Which Expressive E Osmose keyboard to choose?

Bend the third of a chord without touching the rest. Make the fifth vibrate with the tip of your finger, then release the root more slowly than the other notes. On an Expressive E Osmose keyboard, each key is played in three dimensions: attack, pressure and lateral movement. This technology, developed with Haken Audio, is now available in four models from Expressive E.

Two are standalone synthesizers, featuring the EaganMatrix engine. The other two, the CE editions, are controllers: they delegate the sound to the computer and the Ctrl-e software. Choosing your Osmose means answering two simple questions. Where does the sound live? And how many keys do you need? The Ctrl-e update, which just added Serum 2 and Prophet-5 collections, also weighs in.

Comparison of Expressive E Osmose keyboards

The Osmose 61 takes the three-dimensional keyboard of the 49-key model and adds an octave. With 61 full-size keys, two-hand voicings become natural: a pad on the left, a lead on the right, each with its own pressure nuances. Gestures range from tap (attack) to press (continuous pressure), with lateral pitch bend per note, vibrato, pressure glide and finely controlled release.

The sound comes from the EaganMatrix engine by Haken Audio, covering physical modeling, FM and subtractive synthesis. The instrument plays without a computer, with 580 factory sounds and up to 2048 preset slots. Built-in effects include reverb, delay, drive/compressor, EQ and two convolution engines, with pre or post routing. The color screen, six encoders and direct access to octaves and presets keep navigation quick.

On the connectivity side, it features two line outputs and a 6.35 mm headphone output, USB, MIDI DIN and two assignable pedal inputs. Among polyphonic synthesizers, it’s a stage-sized model: 114 cm wide and 9.5 kg, made in Expressive E’s Polish factory. Its polyphony caps at 24 voices, a number to keep in mind if you stack long pads.

The Osmose is the model that launched the range, after more than seven years of R&D with Haken Audio. Its A.K.A. patented keyboard captures initial pressure, polyphonic aftertouch and lateral pitch on each of its 49 keys. Two gestures are added, shake and strum, to enrich articulation.

It features the same EaganMatrix engine, up to 24 voices, and is controlled by a 4.3-inch color screen, eight encoders and nine buttons. The firmware 2.0, released in September 2024, made it much more comfortable on stage: favorites and playlists, 2048 preset slots, a new bank system and preset change by Program Change. The MPE arpeggiator and Press Glide also work with external MIDI instruments.

As a controller, it adapts to what it controls. Piano mode transmits velocity only, a second mode sends polyphonic aftertouch with a global pitch bend, and MPE/MPE+ manages multichannel expression. Expect 8.5 kg for 89 cm wide, two line outputs in 6.35 mm jack and power via an external block with a locking connector.

The Osmose 61CE transfers Osmose keyboard technology into a 61-key expressive controller. The sound comes from the computer: the Ctrl-e software, included with the keyboard, and your own virtual instruments. The playing vocabulary is complete, with Tap, Press, Pitch Bend, Vibrato, Shake, Strum and Expressive Note-Off (a release that articulates as much as the attack).

Ctrl-e solves the problem that held back MPE in software: no need to configure each plugin one by one. Its presets are already set for pressure, pitch and release. A browser sorts them by sound character, and 8 pre-assigned macros per preset let you play with brightness, texture or movement without leaving the keyboard.

It can also act as a more classic USB master keyboard: MPE controller, traditional MIDI controller or DAW controller, with transport, track navigation, mixer and automatic software detection. Compatibility covers Ableton Live 12, Cubase 15, Bitwig Studio 5 and Logic Pro 12, and later versions. USB-C Power Delivery power supply lightens the setup, alongside MIDI DIN and two pedal inputs.

4.3-inch color screen, 7 encoders, 9 buttons, pitch and modulation sliders: familiar landmarks. The white aluminum top plate rests on a black base. One caveat, the keyboard rewards precision, and it takes a few sessions to tame the pressure, like on an acoustic instrument.

The Osmose 49CE is the same controller reduced to 49 keys. The gestures, Ctrl-e, macros, MPE arpeggiator, DAW control, screen and encoders are identical to the 61CE. Only the format changes, and on a home studio desk, squeezed between the screen, speakers and audio interface, it can make a difference.

Connectivity includes MIDI DIN input and output/thru, USB-C which also powers the keyboard, and two assignable pedal inputs. It’s the most accessible entry point in the range: Osmose’s expressive playing for a producer who mostly plays lines, basses or leads with one hand, and wants to keep their session front and center.

Ctrl-e: over 1,100 presets for the entire Osmose range

Ctrl-e is Expressive E’s free sound platform, open to Osmose and Osmose CE users alike. Owners of an Osmose synth also have access. Its library now exceeds 1,100 expressive presets, built on various synthesis engines and tuned to respond to pressure, pitch and release from the first note.

Two collections arrive with this update. The 50 Serum 2 presets target powerful basses, modern leads and experimental electronic textures. The 25 GForce Prophet-5 presets bring the warm, vintage character of the famous analog synth, plus the expressiveness of the Osmose keyboard.

The update is free. Each collection plays in the software it’s named after: if you already own one of these virtual instruments, its expressive presets are yours. Here’s the library breakdown:

• Vital (Vital Audio): 353 presets
• Noisy 2 (Expressive E): 246 presets
• Zyklop (Dawesome): 201 presets
• Multiphonics (AAS): 51 presets
• Serum 2 (Xfer Records): 50 presets
• Phase Plant (Kilohearts): 40 presets
• MAP (GForce): 37 presets
• Myth (Dawesome): 35 presets
• Kontrast (Dawesome): 32 presets
• Dune 3 (Synapse Audio): 30 presets
• Prophet-5 (GForce): 25 presets

Which Expressive E Osmose to choose based on your use

A standalone synth or an expressive controller

That’s the first question, and it settles almost everything. The Osmose and Osmose 61 produce their own sound thanks to the EaganMatrix: you plug them into a mixer or a pair of monitors, and you play. On stage, that means no computer to carry, and setlists recalled by Program Change. In the studio, the engine opens a very wide sound design field, from physical modeling to FM textures.

The Osmose CE go the other way: your DAW and your virtual instruments. Their strength lies in Ctrl-e, which delivers sounds already set up for expressive playing, and in DAW integration, which keeps your hands on the keyboard. MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression, a standard that gives each note its own channel so pressure and pitch remain independent) is native, but a traditional MIDI mode remains available for older plugins.

49 or 61 keys

A pianist or keyboard player who plays with two hands will quickly feel cramped on 49 keys. The 61 keys let you place a chord on the left and a melody on the right, each with its own expression. For a producer who mostly plays one part at a time, bass, lead or pad, 49 keys are more than enough and free up space on your desk.

Learning time

An Osmose is first played like a keyboard: velocity works from the first note. The third dimension is then tamed over time, through sessions. The original Osmose offers a adjustable sensitivity on the front panel, useful for adjusting the keyboard’s response to your touch. The Ctrl-e presets and the 580 factory sounds of the Osmose 61 serve as a training ground: each sound shows what pressure or vibrato can add.

Standalone synth or controller, 49 or 61 keys: once you’ve made these two choices, the right Osmose imposes itself, since the keyboard remains the same on all four models. And with the Ctrl-e library growing with each update, your favorite plugins have a good chance of gaining an expressive version in the coming months.