GForce just made a West Coast, MPE-playable synth playground

GForce’s MAP is all new — it’s not a recreation or a collaboration with other brands. But this synth has been to history class, studying modular designs by Serge Tcherepnin, Random*Source, and Buchla USA. Put that in a very modern interface, add MPE expression, and you get what feels like Massive X or Serum from an alternate universe where they’re all about West Coast synthesis.

MPE meets modular, strings: AAS Multiphonics CV-3, Osmose, Soliste

Multi-dimensional polyphonic expression, connecting gestures underneath your fingers, finally makes the full range of sound synthesis something you can feel. You might even want to practice, like when you first discovered instruments. Let’s take a quick break and look at some examples featuring AAS’ Multiphonics CV-3 and Osmose, for MPE plus modular, then a bonus round with Osmose and Soliste, for string lovers.

Peter Kirn - September 29, 2025

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.

Peter Kirn - February 20, 2025

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