Mercury-8: Nu-Trix The Synth Guy Unleashes Cherry Audio’s Jupiter-8 Monster

Mercury-8 isn’t just another Jupiter-8 clone—it’s Cherry Audio’s digital street weapon, and Nu-Trix The Synth Guy wastes no time showing us why. Right from the start, he lays out the classic Jupiter-8 credentials: polyphonic power, mythical status, and that unmistakable early-’80s vibe. But let’s be honest, nobody’s dropping thirty grand on a vintage unit unless they’ve got more money than sense.

What sets Mercury-8 apart is how it nails the original’s sound and feel, then turbo-charges the experience with modern features. Nu-Trix points out that, while the hardware’s age can turn envelopes sloppy and filters crusty, the Mercury-8 lets you sidestep all that. It’s a faithful recreation, but with the reliability of fresh code and none of the vintage drama. If you want the Jupiter-8 magic without the museum maintenance, this is your ticket.

Cherry Audio didn’t just copy and paste the Jupiter-8—they went full mad scientist. Nu-Trix highlights the deep effects section, where each layer (upper and lower) gets its own FX chain, plus global effects for the whole patch. We’re talking three lines of effects, some with their own sequencers—definitely not your grandad’s synth.

Then there’s the modulation matrix, a playground for anyone who likes their sounds twisted and evolving. Want envelope one to mess with filter resonance? Go wild. The arpeggiator gets a major upgrade too, with chance, feel, and more patterns than a warehouse rave. And let’s not forget the per-patch sequencer—four patterns per patch, ping-pong, random, and the ability to assign them to upper or lower layers. This is Jupiter-8 DNA with Cherry Audio’s signature chaos built in.

Here’s where Mercury-8 gets clever: the drift control. Nu-Trix shows how you can dial in everything from showroom-fresh to road-worn and barely holding together. Want your synth to sound like it’s survived forty years of dodgy gigs? Crank the drift and watch the envelopes, VCA, VCF, and VCOs wobble like they’re overdue a service.

Or, if you’re after pristine, studio-grade stability, just set it to brand new and bask in the digital cleanliness. The drift setting is saved with each patch, so you can have your own personal time machine—one minute you’re in 1981, the next you’re back in the future. It’s a feature that’s both fun and genuinely useful for adding character or keeping things tight.

Nu-Trix doesn’t just talk the talk—he walks us through the Mercury-8’s presets, features, and quirks in full detail. From classic Jupiter-8 sounds to modern patches dripping with effects and modulation, the video is packed with hands-on demos. There’s even support for loading original Jupiter-8 SysEx files (with a bit of manual reading required).

But let’s be real: words can only take you so far. If you want to hear the Mercury-8 scream, shimmer, and wobble, you need to watch Nu-Trix’s video. The walkthrough is a goldmine for sound hunters, and the only way to truly appreciate how much this plugin can do. Don’t just read about it—go get your ears dirty.