Plugin comparison
Specs, price and the Dubspot Score, side by side — with our verdict on which synth to buy.
Independent score / workflow fit / buying signal
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Contenders
Software emulation of the Roland Jupiter-8 synthesizer with component-level analog modeling and added modern sound design features.
Roland ZENOLOGY Pro: the ZEN-Core engine from FANTOM and JUPITER-X as a plugin, 4,106 tones and 93 effects. $229 lifetime at Plugin Boutique or $99 a year via Roland Cloud Pro.
Technical matrix
| Signal | Arturia Jup-8 V | Roland ZENOLOGY Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $149 | $229 lifetime ($599 with five Model Expansions) |
| Dubspot Score | 8.3 | — |
| Formats | Standalone, VST, VST3, Audio Unit (AU), AAX, NKS | VST3, AU, AAX, macOS, Windows |
| Polyphony | Up to 16 voices | — |
| Oscillators | 2 VCOs per voice | — |
| Factory presets | Over 300 | — |
| Effects | 3 configurable effect slots (11 effects available) | 93 multi-effects, 8 reverbs, six drum compressors |
| Modulation | 2 x ADSR envelopes, 3 LFOs | Two LFOs per partial (11 shapes), step LFOs with 16 steps and 37 curves |
| Sequencers | 2 x 32-step (Notes and Modulation) | — |
| Engine | — | ZEN-Core Synthesis System, up to four partials per tone |
| Sounds | — | 4,106 tones, 109 drum kits; banks of up to 2,048 tones |
| Model Expansions (extra) | — | JUPITER-8, JUNO-106, SH-101, JX-8P, JD-800 and more |
| Formats | — | VST3, AU (macOS), AAX; 64-bit |
| Systems | — | macOS 11 or later (Intel Core i5 or Apple silicon), Windows 10 64-bit; 2 GB RAM, 1 GB disk; internet to authenticate |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.