Jun Murakami has released a software synthesizer instrument inspired by the Roland MKS-80 Super Jupiter Rev.4.1
From the delicate characteristics of the filters to the noise oscillators with subtle nuances derived from IC chips, Synth-80 aims to recreate the sound texture with meticulous attention to every detail, elevating the level of hardware emulation to a new height.
The Roland MKS-80 SUPER JUPITER is a legendary synthesizer produced only for a short period beginning in 1984. Often overshadowed by popular keyboards such as the JUPITER-8, this 8-voice polyphonic analog synthesizer is defined not only by its refined sound but also by a remarkable trait: almost every one of its parameters can be controlled over MIDI.
For a fully analog synthesizer of its era this was extraordinarily rare, and it makes the MKS-80 an ideal subject for software-synthesizer research — in other words, it is easy to build measurement programs that retrigger notes again and again while automatically sweeping the parameters, capturing detailed analyses. For this project I wrote more than 100 dedicated automated measurement programs covering every circuit and parameter of the MKS-80.
Synth-80 for Windows and macOS (VST3, AU, AAX and standalone) is on sale for the intro price of $59 USD until July 7th, 2026 (regular $99 USD).
More information: Jun Murakami
