A new synth plugin has arrived for Windows, macOS and Linux: Revolt from Warsaw Wave. According to Synthtopia, it is a patchable synthesizer where MPE data can shape patches, and it comes with a permanent free version. For MPE players on a budget, that combination deserves a look.
What Revolt offers
The full version has four oscillator slots that can hold analog-style, wavetable or noise sources, with FM, feedback and hard sync. Two multimode filters can run in series or parallel. Eight modulation slots handle envelopes, LFOs and noise LFOs, and a matrix visually tracks every connection, which makes it easier to understand what is modulating what.
Four macros support MIDI learn and automation. Playing options include mono and poly modes, unison, glide and an arpeggiator. Four reorderable effect slots cover reverb, delay, chorus, flanger, distortion and bitcrusher. A controlled randomizer lets you choose which parameters change and by how much, a handy tool for sound design.
MPE and expression
According to the report, velocity, aftertouch, mod wheel and MPE data can all be used to influence patches. The coverage does not detail exactly which MPE dimensions are routed or how, so check the official site and test the trial with your own controller before relying on it for performance. In a patchable design, though, expression sources tend to be assignable like any other modulator, which is exactly what MPE players want: per-note pressure on a filter, slide on wavetable position, pitch glide handled natively.
If you are new to routing, our guide to MPE slide and CC74 explains how timbre control is usually mapped.
The free version
Revolt's free edition is permanent and includes two oscillators, four modulators, one filter and two effects, with reduced macro and arpeggiator features. Presets can be saved in both free and paid versions. A full-featured seven-day trial is also offered. The full version carries an introductory price of $59, down from $89, through November 11, 2026.
Platforms
Revolt runs on Windows 10 or later (VST3 and standalone), macOS 12 or later (AU, VST3 and standalone) and Linux (VST3, LV2 and standalone). The Linux build is described as experimental with limited support, and one commenter reported trouble registering the trial there, which the developer said was being investigated. Linux users should expect rough edges for now.
Who it suits
A free, patchable synth that listens to MPE is a useful teaching tool. If you have just bought an expressive controller, it lets you explore how pressure, slide and pitch behave without committing to a large purchase. Sound designers who like building patches from scratch will appreciate the visual modulation matrix, and the randomizer gives quick starting points.
It also joins a growing list of affordable options. Open-source projects like Surge XT and Vital already offer strong MPE-capable synthesis for free, so Revolt will need to prove itself on sound quality and stability.
How to test it
When you try Revolt with an MPE controller, a short checklist helps:
- Enable MPE mode in the plugin if it has a setting, and set your controller to match.
- Match the pitch bend range between controller and synth, a common source of out-of-tune notes.
- Route pressure and slide to the filter and an oscillator parameter to hear per-note movement.
- Play a chord and move only one finger to confirm notes respond independently.
If those four tests pass, Revolt is doing real MPE. If not, you will at least know before buying.