Developer Martin Lüders has released PG-8X v2.0, a free virtual analog synthesizer for OS X & Windows, inspired by the Roland JX-8P.
Features:
- Up to 12 voice polyphony.
- Two DCO’s with Saw, Square, Pulse, Noise.
- Hard Sync and Ring Modulation.
- Two exponential envelope generators.
- 24 dB resonant LP filter.
- HP filter (3 stages).
- Stereo Chorus.
- Import and Export of JX-8P Sysex data.
PG-8X 2.0 is available now as a free download for OS X & Windows.
If you’ve used PG-8X, leave a comment and let us know what you think of it!
The PG-8X must have been a monster.
At a certain point, I’ve become lesson inclined to install YAVAS (yet another virtual analog subtractive) onto my machine. So without some demo audio, I think I’ll pass.
However, I will say that what I’m looking for and have not yet found is a VI with really smooth fast short envelope ramps (attack, decay or release). It is a very specific little sound, and it seems that most VI’s can’t seem to make that happen. They can do lots of other things quite well, no doubt. But I’ve noticed with a high-res LP or BP filter sweeping downward or upward quickly (like 20-50ms) and I always hear zippering. I’ve heard analog synths do this with no problem. It’s not impossible with digital, but it must require something different than the current architecture allows.
BTW, if anyone knows of YAVAS that can do very quick envelope ramps smoothly, I’d like a recommendation. (iOS or Mac OS- AU).
Oop. I meant the JX-8P must have been a monster.
yet the first JX8P emulation
Repro Alpha by U-he delivers this in spades
+1 for “YAVAS” as a searchable tag in the kvr database
This is easily one of the best sounding softsynths, never mind recreations of the jx-8p. Massive accomplishment!
many thanks !! I already use the previous version wich is very good !!
People should put way their YAVAS preconceptions and try this anyway, it’s free, there’s NOTHING to lose except a little of your time. Martin has put together an incredible synth and it’s unbelieveable that it continues to be free. Very close to the original if not pretty much the same. Not everyone is going to like the JX-8P/10 sound, it’s idiosyncratic, but this plugin captures it very, very well. I use it on many of my tracks for pad layers, it’s a pad monster!
I didn’t mean to throw shade, half of my go-to plugins are virtual analog… really looking forward to trying this. Just thought YAVAS was funny.
For Mac users.. this is VST or Standalone only.. No AU support unfortunately
nice price
kills the “when on sale line ” pretty good
Amazing! Thank you for sharing Martin.
It is very good! Thanks to Martin for a great one and at generous pricing.
Also it loads up most hardware JX-8P patches just fine.
only VST so of no use to Logic users
shame oh well.
Um, you mean can’t be used inside logic as AU. Many of us use VSTs with Logic by loading them in other apps and wiring them into Logic with no problem. Google it 🙂
I paid for Camel Audio Alchemy (Windows) and now it is for Mac only … Shame to that as well ….
I have a version of it up and running in Logic as an AU so i don’t know what is going on with the links – been using it for a month or two.
The AU version is marked as ‘discontinued’. I asked the developer about this on Facebook and he said that he wanted to get the VST finished and bug-free before going back to the AU. The delay was caused, he said, by an incompatibility between the way he implemented the patch system and the way AUs are supposed to do it.
The VST works fine with a wrapper plugin such as DDMF Metaplugin, I’ve found.
Damn this thing sounds fucking beautiful.
This seems to be a video of the recent version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2bbHlYrAVo
It’s a compare between the VST and the real thing.
this thing sounds great – way thicker and more present than a lot of my other regular plugins though…. so will need to figure out how it drops in a mix.
My favorite line about the JX-8P was when Jexus said “The good-morning-how-can-I-help-you tone of this synth oscillates between a can of razor-blades, a glass of marbles and a medley of 80’s hits”.
Nice little synth. Reminds me of my old JX-8P. Even seems to load up old sys-ex files. YAVAS haters gotta hate, until they try it 🙂
Thanks!
I guess I coined YAVAS above, but I’m not throwing any hate. On the contrary, I kind of love VAS’s. I have quite a few. Just saying there are lots and lots of them. That is all. No hate. Only love. I will try.
Going through the factory JX-8P presets on the PG-8X and it trips me out how FM/digital the pianos sound on this synth even with basic subtractive settings. Likewise with the organ and timbales presets. Is it the DCO level controlled envelope? Negative envelopes? The velocity functions? The sloppy envelopes in general? Anyway this is a perfectly strange synth in many ways and i’m feeling the warm YAVAS running over me. Thanks Martin for making this fine freebie!
Is the Mac version 32-bit?
In case you are curious, sounds like the demo is this Wagner song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWC9pHS-ErI
(stunning movie too, if you haven’t seen it)
Is this licensed from Roland?
This is a great vst, for free and all and he completely rewrote the code not long ago.
i did a track with it, so i’m going to self promote my music and promote the pg8x ok?
here ya go:
https://soundcloud.com/strange_nights/gold-coast-hwy-cruise
Crashed out flstudio on closing the VST
Someone Please Create something like this for the Roland D-50
Absolutely identical to the original.
Amazing job!!!!!
Thanks heaps!!!!
Did anyone else get any presets with this, mine are all INIT??
No bundled presets that I saw but it works with real JX-8P sysex. Factory is available of course. There are some good user made ones around too.
This sounds absolutely amazing! My jaw almost fell off when hearing it for the first time! A real masterpiece of a softsynth emulation! Martin Lueders is a genius! Imagine him make a Roland Jupiter 8 emulation….