The Eighty

Name: The Eighty
Price: 59 USD
Author: XILS-lab

by XILS-lab · Synth · Yamaha CS-80 emulation

Not rated yet

The Eighty models the Yamaha CS-80, with three synthesis lines, linked high-pass and low-pass filters, ring modulation and polyphonic aftertouch.

It adds an arpeggiator, four effects and over 500 presets, for €59 on sale (about $66.99).

Best for: Keys & Synths, Bass, Sound Design. Genres: Ambient & Cinematic, Electronic & EDM, Pop.

Keywords: hardware emulation, arpeggiator, heavy, polyphonic, cinematic, analog, brass, CPU-heavy, leads, steep learning curve, 70s, basses, ensemble, evolving, film & game audio, flat UI, modern, pads, preset-driven, sound design, subtractive, vintage.

What it does

The Eighty is XILS-lab's emulation of the Yamaha CS-80, the polysynth associated with Vangelis and the Blade Runner soundtrack. Where the original had two lines, The Eighty stacks three synthesis lines and adds modern modulation, effects and an arpeggiator.

Three lines: three synthesis lines, each with its own oscillator and LFO, a 12 dB zero-delay high-pass and low-pass filter pair, and two envelopes.
CS-80 style envelopes: the envelopes follow the original's design without a sustain stage, using initial and attack levels instead.
2D mixer: an advanced two-dimensional mixer for blending the lines, with animation for movement over time.
Sub-oscillator and ring modulator: a sub-oscillator and a ring modulator with its own envelope, as on the original.
Expression: polyphonic aftertouch, velocity sensitivity and keyboard followers.
Chorus and effects: chorus for vibrato, tremolo and ensemble, plus delay, phaser, reverb and EQ with independent routing.
Arpeggiator and presets: an extended arpeggiator with cycled modulation and mutes, and more than 500 presets from sound designers including Nori Ubukata and Gab Lavoie, in a tag-based manager.

This is version 1.1.0. A demo can be downloaded, and a 15-day time-limited full licence is available on request. The developer says it is optimized for low CPU use without oversampling.

Source: XILS-lab product page

When to use it

The Eighty is a strong pick for anyone who wants the CS-80's brass, shimmer and expressive leads in a plugin. Compared with CS-80 V, it extends the instrument to three lines and adds a 2D mixer with animation and an extended arpeggiator, and one KVR user felt it captures the CS-80 shimmer without the harshness of other emulations. Unlike Diva or Pigments 7, it is built around one instrument, so it covers less ground but goes deeper into that sound. It is also more demanding to learn than Hive 2 or Sylenth1, and a user review reports heavy CPU and RAM use despite the developer's low-CPU claim, so the demo is worth running on your own system.

Best for: expressive brass, Vangelis-style leads, evolving cinematic pads and soft-to-heavy basses.
Genres: cinematic, ambient, synthwave and electronic music.
Look elsewhere if: you want many synth architectures in one plugin (Diva or Pigments 7) or a lighter, quicker synth (Hive 2).

What producers say

Users and reviewers rate the sound very highly; the main complaints are system load, price and the learning curve.

KVR users one review so far, 5 out of 5, calling it "currently probably the best emulation of a CS-80" with a clean GUI, but noting heavy CPU and RAM use.
Magnetic Magazine called it "a faithful analog emulator" with more range than expected and good warm pads, but warned of a steep learning curve and a high regular price.

Where to buy

PluginFox: $59 (regular $159)
AudioDeluxe: $59 (regular $159)
XILS-lab: $66.99 (regular $225.96) (Listed at €59 (regular €199); converted at €1 = $1.1355 (ECB rate, 29 Sep 2026))
Best Service: $149
Audio Plugin Deals: $199

Tutorials and reviews

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