Best Roland Juno emulation plugins: Roland Juno-60 and Juno-106

Roland released its beloved Juno-6 and Juno-60 synths in 1982, and followed with the iconic Juno-106 in 1984. They were some of the first affordable analogue polysynths, offering refreshingly stable digitally-controlled oscillators, and a now-legendary built-in chorus effect.

80s pop. 90s house and techno. Vince Clarke, Eurythmics, a-ha, and Fingers Inc. The synth series made an instant impact when they were first released. Nearly 40 years on, they’re still being used by the likes of Tame Impala, Calvin Harris, Tyler, The Creator, Nils Frahm and Metronomy to name a few.

We’ve compiled the best Juno plugin emulations so, if you’re in love with the Juno sound but can’t get your hands on the hardware, you can still get a taste – with digital enhancements.

Roland Cloud – Juno-60

• £148 (lifetime key)
• $99/year Pro subscription
• $199/year Ultimate subscription
• Mac & Windows
• VST/AU/AAX

It seems the obvious first place to go is direct to the source. Roland Cloud gives you access to a library of iconic synths and drum machines that use the company’s proprietary ACB (Analog Circuit Behavior) technology to accurately capture the original sounds.

The Juno-60 stays fairly faithful to the original, but with an extended oscillator range and an additional envelope. Alongside the original chorus effect, there’s also a BOSS CE-1 chorus pedal option, and a selection of reverb, delay, flanger and overdrive effects. If you’re looking for extra inspiration, then you can get a number of preset packs, and you can even link the software to a SYSTEM-8 or Roland Boutique hardware synth for hands-on control.

Find out more at rolandcloud.com.

AIR – Jura

• £149 (£74.99 intro price)
• Mac, Windows, MPC/Force
• VST2/VST3/AU/AAX

AIR has taken the approach of keeping the classic Juno vibe whilst adding a handful of useful improvements. As a nice touch, you can choose a GUI with the traditional synth layout, or an updated version that adds saturation and drive to the filter, Modern or Vintage DCO noise types, and a second envelope for more complex sound design. There are also extended shape and ramp controls for the LFO, a Mix slider for the infamous chorus effect, and fully featured delay, reverb and EQ modules.

It’s a great choice if you want the fundamental sound and feel of the Juno, but with a few extra modern bells and whistles.

Find out more at airmusictech.com.

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u-he – Diva

• €179
• Mac & Windows
• VST/VST3/AU/AAX/CLAP

u-he‘s Diva synth isn’t a direct Juno replica in terms of functionality. However, it incorporates five oscillator models, five filter models, and three envelope ADSRs inspired by classic hardware. These elements can be mixed, matched, or combined to emulate a Juno, with additional customization using Diva’s modulation and effects. This powerful synth delivers exceptional sound quality and surpasses some other emulations. It also offers oscillators, filters, and envelopes for Moog, Jupiter, MS-20, and Ubie synths, making it a versatile choice for crafting vintage analogue-style patches.

Find out more at u-he.com.

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TAL-U-No-LX

• $60
• Mac, Windows & Linux
• VST/VST3/AU/AAX/CLAP

TAL-U-No-LX was painstakingly modelled on the developer’s own hardware device, and includes a self-resonating, zero feedback delay filter, and alias-free oscillators for an authentic sound. There’s MIDI learn and automation for all controls, an arpeggiator, portamento and mono mode, and MPE support. You also get the original hardware //Factory Bank A// presets, plus over 300 other presets crafted by different sound designers.

Find out more at tal-software.com.

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TAL-U-No-62

• FREE
• Mac & Windows
• VST/AU

Before TAL’s fully featured Juno emulation came along, there was this stripped-down free version. It offers the fundamental features of the synth, including the DCO, sub-oscillator and noise, HPF and LPF filters, an LFO and an envelope, plus the classic chorus effect.

The only caveat is that the plugin is no longer supported by the developer. Also well worth a mention, is the free TAL-Chorus-LX, which gives you the lovely Juno chorus in plugin form so you can try it out on any audio source.

Find out more at tal-software.com.

Softube – Model 84 Polyphonic Synthesizer

• €159
• Mac & Windows
• VST/VST3/AU/AAX

Softube has a long history of creating exacting software models of hardware, so you know you’re in safe hands for its version of the 106. Model 84 (named after the year the original came out) expands on the hardware with an extended unison mode that enables a more pronounced attack to the start of a note, and velocity and aftertouch for enhanced performance control.

Perhaps the most interesting feature here is that you also get the chorus effect as a module for Softube’s Amp Room software, and seven fully integrated synth modules for use in Softube’s Modular software.

Find out more at softube.com.

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Arturia – Jun-6 V

• €149 (also available in full V Collection 9 €599)
• Mac & Windows
• VST/AU/AAX/Standalone

Arturia’s offering is perhaps one of the most fully-featured packages. It uses Arturia’s TAE® technology to model every circuit and provides an authentic analogue sound. All the main original features are present, but you also get enhanced modulation via the mod wheel, velocity and aftertouch, an additional envelope and LFO, built-in delay and reverb effects, a chord mode, and unison.

Find out more at arturia.com.

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Cherry Audio – DCO-106 Virtual Polyphonic Synthesizer

• $39 (currently available for $25)
• Mac & Windows
• VST/VST3/AU/AAX

Cherry Audio’s version is another bargain softsynth that offers the main fundamentals plus a few useful extras. It models the original in exacting detail and includes over 330 presets. Additional features include three lush reverb modes, a delay section with tempo-sync, single-key chord memory, and an expanded LFO section with six waveforms and unison detune.

Find out more at cherryaudio.com.

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Tracktion – RetroMod 106

• $49
• Mac & Windows
• VST/AU/AAX

This sample-based instrument captures the sounds of the Juno and provides a bunch of controls to fine-tune the patches. Where most of the other entries aim to exactly copy the original, RetroMod looks to take the soul of the instrument, but then offers it up with a contemporary twist. You get a second oscillator to play with alongside an XY pad in the corner of the interface that lets you control things like ring modulation, FM and drive. There are also four effect slots that let you choose from EQ, chorus, distortion, phaser, compressor, filter, delay and reverb.

Find out more at traktion.com.

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UVI – Super-7

• €79
• Mac & Windows
• VST/VST3/AU/AAX/Standalone

This one is a bit of a curve ball, but UVI’s Super-7 is based on the Roland MKS-7 Super Quartet. This multitimbral synth module has four sections that can be played at once, where the Melody, Chord and Bass sections actually have the same sound and architecture as the Juno-106. In addition to this, the Rhythm section has PCM sounds taken from the 707 drum machine. Unlike most of the other instruments here, Super-7 is sample-based and runs in the free UVI Workstation or in UVI’s Falcon instrument.

Find out more at uvi.com.

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