KORG’s analog-modeling, layered multi-poly was already compelling as hardware. Now, it’s available as a software plug-in, either as a companion to the keyboard version or as a rich plug-in in its own right. I’ve been working with a late build; here are some impressions.
No one in 2025 is waking up and thinking, “my God, if only I had some kind of deep software polysynth with a bunch of modulation options.” So the bar is pretty high for KORG here. I’m going to set the bar even a little higher. Yes, this software is being marketed to multi-poly keyboard owners wanting editor/librarian functions and DAW integration. (There’s a $49.99 crossgrade for hardware owners as an intro offer.) But I don’t have the keyboard. And I do have a lot of other polysynths. So will I find some use for multi/poly?
Right out of the gate, multi/poly is deeply satisfying. And it’s an interesting intersection of a plug-in that looks and works like other polysynths you’ve used before but can sound really different. It’s the rare case of a plug-in where I found a bunch of sonic options without even leaving the opening “Play” screen – in the first few minutes, I hadn’t even worked out that it wasn’t the edit screen.
There are a few reasons the multi/poly sets itself apart:
Analog modeling throughout. As the nod to the original KORG mono/poly suggests, this synth is rooted in analog gear, with all the possibilities for pitch drift, unique amplitude response, and so on. That includes modeling across oscillators, filters, envelopes, LFOs, portamento – each with different settings for different classic KORG hardware.
KORG has done what I wished some other makers would do – they’ve combined the flagship semi-modular polysynth with the modeling expertise of their historical synth recreations. It’s great to be able to mix and match that futurism and layered sound with some retro instability, with the Mono/Poly, MS-20, Mini, Odyssey, and Pro models ready to go.
(Incidentally, if you want complete historical accuracy and you haven’t checked out KORG’s software emulations lately – they’ve grown a lot. The new ARP 2600 model is astounding.)
Four oscillators + shapers. Run four oscillators per program through waveshapers – with 200 factory wavetables, external wavetable support, and 90 shaper types. Again, you get a strictly retro approach here, with 64-step vintage-style wavetables.
There’s also oscillator sync, ring mod, and cross modulation always accessible. It’s a good, balanced approach to retro wavetable synthesis. You can push that retro approach for some especially hard-edged, crunchy sounds.
Dual modeled filters. Yep, also a ton of filter options, though here that’s almost a must, especially if we’re comparing it to other software.
Lots of modulation. Oh yes, envelope generators, modulation sources, keyboard tracking, and sequencing – you’ll see this all conveniently visualized and accessible in the interface and along a single row. And that looks more than a little like Arturia Pigments — wow, apart from the original modulation drag-and-drop concept of the first Native Instruments Massive, I don’t know that any single software interaction design concept has been so influential i recent years. But I’m not complaining because this is a handy way to do this – and it means, as a heavy Pigments user, that multi/poly feels instantly familiar. They also do sound really different, so Pigments plus multi/poly is a great combo (more on that in my advice) and I do notice the inimitable Francis Preve shows up in sound design credits for both.
Layers, motion, and Kaoss Physics. This is really where stuff starts to get interesting, because everything I’ve described so far you could probably cobble together elsewhere more or less. multi/poly lets you layer up to four programs into a single Performance, then switch between them round-robin style, via the arpeggiator, in motion sequencing, and in Kaoss Physics – or a combination of all of those.
Kaoss Physics alone is arguably a reason to use multi/poly. You set up physics rules, and a single puck can bounce around the X/Y grid, with options for gravity, friction, tilt, the “bumps” of the concentric circles on the modulation surface, and more. This lets you really compose with the X/Y grid in fascinating ways. It’s one of the things people did most with the original JazzMutant Lemur hardware 20 years ago when it came out – you’d let the ball bounce around at will.
Here, watch it in motion – for a sense of how much you can animate a sound with just the parameters assigned from Korg Physics (quick patch I whipped up):
I only wish that in the software version they’d given us a second X/Y Kaoss source. Okay, okay, that’d break compatibility with the hardware… but there’s so much possibility here. There’s tons of potential for KORG to explore this more across their hardware and software range, and I hope they take it seriously – it’s more than just a gimmick. More Kaoss, please!
Of course, it’s not as though you’ll feel particularly limited because there’s also motion sequencing:
Motion sequencing. Motion Sequencing 2.0 is hard to describe – you can step sequence modulation sources, destinations, and intensity, stack them up on each step, and then go nuts with different lanes of step-sequenced madness.
It’s psychotically good fun.
What’s missing. Some omissions seem to come from this being built to line up with the hardware. There’s tuning support but no ability to easily import standard tuning. And for a synth with all this expressive potential, it’s just painful not to have MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE) support. The good news there is you do at least get polyphonic aftertouch. (I think that means there’s a way to hack this to support Ableton Live Tuning System support, too, but I ran out of time to start manually assigning poly aftertouch to pitch or something like that.)
Conclusions
Look, there’s no other way to say it: this thing is so much better than I realized. multi/poly is a rich, retro-wavetable, deep polysynth modulation sound playground with tons of motion and animation options. It’s a perfect balance between vintage modeling and contemporary digital sound design depth.
Are there other deep polysynths? Absolutely. Even at the intro price, you should take a look at Arturia Pigments – the recent addition in Pigments 6 (review) of modal synthesis, the granular engine, and other options give you more bang-for-the-buck than multi/poly can really compete with. Surge XT also has a ton of options – including some similar modeled choices – and the thing is free, so all bang, no bucks. (I’ve found I mainly use the free Surge XT modules for VCV Rack because then you can wire up whatever polysynth you want. But either way, while Surge isn’t the prettiest plug-in available, I find it easily holds its own against paid competitors.) And for pure modeled vintage wavetable synthesis alone, my choice is still the Waldorf Microwave M. It does only one thing – it’s just that one piece of hardware – but the modeling on the filters and VCAs is exceptional.
But Motion Sequencing and Kaoss Physics are what put this over the top. You’ll find modulation and sequencing options in other plug-ins, but nothing quite like this – let alone in a form that runs on both software and surprisingly affordable hardware keyboard.
As a keyboard/software combo, with this pricing, multi/poly is easily at the top of the shopping list.
Now, Korg, please – give us MPE support, and I’d love to see Kaoss Physics on the iPad (either in a port of this or some new iPadOS device).
multi/poly is available now with an intro sale through March 31 of $149 (regular price $199). A demo version is available.
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KORG multi/poly native analog modeling synthesizer
KORG multi/poly native analog modeling synthesizer – on sale now [Plugin Boutique]
Oh and if you do want that hardware, too (I have to admit, it’s … tempting, even for me), it’s available both as a desktop module and keyboard. (Even just that desktop module for its knobbiness starts to appeal…)
