The Oberheim Xpander is one of the most admired analog polysynths ever built, and in October 2026 it is getting a new life. ACME Synthworks has opened pre-orders for the XP60, a compact recreation of the 1984 original. Synth Anatomy covered the announcement on October 18, and deliveries are planned to start in November 2026.
It is not an MPE instrument, and as far as the published details go, it does not claim to be. Still, a synth with this much modulation depth raises a fair question for expressive players: how do you get the most movement out of it?
What the XP60 offers
According to the announcement, each voice has two CEM 3374 oscillators, a 15-mode filter based on AS3372 chips, and two VCAs. There are also five LFOs and five envelopes per voice. A "Turbo" mode makes LFOs, lags and envelopes 50% faster.
The unit is 19 inches wide and comes with an OLED, VFD or LCD display. It is compatible with the Xplorer SysEx editor.
On the back panel you find full 5-pin MIDI IN, OUT and THRU, six individual voice outputs, CV and gate inputs per voice, stereo and mono main outputs, a headphone socket, and trigger and pedal inputs. There is no USB.
Pricing and availability
Pre-order prices are 2,699 euros for the LCD version, 2,799 euros for OLED and 3,149 euros for VFD, plus shipping from Germany. A 50% deposit is due up front. The first run is limited to 50 units.
The MPE angle
The announcement says nothing about MPE, polyphonic aftertouch or MIDI CC handling. That matters, because a February 2026 preview raised the concern that the firmware might lean heavily on SysEx. Until the final firmware is in players' hands, it is wise not to assume any particular expressive MIDI behavior.
That said, there are a few practical points for MPE users:
- Classic MIDI is channel-based. A traditional multitimbral synth expects one channel per part. MPE uses one channel per note, so a controller must either be switched to a standard mode or routed through a tool that translates between the two.
- Per-voice CV inputs are interesting. Separate CV and gate inputs per voice, combined with six individual outputs, suggest a modular-friendly workflow. Players who already convert MPE data to CV can think about driving individual voices that way.
- Software translation helps. Many DAWs and MIDI utilities can split MPE data into separate channels, which can then feed a multitimbral hardware synth.
If you play an MPE controller and want to use hardware like this, check the manual and firmware notes before buying, and test how the unit responds to pitch bend and CC messages on different channels.
Why it still matters
Expressive playing is about more than the controller. A synth with five LFOs and five envelopes per voice gives you a huge modulation canvas, and many players pair rich analog voices with modest expression such as a mod wheel, pedals or aftertouch. The XP60 will appeal to people who love the Xpander sound and are willing to work within classic MIDI.
For the MPE community, the lesson is a familiar one: check expressive support before you buy, and treat MPE-native instruments and MPE-compatible workflows as two different things. We will keep an eye on firmware details as the first units ship.
For more on the project, visit the official XP60 page.