A chord sequencer at heart, the J-6 Chord Synth offers a streamlined method to create chord progressions and sequences of arpeggios, chord repeats, rhythms, and strums. This unique device lets you string these together to create elaborate and dynamic melodic phrases. It’s a remarkably compact songwriting tool. Rather than having to sit down in front of a computer, DAW, or MIDI keyboard, users can craft complex melodic compositions full of dynamic changes in whatever cozy environment they choose.
GUIDE
Meet the J-6 Chord Synth
Chord Sets
When it comes to composing chord sequences and melodies quickly, the J-6 Chord Synth is incredibly adept. First, press the CHORD button to enter chord mode, whereby preset chords spread across the keyboard, with those chords mapped to individual keys. Next, hold SHIFT + CHORD to access the 100 different chord sets, here called GENRES.
Using the knob, you’ll be able to explore these sets and the various moods and energies they bring to the table. This includes chord sets typically used in everything from pop and synthwave to jazz and Neo Soul, as well as R&B, house, techno, and more. For a comprehensive list of included chord sets, please see this manual page. Each set is a self-contained world of musical feeling. Play around with them until you find something that inspires you.
Exploring the Banks
Next, hit the ON button on the right-hand side of the unit to turn on the phrase variation. Use the STYLE and VARIATION knobs to access a wide range of musical phrases and arpeggios, which users can play directly with the keyboard. Each STYLE bank contains 12 variations of arpeggios and chord rhythms for the selected GENRE. Styles 1 and 2 encompass a range of arpeggios, going up and down at various speeds. Banks 3, 4, and 5 are “beat” styles, which play back the notes in a rhythmic (but not arpeggiated) fashion, including triplets and varied syncopation types.
"The J-6 includes an incredible number of inspiring musical options ranging from straightforward repeats to elaborate, strummed chord phrases."
Finally, banks 6 through 9 are “phrase” styles: simple, rhythmic, and then simple and rhythmic variations of strummed chord phrases, in that order. The J-6 includes an incredible number of inspiring musical options ranging from straightforward repeats to elaborate, strummed chord phrases. For a complete list of these style options, please see this manual page. Again, experiment with these different styles and variations until you find one that feels right.
Pattern Sequencer
Next, let’s start building patterns. Select from eight banks by holding down PATTERN and hitting the individual 1-8 pattern buttons. Pattern banks 1 and 2 include 16 preset patterns, while banks three through eight contain blank patterns. Once you’ve chosen a bank, release the PATTERN button, and select a pattern using buttons 1-8. It’s important to point out that each measure of a pattern contains notes and the Style / Variation you’ve selected for that measure. Enter notes using the CHORD function or play single or multiple notes manually. You can set the length of your pattern (i.e., last step) by holding SHIFT and pressing F (LAST).
Select a STYLE and VARIATION for your pattern, then input CHORDS on each step individually. Hit play to listen back. You can change the Style/Variation to try different musical phrases, which will be applied to all inputted notes in the sequencer. You can also program individual style and variation combinations on a per-step basis. To do this, select a step, turn Style/Variation on and assign it to that step. Change settings as you desire and assign these settings to other steps in your pattern.
"While a powerful compositional tool, connecting the J-6 to other hardware and software synths opens up incredible creative potential."
Tips and Tricks
Here are some valuable tips when programming sequences. Hold a step and press play while changing the settings to launch your pattern from a specific measure. This feature is helpful for individually previewing steps without listening to the entire pattern each time. Likewise, if you’ve assigned Style/Variation to any step, measures with Style/Variation set to OFF will follow the settings of the previous measure. Finally, you can change the duration of each measure of the CHORD SEQUENCER from “1-4” (16th notes) up to “8” (8 beats); this will essentially change the number of beats in each measure, and thereby the total length of your sequence. Here’s how to do it:
- Go to the MENU (SHIFT + MENU).
- Turn the TEMPO/ VALUE knob to BEAT.
- Press ENTER.
- Set your desired value.
- Hit EXIT.
This way, you can work with a broad spectrum of timescales: very short repeating sequences or long, evolving sequences of up to 64 beats.
JUNO-60 Sound Engine
On top of being a powerful sequencer, the J-6 is a fantastic-sounding, 4-voice polyphonic synthesizer. Using Roland’s Analog Circuit Behavior (ACB) technology, it is essentially a pristine recreation of the legendary Roland JUNO-60. You can play it either with the onboard keyboard or via MIDI from a DAW or external controller using USB or TRS connections.
Using a streamlined set of controls on the front panel, the J-6 allows for shaping its multitude of built-in patches. Sculpt the sound using the FILTER knob to open and close the filter cutoff, and hold the SHIFT + FILTER knob to boost the filter’s resonance and contour the sound further. Use the ENVELOPE knob to adjust the length of the decay/release, or hold SHIFT + ENVELOPE knob to change the length of the envelope’s attack.
"Using Roland's Analog Circuit Behavior (ACB) technology, the J-6 is essentially a pristine recreation of the legendary Roland JUNO-60."
Effects
The onboard delay and reverb can also dramatically alter the sound: Turn the effect knob to change the level of that effect; use SHIFT + DELAY to adjust the delay rate or SHIFT+REVERB to adjust the reverb’s time control. Finally, you can sync the delay to your pattern’s tempo:
- Hold SHIFT + MENU.
- Turn the TEMPO/VALUE knob to DELAY SYNC (D.SYn).
- Hit ENTER to turn on DELAY SYNC.
You can choose whether you want the delay’s repeats to sync up with your track’s core tempo or to run free on their own.
MIDI Controller
While a powerful compositional tool, connecting the J-6 to other hardware and software synths opens up incredible creative potential. The J-6 can be a highly portable, dynamic MIDI controller. It’s as simple as a single cable: plug in a USB cable to connect it to your DAW or a TRS MIDI cable to connect it to virtually any synthesizer with a MIDI port.
NOTE: All AIRA Compacts use MIDI TRS TYPE A cables.
We recommend using BOSS B-CABLES, which you can find here. Use the keyboard to play notes and chords manually, or go into CHORD mode to use single keystrokes to send chords to your synthesizer of choice. And, of course, use the onboard sequencer to play back musical compositions on those synths. Using the J-6 as a portable sketchpad for songwriting, it can seamlessly drop into any studio, plugging into existing setups with a vast arsenal of melodic content.
"Playing chords and phrases on the J-6 alongside live vocals can illuminate melodic ideas for any singer or instrumentalist."
Accompaniment Tool
Finally, besides being a powerful songwriting tool, the J-6 is a perfect inspiration generator as a source of accompaniment for a vocalist or musician. Playing chords and phrases alongside live vocals can illuminate melodic ideas for any singer or instrumentalist.
Pairing it with the Roland E-4 Voice Tweaker via MIDI can make vocal collaboration even more direct, letting users play melodic and harmonic ideas to control the E-4’s vocoder—all with one cable and virtually zero setup. Finally, the J-6 is an endless source for generating audio content to be used with any sampler, including but not limited to the Roland SP-404MKII. Sample in chords or melodic phrases, then chop, re-pitch, and distort that recorded material to your heart’s content.
