Expressive E Osmose // 4 pros, 4 cons and how to unlock the power of its matrix // Review & Tutorial
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- čas přidán 22. 05. 2024
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Other gear in this video:
► Vector Synth
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TIMELINE:
0:00 Intro
2:05 Pressure
2:45 Aftertouch
3:45 Pitch bend
4:05 Limits
5:05 Press glide
6:30 Strum and shake
7:10 MPE ARP!
8:30 The synth
9:55 Overview
12:40 Connectivity
13:20 Modes and menus
13:50 Preset nav
15:20 Synth menu
15:45 Global FX
17:45 Sustain
18:30 Sostenuto
18:50 Sensitivity
20:10 Using MIDI
21:45 MPE tips
25:35 Haken Editor
27:50 Splits and layers
29:45 EaganMatrix
30:40 Basic patch
31:35 XYZ
32:25 Modules
35:40 FM patch
38:05 Formulas
39:20 How to add a macro to a patch
41:00 LFO/env
43:45 Matrix tips
45:05 Pros & cons
51:35 My favorite presets
Submit review and video ideas here (sorry I don’t offer 1x1 sessions/setup/purchasing advice):
► Ziv (at) loopopmusic.com
NOTE: Occasionally I’ll try out affiliate marketing and include affiliate links. This means I may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via affiliate links to stores like Amazon, Sweetwater, Thomann and others. The content of this video is entirely my opinion, and was not paid for or dictated in any way by the company creating the gear. Without addressing the particulars of products shown here as they might be under NDA, gear shown on this channel may be either sent by the manufacturer, on loan for review or bought at a discount.
As someone who comes from a classical background, I have to laugh appreciatively about the comments I see in some Osmose reviews that because the Eagen Matrix is so complex, we'll just be hearing the same presets again and again - I mean, almost all acoustic instruments are effectively the same "presets" - but we have yet to grow tired of them.
I do love creating my own unique synth patches, so I totally get what they're saying. But with the level of expressive control and quality of presets, it's not necessarily a bad thing when you can hear a song and go "oh! They're playing the Osmose!"
It's just kinda fun to see how different musical worlds approach music differently: classical music emphasizes artistry through expression, and many electronic artists emphasize total unique timbre. It's cool something like this can seamlessly meld the two sensibilities.
Excellent point and well said. I feel very much the same.
True, acoustic and electro-acoustic instruments feature fewer sounds, but with different playing techniques you can extract much more expression from them than from playing the Osmose presets. The Osmose had me reaching for my electric guitar and pedals after our brief honeymoon period.
@@davidjazay9248 It’s true what you say for musicians who make music with fingers on strings or with their breath. But pianists and keyboard players in general have not had this type of expressive control before. And I realize, it is always more about the musician and their music than the instrument. Corey Henry sounds amazing whatever he plays!
*Cory Henry
This is a great point and something I’ve thought about a lot as someone who owns far too many softsynths. At a certain point, I don’t need any more presets. You hit a limit. At a certain point, it’s time to explore musicality instead of sonicality. In the end, I’m not entirely sure there’s that many truly new synth sounds, just mild variations on the same thing, perhaps with a shiny new reverb or delay. Strip the effects away and you’re left with an oscillator, some filters, and hopefully, a good performance. You can always add some nice spices later when mixing.
Always start with loopop
Always.
He does have a nice voice.
Best reviewer out there.
If Vangelis was still alive, he would've loved this synth. No synth since the Yamaha CS80 has been so expressive... and that was released more than 40 years ago.
The amount of options in the first 10 minutes already blew my mind!
The "scraping" based on position, the strum at 100% that you can hit from both directions, playing a chord in a single keypress, wow!
the way you said it implies that this is a keyboard with "a synth built in". Love it 😂
Cuckoo put it well in his review - this is an instrument that I think will deeply resonate with classical instrumentalists when approaching electronic music. This sort of expressiveness is something that takes time to master, beyond learning how to master settings and patching (a different set of skills in their own right!). Using the bend for vibrato is the most intuitive form of it I have seen in a synth - I already try to wiggle my keys on normal synths. This has shot to the top of my list for gear I really would love to have.
