A new name has entered the expressive-synth conversation this week. Developer zc devices has opened a free public beta of Thicket, a polyphonic, node-based modular synthesizer plugin, as first reported by Bedroom Producers Blog. For MPE players, the headline detail is simple: per-note pressure, slide and pitch are all available as modulation sources you can patch anywhere in the instrument.
What Thicket is
Thicket is built around a node graph rather than a fixed signal path. It ships with 50 ready-to-use nodes covering wavetable, sample and granular playback, filters, distortion and modulation effects. You connect them the way you would patch a modular rig, but with the convenience of a plugin: saved sessions, polyphony and no cables to untangle.
Because the instrument is polyphonic, each voice carries its own copy of the patch. That matters for MPE, since every note arrives on its own channel with its own expression data. A voice that is being bent, pressed and slid independently of its neighbors needs its own modulation state, and a node-based design is a natural way to expose that.
Why the MPE routing stands out
Many synths with MPE support offer a fixed set of destinations: pressure to filter, slide to something else, and a pitch-bend range. Thicket's approach, according to the developer's description, is to treat the three MPE dimensions as freely routable sources. In practice that could mean:
- Slide moving a wavetable position while pressure opens a filter on the same voice
- Pressure feeding a granular node's grain density, so a held note thickens as you lean into it
- Per-note pitch driving a modulation depth so that vibrato also changes timbre
Those are exactly the sort of cross-dimension relationships that make expressive controllers feel alive, and they are much easier to build when nothing is hard-wired. If you play a LinnStrument, a ROLI Seaboard, an Osmose or any other MPE controller, this is the kind of sandbox worth experimenting in.
Beta details and how to join
The beta is free and runs until November 8. It is not a permanent freeware release, and no post-beta pricing has been announced, so treat it as a chance to evaluate rather than a final product. To get the download links you sign up for the mailing list on the Thicket page and confirm your email address.
Format and platform coverage is broad:
- Plugin formats: VST3 and CLAP on Windows, macOS and Linux, plus AU on macOS
- Systems: Windows 10 or newer, macOS 13 or newer (Intel and Apple Silicon), and modern x64 Linux
- Installer size: roughly 144 MB on Windows, 207 MB on macOS and 178 MB on Linux
Linux support and CLAP in particular make this one of the more accessible options for players outside the usual Mac and Windows VST3 circle. The developer also publishes an AI charter on its site, which is worth a read if that matters to your buying decisions.
How to test MPE in a beta
Betas can have rough edges, so before you commit a project to Thicket, run a quick checklist:
- Confirm MPE is enabled in the plugin or in your host's track settings, with the correct zone and bend range (48 semitones is common on controllers; 2 or 24 on some synths)
- Play a chord and move one finger only, to verify that the other notes stay still
- Route pressure and slide separately, then check that each responds on its own axis
- Save and reload the session to be sure your routings survive
Our guide to MPE hosting basics walks through the same checks in more detail.
The takeaway
A free, cross-platform, polyphonic modular synth with first-class per-note modulation is an easy download for anyone with an expressive controller. Whether Thicket stays free or becomes a paid product, the beta gives MPE players an early look at a design that treats expression as a core part of the patch, not an afterthought. Sign up before November 8 and see how it feels under your fingers.
Source: Bedroom Producers Blog. Official page: zcdevices.com/thicket.