Roland HS-60 Modifications

YouTube Uploaded by rolandsh1000 on Apr 5, 2011

"This very short video shows two of the modifications made to a Roland HS-60...well, 3 if you count the chop job!

The first is a 2-octave transpose switch, which allows you to transpose the shorter keyboard over the entire 61-key range of the original keyboard.

The second is a 1/4" jack that allows you to patch external signals through the famous Juno chorus. Sorry that the sound is slightly out of sync and doesn't really highlight the differences when the chorus is activated - trust me, it really changes the sound!

This video was made to accompany an ebay auction in April 2011"

Also see the Junior-106.

Roland HS-60 on eBay

Update:

via this auction

pics of the inside below.

"Up for bid is a highly modified Roland HS-60. Ok, this certainly qualifies as rare: I know of only 6 units that have been chopped down this way and I’ve done two of them. You are unlikely to find another like this anytime soon.


Anyway, if you are looking at this, you probably know already that the HS-60 was the consumer version of the Juno-106, except that it had a built-in amplifier and speakers. Those have been removed from this keyboard in order to make the size more compact. So this is now effectively a Juno-106 a few useful modifications:

Most obviously, the unit has been chopped down to 3-octaves. This reduces the weight of the unit (HS-60’s are fairly heavy synths) and the footprint. To allow for access to the entire keyboard range, I added circuitry and a switch to let the user transpose the keyboard by 2 octaves.

There is now a ‘Chorus In’ jack on the back, wired to one of the original inputs. I think this is an improvement over the HS-60, since now you can run external signals through the famous Roland chorus, and have some amplitude control over that signal using the onboard output VCA.

All voice chips have been reconditioned. That is, the factory resin coating which causes these voice chips to fail has been removed. After resin removal, all voice chips were reinstalled using Millmax sockets. To verify operation, the unit was left on continuously for days and all voices worked perfectly.

The 2-prong power plug has been replaced with a more standard 3-prong IEC power cable, which is now the electronic equipment standard.

The original memory battery has been replaced with a CR2032 in a clip holder to make future battery replacements easy. The CR2032 actually has a greater capacity and the one there now (dated Jan2011) should last many many years.

The unit was calibrated per the factory service manual, so it’s now running within specifications."

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Roland Museum Germany Massive Synthesizer Selloff - Most Gear for Sale in a Single Auction

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

This one in via Marko of Retrosound.de.

26.000,00 Euro gets it all.

via eBay

Someone needs to contact the Guiness Book of World Records. Longest list of gear for sale ever:

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Roland HS-60 Juno-106 analog synthesizer

via this auction

"Roland HS-60 analog synthesizer. The HS-60 is the "home" version of the famous Roland Juno-106.

The HS-60 has exactly the same sounds and capabilities as the Juno-106, but had additional internal speakers and a more subdued color scheme.

NOTE: This HS-60 has had the internal speakers/amplifier removed, saving weight. This means that it must be plugged into an amplifier to produce sound."

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Roland HS 60 Analog Synthesizer Blue Genie

via this auction

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Roland HS-60 Demonstration

video upload by Vintage Synthesizer Solutions

"From our instructional video about how to replace the infamous voice chips on the Roland HS-60 and Juno 106. All sounds were made by the HS-60 and recorded without the use of effects, excluding the drums from the TT-606.

Watch the voice chip tutorial here :"

Roland Juno-106/HS-60 Voice Chip Replacement + Demo Track~


"Please join us while we show you how to replace the voice chips in a Juno-106/Juno-106S/HS-60. This video is quite long, but our goal when making this video was to create as comprehensive of a step by step guide as possible. Some important points are repeated multiple times intentionally, please ensure you heed all warnings if you plan to attempt this job. Alternatively, if you have any tips or best practices from your own experience, please don't hesitate to share them in the comments. We genuinely hope it is helpful for some of you. At the very least, it should give you a very good idea if this is something you'd even want to consider attempting yourself ;). The background music & demo track using this synth @ the end are also all original content!"

