Osmose Manual
v1.0
2
Contents
1. OVERVIEW
3 before you start
5 hardware overview
7 main control interface
8 mode selection screen
9 navigation principles
10 global settings - calib tab
13 global settings - workflow tab
2. SOUND ENGINE MODE
14 presets menu
18 synth menu
25 sensitivity menu
30 playing menu
3. EXTERNAL MIDI MODE
36 introduction: legacy midi vs mpe
37 connect osmose to your computer
37 config menu
38 adjust menu
42 sensitivity menu
43 playing menu (coming soon)
4. ADVANCED USERS
44 connecting osmose to the haken editor
48 MIDI CC implementation chart
[manual v23.1.29 / Mike Lee Birds]
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1. OVERVIEW
before you start
box content
• 1x Osmose expressive synthesizer!
• 1x printed Quick Start Guide!
• 1x product safety manual. Please read it before using Osmose.!
• 1x USB cable!
• 1x power supply with international adapters!
lockable power supply connector
⚠
Osmose’s power supply has a locking connector to prevent accidental
disconnection. When inserting, first align the power connector’s wings so they
match the horizontal notches on the power input. Push firmly, then rotate the
barrel clockwise to secure it to the casing.
keyboard calibration
The rest position of Osmose’s keys is calibrated while the unit is booting. Please
make sure nothing is touching the keys during this step.
register your device
Please enter the activation code from the printed leaflet that came with your unit
on the product registration page of your user account.
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firmware update
We recommend that you always install the latest firmware available on your
device. The OsmoseUpdater needed to update both Osmose’s operating system,
as well as the EaganMatrix DSP, can be downloaded from your customer account
after registering your product on our website.
The procedure is explained here.
quick start video
Watch Osmose’s quick start video for an overview of the internal sound engine
mode.
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hardware overview
1 Power Input - 12V, 1.5A power adaptor, center positive with lockable connector
2 Audio Outputs - pseudo balanced, ¼ inch TRS audio outputs, controlled by the
master volume knob on the front panel
3 Pedals Inputs - Two 1/4" TRS jack inputs for continuous control of parameters. By
default Pedal 1 is assigned to Sustain, Pedal 2 to a macro parameter.
4 USB - Class Compliant USB for bidirectional MIDI communication with a
computer
5 MIDI DIN IN/OUT- Standard 5-pin connectors for communication with MIDI
devices
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6 Master Volume knob
7 Main Control Interface - access to all of Osmose’s parameters
8 Preset and Octave Buttons - < and > buttons select previous and next preset. and + buttons transpose the keyboard up or down in octaves. The LEDs indicate
the current keyboard transposition state.
9 Sliders - for global pitch bend and extra control over synth parameters
10 Headphones Output - 1/4" TRS stereo output, controlled by the headphone
volume retractable knob to its right.
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main control interface
The left side of Osmose is built around an interactive graphic interface that
provides access to all onboard parameters. The navigation works via five buttons
and six clickable encoders whose functions change depending on the current
screen.
1. MODE Button - allows switching between controlling Sound Engine mode
and External MIDI mode.!
2. MENU Buttons - access one of the four menus of a mode.!
3. TAB Selector - scrolls through the tabs of a menu. When in Sensitivity or
Playing menu, pressing the Tab Selector freezes the settings of the menu to
retain them even when switching presets.!
4. PARAMETER Selector - scrolls through parameters inside a tab. When in
Playing menu, pressing the Parameter Selector starts or pauses the
Arpeggiator or switches Pressure Glide on and off. !
5. VALUE Encoders 1-4 - change the value of the parameter displayed above
or scroll through a list of options. Pressing a Value Encoder might perform
another special operation depending on the context.!
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mode selection screen
Press the Mode button, then turn and press Value Encoder 1 to switch between
controlling the internal Haken Audio EaganMatrix sound engine and configuring
the behavior of the External MIDI mode. The two modes work in parallel and
independently from each other.
A symbol in the upper left corner will indicate the currently selected mode at all
times:
global settings
Pressing Value Encoder 4 while in Mode Selection screen opens the global settings
of Osmose. They allow you to change the global tuning, calibrate pedals, display
the firmware versions, change the screen brightness, etc.
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navigation principles
tab navigation
To select a tab in a Menu, turn the TAB Selector
parameter navigation
If more than 4 parameters are available in a tab, turn the PARAMETER Selector to
display the next parameters
At the bottom of the screen, the icons pictured above indicate the number of total
parameters in the tab.
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global settings - calib tab
The calibration tab of the global settings allows you to calibrate the pedals
connected to pedal inputs 1 and 2 of Osmose.
Turn Value encoder one to select the pedal input your pedal is connected to and
then click to start the calibration process.
First, select whether you have connected an on/off switch (pedal sustain) or a
continuous or half-damper pedal (pedal expression).
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Make sure your pedal is at minimum position (or not pressed for on/off switches),
then press ‘next’.
Make sure your pedal is at maximum position (pressed for on/off switches), then
press ‘next’.
