List of MPE Hardware Synthesizers

[John the Savage]

I explain why LinnStrument doesn't remove sharps or flats on my FAQ page, General tab, first FAQ:

https://www.rogerlinndesign.com/support ... ument-faqs

Here's a quote from that page:

"If it's important to you that you never play any sharps or flats, then simply press pads that are lit and don't press any pads that aren't lit, just as you can play only white keys and not black keys on a piano."

Exactly. I reckon it doesn't get any easier than that. Best of both worlds.

Cheers!

[FranklyFlawless]

I have added the Tasty Chips Electronics GR-MEGA as an entry into the Desktop list, and marked its status as unreleased. I emailed Tasty Chips directly about whether or not MPE was supported on the GR-MEGA like the GR-1, and I received this response from Luc Derks:

Hello Frank,

I can confirm that the GR-Mega will support MPE!

All the best,

Luc
Sound Design - Tech Support - Quality Assurance @ Tasty Chips Electronics
luc@tastychips.nl

I have also emailed Beetlecrab about the Tempera, and Modal Electronics about the CARBON8, but have not received any responses as of yet regarding MPE compatibility.

[pmags]

Hi pmags,

If you haven't seen it, I explain why LinnStrument doesn't remove sharps or flats on my FAQ page, General tab, first FAQ:

https://www.rogerlinndesign.com/support ... ument-faqs

Here's a quote from that page:

"If it's important to you that you never play any sharps or flats, then simply press pads that are lit and don't press any pads that aren't lit, just as you can play only white keys and not black keys on a piano."

Thanks, Roger. I had seen the explanation and I understand the reasoning.

For my own purposes and creativity having access to both scale modes and a standard chromatic mode is ideal.

Best,
Paul

[FranklyFlawless]

UDO Audio has updated their entire website to have separate product pages, so all of their products are now properly linked. The UDO Audio Super Gemini's status has been changed from unreleased to preorder.

The Fred's Lab Manatee also has their own product page now, and on it is a countdown for its Kickstarter campaign, at June, 27th, 12:00:00 GMT.

[DumpsterPheonix]

Hello. I might be a bit late to the party but I saw someone say somewhere that hydrasynth desktop version doesn't have "upperzone" in MPE. I was wondering what that means and how that limits mpe midi control.

I also notice "multitimbral is excluded" and wondered why and also noticed the multi-timbral ASM hydrasynth Deluxe is there but is multitimbral.

Thanks for your time if you read and answer

[FranklyFlawless]

Hello. I might be a bit late to the party but I saw someone say somewhere that hydrasynth desktop version doesn't have "upperzone" in MPE. I was wondering what that means and how that limits mpe midi control.

There are two zones: Lower and Upper. Each zone defines a range of MIDI channels to use for MPE, called member channels. The lower zone usually starts with MIDI channel 2, and the rest of the range is usually defined by the maximum/expected polyphony, up to a hard limit of 16. In a dual polyphonic synthesizer like the Audiothingies MicroMonsta 2, it has the capability to use both zones by configuring the lower zone as 2-8, and the upper zone as 9-15. When using both zones, 1 and 16 are master channels used to send global parameters for each respective zone.

Zones matter when using splits/multi-timbrality. For example, if you want to play two different MPE synthesizers, one for each keyboard split, one synthesizer needs to be configured to use the lower zone, and the other for the upper zone, each with different member channel ranges, in order for them to be heard independently. Some MPE hardware synthesizers only use the lower zone, and not the upper zone, and depending on what range of member channels they have, could make independent split/multi-timbrality performances difficult or outright impossible.

I also notice "multitimbral is excluded" and wondered why and also noticed the multi-timbral ASM hydrasynth Deluxe is there but is multitimbral.

Thanks for your time if you read and answer

Roger has a good explanation of what "multi-timbral" is defined as in the LinnStrument support page:

Multi-timbral synths are intended to play a different sound on each timbre and MIDI channel. So for MPE-like operation you must set all timbres to the same sound, with each timbre receiving from a different channel. Then each MPE Per-Note channel will send to a specific channel/timbre. There are two problems with this:

1. Any sound changes must be done redundantly to all timbres, which is cumbersome.
2. Unlike MPE, multi-timbral synths don't have a Master Channel (called Main Channel in LinnStrument) for messages common to all touches like sustain pedal (cc64), overall volume (cc7), Program Change, etc. LinnStrument has a workaround for this: disable the Main channel. Then all such common messages will be sent redundantly over all Member (Per-Note) channels. To do this, in Per-Split Settings, set column 2 to "Main Chan" to display the assigned Main channel in columns 3-6. Then press the selected Main channel in columns 3-6 to turn it off.

