Solved with version 1.4: better late than never! Thanks…
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I sold my unit 6 months ago.
Embodme did good in replacing a very defective 1st unit/batch, but the second one still had its issues. Drove me crazy.
The near silent communication ensuing, coupled with defects that seemed inherently tied to the hardware, the number of reasonable people on here experiencing similar problems, made me understand it wasn’t for me.
I don’t really regret doing so (money went towards my Osmose), but I’m also not happy I felt compelled to; when I see Jarre use like 10 of them live… Makes me think maybe I should have kept it.
The MK2 is tempting, I will just seat back and wait this time before considering its worth.
This is a good forum, with very constructive criticisms, technobear taking his time once again to assist and make pertinent remarks, and everyone else on here. Hopefully all this will lead to the necessary improvements for the hardware (s) and the company down the road.
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Just a reminder that according to the e-mail from Embodme, ERAE 2 is going to be Live Thursday February 29th at 6pm (Paris time UTC+1; 12pm EST; 9am PST) on Kickstarter:
- super early bird price 575 EUR,
- early bird price 669 EUR.
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Yeah sad (or annoyed ) Super Early Birds were sold in less than 2 mn. Just got access to Early Birds. Bit mad about this
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Hello.
I just found out about this brand and I am very intrigued by the possibilities this device could offer.
I am a guitarist and drummer who discovered geoshred on the iPad and now owns a linnstrument and a dedicated finger drumming controller.
I really love the linnstrument, because it opened so many doors for me. It is very close to an actual instrument and it is worthwhile to practice. But, compared to an iPad, the actuation force needed to press a key is a downside - because there is no actual key in that regard, so no physical feedback for when I can expect a midi note to be triggered. Coming from a jazz/fusion/funk and improvisation background, I am looking for a device that can be played like a real instrument and that gives me raw and honest feedback when I make a mistake, but ideally never makes a mistake itself.
This controller seems to offer everything I need in a single device. The configurable playing surface also lets me realize a bunch of ideas as a „real“ acoustic finger drummer that a standard pad controller is never intended for, which is exciting.
I wonder however if this really is the controller to end all other controllers, or if this sounds too good to be true. Has anybody had the chance to play it and compare it to a linnstrument in terms of consistency? Especially the new version.
I‘d be also interested to hear from the developer himself, who undoubtedly has a linnstrument for comparison laying around… would you honestly say the two devices are on par? This might sound over the top but when I close my eyes and just play, I do not want to be distracted by things that feel like they are not under my control.
I think it would be fine if not, because then the two devices would not occupy the same niche and instead serve different roles, as the linnstrument certainly has its drawbacks in terms of configurabiliy (although it is extremely good for what the technology is IMO).
If the erae 2 is comparable to the reliability of a linnstrument however, it would surpass it in many ways and I‘d consider jumping on the kickstarter campaign. I have a superbooth ticket, but the campaign ends in a few days… so I‘d be very thankful for any insights.
Cheers and all the best!
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During the time I was working on the LinnStrument Darker Mod, I had a lengthy conversation with Roger about sensors. He said that the ERAE Touch uses a force-sensing multi-touch trackpad, which has a fast scan rate at the cost of sensor sensitivity and density compared to its size. The LinnStrument, on the other hand, uses force-sensing resistors arranged in a matrix grid array with a fast scan rate and high sensitivity at the cost of sensor density compared to its size. There are also spacers separating the rows, among other design choices.
It has various hardware modifications and multiple custom firmware. There are more that are not included in these lists, but I do not have time to crawl through the KVR Audio Forums and GitHub repositories to include them.
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ok, so…
I have an Erae Touch from day #1 , and have backed an Erae 2…
like many here played quite a few mpe controllers etc, whilst I don’t own a linnstrument - Ive played them a few times
@keymanpal has and uses both regularly, so could give the best feedback…
observation #1 :
tech specs and claims often don’t bare out in reality, with mpe controllers playability… as you are so concerned about feel, and also how you like to play.
observation #2:
related to #1 , I doubt anyone here has tried the ET 2 yet as its not released - perhaps some will get a chance at superbooth this year?
so claims of improvements over ET 1 have to be taken with a pinch of salt, Im sure its improved but we have no idea of how much by.
linnstrument vs erae touch
lets assume erae touch mk1 , but then bare in mind mk2 will likely be better !
also I will focus on main points, ofc, there are other features etc in both, and ofc, this is my opinion only.
