Top 20 Vintage/Retro Synth Plugin Emulations 2023

This article will discuss the best twenty Vintage/Retro Synth Plugins or Software Synths in 2023.

Retro sounds, 80s synth pop, and vintage aesthetics are back for good, with popular artists like Dua Lipa, The Weeknd, The 1975, Badshah, Calvin Harris, Diljeet, and more aggressively using these sounds in their productions. Some of the biggest hits of the last two years, like Peaches, Levitating, Blinding Lights, I Never Fall in Love, and more, are based on vintage sonic aesthetics.

Whether punchy retro drum sounds inspired by Linn Drums and Roland TR-808, stabby strings from the 80s, soothing synthesizers and pads, or plucky basslines, we see a huge transition in the sonic palette of music at a global scale.

2023 has been one of the most inclusive times in music, with songs inspired by different genres and eras coexisting together, and there’s an audience for almost every niche. With that in mind, we have created a list of the best synth plugins and included emulations of synthesizers from the 70s, 80s, and 90s to give you a well-rounded sonic palette. So let’s dive right into it.

Top 11 Vintage/Retro Synth Plugins 2023

1. Roland JUPITER 8

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The Roland JUPITER 8 plugin is a modern and virtual recreation of the popular 80s polysynths.

The vintage analog synthesizer’s software reboot has 16 oscillators and eight voices of polyphony and is great for sounds like sparse and ambient pads, upfront leads, and thick bass textures. According to Roland, the plugin is a down-to-circuit-level accurate reproduction of the original. As a result, you can utilize synth for creating the trending synth wave, future pop, indietronica, and many modern-day pop genres.

Key Features:

• Synth Architecture
  The plugin consists of 2 VCOs with shapes such as saw, triangle, PWM, sine, square, and noise. As a result, both sound sources sound quite analogous and warm. Further, a VCO Modulation option consists of an LFO, envelope, Pulse Width Modulation (PWM), and PWM -1 switch. Further, there’s a high pass filter, a Vintage Controlled Filter, a Vintage Controlled Amplifier, and two envelopes.
• Effects section
  In addition, there’s a flexible effect unit with an adjustable effect type, a reverb section, and a delay/chorus section. However, you can change the reverb and the delay/chorus type. Plus, there’s an in-built arpeggiator, portamento knob, and legato switch for interesting movements and transitions.
• Interface
  The visual look of the plugin is exactly like the original Jupiter-8, and it has a resizeable GUI. You can easily browse through the plugins and tweak any parameters by manipulating their sliders, knobs, and switches. However, the controllers are a bit small, but you can zoom the plugin window to access each control.
• Presets
  You can click on the patch button to access the presets of the plugin. It allows you to add new banks, load/import a bank, delete it, and save/export it as a file. Each bank consists of 64 memories, and you can change the order of the memories in the bank and rename the bank.

Compatibility:

The Roland JUPITER-8 is available as VST 2, VST 3, AU, and AAX plugin types, and the minimum operating system requirement is macOS 10.14 or Windows 8, with a minimum of 4 GB RAM and 100 MB of hard disk space. Further, you can use the plugin in SYSTEM-8 because of its plug-out feature.

Summary:

The plugin does a great job reproducing the original warm, punchy, and analog sound of the Jupiter-8, making it an honest recreation. It’s one of the best analog synth recreations, and other good emulations are done by Spectrasonics Omnisphere, U-he Diva, Arturia Jup-8, Softube Model 84, and Togu Audio Line TAL-J-8. 

2. Arturia SQ80 V

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This plugin complements the analog rave of the 1980s with digital complexity and flexibility.

Arturia SQ80 V is based on the Ensoniq SQ-80 CrossWave synthesizer, released in the late-80s around 1987. It was a build-up on the classic ESQ-1 synth with more waveforms, an enhanced sequencer, and preset storage.

And it was a far easier synth to program when digital synths were infamous for being challenging. Generally, musicians used the synth to create digital organs, sound effects, pads, and even analog-type sounds.

It offered multi-sampled transient attack waveforms like a violin bow, plectrum picks, mallets, breath, percussion, and hammer. Such samples led to the hybridization of acoustic sounds with digital synthesis.

Arturia’s take on this vintage marvel offers even more waveforms, an easier workflow, and other idiosyncrasies that only make the synth better.

One of the biggest changes is the 16-voice polyphony instead of merely eight. Similarly, Arturia SQ80 V employs an eight-voice unison option, which helps create enormous sounds and immersive pads.

Key Features:

• Powerful Oscillators
  Arturia SQ80 V features three 8-bit oscillators, each capable of loading a unique waveform and employing a deeply modeled 5503 DOC chip. And like the original hardware, they feature hard sync and amplitude modulation. You’ll find the original seventy-five waveforms and so much more. Hence, Arturia classifies the waveforms into four groups: SQ80 Waveforms, Transwaves, ESQ-1 Hidden Waveforms, and SQ80 Hidden Waveforms.
  The SQ80 Waveforms include the classic factory waveforms, ranging from primitive waves like sine and pulse to acoustic transients. Similarly, the Transwave group showcases the technology from Ensoniq’s synthesizers after the SQ-80, including Transwaves. Conversely, the Hidden Waveforms include the waveforms discovered by unearthing the respective hardware’s operating software and manipulating the code.
• CEM 3379 Filter
  The plugin features an analog low-pass filter that lends imperfections and a harmonically rich tone to the digital oscillators. Furthermore, the output amplifier is also an analog system that provides sonic fluctuations that impart life to the otherwise overly-precise sound of digital synthesis. In addition, Arturia’s subtle analog dispersion technology helps bring the organic nature of the sound to reality.
• Modulation
  The plugin features four analog amp envelopes, one for each oscillator and one for the master output. Furthermore, there are four polyphonic envelopes with three modes: SQ80, DADSR, and MSEG. Here, the SQ80 envelope is traditional, DADSR adds a delay parameter to control when the envelope starts, and MSEG lets you write envelopes freely using a node-based editor.
  Next, you’ll find three LFOs with six waveforms, eight MIDI sources, and a modulation mixer. The Mod Mixer, a solid addition by Arturia, lets you combine two modulation sources to get creative with your patches. There are six algorithms to combine the modulators like add, multiply, etc.
• Arpeggiator
  Arturia SQ80 V features an arpeggiator module that lets you easily create melodies and backing patterns. It comes with a standard set of controls like arpeggio direction, sync, octave range, and hold/latch. There are seven arpeggio directions or modes.
• Mix Ready
  The plugin features an Effects tab that lets you add four effect processors across two busses, configurable in series or parallel. And there are fifteen effects built into the synth. These include stereo pan, bit-crusher, phaser, pitch-shift delay, delay, compressor, flanger, tape delay, parametric EQ, multiband compressor, JUNO chorus, reverb, multi-filter, overdrive, and chorus.

Compatibility:

Arturia SQ80 V is available for Windows 8.1 or higher and macOS 10.13 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

If you want more creative freedom than what an analog synth offers but still want to retain the vintage vibe, Arturia SQ80 V could be the ideal synth for you.

It comes with digital oscillators that combine multiple waveforms, analog filter, output stage, and modern modulators and effect processors.

Furthermore, the sound designing process is easy to understand, which is a feature that sets the original hardware apart from other digital synthesizers. And if you don’t want to bother creating custom patches, you can use the built-in collection of 160 presets.

These include everything from exquisite, ethereal pads, punchy retro bass, and analog-style powerful brass sounds.

3. Roland JUNO-60

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JUNO-60 is an emulation of the popular 80s analog synthesizer by Roland. 

It’s punchy and fat and has a unique vintage sonic characteristic for which it is known. Roland bases the virtual synth on the original core technology, which was based on the ACB technology. In addition, the instrument derived its sound from its analog filter with switchable high pass filter voicing, Juno chorus effect, and classic CE-1, reverb, flanger, and other effects.

Key Features:

• Oscillator
  The maximum polyphony available is of eight voices, and the Digitally Controlled Oscillator has customizable controls like range, LFO modulation, PWM depth, PWM source, PWM level, SAW level, SUB level, and NOISE level. That allows you to have a fuller and deeper sound.
• In-depth sound shaping
  The plugin allows you to apply two ADSRs, an HPF, a VCF, and a VCA for sonic sculpting. In addition, you can add the effects like overdrive, distortion, Juno chorus, and CE-1 and adjust their tone and depth. Furthermore, for the reverb and delay effects, you can select the types and adjust their time and level settings.
• High-quality sounds
  The sampling frequency in which the synth is used can be selected as 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, or 192 kHz. At 192 kHz, you can be assured about the harmonic quality of the sounds.  

Compatibility:

The JUNO-60 is available in VST, AU, and AAX plugin formats and requires a minimum of macOS 10.14 or Windows 10 operating systems.

Summary:

Roland has done a great job carrying on its legacy with the software version of the JUNO-60. The plugin also allows you to adjust the age of the synth by using the Condition knob. The GUI is fully resizeable and has a great resolution. You can get the complete authentic hardware experience of the synth by using it with SYSTEM-8.

