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The Embodme Erae 2 is a cutting-edge controller and looper built around a uniquely sensitive, fully customisable playing surface that transforms touch, pressure, and movement into highly expressive musical control. Its full-size, pressure-, velocity-, and aftertouch-sensitive pad responds to everything from subtle strokes to dynamic drumstick strikes, translating X/Y movements and percussive attacks with high resolution. The onboard eight-track looper can layer tracks on the fly, adjusting loop duration, quantisation, and BPM, while overdubbing in real time. The Erae 2’s layout is fully customisable, enabling personalised "playzone setups made up of keyboards, grids, drum pads, faders, and buttons – where strikes, vibratos, and slides are replicated with remarkable precision. Colourful animations provide instant visual feedback, keeping performance intuitive. Connectivity includes USB-C and TRS MIDI for hardware and software control, plus 24 configurable CV/Gate outputs for modular integration.
The playing surface of the Embodme Erae 2 is a matrix of 16,000 miniature force sensors that capture fine variations in movement with sub-millimetre precision, translating pressure and slides into detailed modulation data. Beneath the surface, a 42×24 RGB LED matrix provides visual feedback that reflects gestures and layout elements in real time. Using Erae Lab software, users can design custom playable layouts by adding performance elements – such as faders, keyboards, or pads – via drag-and-drop, while parameters, colours, MIDI mappings, and CV assignments are tailored to the musician, band, or song. An integrated LCD screen and rotary encoder provide direct access to key system settings, allowing tempo, scale, and performance parameters to be adjusted quickly from the hardware – without navigating complex menus or layered control structures.
The Embodme Erae 2 closely analyses movement dynamics, direction, and pressure so that even the simplest gesture becomes a musically expressive medium, opening new dimensions of performance and sound design. MPE compatibility enables independent pitch, pressure, and timbre control for each note, further expanding expressive possibilities. In live settings, artists can build and manipulate loops in real time, with customisable, colour-coded layouts that provide clear visual feedback and modulation control. Different playzones can control multiple instruments simultaneously, allowing drum triggers, synth keyboards, and modulation controls to coexist on the same surface. For modular setups, the 24 freely assignable CV/Gate outputs integrate easily, sending sequences, triggers, and modulation signals to synths, drum machines, or effects units – turning the Erae 2 into a central hub for hybrid rigs.
Embodme was founded in Paris in 2018, and since then the company has specialised in innovative sensor systems and musical interfaces. Their interdisciplinary team – including engineers, designers, and musicians – develops pressure-sensitive multi-touch surfaces and even non-touch control devices, enabling new forms of musical expression. Their first product, the Erae Touch, was released in 2020: This polyphonic MIDI controller, with its freely customisable LED playing surface, found international acclaim and has been put to use by artists as diverse as Jean-Michel Jarre, Coldplay, or Flume. Embodme embodies expressive, performative music technology with a clear focus on creativity and interaction.
The Embodme Erae 2 is designed to bridge MIDI, modular, and DAW workflows within a single performance surface. Two USB-C ports support host and device modes, while two 3.5mm MIDI outputs and one 3.5mm MIDI input connect to computers, hardware instruments, or additional controllers. Twenty-four freely configurable analogue outputs deliver CV, Gate, or Trigger signals, driving modular systems, drum machines, or semi-modular synths. A microSD slot stores layouts, projects, and loop data directly on the device. In DAW-based setups, the Erae 2 pilots virtual instruments with precision and musicality, finely tuning its interface to the instrument being controlled. In hardware-based setups, it augments sequencers, grooveboxes, or DJ mixers with its highly responsive playing surface: The tactile fabric skin the Erae 2 comes with can also be replaced with a more robust silicone skin for use with drumsticks (silicone skin sold separately). Whether looping live, creating gesture-driven soundscapes, or performing live melodies and rhythmic patterns, the Erae 2 maintains a coherent and tactile workflow at all times.
3D Arpeggiator
The Embodme Erae 2's arpeggiator operates in three dimensions: The initial strike triggers the pattern, applying pressure shifts the repeat rate, and sideways finger movements modulate pitch in subtle increments. From a single gesture, a vibrant, customisable arpeggio emerges. Thanks to the Erae 2's polyphonic pressure response, each note in a chord reacts independently, lending an organic feel to complex voicings. Tempo, key, and scale can be set directly on the unit, establishing a harmonic framework, while quantisation locks the pattern to the time grid, keeping the performance synchronised and fluid. The result is a finely nuanced musical phrase that can be looped, sent via CV/MIDI to external gear, or shaped further – all starting from a single intuitive gesture.