Roland JUPITER-4 Software Synthesizer Overview | A Vintage Icon on Roland Cloud

video upload by RolandChannel

Follow-up to this post.

"No synthesizer collection is complete without the original JUPITER. The iconic ’78 instrument set the stage for synthesis power with “Compuphonic” technology enabling digital voltage control and the ability to store eight user presets. Now, you can get the warm, fat sounds of the iconic JUPITER-4 synth as a plug-in for your DAW or a PLUG-OUT for your SYSTEM-8. Using Analog Circuit Behavior modeling, we’ve recreated the authentic circuit behaviors of the vintage instrument, including all the quirks and instabilities you know and love.

The beloved instrument got some modern updates too. New enhancements take the JUPITER-4 sonic powers to another level, including extended oscillator range, adjustable noise, velocity sensitivity, sub-oscillator volume control, and a flexible arpeggiator. And in addition to the perfect modeling of JUPITER-4’s lush Ensemble chorus, you can dig into a slew of added effects, including phaser, flanger, overdrive, reverb, and delay.

If you’re a SYSTEM-8 owner, the JUPITER-4 Software Synthesizer offers full integration with your SYSTEM-8 keyboard. You can change the JUPITER-4’s plug-in panel to match the SYSTEM-8 for intuitive, one-to-one control. Or use the PLUG-OUT functionality to turn your synth into a standalone, eight-voice JUPITER-4 you can play in the studio or on stage.

Watch Laurence Jepson, aka LZARUS, detail the features that bring this vintage gem into the modern day and now into your DAW.

00:00 Intro and history
00:41 Interface and basic controls
01:07 Patch memory and new sounds
01:46 SYSTEM-8 layout and control
01:55 Adjustable sub-oscillator and noise
02:17 Velocity control
02:29 Increased polyphony
02:57 Unison and LFO modulation
03:26 Ensemble chorus effect
03:59 Effects section
04:15 Enhanced arpeggiator
04:34 Hidden chord feature
05:08 Host tempo sync
05:25 Circuit Mod – new ACB feature
06:05 Analog Circuit Behavior
06:25 Plug-in features and compatibility
06:45 Get the JUPITER-4 Software Synthesizer"

NEW Jupiter-4 Plug-out for Roland System-8: Sound Design & Review
video upload by MR TUNA Music

"My friends! I am so honoured to be a part of the launch for the all-new ACB JUPITER-4 model for Roland Cloud and the System-8 synthesizer.

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro - Sounds
0:33 - Intro - The System-8 is not dead!
1:52 - Building a patch from scratch (init patch)
2:04 - The oscillators
3:55 - Sub osc
4:16 - Filter sweeps
5:21 - Filter envelopes
5:56 - Ensemble effect
7:31 - Big pads
7:50 - Circuit mod
10:56 - Motion recording with the sequencer
12:10 - Creating a bass sound
12:57 - Creating a pad sound
16:15 - Exploring negative envelopes
17:48 - Adding effects
19:06 - Closing thoughts"

And the press release from Roland

Authentic Recreation of Roland’s First JUPITER Synthesizer, Now Available as a Legendary Series Plug-In and SYSTEM-8 PLUG-OUT Through Roland Cloud

Los Angeles, CA, June 16, 2022 — Roland announces the JUPITER-4 Software Synthesizer, the latest addition to the Legendary instrument series available through Roland Cloud. Released in 1978, the JUPITER-4 was Roland’s first polyphonic synthesizer and the first to carry the JUPITER name. With the JUPITER-4 Software Synthesizer, the authentic sound of this trendsetting icon is now available as a computer-based plug-in and a PLUG-OUT for the SYSTEM-8 synthesizer keyboard.

Roland products with the JUPITER name represent the current pinnacle of the company’s synthesizer development, a benchmark started over four decades ago with the JUPITER-4. In addition to incredible analog synthesis power, it brought then-revolutionary digital voltage control and the ability to store eight presets with technological wizardry dubbed “Compuphonic.” But the JUPITER-4’s real appeal was its warm, fat voice and inviting hands-on panel, which inspired synth pioneers to create the defining sounds of synth-pop, new wave, and other emerging styles of the late ’70s and early ’80s.

Roland’s evolving Analog Circuit Behavior (ACB) technology brings the JUPITER-4 to life through careful analysis of original hardware units, circuit diagrams, and other historical data. This information is then used to recreate the authentic circuit behaviors of the vintage instrument—including all the beloved quirks and instabilities—giving the JUPITER-4 Software Synthesizer a breathtakingly accurate sound that buzzes with unique character.

While the JUPITER-4 only has a single VCO, it sounds positively massive, thanks to the combined characteristics of its oscillator, filter, LFO section, and more. ACB brings all these elements together like the original hardware, capturing the behavior and component interactions to create sonic magic. Going further, powerful new Circuit Mod and Condition controls allow users to adjust the overall character to suit their taste.

The JUPITER-4 also includes enhanced features for modern workflows, including extended oscillator range, adjustable noise, velocity sensitivity, sub-oscillator volume control, and a flexible arpeggiator. In addition, phaser, flanger, overdrive, reverb, and delay effects are available to complement the lush Ensemble chorus effect from the original keyboard.

The plug-in flows easily into modern DAW environments with a resizable UI, support for VST3, AAX, and AU formats, and native compatibility with Apple silicon. It also offers full integration with the Roland SYSTEM-8 Synthesizer. Users can control the software plug-in from the keyboard’s panel, and PLUG-OUT functionality turns the SYSTEM-8 into a standalone, eight-voice JUPITER-4 for stage and studio playing.

Availability & Pricing

The JUPITER-4 Software Synthesizer is the newest member of Roland’s Legendary series on Roland Cloud, which includes plug-in versions of the JD-800, JUNO-60, JUPITER-8, TR-808, TR-909, and other Roland classics.

Users can select two Legendary titles with the Pro membership level for $99/year, or get full access to all titles with Ultimate membership for $199/year. All paid levels—including Core and Pro—start with a free 30-day trial of Ultimate, allowing users to try out the JUPITER-4 and other Ultimate instruments, effects, apps, and more. In addition, any Roland Account holder can purchase Lifetime Keys for individual Legendary series titles. This provides unlimited access for as long as their account is active, even if they don’t have a Roland Cloud membership.

The JUPITER-4 is part of the Analog Polysynth Collection, a new Legendary series bundle that also includes the JUPITER-8, JUNO-60, JX-3P, and JUNO-106 software plug-ins. The bundle provides Lifetime Keys for all included products and offers a savings of nearly 40 percent over purchasing individual titles.