Linnstrument
first and foremost its a playing surface for melodies… and it excels in this, they really fine tuned the feel/experience for playing. it feels accurate, and sensitive - its focus is on playing.
its ‘downside’ is a relatively short Y axis (compared to some other surfaces)
Erae Touch (mk1)
is a bit of a ‘jack of all trades’ - and can be used on the fly in all sorts of different ways.
it can be midi sliders/control, drum pads , used to play melodies.
it can be customised to how you want to use it…
you want to use if as a drum pad with 8 pads - no problem
want it to be just one huge x/y/z pad - no problem.
you can also use its API to write custom ‘applications’ for it, which is fun !
however, the mk1 sensitivity and precision for melody playing is not on the same level as the linnstrument (or some other controller)
(bare in mind, many of us were disappointed with the ET mk1 feel, because we didnt have this info upfront , so had higher expectations - if you know this, it may be less of an issue?)
note: it’d be a bit harsh to say "jack of all trades, master of none… since I think its only really the ‘melody’ side that I think it does not ‘master’.
SO… which to get?
in the end, frankly, they are apple n’ oranges… due to the above.
if you want a melodic playing surface (at this point) I’d say Linnstrument every day…
if you want something that can do many things, for a variety of use-cases, can be customised… or want to use as a drum pad, and only a bit of melody (and dont mind the heavier touch) - then the Erae Touch mk1 is a good option
… but its a tough one, as for many they want that ‘light feel’.
ofc, the ET mk2 complicates matters… Im sure the feel will be much improved.
but, how much? we don’t know,
if I were to bet, Id say it still won’t be as good as the Linnstrument, however, I suspect it will be much more ‘acceptable’ - simply because Embody know this was a limitation of the mk1
so , yeah, with kickstarter its a bit of gamble…
I went for it, as I do like the ET mk1, and the ET mk2 adds cv output, which is a huge bonus for me.
honestly, whilst, I do think the feel will be better, Im not sure Id have made the gamble based on that, its a bit too unknown.
from your background, It certainly sounds as if the Linnstrument is the ‘safe bet’.
(whereas, understandably, the ET has the appeal of diversity of use… but will you use it?)
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btw: to throw a curve ball in the mix …with even more unknowns…
Loom (see other topic) + Erae Touch could be a very interesting combo.
the Loom looks like its focus in on playability, so might give the feel… then combined with the ET flexibility.
ofc, I partly joking here… as like the ET 2 , we have no idea how good the Loom will be either, they could both be stellar, or both be lemons or one of each 
I guess put another way, many of us have ended up with multiple controllers, as they all offer something a bit different, and a focus in one area, tends to me a compromise somewhere else.
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My thoughts too! But, I just signed up for the Kickstarter for the Loom. My thinking if that it could prove to be a kind of ET in a smaller form factor with more expressive options (besides the pressure axis), and you can assign CC values as well.
I know I’m taking a chance but it just seems so compelling (besides not having a pressure component which I’m used to with my Seaboard) Would be great if the sensitivity is good. Their physical modeling synth seems respected and full of features so I’m hoping the quality of the Loom will follow!
Loom seems great overall, but 2 things missing for me to make it complete and those are pressure and CV/Gate out. I know you can do the more skin on the surface pressure but that was never completely natural feeling for me.
We’ll see!
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personally, I think Loom will be more like a Linnstrument in smaller form factor.
