Expressive playing with MPE, demystified

MPE, MIDI Polyphonic Expression, can make playing digital instruments expressive in ways we’ve desired for decades. It’s just down to understanding everything you can do – and composer Josh Madoff has a fantastic tutorial and Osmose demos that make this technology more accessible to anyone.

Here’s Roger Linn with advice on developing expressive gestures

Roger Linn didn’t just develop the LinnStrument and then check out. He’s provided a steady stream of musical advice both of his own makings and from the device’s user community – all while being a driving force in MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE). The latest video is a must-watch addition to that ongoing series.

Peter Kirn - January 8, 2025

Rhizomatic Synestia, an otherworldly effect from Absynth, Plasmonic creator

Modeled resonators, formants, waveshapers, filters, delays, all with extensive modulation: Synestia takes the unparalleled sonic shapers from creator Brian Clevinger’s Plasmonic and brings it to any input signal.

Peter Kirn - December 13, 2024

Geert Bevin, MPE innovator, tours Osmose keyboard and expression

Peter Kirn - June 18, 2024

Tuning, polyphonic expression: Black Corporation’s Roman Filippov

Roman Filippov - December 13, 2023

Sequential’s Trigon-6 gets the desktop treatment – and update adds MPE

Peter Kirn - August 15, 2023

BLEASS Voices is the all-in-one vocal transformer for Mac, PC, and iOS we were waiting for

Peter Kirn - June 8, 2023

Kyoka on the new Ableton Push; approaching Push as an instrument

Peter Kirn - May 25, 2023

Here’s what’s in Apple’s Logic Pro for iPad – and it’s more than you probably think (first impressions)

Peter Kirn - May 23, 2023