Roland JUNO DS88 Tutorial: Answers to Commonly Asked Questions

Written by Maurice in Roland keyboards

To help you get the most enjoyment out of your Roland JUNO DS88, we’ve put together this tutorial page. On this page you’ll find help with:

  • Roland JUNO DS88 tutorials on YouTube (to learn how to play your JUNO DS88 quickly)
  • Common usage questions/problems
  • Connecting Roland JUNO DS88 to various devices
  • Recording & transferring songs and files
  • Accessories questions

And (as they say on infomercials) much, much more!

Roland JUNO DS88
Roland Juno DS88 Setup

Table of Contents

Roland JUNO DS88 Tutorial YouTube

Here are the best YouTube videos to get you up and playing your Roland JUNO DS88:

Overall Features

Kraft Music has an excellent 13-minute video covering the features of the Roland JUNO DS88:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HAr9a4umko

Audio Demonstration

Robert Dimbleby has an excellent 14-minute video showing sound demos of the Roland JUNO DS88:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJjX2obF59o

Advanced Features

Roland Product Support has a series of excellent tutorials that show you how to use the Roland JUNO DS88 to fully appreciate and utilize the advanced functions of this powerful keyboard.

Arpeggios

Link to Roland Product Support Video: Use arpeggios

Layers and Splits

Here are links to four videos that cover Layers and Splits, including Super Layer and Dual Layer:

  1. Use advanced layers and splits (Part 1)
  2. Use advanced layers and splits (Part 2)
  3. Use super layer
  4. Create a dual layer

Pattern Sequence

Learn how to Create a pattern sequence

Create Favorites

Watch this video to harness and find the over 2000 sounds that the Juno DS can generate: Create favorites using patches and performances

Custom Brass Performance

Follow this link to learn how to Create a custom brass performance

Microphone and Vocoder

There are two videos to teach you how to incorporate your own voice into this powerful instrument:

  1. Use the mic input and vocoder
  2. Use vocoder within a performance layer

Storage, Backup, and Restore

Learn how to save your creations: Format USB thumb drive, back up and restore

Building a Loop

Exalter has a beginners’ guide to building a loop on the Roland JUNO DS88:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsr5p08LrDs

​Common Usage Questions & Problems Related to Roland JUNO DS88

How to use JUNO DS88 as MIDI

To use the JUNO DS88 as a MIDI keyboard, you may use a digital audio workstation (DAW) software and follow the steps below.

  1. Install a USB Driver and the DAW software in your computer.
  2. Connect the keyboard to your computer using a USB 2.0 cable.
  3. Move the cursor to “YES” and press the “ENTER” button when the keyboard asks whether you would like to activate “DAW Control Mode”.
  4. Select the “Controller” tab.
  5. Turn the Local Switch “OFF”.
  6. Set up your computer to use with “DAW Control Mode” on the keyboard. This article explains how to set up if the DAW softwares you use are LOGIC PRO, SONAR and CUBASE.

​How to favourite a sound Roland JUNO DS88

To register a favorite sound on the Roland JUNO DS88, please follow the steps below.

  1. Select a patch or performance that you want to set as a favorite.
  2. Press the “BANK” button.
  3. Use the “0” to “9” button to select the bank in which the favorite will be registered.
  4. Hold down the “FAVORITE” button while pressing a “0” to “9” button to select the number in which the favorite will be registered.

To see a demo of how to register a favorite sound, you may refer to this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTmcsONgD1E

​How to play wav files on Roland JUNO DS88

To play an external wav file on the Roland JUNO DS88, please follow the steps below.

  1. Format your USB flash drive on the keyboard. You may refer to this video.
    1. Plug in the USB flash drive to the USB MEMORY port on the keyboard.
    2. Move the cursor to “FORMAT USB MEMORY” in the UTILITY screen.
    3. Press the “ENTER” button.
    4. Move the cursor to “OK”.
    5. Press the “ENTER” button.
  2. Turn off the keyboard and disconnect the USB flash drive.
  3. Connect the flash drive to your computer and place the wav file into the “IMPORT” folder.
  4. Connect the flash drive to the keyboard and turn on the keyboard.
  5. Press the “SAMPLE IMPORT” button.
  6. Move the cursor to “SAMPLE IMPORT”. Press the “ENTER” button.
  7. Make settings for how the file will be imported.
  8. Move the cursor to “IMPORT”. Press the “ENTER” button.
  9. 9Press the “SAMPLE” button.
  10. 10Use the value dial to select a file/patch.

