Intuitive Instruments EXQUIS Expressive MPE controller

Intuitive Instruments

£255.00 GBP

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Designed by the French company Intuitive Instruments, Exquis is an expressive MIDI controller. Using the MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) protocol, it allows independent control over each key. Its hexagonal keyboard follows the dualo principle (a patented note layout that organizes harmonious notes next to one another) or any other customized note layout. Its backlit keys can display scales or any personalized display.

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Suitable for controlling softwares, MIDI synthesizers and modular synthesizers, Exquis is optimized for its own multi-platform application, which enables users to load their own sound plugins and create compositions using a multi-track looper/sequencer.

Exquis was awarded MIDI innovation of the year 2023 at the MIDI Innovation Awards

Exquis (pronounced hex-key) is an expressive MIDI controller with a hexagonal backlit keyboard. Compatible with all MIDI synthesizers, modular synthesizers, music software, and optimized for its dedicated app. Complementary and independent, the Exquis keyboard and app provide easy access to sound control and harmony, and propose an efficient workflow to create both live or in studio.

Exquis is a concentration of innovations that are useful for musicians of all levels:

👉 By default, Exquis's hexagonal matrix of keys puts notes that sound good together (thirds) next to one another: chords are built with ergonomic shapes, easy to play, learn and understand.

👉 The backlit keys allow the player to display any musical scale (or any custom map), guiding the player on the right path. More than 350 scales are available!

👉 The keys are independently velocity, pressure, and inclination-sensitive (MIDI Polyphonic Expression protocol) ; the silicone of the keys is both firm enough to play percussion and short notes with precision, and soft enough to modulate long notes with sensitivity.

👉 The unique creative workflow (buttons on the keyboard + app) allows anyone to create a song in rhythm within minutes and very simple gestures : picking a sound, recording loops, and composing songs live or programming them in advance.

Far more than a static pad grid, the EXQUIS functions as an incredibly responsive five-dimensional performance interface. Every single one of its 61 keys features full per-note MPE sensitivity, tracking initial strike velocity, continuous vertical pressure (Z-axis aftertouch), horizontal finger tilting (X-axis pitch bend), and vertical sliding (Y-axis brightness/timbre modulation) simultaneously. This acoustic-grade responsiveness allows you to bend individual notes inside a sustained chord, swell filters polyphonically, and introduce micro-timing humanization into software plugins and hardware synthesizers alike.

FAQs

Q: What exactly is an "isomorphic" layout and how does it help my workflow?

A: On a traditional piano keyboard, playing a major chord requires a completely different physical hand shape depending on whether you start on C, F#, or Bb. The EXQUIS uses an isomorphic (geometric thirds) note layout. This means every musical interval, scale pattern, and chord type forms one single, absolute physical shape on the hex grid. If you learn the finger shape for a major chord on one root note, you can move that exact geometric finger configuration anywhere else on the 61-key surface to transpose it instantly without overthinking.

Q: Can the EXQUIS control external analog modular gear without a computer?

A: Yes, the EXQUIS works beautifully as a standalone hub for modular setups. Alongside standard USB communication, the back panel features three dedicated 3.5mm analog control voltage ports: CV GATE (0 or 5V trigger), CV PITCH (0-5V), and CV MOD (0-5V). The CV MOD port maps directly to the continuous Z-axis pressure of the keys, meaning you can patch your finger pressure straight into a Eurorack VCA or filter module to swell modular sounds purely via touch.

Q: What comes included in the box with the EXQUIS from Blip?

A: Every EXQUIS order arrives as a complete, field-ready creative ecosystem. The packaging contains the primary EXQUIS MPE controller unit, a 1-meter heavy-duty USB-C to USB-A connection cable, and two 3.5mm mini-jack to 5-pin DIN female MIDI adapters (Type A), allowing you to instantly link the controller up to older legacy hardware synths, drum machines, or external effects processors right away.

Q: How deeply does the EXQUIS integrate with Ableton Live?

A: Extremely deeply. The EXQUIS features a custom, native Python-based Remote Script that seamlessly drops into Ableton Live. This turns the controller into a full Launchpad-style Session controller. You can select, arm, solo, and mute tracks, trigger clips, set the master tempo, and tweak device rack macros using the 4 encoders and 10 action buttons—all while playing MPE chord lines across the hex keys without ever touching a mouse.

Specifications

1 x Exquis MPE MIDI Controller
1 x USB-C/USB-A cable (1 meter)
2 x 5-pin MIDI DIN / 3.5mm minijack

Features

Keyboard:

"Class Compliant" MIDI Controller: Plug'n'play
MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) or polyphonic aftertouch modes
61 soft silicone keys, RGB backlit

Expressivity:

Velocity on & off
Pitchbend (X)
CC74 (Y)
Aftertouch (Z)

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4 clickable encoders
Hard silicone action buttons, RGB backlit
Integrated MPE Arpeggiator: 6 speeds and 6 patterns
32 scales and 8 note layouts stored in memory
MIDI OUT via USB or DIN
CV GATE, PITCH (X), MOD (Z)
MIDI Clock (arpeggiator sync) IN/OUT via USB or DIN
Kensington Nano Security Slot
Designed and assembled in France
Easy to customize and repair

Exquis App (from macOS 10.11 / Windows 7 x64):

Create and edit scales and note layouts in memory
Edit MIDI values (buttons and encoders)
Edit sensitivity curves (velocity/X/Y/Z)
Looper (11 tracks, 44 loops) & Sequencer (11 events)

Returns & Refunds

If you decide a product is not suitable within 14 days of delivery, you can return it to us for a replacement or refund. Returns must be unused and in their original, undamaged packaging.

Some items are excluded from our money back guarantee:
- Computer software that has been unsealed or registered
- Any item that comes directly into contact with the nose, ears or mouth

To arrange a return, just contact our customer service via our customer support form.

Warranty

Every product at Blip comes with a full manufacturer's warranty for long-term peace of mind. As a specialist UK retailer, we also fully support your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015; if your gear arrives faulty or develops a problem in the first 14 days, we will provide a full refund or replacement. For faults developing after 14 days, we will facilitate a repair or replacement through the manufacturer’s official service centers to ensure your gear is back in the studio as quickly as possible.