I’ve been eagerly following the work of Swedish developer Fors for a while now, impressed by their innovative Max for Live devices. Founded by Ess Mattisson, known for his work on Elektron’s Digitakt and Digitone, along with Felisha Ledesma and Alexander Droste, Fors has consistently pushed the boundaries of what’s possible with Max for Live.
There Is Always A First Time, For Everything
Fors’ latest release, Tela, marks an exciting step – it’s their first native plugin outside the Max for Live ecosystem (yay!). Tela is a 16-voice modal synthesizer that aims to explore the unique sonic capabilities of this synthesis method, going beyond just emulating physical materials.
Are you wondering about this mysterious name? So do I. The word Tela can be found in several languages, but there is no obvious connection with the instrument. However, if I had to pick one, I would like to associate the Italian word “tela” (the web, that Penelope weaves by day and unravels by night in Homer’s Odyssey), with the endless interweaving sound design possibilities provided by the plugin.
So by day she’d weave at her great and growing web –
by night, by the light of torches set beside her,
she would unravel all she’d done.
(Homer)
A Design For Life
The interface is a joy to use, with parameters neatly organized into pages for the Impulse and Grain exciters, Tonality, Contour, and Space. Each page has its own dedicated modulator for intricate sound design possibilities. I love how Tela can effortlessly morph from perfect symmetrical waveforms to otherworldly timbres and textures.
Under the hood, Tela is built from the ground up using a custom framework optimized for efficiency. The automatic background updates are a nice forward-thinking touch, ensuring you always have the latest version without disrupting your workflow.
Diving into the sound engine, the modal bank of resonators can be excited by the Impulse and Grain sources, blending impact-like dynamics with sustained tones. The Tonality page provides deep control over the frequency relationships of the partials, while the Contour page sculpts their evolution over time.
Check out this video walkthrough to learn more about Tela:
A Playground for Our Inner Child
Some of my favorite sounds have come from experimenting with the repeat function on the Impulse page, creating complex syncopated rhythms, and using the Grain module to add an organic layer of unpredictability. The Space reverb ties it all together beautifully.
Tela ships with an excellent collection of 200 presets from a diverse group of sound designers. Many of these presets offer instant gratification, while others can be excellent starting points for further sonic explorations But it’s the intuitive interface that keeps drawing me back in, inviting experimentation and happy accidents with every session. Frankly, it doesn’t happen often when checking out new synth plugins!
Pricing and Availability
Tela is a Mac-only plugin (AU, CLAP) priced at $59 with a 7-day trial. You can order it from the Fors website. The developer has not announced any plans for a Windows version at this time.
Fors Tela – Final Thoughts
It’s been a pleasure to watch Fors evolve, from their early Max for Live days to this first AU/VST synth. With Tela, they’ve created an instrument that feels fresh and exciting, expanding the palette of software synthesis. For anyone interested in unique sound design tools or exploring modal synthesis, it’s an easy recommendation. I can’t wait to see what Fors comes up with next.