Roland HS-60 *near mint* w/ Original Box

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this eBay listing

"There isn’t another HS-60 out there in better condition than this. All chips working. Both speakers new. Interior board you can eat off of.
Never been in a smoking environment. Comes with the original box and the sheet music holder and pedal.
Here’s what eBay’s AI has to say about it:

'The Roland HS-60 is a keyboard synthesizer with 61 keys, making it ideal for creating a wide range of sounds and music. With its analog design and built-in speakers, this synthesizer offers a classic and versatile sound experience. Made in Japan by the renowned brand Roland, the HS-60 is known for its durability and high-quality construction. Perfect for both beginner and experienced musicians, this keyboard synthesizer is a reliable choice for exploring the world of music creation.'"

Two pics of the inside.

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ROLAND HS-60 JUNO-106 ANALOG SYNTHESIZER SYNTH

Published on Mar 31, 2014 SynthgodXXX·44 videos

"ROLAND HS-60 (JUNO-106) POLYPHONIC ANALOG SYNTHESIZER! 100% ZERO talking! Hell YESSSS!

***WATCH YOUR SPEAKER VOLUME! THIS VIDEO CAN GET LOUD!!***

This HS-60 has been modified w/ BLUE LED's, 3 prong power input & replaceable battery clip!! All VOICE CHIPS WORK PERFECT!!

One PROBLEM: The battery dies quickly after you switch it off!!
Seems to be a grounding issue inside dealing with the battery clip and/or the board it is on. I don't know how or which wires inside it that need to be grounded or where to connect them! If you are able to shoot me a message & help me out it would save me from having to sell this beautiful synthesizer! I loaded the presets into this HS-60 to demonstrate that it WORKS GREAT & SOUNDS FANTASTIC!!

But like I said, the presets go BYE-BYE once it turns off. I can use this synthesizer like a JUNO-6 in "manual" mode with no problem! All I really need to do is send it to the fantastic SynthSpa & get the problem fixed, I'm just short on $$$... I just bought a Roland SH-09 & have to wait... unless there is a person who can help me find which wires or what to do to fix it myself!! Again I am not trying to show off my playing skills, just showing how AWESOME this underrated synthesizer can be! Recorded into Ableton Live 9 with no FX.

Thank you for watching! Please subscribe!
More synthesizer videos coming soon!!! ;)"

Roland HS-60

via this auction
Sold for BIN: $369
"The Roland HS-60 is the exact same synth as the JUNO 106 on the inside (the circuit boards say JUNO 106) but it has built in speakers so you dont need an amp to play it! All you need to do to disable the speakers is to plug something into the phones jack and you've got a 106."

click the images for the full size shots. inside a Roland HS-60.

Inside a Roland HS-60 / Synth Plus 60 Analog Synthesizer

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
via this auction

"Fully restored Roland HS-60 analog synthesizer. This model was designed as a 'hobbyist' version of the Juno 106 but has all the same parts, it's just in a different styled case and has internal speakers. You can see the Juno 106S / HS-60 stamp on the circuit board."

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Roland Synthesizer Plus HS-60 (JUNO-106) SN 572468

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"The Roland HS-60 is essentially, a Juno-106 with built in speakers. Its easy to program, good midi features, and has a true analog quality. The Roland HS-60 is an excellent synth for someone wanting to learn synthesis, but is also fully featured enough for a seasoned pro. It features analog six-voice polyphony and is fully programable with one digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) per voice. A very smooth and rich 24dB/oct analog lowpass resonant filter with self-oscillating possibilities and a non-resonant highpass filter. The programable pitch/mod bender can be routed to control the DCO pitch, VCF cutoff, and LFO amount all at once or individually.There are 16 MIDI channels available and MIDI SysEx data can be transmitted/received from all the sliders and buttons for total remote control and sequencing capability. A switch on the back of the keyboard, next to the MIDI ports allows the user to switch between three types of MIDI modes: Keyboard and Hold data only; Keyboard, Hold, Bender, Patch selection data; or All data (including SysEx)."