4. Softube Model 72 Synthesizer

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The nicest retro sounds may be obtained by using an analog device.

The finest synthesizer sounds were frequently performed through antique machines, sometimes with hundreds of patch connections or knobs to fiddle with. However, the components inside its structure ensured that these sounds were as unique and original as possible, an important feature of their distinct tone.

Softube took the initiative to recreate the essence of a real 1972 hardware in good shape, capturing and translating every aspect into this virtual instrument.

Key Features:

• • Designed and built with passion
    Softube has extensive expertise in simulating music gear and has collaborated with hundreds of audio businesses such as Solid State Logic, Tube-Tech, and Weiss Engineering. Model 72 does the same thing by meticulously reproducing every module of this synth to deliver the most realistic feel possible from every small adjustment in any knob or parameter.
  • Expansion panel
    One of the nicest aspects of a virtual instrument is the new features that may come with it. The “Expansion” tab, for example, allows you to freely adjust individual parameters such as “Doubling” and “Spread.” These two new knobs enable you to have the identical notes you played doubled by another synth and to adjust how much this doubling is spread out in the stereo image.
  • Tone generator
    The tone generator is the basic core of the synth, where all sounds are created to be subsequently adjusted. You’ll find three oscillators here, two with almost similar output waveforms and a third dedicated to working as an independent modulation oscillator with greater tuning range and slightly varied waveforms, providing modest variation when making new tones.
  • Modulation
    All of the magic takes place here. This part has a “Master Tune” knob that controls the overall tuning of the Model 72, the “Note Glide” pace, and the modulation mix. As an alternative modulation source, a dedicated LFO can be employed. The modulation wheel acts as an attenuator, fine-tuning the amount of modulation spread, and may also be routed to an oscillator pitch or a specified filter cutoff frequency.
  • Amp Room module
    The “Amp Room” module is responsible for creating the optimum instrument sound. This thick-sounding filter with “Envelope Follower,” “Cutoff,” “Drive,” and “Resonance” controls can make your guitar, bass, or keyboard sound as funky as ever. “Fast” and “Smooth” are the two settings of the “Envelope Follower.” A dedicated “Mix” knob can assist in balancing the effects and their resulting mixed sound.
  • The modules
    Model 72’s parts are separated into “Tone Generator,” “Amplifier,” “Filter,” “Envelope,” “Noise and Glide,” “Doubling,” and “Preamp.” All segments are created in the same manner as an actual unit, with identical signal flow. Specific components, such as the “Amplifier” and “Preamp,” offer the true feel necessary to make it sound realistic, flawlessly mimicking each subtlety that makes the frequencies stand out.

Compatibility:

The plugin is available for macOS 10.13 up to 12 (64-bit only) and Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit only). It comes in VST, VST 3, AAX, and AU plugin formats. 

Summary:

Softube’s Model 72 is a great recreation of an instrument that influenced an entire generation of artists and producers, particularly funk music. With a synthesizer on your side, the possibilities are nearly limitless, and Softube did an excellent job of reproducing virtually old hardware like this synth.

There aren’t many intricate controls, only simple commands that deal with frequency modification like the previous units.

5. Roland JUPITER-4

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Jupiter 4 was the first JUPITER polyphonic analog synthesizer, and Roland recreates it in this plugin.

Roland has recreated the original analog circuit behavior virtually with the plugin. It’s known for its massive sound; you could use it to create upfront leads and fat basslines. Plus, the built-in ensemble chorus effect lets you embody the lushness required in pad sounds and other atmospheric sonics.

In addition, the company made some additional changes from the original hardware after years of R&D and feedback. Overall it’s a flexible synthesizer that uses subtractive synthesis.

Key Features:

• Effects
  The Reverb effect in the plugin has ambiance, hall, room, plate, and modulation algorithms with time and level adjustments. The delay types include flanger, panning delay, chorus, and chorus + delay. Further, the other effects include overdrive, distortion, metal, ensemble, and phaser.
• Modulations
  You can select LFO shapes like sin, tri, saw, square, etc., along with range, rate, and delay time. Further, the oscillator has LFO and Pulse width modulations when setting up your sound source. Plus, you have a chord feature in the arpeggiator, which used to be hidden in the hardware, wherein you can play multiple notes simultaneously.
• Sounds
  Some great presets in the plugin are JH Star Piano and JH Dawn, giving you silky smooth and royal textures. The JH Pedal Board and JH Time preset have a nostalgic electronic texture. The Uno Bass preset is funky and plucky, giving Bruno Mars feels immediately. The melodic sounds are cheesy and soft, whereas the bass sounds are warm and punchy.

Compatibility:

The Roland JUPITER-4 is available as VST 2, VST 3, AU, and AAX plugin types, and the minimum operating system requirement is macOS 10.14 or Windows 8, with a minimum of 4 GB RAM and 100 MB of hard disk space. Further, you can use the plugin in SYSTEM-8 because of its plug-out feature.

Summary:

The plugin is great for vintage sounds and may give you a lot of nostalgia. The sounds, workflow, and UI are old-school, making the plugin even more fun. It’s velocity sensitive and can also capture release times, giving you the freedom to record expressive playing.

6. Moog Minimoog

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UAD launched their virtual version of the legendary Minimoog synth with UAD Spark in collaboration with Moog Music.

The plugin has been created with plenty of research to emulate the classic circuitry and rigorous modeling to precisely capture the module-to-module coupling and impedance, to re-create the authentic analog sound of the original Minimoog as a soft-synth.

It has three oscillators, each with six different basic analog waveforms to choose from, along with a volume knob in the mixer window. Overall, the interface and the signal flow, like the hardware, are simple and easy to use.

Key Features:

• Analog filters
  The plugin allows you to set the cutoff frequency, filter emphasis (resonance), and contour amount (mix) of the filter, and the filter sound warm, vintage, and analog. It’s modeled from a VCF (Voltage Controlled Filter) and the filter response has been programmed accordingly.
• Software additions
  UAD has added flexible velocity sensitivity and additional modulation features like a separate LFO, modulation amount, and modulation mix sources. These features are not present in the hardware version.
• Expansive Presets
  The presets are classified and organized in terms of Genre, Type, and Description, and there is a huge variety of presets you can choose from, which fit a lot of different genres and styles. That makes the sound selection process easier, especially for composers and new music producers.

Compatibility:

The plugin requires a macOS 10.15 Catalina, 11 Big Sur, or 12 Monterey, and is available with the UAD Spark in AAX, AU, VST3, and LUNA plugin formats.

Summary:

Overall, UAD Minimoog sounds close to the original hardware synthesizer and is a great emulation. The harmonic content you get from the External Input Volume can increase the quality of the audio and add the required punch, warmness, and spark to the sound. It’s a great plugin for creating vintage, analog-sounding retro synth-pop music and even EDM and modern pop.

7. Roland JUNO-106

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Juno-106 is the recreation of the vintage analog synthesizer which influenced modern pop music. 

It consists of a DCO (Digitally Controlled Oscillator), an HPF (High Pass Filter), a VCF (Voltage Controlled Filter), a VCA (Voltage Controlled Amplifier), two envelopes/ADSRs, its well-known CHORUS effect, a delay effect, a reverb effect, and other effects. It also has a browsable patch window, arpeggiator, and articulation controllers like bend and portamento.

Key Features:

• Sound Sources
  The DCO was created to stabilize the tuning of analog synthesizers, and it uses a VCO such that it’s driven by a control signal from a Digital-to-analog converter. You can control the LFO modulation and PWM modulation of the oscillator, PWM level, and SAW level and add depth to your sounds by adjusting the SUB level slider. You can also add noise to your sounds to add more frequency spectrum coverage to the sound.
• Filters
  The HPF allows you to control the cutoff frequency, while the VCF allows you to adjust the velocity sensitivity, cutoff frequency, resonance, envelope modulation, LFO modulation, and keyboard follow.
• Effects
  Apart from the delay, reverb, and chorus effects with adjustable controls, you also get access to effects like distortion, overdrive, Crusher, Phaser, and two types of Juno Chorus. That allows you to sonically shape your sound seven further by adjusting the harmonic content of the sounds and adding time-based effects.
• Controllers
  The set of controllers in the plugin is immense, with bend sensitivity pitch and filter controllers, modulation sensitivity pitch and filter controllers, portamento knob, legato on/off switch, bend range, bend gain, tempo sync on/off switch, key assign mode, key hold switch, octave sector, and condition control.

Compatibility:

The Juno 106 plugin is compatible with the SYSTEM-8 synthesizer and is available as VST 2, VST 3, AU, and AAX plugin versions. It requires the Intel® Core™ i5 or better or Apple M1 chip, along with at least 4 GB of hard disk and 100 MB of hard disk space.

