SynTesla, the French synthesizer company that grew out of Pierre-Jean Tardiveau's work with Hans Zimmer on the Giorgio III project, has published a roadmap covering everything it plans to ship between now and the end of 2027. Most of the list is modular hardware, but two entries matter directly to anyone tracking expressive and per-note control: the HZ series master keyboards and the SynTesla IX polyphonic synthesizer.

The HZ Series: Master Keyboards Built Around CV, Not MIDI

The HZ series — named for Hans Zimmer, who remains closely tied to the company's public identity — is a line of 61-key master keyboards planned for release within the 2026 wave of products. What sets them apart from a conventional MIDI controller is the output side: each keyboard ships with either four or eight independent CV channels alongside standard MIDI, aimed squarely at players running modular synthesizer voices rather than software instruments.

That distinction matters for the expressive-control conversation. MPE solves per-note pitch, pressure, and timbre inside the MIDI protocol, but a modular rig built around discrete voltage-controlled oscillators has never had an equivalent standard — every per-note CV setup has historically been a bespoke patching problem. A keyboard that exposes four or eight CV outputs directly from the keybed doesn't replace MPE, but it addresses the same underlying desire — expressive, independent control per note — for the growing community of players who prefer voltage over MIDI messages. It's a reminder that "per-note expression" is a category bigger than the MPE specification alone, and that modular builders are solving the same problem from the hardware side.

SynTesla IX: A Polyphonic Synth for 2027

Further out, SynTesla says its first fully polyphonic instrument, the SynTesla IX, is targeted for 2027 and will ship in two forms: a desktop/rack expander and a dedicated keyboard version. Few technical details have been confirmed this early, but a polyphonic synth from a team with deep modular and expressive-performance roots is worth watching — the company's existing 5U modules already lean heavily on continuous, hands-on control, and a keyboard version of a flagship polysynth is a natural place for MPE or MPE-style handling to show up, even if SynTesla hasn't confirmed compatibility yet.

The Rest of the Roadmap

The HZ keyboards and SynTesla IX sit inside a much larger list. On the modular side, 2026 brings a wave of 5U modules — a DCO, a sequencer, a drone engine, a noise generator, an "exotic" filter, a wave animator, a multi-segment envelope, a barber-pole effect, stereo and quad reverbs, and a CV multiband resonator — plus two new synthesizer systems, the 5U-format MegaHertz and the 3-by-24MU GigaHertz, the latter opening for pre-order this year. A 3U Eurorack line is planned too, including an SLFO-16 module and a second-generation Toolbox utility module, working up to complete systems.

Effects pedals — a TINAC-style modulator, a cascade flanger, a "sparkling" riser, a warp filter, a multiband overdrive, and a saturation unit — are pencilled in for 2027, alongside a desktop stereo multi-filter.

Two projects stand out as departures from synthesizer hardware entirely. SynTesla is developing a travel-sized modular system in partnership with Hans Zimmer and luggage maker Rimowa, aimed at musicians who want a serious instrument that survives being checked at an airport. And the company confirmed it's working with the accessibility organization ANT on an instrument designed specifically around adaptive and assistive use — a rare case of a boutique modular manufacturer building for accessibility from the ground up rather than retrofitting an existing product.

Why It's Worth Watching

None of this ships tomorrow, and SynTesla's own timeline stretches into 2027 for its most ambitious pieces. But the roadmap is a useful data point for where expressive, per-note control is heading outside the MIDI-and-MPE mainstream: modular manufacturers are building CV-native answers to the same problem MPE solves in software, often for players who never plan to open a DAW at all. Anyone weighing a modular master keyboard against an MPE controller for an upcoming rig should keep the HZ series on their radar as it gets closer to shipping.

Full details on the roadmap, along with pricing as it's announced, are available at syntesla.com.