Its a great beginners keyboard, very solidly made. There's plenty of factory preset sounds, though some of them are not particularly useful and its long winded to navigate through them. Split keyboard and layering is a nice feature. But, the rhythm / backing section is a bit of a dogs breakfast, i gave up on it after a while. Editing and saving patches is a pain as well; i guess they had some compromises to make with a small screen. The users manual falls into the trap of most users manuals by telling you what things are but not really explaining the philosophy and how they're best used, so if you're new to all this (as i am) expect to spend time getting to grips with it if you want to make your own sounds. Otherwise I think its pretty good value for what you get. ... MoreIts a great beginners keyboard, very solidly made. There's plenty of factory preset sounds, though some of them are not particularly useful and its long winded to navigate through them. Split keyboard and layering is a nice feature. But, the rhythm / backing section is a bit of a dogs breakfast, i gave up on it after a while. Editing and saving patches is a pain as well; i guess they had some compromises to make with a small screen. The users manual falls into the trap of most users manuals by telling you what things are but not really explaining the philosophy and how they're best used, so if you're new to all this (as i am) expect to spend time getting to grips with it if you want to make your own sounds. Otherwise I think its pretty good value for what you get. Overall recommended.

Awesome Keyboard

What can I say? The keyboard feels awesome!! The sounds are awesome!! The Phrase Pad is awesome!! I used it at church for about a year, and it worked very well... I, also purchased a Yamaha MX88, and I traded that in on some drums, after only about 3 months... No comparison in, my opinion... The Roland is just BETTER... And it's on sale, now for almost $300 less than I purchased it for last year... BEST bang for the buck for this level of keyboard... It is so good, that I, recently upgraded to a Fantom 08!!! My first keyboard was a Roland, and I've discovered that I am just a Roland kind of guy!!! Yamahas just don't do it for me... I will continue to use my DS88, because the piano sounds are amazing!!! Highly recommended!!!

Best for the price

I did extensive research before choosing the 88 note version.I believe you won't find a better digital piano/synth in this price range.The action is very acceptable and it's connection with the sound is excellent.You can download further sounds from the Roland site , the piano suite is very good.I am very impressed with the tone control with swept mid , you can adjust for your sound source.With some really nice reverbs and other effects it is possible to getAs good a sound as any of the higher priced keyboards I have played

Best keyboard I've ever owned

Been a keyboardist and working musician for over 30 years, and the Juno DS line is by far the easiest keyboard to use, not to mention incredibly GIG-FRIENDLY.To give context, I'm not a producer, I'm not into spending my life on every feature -- I play in 3-4 cover bands playing everything from pop to rock to funk to you name it -- so I need a keyboard that easy to use on the fly, reliable, sounds awesome and doesn't break by back carrying.And when I say this is the best for that context -- I also currently own: Roland Fantom X7, Roland Juno 106 (classic!); Roland Juno DS88, Yamaha DX7, an old Alesis QS, and a Triton. For less than $1,200 the JunoDS blows them all away...1) If you don't want to spend time tweaking patches, layering, etc., you've got a ton that ... MoreBeen a keyboardist and working musician for over 30 years, and the Juno DS line is by far the easiest keyboard to use, not to mention incredibly GIG-FRIENDLY.To give context, I'm not a producer, I'm not into spending my life on every feature -- I play in 3-4 cover bands playing everything from pop to rock to funk to you name it -- so I need a keyboard that easy to use on the fly, reliable, sounds awesome and doesn't break by back carrying.And when I say this is the best for that context -- I also currently own: Roland Fantom X7, Roland Juno 106 (classic!); Roland Juno DS88, Yamaha DX7, an old Alesis QS, and a Triton. For less than $1,200 the JunoDS blows them all away...1) If you don't want to spend time tweaking patches, layering, etc., you've got a ton that are great out of the box;2) if you DO want to edit, it's powerful, easy and very intuitive so save them and rename3) Lets you layer, split keyboard, and do anything you want quickly and easily, including the vocoder (I do wish you had more voices to use with the vocoder).The only negative is, I don't love the responsiveness of the weighted keys -- I like them to be a little tighter and faster -- I actually found the DS76 to be better sounding and better feel - so if you don't need the 88, go with the 76.And Sam Ash was the best price / easiest to work with.