Summary:

The plugin has 64 presets that can help you get started with your sound selection or design. The plugin creates that sweet and cheesy sound of the original 106 faithfully that you can use in your arrangements. When it comes to the interface, it’s well-designed and easy to use, and looks exactly like the real hardware synthesizer.

Other alternatives to plugin versions of the Juno-106 are Yonu60, Tal-U-No 62, OS-251, Chorus JUN-6, Tyrell N6, and u-he Diva.

8. u-he Diva

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Diva, by u-he, offers limited controls, but it sounds very similar to real analog synths.

Overall, Diva is an easy plugin to navigate. The plugin gives you five different types of oscillators, four kinds of high-pass filters, five main filter options, and three types of envelopes. You’ll find LFOs, the effects, and the available controls in the lower panels, such as sync, pan, and tuning.

Additionally, there are individual menus for modifications, trimmers, scope, and presets.

Key Features:

• Oscillators
  Each of the five types offers a slightly different GUI, which can be confusing. Other than that, they all sound incredible. For example, in the Voltage Controlled Oscillation area, the plugin gives you three options. A CPU-hungry Triple VCO with FM controls, a multi-wave Dual VCO with PWM, and a CPU-friendly Dual VCO Eco with ring modulation. In addition to those, you get a DCO, a single oscillator with a flexible sub-OSC, and a Digital oscillator, which offers several types of waveforms.
• Filters
  The heart of Diva is its filters. U-he has modeled all five units after a more significant number of classic hardware and, though the controls are similar, each has its unique flavor. For instance, VCF | BITE adds beautiful resonance by increasing the oscillator volume by 10%.
• Oscillator Voice Detune
  Voltage oscillator synths detune slightly due to component wear, creating a natural effect that is almost like a soft chorus. To simulate this, u-he went above and beyond and gave us the Oscillator Voice Detune panel. You can access it by clicking the Trimmers section at the GUI’s bottom. There are three knobs for each of Diva’s voices, and you can fine-tune them to find your sound. Additionally, you get a “Detune Amt” knob below in the same panel, which controls the global detune. In high values, the same note will sound highly different if you play it twice.
• Presets
  The plugin gives you over 1200 presets, making life a lot easier, especially if you don’t have time to design your patches. Additionally, it’s easy to search for the right presets through tags or text. You can look up categories, features, or the character of the desired sound.

Sound & Usability:

Like most analog gear, you lose some flexibility to gain character and personality. And even though this is a plugin, it makes every effort to get the best of the most famous hardware synths. As a result, this plugin’s sound is warm, round, and punchy from the get-go. Additionally, Diva’s usability is unique. That’s because u-he went for a genuinely analog look and feel for this plugin.

However, the overall UI looks a bit crowded, with small names for small knobs. There are no fancy graphs or metering here, simply the parameters laid down as knobs and faders on a clean background. For that matter, controlling the envelopes with faders will come as a new experience for those only used to digital synths.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for macOS 10.7 or newer and Windows 7 or higher in VST, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

Built as an all-analog solution for your synth needs, u-he’s Diva lets you grasp the sound of the original hardware for a thin slice of their prices. Unlike the originals, though, you can replace the modules and combine them to taste, just to remind you that you’re in the digital realm. Diva is a great-sounding plugin that will have a special place in your collection.

9. Roland JX-3P

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Roland JX-3P is the plugin version of six voice vintage analog synthesizer.

It honestly recreates the original sound with its fat midrange, shimmering high-end, and upfront bass frequencies. It’s great for vintage sounds like synth stabs, synth strings, warm electric pianos, organs, and saw-based plucky bass sounds. It also supports the PLUG-OUT format to work with the SYSTEM-8.

Key Features:

• Soundbank
  The plugin features a unique patch block, a matrix that allows you to select sounds from two rows consisting of sixteen factory sounds and two rows in which you can save your patches. In addition, there’s a patch browser in which you can select different presets to help you get started with the synth.
• Sound architecture
  The plugin consists of two DCOs (Digitally Controlled Oscillators), one VCF (Voltage Controlled Filter), one VCA (Voltage Controlled Amplifier), and two envelopes. The digital sound sources, along with analog filters and amps, give it a great hybrid tone that makes it sound unique and versatile. You can keep the sound source as unison, mono, or poly.
• Effects section
  The plugin consists of three effects sections: the first is adjustable, the second is delay/chorus, and the third is reverb. Select the delay and reverb type best suits your song and taste. In addition, there are controllers like the portamento knob, legato switch, and bend range. In addition, there’s also a tempo-synced arpeggiator with conditional and step programming capabilities.

Compatibility:

The Roland JX-3P is available as VST 2, VST 3, AU, and AAX plugin types, and the minimum operating system requirement is macOS 10.14 or Windows 8, with a minimum of 4 GB RAM and 100 MB of hard disk space.

Summary:

The plugin has a classic sound, and there are few recreations and wavetable presets for the JX-3P, as the signature sound comes from the JP-3X chorus, which is hard to emulate but sounds awesome! The PLUG-OUT version allows a more hands-on experience, and the built-in arpeggiator syncs well with your DAW and tempo.

10. Arturia Jup-8 V

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Arturia’s take on this classic synthesizer is sure to take you back in time to when the change from analog to digital was the most evident in the history of music.

The esteemed manufacturer Roland introduced the Jupiter 8 synthesizer in early 1981. So, you could say it pretty much kickstarted the 80s sound. Arturia’s Jup-8 V plugin aims to recreate the same synth in great detail.

And I must say it’s quite a wild success, both sonically and visually. It has a thick, powerful sound and every ounce of the original synth’s versatility.

The plugin uses component-level modeling and sampling to deliver all of the controls in the original hardware. Furthermore, Jup-8 V modernizes the classic with added quirks and features.

Go beyond the antique limitations with multiple LFOs, better modulation, contemporary sequencing, effects, and 16-voice polyphony.

Key Features:

• Dual VCOs
  Like the original hardware, the plugin features two oscillators. The first oscillator allows you to change the range and waveform, whereas the second features a fine-tune knob too. You can also switch to a low range to use the second VCO as a sub. Another notable feature is cross-modulation from the second oscillator to the first, creating sci-fi and powerful sonic landscapes to explore.
  Similarly, you can set either oscillator as the sync leader or disable the feature altogether. Syncing forces the follower oscillator to retrigger every time the sync leader’s oscillator cycle (waveform) ends, regardless of the follower’s position. It results in a harmonically rich sound.
• Filters
  The original Jupiter 8 synth was much loved for its dual filter design. And this faithful emulation by Arturia features the same. You’ll find a 6 dB/oct high-pass filter with a cutoff fader and a low-pass filter. The low-pass has faders for cutoff, resonance, key follow, etc. You can also switch the low-pass filter’s slope steepness between 12 dB/octave and 24 dB/octave.
• Modulators
  First, the plugin features an LFO that controls the pitch at the top left of the user interface. It lets you add subtle vibrato or even wobbles. Similarly, it employs two envelope generators with the standard attack, decay, sustain, and release controls. Moreover, the first envelope can modulate the pitch, pulse-width modulation (PWM), and low-pass filter’s cutoff, whereas the second one can modulate the pitch, cutoff, and volume. You can select what to modulate using toggle switches on the target sections.
  You’ll also find two more LFOs in the advanced panel, which weren’t available in the original hardware. Similarly, an advanced modulation mixer lets you use various algorithms to sum multiple modulation sources and manipulate three destinations. The result is evolving synth pads or chaotic basslines.
• Arpeggiator & Sequencer
  Jup-8 V employs the Jupiter 8’s arpeggiator with a range of four octaves and some new modes that weren’t available originally. The arpeggio modes include up, down, played order, reversed, up-down including highest/lowest notes, up-down excluding the highest/lowest notes, and random.
  Furthermore, Jup-8 V features a 32-step sequencer alongside a modulation sequencer. You can create dynamic backing melodies that work together with the modulation sequencer. Similarly, you can choose a scale for the sequencer; set up accent settings, glide, octave range, pitch routing between (first, second, or both oscillators).
• Effect Processors
  While the 16-voice oscillators alongside Arturia’s unison detuning make the synth sound grand by itself, these additional effects bring yet another layer of beauty to your sound. It has three FX slots and eleven digital effects, including reverb, delay, compressor, chorus, bit-crusher, etc. Of course, if you prefer the old-school sounds, you can turn off these effects with the click of a button.

Compatibility:

Arturia Jup-8 V is available for Windows 8.1 or higher and macOS 10.13 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

Roland Jupiter 8 is one of the most important synthesizers of the 80s. It shaped the sound of many hit albums and even films. So, the excellent emulation in Arturia’s Jup-8 V allows you to instantly bring classic sounds to your DAW.

Furthermore, it features many modern additions like unison, more modulation possibilities, sequencer, etc. Similarly, the “note dispersion” feature emulates the subtle changes that voltage fluctuations in the synthesizer’s components bring.

It helps make the plugin sound even closer to the original hardware.

11. Roland SH-101

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The Roland SH-101 plugin emulation is based on advanced circuit-level modeling and is a great recreation of the original synthesizer. 

