Synth Lovers United!

[Gizmotron]

^^^
Thanks gentlemen! I forgot about that - looks like a fantastic instrument and fairly intuitive for string players.

Anything for a fellow Marylander!

[battema]

Ok, I'm going to be very very very very very very careful here so as not to jinx myself but....the replacement Osmose arrived at home today and it's MUCH better. No more noise at all, in fact...even without using the inline USB noise filter. I've had it running almost nonstop for about 2 hours and still nice and clean. I still have a bit of experimenting to do this evening but hopefully this one is the winner!

[Gizmotron]

Ok, I'm going to be very very very very very very careful here so as not to jinx myself but....the replacement Osmose arrived at home today and it's MUCH better. No more noise at all, in fact...even without using the inline USB noise filter. I've had it running almost nonstop for about 2 hours and still nice and clean. I still have a bit of experimenting to do this evening but hopefully this one is the winner!

Excellent! So glad to hear this, John!!! Enjoy, and please report back.

[Rarebird]

Ok, I'm going to be very very very very very very careful here so as not to jinx myself but....the replacement Osmose arrived at home today and it's MUCH better. No more noise at all, in fact...even without using the inline USB noise filter. I've had it running almost nonstop for about 2 hours and still nice and clean. I still have a bit of experimenting to do this evening but hopefully this one is the winner!

Good to hear. Looking forward to your experiences.

[Top Cat]

Good news John.
As others have said, looking forward to hearing your thoughts and perhaps a few sample diddys showing it's abilities.

[Quantum Cat]

Also curious to get your thoughts on the Osmose and it's expressive capabilities. The Haken Continuum Fingerboard also looks interesting. I wonder if anyone here has encountered that beast. Cheers!

[battema]

Also curious to get your thoughts on the Osmose and it's expressive capabilities. The Haken Continuum Fingerboard also looks interesting. I wonder if anyone here has encountered that beast. Cheers!

So I actually own both.

I am kind of an MPE nut: I've got the Osmose, a Linnstrument, a Keith McMillen Kboard Pro 4, a Continuum and a Continuumini, and a Sensel Morph. I've also got a new Roli Seaboard 2 on preorder for next month.

Believe it or not, to date my hands-down favorite was also the cheapest: the Sensel Morph. I absolutely love the feel and I love being able to hot-swap the overlays (and even create custom overlays). It's OOP now but I'm hoping that they return with a new product sometime soon.

The Continuum is an incredible instrument unlike anything else I've played. It's also one of the hardest to play and hardest to program (the EaganMatrix is easily one of the most powerful engines I've ever used but it's also not an easy learning curve). I'm actually planning to sell mine because I just don't think I can justify keeping it for as infrequently as I use it (I have the same engine inside the Continuumini and can use my other MPE controllers as drivers).

The Osmose is going to be a solid middle player in my MPE stuff....I've never felt an instrument with such natural aftertouch, and the ability to bend keys is pretty cool. But I use the Y axis quite often (up/down the key), and there's not really a parallel in the Osmose; the Y has been repurposed for initial velocity. But that's ok...it's going to be an amazing device to learn and explore.

[Gizmotron]

So I actually own both.

I am kind of an MPE nut: I've got the Osmose, a Linnstrument, a Keith McMillen Kboard Pro 4, a Continuum and a Continuumini, and a Sensel Morph. I've also got a new Roli Seaboard 2 on preorder for next month.

Believe it or not, to date my hands-down favorite was also the cheapest: the Sensel Morph. I absolutely love the feel and I love being able to hot-swap the overlays (and even create custom overlays). It's OOP now but I'm hoping that they return with a new product sometime soon.

The Continuum is an incredible instrument unlike anything else I've played. It's also one of the hardest to play and hardest to program (the EaganMatrix is easily one of the most powerful engines I've ever used but it's also not an easy learning curve). I'm actually planning to sell mine because I just don't think I can justify keeping it for as infrequently as I use it (I have the same engine inside the Continuumini and can use my other MPE controllers as drivers).

The Osmose is going to be a solid middle player in my MPE stuff....I've never felt an instrument with such natural aftertouch, and the ability to bend keys is pretty cool. But I use the Y axis quite often (up/down the key), and there's not really a parallel in the Osmose; the Y has been repurposed for initial velocity. But that's ok...it's going to be an amazing device to learn and explore.

That is why you are our resident Go-To Guy, John!

And isn’t the LinnStrument MPE capable? Does it do as much as your other MPE controllers? Less? I just made the mistake of watching some demos again and it just captured my imagination. The pitch bends it does look so easy to do and sound so natural.

[battema]

Oh yeah, the Linnstrument is MPE capable for sure. It's very very good. The only reason I don't use it more frequently is just because of what I mentioned before: I'm really a piano player first and foremost and the grid/fretboard layout for the Linnstrument is a bit difficult for me to use as easily.

One somewhat unique thing about the Linnstrument for me is that it's almost completely self-contained; you don't need a software editor to configure things, everything is setup really nicely so that the playing surface itself is also able to control all the settings.

[Gizmotron]

Oh yeah, the Linnstrument is MPE capable for sure. It's very very good. The only reason I don't use it more frequently is just because of what I mentioned before: I'm really a piano player first and foremost and the grid/fretboard layout for the Linnstrument is a bit difficult for me to use as easily.

One somewhat unique thing about the Linnstrument for me is that it's almost completely self-contained; you don't need a software editor to configure things, everything is setup really nicely so that the playing surface itself is also able to control all the settings.