Yes!
Replicating (and improving) acoustical instruments was all about physical modelisation when Eagan was working on the Continuum Fingerboard and the Eagan Matrix (same engine in the Osmose).
You can see Osmose as a Continuum-lite. This is exactly why I bought this one, way more affordable than the Continuum full size (which I'm grieving for 15 years)
I am a classically trained musician, and indeed would love one of these. However, at this late stage in my life I have no desire or interest in trying to learn what is essentially an entirely new instrument. Make no mistake, boys and girls, this is not a piano.
Classical musicians generally accept the notion that full mastery of an instrument precedes real musical expression. In spite of Loopop’s outrageous skills with synth keyboards, I suspect he’d agree that the Osmose is a big step away from the traditions of piano and harpsichord that until recently provided the models for synth keyboards.
@@DavidHHermanson You are right, this is something I say for 3 years on the forum where we are discussing : this looks like a piano, but is not, and can't fully played like one. Mainly because of the "wobbly" mere technology behind each keys. (especially if you are trained and would like to play as fast and precisely as on a real one)
Of course you can cancel the bend-per-note feature, but then you should aim for another keyboard than the Osmose to play "piano-like".
@@DavidHHermanson the quality of the patches does remove the earliest phases of learning an instrument - simply making pleasing sounds. You don't need to be a maestro to make this sound good and to be musically expressive. Yes, it's a very different instrument than a piano - and as a classically trained cellist, that is what I want. The keyboard makes sense to me, but I don't have the burden of piano sensibilities to deal with.
I hadn't heard of the Continuum until reviews of this - after quickly looking it up, I find that layout very off-putting. Sure, I could get used to it, but with this as an option, why would I want to add yet another hurdle to learning it? (Not to mention the price difference)
I don't think this is a synth that will do everything, but its approach is significant.
This may be the first digital instrument that is not designed to occupy every second and the full frequency spectrum. Just as Satie reinvented pauses, patience and space in classical music.
The didactic efficiency of your rundown of the Eaganmatrix beats anything else I've seen online. You didn't tell us everything (that would be insanity) but it looked as if you didn't omit anything important from the essentials and your summaries were clear and comprehensible. You've given me the confidence to try some of my own sound design now. Thank you.
Thank you for incorporating an excellent overview of the Eagen Matrix. Numerous demonstrations of the expressive capabilities of the keyboard by synth luminaries, but this review of the engine gave me all the information I needed to keep my pre-order in the queue.
I got to play with one of these over at Sweetwater a couple weeks ago. It feels surprisingly different when you first start messing with it, but after that it feels surprisingly natural. It's a treat to play with. Not something I'm going to get at the moment as I would need to dedicate more space, but I can easily see this bringing in a new age of musical techniques within the electronic music world.
Thanks for including a decent section on the editor software. I've been amazed how many reviews there are already out there, that avoid any detail on the matrix altogether. Almost all of them in fact, which for a player may be no big deal but for a synthesist leaves me wanting.
I'm looking forward to delving into the synth engine, and while it's incredibly deep, the power on offer is huge. I get on well with the Nord Modular concept of pairing to a computer for serious editing, and decoupling for playing and performance.
Take care when editing the eagenmatrix. I made some mistakes and was thrown into a hellish alternative universe in which the UK had left the EU and Donald Trump had been President & was running for re-election. Be warned.
Does that mean you can also use it to get back to the good timeline? 🤔
Great rundown! Cannot wait and eagerly anticipating Osmose with all of my hardware synths (and Pigments!) The preset at 56:13 reminds me fondly of a patch I made with my elektron Analog Keys. Lovely timbre.
Thank your for going as deeply into patch editing in the matrix as you did! Almost no information online on the matrix. Your vids are the top top for practical info on synth gear.
Not quite true, Richard Kram's channel @eaganmatrixprogramming has 89 video's about programming the matrix. Only a few days ago he uploaded an Osmose specific video.
@@ghavinga Thanks Gerard!