The plugin was created as an economical and portable synthesizer. Hence it’s 2-octave long and monophonic. However, modern artists at the time adapted to it, and it became popular for its unique bass and lead patches. It consists of a single sound source, a VCO with no polyphony, a Source Mixer, a VCF, a VCA, an effect section, a modulator section, and an arpeggiator section.

Key Features:

• Comprehensive Sonic shaping
  The plugin allows you to change the levels/mixes/depths of effects like Crusher, Reverb, and Delay. You can mix these effects on your sounds to make them more interesting and deep. Further, you can add modulation like PWM, adjust square/pulse wave level, and sub-oscillator level.
• Presets
  There are hundreds of factory presets available that can help you get started. Everything from leads, bass, synths, sequences, bells, brass, toms, etc., are available. In addition, wobbles, vowels, buzz, crush, digital, and many other sound textures are available for you.
• Easy sound design
  The plugin has a beautiful interface with switchable colors and is quite easy to use due to the sliders and knobs available. It doesn’t involve much programming, as almost all controllers have simple level/mix adjustment knobs/sliders. That makes the overall sound-shaping process easier.

Compatibility:

The minimum operating system requirement of the Roland SH-101 is macOS 10.14 or Windows 8, and the plugin is available in VST, AU, and AAX versions.

Summary:

There are good alternatives like TAL Bassline 101 also available for the plugin. However, the original hardware creator, Roland, has done a great job emulating the sound. The sounds are warm, punchy, retro, and versatile. The mono output can be off-putting for leads and synths but is great for bass sounds.

12. Synapse-Audio Obsession

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Let’s look at Synapse Audio’s take on the classic Oberheim OB-Xa synthesizer.

We’ve checked out an emulation plugin of the Oberheim OB-X synth, which was the first synth released in 1979 in this series. Conversely, Oberheim OB-Xa was a newer version released in 1981.

It utilized Custis CEM IC generators making it sound contrastingly smoother compared to the raw and wild personality of the OB-X, which used the SEM module instead.

Obsession by Synapse Audio brings the powerful polyphonic vintage synthesizer to your music studio with modern features added to it. It features detailed per-voice controls that no other synth provides. The feature is useful for creating rich, dynamic sound.

Furthermore, the temperature-dependent fluctuations you find on the original hardware are also simulated using the Organic knob. The result is an impressively authentic experience alongside jaw-dropping sound quality.

Key Features:

• Three Modes
  Obsession can operate in three modes: single, dual, and split. Single-mode plays one patch and is the default mode of the synth. Conversely, the dual-mode can play two patches simultaneously. It stacks two different patch settings; each is called a “part.” You can access each part by clicking on the A and B buttons at the top left of the interface. Similarly, the fader between these two buttons lets you control the balance between the two parts. And lastly, the split mode lets you load two patches, but you can play each separately. Instead of stacking the two patches, it loads one in the lower region of your keyboard and the other patch in the higher octaves.
• Sound Engine
  Obsession uses two oscillators and a noise generator. The oscillators can produce saw, pulse, a mix of saw and pulse, and triangle waveforms. While the saw and pulse waves have dedicated buttons, the mix is activated when both switches are turned on, and the triangle wave is selected when no switch is enabled.
  Each oscillator features a frequency/pitch control, and the second oscillator employs a pulse width control. You can also hard sync the second oscillator to the first oscillator.
• Filter Section
  The filter section holds a filter that is a low-pass by default. However, you can also switch it to a band-pass mode. The section has three input buttons: OSC 1, OSC 2, and Noise. The two oscillator buttons toggle whether or not the oscillator is sent into the filter. If you disable it, the oscillator becomes inaudible. Similarly, the Noise button enables white noise at a fixed volume like the original hardware, although you can control it via the modulation matrix. Furthermore, the filter provides a 4-pole mode, which switches the default 12 dB/octave slope to 24 dB/octave. Lastly, it features keyboard tracking.
• Modulation
  There are two envelopes in Obsession: amp envelope and filter envelope. The amp envelope controls the synth’s volume, and the filter envelope modulates the filter cutoff. However, the latter can also modulate the second oscillator’s pitch if you enable the F-ENV button in the oscillator section.
  Likewise, it features two LFOs. They feature three waveform shapes: sine, square, and sample-and-hold (S/H). You can sync the rate of the LFOs to your DAW using the steps button. You can apply the LFOs to the frequency/pitch of the oscillators, the filter cutoff, and the pulse width of a saw wave.
• Voice Edit
  This feature is the most powerful and exciting one of Obsession. You can differ each synth’s voice in many ways by changing the value of various parameters per voice. So, if you played a C major chord, you could make the C note sound different from E, which sounds different from G.
  Entering the Voice Edit mode is as easy as clicking on one of the voices at the bottom left under the Voice Adjustment Edit section. Note that the number of buttons you see here depends on the number of activated voices. For example, in 8-voice polyphony mode, you’ll find eight buttons there. Once you enter the Voice Edit mode, the knobs turn into trim-pots to indicate that you are adjusting a voice alone. So, all the pots are set at twelve o’clock and moving them left or right changes the parameter relative to its underlying value (in the regular, non-voice edit mode).
  Note that you cannot edit every parameter per voice. For example, you cannot change the LFO rate per voice. However, you can change the LFO offset, pan, and semitone changes.
• Back Panel
  The plugin features a “back panel,” where you’ll find the modulation matrix, analog simulation settings, and some effect processors. The modulation matrix has twelve slots that allow you to link a modulation source to a destination parameter. The sources include velocity, key track, modulation wheel, pitch bend, modulation wheel, aftertouch, polyphonic aftertouch, constant values, LFO x modulation wheel, etc.
  Similarly, you’ll find two Step Editors, which are 128-step modulation sequencers. These allow you to create tempo-synced rhythms or draw custom envelopes. They’re essentially the modern interpretation of the LFO modules.
  The effect processors include reverb, delay, and chorus. Each provides detailed parameters to help you polish your sound and bring the synth sound closer to the modern standard. The reverb also features a shimmer knob, which overdubs the reverb wet an octave higher. And the regen knob adds even more harmonics to the shimmer effect.

Compatibility:

Synapse Audio Obsession is available for Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.11 or higher, both 64-bit. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

Obsession is undoubtedly one of the most powerful virtual analog synths available today. Synapse Audio has convincingly captured the sound and personality of the Oberheim OB-Xa synthesizer while still maintaining a noticeably modern interpretation.

The front panel provides everything you’d expect from a standard virtual analog synth, including two oscillators, filters, LFOs, and envelopes. It has a very warm and fat tone, especially with the VCA Sat button on the back panel switched on, which enables the amplifier’s saturation.

And the Organic control helps simulate the unstable nature of analog components. If you want only one virtual analog synth, Obsession could be the ideal choice.

13. Roland SH-2

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The Roland SH-2 plugin emulates the dual VCO plus sub-oscillator vintage synthesizer with the same name.

It’s great for creating deep and impactful bass sounds, and the plugin version has programmed and captured every bit of its circuitry quite well. With the same signal flow and controllers, the plugin has a warm and fat analog sound. You can use it with the SYSTEM-8 for hardware extension.

Key Features:

• Synth engine
  The maximum polyphony of the synth is one voice/oscillator with three VCOs, with adjustable pitch and amplitude parameters. In addition, there’s a VCF and a VCA for further sound sculpting and VCF and VCA- envelopes for modulations. The main modulator on the synth is an LFO. In addition, you get an arpeggio and delay and reverb effects to shape your sounds further.
• Sound
  The SH-2 has specific sonics that is great for creating edgy leads, wild effects, thick basslines, and movement-driven elements in your arrangement. That makes it great for techno, deep house, disco, 80s synth pop, etc. But, overall, it has a fresh and raw vintage tone with minimal effects and wetness.

Compatibility:

The plugin is available in VST2, VST3, AAX, and AU plugin formats only and requires a minimum of Intel Core i5 with 4 GB of RAM and macOS 10.14 or Windows 8.1.

Summary:

The SH-2 plugin is an honest recreation of the forgotten vintage synthesizer. It has the classic authentic, reminiscing, and nostalgic 80s sounds. The plugin overall is easy to use, and the presets available are sufficient to get you started.

14. TAL Software TAL-U-No-LX

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The TAL-U-No-LX complements the Jupiter 8 emulation on my list, providing incredibly authentic analog sounds.

As you probably guessed by its name, this plugin emulates the Roland JUNO 60 polyphonic synthesizer. It’s essentially a younger sibling of the Jupiter 8 and came with a more streamlined interface.

TAL-U-No-LX sports a user interface similar to the original design but has noticeably gone under some reordering alongside added features.

The plugin features detailed character emulation alongside carefully calibrated controls. So, you can essentially dial in preset patches from your old JUNO 60 preset book and get near-identical results, making the TAL-U-No-LX an excellent counterpart or even replacement for the original hardware.

