Embodme ERAE Sound is a new expressive analog-style Synthesizer plugin designed for the ERAE 2 MPE controller: available now
At this year’s Buchla and Friends event, the French company Embodme teased a new Synthesizer for the first time. A few trade shows later (SynthFest France, etc.), it became clear that it wasn’t an integrated engine for the Embodme Erae Touch II, but rather a plugin.
Embodme has now released the ERAE Sound, a new expressive Synthesizer they’ve been teasing for some time.
Embodme ERAE Sound
ERAE Sound is a new Synthesizer that runs in the ERAE Lab Editor software as a standalone and plugin. There is now a tab called “Sound” that leads to the synth.
A highlight of the ERAE Sound is that it is designed specially for the ERAE Touch MPE controller. If you own an ERAE controller, it doesn’t require any extra setup, mappings, or friction. You can instantly explore the 84 instruments.
ERAE Sound can also be used with other MPE controllers, but mappings will then be required.
At the ERAE Sound core are two dual-oscillator engines with continuous waveform morphing, a wavefolder, dual morphing filters, and through-zero FM. Embodme says, you get a warm, modern, and deeply playable sound.
On the modulation side, you have easy-to-assign ADSRs and LFOs that can run in free, tempo-synced, or audio-rate modes. They are polyphonic LFOs, have waveform morphing, and can be linked in groups. You map as many as you want because there are no slot limits or a modulation matrix.
More Expressive Control
The ERAE integration unlocks even more assignable modulations that are based on their layouts, including XY pads, faders, and buttons. They appear dynamically in the software, meaning if you add an XY pad in the layout, you will see it in the synth.
To refine your sounds, ERAE Sound features a 4-slot multi-FX with nine high-quality effects: distortion, chorus, flanger, phaser, delay, reverb, shimmer, compressor, and parametric EQ. You have per-generator wet sends, and every parameter is also modulatable.
Embodme ships ERAE Sound with 84 presets that are more than presets because they carry a layout that is basically a surface to play with. Each one is a different invitation: a different way to move, to touch, to discover what lives in the sound.
First Impression
I was able to check out the ERAE Sound at SynthFest France 2026. The concept is very interesting, and the synth sounds great, especially how you can bend sounds with the surface. I like the way both are integrated.
My only complaint is the pricing structure, which I already mentioned to the developers at the booth. I would prefer an ERAE Sound Player that lets you play the presets and only requires you to buy the plugin if you want to edit sounds. A 5-minute demo is a bit strange.
Embodme ERAE Sound is available now for $89/79€/£69 GBP. A free 5-minute demo is available at the app’s launch. It runs as a standalone app and a VST 3 and AU plugin in the ERAE.Lab editor.
More information here: Embodme
Embodme ERAE Touch II is available from my partner
Excited to try this out. If well implemented, I would love to see other engines beyond subtractive in the future.