(but this is being highly reductive for both Loom and Linnstrument)
sure, it has some alternative playing modes… but so do many controllers incl. Linnstrument.
but the ET the changeable usage is a major focus of the ET,
(and as you can see from my ‘critical views’ above, I think, sometimes, to its detriment)
the key difference also being, the ET is flexible in the size of components/pads, partly because its a large form factor ( * ) - thats really not going to be the case with the loom (just due to physical size)
put another way…
if you had both a Linnstrument and a Loom, you’d probably feel a lot of ‘overlap’ in what you’d use them for.
if you had both an ET (mk1 or 2) and a Loom, you could, likely find different uses ( ** ) for them both.
the Loom strengths tackle the ET ‘weaknesses’ and vice versa.
its a bit like Loom + Osmose, would be a good fit, because the Loom has continuous pitch, and a more conventional Y - but the Osmose is an lovely playing experience and fantastic sound engine (which could be used by Loom)
but yeah… we’ll have to see how both ET2 and Loom fair - both look great, and attractive prices too.
so both a gamble, unlike the Linnstrument which is a known quantity and quality.
apologies to @Prehm … I’ve likely just made the waters muddier than they were they posted 
( * ) I will say, having had the ET for a long time, it’s a easy to forget how great its form factor is…
its a really good sized continuous surface… when I got it , I was like ‘wow’ - this gives it a tremendous amount of utility. if the ET 2 (usable) resolution is even a bit better than the mk1, this’ll hugely increase its utility (imho) esp due to cv!
( ** ) ofc, the crunch of this, is you might not need/want these alternative use-cases 
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You make very good points!
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thank you all for your responses and no worries, the waters were pretty muddy to begin with 
your descriptions confirm my suspicion that the linnstrument is better suited for what i’m looking for. nevertheless, i think i’ll give the kickstarter campaign a shot. if erae mk1 is a solid product overall and the developer seems trustworthy, there is a decent chance that the claims about improved resolution and sensibility show to be true and that mk2 could serve my needs. I can then still decide which controller to sell when i can test them side by side.
I’m also pretty excited to give erae mk2 a test run at superbooth and will happily share my experience with it here if people are interested.
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It’s a safe assumption that people are interested.
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Right… it’s a forum for mpe controllers after all 
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Yeah at this stage the main hope for finding anyone that already tried it would be if anyone in this community tried one of the prototypes at NAMM this year. And then there is the question of whether they’ve changed th surface at all since then.
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we did learn a few things from Embodme in their KS QA for ET mk2
-
they are happy with the surface they have now, but are still finalising the surface.
so likely some changes still to come. -
improved sensitivity and accuracy… talk of being able to accurate play on 2x2 grid.
(3x3 was ‘ok’ on mk1, but they tended to focus on 4x4), so perhaps 30-50% improvement?
honestly, my ‘expectation’ is it’ll be a bit more reliable and playable…
frankly, because I think embodme are fully aware of the feedback from mk1 users in this area, and the limitations they had in the tech, so will have attempted to improve.
however, whilst I think it’ll be noticeable, I doubt it’ll be a night n’ day improvement - fundamentally its the same sensor tech.
anyway, Im keeping my expectations deliberately very low…
for me, it just needs to be ET mk1 + CV outputs, as luckily for me, the upgrade will be worth it for the CV outputs alone… as I want it 90% for my eurorack.
also for eurorack the looper is useful for automation, though id not be surprised if that comes to the mk1 too…
( * ) though for first time in many years, I decided to give SB a miss this year, needed a break to rebuild my enthusiasm for it.
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Even though it would have been cool to meet you there again, it’s understandable. You can either go to SuperBooth to try the Erae II - or just buy it right away for probably pretty much the same money
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yeah, costs do add up - although this year, I could have worked a few hours on a booth to cover my costs.
rather, its just that Ive been for the last 5 (?) years,
and last year, I just found myself not that interested when wandering around.
I hardly looked at the ‘products’, and very few of the talks interested me.
sure the musical acts were good, but Id seen many of them in previous years.
frankly, the main enjoyment was catching up with others, which is always great.
so, I was just feeling very jaded by it all… need a break.
I’m thinking, I might aim to go every other year, and hopefully that’ll keep it a bit more fresh.
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I thought 4x4 was the smallest option offered, at least on the keygrid element. Hopeful that this development leads to tighter resolution / broader MPE note range.
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You can hold one of the modifier keys (not sure anymore which) and change the size of the cells down to 2x2.
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