Best synth for special need: Juno Stage?

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go2ldook
Posts: 2
Joined: 16:06, 11 June 2011

Best synth for special need: Juno Stage?

Post by go2ldook »

Wondering if anyone can help me choose the best Roland synth for my purposes. I am thinking Juno Stage. Here is what it needs to accomplish:

I am a guitarist, and currently I use a Roland PKA5 bass pedals footpedal board to trigger samples that I have assigned to it. That way I can play some synth with my feet for our 3 piece band. The samples are loaded into drum pads in my FL Studio sequencer on my computer. I would like to get away from using the computer, and adopt the same technique with a synthesizer. I would prefer to stay below the $1500 range.

Some key needs:
1) ability to have lots of samples...a gig or more available is good. I think I can do this with a USB key, but wonder if there are load time issues. This will be used live
2) I need to be able to create lots of pads AND I need to easily be able to migrate from one pad to the other WITH MY FEET. If I recall my early experience, the PKA5 allowed me to do this, but it was clunky...a 2 step process. I hacked around this by noting that FL Studio would let me move up or down between channels using up/down arrows on a keyboard, so I hacked a keyboard and make up/down push buttons that I could put on the PKA5...simple up/down migration between pads. Looking at the Stage manual, looks like you can buy an up/down control pedal. Wondering whether an up/down function would exist that could be assigned to function buttons on the PKA5.
3) I would also need to be able to put the different pads in the order I want easily. If the only way to acces them is by alphabetical order, that would be very hard in a live situation. Currently I can change order of the channels/pads in my sequencer based on our setlist, and then easily move down the list. Can you specify whatever order you want on the Stage?

I have looked at the manual. As best I can tell, creating my own pads would mean overwriting or replacing existing pads or "Rhythm Sets" on the Juno Stage. In the appendix they list 32 User Groups and 32 Preset Groups, and 9 GM2 groups. The question would be, how many of my own rhythm sets can I create? Would it be limited to 32, 64, 73? Not clear to me from the manual. 32 would be OK for now, but I worry that would be limiting. Is there any way to expand what is currently capable?

Finally, I see Best Buy here in US has it for $799 online...cheaper that most places like Musician's Friend. Is there something wrong here? Is that some "prosumer" version that has a lesser feature set than what you get elsewhere that they have marketed to the Best Buy crowd?

Any help would be appreciated!!!
wladymeer
Posts: 49
Joined: 21:03, 23 July 2010
Location: Smederevo, Serbia

Re: Best synth for special need: Juno Stage?

Post by wladymeer »

1) ability to have lots of samples...a gig or more available is good. I think I can do this with a USB key, but wonder if there are load time issues. This will be used live
Not gonna happen - its USB is playback only. In other words - you can't assign mp3 files to 6 pads and then trigger them at your own will.
2) I need to be able to create lots of pads AND I need to easily be able to migrate from one pad to the other WITH MY FEET. If I recall my early experience, the PKA5 allowed me to do this, but it was clunky...a 2 step process. I hacked around this by noting that FL Studio would let me move up or down between channels using up/down arrows on a keyboard, so I hacked a keyboard and make up/down push buttons that I could put on the PKA5...simple up/down migration between pads. Looking at the Stage manual, looks like you can buy an up/down control pedal. Wondering whether an up/down function would exist that could be assigned to function buttons on the PKA5.


There is a footswitch. You could use either single pedal to move forward or backward (for example, Roland DP-2) OR you could use dual footswitch such as Boss FS-6 to move both forward and backward. However, depending on some of your patches, there will be noticeable "pop" while changing from one to another patch if you play it all the time.

Anyway, no matter what Rhythm preset you take, you're limited up to 6 templates of one User/Preset Group in real time.
3) I would also need to be able to put the different pads in the order I want easily. If the only way to acces them is by alphabetical order, that would be very hard in a live situation. Currently I can change order of the channels/pads in my sequencer based on our setlist, and then easily move down the list. Can you specify whatever order you want on the Stage?
You can sort them either by numbers (001-256) or by 100 favorites (from bank 0-0 up to 9-9)

So the bottom line is that Juno Stage may not rock your boat perfectly especially because of sample triggering. On the other side, Juno G does that and you trigger samples by keys instead of pads, so, in case you find one used, it may fit you better.

There are 2 slots for SRX expansions so I guess you could use drum expansion to enhance existing set with additional 64mb. Also, pay notice that 64mb on synth isn't like 64mb on computer as those are wisely compressed in order to save space.
go2ldook
Posts: 2
Joined: 16:06, 11 June 2011

Re: Best synth for special need: Juno Stage?

Post by go2ldook »

Thanks. Someone on another site had also set me straight about this. Any other options I should investigate, Roland or not? Would a Fantom G6 or G7 be a better choice for this purpose than a Juno G if I decided to expand my price range?
wladymeer
Posts: 49
Joined: 21:03, 23 July 2010
Location: Smederevo, Serbia

Re: Best synth for special need: Juno Stage?

Post by wladymeer »

In my opinion, maybe used Fantom X would be enough or even Juno-G would fit you well. It depends how much you need dedicated pads for sample triggering. If you need them badly, go for Fantom X. In my opinion, Fantom G doesn't offer you anything that essential comparing to Fantom X. Or, at least, I haven't heard anything so crucial, besides ARX compatibility.
FanTC
Posts: 19
Joined: 15:26, 18 June 2011
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Re: Best synth for special need: Juno Stage?

Post by FanTC »

I've had the Juno Di, Juno G and now the Juno Stage. From all three I like the JS for the keys, they are waighted and play much better than the two others, plus it has 76, hope this helps.
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