Developer the Usual Suspects has officially released JE-8086, their free Roland JP-8080 emulation for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
The excitement over any release from The Usual Suspects is merited and comes from an excellent track record of impeccable emulations.
The quality of these emulations, or more appropriately, the reason they sound so authentic, is that The Usual Suspects emulate the DSP chip from the original hardware.
In this case, it’s the custom-designed TC170C140 ESP2 chip.
The upside, of course, is that you have the brilliant sound of the Roland JP-8080, not something close to it; you have that sound.
The downside, as always, is that this method of emulation ventures into some muddy waters because you can’t use it unless you provide the original ROM file.
The Usual Suspects don’t supply the ROM file, and if you don’t own the original hardware, obtaining it is a grey area.
However, if you can legally obtain the ROM for Roland’s JP-8080 or JP-8000 (The Usual Suspects say either will work), then you’ve got that iconic SuperSaw sound in virtual form.
The SuperSaw sound became a must-have for trance music producers in the late 90s and early 2000s. One of the most popular songs of that era to showcase the Roland JP-8080 is Darude’s Sandstorm.
It’s worth checking out, even if trance or EDM isn’t your cup of tea; the JE-8086 will work on anything that needs soaring leads and classic pads.
The interface closely matches the Roland JP-8080, recreating the original hardware’s distinct look and sound to a level other emulations haven’t achieved.
I know that not everyone will get to enjoy this remarkable release, but it’s only fair to applaud the work of The Usual Suspects with this emulation and others.
For those who have been eagerly awaiting the official release, the wait is over; download it now!
JE-8086 is available in AU, VST2, VST3, and CLAP formats for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
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Last Updated on December 30, 2025 by Tomislav Zlatic.
