UVI has released Falcon 2027, the latest free update to its hybrid synth workstation. It is not billed as an MPE update, but Falcon is a popular host for expressive instruments, so it deserves a look from MPE players.
What is new
The update brings a refreshed interface with a module treeview browser and an oscillator picker with category filters. On the sound side there are two new oscillators:
- West Folder, a West Coast-style complex oscillator with a wavefolder and a vactrol-modeled low-pass gate.
- FM Explorer, a three-operator FM oscillator that morphs between algorithms.
Sample tools gain Spectral Stretch, a phase-vocoder module that separates playback speed from pitch, plus a mapping module that imports .dmap, .sfz and .xml files (import is read-only). The effects library passes 90 processors, adding a Buchla-style low-pass gate, an analog BBD delay and chorus, FET and feedforward compressors, a passive EQ, a spectrogram analyzer and a loudness meter. A Steiner-Parker multimode filter joins the filter section, a Data Envelope extracts modulation curves from audio files, and there are 100 new presets.
Where MPE comes in
Falcon 2027 itself is not described as adding MPE features. The MPE connection in current coverage comes through expansions: UVI's Particular expansion offers an MPE mode and XY-pad control for its presets. That is a reminder of how MPE tends to work in large workstation-style hosts: the engine can receive per-note data, but whether it feels expressive depends on how each patch maps pressure, slide and pitch bend.
If you plan to use Falcon with a controller such as a LinnStrument or Osmose, the practical advice is:
- Check each patch or expansion for MPE labelling before assuming it responds per note.
- Set your controller's bend range to match the patch.
- Use the new modules as modulation targets. West Folder's folding and FM Explorer's algorithm morphing are the kind of parameters that reward continuous pressure control. Whether they can be mapped to MPE sources in your setup is worth testing, since we have not seen UVI document it.
Pricing and timing
Existing Falcon users get the update free. New licenses are at an introductory $149 / €149 (regularly $299 / €299) until October 26, 2026, and include a $100 / €100 voucher for soundware. Until the same date, buying one Falcon expansion gets a second free, so two expansions cost $39 / €39. See UVI's site for current details.
Our take
For MPE players, Falcon 2027 is more a platform story than a feature story. The new oscillators and spectral tools broaden what you can build, and with an expansion such as Particular you can already play presets expressively. If you own Falcon, the free update is a no-brainer. If you are considering buying one for MPE alone, the intro price is attractive, but audition the specific patches you care about first.
Sources: Synth Anatomy, UVI.