The Roland Juno-106 has been quietly sneaking onto hit records for decades. In this Synth Icon episode, I put it front and centre and show you why it became a true studio workhorse.

I’ll play you 15 famous basslines, pads and leads from artists like Underworld, Daft Punk, Madonna, Tame Impala, The Weeknd, Com Truise, Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein (Stranger Things) and more – all recreated live on my Juno-106 in the studio. No samples, no stems, just the real hardware with some chorus and FX.

Along the way we talk about why the 106 keeps turning up on records, how producers layer it with other Junos and synths, and what makes its chorus, filter and envelopes so addictive.

Riffs featured in this episode (in order):

· The Weeknd – Blinding Lights

· Underworld – Born Slippy (Nuxx) Part A

· Underworld – Born Slippy (Nuxx) Part B

· Daft Punk – Around the World

· Stranger Things – Kids

· Daft Punk – Voyager

· Charlie Puth – BOY

· Tame Impala – Nangs

· 808 State – Pacific State

· Dr. Alban – No Coke

· Com Truise – Memory

· Talk Talk – It’s My Life

· Daft Punk – Rollin’ & Scratchin’

· Madonna – Ray of Light

· Tame Impala – Eventually

Listen with headphones if you can – there’s a lot of chorus movement, filter detail and low-end weight that phone speakers won’t give you.

Tell me in the comments / reviews:

• Which Juno-106 riff surprised you most?
• Which synth should I feature next in the Synth Icon series – Juno-60, JD-800, DX7, M1… or something weirder?

🎧 Watch the live performance video on YouTube: search for “The Juno-106 Hit Machine | 15 Iconic Riffs – Andy Whitmore” - https://youtu.be/KzA9ZHBn06M

🔗 For more synth demos, recreations and deep dives, check out my YouTube channel and socials in the show notes - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0Dj_f71KJlNyPbuR4efYpxQXUtmRuX5B&si=voZg2MznmUrowl11

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