Sensel – the company behind the Morph multi-touch control surface – has announced new presets for five different instruments for the free Express MPE sound pack.
Released in January 2021, Express MPE offers ‘gorgeous, playful presets’ for some of the most expressive synthesisers currently on the market – Xfer Serum, Arturia Pigments, Bitwig Studio, Audio Damage Quanta, Madrona Labs Aalto and Kaivo, and the Ashun Sound Machines Hydrasynth. These are joined by presets for Audio Damage Phosphor and Continua, sonicLAB Fundamental, Newfangled Audio Generate and Pendulate, and Vital Audio Vital synths. According to Sensel, these sounds range from indulgent pads to robot-inspired risers to retro digital sounds, with at least five presets for each title.
For anyone new to Midi Polyphonic Expression (MPE), the presets offer a masterclass in how to map Pitch Bend, Glide and Pressure in each of these software (and the Hydrasynth hardware) synths. By putting fingers to the sounds, players have a new dimension of sonic control. By pulling the presets apart, they can learn how to get the most from the many dimensions of MPE.
‘We’ve gotten a lot of great feedback from folks who are using the original Express MPE presets and saw an opportunity to encourage further exploration,’ says Sensel Product Strategist and Morph frontman, Peter Nyboer. ‘MPE is coming to more DAWs and instruments, seemingly every week, and we want to be on the front lines promoting it while removing barriers to entry.’
The sounds can be used in any MPE-ready host – including Ableton Live 11, Bitwig, StudioOne, Logic and Cubase – with MPE-capable controllers such as a Sensel Morph, Roli, Artiphon and Linnstrument.
