough
Both sounds awesome.
!!!
***** Same category... Juno sounds polite and kind and the poly six sounds more edgy... leaving behind that they both share the same kind of architecture and both sounds smooth and warm... and cozy... it's like comparing twins... hehehe Juno Chorus sounds more transparent and Poly's chorus sounds more dirtier and wetter and tames a little bit of the high end... those little beautiful details keyboard players like to geek about... ;)
I own both of them. The Juno is my favorite, although the Polysix sounds indeed a bit 'dirtier'/rough.
I own a Polysix and always wanted this comparisson! Based on your review the Polysix sounds a bit more "unstable" wich is part of its character that I love. Both great synths though!
Great work! This is the best synth review channel! :)
+CARLOS FERNANDEZ
thanks a lot for the feedback :)
Carlos, I think that unit could use a calibration.
i have a Juno 6 and now i want a Polysix for the instability 😂😂😂
Not even close, PolySix's rawness of its oscillators and beautiful, yet dark, filter, win out right.
very different sound. yes
You've successfully rekindled my old love for the PolySix, and further reminded me why I love that board more than any of the Juno's!
good! I love the P-6 too. ;)
I agree, having had them both. Polysix is a 10 to Juno's 7. I actually prefer the slight tonal difference on the Juno 106 vs the 60 (I found the 60 a bit too static/samey but the 106 is a bit more pliable). The 60 does have much nicer envs though but for pads and leads/fx the 106 is better imo. Polysix is better than both but it won't quite do that roland sweet pad (but it does everything else inc PWM much better)
The Korg VCO's + PWM and Sub ocs sound absolutely insane .. man ..deep. The Juno 60 sounds more stable i guess and the Korg rougher, little deeper while the 60 sounds more 'transparant'
The FX section on the Poly 6 is totally awesome. Both synths have their own character and i love them both in the end.
Yeah, but if you had to choose, you'd choose the Poly 6, don't lie!
Wonderful comparison, thanks!!!! In the "Arp with Filter" section starting around 3:50, anyone besides me picking up a pitch drift on the Korg?
yep its all over the shop
Definitely!!
Wow... I had a PolySix and had no idea how much it blew the Juno's filter out of the water... Rich and harmonic vs nasty and screechy...
I really love that Korg sound
+OscillatorCollective :)
Thanks for this one, always exciting to see a new video from Retrosound!!!
thanks a lot Matt! :)
Amazing video, thanks so much. Owned a 106 and 60 but never a poly. This made me put the poly at the top of my shopping list. So warm and fuzzy, really alive. I never really got on with the 60.
thank you for watching :)
Wow. they could lock me up in your studio, and throw away the key. I'd be happy as Larry.Wonderful, nothing beats vintage synths. well done.
thanks a lot :)
Korg
Mono/Poly: 4x SSM2033 VCO, 1x SSM2044 VCF
Polysix: 6x SSM2056 EG, 6x SSM2044 VCF
Poly-61: 6x SSM2056 EG
Very informative videos you've produced. Been watching/listening to more than a few, and they are much appreciated. Thanks! :0)
thank you for the feedback Glenn :)
My pleasure. Oh ya... I've subscribed (of course!) :0)
No one mentions the Juno’s wonderful envelopes. Much more snappy than the Polysix. I love both of them but prefer the Juno for this reason
I used to play with a Polysix back in the day. I love the sound, but I am reassured by the stability of Roland's DCOs, especially when the filter sweep doesn't seem to change the fundamental pitch.
Thank you for that awesome channel, you can be proud you transmitted your passion and synth-fever to a lot of people like me ! You help me recognizing the different classic synth, and it's important in that DAW-era
+M-SALAMI yes this is the message.
Thank you for the feedback! :)
The Polysix sounds so good! The chorus effect on the Juno is unbelievable though. If I had to choose only one I'd buy the Polysix. But we all know we need both :D Thanks for this video
Thank you for watching
Sweet sounds! Both are powerful synths!
+MrFricoco :)
If you want to experience the difference between VCOs and DCOs, listen to 0:44!
