Snarky Puppy keyboard player Bill Laurance says that the Osmose synth sounds “100% original”

If the number and nature of the pro endorsements is to be believed, Expressive E’s forthcoming Osmose synth is going to be pretty special.

The latest keyboard player to sing the praises of this expressive new instrument is Snarky Puppy’s Bill Laurance, who was interviewed while taking the prototype for a spin. He praises the levels of expression that Osmose offers, claiming that it enables him to play in a completely new way and to produce sounds of the sort that have never been heard before.

Although it looks like a standard keyboard, Osmose offers three dimensions of control on every key, enabling you to add the likes of strums, vibrato, legato and layered dynamics. It contains electronic and acoustic sounds from Haken Audio’s EagenMatrix sound engine, and also functions as an MPE and MPE+ MIDI controller.

The first wave of Osmose pre-orders has sold out, but Expressive E has announced that it’s giving you a second chance to reserve one. If you put down a $299/€299 deposit now you should get one in Fall 2020, and for a reduced price of $1,205/€1,205 (the regular price will be $1,799/€1,799).

Find out more on the Expressive E website.

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.