Safari Audio has released PolyRex, yes, yet another 1-oscillator Roland Juno emulation plugin for macOS and Windows.
One of the most modeled vintage hardware synthesizers is the Roland Juno. I could fill the first two paragraphs with the existing virtual Junos (Arturia, AudioThing, Cherry Audio…)
Some say there still aren’t enough Junos. Safari Audio has now released PolyRex, another emulation of this classic synth.
Safari Audio PolyRex
PolyRex is a new Synthesizer plugin for macOS and Windows. According to Safari Audio, PolyRex is inspired by some of their favorite analog polysynths from the early 80s.
It was built around a simple idea: make a synth that feels immediate, fun, nostalgic, and filled with inspiring sounds. Even though the developers don’t explicitly state it, it’s a Juno emulation. The engine itself confirms this.
Like the original hardware, PolyRex features a single oscillator with a selectable saw or square waveform with pulse-width modulation.
Plus, there is a sub-oscillator to add bottom end and a noise generator. You can also modulate the pitch using the built-in LFO in the same section.
Then the signal flows into a resonant filter with cutoff and resonance controls, followed by a non-resonant high-pass filter. The latter is ideal for tightening the low end or creating thinner retro textures. Here, you can also find instant filter modulation options.
In terms of modulation, it does everything the original does. It has a single LFO with rate and delay as well as a single ADSR envelope. The latter also has an envelope and gate mode, allowing you to choose how the synth responds to your playing.
The effects section, however, is more modern. Of course, it includes a Juno-style chorus that envelops your sounds in a wide, nostalgic shimmering texture. Alongside this, it comes with a warm-sounding analog-style delay and a vintage spring reverb.
Further, it comes with an easy-to-use multimode arpeggiator, glide control, and more. Safari Audio ships PolyRex with various presets.
First Impression
PolyRex is a great-sounding Juno emulation. The extra effects give the instrument a nice final sound. But do we really need another Juno emulation? I say no; there are already a huge number of good ones. But more choice is always good.
Safari Audio PolyRex is now available at an introductory price of 38,50€ instead of 77,02€. It runs as a VST3, AU, and AAX plugin on macOS (native Apple Silicon + Intel) and Windows.
More information here: Safari Audio
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no
What is strange is that a person/company would spend their time and effort doing another Juno – I suppose it might be to show their ability to model a relatively simple synth, as a kind of proof of ability before bigger releases maybe? But it seems an odd choice given that the market is more saturated with Junos than any other vintage synth.