TAL’s J-8 might be the most affordable Jupiter-8 emulation on the internet
The maker of the beloved U-No-LX plug-in tackles recreation of the legendary Jupiter-8.
It’s likely that many producers out there are familiar with the TAL U-No-LX, an esteemed Roland Juno 60 emulation. It’s affordability and convincing sound made it a go-to synth plug-in for all types of music-makers. Now, TAL is aiming to bring the Jupiter-8 to your DAW, also as an affordable and convincing plug-in.
The 80s hardware heavyweight can be heard on countless records from artists such as Giorgio Moroder through to Paul Epworth. Its desirable character has been replicated in an array of formats by Arturia and Roland themselves. But at a low price tag of £57, TAL’s take on the titan might be the most affordable yet, while still offering authenticity and a few modern features.
Using a hardware model of the Jupiter-8, TAL has meticulously emulated and calibrated the J-8 to generate sounds in realtime – no samples needed. Patrick Kunz, the man behind TAL, has kept things rather true to the original. Two VCOs are onboard with cross-modulation and a section dedicated to VCO modulation, plus a low-pass VCF and high-pass filter. An LFO and two envelopes are included for modulation, as expected. For some quick inspiration, the J-8 comes with over 200 presets created by solidtrax, emptyvessel and more.
Some modern features include MPE support and a calibration section to create extreme resonance and filter overdrive. A VCO based Unison mode and stereo spread lets you create thick, rich tones, with a full stereo signal path.
A demo version is available to try out the TAL J-8 before you take the plunge. Whether it can top the power of the Arturia Jup-8 V and the Roland Cloud emulator is yet to be seen, but perhaps the demo will give you enough freedom to make your mind up.
Download the demo at tal-software.com.
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