Behringer's JN-80, an eight-voice take on the classic Juno-60 design, began reaching European shops this week. As Synth Anatomy reports, pre-orders were listed at around 569 dollars or euros, with at least one retailer showing stock at 559 euros. Delivery times from the factory can still vary by retailer, so check with your dealer.
For MPE players the interesting line in the spec sheet is the 49-key keybed with velocity and polyphonic aftertouch. That sounds close to MPE, but the two are not the same thing, and the difference affects how you will actually play this synth.
Polyphonic aftertouch versus MPE
With polyphonic aftertouch, each key reports its own pressure value, all on a single MIDI channel. That already allows expressive chords, where you lean into one note while others stay still. What it cannot do is give each note independent pitch bend or slide (the vertical "timbre" axis in MPE), because those messages apply to a whole channel.
MPE solves this by assigning each note its own channel, so pressure, pitch bend and slide are all per note. That is why controllers such as the Expressive E Osmose or the LinnStrument can bend one finger of a chord while the others hold steady.
The JN-80 article does not mention MPE support, so treat it as a polyphonic-aftertouch instrument, not an MPE one. The same article does describe a comprehensive MIDI implementation, with NRPN and CC control of all parameters, bulk load and save, and 5-pin MIDI in and out. Those are useful features for integrating it into a larger setup.
How expressive players can use it
Even without MPE, a synth like this can sit comfortably in an expressive rig:
- Use its keybed for pressure-driven modulation. If the instrument routes polyphonic aftertouch to filter or LFO depth, you get per-note brightness changes by pressing harder on individual keys. Check the manual once it is available to see which destinations are supported.
- Play it from an MPE controller carefully. Many hardware synths expect a single channel. If your controller sends MPE data on several channels, you may need to switch it to a standard single-channel mode or use a MIDI utility to merge the channels. Pitch bend per note will not translate to a synth that only understands channel-wide bend.
- Pair it with MPE-native instruments. A warm analog polysynth is a great backing layer under an expressive MPE lead from a plugin or another hardware synth.
A quick buying checklist
When a new synth advertises "expressive" features, ask these questions before you buy:
- Does it respond to MPE, or only to polyphonic aftertouch or channel aftertouch?
- Can it receive on multiple MIDI channels with per-channel pitch bend?
- Which parameters can pressure and slide actually control?
- Is there a way to set a pitch bend range that matches your controller?
The MIDI Association publishes the MPE specification, which is a useful reference when manufacturers' descriptions are vague.
Why it still matters
The JN-80 is not an MPE instrument, and that is fine. Its appeal is a familiar analog voice architecture, doubled from six to eight voices, at a modest price. But it is a good reminder that "polyphonic aftertouch" and "MPE" are often used loosely in marketing copy. Knowing the difference helps you pick the right tool for the job and avoid disappointment at the first soundcheck.
For official product information, see behringer.com.