Roland announces JUPITER-4 software synthesiser

Roland has announced the JUPITER-4 software synthesiser, an "authentic recreation" of the classic JUPITER-4 – the company's first-ever polyphonic synth and the first to bear the JUPITER name – first launched in 1978 and used by the likes of Duran Duran and The Human League. 

Crafted using Roland’s Analogue Circuit Behavior (ACB) technology, which is also used to power the AIRA line of products that replicate similarily vintage sounds, the JUPITER-4 soft synth promises to "recreate the authentic circuit behaviors of the vintage instrument". It also boasts "enhanced features for modern workflows", including extended oscillator range, adjustable noise, velocity sensitivity, sub-oscillator volume control, and a flexible arpeggiator.

In addition, new Circuit Mod and Condition controls allow users to adjust the character of the sound to suit  individual tastes while phaser, flanger, overdrive, reverb, and delay effects are on hand to complement the Ensemble chorus effect from the original keyboard.

The JUPITER-4 soft synth is available for PC and Mac in VST/AU/AAX formats or as a Plug-Out for Roland's SYSTEM-8 hardware keyboard. Available through Roland Cloud, this is the latest addition to Roland’s Legendary series, which also includes plug-in versions of the JD-800, JUNO-60, JUPITER-8, TR-808, TR-909, and other Roland classics. 

Price-wise, users can select two Legendary titles with the Pro membership level for $99/year, or unlock full access to all titles with Ultimate membership for $199/year. Check out an intro video below and find out more via the Roland site.

Last month, Roland announced a new affordable hardware drum machine, polysynth and vocal processor in the form of a new AIRA Compact lineup. The T-8 is a drum machine and bassline synth in the guise of the TR8 and TB-03 previously released by Roland as part of the AIRA line. But can the T8 drum machine live up to the brand's legacy? Read our review here.