Hapax & Osmose set up ideas

Hapax
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I got a used Osmose yesterday for 1150€. After a day of fiddling (got both connected via DIN) the Hapax records sounds over MPE but plays back a staccato of notes instead of one long swelling note, it does the same when trying pitch bends.

I didn’t manage to do a program change over Midi yet, neither with the Hapax nor with a Faderfox EC4, even though I downloaded the “Osmose Cookbook” by R. Kram and tried channels 1, 2 and 16 for Bank Select and Program Change.

There are quite good videos by Chris Hans from Expressive E that explain how to get things right with Ableton: the trick is that some signals only work over USB coming from and going to the Harken Engine on USB Part 2. But when I used a MIO XL to select that part 2 to send it to the Hapax, I still only got stutter when playing back what used to be a long note.

Nevertheless, I am happy with the Osmose: nearly every preset gives me instantly an idea for a new song - though most of them are more of the “Game/Movie-Soundtrack Hans Zimmer”-kind. What helps is that I’m considering the Osmose a very large, extremely well done, sensitive and responsibe ROMpler or sample library - like an EMU Orbit 9090 or Korg M3 for example. For me, it’s NOT a classic synth where I can twiddle some knobs and it does weird shit. As long as you accept that (and forego MIDI support for the time being), you’ll be very happy with the Osmose.

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22

Update – 2 days later. the Osmose help desk answered and now I can do at least a program change remotely:

  1. Go to Osmose settings MIDI IO Tab.
  2. If your Osmose is connected via USB, select ext. clock source 2/3 usb haken. If connected via DIN Midi, select 3/3 din (note: if you have a Mio XL or Mio XM, you can select in the Auracle X setup software part 1/part 2 of the Osmose USB cable for input & output)
  3. Select usb haken mode 2/3 note & matrix
  4. set din mode to 2/3 dsp in
  5. In your MIDI controller - e.g. the Faderfox EC4, first send a CC#0 message with value 30-34, then send a PC with value 0-127. Preset
  6. You can also only send a program change with value 0-127 but note that a) ANY channel will be accepted and b) some banks only have 17 entries.

To change the global volume, use CC18 for “Post-Master Section Gain”, NOT CC07 (volume in any other synth) or CC74 (Aftertouch)

Also Squarp replied in between: they are working right now on “virtual MIDI cables” (able to access the Haken engine over USB part 2, for example) which should be available in the very next Os release. They’re also working on “visualizing per note expression conrtrols” which should follow after that first step and should resolve the “stuttering” when sending back recorded MPE values.

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