I think I bought Juno DS61 without doing better research

[srkmish]

Hi Guys,

I basically wanted to get a nice track sequencer synthesizer as a step up from my very Basic Yamaha E-323. I checked reviews online and people pointed to Juno series for its very versatile in-keyboard sequencing. However, I didn't check other things and when it got here, I was obviously surprised to learn that it doesn't have an inbuilt speaker. Furthermore, it doesn't also have any basic digital sustain (correct me if wrong but for sustain to function you have to attach the pedal rite?). I know that's the rite practice but I just wanted a basic sustain for my playing.

1. Is it possible to have a simple speaker setup to get great sound out of Juno DS?
2. Is it possible to get automatic sustain without the pedal? (Have read the manual and played with settings, but haven't figured out how to, if at all possible)

 

[SeaGtGruff]

I think Gary/@happyrat1 should be able to answer your questions better than I, but I'm guessing that the Juno-DS doesn't have a "panel sustain" function like the PSR-E323 does. In fact, the Yamaha PSR-E400 models (403, 413, 423, etc.) don't have the "panel sustain" function, either.

However, you could probably use an iPad MIDI app to send CC messages to the Juno-DS to turn on the Sustain for selected MIDI channels. Do you have an iPad or tablet/smartphone?

Also, do you still have the PSR-E323? It has MIDI IN/OUT ports, doesn't it? I wonder if you could connect it to your Juno-DS via MIDI cables and use the PSR-E323's Panel Sustain function to turn Sustain on and off on the Juno-DS? If that works, I'm pretty sure it would affect only channel 1 and channel 2.

 

[Biggles]

Welcome

If you are not using a Sustain pedal you are not learning good technique.

A Sustain pedal is c$20 and a pair of PreSonus Eris 4.5 powered speakers will give you audio meanwhile a pair of headphones will do just fine.

Depending upon which you want to achieve on the keyboard you may find that the onboard recording features are somewhat limited

 

[delaware dave]

how would you get automatic sustain without a pedal? I've never seen this option on a keyboard. I certainly wouldn't want sustain to automatically turn on. To work properly a sustain needs to be controlled. sustain since the invention of the acoustic piano is engaged via a pedal and digital synthesizers emulate this. Go buy a cheap sustain pedal and plug it in.

 

[anotherscott]

1. Is it possible to have a simple speaker setup to get great sound out of Juno DS?

There are tons of powered speakers you can simply plug your DS into. Even speakers you can plug a smartphone into will work, as long as they have a line input (i.e. aren't just bluetooth). Your choice will depend on budget/size constraints, how loud you want to be able to play (might you be playing with other musicians? or doing outdoor busking?), whether you care about mono vs. stereo, whether they are designed for easy transport or will just be left in place at home, and as with anything else, subjectively where you draw the line as to what qualifies as "great sound."

2. Is it possible to get automatic sustain without the pedal? (Have read the manual and played with settings, but haven't figured out how to, if at all possible)

If you want a kind of sustain effect that gradually fades out after you release the keys but don't want to use a pedal, you can increase the sound's Release parameter.

Although not one of your questions, this is where I thought you were going when you said you may have bought the wrong keyboard...

I basically wanted to get a nice track sequencer synthesizer as a step up from my very Basic Yamaha E-323. I checked reviews online and people pointed to Juno series for its very versatile in-keyboard sequencing.

The Juno DS has a pattern sequencer, but does not really have "very versatile in-keyboard sequencing" functions so may not be what you are looking for in this respect.

 

[Biggles]

Watch this video and come back to us if this is what you seek.

 

[happyrat1]

Everyone here jumped in and answered this before I even woke up this AM but ...

1) A Sustain pedal costs $20. Bust open the piggy bank and buy one.

Amazon.com: M-Audio SP-2 | Universal Sustain Pedal with Piano Style Action for Electronic Keyboards: Musical Instruments

Amazon.com: M-Audio SP-2 | Universal Sustain Pedal with Piano Style Action for Electronic Keyboards: Musical Instruments

www.amazon.com

2) As Scott said, any audiophile speakers would work with it as long as you use the right connectors and adapters.

Here is a cable that will allow it to plug into your home stereo's aux input.

https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-CPR-202-Stereo-Interconnect-Meters/dp/B000068O17/

Or you can even use a set of computer speakers as long as you use the proper adapter.