The last page of the calibration process lets you check whether you are able to
smoothly go through values from 0 to 127. Click on confirm if all is okay. Read
below if you encounter glitchy behavior.
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pedal compatibility and recommendations
There is no clearly established electrical norm for pedals in the industry, so there
will be several pedals that don't work well with Osmose. Here are the ones that we
found to work flawlessly:
Clavia Nord Single Sustain
Dunlop Volume X Mini
Lead Foot LFD-2
Moog EP-3 [mode: other, knob at max.]
M-AUDIO SP-2
M-AUDIO EX-P [mode: other, knob set low]
Roland DP-10 [Switch]
Yamaha FC3A
Yamaha FC4A
Yamaha FC7
Don’t hesitate to share a recommendation with us if you find a pedal that works
great but isn’t on the list yet.
⚠
When playing the Internal Sound Engine, we always recommend using
expression or half-damper pedals instead of on/off switches with Osmose. This is
due to how the sustain works in the EaganMatrix:
In the EaganMatrix, sustain/sostenuto holds the actual pressure of a sound as if
you keep your fingers in that position. If a preset is programmed to not only
change the intensity of the core sound but also produce an additional sound
aspect when the pressure value is changed, e.g. some strings scratching or other
mechanical noises, this noisy portion of the sound will be triggered in a possibly
unnatural sounding way when using an on/off switch type pedal where values
jump between min and max.
Using an expression or half-damper pedal will avoid glitchy noises and produce
smoother results.
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global settings - workflow tab
infinite scroll when enabled, you will be able to pass from the first to the last tab
of a menu and vice versa without the need to scroll through tabs in between. See
the first screenshot below with infinite scroll set to off, and the second with infinite
scroll enabled.
Menu reset when enabled, upon switching between menus, the navigation will
always bring you back to the first tab of a menu instead of showing the tab that
you had last accessed within that menu.
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2. SOUND ENGINE MODE
presets menu
The Presets menu allows you to browse the sounds of the internal EaganMatrix
sound engine and save user presets. It contains the following tabs :
factory tab : access the factory library of presets
user tab : access the user presets
save tab : save your current preset into the user preset memory
factory tab
In alphabetical order, this tab displays all the factory presets available. The
currently loaded preset is highlighted in green, and also displayed in gray in the
background..
Turn the right-most VALUE ENCODER to select another preset. You’ll need to push
the Encoder to actually load it. You can also step through the current preset list
with the PRESET BUTTONS below.
If a playing feature is activated on a preset, a press glide or arp icon appears on
the left side of the screen.
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There are more than 500 factory sounds coming with Osmose, if you want to
quickly find a specific sound, you can narrow down the preset list by selecting a
type and character.
For this, use the first two VALUE ENCODERS.
Turn the first to choose a specific type of sound, like bass, pads, leads, or mallets.
Push or simply let go for a moment to make your selection.
Use the second encoder to filter down the list based on a sound’s character, like
acoustic, fm, dark, electric…
💡
if you want to explore specific interactions allowed by Osmose like Strum and
Shake, both are available as a character tag.
ℹ
factory presets cannot be overwritten or erased but can be modified and
saved as a user preset with the help of the next two tabs.
user tab
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This tab allows you to find your modified and favorite presets or to prepare for a
gig.
In memory location order, it displays all the user presets that you saved. 128 user
slots are available, and the slot number is displayed in front of the preset name.
Following the same logic as the factory tab, you can narrow down the preset list
by selecting a type and character.
save tab
This tab allows you to save the modifications you have made to a sound, in order
to find and recall it later from the user tab.
When arriving on this tab, you can directly save a preset by clicking on the
rightmost value encoder.
That allows you to quickly save a preset without editing something. However, you
can change some options before saving your preset by using the left-most value
encoder to select an option to edit :
location
Osmose will automatically select the first empty slot to save a preset coming
from the factory library, and the same slot if you want to save again a user preset.
If you want to change the location to another slot from the 128 available, turn the
first encoder to select the “location” line and click to enter in its edition. Turn the
left-most value encoder to select a slot where to save to, and validate by pressing
the right-most encoder.
name
To avoid duplicate preset names, Osmose will automatically add a number at the
end of the name. This number will be incremented if you save the same preset in
different slots several times.
To give your user preset a specific name of your choice, turn the first encoder to
select the “name” line and press to enter the renaming process. You can then
scroll through characters by turning the first encoder. Turn the second encoder to
move the cursor. Once you’re done, validate by pressing the fourth encoder.
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save sensibility
This saving option lets you decide whether or not you wish to save the current
sensitivity menu settings with that preset or not.
Turn the first encoder to select the “save sensitivity” line and click to change this
option.
This option is deactivated by default but could be useful in a live gig situation for
instance; after playing a lead with a lot of vibrato and bending, you can directly
open a key sound without any bending by default.
save playing
This saving option lets you decide whether or not you wish to save the playing
menu settings with that preset.
