Expressive E Osmose

The Lounge Other Gear
1805

I’ve had mine since the new year … and still love it !
Ive even for a short while had TWO osmose (*), and thats even better than one :laughing:

overall, I think the main strength of the Osmose is the playing experience, its so natural, so joyful… and of course expressive.

I really do like the sound engine (always have), I particularly enjoy the physical modelling side, though expressive-e have done a great job on some bread n’ butter synth sounds.

is it for everyone? no…

you will love it IF:
you love playing keys, and want more expression - its great, you can transfer any skill you have quickly, and its just feels like a new way to enjoy keys.
you want a ‘synth’ that you can just turn on and play with a fantastic selection of ‘presets’.
you love physical modelling, and digital synthesis you’l; enjoy the sounds a lot, and that new feeling brings a new side to exploring sounds.

if you enjoy complex synthesis engines, kind of modular and have no issues using a computer to create, and importantly you want to attach this directly to your fingers.

for me, the strength of the sound engine is its ability to connect with the players, its pretty much unmatched in this regard.

BUT… you will not enjoy if…
you enjoy hands on synthesis, want happy accidents, want something ‘obvious’ to use… the Eagan Matrix is likely going to frustrate you.
the synthesis model is also NOT all encompassing, e.g. dont expect sampling, granular… like we can see on some modern synths today.

and yes, I’d agree whilst its can be a very natural/acoustic sound (at times), its tends to lean towards cold and digital tones.

also, lets not forget its not the only expressive controller… nor is it the last word in this area.
the Continuum, Linnstrument, and others (e.g. Eigenharps) all have their advantages on the expressive side… they keyboard format is the most accessible for many , but its not perfect in this regard for expressive ‘style’

I think Ty Unwin summed it up best…
for most, this is a ‘characterful’ synth, its unlikely to be your workhorse , bread n’ butter synth that you use all the time… it’ll be your second/third synth.
though, as he also said, we might get to see some ‘specialists’ in the future, who really focus on the Osmose, to really make the most of it… as the more you put in , the more you’ll get out !

this is how Ive found myself enjoying the Osmose the most, now I’ve had it for a while…
Ive got my Virus TI which I love using for pads, or driving things like sequences thru.
then below it (physically) the Osmose is there, for the sparkle, lead lines, natural sounds things like bells, harps, flutes, strings (violin) , or expressive synth lines.

overall, I suspect in 6-12 months, we will still see that the Osmose deserves the praise it has been receiving, and that it will have been ‘game changing’, even likely appearing in lots of tracks…
however, some will find its not for them.
but thats true of everything… look at the rise/fall/rise of modular :wink:

(*) I’ve had a few issues with the hardware, which Ive not really discussed… because:
its a brand new instrument, there were bound to be a few teething troubles BUT expressive e have been nothing short of fantastic at sorting these out for me.
so frankly… nothing to see here ! but its why Ive had a couple of osmose around :wink:

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1806

That was my first impression too when I tried one at my local store.

1807

Would you expect a digital signal processor on its own to sound any different ? Even if the EaganMatrix is 100% digital, it sounds very much alive when played expressively.

1808

Adding “digital” to my list of “do not use” words when posting a synth review, along with “warm”

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1809
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1810

I’m really digging all the early videos from folks who have received their units.

This most recent Loopop video (above) was a nice addition as it addresses some of my questions about interacting with external synths. It’s also the first video I’ve seen that goes into detail about sound design using the Eagen matrix synth engine. I found that really helpful as well.

I have an Osmose on pre-order from a US retailer but would be thrilled to have one earlier than that. I’ve posted this to the WTB forum but if an early recipient has gotten their unit and decided it’s not for them and would like to sell it on, please DM me.

1812
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1813

Andrew’s video is very nice too… love how he supplies the musical context.