Furthermore, added idiosyncrasies like portamento and filter LFO waveforms push the ambition of this beloved synth even more.

Key Features:

• Oscillator
  The plugin features a single oscillator with a pulse and saw wave generator. It lets you control the pulse width when set to pulse wave. Similarly, you can enable a square wave sub-oscillator and a noise generator, which feature individual volume controls. Since TAL-U-No-LX is a single oscillator synth, the oscillator has no pitch control. However, you’ll find a master tune and level control.
• Filters
  TAL-U-No-LX features a high-pass filter next to the oscillator section. Then, the next section is a low-pass filter with frequency and resonance controls. It features keyboard tracking to change the frequency cutoff depending on the note you play. Both of these filters have a fixed 24 dB/octave slope.
• Modulation
  The plugin employs a single envelope and an LFO. You can set the envelope to control the volume, the filter frequency, and the pulse width. You can also modulate the envelope amount using velocity. Similarly, the LFO can control the oscillator pitch and the pulse width. You can change the LFO shape, add a delay before the LFO starts, and invert the shape. And finally, the portamento section lets you add pitch glide.
• Arpeggiator
  This section has seen a few changes compared to the original design. Like in JUNO 60, you have three modes of arpeggiation: up, up & down, and down. It has up to three octaves of range. And you can sync the arpeggiator to your DAW and enable hold or latch. Originally, the JUNO 60 didn’t support MIDI, which meant you couldn’t sync the synth to a MIDI clock. So, the sync feature is a welcome change.
• Effects
  You’ll find the original JUNO chorus effect, which defined the synth’s sound for many users, at the top right of the interface. However, deviating from the hardware design again, TAL introduces two extra effect processors at the bottom right of the user interface: a delay and a reverb. The delay can sync to the DAW and provides a spread feature to widen your stereo image. Similarly, the reverb effect is a simple yet effective digital reverb with fundamental controls only.

Compatibility:

TTAL U-No-LX By TAL Software is available for Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.9 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

TAL-U-No-LX is a 12-voice iteration of the Roland JUNO 60, and it’s incredible how close they sound to each other. It comes with over three hundred factory presets and includes the original Factory Bank A patch library.

Furthermore, the synth supports micro-tuning, MPE, and parameter automation, allowing a world of exploration for contemporary music producers.

If you’ve been looking for a replica of the JUNO 60 synthesizer in software form, the TAL-U-No-LX plugin is undoubtedly one of, if not the best.

15. Roland Promars

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Jupiter PROMARS is considered the kid brother of the Jupiter-4 synthesizer and is a 1-voice/oscillator mono synthesizer.

However, unlike Jupiter-4, it packs two vintage controlled oscillators and two sub-oscillators, hence creating a thick and fat texture. It’s known for its buzzy bass sounds and fat synth leads. It was one of the first instruments to have onboard memory, and it innovatively combined the analog world with a microprocessor.

Key Features:

• Multiple Sound sources
  The plugin has two VCOs as its sound sources, with VCO-1 having the option to select sawtooth, square, and combinations of saw, square, and sub sounds. You can also adjust the range, modulation depth, pulse width properties, and tune.
• Signal flow
  The sound travels from the two VCOs to a mixer, where you can set their levels along with noise. Further, there’s a VCF section with a high pass filter, low pass filter, and envelope settings. Then, there’s a VCA section wherein you can set the envelope ADSR, tone, and Crusher Depth. Lastly, there’s an effects section where you can add reverb and delay effects to your sound.
• Arpeggiator
  You can create some interesting movements with the arpeggiator that allows you up to two ranges of octaves, various combinations of up and down movements, and arpeggio steps are selectable between 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/4T, 1/8T, and 1/16T.

Compatibility:

The Roland PROMARS is available as VST 2, VST 3, AU, and AAX plugin types, and the minimum operating system requirement is macOS 10.14 or Windows 8, with a minimum of 4 GB RAM and 100 MB of hard disk space. Further, you can use the plugin in SYSTEM-8 because of its plug-out feature.

Summary:

The plugin sounds quite thick for a mono synthesizer and has good flexibility for sound design. However, it’s high quality and compatible with a sample rate of up to 192 kHz. Its main controllers include volume, blend sensitivity, portamento, legato switch, key assign mode, and tempo sync switch.

16. u-he Repro 1

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Repro 1 is u-he’s take on the esteemed Prophet 5 synth’s monophonic counterpart featuring component-level modeling.

After releasing Diva, an acclaimed analog modeling synth, u-he turned their eyes to the Sequential Circuits’ hit synthesizers from the 1980s: the Prophet 5 and Prophet Pro One.

The resulting plugins were the Repro bundle, including two synths: Repro 5 and Repro 1. Repro 5 is an eight-voice polyphonic synth, whereas Repro 1 is proudly monophonic.

The main user interface of Repro 1 resembles the Pro One synth, especially how the parameters are laid out. Although, you’ll undoubtedly find plenty of modern changes introduced by u-he.

The fundamentals of the synth are fairly basic, which is expectable from a synth designed nearly four decades ago. However, exciting features like Tweaks and Sequencer, not to mention a preset collection, help make the synth as relevant as ever.

Key Features:

• Multi-mode Oscillators
  Repro 1 features two oscillators, each capable of generating one or multiple types of waveforms. Oscillator A generates saw and pulse waves, whereas Oscillator B generates saw, triangle, and pulse waves. You can change each oscillator’s frequency (pitch), octave, and pulse-width to control the cycles of the pulse wave. Furthermore, you can hard-sync the Oscillator A to Oscillator B with a toggle.
  You’ll find a switch that changes the Oscillator B into “Lo Freq,” which slows the oscillator down to inaudible speeds. This feature lets you use the second oscillator as an LFO. The typical oscillator features are in the Mixer and Glide section. The Mixer section lets you change the volume of each oscillator and add a feedback circuit to boost the bass or introduce white noise.
• Filter & Modulation
  Repro 1 features a single four-pole (24 dB/oct) low-pass filter, a replica from the original hardware. The filter includes keyboard tracking and a dedicated filter envelope. The exciting part is that you can use the filter envelope as a modulator. You’ll also find the following modulators: Oscillator B’s Lo Freq LFO and a dedicated LFO. The three modulators can modulate oscillators’ frequency, pulse width, and filter cutoff frequency.
• Arpeggio & Sequencer
  The main interface of the plugin sports a primitive arpeggiator that lets you switch between up and up-down modes. So, like with the original hardware, you’ll also find a sequencer. As groundbreaking as the original hardware’s sequencer was for its time, u-he’s design surpasses the original on every front.
  For starters, the sequencer lets you add two 32-step patterns per instance of the plugin, resulting in sixty-four total steps. Furthermore, editing the sequencer is straightforward and features multiple types of steps with adjustable velocity per step. Moreover, you can save the patterns separately and copy the patterns between multiple instances of Repro 1. Of course, if you’d rather record the steps, you can do so straight from the Arpeggiator panel.
• Tweaks
  Switch to the Tweaks panel, and you’ll essentially remove the synthesizer cover to reveal the components within. Here, you can change the very behavior of individual elements. You can try out different models for the oscillators, filters, etc. The filter models include crispy, rounded, driven, and poly, whereas the filter envelope features piano, one-shot, high sustain, etc.
  Similarly, you can invert Oscillator B’s saw wave, make the LFO’s square and saw waves bipolar, and even set the filter cutoff to track the pitch-bend when keyboard tracking is enabled. Overall, while the main user interface is as clutter-free as possible, the Tweaks page is all about being extra with control.
• Stomp-Boxes
  At the bottom right of the main user interface, you’ll find a tab called Effects, which takes the place of the virtual keyboard on the synth. You’ll find five effect processors in this section. These effects include Jaws wave-folding distortion, Lyrebird delay, RESQ three-band EQ, Drench plate reverb, and Sonic Conditioner stere saturator & transient designer. You can reorder these plugins by dragging their names in the FX Chain list.

Compatibility:

U-he Repro 1 is available for Windows 7 or higher, macOS 10.9 or higher, and Linux, all 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats. Note that macOS AAX is temporarily unavailable at the time of writing.

Summary:

If you’re a fan of the Pro One synthesizer, u-he’s Repro 1 is pretty much the best emulation yet and probably in the future too.

It truly digs deep into the components of the synth to unearth every nuance and quirk the original hardware has while adding contemporary features like a comprehensive sequencer page, in-depth control over the sound, and high-quality effect processors.

Sure, it may not have the same flexibility as modern software synths. However, when it comes to creating mono leads, bass, and arpeggio patterns, Repro 1’s delightfully rich sounds might just come out on top for you.

17. Roland JD-800

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Roland JD-800 was an iconic 90s digital synthesizer, and now its plugin version by the same company is also available. 

The plugin is based on an advanced synth engine that models the original waveform of the hardware digital synthesizer. Some highly-skilled sound designers have also put together and kept 64 presets from the original hardware in the plugin. Roland has used the LA (Linear Arithmetic) synthesis, which mixes the PCM-based samples with subtractive synthesis, to create the plugin.