This option is activated by default to allow you to keep the same glide settings or
open an arpeggiator with your preset.
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synth menu
The Synth menu allows you to adjust the sound of each selected preset
individually. It also lets you change the behavior of the sliders and pedals for that
sound. it contains the following tabs :
macros tab : tweak predefined macros for subtle to drastic changes to the
sound of the preset
global fx tab : select the preset’s global reverb or delay effect and adjust
its parameters
eq tab : access a shelving equalizer to change the frequency balance
between lows and highs
comp & gain tab : configure the pre-gain, the compressor settings, and the
post gain
voice tab : set the pitch slider range
assign tab : define the parameters controlled by the modulation slider and
the pedals.
ℹ
If you wish to save the changes you have made, use the save tab inside the
presets menu.
macros tab
The first tab in the synth menu gives access to the sound macros to change the
global sound of the current preset. They allow for subtle to drastic changes to
your sound and can be entirely different from a preset to another one.
Up to 6 macros are available per preset. Those macros are defined at the preset
creation and can control multiple parameters at the same time. Parameters
could be envelope times, cutoffs, FM ratios.. it depends on the preset type.
Adjusting the value of several macros can drastically change the sound of a
preset, making new variations of it.
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In order to quickly find the parameter you want to adjust, you will often find the
same kind of macro for presets sharing the type and character. If you are curious
of what you will find or not very familiar with synthesis, here are some examples of
basic macros you will often see :
analog and fm sounds
timbre changes the tone of the sound source, adding more or less
harmonics
fmAmt is the amount of FM synthesis applied to the sound, generating
complex timbres by modulating the frequency of one sound source with another.
fmRatio changes the FM ratio, the overtones/harmonics relations
impacting the timbre of the sound
cutoff is a filter control for attenuating high or low frequencies of the sound
envAmt is the amount of envelope applied to the sound when you press the
key; it is a form of automation that is triggered by the velocity of your gesture.
envTime is the time length of the envelope applied to the sound. You can
for instance morph from a very long pad with a lot of release, to a short brassy
sound.
modulation is a cyclic and automatic variation applied to the whole timbre
of the sound.
physical modeling “acoustic” sounds
structure changes the harmonics of the sound by controlling the ratio
between partials: it could be perceived as changing the structure of an
instrument, from a plucked string to something reminiscent of a marimba, a
vibraphone...
body modified the tone by crossfading between different eq (convolutions)
of instruments and material. For instance, it could morph a woody bamboo flute
into something that sounds rather metallic
resonance changes the decay/release of the sound, from long at low
values could be like palm muting a string or beam.
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global fx tab
The Main FX Tab allows to add a sense of space to the sound by adding a global
time-based effect on the preset. The first parameter selects one of the six
reverb/delay types described below.
Depending on the effect chosen, four parameters allow adjustments of the FX.
Two parameters are always available :
mix controls the dry/wet of the FX, the amount of sound that passes through the
FX
extend can double the effective max delay time by running the effect at a lower
sample rate. This means the "wet" part of the signal contains only lower
frequencies (below the half sample rate), and you have to mix in "dry" to get more
highs. In many cases, this sounds pretty natural, there are many reverb effects
which don't do much with highs and work well with "extend".
The effect available and their dedicated four parameters are :
reverb
A versatile digital reverb that can mimic small rooms to huge ambient spaces.
💡
try to change the extend parameter to change time but also timbre of this
reverb.
diffuse is pretty subtle, it interacts with decay time in a way. Depending on decay
time, different diffuse times can make the decay sound smoother or if wanted
more metallic (ringing). It helps to fine tune the reverb sound to try to get
maximum quality out.
damping reduces high-frequency content with each feedback loop in the reverb.
The sound gets duller over time.
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darkness applies a high-frequency roll-off to the input into the reverb. The sound
gets duller immediately.
decay is the amount of Decay/Reverb time
mod delay
A modulated delay for chorus and vibrato-like effect. It can sound really
atmospheric, creating a very smooth modulated reverb-like sound (at the
expense of obvious early reflections and a pitch tail in the echoes that sweeps a
bit)
modDepth is the amount of modulation in the delay
modRate is the rate of the modulation in the delay
feedback is the amount of delay feedback
time is the delay time
swept echo
Another flavor of a delay with modulations; it can achieve a more flanger-like
effect with huge stereo movements.
modDepth is the amount of modulation in the delay
modRate is the rate of the modulation in the delay
feedback is the amount of delay feedback
time is the delay time
analog echo
A delay with a more analog-like response; like some old echo, you can push the
feedback to loud oscillations and play with time for crazy SFX.
noise is being added to the delay.
offset is a reverb timing offset between left and right channel (left channel time is
the same as left channel time if the offset is 0 but is less when offset is increased;
this effect is not a linear time scale but can be noticeable/useful in some
situations.)
feedback is the amount of Delay feedback
⚠
it can produce very loud feedback when this parameter is increased above a
value of 70. Be ready to lower the volume when experimenting with this effect!
time is the delay time
LPF echo and HPF echo
A clean digital echo with a low or high pass filter for a more focused separation of
the delay from the sound source.