As someone who tries to avoid using the computer for music, I am all for that!

[Rarebird]

As someone who tries to avoid using the computer for music, I am all for that!

I'm the opposite, I can't do without the computer. It makes using MPE more difficult, because it draws heavy on the computer.
I even keep my old laptop with Windows XP, because it's the only way to use my sampler. It is possible to load sounds without the computer, but it is much harder, not to mention that the sampler is way down in my 19" rack.

[Quantum Cat]

Thanks for the insight on this John. You are certainly our resident subject matter expert on this! I remain intrigued by the Linnstrument since I'm primarily a string player. I will definitely watch this space and continue to look into the new and exciting "topology" of MPE capable instruments. Good stuff! Much appreciated.

[battema]

Thanks for the insight on this John. You are certainly our resident subject matter expert on this! I remain intrigued by the Linnstrument since I'm primarily a string player. I will definitely watch this space and continue to look into the new and exciting "topology" of MPE capable instruments. Good stuff! Much appreciated.

So there's also this, which I admit has piqued my curiosity a bit: https://www.perfectcircuit.com/artip...trument-1.html

I still break out my Linnstrument from time to time, especially to pair with my older Deckard's Dream. It's definitely a challenge for my piano-biased fingers but hey, what's life without a little challenge

[Rarebird]

So there's also this, which I admit has piqued my curiosity a bit: https://www.perfectcircuit.com/artip...trument-1.html

I wonder how one should play it bowing, like a violin.

[Quantum Cat]

So there's also this, which I admit has piqued my curiosity a bit: https://www.perfectcircuit.com/artip...trument-1.html

I still break out my Linnstrument from time to time, especially to pair with my older Deckard's Dream. It's definitely a challenge for my piano-biased fingers but hey, what's life without a little challenge

Yes, understood since the Linnstrument has a string layout and orientation, even if one can use pianistic tapping movements. I find that different instruments bring out different things for me - sometimes limitations can lead to creative approaches that may not occur to a more fluent musician. I probably do things on the sitar that would make Ravi Shankar slap me across the face, but fortunately for me, he's not around to spoil my fun or rip off the extra frets I put on it to make it a chromatic instrument.

Hmmm, that Instrument 1 MIDI Controller sounds interesting as well, with the four modes of operation... and the price is right!

Anyway, now that I'm hip to the whole MPE world I am destined to pry open the old wallet at some point...

[Quantum Cat]

I wonder how one should play it bowing, like a violin.

With a bow?

... or a bow-like thing.

[Rarebird]

With a bow?

That I understand, but where to bow? Whatto touch with the bow. Besides it looks flat, so how to bow one single 'string'? With bowed instruments, the strings are not on the same level.

[battema]

With some MPE devices like the Linnstrument you can configure a portion of the surface to basically be "gesture control." For example, for strumming chords you would hold down certain keys but then a separate line on the grid would be "strummable" so that you could control the speed of the strumming manually (rather than simply having a strummer which is basically "a really fast arpeggiator set to up/down mode."

So my guess is, there's probably a similar kind of deal with the Artiphon above; when set to certain modes, a section of the control surface can be used to simulate gestures; for example, gliding a finger across to simulate a bowing action. And since MPE can support variable initial velocities, with the right instrument connected it might actually be a pretty cool result!

Please do keep in mind, this is all purely speculation on my part; I've never used the Artiphon so I could be completely wrong

[Rarebird]

If someone ever decides to buy that Artiphon, let me know how it works. I'm very curious. Not sure if I ever will buy it, but at least the pricetag is reasonable enough to give it a try and to play at least a small portion of my music myself.

I remember someone I knew, whose computer-program I used to make music, build his own electronic wind-controller.

[battema]

I did find this video, which covers some of how the Instrument 1 works:

[battema]

One note in the video above, is that it looks like it might actually use Bluetooth, so that you can "bow" the instrument using your phone! Which is a very clever/interesting idea if that's indeed what's happening.

[Quantum Cat]

That looks pretty darn cool. Still, I have very mixed feelings about things like virtual bowing and virtual plucking & strumming. Maybe that's just the stodgy old man in me talking. I prefer something like the linnstrument that's not trying to emulate an acoustic instrument. I dunno... this brave new world!

[Rarebird]

One note in the video above, is that it looks like it might actually use Bluetooth, so that you can "bow" the instrument using your phone! Which is a very clever/interesting idea if that's indeed what's happening.

I'm not going to use my tablet to 'bow' and I'm not going to buy a smartphone only to 'bow' it either.

The video looks cool.

[Quantum Cat]

I'm not going to use my tablet to 'bow' and I'm not going to buy a smartphone only to 'bow' it either.

How about using your toaster?

[battema]

That looks pretty darn cool. Still, I have very mixed feelings about things like virtual bowing and virtual plucking & strumming. Maybe that's just the stodgy old man in me talking. I prefer something like the linnstrument that's not trying to emulate an acoustic instrument. I dunno... this brave new world!

I'm in agreement honestly...normally with these devices I'm pushing them through random synth textures and pads rather than trying to realistically emulate a saxophone or something. One of my favorite patches is in Arturia Pigments, I forget the exact name (at work ATM)...but it is basically a sine wave electric piano sound but with the Y axis and polyphonic aftertouch it introduces some excellent bit reduction and noise. Absolutely thrilling to play with a capable instrument.