The original Erae Touch was one of the most interesting MEP controllers released in recent years. But it has been on the market for less than three years. So it was a surprise when Embodme showed up at NAM 2024 with Erae II, the next iteration of its customizable controller with significant upgrades and an unexpected new feature.
Now, it's important to note that the version of the Erae II that I was able to test was a very early prototype. There were a few bugs, the build definitely had some rough edges. But the company has plenty of time to resolve them. The Kickstarter campaign opens on February 15 with a shipping date expected in June.
But the vision is already clear. The main surface is largely the same, a smooth, singular expanse with RGB lights underneath. These are used to illustrate various layouts that can be customized. This could be a standard keyboard, a grid, faders, a step sequencer, etc. The design is noticeably more refined, even at this early stage. He also acknowledges that while controller customization was a big draw, it perhaps relied too much on the desktop app and gaming surface to manage settings.
The updated version features a number of buttons at the top for quickly swapping layouts, controlling the new MIDI looper, and accessing other settings. There's also a small, high-resolution screen nestled in the upper right corner next to a jog wheel. Viewing angles on the screen were solid and very sharp, but its size could pose some challenges. I'm not going to judge it on this very first version of the firmware, but I had to squint hard enough to see the little text listing all the MIDI assignments.
The controller itself was very responsive, however. The new sensors (16,000 to be precise) were able to track my swipes and subtle pressure changes with incredible precision. The company claims that the gaming surface has sub-millimeter accuracy. Obviously I couldn't actually test this on the show floor, but suffice to say it was accurate.
I can already tell that the Erae requires quite a bit of nuance to get truly expressive aftertouch results. The surface doesn't have much flexibility, so tiny changes in pressure can cause big changes in sound.
One of the surprising things is that the Erae II will have swappable skins, much like the Morphing Sensel (RIP) or the Played Play, but also no. The unit I played on had a silicone cover like the original which the company says is intended for those who want to play the Erae II with a wand. It will, however, come with a white fabric, specifically intended to improve the feel and responsiveness of those playing with their fingers.
Changing the skins is a bit complicated though. Because Embodme views the Erae not only as a tool for the studio, but as a live performance device, he wanted to ensure that the sleeves would be secure and withstand abuse. You therefore have to unscrew the frame to put on a new skin. And since the display on the Erae is already customizable, there's no need to have skins with special layouts, just different materials.
Embodme has also added a ton of new connectivity options. The original simply had a USB-C port and a TRS MIDI output. But the Erae II will have two MIDI output ports, a MIDI input jack, two USB ports, with the ability to be a host or device, and 24 configurable analog outputs that can send gate, trigger and CV to external equipment.
Obviously, it's too early to know for sure how well the Erae II will hold up in real-world use. But it has a promising feature set and an intriguing design. If you want to be among the first to get your hands on a device, you'll be able to back it on Kickstarter starting February 15 with early bird prices of $549 or $649, depending on what time you hop on. However, when it hits retail later this year, it will cost $799.