Both sounds musical and amazing!
I wanted to sell my polysix to buy a juno and this video made me change my mind
very different sound. you must have both. sorry ;)
I've had both (inc Juno 6, 60, 106 x 3 and even the alpha junos) had 2-3 polysix and still got a Polysix, to me it's easily the better synth in hardware. Juno (fast juno 60 envs aside) is not as worthy of owning in old hardware compared to Polysix which actually SOUNDS vintage and is very organic. Love the polysix filter and discreet VCOs too. Got bored with Juno everytime. For you of course you can own them all and keep them as you run a channel, but for many we need space/cash too so when making those kinds of choices I've many times chosen polysix over juno. Even though its tempting to keep juno as they sound so sweet, the polysix just kills it in the end and feels much more varied in scope of sounds and textures over many songs vs the juno which does basically 4-5 sounds (and variations on them) well but also very bland vs Polysix/VCO or 2 Osc VCO/DCO synths.
I just got my polysix serviced and listened to the tech's juno 60 and decided I also need both.
@@quarkyzarky "kills it" lol.
@@kevinschoenbohm1611 Was going to say - 3 years ago, they were probably on par with each other, but for some reason, the Juno just jumped way up to the point of not even being obtainable for many (at $3000). To me, that's way too much and I'm sure 5 years from now someone will come around and say, "Yeah, but now they're worth $5000."
Awesome! My two favourite synths
+Luis Maior thanks :)
Thanks for doing this comparison
:)
When I was in a rock band in the 80s, my friend had the Poly6 and I had the Juno 60. It kills me to say that even back then, I remembered feeling like the Poly6 had deeper richer tones - bit of a bummer given I wanted so much for the Juno60 to shine.
It does, I've let numerous junos go over the years but always kept a Polysix. It's not only better than juno but better than many upper-class synths even with its basic 1 osc engine. Discreet VCOs + SSM filter = WIN!
Got to use both on a session yesterday. They sounded very different. I think I liked the filter on the Polysix better but would probably find the Juno to be more versatile in the long run because it can have multiple waveforms simultaneously from its single oscillator, plus it has noise (which I couldn’t seem to find on the korg🤔)
yes no noise generator on P6 one thing the Juno has that the P6 does not
Thanks, great demo. They're very similar sounding and both sound great, but I'd vote for the Roland, hands down. A cleaner, deeper, more professional sound. Some others below disagree though, so I guess it's a personal choice.
By the way, if you like the Polysix, Korg has released great softsynth versions for PC and iPad. Definitely worth picking up.
I do love the roughness of the Polysix. I'd take either :)
Owned both. Always grabbed the Polysix for gigs. I LOVED the way it sounded straight into an amp. I liked the way the 60 looked better, but you could have a cookout over the power supply. My JP-6 ran just as hot. I am all software now. I hate these videos because they show me just how much better the real ones sound. No. The software Poly doesn't even come close. Now the Juno softies get pretty close...Tyrell or Poly 2106 and the TAL ones anywho...
The software is SO much more convenient than hardware to sequence. But what sounds good is what really matters. I hate trying to ram samples into things. This is of course, why Deadmau5 is a sequencing master.
foto21com Can you elaborate on your deadmau5 comment? Curious to know more.
Deadmau5 mostly records and performs wiht analog hardware synths, from what I understand. For him to do this, however, he has to be able to run midi patterns OUT of the DAW, into the analog synth (and the older ones do NOT have midi ports, just cv plugs) and then back into that DAW or a mixer of some type. I don't know how he does it, I just know that's what he has to do. You'll have to research elsewhere to find out how he does it.
foto21com Ah, I see what you mean. CV can in itself be used for a lot, when one's creative.
Judging from various deadmau5 studio-videos, it seems he's mostly using his huge analog modular synthesizer... wall :D I'm sure that one has midi built-in:)
Personally, I don't miss outboard gear. Have worked with it quite a lot, back in the late 90s and early 00s. Biggest problem was that not all sounds could be saved and recalled easily, so we always had our studio turned on, 24/7, working on one track at a time.
