Mercury-6 by Cherry Audio synth plugin interface

Mercury-6: Jupiter-6 Recreation Synth Plugin by Cherry Audio

Rated 4.8/5 on Plugin Boutique (392 ratings)

Mercury-6 is a software synthesizer plugin by Cherry Audio that recreates the Roland Jupiter-6 analog polyphonic synth. It runs in VST3, VST2, AU and AAX formats on Windows and macOS.

VST3VST2AUAAXWindowsmacOS64-bit

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01Overview

Mercury-6 models the Jupiter-6, a six-voice analog polysynth Roland released in 1983. Cherry Audio extends the original with 16 polyphonic voices per layer, so two sounds can be stacked or split across the keyboard. The plugin keeps the original's VCO-to-VCO FM cross-modulation, multimode filter and hidden arpeggiator modes, and adds integrated effects, MIDI tempo sync and a library of over 500 presets.

Best for

Techno basslines
Electro leads
Big beat synth stabs
Analog-style pads
Unison lead sounds

Developer: Cherry Audio
Category: Synths
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

Dual-layer architecture with 16 polyphonic voices per layer
Keyboard split and stacked layer modes with per-layer controls
Two VCOs per voice with triangle, sawtooth, noise and pulse waves
Multimode filter: 24 dB/oct lowpass, 24 dB/oct highpass, 12 dB/oct bandpass
VCO-2 to VCO-1 FM cross-modulation from the original design
Arpeggiator with MIDI tempo sync, Up/Down and Random modes
Solo and polyphonic unison modes for stacked sounds
Integrated distortion, phaser, flanger/chorus, delay and reverb effects

03In depth

Jupiter-6 Sound and Character in a Software Synth

The original Jupiter-6 was known for its aggressive, dark filter and its solo and poly unison modes, which produce thick lead and bass sounds. Mercury-6 reproduces these characteristics with two VCOs per voice that can combine triangle, ramp sawtooth, noise and square or variable pulse waveforms.

The multimode filter offers 24 dB/oct lowpass and highpass modes as well as a 12 dB/oct bandpass mode. Cherry Audio also reproduces the VCO-2 to VCO-1 FM cross-modulation, and per-layer drift control for the oscillators and filter adds analog-style variation to each sound.

Layers, Arpeggiator and Workflow Controls

Keyboard split and stacked layer modes let you play two layers at once, each with its own controls for every parameter, including effects. A panel control selects which layer you are editing and includes utilities for copying and exchanging synthesis and effects settings between layers and presets.

The arpeggiator includes the original Up/Down modes plus a Random mode, with MIDI tempo sync. Two tempo-syncable LFOs offer extended retrigger functions, and a single-key chord memory mode stores and plays back multiple notes from one key. MIDI learn and mapping cover presets and global controls, and all controls are available for DAW automation.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

Developer	Cherry Audio
Type	Plugin
Category	Synth
Formats	VST3, VST2, AU, AAX
Operating systems	Windows, macOS
Architecture	64-bit

05FAQ

Questions, answered

What is Mercury-6 based on?

Mercury-6 is a recreation of the Roland Jupiter-6 analog polyphonic synthesizer, first released in 1983. Cherry Audio adds features such as 16-voice polyphony per layer and integrated effects.

Which formats and operating systems does Mercury-6 support?

Mercury-6 is available in VST3, VST2, AU and AAX formats. It runs on Windows and macOS, and the plugin requires an internet connection to activate.

What do I need to run Mercury-6?

On macOS, a 64-bit system running Mac OS 10.13 or later is required, with native support for Apple M1 processors. On Windows, a 64-bit system running Windows 7 or later is required. Cherry Audio recommends a quad-core processor and 8GB of RAM on both platforms.