Thanks for your detailed reviews! I have ordered one several months ago and I am still anxiously awaiting the arrival 😬 to be able to add that expression in my atmospheres and provide that variability in the textures. 😀
the "my favorite presets" portion sounds like serene home music on a game console after you log in while your brother in the background goes from listening to 7 nation army to an old movie with the THX intro and then watching hells kitchen before a bathroom break.
Wonderful review, love the innovative new synth tech coming out in the last few years!
This is an amazing instrument, glad you got to get your hands on one and do a video.
I was really looking forward to this review, and it did not disappoint - thank you!
The best hardware reviewer on the tubes, your video's are so PRO. Thank you for your dedication!
Loopop's reviews are so PRO, but also so AM, in the etymological sense: "amateur" comes from a French word for someone who pursues something out of love. Even if he also makes something from it, the love shines through.
TYSM bro you never fail to be thorough
Brilliant review.
You really come close to getting my head around the software.
But it badly needs a user friendly front end on it. The sound quality is excellent. Very organic and acoustic sounding.
I’d be in the market for one because of this video.
Thanks for a great job.👍
Great review as always! You're the best in-depth 👍
Fancy! Was already on the wish list. This first half of the year is a pulsar. But maybe this’ll be a winter treat.
Hey thanks for showing your mpe settings and ranges on the Vector!
I own the Osmose and I use it also to control my Synclavier Regen... the only problem I found is the pitch "horizontal" sensivity... sometimes it is hard to mantain a perfect pitch in legatos, even being a classical pianist, but anyway I find it more controllable than the Seaboard, for example.
The Seaboard is a nightmare. Sent it back after a month. I thought it was because I was a very bad keyboard player but it seems lots of people are having a hard time with that same issue.
Ooh please post you controlling the Regen with this please! ❤😊
check out the "stability" parameter
@@avetisk Could you elaborate? I'm interested in the seaboard (especially for sliding sounds).
@@Simeon_Harris Exactly.
I absolutely love your content. I would love to see a review on the open source zynthian project!
I always appreciate your in-depth reviews. Thank you, truly. I have watched most every video on the Osmose and the potential of this instrument interests me more than the actuality. I’m not sure that entirely says what I mean. I want to play it. To hear a melody coming alive under my fingers in a new way. I am a pianist and I don’t often think about the limitations of the piano as an expressive instrument. The piano has its own way. But I have still at times yearned for the possibility of shaping a phrase like a cellist or a jazz saxophonist. This Osmose seems a step in that direction for us keyboard players. I will find out. I put a pre-order in in January. (And I will watch your video again when mine is in hand!)
How do you like your Osmose? From this comment it seems like you should have had it for a few months now. One question in particular: can you play it like a piano in classic piano mode, and does it play normally? Thanks in advance!
I'm so glad you mentioned the locking power connector in this video. I obviously hadn't read the quick start guide thoroughly enough (quite unlike me, haha!) and I thought I had a faulty power supply.
Totally agree on your feature request. Would love to assign the X axis to one of the 6 macros in the synth tab. I also really wish we had a favorites option as there’s so many presets and quite a lot I will never use.
Was pretty bummed about the encoders at first. Very cheap feeling plastic and not very precise. Can’t have it all I suppose. Maybe we can swap them for nicer ones at some point?
Can confirm crashing/restarting is a thing (not connected to the computer for my crashes).
Despite the negative things, the pros heavily outweigh the cons and I’ve had so much fun exploring a new way to play music. I’d give it 9/10 and I’m excited to see what everyone does with theirs.
Also wanted to note that using this with the Hydrasynth has been awesome as it’s really easy to setup some cool poly aftertouch patches with it. Layering the two sounds great.
Excellent review!! Thanks for doing what you do : )
As a guitar player that learns to plays keys and synths for the last years this would be the synth I needed to start with. When I played a synth for the first time I missed bendings and the vibrato bar. Until now I use pedals and the mod wheel but it does not feel intuitive. I need to test this synth. It seems like it could feel intuitive for me and the sound seems to be great. Thank you for this review!
most synths or midi controllers have wheels or touch strips for bending and vibrato. It's just less convenient than a whammy bar on a guitar since it takes up one of your hands.
As a guitarist, you might also consider a Linnstrument.
@@zroeder Yes, the Linnstrument is much more guitar-like.