Its interesting to see that pretty much Loopop was the only review that showed the EM (*) most have just said ‘its complex’, and moved on quickly!

in fairness, I can see why… most users won’t touch the EM in any depth, and its probably realistic to set this expectation.

personally, I don’t think its the complexity/difficulty of learning the EM thats the issue - I found it pretty easy to learn - but rather it’s more down to its lack of immediacy.

even though Im very keen on the EM, I do still find it a bit of a chore to actually create presets, its just not that much fun… e.g. compared to say my virus, or my modular.
for months, Ive been considering getting the Eagan Matrix module for my eurorack, and I just really cannot decide… its powerful, it has a sound I like. but if you dont enjoy the process of sound design, its all for nought.

at the moment, Im trying to push thru on the Osmose, perhaps as I create better patches for the Osmose, this ‘end reward’ will motivate me more?!

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1814

Got an email reminding me to add Osmose to my cart and complete the order.

Logged and was reminded about the softcase with promo discount, so added that to the cart too.

There’s also a 50% off deal on MPE-compatible preset packs - Mercury, Helium, and Patchwork. They run on UVI Workstation/Falcon, so they’re probably just for home/studio use, except for those who don’t mind playing live with laptop. Listening to those to determine if I want any of those sounds.

1815

Hey y’all! I am an amateur, can play keys on level 2-3 out of 10. Can play M, m chords, scales (almost all M, m scales), play by ear and don’t read music. I am planning on buying an Osmose just because I was extremely interested to get into Continuum to experience and play with it, Continuum is expensive for ‘play’. I am kinda on the fence whether Osmose it is a wise investment. Any thoughts? I guess I am on the fence also whether to get Continuum and start learning it or get Osmose and learn those things and get Continuum maybe sometime down the line if I still want to keep playing. Would love to hear your perspectives. Thank you!

1816

It’s a quality instrument imo.
A real pleasure to play with, and I guess it’s easier to learn than the Continuum.

I hope it ages well, cause coming back to a regular controller feels like walking on a single foot.

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1817

I don’t own a Continuum, but have played one (for extended period).

frankly, the two are very different…
the continuous surface of the continuum, and a very deep ‘feel’ to it, and continuous Y axis - makes it a hugely expressive instrument BUT it’s not a keyboard, so if you have skills with keys… you have a lot to relearn, its very different (but rewarding) to play.

the Osmose, is the opposite, for a keyboard its extremely expressive… but not as expressive as the Continuum.

note : this is very relative, just because its not as expressive as a continuum, doesn’t make it not expressive ! it also lends itself to different play styles too.

ok, so you say you play keys 2-3/10 …
this one is a bit tricky…

an important question here is… do you want to improve your keyboard skills? is this a goal?

I think its important, as I have had a dilemma in this area too…

many years ago (around 10?) I bought my first expressive controller, an Eigenharp… and it is fantastic, still love it today, and since then Ive added various other expressive controllers.
my reasoning was… my skill on keys were ‘ok’ (*) but not great, and at the time… there was no expressive piano option, and I felt, I didn’t want keys to limit the expressive side.

generally, Ive been happy with this decision…
however, it does mean my skill on keys hasn’t improved much…so now I do wonder, what might have been…

now in my case, there was no Osmose, so no choice… but if there had been, and I knew what I know now… Id probably have gone Osmose over less conventional surfaces, just to build up more conventional key skills.

however, reality is… I dont really regret this, and Im happy I can now play a variety of surfaces… and I can now work on my keyboard skills with Osmose.

but its a angle perhaps to reflect on.

(*) I done a few piano lessons etc… so knew my way around - I could play most scales, but not complex pieces.

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1818

Not to mention, well, :money_with_wings:

1819

Thank you for the detailed perspective, and I am glad you could relate. Well, to answer that, I would definitely like to improve my keyboard skills, but I am also a guy that would love to try new things. I think my justification is that, though Continuum looks like a new instrument, it does have a keyboard layout of notes, so it won’t be totally new. I just looked up Eigenharp, no, it would totally put me off just because it totally looks like a new instrument.

thanks for mentioning that. This is something to think about for me. Even though I like to try new things, I have been learning recently that being good at one thing can be a good thing. I am jack of all trades, sorta. And, learning to be good at something is something that I am starting to work on. So… Osmose maybe? I am now 52% confident :joy:

1820

Osmose is a keyboard-based experience but it is not your standard piano/keyboard experience:

  • The keys are, as far as I can assess it, slightly wider on the Osmose than on a standard keyboard. This makes it a bit more challenging to grab chords - EDIT: no, they are not!