LPF or HPF : when LPF is set to zero it is similar to full damping, and when HPF is set
to max it's like full damping. The LPF and HPF are applied at the very end, not
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internal to the delay structure. So the echo is echoing the unfiltered signal
internally, and then only filtering the output of the echo.
offset is a reverb timing offset between left and right channel (left channel time is
the same as left channel time if the offset is 0 but is less when the offset is
increased; this effect is not a linear time scale but can be noticeable/useful in
some situations).
feedback is the amount of delay feedback
time is the delay time
💡If you still got delay like effect on your sound even with mix at 0, check the
macro tab; on some presets, a delay-like effect is programmed directly in the
matrix to add even more ambiance. A macro (often the 6th) is here to change its
time or remove it from the sound.
In the EaganMatrix Editor, global fx are also called “Recirculator”. fx
parameters are accessible as a destination to add even more modulations with
LFO etc.
eq tab
The EQ Tab allows to adjust the balance between frequency components of a
preset, shaping the sound either subtly or drastically “brighter” or “darker”.
It is a general tilt eq based on a stereo pair of shelving filters with separate
controllable low and high-frequency components in the range 120Hz to 15KHz.
According to a chosen frequency, it increases treble boost but cuts bass
proportionately and vice versa with the help of those parameters :
tilt : Over the 63 value, you get more highs and fewer lows, under the 63 value, and
lows are boosted while highs are attenuated.
frequency : choice of the central frequency from which highs and lows are
boosted or attenuated
mix : dry/wet of the Tilt EQ
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comp & gain tab
Osmose is an extremely dynamic keyboard, and there are plenty of possibilities
for shaping the volume with the sound engine while creating or modifying a
preset. This tab allows you to control the level and the dynamic of a preset with
those parameters :
pregain set the level which enters in the compressor and can add a global
saturation with a high value
comp. amt is a one-knob light compressor for keeping levels more consistent
comp. mix allows mixing the wet and dry signal of the compressor
postgain changes the overall volume of the sound right after the compressor, at
the end of the signal chain. Could be useful for instance, if you like the saturation
effects created with the pregain but just want it quieter by taming the volume.
Compression amount is a macro parameter that controls 3 parameters
available on the Haken Editor: comp. amt from 0 to 127 = comp. threshold from 127
à 0 + comp. attack from 127 to 0 + comp.ratio from 0 to 127
voice tab
The voice tab features only one parameter: the pitch bend range of the pitch
slider. Contrarily to note bending on the keys, the slider will affect all played notes
as a whole, just like your regular pitch wheel or touch strip would do.
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assign tab
The mod/pedal tab lets you choose the parameters that you control from the
modulation slider and the two pedal inputs. Those parameters aren’t per-note
modulation but are globally controlled.
N.B.: Make sure to calibrate your pedals via the global settings before using them.
The first parameter allows you to select one of the two sources of modulation :
Pedal 1 is assigned to Sustain by default
Pedal 2 and the Mod Slider will always control the same parameter and are
assigned to a macro by default.
For each of those two controller sources you can modify:
assign for selecting the modulation targets like different types of sustain, the
synth macros, the effects parameters, and the post gain. ( For instance, If you
map your pedal to the post gain, then it will act like a classic volume pedal.)
min set the minimum value controlled
max set the maximum value controlled
ℹ
The sustain and sostenuto in Osmose work a little differently compared with
regular keyboard instruments. Sustain takes the current pressure/position of the
notes played and keeps them in that state. However, on Osmose, Sustain and
Sostenuto are continuous controls, allowing for fade and swell of sustained notes
with an expression pedal.
ℹ
sostenuto will only sustain notes that were held at the moment you pressed the
sostenuto pedal. It lets you hold one or several "drone" notes with your pedal, and
then lets you use both hands to play another part without any sustain on top. If
you assign the two pedals to sostenuto 1 and sostenuto 2 respectively, you can
hold and fade two sets of sostenuto notes at the same time.
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sensitivity menu
The Sensitivity Menu allows the user to change the response of the keyboard
action. It contains the following tabs :
bending tab : change the response of the lateral movement on each key,
incl. the pitch bend range and the amount of stabilization.
pressure tab : change the response of the first part of the key travel. ‘note
on’ determines the position where a key actually triggers a note.
aftertouch tab : change the response of the second part of the key travel.
default sensitivity tab : save your current settings as the default sensitivity
that will then be used across all factory sounds.
💡
The tabs that deal with the three axis motions on Osmose all contain curves. A
point on the curve shows the value detected for that parameter on the last note
played. This helps with understanding how your changes to the curve influence
the gesture data sent to the sound engine.
