Polyphonic aftertouch used to be the domain of specialist manufacturers — Haken, ROLI, Expressive E — selling to a relatively small circle of MPE enthusiasts. That's changing fast, and one of the clearest signals yet came out of NAMM 2026, when Fender announced its first-ever MIDI controllers: the Motion 16 and Motion 32.
Neither device brands itself as an "MPE controller" outright, but both are built around FATAR polyphonic aftertouch pads, the same category of sensing technology that underpins per-note expression on MPE-native gear. That makes them a notable entry point for producers who've been curious about expressive playing but weren't ready to commit to a $999 Osmose CE or a boutique grid controller.
What's in the Box
The Motion 16 is a compact 4x4 pad controller — 16 RGB-backlit, FATAR polyphonic aftertouch pads paired with nine illuminated touch encoders and a small color display for visual feedback. It's aimed squarely at beatmakers programming drums, chords, and melodic lines who want per-pad pressure sensitivity without stepping up to a full keyboard.
The Motion 32 shares the same DNA but swaps the pad grid for a 32-pad keyboard-style layout, again with full polyphonic aftertouch across every pad. Both units ship with smart scale and smart chord modes, including more than 30 built-in chord progressions — a nod to Fender's broader push to make music production approachable for guitarists and non-keyboardists moving into the box.
Pricing lands at $269.99 for the Motion 16 and $329.99 for the Motion 32, positioning both well below most dedicated MPE hardware.
Built for Fender Studio Pro, Compatible With Everything Else
Both controllers are optimized for Fender Studio Pro — Fender's DAW, built on a PreSonus Studio One foundation — with dedicated navigation controls and an "Add" function for instantly creating tracks and loading instruments. But Fender has been clear that the Motion series works as standard class-compliant MIDI controllers with any DAW or hardware setup, which matters for MPE players specifically.
That's because polyphonic aftertouch data and MPE data aren't identical, but they're close cousins. Poly aftertouch sends per-note pressure on a single MIDI channel, while full MPE spreads each note across its own channel to also carry per-note pitch bend and timbre (CC74). Whether the Motion pads unlock true multi-dimensional MPE playing, or "just" rich per-note pressure, will depend on how Fender implements the output — worth checking before assuming full MPE compatibility with instruments like Expressive E's Ctrl-e or MPE-native synths such as Orchestral Xpressive.
Why This Matters for the MPE Ecosystem
The significance of the Motion series isn't really about specs — it's about distribution. Fender's retail footprint and brand recognition reach a completely different buyer than the boutique controller market. A guitarist upgrading their home studio is far more likely to pick up a $270 Fender pad controller on a whim than to research LinnStrument or Continuum options from scratch.
If that audience starts encountering polyphonic aftertouch as a default feature rather than a specialist upgrade, it lowers the barrier for discovering full MPE further down the line — new instruments, new plugins, new reasons to explore per-note expression. Combined with 2026's wave of MPE-related announcements — from Bitwig's continued lead in native MPE handling to Ableton's Live 12 beta improvements — the direction is unmistakable: expressive, per-note control is moving from a niche performance technique to a standard feature of modern MIDI hardware.
Motion 16 and Motion 32 are expected to ship broadly through 2026; check Fender's product pages or authorized retailers like Sweetwater for current availability.