Pentaphonic brings back a Gleeman Instruments synth that had fewer than 70 hardware units made. Cherry Audio has turned the rare early 1980s model into a software instrument, with its DCO sound and analog filter design kept intact. The plugin adds a fair bit more than the old gear could do.
Each voice gets three oscillators based on the vintage design, with stepped wave shapes, pulse width tweaks, and oscillator sync. Players can go from a single voice to unison or poly setups with as many as 16 voices. The hardware had just five.
Filter controls have had an upgrade as well. Users can pick 12 dB or 24 dB slopes, while two LFOs handle changes to pitch, tone, and volume. Velocity and aftertouch can shape several settings. Even the fast and slow chorus sounds from the hardware are back.
Then there is the arpeggiator. Four play styles cover Arp, Leap, Order, and Random, with swing and chance settings for extra variety. A poly step sequencer has 16 steps across four patterns, along with sync and humanize controls. The Parameter Animator gives users another way to change sound settings as a pattern runs.
Effects get plenty of attention. Cherry Audio added 22 options, ranging from delay and reverb to chorus, phasers, and distortion. Five effects can run in one chain, with separate mix controls. Users can save those setups and call them back when needed.
Preset fans get more than 375 sounds in 14 groups. That set also has all 50 patches from the Gleeman factory bank. For the look, users can swap between black, clear, and Audities clear themes. The transparent designs even let them adjust how much of the case shows.
MIDI mapping, DAW automation, zoom controls, and adjustable oversampling are here as well. Pentaphonic runs on Windows or macOS, either as a standalone synth or through VST2, VST3, AU, and AAX plugins. The asking price is $59.
Each voice gets three oscillators based on the vintage design, with stepped wave shapes, pulse width tweaks, and oscillator sync. Players can go from a single voice to unison or poly setups with as many as 16 voices. The hardware had just five.
Filter controls have had an upgrade as well. Users can pick 12 dB or 24 dB slopes, while two LFOs handle changes to pitch, tone, and volume. Velocity and aftertouch can shape several settings. Even the fast and slow chorus sounds from the hardware are back.
Then there is the arpeggiator. Four play styles cover Arp, Leap, Order, and Random, with swing and chance settings for extra variety. A poly step sequencer has 16 steps across four patterns, along with sync and humanize controls. The Parameter Animator gives users another way to change sound settings as a pattern runs.
Effects get plenty of attention. Cherry Audio added 22 options, ranging from delay and reverb to chorus, phasers, and distortion. Five effects can run in one chain, with separate mix controls. Users can save those setups and call them back when needed.
Preset fans get more than 375 sounds in 14 groups. That set also has all 50 patches from the Gleeman factory bank. For the look, users can swap between black, clear, and Audities clear themes. The transparent designs even let them adjust how much of the case shows.
MIDI mapping, DAW automation, zoom controls, and adjustable oversampling are here as well. Pentaphonic runs on Windows or macOS, either as a standalone synth or through VST2, VST3, AU, and AAX plugins. The asking price is $59.