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bending tab
The bending tab lets you change how the lateral bending of a key will affect the
pitch. it contains the following parameters:
bending is the range that defines how far the pitch will be modulated at
maximum deflection. Given the limited sideways key travel, you’ll probably want
to go with 1 or 2 semitones most of the time, but wider ranges can also produce
interesting results.
sensitivity allows you to quickly choose between a set of predefined responses
that affect how Osmose reacts to vibrato or bend gestures in a natural way, while
at the same time helping you to stay in tune when no bending is intended. It steps
through useful settings for both curve and stabilization at once. There are five
sensitivity sub-presets that go from low, medium, regular, to sensitive, and high.
💡
bending range and sensitivity work great if you use them as counterparts: If you
set a range of 2st for making bends while playing chords, medium sensitivity
could be a good setup, however, if you only want to play vibrato and have subtle
pitch variations selecting ¼ or ½ st with high sensitivity will yield best results.
curve will establish a dead zone around the middle of a key in order to avoid
unwanted bends. However, playing vibrato with only subtle gestures will become
increasingly difficult the bigger the dead zone is.
stabilization is an algorithm that will intelligently smooth out uneven motions that
tend to happen especially during the first few moments of your keystroke.
💡
to visualize the difference between curve and stabilization, look at both curves
while playing with a note: the point on sensitivity shows the result of both curve
and stabilization while the point on curve only shows the raw sensor data of this
parameter.
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activation allows you to enable bending only for specific notes. For instance, it
might come in handy to only activate bending for the highest note when playing
chords with the left hand and soloing with the right.
pressure tab
The pressure tab concerns the first vertical dimension of the keys.
The first parameter of the pressure tab offers sub-presets that adjust the
following two parameters at once:
note on lets you define at which point of the downward key travel an actual note
is triggered, which is called the ‘note on’ threshold
press curve adjusts the response of the pressure dimension with a curve.
If you change those two parameters individually, the sub preset will switch to
‘custom’.
💡
If you find yourself triggering notes unintentionally, then you may want to shift
the ‘note on’ threshold for more downward downwards the key travel by
increasing its value. This will bring you more and more towards a classic keybed
feel where notes are only triggered when you push a key right down to the
bottom.
On the other hand, if you’re eager to experiment with triggering notes using only
light taps on a key’s surface, then an ‘extreme’ setting for the pressure dimension
will allow you to do exactly that.
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aftertouch tab
The aftertouch begins where the pressure dimension is at the maximum.
Aftertouch is the second part of the vertical key travel, following a clearly
detectable pressure point
The first parameter of this tab suggests quick settings for the aftertouch curve,
which adjusts the response of the aftertouch dimension.
💡
The more notes you play at once, the harder it will become to really push fully
into the keys’ aftertouch without bending notes unintentionally. This would be an
example of a situation where you might prefer to have a sensitive aftertouch that
doesn’t require lots of force to activate.
On the other hand, if a preset triggers a special sound feature upon entering the
aftertouch, e.g. automatic ratcheting of a plucked sound, and you wish to have a
clearer separation, it will help to dial down the aftertouch curve.
default sensitivity tab
The last tab of the sensitivity menu allows you to save your current settings as the
default sensitivity that will then be used across all factory sounds. Factory sounds
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don’t have a specific sensitivity saved with them, so upon preset change, you will
always fall back to the default setting saved at that time.
Defining your default sensitivity will help you feel at home with the instrument.
While you’re growing your level of comfort with Osmose, you may want to update
that setting from time to time.
freeze sensitivity function
Pressing the Tab Selector in Sensitivity Menu switches the Sensitivity Freeze on and
off. When Freeze is enabled, the current sensitivity settings will be kept across
preset changes, no matter the default sensitivity and no matter whether there is a
custom sensitivity saved in a user preset.
’Sensitivity Freeze’ lets you test a specific sensitivity setting without having to
overwrite your ‘default sensitivity’. It also allows for testing a sensitivity setting
while scrolling through user presets that have custom sensitivity settings saved
with them (compare the ‘save sensitivity’ option in the save tab of the preset
menu).
Frozen sensitivity values are lost when turning off Osmose. If you want to keep a
sensitivity setting, use the default sensitivity tab (see above).
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playing menu
The Playing menu gives access to advanced features that interpret your raw
playing gestures in intelligent ways. After accessing the Playing menu with the
fourth Menu button, turn Value Encoder 1 to choose either Pressure Glide, the
Arpeggiator, or no playing feature at all.
If a playing feature is activated on a preset, a press glide or arp icon appears on
the left side of the screen and will remain visible also in the factory and user tab of
the presets menu:
freeze playing function
Pressing the Tab Selector in Playing Menu switches the Playing Freeze on and off.
When Freeze is enabled, the current playing settings will be kept across preset
changes, no matter what is saved in the preset you dial up.
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pressure glide
The Pressure Glide feature lets you define a pitch interval within which two
keypresses are interpreted as a legato line instead of polyphonic playing.
Unlike regular portamento which makes the pitch glide to a new note within a
fixed amount of portamento time, Haken Audio’s Pressure-weighted Portamento
reacts to the pressure ratio between the two notes. The pitch will dynamically
glide between the notes in real time, reacting to how you distribute pressure
between them.