​How to transpose with Roland JUNO DS88?

To transpose on the Roland JUNO DS88, please follow the steps below.

  1. Hold down the “TRANSPOSE” button while doing the next step.
  2. Press the “DOWN” or “UP” button to transpose in semitone steps.
  3. To go back to the default setting, hold down the “TRANSPOSE” button and press the “DOWN” and “UP” button at the same time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVXno7BPb2Y

​What does patch select do on a Roland JUNO DS88?

By selecting a patch on the Roland JUNO DS88, you will be able to play a single tone.

​JUNO DS88 How to EQ

To edit the EQ settings on the JUNO DS88, please follow the steps below.

  1. Press the “MENU” button
  2. Move the cursor to “SYSTEM” and press the “ENTER” button.
  3. Move the cursor to tab and use the left or right button to switch the pages until you see any of the following parameters you want to edit.
  • Master EQ Switch (On, Off)
  • EQ Low Freq (200, 400)
  • EQ Low Gain (-15 to +15)
  • EQ Mid Freq (200 to 8000)
  • EQ Mid Gain (-15 to +15)
  • EQ Mid Q (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 8.0)
  • EQ High Freq (2000, 4000, 8000)
  • EQ High Gain (-15 to +15)
  • EQ Total Gain (-15 to +15)
  1. Use the value dial to change the value. The range of values is shown in brackets above.
  2. Press the “EXIT” button.

​How to play a style on Roland JUNO DS88

The Roland JUNO DS88 does not have built-in Auto Accompaniment styles. However, you are able to play rhythm patterns and preset patterns that come with the keyboard.

To play a rhythm pattern on the Roland JUNO DS88, please follow the steps below.

  1. Press the “RHYTYM PATTERN” button.
  2. Make the rhythm pattern settings.
  3. Press the pad “1” to “8” button to play the rhythm pattern.
  4. Press the pad again to stop.

To play a preset pattern on the Roland JUNO DS88, please follow the steps below.

  1. Press the “PATTERN SEQUENCER” button.
  2. Move the cursor to the pattern bank.
  3. Move the cursor to the pattern bank.
  4. Move the cursor to the pattern number.
  5. Press the “PLAY/STOP” button to play the pattern. Press the button again to stop.

​How to mix music on JUNO DS88

You can mix music on the JUNO DS88 by creating pattern sequence. Please refer to this tutorial to see a demo of creating pattern sequence.

​How to save a pattern on a JUNO DS88

To save a pattern on the JUNO DS88 after creating one, please follow the steps below.

  1. Press the “WRITE” button. The “PATTERN NAME” screen should appear.
  2. Enter the pattern name.
  3. Press the “ENTER” button. The “PATTERN WRITE” screen should appear.
  4. Press the value dial to select the save destination.
  5. Press the “ENTER” button.
  6. Press the “ENTER” button again after seeing the confirmation message. The screen should indicate “Completed!”.

To see a demo of how to save a pattern, you may refer to this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ls34IgJeVIk

​Roland JUNO DS88 how to use pads

You can use pads to play rhythm patterns, record patterns of several measures or play audio files from a USB flash drive.

To select and play a rhythm pattern, please follow the steps below.

  1. Press the “RHYTHM PATTERN” button.
  2. Make the rhythm pattern settings.
  3. Press the pad “1” to “8” button to play the rhythm pattern.
  4. Press the pad again to stop.

To play audio files from a USB flash drive, please follow the steps below.

  1. Format your USB flash drive on the keyboard. You may refer to this video.
    1. Plug in the USB flash drive to the USB MEMORY port on the keyboard.
    2. Move the cursor to “FORMAT USB MEMORY” in the UTILITY screen.
    3. Press the “ENTER” button.
    4. Move the cursor to “OK”.
    5. Press the “ENTER” button.
  2. Turn off the keyboard and disconnect the USB flash drive.
  3. Connect the flash drive to your computer and create a folder inside the “SONG LIST” folder.
  4. Place the audio files into the folder created.
  5. Connect the flash drive to the keyboard and turn on the keyboard.
  6. Press the “AUDIO” button.
  7. Make settings for the audio player.
  8. Press the “ENTER” button. The audio files are assigned to the pads automatically.
  9. Press the pad “1” to “8” button to play the audio file.

To record patterns of several measures, please refer to this tutorial.

