Roland celebrates 45 years of the JUPITER-08 with a new uber-compact addition to the Boutique series – plus a brand-new wavetable synth

Introduced in 2015, Roland’s Boutique series comprises uber-compact and portable desktop synthesizers using Analogue Circuit Behaviour (ACB) and digital modelling to faithfully recreate vintage Roland hardware.

So far, the line has featured digital recreations of classic Roland synths like the JD-08, JX-08 and the JU-06A, described as “everything you love about vintage JUNOS – in one synth”.

Now, Roland has just expanded the Boutique line further, with a new digital, downsized version of the iconic JUPITER-8, and the all-new n/vision, which offers a wavetable synthesis platform for rich textures and sound shaping.

It’s been 45 years since Roland first launched the JUPITER-8, a landmark polysynth that was instrumental in shaping the sound of electronic music in the early ‘80s and beyond. It remains a legend, and continues to be heard in newly released pop hits, video game soundtracks and more.

The JUPITER-08 looks to pay tribute to that enduring legacy, with a compact version inspired by the original hardware, with “classic sound, hands-on control and modern performance tools in a go-everywhere design”.

Calibrated for a “retro experience”, the JUPITER-08 features the same eight-part/two-voice architecture of the original JUPITER-8, however players can internally expand the polyphony to 32 voices if they wish. There’s also “refined voice allocation and pitch behaviour”, offering a “rich, animated playing experience with enhanced polyphonic performance and genuine vintage-inspired character”.

Elsewhere, the JUPITER-08 comes loaded with a two-part 64-step polyphonic sequencer plus an arpeggiator, as well as 17 unique onboard effects including chorus and MFX, and dedicated delay and reverbs.

While previous units in the Roland Boutique series have employed ACB technology, the JUPITER-08 features ABM (Analogue Behaviour Modelling), a new type of modelling technology developed by Roland which is said to improve processing capabilities and thus increase polyphony.

Meanwhile, the n/vision is newly developed for the Boutique series, and the first wavetable synth in the lineup. It features 63 factory wavetables that can be blended together using dual-layer architecture, as well as an analogue-modelled filter with numerous vintage-inspired filter models.

Like the JUPITER-08, the n/vision comes with a built-in speaker, as well as a two-part 64-step polyphonic sequencer and arpeggiator, plus a suite of onboard effects. The unit also facilitates Step LFO, envelope modulation, oscillator modulation, motion recording and “extensive parameter control”.

“Powered by Roland’s latest sound advancements, n/vision allows players to build evocative textures through a tactile synthesizer workflow,” says Roland. “Users can easily blend and shape two wavetable layers to create animated movement, moving pads, aggressive leads, complex timbres, and more.”

Both the JUPITER-08 and n/vision feature a 25-key detachable keyboard, plus a 3.5mm headphone output, main output and aux input, 5-pin MIDI in and Out and USB-C input.

Both the JUPITER-08 and n/vision are available now, priced at $549.99 each.

Learn more at Roland.

Sam is the Associate News Editor for Guitar.com and MusicTech. Thoroughly immersed in music culture for the majority of his life, Sam has played guitar for 20 years, studied music technology and production at university, and also written for the likes of MusicRadar, Guitar World, Total Guitar and Metal Hammer.