Roland has announced release dates for the first Model Expansions for its Zenology plugin, which is available as part of its Roland Cloud service. Four classic ‘80s Roland synths are coming to the platform: the JX-8P, SH-101, Juno-106, and Jupiter-8. These will also run on Zen-Core-compatible hardware synths such as the Jupiter-X and Jupiter-Xm.
Released in May, Zenology was always billed as an expandable instrument, and it should come as no surprise to learn that Roland has mined its back catalogue for the first add-ons. We’re told that each synth has been emulated with “astonishing realism and authenticity,” delivering the sound and user experience of their hardware counterparts.
These might be vintage instruments, but we’re promised user-friendliness, touch-friendly interfaces, efficient CPU usage and high polyphony.
Available through the Roland Cloud, the Model Expansions will be included in the Pro ($99/year or $9.99/month) and Ultimate ($199/year or $19.99/month) memberships. What’s more, any Roland Account holder can purchase Lifetime Keys for individual titles, negating the need for a paid subscription.
The JX-8P expansion should be available now, with the SH-101 to follow next on 16 July. After that we’ll have the Juno-106 on 8 August and the Jupiter-8 on 31 August.
Future expansions are likely to go beyond these vintage emulations, with “next-gen designs” and hybrid instruments on the cards.
Find out more on the Roland website.
