KVR Audio

SLiC · Post by **SLiC** » Tue Jul 27, 2021 2:54 pm

I am also waiting on pre-orders of the Osmose, but although not fully MPE (it can play full MPE from other controllers) I have found the Hydrasnth to be an excellent expressive instrument and controller. The key bed is very good, the Poly AT seems really alive (there seems to be a lot more range then normal AT) and the ribbon control actually adds quite a lot (slide!)

jonljacobi · Post by **jonljacobi** » Thu Aug 12, 2021 6:57 pm

I finally pulled the trigger on the Joué Pro. I might've gone Roli, and might still if I get a deal, but I did like the Sensel and its versatility when I had it. The Joué Pro's overlays seem thicker (and hopefully not as hard on the hands) than the Morph's and I downloaded the editor which offers more granular control over the velocity curve than the Sensel's. And being a guitarist, I like the idea of a fretboard controller. We'll see.

jonljacobi · Post by **jonljacobi** » Thu Aug 12, 2021 7:02 pm

The other reason I opted for the Joué Pro is that you can have up to 48 pads for drums and percussion laid out any way you want and color-code them by general category.

pc999 · Post by **pc999** » Fri Aug 13, 2021 9:57 pm

Other MPE controller that seems cool is Erae Touch, but it is out of stock.

https://www.embodme.com/

aMUSEd · Post by **aMUSEd** » Fri Aug 13, 2021 10:04 pm

I love my Seaboard Block but am pissed at Roli because I was planning to add a second one at some point but it looks like it is not available anywhere and I'm worried it has been quietly discontinued.

pdxindy · Post by **pdxindy** » Fri Aug 13, 2021 10:27 pm

pc999 wrote: ↑Fri Aug 13, 2021 9:57 pm Other MPE controller that seems cool is Erae Touch, but it is out of stock.

https://www.embodme.com/

It has never been in stock... it is still pre-release.

jdnz · Post by **jdnz** » Fri Aug 13, 2021 10:38 pm

aMUSEd wrote: ↑Fri Aug 13, 2021 10:04 pm I love my Seaboard Block but am pissed at Roli because I was planning to add a second one at some point but it looks like it is not available anywhere and I'm worried it has been quietly discontinued.

if you try and order lightpad block direct off roli.com you'll see they say it's got 6-8 weeks lead time.

Ditto for the touch and loop block - wheras the live block and seaboard block are simply 'out of stock' as are ALL the bigger seaboard rise models.

hopefully this just means they're having manufacturing/stock problems due to covid - they're still stating the lumi should be out in september.

Kalamata Kid · Post by **Kalamata Kid** » Sat Aug 14, 2021 12:19 am

Seeing that there is a lot of interest in MPE and alternative midi keyboard controllers I suspect that there will be new designs produced. I just hope it happens very soon.

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Sat Aug 14, 2021 12:45 am

I disagree. MPE has been around for 20 years now and it's never taken off. It's a bit like polyphonic aftertouch, which first appeared in the Yamaha CS80 in the 1970s but is still something you almost never, ever see. I think it will always have a small, niche market but that's about it. IF it had legs, you can bet Roland, Korg and Yamaha would have done something with it long before now.

pdxindy wrote: ↑Fri Aug 13, 2021 10:27 pm
pc999 wrote: ↑Fri Aug 13, 2021 9:57 pm Other MPE controller that seems cool is Erae Touch, but it is out of stock.
https://www.embodme.com/
It has never been in stock... it is still pre-release.

Yes, but you could pre-order one. Probably still can. When I looked the other day there were 5 available.

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Sat Aug 14, 2021 1:10 am

I'm going to say "strangely", which isn't really fair but, strangely, lately I've been getting a lot out of the Lightpad Block I've owned for 18 months or so and never really bothered with. It is a surprisingly capable MIDI controller, given it's diminutive size and form factor. It takes a bit of getting used to - working out which notes are which, but once I learn to play a part on it, it's really good. I still have to stare at it while I'm playing but that will pass with more practice.

