This article explains how to set up Osmose within Steinberg Cubase 14 and higher.
Configuring the DAW's MIDI settings
First, select and configure the Osmose USB MIDI ports in Cubase -> Studio -> Studio Setup.
As of Cubase 15.0.1, there will be five Note Expression devices for the five USB MIDI ports added automatically under 'MIDI'. Although you only need the first two ('play' and 'sound engine'), you cannot delete any of them. For better clarity, we still recommend going to -> MIDI -> MIDI Port Setup and unchecking 'Visible' and inclusion in "All MIDI Inputs" for Port 3 (din interface), 4 (daw control), and 5 (haken). Here is how it looks on a Windows PC:
In macOS, ports will have explicit names instead of numbers. Again, it makes sense to only make the 'play' and 'sound engine' port visible, and only include the 'play' port for 'All MIDI Inputs':
In MIDI -> MIDI Remote, Port 4 (daw control) should be populated automatically for both input and output of the MIDI Remote device if you have installed the DAW script for Osmose:
Using Osmose as an MPE controller in Cubase
The required configuration for some Expressive Suite products differs from the default setup described below. For using Phase Plant Expressive Suite inside Cubase, please refer to this dedicated article. For using The Legend HZ & Dune 3 Expressive Suite inside Cubase, read here.
When controlling external instruments inside your DAW, use USB MIDI Port 1 (play) of Osmose exclusively, see Osmose USB MIDI ports. On your Windows PC, Port 1 will simply be called "Osmose 49" or "Osmose 61". Take this into account for all the following instructions:
Choose MPE configuration for Osmose's External MIDI Mode
Enter the config menu of External MIDI mode and select the configuration preset that the plugin you wish to control supports.
For this tutorial, we assume the plugin you want to control supports MIDI Polyphonic Expression, so you can take advantage of all the per-note expression that Osmose's keybed offers.
Select the config preset "mpe". This will make Osmose send MIDI messages according to the MPE specification on Port 1 (play).
When you have selected a track with Ctrl-e loaded in it, Osmose will automatically send MPE data by default; see DAW Control on a Ctrl-e track.
Enabling MPE input from Osmose in your DAW
Cubase uses its own "Note Expression" system that predates MPE. In newer versions, Cubase will automatically add two Note Expression Input Devices, one for each of Osmose's USB MIDI ports, to its Studio Setup whenever you connect Osmose to your computer. You can double-check this via the menu Studio -> Studio Setup. For controlling plugins, only Osmose's USB MIDI Port 1 (play) is relevant (selected in the screenshot below).
If you are on a Windows PC, but the devices don't show up, then it can help to temporarily activate "Use Device 'WinRT MIDI'" in the MIDI Port Setup. You can deactivate the option right afterward, but the Osmose Note Expression devices should still remain added.
On older Cubase versions, you will need to create the Note Expression Input Device manually by clicking on “Add Device” > “Note Expression Input Device”.
For the newly created Note Expression Input Device, set Osmose Port 1 (play) as 'MIDI Input'. Match the remaining settings to the screenshot further above.
Creating an instrument track with Osmose as the input device
Create a new Instrument track: “Project” menu > “Add Track” > “Instrument” and select an MPE-compatible instrument plugin. In the Track Inspector, select “Osmose (NoteExp)” for the track's MIDI input and set the MIDI channel selection to "Any".
Further down in the Inspector, in the section 'Note Expression', activate 'Record MIDI as Note Exp.'
Configure MPE interpretation in the plugin
Note that for some MPE-compatible plugins, you must also enable MPE functionality within the plugin. Check your plugin’s manual to learn about its MPE workflow. When MPE is activated in the plugin, 'Pressure' will be controlled by Osmose's Initial Pressure axis and 'CC74 (MPE Timbre/Slide)' is controlled by Osmose's Aftertouch axis. For more details, see config menu.
Ideally, in MPE synths, the maximum MPE note pitch bend range (Axe X) should be set to +-48 semitones, which is the defacto MPE standard. This setting is required for the Pressure Glide feature in playing menu of Omose to work correctly. It's also required to make the ‘bending range’ in Osmose (Ext Midi mode > sensitivity menu > bending tab) show the correct per-note bending range in semitones.
Integrating Osmose as an external instrument in Cubase
When you plan to record performances on your Osmose as MIDI messages inside your DAW and play them back into Osmose, use USB MIDI Port 2 (sound engine) of Osmose exclusively, see: Osmose USB MIDI ports. On your PC, Port 2 will be called "MIDIIN2 Osmose" (or "MIDIOUT2 Osmose"). Take this into account for all the following instructions:
Select the suiting midi i/o settings on Osmose for integration into a DAW setup
Head to Osmose's midi i/o tab. Set 'haken local control' to "off" to cut the direct connection between Osmose's keybed and its sound engine.
We will reestablish that connection by routing your playing through your DAW first, before it enters the internal sound engine.
Attention: With 'haken local control' set to "off", your playing on Osmose will only sound when its track in your DAW is armed.
Enabling MPE+ input from Osmose in your DAW
As mentioned before, newer versions of Cubase will automatically add two Note Expression Input Devices, one for each of Osmose's USB MIDI ports, to its Studio Setup whenever you connect Osmose to your computer. For working Osmose's internal sound engine, only USB MIDI port 2 (sound engine) of Osmose is relevant (selected in the screenshot below):
For older versions of Cubase, the Note Expression Device needs to be created manually by clicking on the + symbol. It has to be a Note Expression Input Device that is different from the one you use to control your plugins. For the newly created Note Expression Input Device, set "Osmose Port 2 (sound engine)" as 'MIDI Input' and configure the device as shown in the screenshot above.
Create Osmose as an external instrument in your DAW
Go to Studio -> Audio Connections and open the 'External Instruments' tab. Click on 'Add External Instrument', enter a name (e.g. "EaganMatrix" or "Osmose"), be sure that a stereo return is set, and click on "No Link" next to "Associate MIDI Device" to choose "MIDI Devices" -> "Create Device".
In the Create New MIDI Device panel, simply define a name like Osmose or EaganMatrix. The rest can be left at the default settings.
MIDI Device Manager will show after clicking OK. Select "Osmose Port 2 (sound engine)" as Output for the MIDI device.
Once the 'External Instrument' and its link to the new Osmose MIDI Device is created, you can set the Device Port of its Return Bus so it matches the audio input of your audio interface that Osmose is hooked up to.
Creating an Osmose instrument track
Create a new Instrument track: “Project” menu > “Add Track” > “Instrument”. As "Instrument", select the new external instrument that will now show up in the "External Plug-in" category:
In the Track Inspector, select the Note Expression Input Device that has "Osmose Port 2 (sound engine)" chosen for its MIDI input. Set the MIDI channel selection to "Any". The Osmose / EaganMatrix MIDI device should already be selected for the output destination.
Further down in the Inspector, in the section 'Note Expression', activate 'Record MIDI as Note Exp.'
Arm the instrument track, and you are ready to record, edit, and playback Osmose performances in Cubase. Because you created Osmose as an External Instrument in Audio Connections, you will also see metering of the audio coming from Osmose directly on the track.
Attention: Cubase does not feature dynamic MIDI channel reallocation as per the MPE specification. Instead, it always keeps notes on the channel they have been recorded on. It means that overdubbing notes over an existing MIDI part or creating them manually with the pencil tool will likely cause sound glitches due to conflicts of voice allocation. To avoid this, manually ensure that no MPE note member channel (2 to 16) receives more than one note at a time by changing the channel of one of the notes that cause a conflict.