Today: I just load up Bitwig Studio and off I go :) I think there are lots of excellent sounding VSTs available. The "Legend" MiniMoog emulation is VERY close to the real thing. And in a mix, no one can hear a difference.
That said, I do miss a hardware synth or two, with lots of knobs to tweak, live, recording it back into Bitwig. Preferably a synth that drifts like mad. Just haven't found "the one" I want, yet.
Tazmanian Ninja the Volca Keys is limited but very underrated. It is is super crusty and analog. It's a sleeper gem.
They work great together... nothing is better....
I am a fan of the Juno-6/60, so I can't be objective ;) But Poly-6 is an excellent synth too ...
Superb Analog Sounds & Atmosphere...
Hat Off & Thanks For This Great Demo Featuring 2 Analog Beauties With 2 Different Personalities... Love Them Both...
Keep Creating & Sharing These Delights !; -))
+synths colors thank you so much.
have a nice weekend :)
My Pleasure !
Excellent Weekend To You Too ! ;-))
Had a polysix never got to program it. But i do miss this bit of kit
fantastic synth
Different flavors that both sound good to me. Cool comparison.
Thanks for watching!
@@retrosound72 I have been binge watching. I use it as study music for my college coursework. You make some fun content. Just curious- do you own all of them? Those synth rooms blow my mind. I love what you do with them so it’s quite enjoyable.
Seems like it would be easier to replicate the Juno in digital as a vst, while the Korg has that muscle car sound that is so alive a static digital reproduction would evaporate in its presence.
I was thinking EXACTLY the same thing. I write digital synth software and my synth can do the random detunings etc. and yet is still missing some kind of "wet" quality the PolySix has. My software sounds pretty much like the Juno-60 and there's nothing special in my software that would make it so--just straightforward "by the book" oscillators and filters. I'd rather use software than the Juno-60. I could see actually getting a PolySix to do things I can't do with software.
@@lqr824 I know what you mean. But in the end, its just great that we have so many synths potentially at our disposal. Amazing time to be making music.
Great comparison... The Juno sounds a little bit more polite to me compared to the Korg, but the filter of the Juno is... wow! Both are great Synths... Difficult to say which one I would choose...
+Roman Sidler thank you
I've had both (in fact I've had many of each) and I ended up only keeping the Polysix. I really like the Junos though but when I had to streamline it was no contest. Juno is a lovely synth but it's more limited and 'samey' vs the Raw Polysix which sounds like a real vintage analog.
The juno is definitely my type of vibe. The korg is good too tho
I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Polysix absolutely kills it. Those epic strings... I love it. Nothing comes close. I'm very blessed to own both a Polysix and Juno-6.
Glad you like them!
More agressive sort of sound more ballsy the Juno is more lush software sounds they are just good at different things
Just a note, the Juno 60 is in mono, and sounds considerably better in stereo....
i was thinking the same thing but apples to apples i guess
Korg Polysix of course ...
Love both, though the PolySix would be the one if I really had to make that 1 choice.
The Korg Polysix Synthesizer from the year 1982 is a great polyphonic analog synth. For the most people the rival of the Roland Juno-60 but the sound character is very different. The P-6 sounds more like the 70s. Here can you find the full Polysix playlist with single sound demos and one synth demo tracks. Enjoy.
The Polysix playlist ----> th-cam.com/play/PLe08Lbpy8pPYxsuC2F38Gx2zkhCx4TmKX.html
I had both at the same time.. I remember that the Polysix sounded "warmer", the Juno60 more sterile.. I hear this here too.. I also had another Polysix in the past, it was interestingly different from the later polysix, it sounded better for some reason, a series made for Norwegian import volt. The person I sold it to created a midi for it and called me several times to tell me what great patches I edited into it...
🎹🙌🎹
For me, the Roland sounds like a classier, more refined instrument - but I prefer the Korg because it sounds more like the synth pop era (which IMO ended around the mid-eighties when everyone and their dog started using them as a matter of course, and they thus became a little less special).
I love them both,they are super synthesizers!
