Roland JUNO-D is a feature-packed mobile keyboard starting at $899

Roland’s JUNO-D may not be flashy, but it runs off USB-C and has features from the company’s flagships – ZEN-Core engine, sequencer, vocoder, and Wave Expansion support – at a fraction of the price, starting at $899. There’s even the hammer-action D8 at $1299.

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Okay, forget the name – JUNO-D is confusing. (Doubly so, because this has a direct line to the 2006 JUNO-G budget workstation, and less the synth-focused JUNO-D from that era. Hamamtsu speaks to us in riddles.) Basically, what this is is an entry-level workstation keyboard with all the basics from the flagships, down to engines and keybed. It’s a keyboard with a ton of sounds and the ability to add more, keybeds that are insdistinguishable from the expensive siblings for many players, and a built-in sequencer. When you’re not near a wall socket, you can run the whole thing off USB-C and a power bank. It’s the full trans-Pacific flight, just in coach – with the savings that entails.

If you want more features (like support for Model Expansions), more onboard controls, and more advanced SuperNATURAL sounds, the next step up in price from Roland is the Fantom-0 range. And in that range, you should take a good look at Yamaha’s MODX+, if you’re an FM synth fan. But at this price point, there’s not much with this kind of feature list.

The little one on USB-C power is a cute mobile instrument at under 6 kg, and the 88-key model gives you the PHA-4 keybed which feels pretty close to Roland’s higher-end key actions (Ivory feel, etc.). There’s even simulated escapement (the feeling you get from the mechanism of a real piano as you depress the key to the bottom of the keybed).

The feature set is also nice enough – and that panel makes some common keyboard tasks really accessible (versus some slightly more complex UX on the Yamaha and Korg counterparts):

Step sequencer (8 Tracks x 64 steps, TR-REC and step and realtime recording – so the option of keyboard-style sequencing or sequencing like this is a TR drum machine)
Rhythm pattern, arp, and chord memory
“Phrase pad” triggers
Audio player (useful for backing tracks) with AIFF / WAV support
Mic input with XLR and 1/4″ combo jack
USB class-compliant audio interface and USB storage compatibility (so it appears as a drive)… separate Roland driver for MIDI
3800 tone storage
Multi-effects: chorus, reverb, EQ, mic reverb, mic compressor, all with multiple types
13-band mono vocoder

This isn’t a sampler, but you can import sample files, too – so not just backing tracks but simple one-shots, too.

There’s also some sound expandability, with compatibility with the following ZEN-Core Wave Expansions, all available via Roland Cloud:

EXZ001 Stage Piano 1
EXZ002 Stage Piano 2
EXZ005 Studio Sounds
EXZ006 World Instruments
EXZ007 Orchestra
EXZ008 Vintage Keys
EXZ009 Symphonic Strings
EXZ010 Big Brass Ensemble
EXZ011 Classic EP’s
EXZ012 Dance Trax
EXZ013 Concert Grand Piano
EXZ014 Complete Piano

You can also import/export any ZEN-Core Tones.

The key word associated with the EXZ packs is Wave Expansions, not Model Expansions. (Yeah, this is kind of ROMpler territory.) That’s why, if it were me, I would consider saving my money for the FANTOM-0 instead (or even find a used/blemished model). Why? Both of these are ZEN-Core, but on the FANTOM-0, you get support for the ZEN-Core Model Expansions: JX-8P, SH-101, JUNO-106, JUPITER-8, Vocal Designer, n/zyme, and importantly, the awesome JD-800. The analog options are inferior to their analog modeled (ACB) counterparts, but the vocoder is cool, n/zyme is weird and interesting , and the “Zen” JD-800 model sounds the same as the ACB one. (That makes sense, because the JD-800 was an all digital synth.)

I think for some folks it’ll be worth bumping up to the FANTOM-0 for those Models Expansions, or as I said, go Yamaha if you’re in a mood for more creative synthesis and FM.

Then again, there’s still plenty to play with here and the price is very competitive. JUNO-D/JUNO-G has for almost 20 years now meant a pretty balanced workstation at a low price, with all the basic staples and plenty of sounds. And that’ll hit a sweet spot for lots of folks, who can always turn to a computer when they want to go deeper. Plus if you want a hammer action Roland keyboard, this is now absolutely the sweet spot – you used to just get some keys and sounds for this price, and here you get a full-featured mini-workstaiton.

loopop has a full review: