First time I've looked at a modern synth and actually been impressed. This truly is a milestone step forward. This finally takes us ahead of the whole "oldschool analog synth is better" paradigm.
@theinvisibleman Nah. I owned a CS-80 and i’m happy to have received my Osmose. Even if the CS-80 is a true gem, even if its polyphonic aftertouch keyboard was revolutionary, the Osmose keyboard not only does the same, but goes way beyond!
I agree, osmose is a next step beyond polyphonic aftertouch. Although i find vintage keyboards like the CS to have a level of quality i dont see on modern keyboards.
If you haven't yet, watch True Cuckoo's video on this synth. The sheer joy he was showing as he noodled around with this is wonderful. It took every fiber of my will to keep from pre-ordering this keyboard. I finally had to make myself admit that I don't have the talent to play this up to even a fraction of what it's capable of. This is a machine that you will absolutely have to spend a long time actually practicing on to make it sing. You can't just twist a knob and expect fantastic results.
It's a fantastic instrument that I probably won't ever have, for much the same reason. Once I hit "record", I can't play worth a damn. So I rely heavily on quantizing or otherwise editing the midi afterward... which means I can only use instruments which are compatible with the basic non-MPE MIDI in my DAW, an Akai Force. This rules out anything with an EaganMatrix, since it's too nuanced and complex to be played by plain old MIDI. But if I ever Git Gud, I might reconsider.
Coming from a stringed instrument background I feel like this will be really fun and usable for me. Really impressive and I love the minimalist look. It is an art piece.
Exciting to see a new type of keyboard hit the market that enhances physical expressiveness. Tip of the hat to the innovators, I can't even imagine how much work was involved in getting to this stage.
This is a God's blessing for us keyboard players! I cannot thank you enough Christopher for the inspiration and brilliantly minded hard work you have put into this musical instrument! The keyboard / piano playing just turned into expressive percussive melodic mayhem! Pre-ordered! Thank you Sonicstate for bringing this elaborate hands on with this e-jewel!!!
I've been playing Osmose for a few days since mine arrived. Together we've been exploring a novel sonic multiverse. On most hardware/software synths, you tend to play each factory preset for a few seconds and then move on, as there's little novelty. WIth Osmose, you can spend hours exploring each preset's possibilities. It's an amazing synth that, for me at least, makes all others redundant. It transports the synthesist/sound designer into tweakers' paradise. Imagine the possibilities when you go deep and re-wire this beast's brain: EaganMatrix! Do you dare?
Makes perfect sense. I've experienced the same with other MPE controllers/instruments. I've gotten lost on a single preset for hours becuase of the expressiveness of the patch. I'm curious how you would describe the feel of the keyboard. I know it's a subjective question, but I was watching last week's Sonictalk where they discussed the official release of the instrument and said the keyboard is stiffer than a normal key. Most synths that have an AT keybed like my old K2000, or poly AT like the Hydrasynth Deluxe have an initial key throw, and then you dig into the AT secondarily. The Seaboard AT is immediate but it isn't a traditional keyboard. When they describe it as more stiff than a usual keyboard does that mean that the key has a bit more resistance right from the key press? Is the poly AT an immediate interaction of this so called stiffer keyboard? I'm impressed by the performances I've seen, but between my Hydra and my Roli, I already have to adapt my playing style a bit. Nuances aside, a piano action is somewhat typical, an organ action is basic, and synth key action is similar to an organ, but resistance can vary and AT can really vary with synth keys with some keybeds being ridge and harsh to dig into to get AT and some are more flexible and feel more natural to play expressively. When I switch between a synth like the K2000 or the HS Deluxe, while the AT feel is very different, the general play is the same. How do stiffer keys on the Osmose translate from other synth action?
@@drsamurai009 I'm so curious about those exact same things. Roli was simply too difficult to play as it needed way too much pressure to be applied and my repetitive wrist strain injury didn't help at all and wrist felt under heavy load. I truly hope that with all the sensitivity adjustments and customisation I can get the EE-Os to work for me. Have been waiting for this type of instrument for the best part of my life!
I am dumbstruck - my jaw became detached listening to that. Hope the hardware is solid and minimal bugs - this really could be a game-changer. Much respect for what they have done.
Fantastic review - thanks Christopher, Gaz & Sonic crew for pulling this more in depth review together. Defo on my wish list now (along with everything else .. getting crowded on that now!!) 😎🎹🎵🍻
Wow! Even the “pretty standard stuff“ (12:57) sounds extraordinarily good. I have always made excessive use of aftertouch (mono or poly), but this board may open up a new world of sound control.
Impressive innovative and expressive. I expected this to be much more expensive than I'm seeing it listed online. This is a win for expressive-e to me.
The build quality oozes quality. I hope this will be a success for Expressive E and will live to sustain a strong ecosystem with 3rd party sounds and firmware updates.
I even hope this gets licensed to other manufacturers like fatar keybeds do. Expressive E has a great record of integrating with other products (there are tons of presets for the Touché for instance), and I guess it will be the same here. But imagine a Sequental or Oberheim with this fully integrated from the get go.
In answer to Gaz's question on 27:50, I just figured out that some of the preset patches do have the horizontal movement of each key assigned to certain nuances other than just pitch bend (its still inherently mapped to pitch bend though) - for example the "balloon from hanoi" patch allows you to do an acoustic guitar-like tremolo when wiggling the keys. I'd be interested to know if anyone else has found any other patches with subtle nuances like this.
It's mainly a question about the side to side motion about which it would be nice to know if there are wearable parts/sensors that could degrade over time, or if the keys could become warped. As the first version of this product, it would not be surprising if there are a few small issues - but hopefully all covered by warranty. I am curious like somebody else mentioned in another comment here, if the key-bed has been put through some kind of automated mechanical durabity test harness. Otherwise looks amazing.. very excited to add this to my wish list (I was convinced I was going to get a Linnstrument - but as a keyboard player I didn't get on with it - the Osmose seems much more immediately approachable).
@@wavesequencer the keys are quite smartly designed. It's hard to see from the video, but each key is in two parts. The black part is the hinge and the playable white&black keys are attached inside the black hinges. It seems the material is not bending at all even when i use plenty force bending the key. I feel like i don't have to be careful with my osmose. But yeah. Time will tell if any problems arise. I guess there's nothing to worry about as it has multi year warranty and each key is designed to be replaceable.
@@neilmacmusic is it a standalone synth really? Is it possible to design a sound from init patch or you can only modify existing patches? I haven't seen a demo of it's synthesis capability
When Gaz is intrigued, I’m definitely interested. I still remember him seeing a tiny little teen keyboard and his less than thrilled but polite reaction for the $2000 price tag. 😂 This thing costs less and offers so much more! Can’t wait!
i preordered mine so I’m Very excited 🎉😊 it’s funny how we were all wondering about the delays and being impatient about but then seeing this as a really good thing now since they got a lot more stuff and features built into it ! Awesome !
I’d really love a future video pairing the Osmose with an MPE synth like the Super 6 or Hydrasynth. I can’t be the only one eager to see whether the Osmose is as much fun as a controller as it is as a synth.
I'm so glad you guys came thru all those hurdles the wait was painful but worth every single day. My account states ETA in April for my order. So I think I'll survive until then.
I really wish I'd been on the case when the Kickstarter was happening, but then the wait might have felt unbearable. So glad it's hear now. It's a thing of beauty. Of course I'd like one.
I remember reading an article in E&MM around 1985 regarding how to play/articulate notes on a mono synth to help you mimic the 'real' instrument better (what I separately learned was about knowing the range of an acoustic instrument so the arrangements were more credible, but using an FB01 in 1987 take the word 'credible' to sound something like early PC Doom). How beautifully far we have come - this machine makes 'real' sounding instruments thats don't need to exist in the real world 🤯
I really like how expressive you can be with solo patches, whether real instruments or synth sounds. I hope we see some integration with virtual synths, though I imagine it can do a lot with after touch/mod wheel/expression MIDI messages right out of the box. I personally would like to use it to its full potential with the East/West libraries as it could make it easier to perform the various orchestral sections and solo instruments. Thanks!
Osmose is actually 3-voice multi-timbral which they don't advertise but that's a pretty important point to just omit in the specs. Here's why or what I've found using my two Osmose units together: Many instruments here are very specific and specialized for an exact application that might sound somewhat awkward alone. The editor does allow for layers BTW but it's not user friendly in current form however you also don't need a computer once you build a layer you like and save it internally. Building sets of layers takes time to audition and arrange in a certain order so it's not practical currently but you can do it. As good as Osmose instruments are they need a point of reference or contrast to really shine. As if you only painted black on a white canvas verses layering which causes coloration and a third dimension. If you like a single Osmose instrument, two is exponentially better with a complimentary combination. Having two Osmose units in a double manual setup you can really fly around and feel unlimited in creativity. Osmose needs to repair the MIDI situation or issue the update since Osmose can't properly control a second Osmose. It does enough currently but drops 6 notes as I mentioned previously. There's no DSP loss or DSP sharing using double units so I'm left wondering. The controlling unit just needs to tell the second unit to play. There's a "coming soon" notification for the MIDI playing option which I assume will correct this issue.
I’ve for a long time now carried the thought in the back of my head that one I’d like to have a nice big analogue polysynth. That thought is gone now… this is so much better.
Unfortunately you will need both! I received the osmose yesterday and it's great at many things. Emulating analog synths is good to an extent. But you can only assign four knobs, a mod wheel and an expression pedal. And ADSR relies more on your fingers and way of playing as envelopes seem limited in the software AFAICS. And unfortunately the knobs create really obvious 8bit stepping that sounds as smooth as a 90s softsynth. Also don't expect screaming resonant filter models that sounds like an analog. So basically, you still need your massive analog poly!
Wow, i think this will be a perfect companion for my Seaboard Rise and my Linnstrument… The Seaboard has one Dimension more to trigger when you move your fingers up an down the keys, and the bending over more keys is ossicle, but I can imagine, that it is interesting to have real keys.
Thats what I also think about the Seaboard. The way up on the "keys" (in fact there are no keys) on the seaboard is longer for your expression. i think, this is one advantage of the seaboard. The expression way is longer, so you can handle it better. On the Osmose you have only one way down for 2 cm for all expression. This makes it difficult how much expression do you want to play. A advantage for the Osmose is, that you always got the right note because of the keys. On the Seaboard this is not easy! But I think, Roli has the better software with the equator2. There are many sound collections already to download.
had mine about 2 weeks now..its an amazing keyboard but i hope they do update it because somethings need updating or polishing..there are 500 presets but alot or similar im hoping there will new ones added soon . there are hardly any fx in it just 6 and the parameters dont really effect it much same goes for presets if you try editing them on the osmose you usually only get 5-6 parameters you can change and in many cases the changes are subtle..expressive e plugins such as arche dont work ,yes you can play it but you cant pitch bend or add vibrato..etc dont get me wrong if you can buy one or try one get it but i do hope expressive e support it and update it regularlly because there plugins and touche controllers got little to no updates and in the case of arche some buyers are still unable to use it too this day.
I had these exact thoughts when I first received it as well, but then I downloaded and learnt how to edit using the Haken Editor (it is pretty complex like learning a new programming language - but once you know how to use it, it is possible to edit additional parameters as well as map each key movement to any parameter) - I do hope they can come up with a more user intuitive editor because at the moment each time I want to do a certain thing I have to spend a bit of quiet time solving math equations.
@@PaulMelia I thought it was gonna be like having a touche for each key like they originally said, but its different. I guess they had to make it feel like a normal keyboard (except slightly more bouncy feel). But for me I can never play my Hydrasynth again after playing this. It still cant replace my Kurzweil k2000 or my weighted piano keyboard which I will always turn to for piano sounds (just the feel of the osmose can never suit a piano), but for everything else like synth, bass, percussion, acoustic instruments and any weird experimental stuff - the wiggle keys and the ability to make sounds with light touches are the two main unique features for me. Also the sound engine with the Haken Editor is very impressive (everything sounds rich and full)
Wanted to back this when the pre-release was announced but didn't have the funds. Total gear lust... Although I do wish there was a five octave version.
Great review Gaz & Christophe. Technical question for Christophe about the longevity of the keybed. Given the novel features over a regular keybed, has the development period included prolonged rig testing in all key directions to simulate a lifetime of typical use, to ensure it doesn't lose sensitivity over time and to ensure adequate stress/fatigue resistance? Please excuse the nerdy engineering question but I consider it a reasonable one. We've all experienced fading aftertouch on older instruments for example. Thanks
From what I recall they use similar tech to the touche. Which probably means silicone rubber on each key. Which I imagine can be replaced. But that's from memory not official
Disappointed that they briefly talked about midi mpe but did not give any examples. Does it not work yet or ?? Let be honest, this keyboard woth Omnisphere or the new CS-80 vst or a sequential OB-6 would be endlessly mindblowing.
One thing that always annoys me a little every time someone presents an "alternative" or "expressive" MIDI controller is how they go on about how "until now" keyboard players had no way to shape the sound while playing. Mod wheels, aftertouch, pitch bend and expression pedals have been around for a _really_ long time, so it's really a myth that a lack of options is what has been holding someone back from playing expressively, and expressive control was already there at the advent of electronic music with the Theremin and Ondes Martenot.
For sure! I set up my Rise Seaboard 49 on my Matrix in multichannel mode rather than MPE and I've got complete per note P-AT articulation and pitch bending. Glad to hear this will do the same.
The smile of a man who knows they absolutely nailed it.
Exactly. At 10:50 you can see them trying to stay composed after that whole experience.
Just 10 minutes in, I come to the sudden realization that I need one of these.
First time I've looked at a modern synth and actually been impressed. This truly is a milestone step forward. This finally takes us ahead of the whole "oldschool analog synth is better" paradigm.
It's a shame Vangelis didn't live to see this, he would've worked magic on it
@theinvisibleman Why must the retarded always comment?
@theinvisibleman Nah. I owned a CS-80 and i’m happy to have received my Osmose. Even if the CS-80 is a true gem, even if its polyphonic aftertouch keyboard was revolutionary, the Osmose keyboard not only does the same, but goes way beyond!
Was thinking the same.
I agree, osmose is a next step beyond polyphonic aftertouch. Although i find vintage keyboards like the CS to have a level of quality i dont see on modern keyboards.
He worked magic anyway, no?
If you haven't yet, watch True Cuckoo's video on this synth. The sheer joy he was showing as he noodled around with this is wonderful. It took every fiber of my will to keep from pre-ordering this keyboard. I finally had to make myself admit that I don't have the talent to play this up to even a fraction of what it's capable of. This is a machine that you will absolutely have to spend a long time actually practicing on to make it sing. You can't just twist a knob and expect fantastic results.
This is exactly what I thought lol
It's a fantastic instrument that I probably won't ever have, for much the same reason. Once I hit "record", I can't play worth a damn. So I rely heavily on quantizing or otherwise editing the midi afterward... which means I can only use instruments which are compatible with the basic non-MPE MIDI in my DAW, an Akai Force. This rules out anything with an EaganMatrix, since it's too nuanced and complex to be played by plain old MIDI.
But if I ever Git Gud, I might reconsider.
@@GaryBeilby 💯 so tempting and intimidating at the same time
I'm willing to put all the effort needed... so exciting times we live in 🙂
Coming from a stringed instrument background I feel like this will be really fun and usable for me. Really impressive and I love the minimalist look. It is an art piece.
oh man - is that once upon a time in the west at 9:35? soooo dope
Exciting to see a new type of keyboard hit the market that enhances physical expressiveness. Tip of the hat to the innovators, I can't even imagine how much work was involved in getting to this stage.
Most interesting new synth in years. Finally.
I really love Christopher’s playing, I could listen to him noodling for hours!
Incredible keyboard! The first innovative (and expressive) one from decades!
Mind: blown. Superb product and amazing presentation. Chapeau, Christopher. Can’t wait to get one!
Love the clean minimal aesthetic, in addition to everything it can do. congratulations! 🙏🏼✨
Excellent video and finally an instrument that feels like 21th century is starting!
This is a God's blessing for us keyboard players! I cannot thank you enough Christopher for the inspiration and brilliantly minded hard work you have put into this musical instrument! The keyboard / piano playing just turned into expressive percussive melodic mayhem! Pre-ordered! Thank you Sonicstate for bringing this elaborate hands on with this e-jewel!!!
Awsome performace possibilities, this seems to be a game changer in playing music. n't wait to get mine!!
the portamento playing gave me chills.
this instrument is truely unique
This was fantastic!!!
The possibilities are ridiculous.
Well done indeed.
👍🏿👍🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
‼️‼️💯💯😎😎😎😎
I've been playing Osmose for a few days since mine arrived. Together we've been exploring a novel sonic multiverse. On most hardware/software synths, you tend to play each factory preset for a few seconds and then move on, as there's little novelty. WIth Osmose, you can spend hours exploring each preset's possibilities. It's an amazing synth that, for me at least, makes all others redundant. It transports the synthesist/sound designer into tweakers' paradise. Imagine the possibilities when you go deep and re-wire this beast's brain: EaganMatrix! Do you dare?
Makes perfect sense. I've experienced the same with other MPE controllers/instruments. I've gotten lost on a single preset for hours becuase of the expressiveness of the patch. I'm curious how you would describe the feel of the keyboard. I know it's a subjective question, but I was watching last week's Sonictalk where they discussed the official release of the instrument and said the keyboard is stiffer than a normal key. Most synths that have an AT keybed like my old K2000, or poly AT like the Hydrasynth Deluxe have an initial key throw, and then you dig into the AT secondarily. The Seaboard AT is immediate but it isn't a traditional keyboard. When they describe it as more stiff than a usual keyboard does that mean that the key has a bit more resistance right from the key press? Is the poly AT an immediate interaction of this so called stiffer keyboard?
I'm impressed by the performances I've seen, but between my Hydra and my Roli, I already have to adapt my playing style a bit. Nuances aside, a piano action is somewhat typical, an organ action is basic, and synth key action is similar to an organ, but resistance can vary and AT can really vary with synth keys with some keybeds being ridge and harsh to dig into to get AT and some are more flexible and feel more natural to play expressively. When I switch between a synth like the K2000 or the HS Deluxe, while the AT feel is very different, the general play is the same. How do stiffer keys on the Osmose translate from other synth action?
@@drsamurai009 I'm so curious about those exact same things. Roli was simply too difficult to play as it needed way too much pressure to be applied and my repetitive wrist strain injury didn't help at all and wrist felt under heavy load. I truly hope that with all the sensitivity adjustments and customisation I can get the EE-Os to work for me. Have been waiting for this type of instrument for the best part of my life!
Just listen to that little noodle at 17:30 onwards. This thing makes beautiful sounds.
I’m so glad I got in on this beast so many years ago. Genuinely exited it’s about to land on my doorstep
Well done, it was worth the wait to watch it in action.
This is the coolest thing in years.
Gaz really really really wants to play with it…such self-control! Beautiful instrument.
I'm deeply impressed by this instrument; it's absolutely fantastic!
I am dumbstruck - my jaw became detached listening to that. Hope the hardware is solid and minimal bugs - this really could be a game-changer. Much respect for what they have done.
Fantastic review - thanks Christopher, Gaz & Sonic crew for pulling this more in depth review together. Defo on my wish list now (along with everything else .. getting crowded on that now!!) 😎🎹🎵🍻
Wow! Even the “pretty standard stuff“ (12:57) sounds extraordinarily good. I have always made excessive use of aftertouch (mono or poly), but this board may open up a new world of sound control.
Impressive innovative and expressive. I expected this to be much more expensive than I'm seeing it listed online. This is a win for expressive-e to me.
The build quality oozes quality. I hope this will be a success for Expressive E and will live to sustain a strong ecosystem with 3rd party sounds and firmware updates.
Would love to see a full size keyboard model.
I even hope this gets licensed to other manufacturers like fatar keybeds do.
Expressive E has a great record of integrating with other products (there are tons of presets for the Touché for instance), and I guess it will be the same here. But imagine a Sequental or Oberheim with this fully integrated from the get go.
Great keyboard. Not for everyone but the possibilities of expression. Wow.
In answer to Gaz's question on 27:50, I just figured out that some of the preset patches do have the horizontal movement of each key assigned to certain nuances other than just pitch bend (its still inherently mapped to pitch bend though) - for example the "balloon from hanoi" patch allows you to do an acoustic guitar-like tremolo when wiggling the keys. I'd be interested to know if anyone else has found any other patches with subtle nuances like this.
