Cherry Audio has released Pentaphonic, a plugin recreation of the extremely rare Gleeman Pentaphonic, a polyphonic analog synthesizer from 1981 designed by brothers Bob and Al Gleeman. It is a fun release for vintage-synth fans, and a useful excuse to talk about something every expressive player faces: how do you quickly find out whether a new plugin really responds to MPE?

What you get

According to Synth Anatomy's review, Pentaphonic offers up to 16 voices with three oscillators per voice, and filters modeled on Curtis 3320 voltage-controlled four-pole designs. There are 375 presets, a 16-step sequencer, a parameter animator and a multi-effects section with 22 effects. The interface comes in three looks: two transparent designs with adjustable transparency, and a classic black one.

The plugin is available now for macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel) and Windows in VST, VST3, AU and AAX formats. It costs $59, with a separate Translucent Preset Pack at $9.99.

About MPE support

The review we read does not mention MPE support, and we have not seen it confirmed on the product page, so we will not claim it here. Cherry Audio has added expressive features to several of its recent recreations, so it is worth checking the official product page or the manual for the current state. And whatever the documentation says, you can verify behavior yourself with the quick test below.

The five-minute MPE test

You need an MPE controller (or even a simple MPE-capable software tool), a DAW or standalone host, and a patch with a clearly audible response.

Step 1: Enable MPE mode. Many plugins have an MPE toggle or a pitch bend range setting. Set the plugin's bend range to ±48 semitones, the usual MPE default, unless your controller is configured differently.

Step 2: The pitch test. Hold a chord, then slide only one finger. If one note bends while the others stay put, per-note pitch bend works. If the whole chord bends, the plugin is treating everything as one channel.

Step 3: The pressure test. Press harder on a single note while holding others. Listen for brightness, volume or modulation changes on only that note. If the filter opens on all notes together, you have channel-wide aftertouch rather than per-note pressure.

Step 4: The slide test. Move a finger vertically (CC74). A plugin with true MPE support will often map this to filter cutoff by default or let you assign it in a modulation matrix.

Step 5: Check the assignments. Look for a modulation matrix, MPE sources or learnable parameters. A synth can accept MPE data but offer few places to send it, which limits its usefulness.

Why vintage emulations can be great MPE instruments

A polysynth with independent voice filters and envelopes is a natural fit for per-note expression, because each voice already has its own sound-shaping path. The challenge is purely in the plumbing: whether the plugin maps per-channel pitch bend, pressure and slide to individual voices. When it does, classic analog tones become surprisingly alive under expressive hands.

Our explainer on what MPE support in a plugin update really means goes deeper on the difference between accepting MPE and using it well.

Verdict

Pentaphonic looks like a polished, reasonably priced vintage polysynth. Try the demo if one is offered, run the five-minute test, and you will know right away whether it belongs in your expressive setup.

Sources: Synth Anatomy review, Cherry Audio.