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 Tutorial YouTube
Here are the best YouTube videos to get you up and playing your Roland JUNO DS88:
Kraft Music has an excellent 13-minute video covering the features of the Roland JUNO DS88:
Robert Dimbleby has an excellent 14-minute video showing sound demos of the Roland JUNO DS88:
Roland Product Support has a series of excellent tutorials that show you how to use the Roland JUNO DS88 to:
Use advanced layers and splits (Part 1)
Use advanced layers and splits (Part 2)
Create favorites using patches and performances
Create a custom brass performance
Exalter has a beginners’ guide to building a loop on the Roland JUNO DS88:
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.
- 1Install a USB Driver and the DAW software in your computer.
- 2Connect the keyboard to your computer using a USB 2.0 cable.
- 3Move the cursor to “YES” and press the “ENTER” button when the keyboard asks whether you would like to activate “DAW Control Mode”.
- 4Select the “Controller” tab.
- 5Turn the Local Switch “OFF”.
- 6Set 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.
- 1Select a patch or performance that you want to set as a favorite.
- 2Press the “BANK” button.
- 3Use the “0” to “9” button to select the bank in which the favorite will be registered.
- 4Hold 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.
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.
- 1Format your USB flash drive on the keyboard. You may refer to this video.
- 2Turn off the keyboard and disconnect the USB flash drive.
- 3Connect the flash drive to your computer and place the wav file into the “IMPORT” folder.
- 4Connect the flash drive to the keyboard and turn on the keyboard.
- 5Press the “SAMPLE IMPORT” button.
- 6Move the cursor to “SAMPLE IMPORT”. Press the “ENTER” button.
- 7Make settings for how the file will be imported.
- 8Move the cursor to “IMPORT”. Press the “ENTER” button.
- 9Press the “SAMPLE” button.
- 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.
- 1Hold down the “TRANSPOSE” button while doing the next step.
- 2Press the “DOWN” or “UP” button to transpose in semitone steps.
- 3To go back to the default setting, hold down the “TRANSPOSE” button and press the “DOWN” and “UP” button at the same time.
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.
- 1Press the “MENU” button
- 2Move the cursor to “SYSTEM” and press the “ENTER” button.
- 3Move 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.
- 4Use the value dial to change the value. The range of values is shown in brackets above.
- 5Press 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.
- 1Press the “RHYTYM PATTERN” button.
- 2Make the rhythm pattern settings.
- 3Press the pad “1” to “8” button to play the rhythm pattern.
- 4Press the pad again to stop.
To play a preset pattern on the Roland JUNO DS88, please follow the steps below.
- 1Press the “PATTERN SEQUENCER” button.
- 2Move the cursor to the pattern bank.
- 3Move the cursor to the pattern bank.
- 4Move the cursor to the pattern number.
- 5Press 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.
- 1Press the “WRITE” button. The “PATTERN NAME” screen should appear.
- 2Enter the pattern name.
- 3Press the “ENTER” button. The “PATTERN WRITE” screen should appear.
- 4Press the value dial to select the save destination.
- 5Press the “ENTER” button.
- 6Press 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.
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.
- 1Press the “RHYTHM PATTERN” button.
- 2Make the rhythm pattern settings.
- 3Press the pad “1” to “8” button to play the rhythm pattern.
- 4Press the pad again to stop.
To play audio files from a USB flash drive, please follow the steps below.
- 1Format your USB flash drive on the keyboard. You may refer to this video.
- 2Turn off the keyboard and disconnect the USB flash drive.
- 3Connect the flash drive to your computer and create a folder inside the “SONG LIST” folder.
- 4Place the audio files into the folder created.
- 5Connect the flash drive to the keyboard and turn on the keyboard.
- 6Press the “AUDIO” button.
- 7Make settings for the audio player.
- 8Press the “ENTER” button. The audio files are assigned to the pads automatically.
- 9Press 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.
How do you play JUNO DS88 expansion bank sounds?
To play expansion bank sounds, please follow the steps below.
- 1Move the cursor to bank and use the value dial to select “EXP”.