:)
Lol. I forgot that i used to watch this video after work (nightshift) in the sofa with some great whiskey and a bag of chips. Then it gotten light outside and eventually i made it to bed 😂 Good times. Got both synths now. Juno was my latest score
I love synths!.
I owned both, even back in late eighties, the juno was worth more used. Juno hands down.
The Polysix sounds so much better. Really didn't expect there to be that much of a difference.
I've owned both and agree. Juno 60/106 do sound great BTW but next to a Polysix you can really tell which is the discreet VCO through SSM vs the very constrained 'rigid' and more static (but sweet sounding) Juno. Had all the Junos, they are gone but Polysix remains. It's way more flexible too (juno sounds tend to make the same few sounds over and over again while Polysix has a much better range from FX to unison basses)
+quarkyzarky Completly agree with your comment , i would go with an imperfect sounding synth with a vaster sound pallete.
Juno sounds better...
I much prefer the Polysix. I'm not saying that the Juno sounds bad but it's just not my thing and yes I have owned both. The other thing that helps put the Polysix above the Juno is its chord memory mode which you can use to essentially turn the Polysix into up to a six oscillator monosynth allowing it to well and truly get into Korg Monopoly territory.
I loved my Juno-6 back in the day, but couldn't really get into the Polysix. The Juno was more inviting to program, probably because of sliders instead of knobs, and the chorus turned anything put through it into that warm, silky Roland sound many people (including me) seem to find appealing. Except the white noise, it turned that into jet engines ;-)
The Polysix's ensemble isn't even in the same ballpark, and I prefered it off - except that left me with a raw sound I found very unappealing at the time. But listening to both now, what sounded cold to me back then now sounds great. The Polysix doesn't need a great chorus to give up its best sounds, which are in the lower and mid end. For higher up chorussed pads and strings, the Juno wins hans-down. To offset its mushy ensemble, the Polysix has a great phaser, giving a class of sounds the Juno can't do without help.
At the end of the day, I'd have them both back: the Juno for strings and filler pads, the Polysix for phased sounds, bass and a certain coldness that I now find very appealing.
I had a Juno 60 in the 80's, it was amazing, however I wonder why I haven't heard more about the Polysix especially since it seems to be more of an Analog instrument.
+Bob I. Gomez the P-6 was ever in shadow of the Juno.
the Juno is all analog...even the DCO is a digitally controlled analog oscillator
this is a great way to test vco vs dco I'm a juno fan but it sounds like we got are ass kicked in this video!!! either way both are great synths!
nice stuff
thanks
epic! 😎....subbed! (Juno-6 and Korg Prophecy owner 🤗)
thank you
Both are great synths. I think there is no winner. You should have them both. :-)
yes! :)
This is a tough call. I have a Juno 60 (best of all the Junos in my opinion) and I've been thinking about a Polysix. I definitely hear more liveliness in the Korg. It's also a bit dirtier, more aggressive sound. At the same time, one thing about the Juno 60 is that you can put it in any mix, and it just fits. I'm thinking the Korg's VCOs vs the Juno's DCOs lends to the Korgs more "unstable" character, and the filters obviously have their own character as well. Guess you just have to have both!
you must buy both! sorry. :D
I believe you are correct! By the way, I've watched your videos for years and years - always been a fan!
cool! thank you for the feedback. :))))
The Polysix was made in 1981 (not '82). Personally I prefer the Juno 60; the fact that you can select more waveforms at the same time gives you more flexibility in the creations of sounds.
In 1982, I had about $1400 ready to drop on my first real programmable poly synth. I had already borrowed/used my friend's juno-6. I knew it's sound. I decided to test out the poly6. I went to the kb demo room and played the opening of "watcher of the skies" on the poly6. Done. Take my money. Wrap it up. No comparison.
🙌
I had a Juno 60 that I sold to buy a bass rig I needed for a band that ended up breaking up a year later. I regret that decision to this day.
P.S. This room looks exactly like my ideal in-home studio should I ever win the lottery.
haha :)
Just scored a Polysix for $700! I checked it and it has no battery corrosion... Feeling soooo lucky rn.
