Intuitive Instruments | Exquis Expressive MIDI Controller

Access New Forms of Electronic Musical Expressivity at Your Fingertips with the New Exquis MPE Controller @ CME!

Designed to redefine the art of composition, the new Intuitive Instruments Exquis (pronounced “hex-key”) controller now available at Chicago Synth Exchange combines an intuitive MPE controller with a versatile app, promising to revolutionize the way you compose music. This USB-C–powered controller lets users effortlessly create chords and melodies using its hexagonal backlit keyboard, featuring expressive, sensitive keys, which provide dynamic precision in an ergonomic harmony layout.

Intuitive Instruments Exquis_Front_Angle.jpg__PID:2da26aba-0bc3-4fe9-a04f-20ddcdc569ac
Intuitive Instruments Exqius_with_App.jpg__PID:3340e15b-2da2-4aba-8bc3-8fe9a04f20dd

What is MPE?

Boasting MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE) controlling capabilities, the Exquis expressive MIDI controller allows for nuanced control of parameters like pitch, timbre, and amplitude, simultaneously, giving users the ability to individually shape the sound of each note.

Intuitive Instruments Exquis MIDI & MPE Controller
Intuitive Instruments Exquis MIDI & MPE Controller
Intuitive Instruments Exquis MIDI & MPE Controller Effects and Pedals / Controllers, Volume and Expression
Intuitive Instruments Exquis MIDI & MPE Controller Effects and Pedals / Controllers, Volume and Expression
Intuitive Instruments Exquis MIDI & MPE Controller Effects and Pedals / Controllers, Volume and Expression
Intuitive Instruments Exquis MIDI & MPE Controller Effects and Pedals / Controllers, Volume and Expression
Intuitive Instruments Exquis MIDI & MPE Controller
Intuitive Instruments Exquis MIDI & MPE Controller
Intuitive Instruments Exquis MIDI & MPE Controller Effects and Pedals / Controllers, Volume and Expression
Intuitive Instruments Exquis MIDI & MPE Controller Effects and Pedals / Controllers, Volume and Expression
Intuitive Instruments Exquis MIDI & MPE Controller Effects and Pedals / Controllers, Volume and Expression
Intuitive Instruments Exquis MIDI & MPE Controller Effects and Pedals / Controllers, Volume and Expression

Intuitive Instruments Exquis MIDI & MPE Controller

$299.00

Intuitive Instruments, the French company behind the award‐winning Exquis expressive MPE key‐ board, unveils a triple update that turns its flagship instrument into the ultimate, lightweight and compact creative hub for Ableton Live users

Unlike pad‐centric grid controllers optimised for finger‐drumming and loop triggering, Exquis responds like a real acoustic instrument: its 61 soft silicone keys, each with independent five‐dimension MPE control, provide the nuanced touch and emotional depth needed for flowing melodies and harmonically rich chords.

Exquis Remote‐Control Script for Ableton Live
The brand‐new Python‐based Remote Script integrates Exquis seamlessly into Live’s native controller family, delivering Launchpad‐style Session control and an instrument‐grade expressive touch—courtesy of its MPE twist—that makes playing melodies and chords feel effortlessly natural:

  • Session view – create, launch and delete clips or scenes without touching the mouse.
  • Track mastery – arm, select, mute and solo any track, and get immediate access to volume, pan and aux sends
  • Expressive performance – chords, melodies and drum racks flow through all 61 soft silicone keys with independant and
    polyphonic 5 dimensions controls.
  • Hands‐on transport & harmony – set Live’s tempo, root note and scale directly from Exquis.
  • Per‐track note layouts – recall any of the keyboard’s eight onboard layouts (or your own customs) automatically when you change tracks — instantly reconfiguring Exquis into a specific instrument for every track, be it a bass, a percussive grid, or a soaring solo lead.
  • One‐touch Favourites – call up Live racks or plugin presets in a heartbeat via Exquis’ exclusive favourites system.
  • Device & mix control – tweak any parameter on any device and any track with using four push encoders and ten action buttons.

The script installs like any official Ableton controller template and requires Live 12.

Firmware v2.1 — Poly‐Hold Sustain & Developer Mode
In keeping with Intuitive Instruments’ drive for constant refinement, firmware v2.1 delivers two headline additions:

Poly‐Hold Sustain – let chords ring out indefinitely while the onboard arpeggiator continues to evolve.
Developer Mode – an open MIDI API that exposes every hardware element—keys, en‐
coders, action buttons, RGB LEDs and even onboard memory—so developers can remap behaviours, write custom DAW scripts or integrate Exquis into bespoke performance setups.

Exquis App v2 — New factory preset list and 1 500 Curated Presets
The companion software for macOS/Windows receives new factory preset list featuring hand‐picked, layout‐optimised patches for Surge XT,Vital and Decent Samplerand a vast sound‐library expansion bringing 1 250 new sounds tuned for Surge XT, Vital, Decent Sampler, Baby Audio Atom, Beatsurfing Random, Dawesome Abyss, Zyklus, Audiomodern Soun‐ dbox and Newfangled Audio Pendulate — now 1 500 presets in total.

Keyboard:

  • Class Compliant MIDI Controller: plug’n’play
  • MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) or polyphonic aftertouch modes
  • 61 soft silicone keys, RGB backlight
  • Expressivity: velocity on & off, pitchbend (X), CC74 (Y), aftertouch (Z)
  • 4 clickable encoders, 10 hard silicone action buttons
  • Integrated MPE Arpeggiator: 6 speeds, 6 patterns and sustain mode
  • 32 scales and 8 note layouts stored in memory
  • MIDI OUT via USB or DIN and CV GATE, PITCH (X‐axis), MOD (Z‐axis) ‐ MIDI Clock (arpeggiator sync) IN/OUT via USB or DIN
    Exquis App (from macOS 10.11 / Windows 7 x64):
  • Looper (11 tracks, 44 loops) & Sequencer (11 events)
  • VST and AU plugin host
  • Create and edit scales and note layouts in Exquis’ memory ‐ Edit MIDI values (buttons and encoders)
  • Edit sensitivity curves (velocity/X/Y/Z)
View Details

A Concentration of Intuitive Innovations

Accompanied by a user-friendly app, Exquis simplifies the song-creation process, offering a seamless workflow to compose full tracks quickly. Compatible with a broad range of software and hardware—including all MIDI and modular synths—this MPE controller can serve as a versatile tool for musicians of all skill levels, delivering easy access to sound control and harmony, plus an efficient workflow to create both live or in the studio.

Intuitive Instruments Exquis_Dark_LED_Closeup.jpg__PID:e15b2da2-6aba-4bc3-8fe9-a04f20ddcdc5
Intuitive Instruments Exquis_Dark_Pads.jpg__PID:5b2da26a-ba0b-438f-a9a0-4f20ddcdc569

Key Highlights:

  • Exquis's hexagonal matrix of keys puts notes that sound good together (thirds) next to one another—so, chords can be built with ergonomic shapes, making them easy to play, learn, and understand.
  • More than 350 scales are available with the Exquis. The backlit keys let users display any musical scale (or any custom map), guiding them on the right path.
  • The silicone keys are independently velocity-, pressure-, and inclination-sensitive (MIDI Polyphonic Expression protocol)—firm enough to play percussion and short notes with precision, yet soft enough to modulate long notes with sensitivity.
  • Whether picking a sound, recording loops, composing songs live, or programming them in advance, the unique creative workflow (buttons on the keyboard + app) lets users create a song in rhythm within minutes.
SHOP INTUITIVE INSTRUMENTS

To learn more about the new Intuitive Instruments Exquis expressive MIDI controller, call, chat us online, or head to Chicago Synth Exchange today!

SHOP CHICAGO SYNTH EXCHANGE

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