The unique Erae Contact used to be one of the crucial extra fascinating MPE controllers to come back out in the previous couple of years. However it is been in the marketplace for lower than 3 years. So it used to be one thing of a marvel when Embodme confirmed as much as NAMM 2024 with Erae II, the following iteration of its customizable controller with vital upgrades and one sudden new characteristic.
Now, you must observe that the model of the Erae II I used to be in a position to check out used to be very early prototype. There have been a couple of insects, the development certainly had some tough edges. However the corporate has quite a few time to iron the ones out. The Kickstarter marketing campaign opens on February 15 with an be expecting send date someday in June.
However the imaginative and prescient is already transparent. The primary floor is in large part the similar, a unique clean expanse with RGB lighting beneath it. The ones are used for example more than a few layouts that may be custom designed. It may be a typical keyboard, a grid, faders, a step sequencer, et cetera. The design is certainly extra subtle, even at this early degree. It additionally recognizes that whilst the customizability of the controller used to be a large draw, it in all probability relied an excessive amount of at the desktop app and the enjoying floor for dealing with settings.
The up to date model has plenty of buttons around the most sensible for briefly swapping layouts, controlling the brand new MIDI looper and getting access to different settings. There may be additionally a small, however prime answer display screen tucked within the most sensible righthand nook subsequent to a jog wheel. The viewing angles at the display screen have been forged and it is masses sharp, however its measurement may pose some demanding situations. I am not going to pass judgement on it via this very early model of the firmware, however I needed to squint beautiful exhausting to make out the tiny textual content laying out the entire MIDI assignments.
The controller itself used to be very responsive, despite the fact that. The brand new sensors (16,000 of them to be particular) have been in a position to trace my glides and delicate shifts in power with implausible accuracy. The corporate claims the enjoying floor has sub-millimeter accuracy. Clearly there is no method I may in reality put that to the take a look at at the display flooring however, suffice it to mention, it used to be correct.
I will already inform that the Erae calls for rather somewhat of nuance, despite the fact that, to get in reality expressive effects from the aftertouch. The outside does not have numerous give, so tiny adjustments in power can lead to large adjustments to the sound.
One of the vital unexpected issues is that the Erae II can have swappable skins, roughly just like the Sensel Morph (RIP) or the Joué Play, but additionally, now not. The unit I performed had a silicone quilt like the unique that the corporate says is supposed for many who need to play the Erae II with drum stick. It is going to will send with a white cloth one despite the fact that, which used to be particularly intended to give a boost to the texture and responsiveness for the ones enjoying with their hands.
Converting the skins is a bit of concerned, then again. As a result of Embodme sees the Erae now not merely as a device for the studio, however as a reside efficiency software it sought after to verify the covers could be safe and standup to abuse. So that you in fact need to unscrew the body to pop on a brand new pores and skin. And because the show at the Erae is already customizable, it isn’t bothering to have skins with explicit layouts, simply other fabrics.
Embodme additionally added a ton of recent connectivity choices. The unique merely had a USB-C port and a TRS MIDI out. However the Erae II can have two MIDI out ports, a MIDI in jack, two USB ports, being able to be both a bunch or a tool, and 24 configurable analog outs that may ship gate, cause and CV to exterior tools.
Clearly it is technique to early to grasp evidently how smartly the Erae II will standup to actual global use. However it has got a promising characteristic set and an intriguing design. If you wish to be a few of the first to get your palms on one you are able to again it on Kickstarter beginning February 15 with early fowl costs of $549 or $649, relying on how early you hop on. When it reaches retail later within the yr, then again, it is going to be going for $799.
Allow 48h for review and removal.