Enjoying this keyboard Part 1

Really enjoying this keyboard. I had one 88-key board at home and a cheap little 61 key that I would take to church, and I was tired of having to adjust to different keyboards. I wanted one keyboard for home and travel that has at least 76 keys, weighted hammer action, as compact and light as possible (the word "weight" IS in the name of weighted action though...), mid range price, durable and solid feeling key action, some sound mod knobs, easy use "favorite" buttons, "patch remain" when switching sounds, easy transpose feature, and of course many good sounds. The Juno DS88 hits all those marks.First, there are almost no keyboards available with hammer action smaller than 88 keys. Plus, I figure I'd gladly give up the top octave for a 76 key. But that's not how ... MoreReally enjoying this keyboard. I had one 88-key board at home and a cheap little 61 key that I would take to church, and I was tired of having to adjust to different keyboards. I wanted one keyboard for home and travel that has at least 76 keys, weighted hammer action, as compact and light as possible (the word "weight" IS in the name of weighted action though...), mid range price, durable and solid feeling key action, some sound mod knobs, easy use "favorite" buttons, "patch remain" when switching sounds, easy transpose feature, and of course many good sounds. The Juno DS88 hits all those marks.First, there are almost no keyboards available with hammer action smaller than 88 keys. Plus, I figure I'd gladly give up the top octave for a 76 key. But that's not how 76 key is done...you lose about half the octave on top and half on the bottom. I don't want to give up the low!The keys feel really nice to me. Solid and durable feel, even on the one that had been out for 2 years at the local Guitar Center getting beat on. My old Yamaha YPG-625 has a weighted action that feels good, but the keys have a little looseness to them which has increased with age and use, making it somewhat clackety. So it's noisy and there's a noticeable tap action on some keys before the real action starts. That made me leary of getting another Yammy with the GHS keybed. The feel is good, but there is an element of cheapness to it as well. Being sensitive to this, I really wanted a solid feeling keybed without spending 2 grand plus. This is really the main reason I chose the Juno over the Casio Privia PX-560. That is a great board by all accounts, is lighter and smaller physically, has speakers and a music rest, and other cool stuff. The Privia keybed has a great rep for feel....but....is also known to get noisy and clackety. I noticed a bit of this in a Privia at the store, which made it a no-go for me. (I also liked the brand factor of Roland better, I must admit.) Cont.

Everything you could want for making sound!

This is the best keyboard for its price and probably the best under £2k for weight and feel. Every time you sit at it is a pleasure with over 1800 voices, the unique vocoder on an entry level 88 and the synth trigger pads. I tried the Korg and the MX88 but thought this was better and at least £100 cheaper. It even has a better screen. Of course in this day and age with touchscreens everywhere even its 4 inch screen seems small and it is a bit unintuitive and outdated with confirmation screens and scrolling means you have to set up all your performances way in advance as adjusting on the evening is nearly impossible...with the exception I found of setting the split point. The keys have a fantastic feel and better than rivals with the slightly grainy 'ivory' feel ... MoreThis is the best keyboard for its price and probably the best under £2k for weight and feel. Every time you sit at it is a pleasure with over 1800 voices, the unique vocoder on an entry level 88 and the synth trigger pads. I tried the Korg and the MX88 but thought this was better and at least £100 cheaper. It even has a better screen. Of course in this day and age with touchscreens everywhere even its 4 inch screen seems small and it is a bit unintuitive and outdated with confirmation screens and scrolling means you have to set up all your performances way in advance as adjusting on the evening is nearly impossible...with the exception I found of setting the split point. The keys have a fantastic feel and better than rivals with the slightly grainy 'ivory' feel leading to better grip but be slightly aware that even this isn't really a rival for a top range digital piano as the spring in the keys is isn't quite as good as I'd like, but it's as close to a hammer action you'd pay at least £1000 more for, as you can get. In fact some might find it too heavy to play something synthy, like Dakota for example, especially coming off a non-weighted synth, without setting the feel to 'light'.

Nice Keyboard With Unique Set of Features

I purchased a JUNO-DS88 because I needed an 88 weighted-key instrument that was also very transportable and easy to use for live performance. I haven't bought a Roland keyboard in many years, although I love (and still use) my D50. The DS88 had such a unique set of features, that I thought I would give it a try.First, it's pretty easy to transport (around 35 pounds). In addition, I am pleased with the capacity for sound generation. Many sounds are lively, really useful, and fun to play. I feel the piano sounds are good for an instrument at this price point that also has so many other features built in. Of course, these piano patches are no are no match for my Ivory II American Grand software, but why should they at this price?What makes this keyboard unique is ... MoreI purchased a JUNO-DS88 because I needed an 88 weighted-key instrument that was also very transportable and easy to use for live performance. I haven't bought a Roland keyboard in many years, although I love (and still use) my D50. The DS88 had such a unique set of features, that I thought I would give it a try.First, it's pretty easy to transport (around 35 pounds). In addition, I am pleased with the capacity for sound generation. Many sounds are lively, really useful, and fun to play. I feel the piano sounds are good for an instrument at this price point that also has so many other features built in. Of course, these piano patches are no are no match for my Ivory II American Grand software, but why should they at this price?What makes this keyboard unique is the addition of a microphone preamp system with effects so you can run a microphone right into the keyboard. There is also a very nice section on the left side of the keyboard that permits very easy control of the parameters you most want to adjust on the fly (reverb, attack, release, etc.). This section also has a set of sliders that make it fast and easy to control blends of upper and lower tones for splits, dual overlays, etc. I also really love the "joystick" controller for pitch bend and modulation. I had this controller on my D50 and have been missing it ever since. The DS88 also runs fine on batteries.The keyboard response is adjustable cross a number of parameters that can be changed quickly if needed. That said, the response is certainly not what I have on my Kurzweil. While I recognize that I would love the responsiveness of the Kurzweil, I recognize that that keyboard costs four times as much. I do find that it is a bit of a challenge (for me at least) to play rapidly repeated notes. In general, though, I can express myself well with this instrument.I'd check out the DS88 because, to my knowledge, it is the only instrument with this level of different features in one package.