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Roland HS-60

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"The Roland HS-60 is essentially a Juno-106 with built in speakers. Same sounds, features, etc. Its easy to program, good midi features, and has a true analog quality.

The HS-60 features analog six-voice polyphony and is fully programable with one digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) per voice. A very smooth and rich 24dB/oct analog lowpass resonant filter with self-oscillating possibilities and a non-resonant highpass filter. The programable pitch/mod bender can be routed to control the DCO pitch, VCF cutoff, and LFO amount all at once or individually.

This particular synth is in fantastic condition, everything works perfectly and sounds great. Comes with power cable. Will be securely packed and shipped for safe travel to it's future owner!"

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Roland HS-60 Synth Plus 60

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"BEAUTIFUL Roland HS-60 Synth Plus 60 (106S).

It's a Juno 106 synthesizer with powered speakers and aux in.

This unit is 100% fully functional. All the chips, the voices, all the knobs, the keys are fully functional.

The synthesizer has been overhauled by an official Roland technician."

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Roland HS-60 / Synth Plus 60

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this Vemia listing

Click the auction link on top when you get there for additional listings.

"A superb Roland HS-60 (aka Synth Plus 60) which is essentially a Juno-106 with speakers, in near-mint cosmetic condition. Fully functioning - do please note, if you're not familiar with these, the bass sounds can become quite distorted when played at high volume through the internal speakers - so use your studio monitors or headphones instead! Complete with printed / bound owner's manual as well as original Roland promo leaflet.

This will be brought to VEMIA for expert packing: 24GBP."

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Roland HS-60

via this auction

"The HS 60 is basically a JUNO 106 with built in speakers and an audio input to play a drum machine, etc. through the speakers. ALL 6 VOICES ARE 100%!!! I HAD THE EPOXY REMOVED FROM ALL 6 VOICE CHIPS, SO THEY ARE ALL FUNCTIONING PERFECTLY, AS SEEN IN THE PHOTO"

Inside a Roland Juno-106 / HS-60.

Moog, Roland, Boss, and Yamaha Synthesizer Brochures

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via these Reverb listings

Featured:

Moog Minimoog / Sonic Six / Modular System 12 brochure

Moog Sonic Six synthesizer brochure

Moog Modular System 35 original brochure

Moog Polymoog 203a synthesizer brochure in German

Moog Satellite synthesizer registration guide

Roland Juno-6 polyphonic synthesizer brochure in German

Roland Juno-60 synthesizer original brochure in German

Roland HS-60 Synth Plus-60 synthesizer owner's manual part 1 & original brochure

Roland SH-09 analog synthesizer owner's manual in German

Roland synthesizer & Boss pedals vintage brochure in German

Roland JX-8P synthesizer & PG-800 programmer brochure

Roland JD-800 programmable synthesizer brochure in German

Roland TR-707 Rhythm Composer brochure

Yamaha DX7S synthesizer brochure in German

Yamaha DX9 synthesizer brochure in German

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Roland HS-60 SynthPlus

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"Roland HS-60 SynthPlus 60 Programmable Polyphonic Analog Synthesizer with original box, music sheet holder and paperwork."

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Roland HS-60 SN 594265

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"This here is my HS-60, same synth as the Juno 106, but with built-in speakers.

It's basically a portable Juno 106 that can be played anywhere.
There is a Stereo MIX IN, so you can play along with other sources of music through the internal speakers, if that's your thing. If you want to record, and don't want to hear the speakers, just plug a 1/4 inch plug in to the headphone jack, to bypass them.

This synth has been professionally repaired. All the voice chips have been reconditioned and refurbished. The 2-prong power plug has been professionally converted to a 3-prong IEC power cable, and a Chorus input modification has been done so that you can run other synths and Audio sources through the lush, analog Chorus. All the repairs, reconditions and modifications have been done professionally by Rosen Sound, up in Burbank, CA.