- 2Press the “UP” or “DOWN” button to select the desired expansion bank sound.
- 3Press 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:
- 1Expression pedal or pedal switch: Connect the plug of the pedal to the PEDAL CONTROL jack found at the back of the keyboard.
- 2Pedal switch: Connect the plug of the pedal to the PEDAL HOLD jack found at the back of the keyboard.
- 3MIDI device: Connect the plugs of the device to the MIDI IN and OUT connectors found at the back of the keyboard.
- 4Microphone: Connect the plug of the microphone to the MIC INPUT jack found at the back of the keyboard.
- 5External audio player or audio device: Connect the plug of the audio player to the EXT INPUT jack found at the back of the keyboard.
- 6Amplified 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.
- 7Computer: Use a USB 2.0 cable to connect the computer to the USB COMPUTER port found at the back of the keyboard.
- 8USB flash drive: Connect the flash drive to the USB MEMORY port found at the back of the keyboard.
- 9Headphones: 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.
- 1Format your USB flash drive on the keyboard. You may refer to this video.
- 2Turn off the keyboard and disconnect the USB flash drive.
- 3Connect the flash drive to your computer and place the file into the “IMPORT” folder.
- 4Connect the flash drive to the keyboard and turn on the keyboard.
- 5Press the “SAMPLE IMPORT” button.
- 6Move the cursor to “SAMPLE IMPORT”. Press the “ENTER” button.
- 7Make settings for how the file will be imported.
- 8Move the cursor to “IMPORT”. Press the “ENTER” button.
To export a pattern from the keyboard to a USB drive, please follow the steps below.
- 1Format your USB flash drive on the keyboard. You may refer to this video.
- 2Select “SMF EXPORT” in the “PATTERN UTILITY” screen.
- 3Press the “ENTER” button.
- 4Enter the file name.
- 5Press the “ENTER” button.
- 6Press 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.
- 1Install a USB Driver and the DAW software in your computer.
- 2Connect the keyboard to your computer using a USB 2.0 cable.
- 3Move the cursor to “YES” and press the “ENTER” button to confirm to activate the “DAW Control Mode”.
- 4Select the “Controller” tab.
- 5Turn the Local Switch “OFF”.
- 6Set 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.
- 7You will be able to record into the DAW software in your computer.
You may refer to this video for a short demo.
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.
- 1Format your USB flash drive on the keyboard. You may refer to this video.
- 2Select “SMF EXPORT” in the “PATTERN UTILITY” screen.
- 3Press the “ENTER” button.
- 4Enter the file name.
- 5Press the “ENTER” button.
- 6Press 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.
- 1Install a USB Driver and the DAW software in your computer.
- 2Connect the keyboard to your computer using a USB 2.0 cable.
- 3Move the cursor to “YES” and press the “ENTER” button to confirm to activate the “DAW Control Mode”.
- 4Select the “Controller” tab.
- 5Turn the Local Switch “OFF”.
- 6Set 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.
- 7You will be able to record into the DAW software in your computer.
You may refer to this video for a short demo.
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.
- 1Format your USB flash drive on the keyboard. You may refer to this video.
- 2Turn off the keyboard and disconnect the USB flash drive.
- 3Connect the flash drive to your computer and place the file into the “IMPORT” folder.
- 4Connect the flash drive to the keyboard and turn on the keyboard.
- 5Press the “SAMPLE IMPORT” button.
- 6Move the cursor to “SAMPLE IMPORT”. Press the “ENTER” button.
- 7Make settings for how the file will be imported.
- 8Move 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.
- 1Install a USB Driver and the DAW software in your computer.
- 2Connect the keyboard to your computer using a USB 2.0 cable.
- 3Move the cursor to “YES” and press the “ENTER” button to confirm to activate the “DAW Control Mode”.
- 4Select the “Controller” tab.
- 5Turn the Local Switch “OFF”.
- 6Set 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.
- 7You will be able to record into the DAW software in your computer.
You may refer to this video for a short demo.
Roland JUNO DS88 Accessories Questions
Best amp for Roland JUNO DS88
The KC-110 and CUBE Street EX 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.
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