Key Features:

• Detailed recreation
  Roland has recreated everything from the same interface to the same signal flow, with four tones, 2 LFOs, a pitch envelope, a TVF envelope, a TVA section, a two-stage multi-effects section, and more. However, the GUI is resizeable and also includes additional views. Plus, it has improved the polyphony by expanding it in the plugin version.
• Expansive effects section
  The plugin includes the same seven effects: chorus, phaser, enhancer, distortion, spectrum, delay, and reverb. That gives you lots of sonic colors to add to your sounds and enhance them. In addition, there’s also a three-band (low/mid/high) equalizer available.
• Sound Source
  JD-800 consists of 108 waves and four basic tones you can layer together. The Wave Generator/WG section includes controllers like waveform, gain, pitch course, pitch fine, pitch random, key follow, bend, modulation, LFO 1, LFO 2, and LEVER. In addition, you can also edit the pitch envelope.
• Other features
  You can adjust the TVF and its envelope, TVA and its envelope, and you get controllers for adjusting legato, portamento, unison parameters, and more. All these features give you great flexibility in your sound design process.

Compatibility:

The Roland JD-800 is available in VST2, VST3, AU, and AAX plugin versions and has a minimum requirement for macOS 10.14 and Windows 8 operating systems.

Summary:

It’s a great plugin for creating and enjoying the 90s magic, and the hardware version was the first digital synth with so much control due to its knobs, sliders, and filters. It’s known for its dynamic strings, realistic synth guitar, and ambient sound textures. You can hear it in popular songs like Rave un2 the Joy Fantastic by Prince, Voodoo People by Prodigy, Future Dub by Mouse on Mars, and many more.

18. discoDSP – OB-Xd

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One of the most iconic hardware synthesizers in history is reborn with modern features in software form.

As the name suggests, discoDSP’s OB-Xd is modeled after a real Oberheim OB-X synthesizer. It emulates the sound and personality of the original.

However, as with any software interpretation of classic synths, you’ll find some added features and quirks. All of them are quite handy and enhance the user experience.

The Oberheim OB-X synth was beloved for many classic sounds you hear on hit records from the 80s. For example, I’m a fan of its triangle lead sound with glide. Similarly, you can create awesome pad sounds with its individual voice pan controls.

And thanks to the slight detuning effect that occurs randomly, the synth sounds convincingly analog and dynamic.

Key Features:

• Dual Oscillators
  The plugin features two oscillators, each capable of producing a saw, triangle, and square wave. The square wave offers a pulse width control. However, unlike the original design, OB-Xd doesn’t have a frequency modulation with the second oscillator modulating the first. Instead, the first oscillator modulates the second. Similarly, a mixer section next to the oscillators section lets you control the volume of each oscillator and add white noise. Conversely, the original design had fixed volumes.
  The Step switch allows you to make precise pitch changes through semi-tone steps. You can turn the switch off if you’d rather tune the oscillators manually or want to create pitch sweeps. Similarly, the Bright control adjusts the clarity of the higher harmonics.
• Multi-Mode Filter
  Unlike the original design’s single 12 dB/oct low-pass filter, the OB-Xd offers a multi-mode 12 dB/oct filter akin to the Oberheim SEM module. You can crossfade between low-pass, band-pass, and high-pass by turning the Multi knob from left to right. It also features a 24 dB/oct mode, although it will switch to a fully low-pass mode. Then, the Multi knob controls the filter slope from 24 dB/oct on the complete left and 6 dB/oct on the complete right instead.
• Further Controls
  The plugin offers a maximum of 32-voice polyphony, but you can change it on the fly in the global section. You’ll also find a unison mode that stacks a monophonic voice to all the polyphonies available. And there’s a glide feature with four types of legato mode. Next, the voice variation section lets you generate random changes on various parameters.
  While the original hardware wasn’t velocity-sensitive, this plugin lets you alter the envelope depth of the filter and amplifier using velocity. Furthermore, the voice variation section also features eight pan knobs, one for each voice when you aren’t in unison mode. This feature lets you create ultra-wide pad sounds or narrow but convoluted lead sounds.

Compatibility:

discoDSP OB-Xd is available for Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10 or higher, 64-bit. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

Any hardware synth fan will appreciate the revitalization of the iconic Oberheim OB-X synth. And the new features in the software iteration make OB-Xd much more flexible, making it feel better suited for contemporary uses.

Of course, without built-in effects, the synth sounds unashamedly raw. However, you’ll find its sound on par with or better than any modern synth with a little mixing. You can use this synth to create bass, massive pads, and even plucky arpeggio sounds for Synthwave and Chillwave music.

And if you want the authentic vibe, avoid adding a chorus and let the rawness of the synth seep through.

19. Roland – JV-1080

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The Roland JV-1080 plugin emulates the Digital Circuit Behaviour Technology of the classic synthesizer from the 90s. 

Synthesizers became common in popular arrangements by the 90s, and Roland found a way to include as many sounds in a single device as possible using samples-based Pulse Code Modulation technology. The technology proved realistic and expansive, as it could emulate acoustic sounds and is flexible and versatile.

The workflow consists of four separate Tone sections with different controllers and modulators. In addition, there are send effects, patches, patch effects, and the option to switch tones. Plus, there’s an expansive sound bank, articulation options, and 128-voice polyphony, giving you a fuller and deeper sound.

Key Features:

• Unique workflow
  The tones are the smallest sound units built upon to create patches. The sounds start with a wave generator, which then passes through a time-variant filter (TVF), which further passes through a time-variant amplifier (TVA). For each step, you can assign an envelope, and you can also route LFOs to each step.
• Effects Section
  There are essentially three effects units that you can switch on or off. The first is multi-fx, consisting of 78 different effect types, including distortion, flanger, etc. The second and third effects are chorus and reverb, such that the chorus can also be replaced by delay. Lastly, the reverb unit has five different types of spaces.
• Memory and Bank
  There are hundreds of pre-saved sounds and presets that you can get started with. These sounds are versatile and of great quality. The plugin allows you to create, save, delete, and add new bank(s) of the sounds, such that each bank can have 128 memories.
• Interface
  The plugin has a stunning look with black and blue skin that is beautifully designed and well laid out. Hidden and under-the-hood functionalities don’t appear when you open the plugin, which keeps it clean and organized. In addition, the GUI is resizable and can be zoomed up to 200%.

Compatibility:

The plugin is available in VST2, VST3, and AU plugin formats only and requires a minimum of Intel Core i5 with 4 GB of RAM and macOS 10.14 or Windows 8.1.

Summary:

The Roland JV-1080 has so much functionality that it’s hard to cover in the small plugin description. However, using the plugin to its full potential will require you to do some manual/user guide diving. The plugin is designed to be simple, but the scope of its use and expandability makes it complicated and may have a learning curve.

However, even if you have yet to learn of its full potential, you can still use it easily due to its presets and board controls. Sonically, there’s nothing like it, and it does a great job of recreating the original, especially with its soothing and deep pads and synth sounds. Percussion sounds are also great!

20. Roland D-50

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The Roland D-50 plugin is a recreation of the 80s hardware synth based on LA (Linear Arithmetic) synth architecture.  

Originally, the hardware integrated samples, virtual analog technology, and multiple effects to create unique and interesting sounds emulated by the plugin. The 80s saw a huge and rapid transition in the music industry, in which varying genres were introduced and fused with each other. To adapt to that, Roland released the D-50 in 1987.

Hence, the synth has a good palette of sounds, with genres ranging from synth-pop, R&B, new wave, and more.

Key Features:

• Sound source
  The sound source in the plugin is a wave generator, for which there are two sections: WG Pitch and WG waveform, such that the WG Pitch allows you to edit the fine pitch, course pitch, LFO mode, envelope mode, and Bend mode using their sliders. The WG Waveform allows you to adjust sliders for waveform, pulse width, pulse width’s velocity, after, depth, and more. In addition, you can also do Pulse Width Modulation.
• Filter Section
  The Time Variant Filter (TVF) has three sections: one for adjusting the filter parameters and the other two for the filter envelope. The first filter section allows you to adjust the cutoff frequency, resonance, LFO, and envelope parameters. The second and third one allows you to set the envelope’s levels (L1, L2, …, L5) and times (T1, T2, …, T5).
• Time Variant Amplitude (TVA)
  Similarly, you can set the TVA parameters and its envelopes levels and timelines using three different sections. The advanced envelope for the amplitude and filter allows you five levels of editing.
• Sound Banks
  The sounds are stored in different banks, such that each bank has 64 memories or can hold 64 patches/presets. You can import, save, rename, delete, and create new sound banks. The plugin also has a great collection of factory presets.

Compatibility:

The D-50 is available in VST2, VST3, AU, and AAX plugin versions and has a minimum requirement for macOS 10.14 and Windows 8 operating systems.

