The Expressive E Osmose CE rethinks the role of a MIDI controller, pairing its expressive keybed technology with a software-first approach that puts feel and performance front and centre — whether you choose the 49 or 61-note version.
Key Features
- Expressive keybed available in 49 or 61 keys with per-note control
- Designed purely as a MIDI controller for DAW, plugin, and hardware setups
- Includes Ctrl-e software with 900+ expressive presets
- Full MPE support plus compatibility with standard MIDI gear
- Performance tools like MPE arpeggiator and Press Glide for real-time control
Sometimes the biggest shift in your setup doesn’t come from new sounds, but from how you play the ones you already have.
A Keyboard That Evolves Under Your Hands
The Osmose CE starts off feeling familiar. It looks like a keyboard, plays like a keyboard… until you lean into it.
Each key responds to pressure, lateral movement, and release in a way that opens up a completely different style of performance. You can bend individual notes within a chord, introduce vibrato directly from the key, or shape dynamics with subtle finger movements.
It’s expressive in a way that feels physical, not programmed.
And importantly, it doesn’t force you into a new layout. If you’re coming from traditional keys, the transition feels natural — just with far more depth waiting underneath.
A Controller-First Approach
Unlike the original Osmose synth, the CE version is built entirely around control. There’s no internal sound engine here, and that’s kind of the point.
This is designed to sit at the centre of your DAW-based workflow, bringing expression to your existing instruments rather than replacing them. Your plugins, your hardware, your sessions — they all stay the same. What changes is how you interact with them.
With support for both full MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) and traditional MIDI, the Osmose CE doesn’t require a complete overhaul of your setup either. It adapts to what you already use.
Ctrl-e and the Expressive Ecosystem
To tie everything together, Expressive E includes Ctrl-e, a companion software platform built around expressive performance.
Right away, you get access to over 900 presets that are designed specifically for the Osmose keybed. These aren’t static sounds — they respond to touch, pressure, and movement in a way that encourages you to play rather than tweak.
Under the hood, Ctrl-e brings together instruments and engines from developers like Applied Acoustics Systems, Kilohearts, and Synapse Audio, giving you a wide range of tones that are ready to go.
“Everything just works instantly. From the first note.”
That idea carries throughout the experience. No setup headaches, no mapping sessions — just plug in and play.
Making Old Gear Feel New Again
One of the more compelling aspects of the Osmose CE is how it extends expressive control beyond instruments that were originally designed for it.
Even without native MPE support, many plugins and hardware synths can still respond to the controller’s gestures in meaningful ways. So suddenly, sounds you’ve used for years take on new life.
It’s less about replacing gear and more about recontextualising it.
You could easily see this becoming the centrepiece of a studio setup, especially for producers who already rely heavily on software instruments.
Performance Tools That Stay Out of the Way
The Osmose CE includes a handful of performance-focused tools that feel like natural extensions of the keybed.
The MPE arpeggiator turns chords into evolving patterns while preserving per-note expression. Press Glide introduces a new way to move between notes using pressure instead of fixed portamento times.
They’re subtle additions, but they reinforce the core idea — this is an instrument you interact with, not just control.
And importantly, the interface avoids overcomplication. It gives you what you need to stay in flow, without pulling you into menus or settings.
Built for Modern Production
Physically, the Osmose CE keeps things clean and practical. A white aluminium top, solid construction, and a focused control layout give it a premium but functional feel.
It integrates smoothly with major DAWs like Ableton Live, Logic Pro, and Bitwig Studio, with automatic detection helping you get up and running quickly.
Connectivity covers all the essentials too, including USB-C, MIDI DIN, and pedal inputs, so it fits comfortably into both software and hybrid setups.
Rethinking What a MIDI Controller Can Be
The Osmose CE doesn’t try to compete on features or specs alone. Instead, it focuses on something that often gets overlooked — feel.
By putting expression at the centre of the experience, it shifts the role of the keyboard from a trigger to something closer to an instrument in its own right.
If your setup already has the sounds you love, this might be the piece that finally changes how you play them.