ℹ
Important note when intending to play chords with pressure glide activated:
Two notes pressed simultaneously within the interval that you have set will always
be joined into one pitch. For instance, with a pressure glide interval of 2 semitones,
you can play chords with stacked thirds or wider voicings, but as soon as you play
seconds, you will end up with one note with an averaged pitch instead of two
discrete notes.
While in Playing menu, activate or deactivate Pressure Glide with a click on the
Parameter Selector.
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arpeggiator
Our MPE Arpeggiator has the classic parameters that you would expect, but on
top of that, your gestures can introduce variations to your pattern by modulating
every single note independently with your fingertips.
choose tab : load an arpeggiator preset
adjust tab : set the arpeggiator parameters.
assign tab : let gestures and controllers modulate arpeggiator parameters
save tab : save the current arp settings as an arp preset
▶⏸
Start or pause the Arpeggiator with a click on the Parameter Selector.
Once you select the arpeggiator with Value Encoder 1, several tabs allow
configuring the arpeggiator’s behavior.
choose tab
The first tab is the 'choose' tab, giving access to several arpeggiator presets. The
currently loaded preset is highlighted in yellow. Turn Value encoder 4 to select
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another preset. With Value encoder 2, you can filter between the Factory arp
presets and your User arp presets.
Usually, arpeggiators of other instruments only offer a mechanical playback of all
notes with the same intensity. Osmose’s arpeggiator takes advantage of the fact
that the instrument knows the exact position of each key at every given time.
When playing the arpeggiator pattern, Osmose takes into account all three axis
motions of the Augmented Keyboard Action keys: Pressure, Aftertouch, and
Bending. It means that you can highlight single notes within your arpeggiator
sequence just by pressing them differently from the others.
💡
To discover the arp presets and their interactions, try to load a polyphonic flute
or brass sound, or some other preset without too much attack and release. It will
be a good start to understanding how your gestures modulate the arpeggiator.
💡 If you want to scroll between sound presets while keeping the same arp
settings, use the freeze playing function (see above).
adjust tab
This tab contains all the arpeggiator parameters:
• hold will make sure that the notes you pressed will continue to be triggered
even when you let go of the keys. It’ll remember the maximum pressure
applied to each key. The note repertoire will only be reset when you have
already released all keys and then press a new key.
• tempo defines the beats per minute. Pressing the encoder below will switch
between synching to an external MIDI clock and using the internal clock.
• pattern lets you choose in which order the notes are played back.
• division defines the note value of one arpeggiator step, select a division of
the tempo that determines the speed at which the notes are played.
• gate determines the length of the notes as a percentage of the duration of
one note according to the arpeggio speed
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• octave range lets you add multiple octaves above the notes played.
• swing allows shifting every second arpeggiator step in time. 100 equals an
even playback of all steps. Values above 100 will introduce more and more
swing, until, eventually, every second step is joined with the next step.
• ratchet will introduce multiple triggers during one arpeggiator step and
• rise & fall will add some inertia to parameter changes, smoothing out fast
increases or decreases in value.
ℹ
when a parameter is controlled by a gesture of a controller, its value will be
grayed out and the modulation source appears in yellow below the parameter.
assign tab
Additionally to following the programmed behavior of a sound preset when it
comes to Pressure, Aftertouch, and Bending, the way you press individual notes on
35
the keybed can also influence arpeggiator parameters for that specific note. The
‘assign’ tab lets you set up the parameter mapping for this. You could also use the
mod slider or expression pedals as modulation sources, but in this case, changes
will be global (not per-note).
Two 'assign slots are available with the following set of parameters:
• source selects a motion axis of the key or a controller that will affect the
destination parameter. Here, bending to the left and bending to the right
are available as separate sources
• destination selects the arpeggiator parameter that will be modulated
• min sets the minimum value sent
• max sets the maximum value sent
• curve changes how resulting values are distributed when the source value
goes from min to max. A linear response means values have equal ranges
along the curve. If min is set to 1 and max is set to 2, then 2 is already
selected when the source control is at 51% (MIDI value 64).
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3. EXTERNAL MIDI MODE
introduction: legacy midi vs mpe
a word on mpe
Osmose is part of a family of MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE) instruments and
controllers that strive to tear down the expressive restrictions of common
electronic instruments. When starting to control external instruments from
Osmose, It’s useful to understand the way legacy MIDI communication is set up
and how the MPE extension builds upon this.
In a classic MIDI environment, all MIDI messages that belong to a sound are sent
on one single MIDI channel. Any modulations (such as pitch bend or changes in
timbre) are sent per channel and thus affect all notes of that sound in the exact
same way. If other MIDI channels are used, then this is commonly done to address
a separate instrument or track of a multitimbral sound engine, e.g. in a hardware
workstation or in your DAW.