This is the MPE controller keyboard players have been waiting for. My only question is about the durability of the key-bed.
It feels pretty sturdy and I don’t see why it wouldn’t be as durable as any other keybed in any of my other few synths or controllers.
It's mainly a question about the side to side motion about which it would be nice to know if there are wearable parts/sensors that could degrade over time, or if the keys could become warped. As the first version of this product, it would not be surprising if there are a few small issues - but hopefully all covered by warranty. I am curious like somebody else mentioned in another comment here, if the key-bed has been put through some kind of automated mechanical durabity test harness. Otherwise looks amazing.. very excited to add this to my wish list (I was convinced I was going to get a Linnstrument - but as a keyboard player I didn't get on with it - the Osmose seems much more immediately approachable).
@@wavesequencer the keys are quite smartly designed. It's hard to see from the video, but each key is in two parts. The black part is the hinge and the playable white&black keys are attached inside the black hinges. It seems the material is not bending at all even when i use plenty force bending the key. I feel like i don't have to be careful with my osmose. But yeah. Time will tell if any problems arise. I guess there's nothing to worry about as it has multi year warranty and each key is designed to be replaceable.
It’s a standalone synth-the amazing MPE sounds are built-in
@@neilmacmusic is it a standalone synth really? Is it possible to design a sound from init patch or you can only modify existing patches? I haven't seen a demo of it's synthesis capability
this is first time that i say that one hardware is a master piece
When Gaz is intrigued, I’m definitely interested. I still remember him seeing a tiny little teen keyboard and his less than thrilled but polite reaction for the $2000 price tag. 😂 This thing costs less and offers so much more! Can’t wait!
This seems to be a game changer.
Beautiful demos as well. Bravo !
You had me at Morricone 😮
i preordered mine so I’m Very excited 🎉😊 it’s funny how we were all wondering about the delays and being impatient about but then seeing this as a really good thing now since they got a lot more stuff and features built into it ! Awesome !
I’d really love a future video pairing the Osmose with an MPE synth like the Super 6 or Hydrasynth. I can’t be the only one eager to see whether the Osmose is as much fun as a controller as it is as a synth.
Absolutely!
That'll be one of the first things I'll try when I get the EE-os
I didn´t see this one coming! what a great synth! thx Chris, thx Gaz
Gamechanger. The entire world of synthesizer control is going to be shaken by an OSMOSEquake.
I'm so glad you guys came thru all those hurdles the wait was painful but worth every single day. My account states ETA in April for my order. So I think I'll survive until then.
Lucky you - mine is in May. Can't wait - but gives me time to clear some space in my studio!
@@nowotone Yeah, likewise here in home studio!! Still saying couple of weeks for mine to arrive in UK.... 😵💫
Best presentation of the Osmose for sure. The "Chef" himself, Christopher Hans is playing.
Cuckoo's video is also worth a watch, with some lovely playing.
instant purchase. 6 months wait will be worth it. wow
This the real Ambient synth machine.
That’s really…frickin…amazing. One day it will be mine
Cool!..love it..very expressive. Vangelis would have loved this instrument.
I love my two- insane expressiveness ! And just scratching the surface! A big kudos to the programmers!!
this is the coolest thing i have seen in a while
This is a great appetizer for my February delivery. I'll watch it a couple more times... Great overview!
Around 9:55, that song is from an old movie with Charles Bronson -"Once Upon A Time In The West". LOL!
Great review. Have been backing this for a while now. Cannot wait. Sound engine is unreal and have always wanted a more expressive keyboard.
What a piece of kit! I think Gaz is excited :) 👍👍
I really wish I'd been on the case when the Kickstarter was happening, but then the wait might have felt unbearable. So glad it's hear now. It's a thing of beauty. Of course I'd like one.
It has been a long wait but I’m finally receiving mine next week 🎉
I remember reading an article in E&MM around 1985 regarding how to play/articulate notes on a mono synth to help you mimic the 'real' instrument better (what I separately learned was about knowing the range of an acoustic instrument so the arrangements were more credible, but using an FB01 in 1987 take the word 'credible' to sound something like early PC Doom). How beautifully far we have come - this machine makes 'real' sounding instruments thats don't need to exist in the real world 🤯
Great Video, thanks Christopher and Gaz! I‘m hyped!
