Roland Juno-DS88From real comments

Verdict distilled from 36 mentions across 12 aspects in comments under product review videos.

Positive sentiment76%
PROS 76%
CONS 24%

Rank based on 36 mentions across 12 aspects

View the verdict as

Buy this if...

  • You want a portable, battery-powered 88-key board for gigging or busking
  • You value a strong weighted key action and layered piano/synth sounds
  • You mainly play live or practice rather than deep DAW integration

What users love

Skip this if...

  • You need seamless plug-and-play DAW recording without freezing issues
  • You want an intuitive, modern menu system out of the box
  • You need a lightweight board and can't handle its heft

What users complain about

Compare in seconds

Based on user comments

Best choice
1Mid
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Articulate soundGreat with extended-range guitarsStrong overall tone qualityPrice concerns
Mad Professor Fire Red Fuzz
Articulate sound
Great with extended-range guitars
Strong overall tone quality
Price concerns
2Premium
Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay
Musical analog toneLong-term reliability and board loyaltySimple, intuitive controlsHigh price pointCheaper alternatives seen as comparableDistortion at high settings
Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay
Musical analog tone
Long-term reliability and board loyalty
Simple, intuitive controls
High price point
Cheaper alternatives seen as comparable
Distortion at high settings
3Premium
Mad Professor Sweet Honey Overdrive
Touch-sensitive dynamicsLong-term favorite / durability of appealSweet, low-gain tone qualityHigh price versus clonesDeluxe loses some original characterLimited mid control
Mad Professor Sweet Honey Overdrive
Touch-sensitive dynamics
Long-term favorite / durability of appeal
Sweet, low-gain tone quality
High price versus clones
Deluxe loses some original character
Limited mid control
Best value
4Mid
MXR Super Badass Distortion
Exceptional versatilityNatural, amp-like tonePowerful 3-band EQDemo videos undersell the pedalNoticeable noise floorVolume drop when engaged
MXR Super Badass Distortion
Exceptional versatility
Natural, amp-like tone
Powerful 3-band EQ
Demo videos undersell the pedal
Noticeable noise floor
Volume drop when engaged
5Premium
Eventide Orville
Exceptional reverb qualityHigh-quality warm pitch shiftingStrong aspirational appealHigh priceCheaper alternatives may sufficeEffect can feel like it plays for you
Eventide Orville
Exceptional reverb quality
High-quality warm pitch shifting
Strong aspirational appeal
High price
Cheaper alternatives may suffice
Effect can feel like it plays for you
6Premium
Origin Effects Deluxe61
Authentic amp-like toneExcellent low-to-mid gain driveUnderrated favorite among ownersHigh price pointLimited gain-staging flexibilityNo built-in reverb
Origin Effects Deluxe61
Authentic amp-like tone
Excellent low-to-mid gain drive
Underrated favorite among owners
High price point
Limited gain-staging flexibility
No built-in reverb
7Premium
Roland TR-808
Iconic, powerful kick drumWarmer, more alive analog characterCultural and historical influenceExtremely high collector priceAnalog noise and static requiring EQReliability concerns of aging hardware
Roland TR-808
Iconic, powerful kick drum
Warmer, more alive analog character
Cultural and historical influence
Extremely high collector price
Analog noise and static requiring EQ
Reliability concerns of aging hardware
8Premium
Moog Subsequent 37
Inspiring and addictive to playWarm, fat analog toneStrong DAW/VST editor integrationHigh price for what it offersLimited versatility outside bass rangeNeeds effects/partner gear to shine
Moog Subsequent 37
Inspiring and addictive to play
Warm, fat analog tone
Strong DAW/VST editor integration
High price for what it offers
Limited versatility outside bass range
Needs effects/partner gear to shine
9
Wampler Tumnus V2
Klon Centaur-style toneConvincing demo influenced purchaseExcellent clean boostNot suited for metal tones
Wampler Tumnus V2
Klon Centaur-style tone
Convincing demo influenced purchase
Excellent clean boost
Not suited for metal tones
10Mid
Wampler Paisley Drive
Transparent toneVersatile across genresWorks well across many guitar typesTwo-channel routing complexityDry signal bleed-throughInconsistent demo impressions
Wampler Paisley Drive
Transparent tone
Versatile across genres
Works well across many guitar types
Two-channel routing complexity
Dry signal bleed-through
Inconsistent demo impressions
You are here
31Mid
Roland Juno-DS88
Excellent weighted key actionStrong piano and layered soundsGood value for the priceDAW connectivity issuesDated, unintuitive menu systemPiano sounds harder to replicate than demos suggest
Roland Juno-DS88
Excellent weighted key action
Strong piano and layered sounds
Good value for the price
DAW connectivity issues
Dated, unintuitive menu system
Piano sounds harder to replicate than demos suggest

Who wins on what

Ranked by what users actually praise

Overall Impression

Owners consistently praise the key action and portability. Multiple commenters highlight the weighted keybed shared with Roland's FA-series, calling it excellent for playing anywhere thanks to battery power and a front-mounted battery compartment. Busking, gigging, and practicing with headphones without an amp come up repeatedly as strong use cases. Several people say the touch sold them over competitors when trying it in a store.

Sound quality earns strong praise, especially piano and layered tones. Users bought the DS88 specifically for its piano sounds and describe brass, synth and layered patches as impressive, with expansion packs like Axial adding more options. Studio owners use it for demos and singer-songwriter work. However, some struggle to replicate the polished piano tones heard in reviews, and one user felt factory pianos needed EQ work to sound satisfying.

The interface and DAW integration frustrate several owners. Multiple commenters call the menu system dated, unintuitive, and poorly documented, making it hard to locate sounds despite the large library. Others report the keyboard freezing or misbehaving when connected to a DAW like Logic X, with no clear fix found. Phrase pads are initially intimidating but rewarding once learned, per a few users.

Outdated / Not-accurate data?