Cherry Audio has introduced Pentaphonic, a software synthesizer designed for both Mac and Windows systems. This virtual instrument draws inspiration from the Gleeman Pentaphonic, a distinctive hybrid synthesizer from the early 1980s. According to Synthtopia, the original hardware device combined five voices with digitally controlled oscillators, analog filtering, and a built-in sequencer.
Developers have maintained the original instrument’s fundamental design while incorporating updated features unavailable in the original hardware. The software version now supports a wider range of polyphony, oscillator synchronization, and pulse-width modulation. The Gleeman Pentaphonic’s original architecture is preserved, but expanded.
Key features include three oscillators per voice, which retain the original’s eight waveforms, and expanded modulation/LFO sections. The filter retains its original design, while also adding new modes and keyboard tracking capabilities. Users can now adjust parameters using channel and polyphonic aftertouch, as well as a dedicated modulation stick.
Furthermore, a dynamic arpeggiator provides various modes and controls, offering additional creative possibilities. The polyphony has been expanded from the original five voices to a range between two and sixteen, and unison and mono modes are also available.
For more information, visit synthtopia.com.