Been looking forward to loopop osmose interaction ❤
I hope movie score writers/producers use this thing, wow.
Great Review!!! Thanks for the editor review. Matrix patching is something a Eurorack user should pick up on more naturally and seems less difficult, at least to me now. Yet finally a keyboard that has the instrument expressiveness of a stinged/brass/flute/etc. It will be nice to see when someone incorporates this type of key bed into an analog instrument like a Moog One or Trigon quickly come to mind.
It's amazing to see true innovation after all thease years!! We this tech adapted on Pad controllers too
Great review, as always! Looks like the EaganMatrix software could benefit from a few updates for better compatibility with Osmose (for example: you should be able to choose the Macro icons in the macro modules, not by typing in a code string). I guess they are aware of this and this will improve in time.
I can hardly wait to get mine! A few more weeks.
Thank you for another great demo! 🙏
Thank you for this great overview!
Superb review of a most interesting instrument.
thank you for a great review!
Cant wait to
Get mine
Super in-depth, unbiased review. Would be good if you could comment (or point to a section of the video) about the multiple expression motions - 9 - that Expressive claims are distinctive on its website, and how programmable they are. Presumably, integration with Eagan matrix makes it easier to access and use in music making. Thanks
Thanks! I didn't count them but I believe I addressed them all in the beginning of the video - at least the ones that are unique to Osmose. I didn't discuss tap, which is simple velocity detection, and release triggers - both of which many synths can do.
Amazing instrument! I want one.
and a very good and thorough video 👍
This is some in-depth shit. Awesome job! Still waiting for my late bird preorder. Had the gas going since 2019. Never been this hyped over a synth.
"And they are not getting it back." Lol. Just making sure that is said. Right. Haha. I love your vids. Thanks for this one again.
It seems like a very inspiring instrument.
Great demo Cheers 🔥🔥🔥🤘
I pre-ordered mine months ago. It's supposed to be shipped in June. I can't wait.
I wish you wont have any delay. Back when we backed it late 2019, we were said the delivery would be spring 2020, and nobody knew we had to wait xmas 2022 to have it. ^^
I ordered mine in 2019.
Lel
@@SpaceDisco1 Mine in mid november 2019, recieved it late december 2022.
This is mainly about filled containers in China.
Ordered mine in December 2019 and still waiting eagerly…
I see people saying "my skills aren't enough" however I think it's easier than playing a note on/off keyboard. Because it's so incredible easy that you can one finger a melody and sound like a professional string section or pedal steel expert or bag pipes player etc. With traditional on/off interfacing you are forced to play chords, progressions, runs, melody w/harmony for the music to sound interesting because all it can do is "note on/note off". With Osmose you are an instant professional even playing twinkle twinkle little star and sounding like a symphony. I propose that the opposite is true of what some might be thinking. Not only that but on/off note playing is boring in comparison. You will find yourself playing and practicing in pure ecstasy for hours having no idea how much time has passed. I've played everything since my DX100 and nothing has come remotely close to this pleasure. I have one hand on one Osmose and the other hand on a second Osmose and if you think one is good, wait until you try two. The Osmose makes you desire to play music and rewards you well while on your journey. Some demos if not many warn of playing technique and then you get apprehensive about it but it's simply not true. Slides and bends are what make sounds interesting and think how much we pay for synths sounds that go out of tune. Vangelis sort of said your on/off, pitch locked/corrected keyboards aren't actually instruments when he said it oppositely. Imagine the thousands and thousands of professional players who aren't playing actual instruments that happen to have keys. No doubt it's an amazing skill but I think it's actually a lot harder to make it sound interesting. This is why guitar players get the lead solos and stand down in front. Not anymore with Osmose. Same for sax players of the 80s. It's way harder to make a trumpet play like a sax, it just isn't going to happen in dependable fashion. However they have some more work to make Osmose foolproof electronically before it's lead worthy ahead of the guitars. You know how in country music you see a specialist pedal steel player sitting front stage either left or right? That will soon be the Osmose on many stages in the future and probably in a double manual configuration.