Summary:

The D-50 is great for Dream Pop and slow dance music and has beautiful and relaxing sounds. It’s aesthetically pleasing to the ears with its deep low-end, airy textures, nostalgic melodic percussions, and wide high-quality sounds. The plugin can work at a sample rate of up to 192 kHz and is a great modern recreation of the vintage synth.

Bonus:

Roland XV-5080

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The Roland XV-5080 is a PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) synth emulation. 

The best part about the XV-5080 is its multitimbral synth quality due to its PCM tech, high-quality digital signal processing effects, modulations, and 900 well-sculpted preset. In addition, it’s known for its versatility across various genres and fast and efficient workflow compared to samples-based instruments.

Key Features:

• Ready-for-use
  The 900 presets make it readily available, especially for nonsound designers, musicians, composers, and beginners. You need not learn in-depth sound design theory to use this plugin. Besides, whatever sound you want to produce, whether retro, symphonic, or dream pop, you will find your game here.
• Extensive sound
  Sonically, it has up to 128 voices of polyphony, 1083 waves, 78 multi-effects, three types of Chorus effects, and five types of Reverb effects. The sounds are of high quality, and you can use them with up to 192 kHz of the sample rate. The preset management on the synth is good, with 128 memories per bank.
• Core technology
  The Digital Circuit Behaviour (DCB) done by Roland to emulate the PCM synth engine brings about precise and elaborate vintage sound. It sounds authentic and close to the hardware synthesizer and is one of the best software emulations of the synth.

Compatibility:

The XV-5080 is available in AAX, VST, and AU plugin versions, with the minimum system requirements for PC, being Windows 7, 2GB RAM, Intel® Core i5, and for Mac being Mac OS X 10.10.5, 4GB RAM, Intel® Core i5.

Summary:

It is more musician/composer-friendly software than sound designers because of its easy and fast workflow, wide range of presets, and ability to produce a huge range of multi-genre sounds. In addition, its compatibility with the SYSTEM-8 allows you to get a more hands-on hardware experience with the plugin.

Conclusion

We have included everything from modern versions of vintage sounds in modern synthesizers to authentic recreations of retro hardware. Nostalgia is freshness and the best time to experiment with your sounds; this list will give you the tools to do so!

Arturia Analog Lab and Roland Cloud bundles are great if you buy a collection of flexible, versatile, and well-rounded synthesizers. They contain some of the best emulations of some of the most popular vintage synths, like Juno-106, JUPITER-8, Minimoog, etc. these collections have honest and authentic recreations of the original hardware.

However, if you’re looking for something modern sounding yet having a vintage flavor, u-he Diva is a great plugin. It’s also good for other analog sound design purposes and sounds great! However, the Softube Model 72 has the best virtual analog sound and sounds close to the original synthesizer.

The JUNO-106 and JUNO-60 are great for sweet, cheezy, and romantic sounds. Arturia SQ 80V, Roland JUNO-60, and UAD Moog Minimoog are the best analog emulations. The Roland SH-2, u-he Diva, and Synapse-Audio Obsession are great choices for dark and underground analog textures and aesthetics.

Lastly, Roland JV 1080 is the best 90s synth emulation from the list, as it has a great collection of presets and beautiful analog warmth and depth. Hope the article was of help! I am sure you can find the right plugin(s) for producing retro/80s/vintage-type music and sound design from the post. Thank you for reading!

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Genre Focused:

Top 10 EDM Plugins  (And 10 Best FREE Plugins For EDM)

Top 10 Plugins For TRAP Beats (And 5 Best FREE Trap Plugins)

20 Best Plugins For Rock Musicians (+ 6 FREE Plugins)

Top 14 Trance Plugins (Uplifting, Tech, Progressive, Vocal, Dream, Hard)

Top 10 GOA & PsyTrance Plugins (Best Psychedelic Trance Tools)

Top 7 Plugins For Dubstep (With 10 Best FREE Effects & Synths)

 

Top 20 Synthwave Plugins (+ 11 Best FREE Plugins)

Top 15 Plugins For Techno, House, Electro, Tech House, UK Garage

Top 6 Plugins For Latin Music  (And 4 FREE Tools)

Top 12 Plugins For Hip-Hop (+ Best Kontakt Libraries)

Top 7 Plugins For Game & Film Scoring  (+ 6 Best Kontakt Libraries)

Top 10 R&B And Pop Music Plugins & KONTAKT Libraries 

30 Best Free Plugins For DnB, EDM, IDM & Experimental Music 

 

EQ Plugins

Top 12 Free EQ Plugins For Precise Mixing & Mastering

Top 9 Mid/Side EQ Plugins  For Mixing & Mastering (+ 2 Free Tools)

Top 7 Graphic EQ Plugins  (With 3 Best Free EQs)

Top 7 EQ Plugins For Mastering In | And Best FREE Mastering EQs

Top 6 Passive EQ Plugins (Klevgrand, SPL, UAD, Waves, IK Multimedia)

Top 11 Plugins For Making Metal (Best Guitars, Drums & Effects)

 

Metering:

Top 5 Audio Metering Plugins (LUFS, RMS, LRA, True Peak)

Top 6 Spectrum Analyzer Plugins  – Spectral Analysis Tools

Top 6 Oscilloscope Plugins To See The Waveforms

Top 5 Key Detection Plugins & Software  (+ Best FREE App)

 

Kontakt Libraries

20 Best Kontakt Libraries For All Categories (Synths, Drums, Vocals)

Top 7 Drum Libraries For KONTAKT (And 4 Freebies)

Top 7 Trap Music Kontakt Libraries (And Best Lo-Fi Kontakt Library)

Top 7 Metal & Rock Kontakt Libraries (Best Guitars & Drums)

Top 10 Guitar Libraries For Kontakt (Acoustic, Electric, Bass & Freebies)

 

Top 7 Trailer Scoring Plugins & Kontakt Libraries 

20 Best Free KONTAKT Libraries For Various Instruments

Top 9 Piano Kontakt Sample Libraries  (And 5 Best Free Pianos)

Top 10 Percussion KONTAKT Libraries  (And 3 Freebies)

Top 7 Kontakt Libraries For Horror & Thriller Scoring (No VSTs)

 

Audio Restoration, Calibration & Utility:

Top 6 Noise Reduction Plugins (And 3 Best Free Tools)

6 Best Audio Restoration Plugins & Software 

Top 7 Phase Alignment Plugins To Fix Your Bass & Drums

Top 10 Room Calibration & Headphones/Speakers Correction Plugins 

 

Instrument Plugins: 

Top 6 Vocoder Plugins (Effects & Synths + FREE Vocoder)

11 Best Rhodes VST Plugins (AND 5 Free Rhodes Plugins)

Top 12 Randomizer Plugins Including FREE Plugins

Top 6 Kick Drum Plugins (Best Kick Designer Tools)

Top 12 Woodwind Plugins (And KONTAKT Libraries)

Top 10 Double Bass Plugins (Best Upright Basses)

Top 5 Strings VST Plugins (AND 4 Best Free Instruments)

 

Top 6 Sampler Plugins (And 3 Best FREE Plugins)

Top 6 Classical Guitar Plugins & Kontakt Libraries (And FREE Guitars)

Top 7 Wavetable Synth Plugins 

Top 12 Sub Plugins (Best 808 & Bass Tools For Massive Low End)

Top 10 Plugins On PluginBoutique (And 7 Best Free Plugins)

Top 11 Plugins On Plugin Alliance 

Top 7 Acoustic Guitar Plugins (And 4 Best Kontakt Libraries)

 

9 Best Bass Guitar Plugins (And 2 Best Freebies)

Top 6 Electric Guitar Plugins (Best PAID & FREE Picks)

Top 10 Arpeggiator VST Plugins (Best Synths, MIDI Effects & Tools)

Top 10 Modular Synth Plugins (And 3 Best FREE Plugins)

Top 6 Choir Plugins & Sample Libraries (And 3 Best Free Plugins)

11 Best Percussion & Drum VST Plugins (And FREE Plugins)

 

Top 8 Piano Plugins (Best Sounding Pianos & 5 FREE Piano Plugins)

Top 6 Organ Plugins Ever Made  (And 3 Best Free Organs)

Top 14 VST Plugins For Beginners (And 9 FREE Plugins)

Top 9 Drum Machine Plugins (And Groovebox Plugins)

4 Best Banjo Plugins (Best Banjo Instruments)

 

The 5 Best Ukulele Plugins & Kontakt Libraries 

Top 13 Synth Plugins (And 5 Best FREE Synths Plugins)

Top 13 Sequencer Plugins  (Synth, MIDI & Step Sequencers)

The 10 Best Multi-Effect Plugins (And 3 Best Free Plugins)

Top 12 Plugin Bundles For Musicians (Synths, Mixing & Mastering)

 

Processing & Sound Design:

8 Best Lo-Fi Plugins (PAID & FREE)

Top 11 Plugins For Mixing Vocals  (For Home Studio)