In LinnStrument, MPE is called "Channel Per Note". To set LinnStrument for MPE play, in Per-Split Settings > MIDI Mode column, hold "ChPerNt". It will turn blue and automatically set all other relevant Per-Split Settings for MPE compatibility:

• Bend Range = 48 (Before version 2.2.2 software, it was set to 24.)
• Timbre/Y = CC74
• Loudness/Z = CHAN PRES

Basically this is the workaround used on synthesizers or sample libraries that do not natively have MPE support in order to have pseudo-MPE capabilities. This thread only lists hardware synthesizers that support MPE out-of-the-box, not synthesizers, hardware or otherwise, that require workarounds. If you want a "current" list that does include non-MPE, multi-timbral hardware synthesizers, check out Mark's list over at Poly Expression.

[Proyal36]

Expressive E Osmose is at the same time, both a) A Hardware Synthesizer AND b) A Keyboard styled MPE controller, like you mentioned here correctly for the B part : viewtopic.php?t=594460

Thus the only correct way to do mathematical justice and be totally fair is by putting the device in both lists, because that would be the correct thing to do if 2+2 = 4.

It is a 100% Digital MPE Synthesizer in a keyboard form with the extra ability to control MPE of external synthesizer via the software OS and midi cable.

Same as HAKEN AUDIO Continuum.

[BobDog]

Originally I was thinking of getting an Osmose as a "cheap" way to get 6x DSP and never playing the keyboard at all, so I guess you are right.

[FranklyFlawless]

Expressive E Osmose is at the same time, both a) A Hardware Synthesizer AND b) A Keyboard styled MPE controller, like you mentioned here correctly for the B part : viewtopic.php?t=594460

Thus the only correct way to do mathematical justice and be totally fair is by putting the device in both lists, because that would be the correct thing to do if 2+2 = 4.

It is a 100% Digital MPE Synthesizer in a keyboard form with the extra ability to control MPE of external synthesizer via the software OS and midi cable.

Same as HAKEN AUDIO Continuum.

Correct, which is why both of them are already on the Keyboard list here as well. Haken Audio is only title-stylized.

[SteveElbows]

NINA synths version 1.3 firmware supports MPE.

At the time of me writing the link on the page to the release note is still showing me the firmware 1.2 notes, but MPE is also mentioned in the manual.

https://www.melbourneinstruments.com/support

I have seen the 1.3 release notes on another forum and am reproducing the MPE section below:

• MPE support added.
• MPE has options for Upper or Lower MPE Zone, Pitch Bend range and MIDI CC Polarity.
• MPE works with the 4 multi-timbral layers, so stacked sounds can be MPE controlled, or multiple MPE zones, controllers or standard MIDI keyboards can be assigned different channels.
• MPE operation has a decay feature for expressive sound control on the MPE axes of Aftertouch and CC74. Hold the KBD Key down for more than 1 second to silence all voices, and stop the arpeggiator and sequencer.

[FranklyFlawless]

NINA synths version 1.3 firmware supports MPE.

At the time of me writing the link on the page to the release note is still showing me the firmware 1.2 notes, but MPE is also mentioned in the manual.

https://www.melbourneinstruments.com/support

I have seen the 1.3 release notes on another forum and am reproducing the MPE section below:

• MPE support added.
• MPE has options for Upper or Lower MPE Zone, Pitch Bend range and MIDI CC Polarity.
• MPE works with the 4 multi-timbral layers, so stacked sounds can be MPE controlled, or multiple MPE zones, controllers or standard MIDI keyboards can be assigned different channels.
• MPE operation has a decay feature for expressive sound control on the MPE axes of Aftertouch and CC74. Hold the KBD Key down for more than 1 second to silence all voices, and stop the arpeggiator and sequencer.

Thank you very much for your contribution. You are probably talking about Gearspace, or far less likely, Elektronauts.

I have added the Melbourne Instruments NINA as an entry into the Desktop list, and marked its status as released.

[FranklyFlawless]

I have added the Isla Instruments Caladan as an entry into the Desktop list, and marked its status as unreleased. It is a spiritual successor of the Futuresonus Parva, with its IPs transferred to a new owner, Brad Holland. When I asked them about whether or not it will support MPE, they replied with this:

Yes. It will do all it did previously, and much more.

Special thanks to "John the Savage" for bringing attention to this product.

[FranklyFlawless]

I have added the Groove Synthesis 3rd Wave as an entry into the Keyboard list, and marked its status as WIP.

[FranklyFlawless]

Frédéric Meslin has provided a V1.6.0 firmware release candidate for the Töörö on Mod Wiggler. It fully supports MPE, but requires testing, so for now I will keep the status of the Töörö as WIP.

[FranklyFlawless]

I have added the Artiphon Chorda, Artiphon Orba, and Artiphon Orba 2 as entries into the Others list, and marked their statuses as unreleased, released, and released respectively. Each of them has an internal synth can that be configured for MPE compatibility.