How many of you are getting the Osmose?

[pdxindy]

Absolutely, I thought the Lin would suit me (as a guitarist for 20+ years the layout seemed ideal) but I juts didn't practice enough I guess and I know my 'shapes/scales' on the regular keys...old dog! Anyway, the Osmose and AERE sort of give me the best of both worlds (Y slide etc) so I am happy with my combo!

Yeah, the ERAE Touch fills in what is missing with the Osmose (Y axis and pitch slides). I don't find the ERAE Touch as playable as the Linnstrument. I like the ERAE Touch with bigger pads and for playing slow evolving stuff cause it can be precise. The Linnstrument I can play fast. Plus the Linnstrument is brilliant in the interface. I can switch stuff so quickly! The Linnstrument is a fantastic workhorse. If I need to switch to only outputting say channels 1-4, it takes me seconds. There is no need for any computer app at all.

I've also found the channel per row mode so useful. I can play/control up to 8 different tracks at the same time in realtime. I can have one row running an arp and a second row for playing, etc. It makes an exceptional performance drum controller too. Even if someone doesn't do much with MPE in the "Expressive Playing" sense, it is still one of the best, most flexible controllers ever.

[SLiC]

Sounds like you have invested time in it and are getting the most out of it ( the right way to be). The Osmose is for instant gratification people like me, you can just play it with an almost zero learning curve (with the built in engine anyway). Setting it up to run as a controller for VSTs is back to investing a bit of time…ARAE fills a few gaps and the customisable visual feedback makes it an all round studio tool (such as 4 XY pads for Zebra). All in all I am very happy!

[pdxindy]

The Osmose is for instant gratification people like me, you can just play it with an almost zero learning curve (with the built in engine anyway).

Wait until you try designing a preset in the EaganMatrix!

The Osmose will likely be my only synth that I rely completely on presets!

[SLiC]

The Osmose is for instant gratification people like me, you can just play it with an almost zero learning curve (with the built in engine anyway).

Wait until you try designing a preset in the EaganMatrix!

The Osmose will likely be my only synth that I rely completely on presets!

I am not saying I ever will, but I was pleased to learn EM are working on a stand alone editor (not MAX based) so maybe that will help...I have almost 500hp of Eurorack so I am not scared of a bit of complexity and patching...but the Max editor certainly doesn't male it easy even from a UI/UX point of view!

[SteveElbows]

Press embargo ended just over an hour ago so now there are new videos all over the place, as well as the ability for more people to order the Osmose.

And estimated delivery timescales on your account page of the website for people who already preordered and didnt get their Osmose delivered yet.

[SLiC]

Nice review.....emphasis the dynamic range you can get from the keys- playing really quietly (hardly any pressure) is the one thing I really notice over other boards like Sensel Morph etc

[BONES]

The ability to control the pressure curve for each mod destination is very helpful and easy to do in software and is there even a single hardware synth with that? I don't think so.

No, but with Roli stuff you can change that behaviour in Roli Dashboard. Probably with the Erae as well, I just haven't had the need to look into it yet.

I am optimistic that with UHE being an early adopter of the Osmose that he may tweak his synths to work well in this regard (he has hinted as much)

I don't have any problems with that. it's easy to map the parameters to get that expressive performance happening. Yes, actual MPE can be a lot harder but that's never been of interest to me anyway.

Yeah, the ERAE Touch fills in what is missing with the Osmose (Y axis and pitch slides). I don't find the ERAE Touch as playable as the Linnstrument. I like the ERAE Touch with bigger pads and for playing slow evolving stuff cause it can be precise.

I absolutely love the Erae. I find it so much more playable than either of my Seaboards. Just looking at a Linnstrument I know I would hate it. I can't even see how the notes work, I'd have to start learning it from scratch. I tried that with the Lightpad Block and it is way too much like hard work. The Erae wins for me by being so completely flexible. I can choose how large or small to make the keyboards and I can even colour code individual keys to help with remembering parts for different songs. I can have multiple keyboards on multiple channels in a single set-up. There are so many things, all of which make it as close to the perfect playing surface for the stage that I have ever experienced. OTOH, an Osmose is really just another keyboard with a few extra features and I haven't played a full-size keyboard in 6 or 7 years, I reckon. It's obviously going to be great for actual keyboard players but I'm not a keyboard player's arsehole. It's pricey, though, $500 more than a Roli Seaboard Rise 2.

[revvy]

Looks super impressive.

As a kid, I played a big, expensive Yamaha (?) thing back in the 70/80s in a shop, (can't even remember the decade!!) that had multiple keyboards, one of which had that sideways wiggle note vibrato going on. Possibly on a smaller keyboard above the normal sized ones.