  • Even though it has amazing light touch sensitivity, Osmose’s keys also have more resistance than a semi-weighted key controller. The resistance does not provide as much feedback as a fully weighted controller. There is a point between Z and Y that you can distinctly feel but for the rest you will orient yourself more by the ear than by information received by your fingers, at least for anything vertical or related to bending (your fingers will still distinguish the different keys, naturally);

  • Osmose requires more articulate playing to generate the same velocity to control non-MPE synths, compared to a standard controller.

Whichever the differences that you might experience, it is certainly not as dramatic as changing from a keyboard to a Continuum. The Osmose is far easier to learn if you have a keyboard background.

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1822

Ive played on a number of different brands of grand piano, upright piano, etc. and key width really is not that standardized. One Baldwin baby grand I played on had keys that were way narrower than the osmose. You get used to it in 15-30 min. The osmose sounds totally within the realm of normal width. However, I bet synths are a lot more standardized.

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1823

You know what, I’ve just checked with my Kronos and guess what, indeed, they are exactly the same width and length (white area) down to half a millimeter. So it is just a st**** optical illusion or psychological effect :joy:

Nevertheless what I’ve mentioned about chord play still holds, but it has more to do with my third point - I have compared the Prophet 10 rev 4 module controlled from my Kronos and from the Osmose. It feels easier or lighter to play fast chords at consistent velocity with the Kronos.

1824

yeah, key width, measured over entire length of Osmose range (*), is almost identical to by Virus TI (pretty common fatar key bed), and my Roland digital piano.

(*) you have to ignore the last © key on the Osmose, as this is different/narrower than all the others…

btw: I was not suggesting this, or frankly any synth keybed, is the best for learning piano… as the feel is completely different (on both) to a weighted piano…
however, there are a hell of a lot of transfer skills, esp, at my (and OP) level.

also be aware… although continuum has markings for the chromatic scale, so may appear to the have the same layout… this is not true…
the continuum has equal spacing for all notes… ie. the black notes take up the same space as the white ones, whereas on a piano the spacing is staggered/interleaved.
this means if you play a triad, your hand position is very different…and octaves are much wider.

I mean none of this really matters… which is why as I stated, I dont really regret my decision…

whilst my keyboards skills did not improve as much as they might have with an Osmose, the Eigenharp taught me how to play isomorphic grids (in various configurations) which has been very valuable, which I used on a Soundplane and the Erae Touch, and various others.
and has been stated elsewhere, the piano layout is (slightly) compromised for doing 3d expression.
so… in this area, I think learning isomorphic grids is pretty useful … if not a conventional/traditional skill.

so its just a matter of choice, focus, and then practicing :slight_smile:

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1825

Really I think the isomorphic grid layout makes the most sense for composing electronic music. You can set the pads to be in whatever scale you want, set the rows to be shifted by however many semitones you want, and it is even possible to set them up to do microtonal stuff easier as well. And some of them (linnstrument etc.) even do mpe. If I didn’t have any piano skills and synths didn’t default to having keybeds I would probably go this route. I find myself playing chords etc. on my hapax a lot even when I have my midi keyboard right there just because it is so easy and you can try different setups to see what comes out.

I have an osmose on preorder, but man, thinking more on it the linnstrument it is pretty tempting lol. If it also had the haken engine it would be a very close call.

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1826

indeed isomorphic has its advantages… I find it also leads me to different places than the piano.

of course, if you get an osmose, you can also drive it from an isomorphic surface via mpe.

the first time I connected my Eigenharp to my Osmose, it took me about an hour to stop grinning… a tremendous experience, and a new way to experience the Haken Engine.
perhaps one reason its was so good, is the Osmose shares some physical similarities to the Eigenharp, so Osmose presets work so well with it ‘out of the box’

The Erae Touch was great too, as being continuous it opens up pitch slides, however, I felt the presets needed to be altered a bit (via Haken Editor) to work nicely.

but as Ive said before, every different surface, yields something new and different … which is why I am so excited by the Haken Engine, it really allows you to explore the physical characteristics of different surfaces and layouts.

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