:)
Nice comparison! The Juno 60 wins for me, but I'm biased ;) The Polysix is also very nice sounding. The ensemble effect gives it a nice swirly sound, which is great for strings sounds. But it's also a little "woolly" sounding. The Juno sounds much sharper and "to the point". In comparison to the Polysix it excelled on the arpeggios. The snappy envelopes on the Juno are much better for those kind of sound than the somewhat slow sounding envelope from the Polysix. But in general they are both great, and have their own strengths.
+MacXpert74 yes the P-6 with ensemble fx sounds a bit like a 70s stringmachine. the Juno is more raw.
I like both.
thanks for watching. :)
Both sound amazing but I prefer the fastest envelopes of the Juno.
Fair enough!
Both great, I like how dirty the Polysix sounds!
Except the Juno takes the cake on the 'lead' sound
+d85 agree with you
in my humble and very personal opinion this progression sounded best on the obxa! ^_^
I had both but sold them, damn....
PolySix hands down winner for me.
Yes!
Same here and I've had them both (multiple times). Had all the junos and I do like them, Juno 60's punch arp'd bass is great, 106's soft pads are lovely, but overall the Polysix just feels like more synth and has more power, life and excitement to it. Juno sounds very static by comparison. Also both without effects/chorus etc = the Polysix wins on almost everything.
I like strings so it has to be juno
A nice pair. Loving the korg especially.
+Howard Forton :) The Korg sound is a bit like a old stringmachine.
+RetroSound Yes, KORG is like an old string machine you said it right! For me Roland Juno is THE synth. I had both synths . The KORG was something to ignore, and the Juno was something to remember. I never felt inspired by the a polysix. Never! I tried. It didn't work on me. :)
But the Juno was an instant wow and respect from me when I first tried it. Actualy I started a song quickly that turned out to be something great, it's titled: "When I Was Only Five" - the band was named: "The Casio Samles" ... so in that song the Juno's arpeggio was the inspiration for a very simple but great line of notes. (yeah tht was one of my bands.... years ago...)
Polysix does way more than 'old string machine' - for a start you turn the ensemble FX off. Juno is super popular and I like and have had both but the Polysix is very under-rated because few people have actually had one and programmed it (in modern times)
@@quarkyzarky great reply. The polysix is by far unmatched with its texture. Undeniable retro sound as soon as you turn it on
What's with the Added stuff on the 60??? Notice the four toggle switches on the far right
Hey ;-) ... am Filter wirds milder,aber nicht bei den beiden! Herrlich.Der PolySEX liegt bei mir aber vorn.Ich wünsche ein Wundervolles Wochenende!
+drecksheep Ja ordentlich Filterkaffee zum frühen Morgen. :) Dir auch ein schönes We!
Roland sounds friendlier and the Korg a bit horror show. Or maybe I was conditioned by watching too many John Carpenter movies in the 1980's.
:)
Summers Winterer I feel exactly the same, Korg = dark and I love it.
Carpenter did not use the polysix.
That Juno looks modded. Mine doesn’t have anything on the back panel right above the power cord. What is it?!? Tubbatec 66?
No. RetroSound mod.
thx!
+Lost on clouds :)
Bicep made a brilliant track called "opal" using the polysix
How do you know it was the polysix!!??
Ryan Bostock they mentioned it on instagram. Apparently they also routed the sound through an eurorack filter as well
Had both. Kept the Juno. But hearing the Korg again... :)
+nicolasdwa :)
Korg all day
Juno all night 😂
Both sounds very similar. Juno-60 is also a good sound.
I own Polysix and am always impressed by this sound. And even though it's analog, the pitch is great, and even if it breaks down, Korg will still repair it.
By the way, the pitch of MKS-80 is terrible...
Korg still does repairs on the P6??
@@teflondaprince Three years ago, I had a technician involved in the production of the P6 completely repair it.
If he still works there, I think he will repair it.
Please contact Korg in Japan.
I prefer the Juno 60
Any other suggestions for a NON midi NON saw synthesizer?
