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FA08 or DS88 for Newer Player?

Posted: 00:36, 28 February 2017
by Clean
Hi All,

I'm new to the world of keyboard, but I've been playing the guitar for about 7 years now, so not new to aspects of music/theory. I'm looking to purchase my first keyboard for playing at home, making my own tracks, and covers and I've basically narrowed it down to these two. Which one do you think would fit my needs for 80s/new wave/EDM type music? I've tried both and I like the simplicity of the DS88, but also am worried that I won't have the sample/playback capabilities that I would with the FA08?

Re: FA08 or DS88 for Newer Player?

Posted: 11:52, 1 March 2017
by Tothead
As far as I remember, FA-8 is tagged by Roland as workstation and Juno DS as ACB synth for live applications. To me, Juno DS is a less complicated younger brother of FA-8. I wonder if Ican say that Juno DS is simply a cheaper FA-8 with less flex...
FA-8 has more pads, some samples are "supernatural", you can use two expansions at once and probably you can use that synth in different modes simultanously (like sequencer with keyboard split and vocoder, I do not know, never used it). You can create whole compositions on both anyway with tones of given sounds, plus you can create your own sounds - personal signatures.

Re: FA08 or DS88 for Newer Player?

Posted: 16:16, 1 March 2017
by gris
Go for the DS its great!

Re: FA08 or DS88 for Newer Player?

Posted: 01:52, 2 March 2017
by scullen
The DS has sample playback capability but the sequencer is limited. If you need a hardware sequencer, get the FA-8. The step sequencer of the DS can record only up to 8 measures up to 8 tracks and can loop, so it's great for beats.

A DAW will have far more capability in a studio but if you are going to perform with a sequencer, you should consider the FA-8. Otherwise the DS is great.

Re: FA08 or DS88 for Newer Player?

Posted: 18:11, 2 March 2017
by NordJuno
gris wrote:Go for the DS its great!

I'm with you!
I love mine

Re: FA08 or DS88 for Newer Player?

Posted: 11:55, 18 March 2017
by QmusicRAZZ
And just so you know the World and Orchestra exp downloads sound awesome on the DS and take it to another level.

Re: FA08 or DS88 for Newer Player?

Posted: 13:04, 7 June 2017
by klar_kinelis
There is one HUGE difference between the two synthesizers - FA-6 or -8 cannot record live, while playing - hence, what Tothead mentioned in a previous post - DS is for live applications, while FA is purely a workstation.

Re: FA08 or DS88 for Newer Player?

Posted: 16:32, 17 June 2017
by bill555
I disagree. Both can be used live or as a workstation very well.

Been looking into both and lean to the DS as it's hard to justify such a huge price jump mostly just for a better sequencer, the nice big color screen, and its sample editing abilities, which I care little about. I've heard the "supernatural" sounds (PS those sounds are limited in number...mostly just keyboards and a few strings/guitars, it's not like they're all SN), and don't consider them all that much better, frankly. Still, the 08 does have its temptation :) If the price diff wasn't so huge, I might go for it.