Preparations are well underway for ContinuuCon 2023, the fifth international Haken Continuum conference, being held May 17–19 in Palmela, Portugal.
Anyone who plays, aspires to play, or wants to learn more about the Haken Continuum Fingerboard, ContinuuMini, or EaganMatrix Eurorack module—as well as the Expressive E Osmose synthesizer, which also incorporates the EaganMatrix sound engine—is invited to attend.
Featured presenters this year will include University of Illinois Professor Lippold Haken and Canadian composer Edmund Eagan, who co-developed the Continuum Fingerboard, the ContinuuMini, and the EaganMatrix. They will discuss the future of specialized DSP, EaganMatrix sound design, and the relationship between the Continuum and the Osmose.
Additional speakers include Expressive E’s Guillaume Bonneau on learning the EaganMatrix, master player Rob Schwimmer sharing his performance tips, Haken Audio and La Voix du Luthier’s Christophe Duquesne on the EaganMatrix’s new additive synthesis, and PolyChromatic composer Dolores Catherino on synesthesia and the Continuum.
Deep Forest’s Eric Mouquet, Benedict Slotte, Daniel Grabois, Julia Ann Scott, and Russell Hoffman will also give presentations.
The conference will begin on Wednesday evening with a reception and dinner, followed by a jam session for all willing participants. To close out the conference, Friday night’s ContinuuConcert will be open to the public.
Purchasing a ticket before April 17 entitles you to a €50 early-bird discount, with conference tickets priced at €250 until that date and €300 after. Check the ContinuuCon website for details.
Expressive E’s MPE-compatible Osmose synth is finally shipping: “It makes you dream instantly,” says Flying Lotus
After more than three years we first got wind of it, Expressive E has announced that Osmose, its expressive polyphonic synth, is finally shipping.
Osmose is a polyphonic synthesizer that unlocks new ways to control sound. Could this long-awaited 49-note keyboard be the expressive instrument that’s easy to master?
Osmose promises the benefits of an MPE controller in a familiar keyboard form factor, the theory being that this will enable existing players to get good results without having to adapt their technique too much.
As reported previously, you get three dimensions of control on every single key, enabled by the patented AKA – Augmented Keyboard Action – technology.
Osmose features a powerful sound engine, and it also contains Haken Audio’s 24-voice EagenMatrix sound engine, which it developed for its Continuum Fingerboard. This combines digital, additive, FM, virtual analogue and spectral synthesis, with some physical modelling thrown in for good measure.
In addition, Osmose can also function as an MPE MIDI keyboard, offering polyphonic aftertouch, a multichannel MIDI mode and global pitchbend control from every key. You can set it up as a standalone controller, as well, so it can be used away from your computer.
And, you also get a selection of macro controls, giving you further scope to adjust timbre, texture and harmonics. A mod wheel and two continuous pedal inputs are included, and you can configure the sensitivity of the keyboard’s 3D control to your liking.
Despite rising costs and economic uncertainty, Expressive E is committing to a $1,799/€1,799 retail price for Osmose, “within the limits of allocated stocks”. It comes with 500 presets that are suitable for use in multiple genres.
Early adopters have started to receive their units, and pre-orders for the next batch are now being taken.
You can find out more and place a pre-order on the Expressive E website.
What they say about it:
“Expressive E are thrilled to announce the delivery of the first Osmose units to early adopters of the project. The first products had already been delivered in late 2022 and early backers’ shipments will keep flowing continuously.
Expressive E have thus decided to reopen pre-orders on January 5th 2023 for all musicians interested in purchasing Osmose. The pre-order scheme has been reconducted to allow Expressive E to anticipate demand as efficiently as possible and organize their production schedules accordingly.
Despite a tense economical environment driven by inflation, component shortages and the resurgence of epidemics, the company will still commit to guaranteeing a $/€1,799 retail price, within the limits of allocated stocks.” The Osmose is available to pre-order, priced at $1,799.
To celebrate Osmose’s release, Expressive E has created a series of artist videos that will be rolled out over the next few months. The likes of Flying Lotus, AR Rahman, Jean-Michel Jarre, Mike Dean, Cory Henry, André Manoukian and Tarik Azzouz will discuss how they approach musical expression, how they interact with Osmose, and how the new synth has influenced the way they play.
The first three episodes, which feature AR Rahman, J3PO and Tarik Azzouz, are available to watch now, and a trailer for the series is above.
Expressive E announced today in an update to their project backers that the Osmose is now in full production, with initial units set to start shipping in late December of this year.
Pre-ordered Osmose synthesizers will be shipped in the order that they were reserved. Expressive E says that fulfillment of pre-orders will carry on through the end of Q1 2023. As the synths are ready to ship, they will be following up to buyers that pre-ordered to complete payment and schedule shipment.
Osmose is a new synthesizer that promises to offer a unique level of expressive control, giving you continuous independent control over the synthesis parameters of each individual note that you play.
The sound engine is The EaganMatrix, a modular digital synthesizer invented by Edmund Eagan, utilizing a DSP engine designed by Lippold Haken. It is extremely powerful and is the same engine used in the Haken Continuum Fingerboard synthesizer.
The Osmose was originally introduced three years ago, with shipping planned for Summer of 2020. Production was delayed by the pandemic, so Expressive E used the additional time to add some additional features and deepen the sound library.
