Embodme Erae 2

Sources split, and the split tracks what each player compares it with. Every editorial test, all four video reviewers and most owners find the surface remarkably responsive. Pressure, slides and vibrato follow the finger closely, the soft skin gives the fingers something to sink into, and a few reviewers put it alongside the Osmose and Continuum. Owners who already play a dedicated MPE instrument hear more limits: pressure that varies across the surface, a firmer strike than expected before a note speaks, inconsistent strike velocity, and less precision between neighbouring touches than a LinnStrument or Sensel Morph. A minority simply dislike the soft, skin-like feel. Firmware has narrowed the gap: four Global Sensitivity modes arrived in early 2025, and several owners say the Sensitive and XSensitive settings fix the heavy out-of-the-box response, though XSensitive can mis-trigger. Owners split on skins too, with some preferring the firmer drum or black silicone skins to the stock fabric.

The hardware section the first Erae lacked is broadly welcomed. Eight layout buttons, transport and function buttons, a sharp colour LCD and a clickable encoder make it easy to change scales, MIDI channels, MPE and sensitivity on the device, and reviewers praise the feel of the buttons and the encoder. The limits are that layouts can only be designed in Erae Lab, not on the panel, that on-surface controls can't be labelled, and that there are no physical knobs or faders. Embodme's founder concedes that last point himself. Bonedo finds the arpeggiator basic.

“buttons have a nice click, display is nice, and the encoder (which I was wary of) is nice too.”

thetechnobear · PolyExpression forum (owner)

“The lack of physical knobs limits some operations, the slider element works, but it’s not the same.”

Edgar Hemery, Embodme founder · FutureMusic interview

It is class-compliant and works with any DAW as a MIDI or MPE source, and reviewers report it is recognised without drivers. The one dedicated integration is Ableton Live, through a Launchpad-protocol session element and a control-surface script. Beyond that, the work is yours. Every element is mapped by hand, MPE has to be set up on both the Erae and the instrument, and bonedo and GCH both say it takes far more setup than other expressive controllers. Owners report the smoothest results in Bitwig, while one hit MPE limits in FL Studio. For instant Ableton control, owners point to Push 3 instead.

“USB-MIDI works reliably over both host and device ports, and major DAWs recognize the Erae 2 without special setup.”

Derek Oswald · AltWire

“Das ist bei anderen MIDI-Controllern zwar genauso, beim Erae 2 steigert sich dieser Aufwand aber deutlich.”

Sebastian Berweck · bonedo.de (German: other controllers need this setup too, but on the Erae 2 the effort rises considerably)

Sources split on Erae Lab and the firmware behind it, and dates matter. Amazona, gearnews.fr and AltWire find the editor clear, logical and steadily improved, and long-time owners agree the 2025–26 updates fixed most launch-era problems: boot failures, SD errors, the short looper and the missing sensitivity control. More sources find it hard going. Bonedo calls the editor's side panel cramped and cryptic and the manual unfinished, owners have catalogued documentation describing features the device doesn't have, and the UI text is very small. The editor can lag on big layouts. Bugs are still being fixed: the maker's own 2026 patch notes include data-loss and boot-hang fixes, and loop quantize broke in mid-2026. Long-time owners also describe slow, scattered communication and no public roadmap. The Erae Sound synth (2026) costs extra and gets mixed reviews.

The strongest agreement in the record. It has 24 analogue outputs on 12 dual 3.5 mm jacks, each configurable as CV, gate or trigger, plus one TRS MIDI input, two TRS MIDI outputs, USB-C device and host ports and a microSD slot. That lets one controller drive a modular system, hardware synths and a DAW at once, and the looper's gestures can play back as CV. The consistent caveat is power. On USB bus power from a computer, the CV outputs, pedal inputs, MIDI out B, USB host and metronome are disabled and the LEDs drop to about 25% brightness, so the supplied 65 W adapter is effectively required. Dual-output splitter cables aren't included, and CV outputs 11 and 12 double as pedal inputs.

“Connectivity is where the Erae 2 pulls decisively ahead of nearly everything else in its class.”

FutureMusic (long-term review)

“Ist das Gerät ohne externen Strom an den Computer angeschlossen, funktioniert es zwar, allerdings mit erheblichen Einschränkungen: Die CV-Ausgänge und die Pedaleingänge sind deaktiviert, das Metronom, MIDI-Out B und USB-Host funktionieren nicht mehr.”

Sebastian Berweck · bonedo.de (German: without external power the CV outputs and pedal inputs are disabled, and the metronome, MIDI out B and USB host stop working)

At 2.5 kg and 40 × 28 cm, with the 65 W adapter needed for its full feature set, it is a desk or stage instrument. Reviewers count the weight as a plus on stage, where it stays put. Opinions on the footprint vary: one owner says it fits a compact desk where an Osmose wouldn't, while another returned it as too bulky. A mounting plate for drum and percussion stands is sold separately.

“Weighing around 2.5 kilograms and measuring 40 × 28 cm, it is not exactly portable, but it is sturdy and durable.”

Marcus Schmahl · gearnews

“Vor dem Kauf bitte bedenken, der Erae 2 braucht Platz.”

hardberg, owner comment · Amazona.de (German: before buying, bear in mind the Erae 2 needs space)

Sources split, but on two different parts of the instrument. The machined aluminium chassis, the screen, the buttons and the encoder are praised by everyone who mentions them, and several call it professional-grade gear. The stock fabric skin is the problem. Owners report marks and grease stains after a few hours of use even with clean hands, discolouration and wear over months, creases and lumps on some units, and adhesive that lifts when you try to swap skins. Two owners returned theirs over it. The firmer drum and black silicone skins are said to stay cleaner, but they cost extra. Early units also had faults (a defective sensor board, a scuffed screen, units that wouldn't boot), and owners report the maker's handling of these as anywhere from quick and gracious to slow.

Most reviewers think the price is fair for what it does. Bonedo calls it fair, gearnews.fr calls €935 honest, and one owner points out it costs far less than a LinnStrument. FutureMusic and GCH call it a real investment that is worth it. The objections are the outlay itself, the optional skins (the drum skin and black silicone skin each cost far more than the fabric one), and the separately sold Erae Sound synth, which FutureMusic thinks should have been free or discounted for owners. One owner who returned a stained unit found it simply too expensive for what it does.

“je trouve le tarif de 935€ plutôt honnête!”

Naud · gearnews.fr (French: I find the €935 price rather honest)

“Erae is just too expensive for what it does.”

Expert_Climate_7348 · r/synthesizers (owner, returned it)