MPE is an official extension to the MIDI standard where multiple MIDI channels are
used to control the same sound. One channel is retained for global messages
(master channel), but every single note that is played is granted its own MIDI
channel. This way, per-channel modulation can be applied to each note
individually, giving you much more control over your polyphonic performance.
backwards compatibility
Please be aware that some synthesizers and DAWs might not support the new
kind of interactions that Osmose offers, or only support them to a certain extent.
But even if the external software or hardware instrument that you hook up
Osmose to doesn’t support MPE, you can still intuitively shape their sound directly
via the keys of Osmose’s Augmented Keyboard Action. Pressure and Aftertouch
motion axes can continuously control any parameter inside the synth on a global
basis. Bending can perform a pitch bend of all the notes you play as a whole.
In a non-MPE context, this global value of a motion axis will affect all the notes you
play in the same manner, just as if you would move a knob or a fader on a
standard MIDI controller. You can define whether the global value sent by a
motion axis is calculated as an average of the individual values of all keys
pressed, or whether it is derived from the pressure or bending you apply to a
specific single key (highest note, most pressed down, etc.).
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ℹ
Monophonic lines on external synths can always be played very expressively
from Osmose. For monophonic sounds, there’s always one dedicated channel per
voice.
connect osmose to your computer
When you connect Osmose to your computer with its USB cable, two USB MIDI
ports should be recognized:
external midi port
‘Osmose Play/Port 1’ [macOS] or ‘Osmose’ [Windows]
Sends data according to the configuration chosen in External MIDI Mode (MPE by
default). Use this port to control any external synth.
haken audio port
‘Osmose Haken/Port 2’ [macOS] or ‘MIDIIN2/MIDIOUT2 (Osmose)’ [Windows]
Sends data of the internal synth engine in MPE+ format. Use this port to make the
connection with the Haken Editor and to record performances using the internal
engine in an external sequencer to replay or edit them.
⚠
By default, Osmose doesn’t send any data on the Haken port. This avoids
receiving every message twice in applications that activate all recognized MIDI
ports by default. You can activate the Haken port in the Global Settings -> midi i/o
-> haken usb mode.
config menu
The Config menu gives you access to 4 standard configurations that help match
the messages sent by Osmose with what is supported by your external
synthesizers. Those configurations also contain a dedicated sensitivity setting.
ℹ
Your last configuration will be kept when turning Osmose off.
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ℹ
External MIDI configurations can be fine-tuned via the Adjust and Sensitivity
menus.
🚧
saving your own external MIDI configurations will be possible with an upcoming
firmware update.
mpe
is the default for controlling MPE-compatible software and hardware.
Sends MIDI messages according to the MIDI Polyphonic Expression standard.
The Pressure axis sends Velocity and Channel Pressure, the Aftertouch sends
CC74 (it’s the parameter that other MPE controllers often address with a
movement along the Y axis on the playing surface which is not supported by
Osmose due to the lack of progressive physical feedback). Note Bending sends
pitch-bend messages. MIDI channel 1 is reserved for global messages, channels 2
to 15 are used to transmit one voice each.
classic keyboard
is the best choice for full backward compatibility.
It sends MIDI messages like a legacy MIDI keyboard would do. The ‘Note On’
threshold is moved down further along the key travel to mimic traditional
keyboard actions.
The Pressure axis only sends Velocity, and the Aftertouch axis sends Channel
Pressure (commonly called Aftertouch). Note Bending is deactivated.
All messages are sent on MIDI channel 1.
poly aftertouch
is perfect for controlling software and hardware synths that offer polyphonic
aftertouch.
It behaves just like the Classic Keyboard configuration but sends Polyphonic
Aftertouch instead of Channel Pressure for the Aftertouch axis.
multi-channel
is useful for imitating the advantages of MPE with non-compatible software and
hardware. For this, multiple instances of the same plugin or sound are dialed up in
the external device, each responding to a single MIDI channel.
It behaves just like the MPE configuration, where one MIDI channel is used to
transmit one voice each, but lacks a channel for global messages.
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adjust menu
The adjust menu lets you determine the MIDI channel(s) used, as well as which
MIDI message is sent by which key axis motion or controller.
gestures tab : set what is sent by the pressure and aftertouch axes
controllers tab : set what is sent by the mod slider and the two pedals
mode tab : choose the MIDI configuration and MIDI channel(s) used
gestures tab
This tab set what is sent by the pressure and aftertouch axes
First, select pressure or aftertouch with Value encoder 1, then change its
parameters :
• assign selects the MIDI message sent for the axis motion selected on the
left.
• min sets the minimum value
• max sets the maximum value
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controllers tab
This tab defines what is sent by the mod slider and the two pedals.
First, select the controller with Value encoder 1, then change its parameters :
• assign selects the MIDI message sent by the controller on the left.
