It really depends how into synthesizers you are. How much you appreciate the different characteristics of different synths, how their filters behave, how their envelopes behave etc. If your more into let’s say rock and other guitar focused styles and only use synthesizers in the background, your best bet is to get an all around synth with tons of presets and capable of many different synthesis (like Pigments). However there are many, like myself who absolutely adore the Roland synth sound and this synth (SH101) in particular has been a huge part in 90’s electronic music sound with it’s snappy envelopes, fat filters and overall fat sound. Just looking at the GUI can be very inspirational and nostalgic for someone who used to own SH101 in the olden days.

The best one is the Roland Boutique / Roland Cloud one, simply because it’s 4 voices by default, while this and other plugins (excluding lush101 since to me it doesn’t sound like quite like a 101 and has it’s own wonderful thing going for it anyway) only have 1. Soundwise the Softube emulations are top of the line, and this is no exception, I think this one sounds close to identical to the real thing.

But for real sub? I do not know. SH-101 has a good envelope with hard filter for unusual crispy basses. But for very deep I think moog makes the best. And Juno 60.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Mo2mkFdIYE

Soft envelopes and very fat sub without disto-tricks like a quint.

Looking for free alternatives, TAL software AFAIK has built TAL Noisemaker, on their previous Bassline and Elek7ro plugs, that appear to be based on the SH-101

I had the original Roland hardware in 1989, i brought it for £100 along with a Korg “Super Drums” drum machine which was £50.
I loved the 101 sub bass line sound, but my neighbours didn’t !

Salute to Marco Scherer for this info

Softube Model 82 is still available until 21st February at Plugin Boutique (also get UA PolyMax OR Pulsar W495 EQ for free with purchase)…

pluginboutique.com/product/1-Instruments/4-Synth/9154-Model-82-Sequencing-Mono-Synth#a_aid=5fb6d6ac1a235

Apply the code:
PBNL53

just a thought:
maybe one disadvantage of some random developers freebie could be that you dont get compatibility updates anymore in the future.

Why’s that?