​How to layer sounds on Roland JUNO DS88

To layer sounds on the JUNO DS88, press the “DUAL” button.

To see a demo of how to layer sounds, you may refer to this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCVgJ2HD1t0

​How do you play JUNO DS88 expansion bank sounds? 

To play expansion bank sounds, please follow the steps below.

  1. Move the cursor to bank and use the value dial to select “EXP”.
  2. Press the “UP” or “DOWN” button to select the desired expansion bank sound.
  3. Press a key to play the sound.

Connecting Roland JUNO DS88 to Various Devices

​How to connect JUNO DS88

Please follow the steps below to connect the JUNO DS88 to:

  1. Expression pedal or pedal switch: Connect the plug of the pedal to the PEDAL CONTROL jack found at the back of the keyboard.
  2. Pedal switch: Connect the plug of the pedal to the PEDAL HOLD jack found at the back of the keyboard.
  3. MIDI device: Connect the plugs of the device to the MIDI IN and OUT connectors found at the back of the keyboard.
  4. Microphone: Connect the plug of the microphone to the MIC INPUT jack found at the back of the keyboard.
  5. External audio player or audio device: Connect the plug of the audio player to the EXT INPUT jack found at the back of the keyboard.
  6. Amplified speakers or mixers: Connect the plugs of the speakers or mixers to the OUTPUT R, L/MONO jacks found at the back of the keyboard. If you are outputting in mono, connect the L/MONO jack only.
  7. Computer: Use a USB 2.0 cable to connect the computer to the USB COMPUTER port found at the back of the keyboard.
  8. USB flash drive: Connect the flash drive to the USB MEMORY port found at the back of the keyboard.
  9. Headphones: Connect the plug of the headphone to the PHONES jack found at the back of the keyboard.

​Recording & Transferring Files on Your Roland JUNO DS88

​Roland JUNO DS88 how to transfer

To transfer an external audio file from the computer to the Roland JUNO DS88 using a USB flash drive, please follow the steps below.

  1. Format your USB flash drive on the keyboard. You may refer to this video.
    1. Plug in the USB flash drive to the USB MEMORY port on the keyboard.
    2. Move the cursor to “FORMAT USB MEMORY” in the UTILITY screen.
    3. Press the “ENTER” button.
    4. Move the cursor to “OK”.
    5. Press the “ENTER” button.
  2. Turn off the keyboard and disconnect the USB flash drive.
  3. Connect the flash drive to your computer and place the file into the “IMPORT” folder.
  4. Connect the flash drive to the keyboard and turn on the keyboard.
  5. Press the “SAMPLE IMPORT” button.
  6. Move the cursor to “SAMPLE IMPORT”. Press the “ENTER” button.
  7. Make settings for how the file will be imported.
  8. Move the cursor to “IMPORT”. Press the “ENTER” button.

To export a pattern from the keyboard to a USB drive, please follow the steps below.

  1. Format your USB flash drive on the keyboard. You may refer to this video.
    1. Plug in the USB flash drive to the USB MEMORY port on the keyboard.
    2. Move the cursor to “FORMAT USB MEMORY” in the UTILITY screen.
    3. Press the “ENTER” button.
    4. Move the cursor to “OK”.
    5. Press the “ENTER” button.
  2. Select “SMF EXPORT” in the “PATTERN UTILITY” screen.
  3. Press the “ENTER” button.
  4. Enter the file name.
  5. Press the “ENTER” button.
  6. Press the “ENTER” button again to export. The exported file can be found in the “EXPORT” folder of the flash drive.

You may also transfer audio and MIDI files between the keyboard and computer by connecting them using a USB 2.0 cable. Install a USB Driver in your computer to allow the exchange of data between both devices.

​How to record directly from JUNO DS88

You can record directly from the JUNO DS88 in your computer using a USB 2.0 cable and a digital audio workstation (DAW) software.

  1. Install a USB Driver and the DAW software in your computer.
  2. Connect the keyboard to your computer using a USB 2.0 cable.
  3. Move the cursor to “YES” and press the “ENTER” button to confirm to activate the “DAW Control Mode”.
  4. Select the “Controller” tab.
  5. Turn the Local Switch “OFF”.
  6. Set up your computer to use with “DAW Control Mode” on the keyboard. This article explains how to set up if the DAW softwares you use are LOGIC PRO, SONAR and CUBASE.
  7. You will be able to record into the DAW software in your computer.