These would work nicely with this adapter:

https://www.amazon.com/Cyber-Acoustics-Subwoofer-Speaker-System/dp/B00006B9W1/

https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-YMP-434-Stereo-Breakout-Cable/dp/B0010D0HO0/

You sound like you have a learning curve to deal with but believe me, you chose an excellent instrument to start out. It is a professional quality board with studio quality sounds. Most professional keyboards DO NOT come with built in speakers.

Gary

 

[ocomobock]

Just wanted to hop in and say that there is sustain built into the keyboard. You can turn it up or down if you assign sustain to a knob.

Like others have said, though, it's probably smarter to just get a pedal. That will advance your playing more in the long run

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Or you can even use a set of computer speakers as long as you use the proper adapter.

I'd heard that mentioned on another forum, and thought about mentioning it here, but thought I'd better wait and let you respond first!

how would you get automatic sustain without a pedal? I've never seen this option on a keyboard.

I've never used any of the PSR-E models that include "Panel Sustain," so I'm not certain how it works-- that is, what it sounds like-- but I suspect that @anotherscott hit the nail on the head:

If you want a kind of sustain effect that gradually fades out after you release the keys but don't want to use a pedal, you can increase the sound's Release parameter.

I sometimes do this on my PSR-E models when I'm creating my own sounds by modifying the Attack/Release and Cutoff/Resonance parameters of the built-in sounds. For instance, I like to create a sort of gong sound by starting with a drawbar organ voice, tweaking the Cutoff/Resonance and Chorus to get the specific sort of timbre I'm going for, and then crank up the Release and Reverb to their max settings. Of course, there are already bell and gong voices on the keyboard, but sometimes you can get a more interesting result by starting with a voice of a different type. This is not much different than crafting your own voices on a "real" synth, the main difference being that the PSR-E models don't have a lot of "pure waveform" voices for simulating oscillators which are set to square, pulse, sine, triangle, or sawtooth waves, since they're marketed as entry-level arranger keyboards rather than as synths per se, so you must look for built-in voices that come close to the timbre you're looking for and work from there.

Of course, when I really want to craft my own sounds, I use either my MX synth or one of my many soft synths. But it's also a lot of fun and strangely satisfying to craft sounds of my own on my PSR-E keyboards. The PSR-E323 and other 300-level models don't have functions or knobs for changing the Attack/Release and Cutoff/Resonance like the 400-level models do, but I can see where their "Panel Sustain" function might help fill that gap.

 

[Effectone]

Hi Guys,

I basically wanted to get a nice track sequencer synthesizer as a step up from my very Basic Yamaha E-323. I checked reviews online and people pointed to Juno series for its very versatile in-keyboard sequencing. However, I didn't check other things and when it got here, I was obviously surprised to learn that it doesn't have an inbuilt speaker. Furthermore, it doesn't also have any basic digital sustain (correct me if wrong but for sustain to function you have to attach the pedal rite?). I know that's the rite practice but I just wanted a basic sustain for my playing.

1. Is it possible to have a simple speaker setup to get great sound out of Juno DS?
2. Is it possible to get automatic sustain without the pedal? (Have read the manual and played with settings, but haven't figured out how to, if at all possible)

Hello friend ,

I have a juno ds 88 , I use logitech 2.1 computer speakers. They sound good enought and they are like 75 euro or so. That did it for me. I don't use pedals so I can't help u with that

 

[vespina]

I think that you got the wrong kind of keyboard. It seems that what you really wanted was an arranger keyboard with a good sequencer. Maybe Roland's BK series or CASIO CTX-5000.

And do yourself a favor and get a sustain pedal.

Greatings

Victor

Hi Guys,

I basically wanted to get a nice track sequencer synthesizer as a step up from my very Basic Yamaha E-323. I checked reviews online and people pointed to Juno series for its very versatile in-keyboard sequencing. However, I didn't check other things and when it got here, I was obviously surprised to learn that it doesn't have an inbuilt speaker. Furthermore, it doesn't also have any basic digital sustain (correct me if wrong but for sustain to function you have to attach the pedal rite?). I know that's the rite practice but I just wanted a basic sustain for my playing.

1. Is it possible to have a simple speaker setup to get great sound out of Juno DS?
2. Is it possible to get automatic sustain without the pedal? (Have read the manual and played with settings, but haven't figured out how to, if at all possible)

 

[Biggles]

Wouldn’t it be nice if the One Post Wonders popped back and finished their post with an outcome?