Top 12 Saturation Plugins (Best Mixing & Mastering Tools)

Top 6 Pitch Shifter Plugins (And 3 Best FREE Pitch Shifters)

Top 6 Chorus VST Plugins For Musicians (And 3 FREE Plugins)

 

Top 6 Limiter Plugins For Precise Mastering & Mixing

The 8 Best Filter Plugins For Precise Cuts & Boosts (+ 5 Free Filters)

6 Best Autotune Plugins To Improve & Enhance Your Vocals

Top 10 Transient Shaper Plugins (VST, AU, AAX)

Top 7 Enhancer Plugins (For Bass, Drums, Vocals & Harmonics)

 

Top 6 Flanger Plugins (And 5 Best FREE Flanger Emulators)

Top 7 Phaser Plugins (And 3 Best FREE Phasers)

Top 10 Plugins For Mixing Drums (And 3 Best Free Plugins)

Top 7 Bitcrusher Plugins (And 4 Best FREE Bitcrushers + 3 Bonuses)

Top 6 Plugins For Voice-Over & Dialogue Cleaning (Post Production)

Top 10 Stereo Imaging Plugins (Best Old & Modern Picks)

 

Top 5 Multiband Limiter Plugins 

Top 7 De-Esser Plugins For Better Vocals (And 4 FREE Plugins)

Top 7 Clipper Plugins (Best Limiter Alternatives)

Top 6 Chord Generator Plugins That Inspire Melodies (+ FREE Tools)

7 Best Exciter Plugins For Mixing & Mastering

Top 7 Channel Strip Plugins (And 2 Best Free Plugins)

 

Top 11 Distortion Plugins (And 4 Top Free Plugins)

Top 5 Comb Filter & Resonator Plugins | Melda, Kilohearts, Tritik

The 7 Best Vibrato VST Plugins | Audec, Audiority, Melda

The 7 Best Tremolo Plugins | Eventide, Melda, SoundToys, Kuassa…

The 7 Best Harmonizer Plugins | Eventide, Melda, Aegean Music

7 Best Sidechain Plugins (VST, AU, AAX) | Xfer, Cableguys..

 

Top 10 Noise Gate Plugins (And 6 FREE Free Gate Tools)

The 6 Best Ring Modulator VST Plugins | KiloHearts, Melda

7 Best Autopan VST Plugins | CableGuys, Melda, Waves, Soundtoys

The 6 Best Frequency Shifter VST Plugins

Top 11 Granulizer Plugins For Future Sound Design

29 Best Sound Design VST Plugins

 

Compressor Plugins

Top 11 Free Compressor Plugins (VCA, Vari-Mu, FET, Digital)

Top 7 Multiband Compressor Plugins (And 4 FREE Plugins)

Top 5 Diode-Bridge Compressor Plugins 

Top 6 Mastering Chain Plugins: Complete VST Solutions 

Top 10 FET Compressor Plugins 

The 7 Best VCA Compressor Plugins (VST, AU, AAX)

Top 11 Mastering Compressor Plugins (And 2 FREE Plugins)

Top 10 Opto Compressor Plugins For Transparent Sound

The 7 Best Vari-Mu Compressor Plugins (And 2 Best FREE Tools)

 

Reverb & Delay Plugins:

Top 12 Reverb Plugins (And 5 FREE Reverb Plugins)

The 6 Best Spring Reverb VST Plugins | AudioThing, GSi, u-he, Eventide

Top 12 Delay Plugins For Music Production In (VST, AU, AAX)

Top 10 FREE Delay Plugins (VST, AU, AAX)

The 10 Best Convolution Reverb Plugins 

 

Amps & Preamps:

Top 10 Guitar Amp Plugins (And 5 Best FREE Simulators)

Top 10 Bass Amp Plugins (And 5 Best Free Simulators)

Top 9 Preamp Plugins (For Vocals, Guitars & More!) + Free Preamps

 

Other Recommended Gear:

Top 12 NearField Studio Monitors On Any Budget

Top 10 Midfield Studio Monitors For Home Recording

Best Biggest Studio Monitors (FarField Monitors)

Top 10 Guitar Pickups for Low Tunings 

Top 10 Analog Compressors For Mixing & Mastering (On Any Budget)

Top 12 USB Audio Interfaces Under 150$, 200$, 300$ 400$ (Any Budget)

 

Top 12 Hardware Equalizers (Analog EQs For Mixing & Mastering)

Top 6 Analog Hardware Limiters 

Top 6 Solid State Bass Amps (On Any Budget)

Top 6 Ribbon Mics On Any Budget (For Vocals, Drums & Guitars)

Top 6 Cheap Dynamic Mics For Vocals Under 50$, 100$, 200$ & 300$

 

Top 6 Chorus Guitar Pedals (On Any Budget)

6 Best 61-Key MIDI Keyboards (On Any Budget)

9 Best 49-Key MIDI Keyboards Under 100$ & 200$

Top 5 Best 25 Key MIDI Keyboards (On Any Budget)

Top 12 Acoustic Drums (Best Kits/Sets On Any Budget)

 

Guitar/Amp Focused:

Can I Put Nylon Strings on a Steel-string Guitar?

Do Electric Guitars Sound Good Unplugged?

Buying Your First Guitar: 2 Things To Know

Are Tube Amps Worth It? (Tube vs Solid-State Amps)

How Often Does A Guitar Need a Setup?

Can I Play Classical Guitar On A Steel-String Guitar?

 

How often guitar necks need reset?

Can You Play Two Guitars Through One Amp?

Can a 6 String Bass Be Tuned Like A Guitar?

Can I leave My Guitar Tuned Down a Step? Yes, But Is It Safe?

Should I Learn 4, 5 Or 6 String Bass Guitar & Why?

How To Know If your Guitar Amp Is Broken?

How To Fix Distorted Bass Guitar Sound?

 

Do Fender Guitars Appreciate In Value?

Should You Put Stickers On A Bass Guitar?

How Acoustic And Electric Guitars Are Made?

Is Electric Guitar Too Loud for an Apartment?

Does a Preamp Improve Sound Quality?

If I Learn Acoustic Guitar Can I Play Electric Guitar?

How Many Hours A Day Should You Practice Bass Guitar?

Do I need an AMP/DAC To Run Bookshelf Speakers?

How to Record Electric Guitar Into Logic Pro X?

Do headphones get worse with age?

 

DAW Related:

Best DAWs For Musicians Available (With FREE DAWs)

How To Develop DAW Software?

What’s The Most CPU Efficient DAW? – 5 DAWs Compared

How To Make Music Without Using A DAW?

Pro Tools Guide: How To Use AutoTune & Pitch Correction?

Ableton Review: Is It Worth The Money? (Cons & Pros)

Logic Pro X Review: Is It Worth It? (Cons & Pros)

How To Use Auto-tune & Pitch Correction In Cubase?

How To Fix Ableton Crackling, Crashing & Freezing? Step By Step

 

Plugin Related:

What Are Audio Plugins? Different Types of Plugins Explained

What Are The Best Tools To Develop VST Plugins & How Are They Made?

Cost of Developing Audio VST Plugin: Several Factors (With Table)

VST, VST, AU and AAX – What’s The Difference? Plugin Formats Explained

Complete Guide To Noise Gate – What It Is, What It Does & How To Use It?

How To Clip My Drums? Here Is How & Audio Teasers (Before/After)

 

Complete Guide To Limiter: How To Use It (+ Best Plugins & Analog Limiters)

Mixing With Reverb: How To Add Life To Your Mixes

Linear Phase vs Minimum Phase EQ – Full Guide

Difference Between LUFS, RMS & True Peak Loudness Meters

How And When To Use Algorithmic And Convolution Reverb In Your Mix?

Difference Between Active EQ, Passive EQ and Dynamic EQ

 

Headphones & Studio Monitors:

Do headphones get worse with age?

Monitors vs Studio Headphones For Mixing & Mastering

Top 10 Room Calibration & Headphones/Speakers Correction Plugins 

Does Heat Damage Headphones?

Are Noise-Canceling Headphones Good For Music Production?

Can Headphones Break in Cold Weather?

Why do headphones & cables get sticky?

 

Can Wearing Headphones Cause Hair Loss?

How Do I know If My Studio Monitor Is Blown?

Side Effects Of Sleeping With Your Headphones On

Do You Need Music Amplifier For Studio Monitors or Studio Headphones?

Do Headphones or Earphones Damage Your Brain?

Can Headphones or Earphones cause Deafness or Toothache?

FarField, MidField & NearField Monitors – Their Uses, Pros & Cons

 

MIDI & Synths:

Should I Buy A MIDI Keyboard Or Synth? (Are Synths Worth It Anymore?)

Why Is Audio Gear So Expensive? (Especially Synths)

Top 12 Synth Brands – Analog, Digital & Modular Synth Manufacturers

11 Tips How To Choose MIDI Keyboard 

Should I Buy MIDI Controller Or Keyboard? Cons, Pros & Tips