I just bought a second one for US$125, brand new, so it's a really cheap entry into the wonderful world of 5D Touch and (MPE).

pdxindy · Post by **pdxindy** » Sat Aug 14, 2021 3:01 am

BONES wrote: ↑Sat Aug 14, 2021 12:45 am
pdxindy wrote: ↑Fri Aug 13, 2021 10:27 pm
pc999 wrote: ↑Fri Aug 13, 2021 9:57 pm Other MPE controller that seems cool is Erae Touch, but it is out of stock.
https://www.embodme.com/
It has never been in stock... it is still pre-release.
Yes, but you could pre-order one. Probably still can. When I looked the other day there were 5 available.

Even the people who joined the initial kickstarter have not received theirs. I placed my pre-order a while ago, but after the kickstarter.

I'm not sure what 5 available means, but it sure does not mean available right now. And I am doubtful the 5 available means that 5 are available from the first upcoming batch cause the email I received a few days ago (sent to me as a person with a pre-order) indicated that they are not sure if my order will be filled from the first batch but it is likely to be the second batch which they do not have confirmation when it will ship. They only said they were hopeful it will follow soon.

My guess is that the 5 available is marketing BS to sell units.

aMUSEd · Post by **aMUSEd** » Sat Aug 14, 2021 9:37 am

BONES wrote: ↑Sat Aug 14, 2021 12:45 am I disagree. MPE has been around for 20 years now and it's never taken off.

Some of the precursors maybe (eg poly AT has been round for yonks, Seaboard's 5 dimensions for several more years before the MPE spec was decided on) but as a standard it was launched in 2018 so still pretty new

https://www.midi.org/midi-articles/midi ... ession-mpe

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Sat Aug 14, 2021 12:29 pm

Haken Continuum has been around since 2002. If it took the MMI until 2018 to recognise the standard, that tells me that MPE is destined to go the way of 3D TVs. Linnstrument was released in 2014. 7 years later, nothing has really moved on. It's a dead duck, your wanting it to be otherwise doesn't make it so.

pdxindy · Post by **pdxindy** » Sat Aug 14, 2021 1:20 pm

BONES wrote: ↑Sat Aug 14, 2021 12:29 pm Haken Continuum has been around since 2002. If it took the MMI until 2018 to recognise the standard, that tells me that MPE is destined to go the way of 3D TVs. Linnstrument was released in 2014. 7 years later, nothing has really moved on. It's a dead duck, your wanting it to be otherwise doesn't make it so.

The Erae Touch and Osmose are new MPE controllers. Haken recently released a new and improved version of the Continuum. There are existing MPE controllers like the Joue Play and Pro, The Sensel Morph, Keith Mcmillens QuNexus, QuNeo and the K Board Pro, Madrona Labs Soundplane and the Eigenharp, Linnstrument and Roli products.

Bitwig, Live, Cubase, Studio One, Logic and Reaper now all have MPE support. Live and Studio One in the last year.

Dozens of softsynths now support MPE and a growing number of hardware synths too.

All that is a lot of development energy. Yes, MPE is niche, but it is a solid niche that is here to stay.

aMUSEd · Post by **aMUSEd** » Sat Aug 14, 2021 2:25 pm

BONES wrote: ↑Sat Aug 14, 2021 12:29 pm Haken Continuum has been around since 2002. If it took the MMI until 2018 to recognise the standard, that tells me that MPE is destined to go the way of 3D TVs. Linnstrument was released in 2014. 7 years later, nothing has really moved on. It's a dead duck, your wanting it to be otherwise doesn't make it so.

The Continuum was a brilliant but also very expensive and niche instrument for much of that time and although it was another precursor to MPE (as were instruments like the CS80 and even other experimental controllers like the ones Buchla invented) it took until 2018 for the standard to be developed enabling what is now the beginning of wider take-up and more affordable MPE devices (hard and soft). It doesn't look like a dead duck at all - if anything development is ongoing and we now have MIDI 2 as well.

Best MPE controller?