You may refer to this video for a short demo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns1sHTNuvKE

​How to export from the JUNO DS88 to memory card

As the JUNO DS88 does not have a port for a memory card, you are unable to export to a memory card. However, you can export a pattern to a USB drive. To do so you may follow the steps below.

  1. Format your USB flash drive on the keyboard. You may refer to this video.
    1. Plug in the USB flash drive to the USB MEMORY port on the keyboard.
    2. Move the cursor to “FORMAT USB MEMORY” in the UTILITY screen.
    3. Press the “ENTER” button.
    4. Move the cursor to “OK”.
    5. Press the “ENTER” button.
  2. Select “SMF EXPORT” in the “PATTERN UTILITY” screen.
  3. Press the “ENTER” button.
  4. Enter the file name.
  5. Press the “ENTER” button.
  6. Press the “ENTER” button again to export. The exported file can be found in the “EXPORT” folder of the flash drive.

​How to record audio with Roland JUNO DS88

You can record an audio file with the JUNO DS88 by using a USB 2.0 cable and a digital audio workstation (DAW) software in your computer.

  1. Install a USB Driver and the DAW software in your computer.
  2. Connect the keyboard to your computer using a USB 2.0 cable.
  3. Move the cursor to “YES” and press the “ENTER” button to confirm to activate the “DAW Control Mode”.
  4. Select the “Controller” tab.
  5. Turn the Local Switch “OFF”.
  6. Set up your computer to use with “DAW Control Mode” on the keyboard. This article explains how to set up if the DAW softwares you use are LOGIC PRO, SONAR and CUBASE.
  7. You will be able to record into the DAW software in your computer.

You may refer to this video for a short demo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns1sHTNuvKE

How do I upload a MIDI to Roland JUNO DS88?

You can upload a midi file from the computer to the Roland JUNO DS88 by connecting them using a USB 2.0 cable. Install a USB Driver in your computer to allow the exchange of data between both devices.

Alternatively, you can also use a USB flash drive to transfer a midi file from the computer to the keyboard. To do so, please follow the steps below.

  1. Format your USB flash drive on the keyboard. You may refer to this video.
    1. Plug in the USB flash drive to the USB MEMORY port on the keyboard.
    2. Move the cursor to “FORMAT USB MEMORY” in the UTILITY screen.
    3. Press the “ENTER” button.
    4. Move the cursor to “OK”.
    5. Press the “ENTER” button.
  2. Turn off the keyboard and disconnect the USB flash drive.
  3. Connect the flash drive to your computer and place the file into the “IMPORT” folder.
  4. Connect the flash drive to the keyboard and turn on the keyboard.
  5. Press the “SAMPLE IMPORT” button.
  6. Move the cursor to “SAMPLE IMPORT”. Press the “ENTER” button.
  7. Make settings for how the file will be imported.
  8. Move the cursor to “IMPORT”. Press the “ENTER” button.

How to save Roland JUNO DS88 soundbank to computer

You may download soundbanks for the Roland JUNO DS88 from the Axial site using your computer.

​How to record to a USB drive/stick on a Roland JUNO DS88

The Roland JUNO DS88 is unable to record directly to a USB drive/stick. However, you can record directly using the digital audio workstation (DAW) software in your computer and transfer the audio/MIDI file to a USB drive/stick.

To do so, please follow the steps below.

  1. Install a USB Driver and the DAW software in your computer.
  2. Connect the keyboard to your computer using a USB 2.0 cable.
  3. Move the cursor to “YES” and press the “ENTER” button to confirm to activate the “DAW Control Mode”.
  4. Select the “Controller” tab.
  5. Turn the Local Switch “OFF”.
  6. Set up your computer to use with “DAW Control Mode” on the keyboard. This article explains how to set up if the DAW softwares you use are LOGIC PRO, SONAR and CUBASE.
  7. You will be able to record into the DAW software in your computer.

You may refer to this video for a short demo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6iPIUbzLNg

Roland JUNO DS88 Accessories Questions

​Best amp for Roland JUNO DS88 

The KC-110 and CUBE Street EX (or here) amplifiers are generally recommended for the JUNO DS88.

​What keyboard case fits a JUNO DS88

You may use the CB-G88L keyboard bag to fit your JUNO DS88.

Maurice

I am intrigued by how music affects the brain. I created this site to share my fascination with music in general and piano keyboards in particular.

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