Pentaphonic by Cherry Audio synth plugin interface

Pentaphonic: Five-Voice Analog-Style Synth by Cherry Audio

Pentaphonic is a virtual synthesizer from Cherry Audio that recreates the 1981 Pentaphonic by Gleeman Instruments. It uses a five-voice polyphonic DCO engine with an expanded filter, modulation, arpeggiator and step sequencer.

StandaloneWindowsmacOS64-bit

AVAILABLE ATPlugin Boutique

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01Overview

Pentaphonic revisits one of the least-produced synthesizers of its era. Cherry Audio based the instrument on the original Gleeman design, keeping its DCO oscillator character and its stair-stepped waveforms. Around that core, the developer has added oscillator sync, pulse-width modulation, a second LFO, velocity and keyboard pressure control, and a global effects chain. The result is a synth that keeps the original voice while adding the modulation and performance tools modern producers expect.

Best for

Retro polyphonic pads
Classic analog-style leads
Arpeggiated basslines
Rhythmic step sequences
Film and game scoring

Developer: Cherry Audio
Category: Synths
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

Five-voice polyphonic DCO engine based on the 1981 Gleeman Instruments original
Three oscillators per voice with eight stair-stepped waveforms
Oscillator sync and pulse-width modulation
12 dB two-pole and 24 dB four-pole filter modes
Unison and polyphonic modes with 2 to 16 voices
Keyboard pressure control over 14 modulation destinations
Arpeggiator with four pattern modes and swing, chance and feel
16x4 polyphonic step sequencer with DAW clock sync
Up to five effects from a chain of 22, plus global FX
Over 375 presets across 14 categories, including 50 factory patches

03In depth

Sound Engine and Filter Options

Each voice runs three oscillators based on the original DCOs. The waveform set includes Complex 1, Complex 2, 3% Pulse, 12% Pulse, 50% Pulse, Ramp, Triangle and Sine, all stair-stepped as on the original hardware. Oscillator sync and pulse-width modulation have been added.

The filter offers both a 12 dB two-pole mode and the original 24 dB four-pole mode, with polarity and key tracking. Voice options range from monophonic with last or high note priority and retrigger, to unison and polyphonic modes with 2 to 16 voices.

Modulation, Sequencing and Effects

Keyboard pressure drives bipolar amount trimmers that control modulation rate, oscillator 2 sync, oscillator gain and pitch, filter cutoff, resonance and modulation, and amp modulation and volume. Pitch bend has an assignable range, and a dedicated mod stick control is included.

The dynamic arpeggiator offers Arp, Leap, Order and Random pattern modes with swing, chance and feel controls. A syncable, transposable 16x4 polyphonic step sequencer and a Parameter Animator add further rhythmic modulation. The Effects panel holds up to five of 22 effects, which can be arranged, saved and recalled.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

Developer	Cherry Audio
Type	Plugin
Category	Synth
Formats	Standalone
Operating systems	Windows, macOS
Architecture	64-bit

05FAQ

Questions, answered

What formats does Pentaphonic support?

Pentaphonic is available as a Standalone application. Plug-in versions are included with the product.

Which operating systems does Pentaphonic run on?

Pentaphonic runs on Windows and macOS. macOS 10.13 or later is required, and Windows 7 or later is required. Both need a 64-bit system.

What are the system requirements?

Cherry Audio recommends a 3.4 GHz quad-core processor or Apple Silicon CPU with 8 GB of RAM, and 186 MB of hard disk space. An internet connection is required for product activation.