Expressive E - Osmose 49 CE + Soliste + Noisy 2

With the Expressive E Osmose 49 CE + Soliste + Noisy 2 bundle, Expressive E brings together three tools designed to enhance musical expression in a single setup. The Osmose 49 CE keyboard forms the heart of the system and allows each note to be controlled individually thanks to its three-dimensional expressive keyboard. Pressure, lateral movements, vibrato, pitch bend and release are thus all parameters that can be directly utilised by the virtual instruments.

Its 49 full-size keys offer a format compact enough to fit easily into various setups, whilst retaining a genuine range of expression. The MPE arpeggiator, Pressure Glide, pitch and modulation controls, as well as the eight macros associated with the presets, also allow you to shape the sounds whilst performing, without interrupting your playing.

The first software component of the pack is Soliste, a suite comprising four solo string instruments: violin, viola, cello and double bass. Its physics-based engine reproduces the reactions and nuances specific to instrumental playing. When used in conjunction with Osmose, it allows you to vary the expression of each note independently, with precise control over dynamics, vibrato, portamento and bowing behaviour.

Several performance modes and a wide range of articulations round out this suite, enabling you to tackle everything from an intimate melodic line to a more dramatic string section. Soliste thus finds its natural place in film score projects, orchestral arrangements and expressive performances.

Noisy 2 brings a radically different approach to the pack. This virtual synthesiser utilises a synthesis engine based on resonance modelling, capable of producing sounds ranging from analogue-inspired textures to more abstract and experimental timbres. Its two-layer architecture allows you to combine different sound sources and quickly create complex patches.

Each layer features three noise-driven resonators, accompanied by detailed controls for modifying their behaviour and character. The signal then passes through a mixer, a low-pass filter and various modulation sections, including a global AD envelope and an LFO. An extensive effects section then allows you to add vibrato, frequency shifting, equalisation, compression, filtering, phaser, distortion, delay or reverb.

Noisy 2 has been developed with a native MPE approach, which allows the Osmose to directly transmit playing nuances to each voice of the synthesiser. Movements made on a key can thus transform a single note without affecting the other notes played simultaneously. The software can also operate in classic mode with a traditional MIDI controller, notably via the modulation wheel.