Juno 106 Fixed! How to replace a bad Juno 106 chip

Alright, I did it myself thanks to some online resources. It only took 30 minutes.

First, check out these instructions and pics. This guy broke it down nice and easy. Don't worry about the weird message that pops up. Scroll down for the first step, which is determining which is the bad voice or filter chip

Then check out the desoldering instructions. Same thing, scroll down on that page a bit to see the info.

Oh, and a few more things. There's nothing on there about calibration or clone chips which I think may be very relevant to other potential "repairmen/women".

Calibration is sometimes needed after replacing a chip. This requires a lot more skill and technical knowledge than the desoldering and replacing of a bad chip. You'll need to know how to operate analog and digital voltmeters and an oscilloscope , I believe. Calibration documents HERE



There are 2 options when getting a replacement chip. You can either get one from an old juno that's been scrapped for parts, or you can get a clone. They have their pros and cons.

If you get a clone chip, it will probably last longer. However, it is more likely to need calibration, according to a synth guru from NYC i spoke to the other day.

That being said, the opposite is true about a regular old juno chip. It might die sooner but it probably will go back in with no tuning up needed. That just happened for me 10 minutes ago.

For an old original try eBay or synthparts.com

Here's where you can get a clone:


http://www.analoguerenaissance.com/D80017/

or

http://www.synthrestore.com/products.htm#sr4217b

I can't really say which is better, but I've read the first clone is the one to go with. Use your own judgement.

Good luck. It's worth the time because the Juno 106 is one of the best analog poly-synths in the universe.