Included with this HS-60 is a hard case, and an IEC power cable."

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Calibrating a Roland Juno-106 or HS-60 Synthesizer

Instructions on how to calibrate a Roland Juno-106 or HS-60 have been posted on the Syntaur site here.

"This procedure will walk you through the process of calibrating (tuning) a Roland Juno-106 (or HS-60) synthesizer. It requires a voltmeter, a frequency counter or tuner, and an oscilloscope. It also requires working on the keyboard with the power on and the power supply exposed, so this calibration should not be attempted unless you are confident in your abilities to work safely, and to use the necessary equipment.
Note that any time you replace a voice chip on your synthesizer, you will need to recalibrate at least that voice.

Make sure the keyboard has been powered on for at least 10 minutes to warm up prior to any calibrations, and perform the calibration steps in the order they are listed here."

ROLAND JUNO-106S SN 552874

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
via this auction

"ROLAND Juno-106S, a classic analog synthesizer with built in speakers. Unlike HS-60 which was a cheaper hobbyist version of Juno-106, Juno-106S feature same functions with Juno-106 but with speakers."

Hmm... I thought the HS-60 was functionally the same, just different packaging and geared towards the home consumer market. What is interesting is that the HS-60 is not the Juno-60 with speakers.

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Possible Repair Technique for the 80017a, the Juno-106 Voice Chip

YouTube via rolandsh1000

"Upfront, I'd like to say that I take no credit for inventing this technique, only for demonstrating it. I was inspired to try it by two compelling images that a person named Ramcur had posted on Flickr. I emailed him and he told me what he had done. So very special thanks to Ramcur for the method, and thanks to Chris Strellis (http://www.strellis.com) and K/Modeless Factory (http://modelessfactory.com) on the Analog Heaven mailing list for sending me sample failed chips to test this method out. Please visit their sites and patronize their services!

Some background: my HS-60 had 4 bad voices so I removed those 80017a's with plans to buy clones sometime in the future. But after I stumbled across Ramcur's photos, I tried to see if these chips could be repaired. I first used a professional heat gun, and I was able to salvage 2 of the 4 chips satisfactorially by simply removing the resin coating of the chips (the right heat allowed me to peel the coating off). But that was still only 50% yield and about 30minutes messing around with the heat gun - not easy.

After Ramcur emailed me back about using acetone, I tried it on a bad 80017 that Chris Strellis had sent me and it worked great. So I decided to create a video to show how this might be done. In the video, my HS-60 has been fitted with SIP socket to allow for quick swap out of the chips for testing. These sockets are in voice slots 2 and 3. Slot 1 has a 'known good' chip for comparison. In the final part of the video, I installed the chip that I was able to get "cleaned" in slot 2 for comparison to the good chip in slot 1 (slots 3, 4, 5, and 6 have no chips/are empty). I apologize for the bad lighting in that last part.

Does this really fix the chips? What about longer-term performance? The chips I've "rescued" so far I have put in my constantly-powered-on HS-60 for over a week and checked them twice a day and all of them no longer had any popping or cracking or cut-outs or runaway resonance or any of the classic failure modes of the 80017a. They did sound slightly different chip-to-chip, but I think that was due to me not recalibrating the trimmers for each voice.

Should you try this? I'd say you have nothing to lose and, as I show, it's pretty easy to do. If you already have a bad voice chip in your 106 or HS-60, you already would have to desolder it to install the reportedly-excellent clones from D'Naab (http://www.analoguerenaissance.com). So you could try this method first and, if it doesn't work or it's not to your liking, or you just want the comfort of something pretty much guaranteed, then you can always get the clone.

As the weeks go forward and I get time, I'll be subjecting this method to a lot of known-dead chips. I'll try to report back how that goes.

Good luck!"
Roland Juno-106 chip fix - IC repair