The JU-06A takes everything that made the JU-06 so compelling, and dials it up a notch. The retro looks are even more retro. The number of vintage synths it pays tribute to has been doubled. The arpeggiator and sequencer have been given a major upgrade. Just one look at the JU-06A next to the original JU-06 and you can see that Roland put a lot more effort into faithfully paying tribute to their musical inspiration. The backlit blue buttons and touchstrips are gone. And the color scheme is far more period accurate. There's even a switch on the front that lets you switch between emulating the Juno-106 and the Juno-60.

Of course, Roland isn't completely stuck in the past with its Boutique instruments. While the JU-06A pays tribute to the past, it embraces a number of modern conveniences like USB audio and MIDI, Volca-style sync over 1/8" audio cables, and a proper sequencer. (Though, if you're feeling old-school, there are full-sized five-pin MIDI DIN jacks on the back.) And, of course, like every other entry in the series the JU-06A can be powered by four AA batteries and easily stashes in backpack.

The JU-06A will be available later this month for $400. Though, since there's no keyboard, you want to also consider picking up the K-25m dock that makes any Roland Boutique instrument a little more self sufficient.