yeah, thats the issue…
theres not really anything thats super configurable and mpe compatible ‘out of the box’.
the 4ms metamodule / percussa modules would be a good match, but neither support polyphonic cables which make implementing mpe voices a bit ‘painful’ (though doable).
actually there is one module, that I think could work… Disting NT, it has some polyphonic synths that I believe are MPE compatible. it’s a bit of a quirky interface - but looks pretty easy to use once you get used to it. also its not as ‘extendable’ as other options, but it does a lot already.
( I dont have one… so going off what Ive read/seen etc)
I do love my eagan matrix module, it’s great for MPE out of the box. but indeed creating patches on it takes some getting used to… also whilst what it does, it does extremely well, it doesn’t do all synthysis models (e.g. granular, sampling)
I don’t need polyphonic cables. Just midi (usb, midi, trs…) as it would be a synth to be played by an mpe controller. CV in and out is a bonus, of course.
the percussa’s wavetable synth looks nice, the metamodule doesn’t appeal me in the same way
What keeps me wary is the life span (how is the percussa working without updates and will it be updated in the future) and how well/bad the mpe implementation is: can I adjust modulation per target, are there expression curves, is it a pain to program…
Polysynths support MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression). Currently this is limited to correctly
handling note allocation when receiving MPE, and to supporting per-note pitch bend. Per-note aftertouch and the “Y dimension” are not currently supported.
yeah, unfortunately, Im not surprised there are limitations…
the thing is MPE is polyphonic,
so if you want a modular environment for creating mpe synths, whilst its possible to do with monophonic cables and modules, you have to duplicate each voice. and these are hard to ‘manage’. its ok with 4 voices beyond that its painful.
but polyphonic cables get rid of that ‘issue’.
all that said, whilst you refer to modular synths, it sounds more like you just want ‘regular’ synths with mpe support, rather than ‘build your own’.
in eurorack, I think you’ll be pretty limited, polyphonic modules are a niche within eurorack already, so adding MPE is even more niche
for me… and what I know/played with etc.
I think too routes :
a) Eagan Matrix Module / Eagan Matrix Micro
if you like its sound / character, this is best out of box experience…
checkout demos of both Continuum and Osmose.
Osmose is important as its has some more ‘traditional’ synth like presets, whereas many Continuum demos are more focus on the physical modelling side.
The Micro is good if you dont want/need CV.
b) build your own…
theres countless options here, many of which we have discussed above.
ranging from Bela to Percussa, Daisy, Meta Module.
this all vary in price, form factor etc.
all will require you to ‘code’ your own synth, and at that point you can add MPE support as you want.
how you ‘code’ it is dependent on platform, some like Percussa/Meta it may be complex patching (see above), for others it might mean creating Pure Data patches (back to organelle :)) , or even venturing into C++ etc.
I know, none of this is ideal…
and its why I find it hard to recommend a particular solution for musicians.
perhaps one day this will change, we are seeing MPE becoming more common place in daws, soft synths, and even hardware synths. so at some point it may well filter down into this more niche (?) category.
on the bright side, and a bit of a side tracking …
as a dev, I have been giving this some thought in recent months.
in the past many of my projects have been about opening up expressive controllers or things like the organelle in a ‘generic way’, to open up possibilities. so I was quite focused on modular environments, to use modules as building blocks.
however, I recognised often this made these solutions ‘complex’ esp for musicians that were less ‘experimental’ and hands-on.
so, Ive some ideas (mainly for Meta Module / Percussa) about creating some quite specific (virtual) modules that support MPE. these will be less flexible, but on the flip side will “just work ™”
( I actually have an MPE version of plaits already working on MetaModule as a proof of concept)
no promises on when… as its part of some other stuff im working on
Regarding programming/“coding”, venturing into C++ would be trading the time I have for music to learn how to code. PD and Max would be also very time consuming.
But patch tweaking, turning knobs and wrestling with the VCV library… well, I can live with that.
I understand what you say about creating polyphonic synths in eurorack. I wouldn’t go that way. I actually went into modular to sequence and to date I’ve been having a great time.
The reason I considered using eurorack with my MPE midi controllers is 1, because none of the existing “boxes” (MPE hardware synths) really appeal me and 2, because of the Eagan matrix module (which sounds I adore) and other modules that have MIDI in and MPE.
If we take the Eagan matrix, Percussa and Meta.
With the Eagan matrix I would “only” have to tweak the existing patches to play well with the Striso & Linnstrument. I could live with that because I love much of what I’ve heard on-line (I didn’t know though there were different patches for the different devices the Eagan Matrix works in). It would be a labor of patience.
Regarding the micro, I don’t get some of their design decisions: USB, no host, 4 buttons and the note that it “is being sold specifically for use with the Warbl” - Why on earth not the Linnstrument, which has a bigger user base? Or at least why not just more generic?
Regarding Percussa, I saw it had a nice wavetable synth, a granular engine and I liked what I heard. Programming here would be (again) adapting the patches to MPE through the user interface, isn’t it ??
My fears with it would be: 1, is it still in development, being taken care of? 2, how well would the mpe implementation work? (We all know how that varies from synth to synth, hardware and software).
Now you are making me re-consider the Meta module. I’ve played with VCV rack a lot in the past. As far as I remember I missed better control of the MPE modulation. If only there was a module kind to the modulation system in the Roli Equator… there are plenty of polyphonic sound sources in VCV that I like - only the library management drove me crazy
Speaking of Roli, despite the company, I would buy a little box with Equator in it and a few controls - like the left side of the Seaboard.
I would be interested in that. As said, I’m not in a hurry because first I have to “finish” my non-polyphonic/non-mpe rack but please let me know if you decide to go ahead and do something with it.
exactly… similar here, the more time I spend coding less I have for music making - its a balance I struggle with quite a bit.
as I said, problem with percussa and the meta module is the lack of polyphonic support, a basic necessity for mpe.
e.g. sure the wavetable oscillator on the percussa is nice, but its monophonic. using multiple of them to create a polyphonic instruments is a bit tedious.
(same on meta module and many others)
exactly, vcv desktop does have polyphony - just not on the metamodule.
ofc, metamodule has a lot less cpu resources than even a low end pc/Mac, so its not entirely surprising. e.g. a 8 voice synth, general takes 8x resources, so can get out of hand quickly on these kind of modules.
Out of the box, the EaganMatrix Micro’s sample user presets are made for Warbl, but other than that, it’s identical to a ContinuuMini without the ribbon, so the sample presets are the only thing specific to the Warble.
They just put the same PCB from a Mini in a plastic box, made some WARBL presets, the tiny changes needed to make it identify as a different device than a Mini, and called it done.
It would be nice if it had a USB host, but that would add engineering, complexity, testing burden (no EM device has a MIDI host) and cost. The goal here was clearly to have a low-cost EM option for other MPE controllers.
Regarding “only four buttons”, a full-blown Slim Continuum also has only four buttons.
The Micro functions perfectly well as a synth engine for a Linnstrument or other MPE controllers.
I do drive an EM Micro from VCV. If you want to work with EaganMatrix devices from VCV Rack, then you’ll want VCV Library - #d CHEM. Docs here: pachde CHEM
and because VCV also has polyphony.