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Cherry Audio has introduced Mercury-6, a virtual synthesizer that emulates and expands on the Roland Jupiter-6.

Released in 1983 as an affordable alternative to the Jupiter-8, the Jupiter-6 marked the end of an era in the history of analog polysynths. Though similar in appearance to the Jupiter-8, the Jupiter-6 had a unique sound and features that allowed it to stand apart from its predecessor, partly due to a versatile multimode filter design that lent it a more aggressive sound.

Jupiter-6 had an impressive (at the time) split keyboard functionality and, most notably, was one of the first synthesizers to include the then-new MIDI protocol. It supported multiple simultaneous waveforms, and its solo and poly unison modes enabled massive lead and bass sounds. But its six-voice maximum hampered its potential, and its timing was ill-fated with the release of the revolutionary DX-7 digital synth the same year. However, the Jupiter-6 has become a coveted classic analog polysynths.

Cherry Audio says that they’ve precisely crafted each facet of the Mercury-6 synthesizer to sound and behave like a vintage hardware Jupiter-6. Mercury-6 reproduces the multimode filter with 24 dB/oct lowpass, 24 dB/oct highpass, or 12 dB/oct bandpass modes. Velocity sensitivity has been added, the split mode improved, and Mercury-6 adds a layer mode capable of stacking two different sounds simultaneously with per-layer stereo panning, detuning, and sustain. A panel control lets users easily exchange settings between the splits and dual layers, or even between presets. And with polyphony extended to 16 notes per layer, it won’t so easily run out of voices.

The company has also reproduced the Jupiter-6’s unique arpeggiator, including the hidden Down/Up mode of the original, and augmented it by adding a Random mode and MIDI tempo sync. A chord memory mode enables multiple notes to be stored and played back with a single key. The searing oscillator cross mod and sync characteristics have been replicated, and the functionality of the original LFOs improved with a retrigger for LFO-1 and an always-on option for LFO-2, expanding the already notable modulation possibilities of the original hardware.

In addition, Cherry Audio has introduced an integrated studio-quality effects panel with distortion, phaser, flanger/chorus, delay, and reverb, with independent settings for each layer. Other features include per-layer drift control, over 500 presets, and Cherry Audio’s MIDI mapping functions.

“Cherry’s Audio’s Mercury-6 has made something from this re-creation that is significantly better than its inspiration,” says Howard Goodall CBE, an EMMY, BRIT, and BAFTA award-winning composer. “It sounds great – richer, brighter, and edgier than I could ever crank out of the original. The extra polyphony is a huge step forward, it’s punchy and warm and much easier to tweak, plus you get to use a modern high-spec keyboard to play it. What’s not to like?”

Mercury-6 is available now for Windows and macOS for $49, with macOS 13 Ventura and native Apple M1 processor support, including Apple M1 Ultra. Mercury-6 is provided in AU, VST, VST3, AAX, and standalone formats, and a free 30-day demo is available.

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Needham Woodworks has introduced a Moog Matriarch Eurorack Extension Cabinet, custom side panels and Eurorack cabinet extensions for the Moog Matriarch.

The mods, available in walnut and maple, consist of custom Side Panels and Eurorack Extension Cases. The side panels slide over existing sides and require zero assembly skills. The Matriarch Cabinet provides one 150HP row of standard Eurorack 3U format and one 150HP row 1U Intellijel.

The cabinet includes one Eskatonic Modular powerboard and customer power plate. You will need to provide your own DC Brick to power the system.

In addition to the Moog Matriarch Eurorack Extension Cabinet, similar mods are available for the Moog Grandmother and Sub 37.

The Moog Matriarch Eurorack Extension Cabinet is available now for $700 and the side panels are $190.

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Minimal Audio has released Cluster Delay, a multi-tap delay designer with integrated effects. This versatile effects plugin is stacked with features and highly tweakable.

Minimal Audio has announced the release of a new effects plugin, Cluster Delay. A powerful and full-featured multi-tap delay, the plugin’s capable of producing a rich variety of delay effects from simple, functional repeats to experimental sonic textures and expansive soundscapes.

A new plugin from the developers behind Rift and Morph EQ. Cluster Delay enables the user to fine-tune delay sequences of up to eight taps, shaping these in real time by tweaking controls for ramp, space and scatter. The delay can then be routed through six effects for further processing: Diffusion, Chorus, Wobble, Frequency Shifter, Phaser, and Flanger.

Cluster Delay features controls for spread and crossfeed, making it easy to produce lush, spatialized delays that span the stereo field. For those who crave the sound of analogue hardware, there’s an option to introduce analogue modelling to the signal, while the Wobble effect will produce tape-like tones in a similar fashion to the wow and flutter controls found on many other delay plugins and effects units. The plugin’s outfitted with a clean, easy-to-navigate GUI that visualizes the delay pattern while making the most important controls easily accessible. Cluster Delay arrives loaded with 100 presets that, if the audio examples on Minimal Audio’s website are anything to go by, sound pretty good.

In addition, there’s a built-in high and low-pass filter, mid-side mode and a ducker function that allows the input signal to be heard above the delays, sidechain-style. Cluster Delay also benefits from the addition of a Clipper option to dial in clip distortion at the output stage.

Cluster Delay is available for Mac and PC in AU, VST, VST3 and AAX formats. The plugin costs $49. Find out more on Minimal Audio website or watch their walkthrough video below.

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