Wonder what that was...

[pekbro]

Yeah, probably I won't be getting one of these due to it's size mostly. Also the cost, to a lesser extent.

[Echoes in the Attic]

The Osmose is for instant gratification people like me, you can just play it with an almost zero learning curve (with the built in engine anyway).

Wait until you try designing a preset in the EaganMatrix!

The Osmose will likely be my only synth that I rely completely on presets!

How much can you edit on the keyboard itself? Does it rely totally on a computer to create or edit patches? Is there any kind of VST, like the Virus TI that allows settings to be saved in a DAW?

Anyways looks cool, looking forward to see what devs make use of mpe+. But I think the osmose missed out on having a Y-axis control, which isn't that hard on a hard keyboard surface. But I guess that would further drive up price.

[SLiC]

It's pricey, though, $500 more than a Roli Seaboard Rise 2.

The Roli is just a dumb midi keyboard however, you are only paying an extra $500 for a unique and powerful synth + FX...Subtractive Synthesis, Physical Modelling with Modal Filter Banks, FM, Spectral Sets with Micro Analysation, including Waveguide with Feedback and Feedback Delay Networks...its a beast, no set up required, no computer needed. 500 pre-sets all ready set up and configured for the keyboard to be expressive and fun to play...just turn on and play...ideal for people who play out of the studio or just lazy people like me.

[BONES]

Seaboards come with Equator, which is one of my favourite synths. And a Seaboard plus laptop are still smaller, lighter and more portable than an Osmose so the "you don't need a laptop" argument doesn't hold. Hell, My Seaboard Block + laptop cost me less than an Osmose. The Erae Touch + laptop probably cost me a couple of hundred more than an Osmose would.

As for "just turn on and play", does it have it's own speaker built in? Can it run on its own power? If not, you have to plug it in to the power, run cables from it to a mixer and from the mixer to your amp/speakers (or plug in a pair of headphones). You can connect a Seaboard via Bluetooth and it powers itself so it doesn't even require a cable, and laptops have built-in speakers, so no cable required there, either, and you can take it absolutely anywhere and use it.

For me, too, is the fact of it being a hardware synth, I am far less interested in it, not more. So, in the end, it's swings and roundabouts - some features you see as an advantage for it, I see as distinct disadvantages, and vice versa. There is still obviously a huge amount of overlap but I think, overall, that they have very different strengths and weaknesses, which cater to quite different customers. I can certainly see a lot of people wanting both, whereas now that I have an Erae, I can't imagine ever using my Seaboard again. In fact, I've already given it to my bandmate.

Again, for me, the Erae is as close to perfect as I can imagine any controller could be. Honestly, I can't think of anything I'd want to add or change in the way it works. My one and only gripe is that it can't draw power over USB. Everything else about it is absolutely perfect for me. That came as a surprise because I didn't really expect much from it, I was motivated to get one by a desire to support Embodme as much as anything else. OTOH, there is literally nothing about the Osmose than interests me at all.

[jamcat]

Those are some giant snaps. Not sure about the Osmose, but I want that sweater!

[SLiC]

Everything else about it is absolutely perfect for me. That came as a surprise because I didn't really expect much from it, I was motivated to get one by a desire to support Embodme as much as anything else. OTOH, there is literally nothing about the Osmose than interests me at all.

I agree the EARE is great kit especially since 1.3 (really surprised there isn't more buzz about) and yes, it it had a battery and BT it would be even better (as I use it sometimes with my drum kit, sometimes with my mixer, sometimes with my modular set up...better portability would have been great)

I am predominantly a hardware guy so we will never agree on on that, but the EM engine is quite unique and dedicated to MPE+ so it earns a place in the hardware. Also, the Osmose may be primarily of interest to people who play keyboards and want a 'standard keyboard' type playing surface but with more expression...that's me!

I own a lot of gear including most of VSTs worth having...in 'my opinion' the Osmose is the best gear I have bought since my Yamaha SY22 30 years ago... I cant stop playing it and it puts a big smile on my face...that's all I want from my hobby.

(PS- We have had the one button argument before- My studio has one button that turns on everything (mixer, synths, monitor speakers etc) via the UPS...so yes, I hit one button and I am playing. You could obviously do something similar with your laptop (just wake from sleep) by my deal is I don't turn my computer until I need it...I am just so easily distracted as soon as I am on the computer I start reading KVR and finding new synths to download!)

[SLiC]

Just a heads up there is a poly expression forum some may find useful (covers Lin, AERE, Osmose etc.)

https://community.polyexpression.com/

Also, this is the best short video so far showing all of the control (gestures) with the Osmose...worth a watch