Excellently detailed video again. Loopop saves me from the impulse to buy only so I can explore expensive gear. The Osmose is really awesome, seems like the last hardware synth one needs. Alas, nothing for my hobby budget.
Like Yamaha, Expressive E needs a forum eventually with Osmose users who can post Q/A continually. The Osmose will eventually get wide spread and popular enough to benefit from a small forum. Expressive E can't answer fast enough (like 5 business days wait) and having two Osmose units here I could post a lot of stuff myself and others could help me too. Eventually we'll need help for those waiting to design using the matrix. I'm using loopop here but no one is responding and it's not the best place for detailed resolutions to specific issues however he is the best we've got so far. Expressive E can't really handle it yet with full energy focused on production. You know Expressive E should hire loopop to handle a bunch more specific tutorials and be available to answer questions and moderate an Osmose forum for a while.
If you did a one hour video on a Russel Hobbs Toaster I'd still watch it.
Love your channel.
Legend.
Added to the queue!
I know polyphonic aftertouch is a rather rare thing only availble on a handful of synthesizers. But it really takes some incredible coordination to use it in a polyphonic way. So left/right and after-touch played in a polyphonic way is really going to take some practice to utilize at it's maximum capability. I don't have enough skill to justify getting it.
I have some Keyboards with PAT, and in my opinion, that is NOT the case. But my piano lessons are nearly four decades away, and I forgot everything except how to play (with) an instrument. Which maybe could be an advantage. There isn't such a high level of skills you need for an instrument like this, that you wouldn't be able to achieve by yourself. As with everything, you begin slow...and at some point you may be astonished how easy it was to get where you wanted to be...
The CS-80 has full polyphonic aftertouch for over 45 years now, but this is a definite step forward for sure
I see that you are using a Vector Synth... I have been waiting for your review of that unit. I apologize if you have already done that and I just can't find it. Very interesting and powerful Synth Thank you !
I have a feeling Roland, Yamaha and other vendors will have to release a similar MPE controller as this style of expression takes over in the next 5 to 10 years.
Can't wait to see what this company comes up with next!
I would say, can't wait to see this company comes up with updates and fixes on this one for now. (there is still a long road until then, after more than 3 years before delivery)
What a great expressive keyboard.
Instant soundtrack machine 👌
Hi loopop, awesome video as always, I’ve often wondered where do you keep all the synths you do for reviews? Surely they take up a lot of space
Thanks! Yes it's pretty insane, I rarely sell them because I keep them for reference. I have a pretty large basement - part of it is a big setup and others stacked on shelves.
@@loopop hope you live on a hill, I'd hate to think that basement ever got flooded.
@@loopop Would love to see that basement on a guided tour video at some point :D
i really hope this thing makes big waves in midi controllers so that in a couple years i can afford something comparable to this
The addition of an organ style volume pedal would be awesome with this synth. Not just for volume but for the filter and other things to
It's already here. You can plug 2 pedals to control whatever modulation want.
you can map its two pedals to any parameter you like pretty much
@@loopop Hey copycat ! :p
I would love to have one of those.
Your mini Eaganmatrix tutorial was a good one. This sound engine just became even more of a big deal now that this keyboard has so much hype. Here's hoping that somehow some clever heads figure out a modern interface for the Eaganmatrix. A nice juicy design problem, to retain such complexity and control but make it more immediately accessible. I also wish there was a global way to quickly disable the effects; sometimes depending on the patch there is too much reverb/delay for the part I'm recording.
If using the Haken Editor software, there is a simple toggle to turn off the "Recirculator" -- the unit that provides the reverb/delays. I don't know if that's surfaced on the Osmose display.
@@pachde Thank, I'm aware of that. What I'm looking for is a quick way to do that without using the software, in standalone mode. Haken emailed me and said that there should be a way of doing it using external midi controllers and a USB host, but it's something that I have tried multiple times and not managed to get right yet.
@@makeperceive This should be possible by sending MIDI cc, but not fully documented. According to my notes, it's ch16 cc33. The value is a combination of settings for Action in bits 0x03 (Classic medium, light, and narrow light are values 0-3), AES bit rate in bits 0x0C (documented in the Continuum user guide), Large font in menus (0x10) and recirculator disable (0x40).
Come to think of it, easier to send the cc to set recirculation dry/wet mix to 100% dry. This one is fully documented, simple and direct
@@pachde Great, thanks for suggesting that - I will try it!
Greetings. Excellent deep dive as always. I was lucky enough to just purchase this amazing machine last week and I'm blown away by the sounds from the internal engine, along with the very expressive and intuitive secondary poly after pressure. I do have a concern/question regarding the individual pitch bend aspect of the keys.
Not all the keys seem to pitch bend evenly and mostly in one direction (sharp.) All the keys seem to bend flat (to the left) with generally the same force, but not all bend up equally. The keyboard is somewhat exposed from the underside, so is the Osmose meant to be opened up and aligned once received, or perhaps do I have a bad keyboard bed?
Excellent review. I'm very excited about the Expressive-E. I've heard several say that it has great analog and analog-like instruments. As I've haunted the various CZcams demos I've heard the amazing JennyBrass, several great drum sounds, and flute/woodwinds that sound amazing. But what about violins, guitars, organs, harmonicas? These seem like good matches to the Expressive-E's capabilities, but I haven't seen them discussed or demoed yet.
Thanks! I think it does those quite nicely - if you check out the continuum demos you might get a taste for those - it's the same engine
Really enjoyed this, I'm coming out of the first wave of suck so hoping to be less sucky soon 😊😅
I have a first gen seaboard 49 with equator 2 and all the sound packs not looking for another MPE controller but I do like the idea of having actual keys
very cool instrument
It will be interesting to see how other makers respond to this revolution in expressive keyboard technology. What if Arturia made a hardware version of Pigments with a keyboard like this one?
An afordable midi keyboard would be great! I would pay like 600eu max for something like this
Korg leaks plans to have one coming out in October.... 2027... or ...2028...or... 2030 at the very latest.
Dang, those engineers at Haken Audio going full out. Very impressive stuff, excpet for the laggy menu, but that seems fixable.
Well, your cons are the exact same as those I mentionned to devs since the (finally !) delivery, I would add the fact that you can't release a bent note without it returning to it's initial pitch (for now).
This + the lack of split (and by that I8 mean the autonomous feature in the Osmose without requiring computer), are already fedback to ExpressiveE of course, and I can't wait to put my hands on the split one. (and some Cimbalom preset I'm really missing)
Your point about releasing bent notes is something I hadn't thought about, and loopop didn't mention it in the video. It sounds like a significant limitation... perhaps they can't fix it because of the nature of the mechanical sensors :( I guess the bend fader on the left is a work-around, although you'd lose the polyphonic bend that way.
@@macronencer Its a false limitation as it can easily be software fixed with some option, like a pedal used as "bend lock", or maybe a release speed threshold that could be set to lock those... Osmose is far from finished.
@@V3nom7 I like the release speed idea, as it can apply per note. Nice! Yes, let's hope they release a new firmware that addresses these problems. I haven't ordered an Osmose yet so it will be quite a while before I have to worry about these things, but I like to know in advance what I'm getting. Thanks!
@@macronencer No matter what you plan to buy, always buy a thing for what it is, and not what it is promised to be.
They are still developping the firmware, and we already had 2 fixes since december.
I ended up cancelling my preorder. May come back if there’s a different product in the future. As great as eagen matrix is, the programming interface was impenetrable to me and I wasn’t interested in a preset machine. And as a controller only, I decided it was just too pricey as I find knobs, faders, CLAP polyphonic modulation and multitrack layering sufficient for the slower pad-like sounds it seems to excel at. Seems like a hit though, so I’m excited for them and innovation being rewarded
Very cool
Great review/tutorial with one omission: it's not a normal 5-pin out. It has specially active pins made to send H-Rez input to the "CVC" a 4-channel 16 port hardware Haken to CV converter, provided you use the Haken midi cable from Osmose to CVC. The CVC is configured in the Matrix. So the Osmose is also the fanciest Eurorack controller by a country mile. Apologies if you did hit this, but I missed it.
Well I wouldn't be as harsh as to call an omission like that an uppercase FAIL but indeed I didn't mention that and quite a few other connectivity features and options.
@@loopop Where do you mention 5-Pin to CVC? I will edit my post. Great video all other respects.
@@uhoh007 please Reread my response - I didn’t claim to mention it
@@loopop my FAIL ;) The unique Hi-Rez control of CV via CVC makes the Osmose especially attractive to Eurorack users: that's why you should have added 10 secs to mention it, with respect. Maybe you will do a video using it. I love the Vector!
The only thing it's missing (that I don't believe any keyboard can do) is provide per-key haptic feedback. E.g., the "scrape" patch should feel like a scrape. The pluck patch should feel like a pluck. This will reinforce the instrument model in your brain and take you further into the musical experience while playing.
Was just thinking about this! Like the adaptive triggers on the PlayStation 5 controllers.
Damn it is finally here!
Wow, the instrument is so cool. The matrix software, however is so off-putting. No one wants to look at that mess. Apparently there was no thought put into user experience on the companion app. I forgive them because the presets are such good starting points for modification. Overall, I'm happy. Thanks Loopop for the intuitive in-depth tutorial
Thanks for the bit on using with external MPE synths! Will you do a separate deep dive into the Vector Synth itself?
My pleasure, and no, not likely
Hey, Ma Nishma? Thank you for all the work and the time you invest in those helpful reviews. Do you think the Osmose can be also a good controller for Orchestral Mockups?
Thanks! Is that a particular product or do you mean in general? If in general then yes, I think its precise and gradual control of pressure/attack/release would do well for orchestral sounds - you'd just need to program the VST's response properly like I mention in the MIDI section
"... and they're NOT getting it back!"
Holy Macaroni. This is one board to surf on...
Hi loopop, I agree with your pros & cons having the Osmose for a few months now. The only con I would have added on the video is the missing favorite presets feature. I can't imagine Expressive E not adding it later on as there are already a lot of presets and no way to put some of them on a fav section of the screen. Pretty sure you agree with me on that.
yes for sure faves would be nice, for now I just save the ones I like most to the first slots
The first user slots?
@@johnhurd3257 yes
@@johnhurd3257 Hi John, user slots are for user patches and not for duplicates of factory patches right?
Its a crazy time! I'm ready to put the 3000$ canadian but not possible before september from what I heard.
Looks like an astonishing product. But yet another product to delve into the experimental, which is what a lot of musicians are nowadays. The technology holds sway over the musical output, different than how it used to be. Fare thee well, well-crafted pop songs/classics.
actually this is a player's instrument, it's not because of this that songs aren't crafted like they used to
Great review - as always. Mine ordered and possibly here by end of April. I wonder why it is not possible to play the Egan Matrix and send external midi at same time. Hopefully a software upgrade takes care of this - maybe at the same time they get the sequencer midi-out working.
I have teamed the Osmose with a Hydrasynth and can play both at the same time, layering them if needed. This is a confusing topic as the Osmose behaves different depending on which menu is shown on the display. But certainly you can play the engine and send external MIDI.
Thank you
I can see the issue with inadvertently activating pitch bend while holding chords, but I could also see a lot of happy accidents coming out of it :)
On some complex patches you see the dsp usage go up pretty high. I wonder how much headroom there is for further maybe more compute-heavy upgrades in the future. If one has to sacrifice sound quality for longer reverb tails already it makes me wonder a bit. On the other hand limitations always help getting interesting workarounds. I just think of computers: If you get one and it is already on its limits today it will be a pain in 3 years due to higher demanding software.
Can you imagine if you could map the side-side motion to stereo panning? The idea of being able to expressively control sound-stage in real time is so cool it's making me mad that it's not possible with the firmware.
yes it should be possible if I remember correctly there's a relative mode for X, but I didn't try it
@@loopop You just made my day and cemented my wish list. Thanks!
so very cool, so very outside of my price range ;D
Dear Mr Loopop, I'll be joining your Patreon this month
That's great - thanks very much! Yes, I do want to review it, but I've got a massive queue so I can't promise it will be any time soon :/
@@loopop I ´ll second that
did you ever made a video on the Touche? i really like the way yo do videos and hace not found any decent full review about the Touche from Expressive E
Thanks! No, I didn't make one
I think aftertouch travel is the same with white and black keys, its just that the white key is longer and you are pressing farther on the pivot.