What a stunning product ! 🙏🎶
This is the first instrument in 30 years I’m happy to save up for
Just amazing! Can't wait to use it!
My body is ready.
Only one word : beautiful !
very well presented by chris. thank you for this format here. ❤
Can't wait for my preorder to ship!!!
9:33 Is one hell of an impressive demo. Wow.
Always a pleasure seeing Gaz on the show!
Thank You very much for this Review!
It’s a WOW from me😮
incredible. I got one coming in May. cheers!
Very cool instrument. Was that the harmonica theme from Once Upon A Time In The West at 9:35 there?
Amazing! I want one.
Excellent review, nice work Gaz! This thing looks & sounds tasty!
Looks like this is what I've been waiting for. And what actually something like that C1 should have had to really reach its goals.
I really like how expressive you can be with solo patches, whether real instruments or synth sounds. I hope we see some integration with virtual synths, though I imagine it can do a lot with after touch/mod wheel/expression MIDI messages right out of the box. I personally would like to use it to its full potential with the East/West libraries as it could make it easier to perform the various orchestral sections and solo instruments. Thanks!
Osmose is actually 3-voice multi-timbral which they don't advertise but that's a pretty important point to just omit in the specs. Here's why or what I've found using my two Osmose units together: Many instruments here are very specific and specialized for an exact application that might sound somewhat awkward alone. The editor does allow for layers BTW but it's not user friendly in current form however you also don't need a computer once you build a layer you like and save it internally. Building sets of layers takes time to audition and arrange in a certain order so it's not practical currently but you can do it. As good as Osmose instruments are they need a point of reference or contrast to really shine. As if you only painted black on a white canvas verses layering which causes coloration and a third dimension. If you like a single Osmose instrument, two is exponentially better with a complimentary combination. Having two Osmose units in a double manual setup you can really fly around and feel unlimited in creativity. Osmose needs to repair the MIDI situation or issue the update since Osmose can't properly control a second Osmose. It does enough currently but drops 6 notes as I mentioned previously. There's no DSP loss or DSP sharing using double units so I'm left wondering. The controlling unit just needs to tell the second unit to play. There's a "coming soon" notification for the MIDI playing option which I assume will correct this issue.
I’ve for a long time now carried the thought in the back of my head that one I’d like to have a nice big analogue polysynth.
That thought is gone now… this is so much better.
Unfortunately you will need both!
I received the osmose yesterday and it's great at many things. Emulating analog synths is good to an extent. But you can only assign four knobs, a mod wheel and an expression pedal. And ADSR relies more on your fingers and way of playing as envelopes seem limited in the software AFAICS. And unfortunately the knobs create really obvious 8bit stepping that sounds as smooth as a 90s softsynth. Also don't expect screaming resonant filter models that sounds like an analog.
So basically, you still need your massive analog poly!
Wow, i think this will be a perfect companion for my Seaboard Rise and my Linnstrument… The Seaboard has one Dimension more to trigger when you move your fingers up an down the keys, and the bending over more keys is ossicle, but I can imagine, that it is interesting to have real keys.
Thats what I also think about the Seaboard. The way up on the "keys" (in fact there are no keys) on the seaboard is longer for your expression. i think, this is one advantage of the seaboard. The expression way is longer, so you can handle it better. On the Osmose you have only one way down for 2 cm for all expression. This makes it difficult how much expression do you want to play. A advantage for the Osmose is, that you always got the right note because of the keys. On the Seaboard this is not easy! But I think, Roli has the better software with the equator2. There are many sound collections already to download.
Always wondered what Tony the Tiger did after the frosties gig 😝
This thing sounds amazing. Need to buy one. First real innovation for a while.
Interesting! Would love to see how people are going to use it on their set-ups.
This looks really nice!!
OMFG...this is sensational. Absolutely ordering one of these. CS80 is looking on with some envy....not dethroned but my god this is good
My nerves is ready for that instrument expressiveness!
much better than Roli seabord !…plus sounds on board!…marvelous!…you got me in!…E team!
that riff at 9:35 was f-ing awesome! 🤯🤟
This thing is a game changer, just waiting for release in my country, going to be the last of some nice gear I have.