Punches Way Above its Weight at this Price Point.

An amazingly deep programmer with 128 notes of polyphony which can be deployed in a ridiculous amounts of multi-timbral combinations. I've owned it for 5 years and still haven't scratched the surface. Speaking of which the 88 hammer action key bed is probably as close to a real piano as you'll feel on a synth - definitely in this price range in any event.And that is pretty much the #1 selling point - for those who want both a full piano key range and experience, paired with a huge depth of hardware digital synthesis - this is an probably the the lowest price and highest quality you'll find. When I compared features with other Romplers, I had to spend $1K more just to match what the DS88 has.Four stars for "it's a Roland" and all the complicated complexity of ... MoreAn amazingly deep programmer with 128 notes of polyphony which can be deployed in a ridiculous amounts of multi-timbral combinations. I've owned it for 5 years and still haven't scratched the surface. Speaking of which the 88 hammer action key bed is probably as close to a real piano as you'll feel on a synth - definitely in this price range in any event.And that is pretty much the #1 selling point - for those who want both a full piano key range and experience, paired with a huge depth of hardware digital synthesis - this is an probably the the lowest price and highest quality you'll find. When I compared features with other Romplers, I had to spend $1K more just to match what the DS88 has.Four stars for "it's a Roland" and all the complicated complexity of programming, random logical dead-ends when programing, as well as the only semi-useful on-board sequencing and pads. More knobs, a real mod wheel and some type of aftertouch would have been cool as well.

Simply Brilliant

Overall:I am an experienced guitar player who has messed around with keyboards for years. As I've gotten more serious about keys lately, I comparison shopped Yamaha, Roland and Korg in this same approximate price range. There are a number of good reasons why the DS88 was the right choice for me. First, the keyboard has a sensitive touch and feel almost identical to my upright acoustic piano. Second, to collection of tones - I probably will not end up using them all - is tremendous. Grand piano, different textures of synth tones, horns, strings, its all here. As I am now learning, being able to split the keyboard, layer multiple sounds and store my favorites makes this keyboard (although pretty long in size due to full size 88 key) a solid candidate for gigging ... MoreOverall:I am an experienced guitar player who has messed around with keyboards for years. As I've gotten more serious about keys lately, I comparison shopped Yamaha, Roland and Korg in this same approximate price range. There are a number of good reasons why the DS88 was the right choice for me. First, the keyboard has a sensitive touch and feel almost identical to my upright acoustic piano. Second, to collection of tones - I probably will not end up using them all - is tremendous. Grand piano, different textures of synth tones, horns, strings, its all here. As I am now learning, being able to split the keyboard, layer multiple sounds and store my favorites makes this keyboard (although pretty long in size due to full size 88 key) a solid candidate for gigging with. Third, the sounds are easy to navigate and get to. This, for me, was a critically important thing. Can I play out and quickly jump between sounds at a live gig. Reason number four: zZounds top flight support and payment plans. I had questions before the sale on this Roland and zZounds had people who really seemed sharp, on call to help me through those questions. The topping of all of this are the easy payment plans offered which puts a great piece of gear like this, in reach of a person who is dedicated to his or her craft but maybe does not have all the money up front. I could not be happier with this Roland, or with zZounds. Simply a great combination. Highly recommended not only to keyboard players, but also to crossover players such as me who want to broaden their expressive tonal palette in music beyond guitar.

This Instrument Brings Out My Wife's Creativity in Composing

For six years my wife has enjoyed playing her Yamaha Arius electronic spinet piano from Guitar Center (GC) but wanted to create original soundscapes. Asked a friend who currently composes and performs music on a Nord, what synthesizer he recommended for her. He advised trying to find a good used Roland Triton workstation which he wished he still had. There were none available in the US, so we went to the Cincinnati GC which had models from eight manufacturers to try. She liked the Roland Juno DS-88 best. Within two days she had composed two original songs. Love the way this instrument has brought out her creativity!