Roland has put its own recreation of the legendary JUPITER-8 polysynth on sale.
This article covers the current sale details along with a full overview of what the JUPITER-8 plugin offers.
1. Latest JUPITER-8 Sale Info
JUPITER-8 is currently included in the following sale.
JUPITER-8 & TR-808 Sale: Until August 31, 2026
- Roland JUPITER-8 – An 8-voice analog polysynth recreating the 1981 classic at circuit level.
- Roland TR-808 – A drum machine reproducing the original analog circuit behaviour, with an extended sequencer.
2. What Is the Roland JUPITER-8?
“The king of polysynths” – Software Synthesizer
The Roland JUPITER-8 plugin recreates the analog polysynth of the same name, originally released in 1981, from the circuit level up using Roland’s proprietary ACB (Analog Circuit Behavior) technology. Roland positions the instrument as “the king of polysynths,” and original hardware units still change hands for very high prices on the used market. The plugin runs in VST3, AU and AAX formats, and also supports PLUG-OUT to the SYSTEM-8 hardware.
1981: A High Point of Roland Engineering
Roland describes the original JUPITER-8 as representing the peak of the company’s engineering in the early 1980s, combining an elegant design, rugged build quality and an unusually flexible sound engine. Its warm yet clear character helped shape several major genres and continues to influence a wide range of styles today. To build the software version, Roland analysed original hardware units, circuit diagrams and historical documentation in order to reproduce the real circuit behaviour, including the quirks and instabilities that give the instrument its personality.
Key Features
- Enhanced ACB (Analog Circuit Behavior) technology reproduces the behaviour of the original circuitry.
- Resizable high-definition interface that mirrors the look of the vintage hardware.
- Variable polyphony from 2 to 8 voices, so you can choose the voice count that suits the part.
- Circuit Mod lets you shape the character of the sound in real time.
- The Condition parameter simulates ageing of the instrument.
- Extended parameters and an enhanced arpeggiator.
- Built-in effects including chorus, reverb, flanger, delay and overdrive.
- Extensions not found on the original, such as velocity support and expanded oscillator ranges.
- Includes original JUPITER-8 patches alongside modern presets.
Circuit Mod & Condition: Controlling Unit-to-Unit Variation
Circuit Mod sweeps several internal trim points at once from a single macro control. Simply turning the knob shifts the internal state of the circuit and changes the resulting sound.
Condition is a parameter that simulates ageing. As Roland puts it, you can move freely between a JUPITER-8 fresh from the factory and a well-worn synth that has gone decades without maintenance.
Built-in Effects
| Category | Effects |
|---|---|
| DRIVE | Overdrive / Distortion / Metal / Fuzz / Crusher / Phaser |
| DELAY | Delay / Panning Delay / Chorus (2 types) / Flanger / Delay + Chorus |
| REVERB | Ambience / Room / Hall 1 / Hall 2 / Plate / Modulation |
Patch Browser
The integrated browser lets you search across every installed patch bank, sort the results, rate favourites and add your own notes. A tweak panel inside the browser also lets you adjust sounds quickly. Each bank holds 64 patches, and you can create additional user banks.
Hardware Integration (PLUG-OUT)
The JUPITER-8 plugin fully supports PLUG-OUT to the SYSTEM-8 keyboard, giving you intuitive one-to-one control from the hardware and letting you run JUPITER-8 standalone in the studio or on stage. Note that a driver installation is required for SYSTEM-8 integration.
How to Get It
JUPITER-8 is included with Roland Cloud Pro (via Pro Selector) and Ultimate memberships, and it can also be purchased outright as a Lifetime Key. A 30-day free trial is available as well.
Main Specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Max Polyphony | 8 voices (variable from 2 to 8) |
| Oscillators | VCO-1 / VCO-2: SAW, PWM, TRIANGLE, SINE, SQUARE, NOISE / Ranges 64′, 32′, 16′, 8′, 4′, 2′ / Cross Modulation / VCO-2 supports Sub Range (-36 to +36) and Sync |
| Filter | VCF: Cutoff / Resonance / Slope -24dB, -18dB, -12dB / ENV and LFO modulation / Key Follow / Velocity, plus HPF: Cutoff |
| Envelopes | ENV-1 / ENV-2 (Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release, with Key Follow) |
| LFO | SIN / TRI / SAW / SQR / RND1 / RND2, Rate, Delay Time, Key Trigger, Trigger Envelope |
| Arpeggiator | Range 1–4 / Modes UP, DOWN, U&D, RND / Tempo sync supported |
| Other Controls | Portamento (Type 1 / 2, Legato) / VCA Tone and Velocity / Pitch Bend and Modulation Wheel assignment |
| Patches | 64 patches per bank (user banks can be created) |
| Sample Rates | 44.1 / 48 / 88.2 / 96 / 176.4 / 192 kHz |
| Plugin Formats | VST 3.7 / AU / AAX (Apple Silicon native) |
| System Requirements | macOS 11 or later / Windows 10 and 11 64-bit, Intel Core i5 or higher or Apple Silicon, 10GB RAM, 150–200MB free space, display of 1280×800 or larger, internet connection required for activation |