Amazing presentation. 🎉
This is going to be fun to pair with my Hydrasynth!
had mine about 2 weeks now..its an amazing keyboard but i hope they do update it because somethings need updating or polishing..there are 500 presets but alot or similar im hoping there will new ones added soon .
there are hardly any fx in it just 6 and the parameters dont really effect it much same goes for presets if you try editing them on the osmose you usually only get 5-6 parameters you can change and in many cases the changes are subtle..expressive e plugins such as arche dont work ,yes you can play it but you cant pitch bend or add vibrato..etc
dont get me wrong if you can buy one or try one get it but i do hope expressive e support it and update it regularlly because there plugins and touche controllers got little to no updates and in the case of arche some buyers are still unable to use it too this day.
Thanks for sharing your first impressions! Have you tried controlling other MPE synths with the Osmose yet?
Hi, Can I ask when you ordered yours? I preordered mine on 27/11/2019 and have an ETA of April
I had these exact thoughts when I first received it as well, but then I downloaded and learnt how to edit using the Haken Editor (it is pretty complex like learning a new programming language - but once you know how to use it, it is possible to edit additional parameters as well as map each key movement to any parameter) - I do hope they can come up with a more user intuitive editor because at the moment each time I want to do a certain thing I have to spend a bit of quiet time solving math equations.
Worth the price would you say? I have the Touche and it's great.
@@PaulMelia I thought it was gonna be like having a touche for each key like they originally said, but its different. I guess they had to make it feel like a normal keyboard (except slightly more bouncy feel). But for me I can never play my Hydrasynth again after playing this. It still cant replace my Kurzweil k2000 or my weighted piano keyboard which I will always turn to for piano sounds (just the feel of the osmose can never suit a piano), but for everything else like synth, bass, percussion, acoustic instruments and any weird experimental stuff - the wiggle keys and the ability to make sounds with light touches are the two main unique features for me. Also the sound engine with the Haken Editor is very impressive (everything sounds rich and full)
Looks delicate I wonder how long it will take for keys to die or malfunction, especially that this is the first gen unit. Sounds great though
Definitely tempted by this
Great demo - hoping mine arrives soon!
Wanted to back this when the pre-release was announced but didn't have the funds. Total gear lust... Although I do wish there was a five octave version.
Great review Gaz & Christophe. Technical question for Christophe about the longevity of the keybed. Given the novel features over a regular keybed, has the development period included prolonged rig testing in all key directions to simulate a lifetime of typical use, to ensure it doesn't lose sensitivity over time and to ensure adequate stress/fatigue resistance? Please excuse the nerdy engineering question but I consider it a reasonable one. We've all experienced fading aftertouch on older instruments for example. Thanks
From what I recall they use similar tech to the touche. Which probably means silicone rubber on each key. Which I imagine can be replaced. But that's from memory not official
@@sonicstate Makes sense to carry over elements of the Touche design I guess. Be interesting to hear more from EE.
I liked the homage to “Once Upon a Time in the West”!
43:27 I've not heard anything about this "resonator". Could someone explain please?
i think his is referring to the onde resonator. looks like a great combo!
Lovely bit of kit, thinking of matching it up with the Roland Integra-7.
I *so* want one of these.
Disappointed that they briefly talked about midi mpe but did not give any examples. Does it not work yet or ?? Let be honest, this keyboard woth Omnisphere or the new CS-80 vst or a sequential OB-6 would be endlessly mindblowing.
Yes, MPE is working
I love Hacken audio Continuum and buy also this.
I need this machine...
One thing that always annoys me a little every time someone presents an "alternative" or "expressive" MIDI controller is how they go on about how "until now" keyboard players had no way to shape the sound while playing. Mod wheels, aftertouch, pitch bend and expression pedals have been around for a _really_ long time, so it's really a myth that a lack of options is what has been holding someone back from playing expressively, and expressive control was already there at the advent of electronic music with the Theremin and Ondes Martenot.
Killer feature to limit multichannel external mode to less than 16channels like mpe. First time i can do mpe on the matrix12 :-)
For sure! I set up my Rise Seaboard 49 on my Matrix in multichannel mode rather than MPE and I've got complete per note P-AT articulation and pitch bending. Glad to hear this will do the same.