Based on this video I prefer the filter of the Polysix but I prefer the kicking arp, richer sounds and the overall package (interface, keyboard, outputs, etc.) of the Juno-60.
+kilésengati :)
If I didn’t inherently know that the Juno’s oscillators were different from those in the Poly, I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart.
Is it the camera angle, or does the Juno look 1 1/2 times bigger?
yes the cam angle
I can sort of tell the difference, but I would still be hard pressed to choose one over the other, no matter what's under the lid.
Why tune is drifting in Polysix when you play arpeggio? Filter?
+RetroSound Why would that cause pitch drift though? It does seem to go out of tune, even my tin ear noticed.
Cool comparison though. I have the Juno, and borrowed a P6 back in the 80s once. I thought it very dark and thick which I liked at the time. While the Juno is clearer and cleaner (and often thinner) I do like it too. There's room for both, they don't duplicate each other very much.
+Otto's Hobby Channel I heard that also. Lots of pitch drift during that section. It sounded like there was some slow LFO mod routed to pitch.
The pitch is routed to the LFO. You can see the LED indicator slowly light up as the pitch goes up, and go dark when the pitch goes down. Great video! :)
+Daniel Karlsson Good catch! Thanks.
Polysix!
Great comparison, i wonder how many synths you own :-)
+Roland Gerard only a few ;)
thank you :)
Thanks! I'm now choosing one of these but have Juno-106 and I want to buy Polysix but his 1 wave per OSC is ridiculous.
what do you mean ?
I've had juno 60, 106, polysix (and plenty others) and the only one I ultimately kept/loved was the polysix. And I actually prefered the tone/range of the 106 to the 60 so don't go for the 60 based on hype, it sounds a bit too juno if you get me? very very samey and static. 106 can sound gorgeous it just doesn't punch as fast on the envs (but is a bit more bassy in tone).
Polysix is different, it wont be the same 'sweet' syrupy roland pads but it does far more that sounds like real analog, proper vintage analog and has a much higher range of sounds.
Juno 106 is nothing compared to 60
Both magificent but different. Two wells of joy! :D
+PinkPonyOfPrey :)
Such a shame the poly6 doesn't have a sustain pedal :( should be mandatory for any poly synths imo, really. I always wanted to get one but that one particular feature (or lack of) held me back every time...
Julien Chiasson the midi- and feature-kit for the P6 from tubutec adds a bunch of ”should hade been included”-features, Including a sustain pedal input. It’s very worth checking out.
@@christofferainek yep thanks! Prob is a poly6 is already expensive as is ;)
In this case the winner is KORG Polysix - more fat, more alive. Some of the sounds from Roland Juno-60 are static, but not always.
Do u have the cheiron synthesizers too?
The KORG is more versatile by far with its multiple effects, chord and unison modes - that right there, the ability to do unison bass/leads is a massive advantage!
if you hold down the key transpose button before powering on and holding for 2 sec after the Juno 60 is in unison mode
Polysix wins it for me, just love the sound of it. I have a vst of it and use it all the time. Whats the synth on your left, above the source? Delta?
+Barry Taylor :)
on the right side above the Source is the ARP Quadra.
+RetroSound thanks
Hey Retro! Awesome vid, what stand are you using here??
thank you. simple twin stand .
First polysix sounds like overkill on the mushy ensemble tho
I think Korg sounds more alive but lacks in stability (i hear some up and down the pitch).
Anyway, both synths sounds really nice. But my choice is P6 of course! =)
Just needs calibration. Just had mine calibrated and this fixes this issue.
Of course it is!
The polysix has VCO while the Juno DCO.
The Juno 60 sounds better to me.
Get your ears checked ;)
I wold kill for either of these. But guys, let's be honest. All hail the Polysix. Do wish it had that Juno chorus though...
Your Polysix is so clean sounding...I've played many and they all were very noisy. Did you do anything to cancel out some of the noise?
+Jeff C no this is the direct sound
Actually it pains me to say this but the Korg sounds pretty darn good.
+mimoocho dom yes the P-6 sounds great.