If you can type you can (learn to) Touché.
I am thinking of giving that Effigy Labs thing a go. I also use the Audiofront Midi Expression device with four expression pedals – but that’s a different animal.
2 Likes
I just wanted to share a little experiment I did.
I’m using the Touché to change parameters of the Ctrl-all track on the MD.
Sooo much fun with these two!!
3 Likes
Wow! I wouldn’t have thought of that. Now I want to plug mine into the Digitone 
So much potential if you map the touché to mod, breath control etc. basically changing 4 parameters on the fly.
3 Likes
I’m guessing probably not but has anyone tried using it as the only controller for a synth? Could you set the different regions up and down the wooden pad to one continuous octave of different pitches? pushing harder down for something like breath control/ gate? a hard tilt would maybe change octaves up or down? Would it be even remotely playable? Would love to see someone try this out even if it is a bad idea haha.
1 Like
The main problem here is that in order to get out of a “zone” you’ll have to reach the min or max value of that zone before entering the next so ultimately, you’ll be limited by the range of each zone.
ex : you have a zone which is pitch +8 -8 tomodify another paremeter, you’ll have to get out of this region and your pitch will be +8 or -8…More than that, since the touché has a rest position, if you ever leave your hand off the surface, you 'll get back to the center zone and all values wil be reset to that position. There is a hold function which permit to lock a value while leaving the touché but you cannot access any value while in hold mode…
To achieve what you imagine, it will require a midi processor to enable one zone at a time and lock it to the desired value( which will require another controller to send that lock msg ), or remap the touché entirely to your likings on the fly…Long and not hassle free and no “touché only”…
2 Likes
I see, I guess it would be neat to see there take on something like the continuumini, built for monoplaying… I guess I just imagine a long touche being kind of fun.
1 Like
It’s been a while since any discussion on this, and so thought I’d check in.
- How are people liking the Touche? Is it still part of your workflow, or was it more of a gimmick?
- Any issues with reliability?
- Do you use it with hardware? How about with synths like the Analog 4 and Peak?
- Have you found a good workflow that gives you flexibility of expression without needing to go back to the computer over and over?
If I get one, I’d envision using it primarily with my Analog 4, with the Touche set to send CCs for the Performance Parameters, bypassing any need for continued use with a computer (aside from the initial CC assignment). Does that seem like a workable setup?
1 Like
Hi, I’ve been using the Touché for a year now. With different hardware combinations.
I think it is quite reliable. No bug, delay, flickr or whatever.
For me the most annoying part of using the Touché is that you have to work with absolute CC values. You cannot increment/decrement a CC value. You configure your CCs from/to points and control these specific values with the Touché exclusively.
For example if you have set a the front pressure zone to modify your FILTER, you should let the Touché modify the FILTER exclusively. If you turn the FILTER knob on you synth or map it to the MOD-Wheel (or an other Midi controller), The CC value will jump when using the Touché.
The Touché can store it presets internally. I think the way it is supposed to work best is by mapping a Touché preset to a Synth preset directly. The Touché can send PROGRAM CHG message and load the preset on your synth directly.
In the beginning, I started sorting presets for each Synth (by colour). But after a while I found it more easy to work with very basic mappings (PRESET 1 for A4 Performances, PRESET 2 for Minitaur FILTER and VC02 FREQ, PRESET 3 for Prologue FILTER and SHAPE, etc.). This way I am not bound to specific Synth presets and can loose myself in sound design while having control over a few CC values with the Touché.
3 Likes
That is precisely what I was looking for! I see using it on the Analog 4 (and maybe Rytm) the most due to that absolute value complication, since the performance setup can accommodate that nicely. Looking into convenient ways to accommodate the Peak as well, if case anyone else has come up with something clever.
I am gassing pretty hard right now for a touche se…
I was thinking of getting a roli to add some sort of expression, but I think this thing fits techhouse way better.
The way he plays stabs in those videos is 
Can you connect the touché to the pedal inputs on the peak? Then you could use that in the mod matrix to work similarly to the perf macros on the A4 and Rytm (ie provide relative value modulation, rather than jumping to absolute values). If you just want to do it over MIDI, you could use after touch, mod wheel and velocity to do something similar (I don’t think you can use breath control) and effectively provide a performance macro, it obv that would be way less flexible
2 Likes
I’ve had my touché a couple months so far, and really have only used a few hardware presets.
- A4 performance macros A-D (huge flexibility once the signal is in the A4)
- 4x CV out, used with minibrute, microbrute, 0-coast
- Those two, except only 3 outputs, where the third is assigned bidirectional to both left+right
- Those, but only two outputs (top/bottom), and pitchbend enabled left+right
Considering how much I use the A4 in my workflow, I get huge value without having to sort out lots of different Touche presets. (just remapping A4 perf macros)
The 0-coast, my latest addition, similarly has enough onboard flexibility that I don’t have to tweak the Touché CV output configuration for different synth patches.
I was unsure for a long time about the Touché before I finally went for one. And I think the issue is that it’s such a novel way to control (you can’t even think about this level of immediate expression/responsiveness out of a knob, let alone 4 knobs simultaneously), that it’s hard for someone else’s demo to be compelling, compared to what you can whip up the instant you plug the tool into your own personal workflow/sound/style.
(Expressive E did nail it with some of their demos, which sold me, but it’s hard to find many other people using it)
here’s one of the first things I sketched up with it:
4 Likes
Darn it, this thread has me hankering after a Touche once more!
There is a cheaper SE version - any thoughts / downsides? Smaller footprint? Less wood? Less functionality?
Mostly for VST as it’s very limited for hardware control.
1 Like
ah! So it‘s lacking MIDI and CV, right?
1 Like
Yep, but with a computer or other usb-midi host device you can pretty much get the same functionality. Just not when it’s “stand-alone”
1 Like
Not exactly since if you connect the SE to a USB host its still limited in comparison.
4 CC vs 8 CC
No CV functionality
1 memory slot vs 24
So if you plan on using it with hardware and not software instruments hooked to a computer the SE is very limited. There are plenty of hardware presets for the original as well.
1 Like
Fair enough. I used mine quite happily with hardware while I had it one though but CV wasn’t my thing
As fun as it was, it quickly became a pain in the arse setting things up though for various bits of kit and software. That’ll be consistent with either model and gives me a bit of the fear when I consider I’ve got a. Osmose on preorder!