Interesting point but no - I checked, and the part of the white key that's adjacent to the black key goes about 2-3mm lower
i love how loopop, stipulated, they are not getting it back 😾😅....this is amazing, literally getting back to learning an instrument, what a tool....and the product design. 😋
What a wonderful and detailed video! Thanks! I still have a question: is it possible to use the EaganMatrix Haken Editor as a VST controlled by Osmose in midi Ext mode ? It would allow me to create complexe live setup with Ableton where I need to layer, split, change preset instantly without cut, and layer all of these with other VSTs. I really struggle to find the answer
Hoping they will have this at NAMM this year - I think it's one of those you have to try to know if you will get on with it or not. I wanted to like the Roli seaboard, but it just felt weird to me.
I think it's already been at NAMM, and given it's ahd a soft and hard release, you may not see it appear unless they're wanting to push more sales.
Given they're back logged, who knows?
Try Roli's Lumi keys. They have the same pressure and side to side sensitivity without being weird.
@@dankeplace Was there in June 2022 and they were not showing it - so let's see - if they have a booth it would be weird not to show it off IMO now that it's full production.
@@DolphinWave Cool - thanks - I didn't realise Lumi keys had side-to-side movement. Still, I like the look of the full-size keys on the Osmose. I also tried and didn't get along with Linnstrument and the Continuum.. but as a keyboardist - this definitely looks promising.
I'd definitely be interested if there was a "slim" keys version, like the Reface DX series, or the Minilogue XD. I just don't enjoy playing on full sized keys nearly as much, and find them a lot less comfortable.
I watched a video by a classical pianist who went to a lot of effort to find a piano with keys roughly the same width as the Reface. He said he could play better and for longer with less hand strain, and made the claim that full sized keys are unsuitable for a fairly large proportion of adults - more so for women, of course. They also make it harder for children to learn to play in the first place.
No one insists that every string instrument has to have the same scale length / fret spacing. If they did, we'd see ukuleles the size of a double bass. One size fits all no doubt suits manufacturers better, and some keyboard players insist they can't play anything smaller, but there's no really good reason for that. The brain adapts quite quickly.
Everyone's needs are different, and I've nothing against smaller keys, but I cannot agree with your statement that there's no good reason for some keyboard players to insist on full size keys. Some of us learned on keys that size and it would take many years to re-train. I believe that for some musical styles it would actually be impossible to re-train. I'm not just talking about classical either - I've tried playing a thumping old Boogie Woogie on small keys, and it was like trying to hold a horse race in a cottage garden. :)
Interesting idea, really. I wonder if there are some limitations with the placement of strings within the instrument to how narrow the piano keys could be. But on a digital piano I would think, no problem, and it would be great for children and people with smaller hands. Of course, if someone was aspiring to be a professional, they would be stuck playing the acoustic that was on site. . .
In waiting list for end of June. But Eagan Matrix would represent a big learning curve for me... I am not that much "PC musician". Dunno if it would be worth the money as I would mainly use it as a standalone though 🤔
From the massive amount of presets I've heard in different reviews, I don't know if you need to worry about the Matrix to get your money's worth out of this. And this is coming from someone who automatically just starts building patches from scratch rather than see if there are presets that work for me.
Personally the biggest issue I find with it, isn't that its impossible (just takes time) -- its that it's a boring chore to use. You know how for example; that people scoff at the Korg Opsix for its build? But in general they wanted it to present 'FM in a more approachable way, over the less welcoming mod-x' - and it did so to a degree.
Thats sort of how I feel about most things. You can have something that rather than hands on fun --- is a deep dive/UI chore. Some feel similar about their motives for choosing a DAW.
EM is like going to a different country and trying to learn math, when you can't yet speak the local language. Doable. Easier with time. But hardly as fluid or 'jump right in' as other things with just as much musical output power.
I find it ...unmusical. Because it's just so robotic and lab-like. Sterile. And that's enough to make me thing 'bleh, I'll keep playing with hydra deluxe'.