• min sets the minimum value
• max sets the maximum value
mode tab
This tab allows you to determine the general MIDI mode and how MIDI messages
are distributed across MIDI channel(s) within that mode. It is used to refine the
configuration you chose within the config menu when the external software or
hardware you wish to control requires it. Find possible adjustments below:
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mpe
lets you define the end channel for the ‘mpe’ configuration. The master channel
for global messages must remain 1 as per the official MPE specification, but the
end channel parameter allows you to reduce the channels used for transferring
single notes, e.g. when your target device only has limited polyphony. Example:
When setting the end channel to 13, notes are distributed in a round-robin pattern
across channels 2 to 13, leaving you with 12 notes of polyphony.
mono ch.
lets you define the single channel on which notes are sent for legacy MIDI
configurations like the ‘classic keyboard’ and ‘poly aftertouch’ configuration.
multi ch.
lets you define the start and end channel for the ‘multichannel’ configuration.
Example: When selecting start channel 4 and end channel 9, notes will be sent in
a round-robin pattern across channels 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, leaving you with 6-note
polyphony.
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sensitivity menu
The Sensitivity menu of the External MIDI Mode offers the same functionality as the
Sensitivity menu of the Sound Engine Mode. Read here to learn about it.
Find information specific to the External MIDI mode below:
bending tab
ℹ
The bending range inside the bending tab isn’t shown as a number of
semitones but as a fraction. It works together with the maximum bending range
that can only ever be set inside the external software or hardware that you
control.
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velocity/press tab
ℹ In External MIDI mode, the velocity/press tab features additional velocity
parameters. Internally, Osmose doesn’t use MIDI Velocity at all, but for controlling
external devices, MIDI Velocity is derived from the Pressure axis motion.
playing menu
🚧
While Pressure-Weighted Portamento is a patented feature by Haken Audio
reserved for the internal synth engine for the time being, Osmose’s MPE
Arpeggiator will be available for the External MIDI Mode in a future firmware
update.
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4. ADVANCED USERS
connecting osmose to the haken editor
precaution: firmware update
⚠
: Do not use the Haken Editor if your Osmose still has the factory firmware
installed on it. Follow these instructions to update your firmware to version 1.0 or
higher before using the Haken Editor.
change global settings
On Osmose, press the Mode button to enter the Mode Selection screen, then press
the value encoder 4 to open the global settings of Osmose.
Go to the midi i/o tab, then turn the first value encoder to select the “usb haken
mode” line and click to edit. Turn the value encoder to change the setting to “2/3
note & matrix” and validate by pressing the right-most encoder.
If “haken local control” below is “off”, turn it to “on”.
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connect your osmose
Use the USB cable provided with your Osmose to connect it to your Mac or PC and
turn it on.
download and install max/msp and the editor
Max by Cycling ‘74 is needed in order to open Haken Editor. Download and install it
from here. Purchasing Max is not required in order to use the Haken Editor.
The Haken Editor is available for download inside your Expressive E customer
account after registering your instrument.
launch the haken editor
On your computer, Inside the 10.0x Editor directory you have downloaded, doubleclick on “Haken Editor.maxpat”, and wait 30 seconds for a small startup window
(don’t do more mouse clicks!) to come up, then wait another 30 seconds for the
Editor to come up, then wait another 30 seconds for one-time synchronization.
A solid blue on-screen led indicator (top-left in the Editor’s main window under
“Scale”) indicates your device and Editor are communicating.
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troubleshooting
If you connected your Osmose after opening the Editor, you will need to manually
refresh the MIDI connections to make Haken Editor recognize Osmose. Go to the
Midi and Globals settings accessible by clicking on the cog icon in the top-right in
the Editor’s main window.
On the Midi and Globals settings windows, click on the input port device on the
instrument line, then click on “default/refresh”
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Make sure ‘Osmose Haken/Port 2’ [macOS] or ‘MIDIIN2/MIDIOUT2 (Osmose)’
[Windows] is selected for both the Input port and Output port on the instrument
line.
Osmose will connect with the Editor.
On Windows systems, please make sure that no DAW (or other MIDI
ℹ
application) is running in the background when using the Haken Editor. MIDI ports
of devices running as USB MIDI class-compliant without specific drivers (like
Osmose) can only ever be used by one application at a time, so having another
application opened in the background could block the communication between
Haken Editor and Osmose.
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MIDI CC implementation chart
Haken Sound engine parameter !
MIDI CC #!
macro 1!
CC 12 !
macro 2!
CC 13!
macro 3!
CC 14!
macro 4!
CC 15!
macro 5!
CC 16!
macro 6!
CC 17!
postgain!
CC 18!
global fx parameter 1!
CC 20!
global fx parameter 2!
CC 21!
global fx parameter 3!
CC 22!
global fx parameter 4!
CC 23!
global fx mix!
CC 24!
pregain !
CC 26!
sustain!
CC 64!
sostenuto 1!
CC 66!
sostenuto 2!
CC 69!
eq tilt value!
CC 83!
eq frequency!
CC 84!
eq mix !
CC 85!
compressor mix !
CC 93!
The following messages need to be sent to the Haken USB port (port 2) on MIDI
Channel 1.
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