Mercury-8 by Cherry Audio JP-8 emulation synth plugin interface

Mercury-8: JP-8 Emulation Synth Plugin by Cherry Audio

Rated 4.6/5 on Plugin Boutique (30 ratings)

Mercury-8 is a virtual analog synthesizer plugin from Cherry Audio that emulates the Roland JP-8 with dual-layer, 16-voice polyphony and built-in effects, available in VST3, VST2, AU, AAX and Standalone formats.

VST3VST2AUAAXStandaloneWindowsmacOS64-bit

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01Overview

Mercury-8 models the original JP-8 hardware using circuit and behavior modeling rather than samples. Each layer offers 16 polyphonic voices, two oscillators per voice, and resonant filters with 12 dB and 24 dB slope options. Analog drift and condition controls let you move the sound from pristine to unstable vintage. The plugin includes over 600 presets, the 64 original JP-8 factory patches with enhanced versions, and a 16x4 step sequencer and arpeggiator for each layer.

Best for

JP-8 style pads
Analog bass and leads
Arpeggiated sequences
Layered synth textures
Retro sound design

Developer: Cherry Audio
Category: Synths
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

Dual-layer architecture with 16 polyphonic voices per layer
Two oscillators per voice with FM cross-modulation and PWM
Resonant filters with 12 dB and 24 dB slope options
Two ADSR envelopes per layer with velocity sensitivity
Analog drift and condition controls for adjustable vintage character
Four-slot modulation matrix with 25 sources and 43 destinations
Syncable 16x4 step sequencer and arpeggiator per layer
20 effects across three customizable chains, with SysEx import and export

03In depth

Sound Character and Synthesis Engine

Mercury-8 uses two oscillators per voice with classic waveforms, sync, and exponential FM cross-modulation. Waveforms include triangle, ramp, sine sawtooth, noise, and square or variable pulse with pulse width modulation.

Each layer has its own high-pass and resonant low-pass filter, along with two ADSR envelopes with velocity sensitivity. Cherry Audio says the Analog Drift and Condition controls let you adjust VCO, VCF and VCA drift and envelope slop, tuning the synth from new to worn.

Workflow, Modulation and Effects

The modulation matrix has four slots with click-to-assign routing, offering 25 sources and 43 destinations, including the integrated effects. Each layer has a tempo-syncable arpeggiator and a 16x4 polyphonic step sequencer with humanize options.

Three independent effect chains are available, one per layer plus a global chain. The 20 included effects can be saved and recalled, and chains can be shared with Cherry Audio's Trident Mk III. Utility panels let you copy, paste and swap layers, effects and sequencer data between presets.

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, Standalone
Operating systems	Windows, macOS
Architecture	64-bit

05FAQ

Questions, answered

What formats does Mercury-8 support?

Mercury-8 is available in VST3, VST2, AU and AAX plugin formats, and includes a Standalone version.

Which operating systems does Mercury-8 run on?

Mercury-8 runs on Windows 7 or later and macOS 10.13 or later, in 64-bit versions.

What do I need to use Mercury-8?

You need a 64-bit system with a 3.4 GHz quad-core processor and 8 GB of RAM recommended, 155 MB of disk space, and an internet connection for product activation.

Can Mercury-8 load original JP-8 patches?

Yes. Original JP-8 patch bank SysEx data in Encore Electronics format can be imported by drag-and-drop, and Mercury-8 presets can be exported in the same format.