Shopping for an MPE controller can feel like comparing instruments from different planets. One is a grid of pads, another looks like a piano, a third is a touch surface with thousands of sensors. Prices span roughly a sixfold range. The useful question is not "which is best" but what does each price tier actually buy you?

The figures below come from a recent gearnews roundup of the best MPE controllers and each maker's site. Street prices vary by region and retailer, so treat them as a guide.

The entry rung: around $270

The Intuitive Instruments Exquis sits at the bottom of this ladder at about $269 / €289 for the standard model, with a Deluxe Dark Wood version around $319 / €339. It has 61 hexagonal, velocity-sensitive buttons arranged harmonically, polyphonic aftertouch, and CV/gate outputs.

What you get is a genuinely different way of playing: the hexagonal layout makes scales and chords into repeatable shapes. What you give up compared with higher tiers is the continuous glide and fine pitch control of larger surfaces. It is a superb way to learn how pressure and slide feel without a big commitment.

The middle rung: roughly $900

Two products land near the $900 mark, but they are very different tools.

The Embodme Erae II is listed at about $845 / €888. It packs 16,000 force sensors, customizable layouts through its editor software, an 8-track looper, and 24 CV, gate, and trigger outputs. It is the most hardware-modular option here, aimed at players who also run a modular rig.

The Ableton Push 3 is about $899 / €949 in its tethered version, with 64 pads that detect X/Y position, an audio interface, and CV/gate outputs. A standalone version costs considerably more. If your world is Ableton Live, this is the lowest-friction route to expressive pads.

The upper-middle rung: just over $1,000

The LinnStrument from Roger Linn Design runs about $1,075 / €1,125 for the 128-pad model and about $1,469 / €1,540 for the 200-pad version. Each pad senses five types of movement, and the string-instrument-style layout, illuminated pads, and smooth polyphonic transitions have made it a favorite among guitarists and bassists who want pitch control across a grid.

You are paying for a mature, well-documented instrument with a large community, including open-source firmware experiments.

The flagship rung: $1,500 and up

The Expressive E Osmose costs about $1,499 / €1,599 for the 49-key model and about $1,750 / €1,829 for 61 keys. It looks like a conventional keyboard, yet its keys respond to being pressed, tapped, brushed, and stroked, and it includes the Haken Audio EaganMatrix sound engine.

This tier buys you a familiar playing surface for trained keyboardists, and a built-in sound engine so you can perform without a computer. Pianists often find this the shortest path to expressive playing because the technique carries over.

How to choose your rung

If you are curious but unsure, start with the entry rung. The cost of finding out MPE is not for you is small, and the cost of finding out you love it is a pleasant upgrade decision later.

If you play keys, think hard about the flagship rung or a standard keyboard paired with MPE-aware software. Technique transfer saves months of practice.

If you play guitar or bass, the grid layout of a LinnStrument-style surface fits your hands.

If you work with modular gear or live visuals, the sensor density and CV outputs of the middle rung deserve a close look.

Do not forget the software side

Whatever you buy, check that your instruments listen to what the controller sends. Many modern synths have MPE modes, but pitch-bend range mismatches are a classic first-day problem, and we have a guide to fixing that. A cheaper controller with well-matched instruments will outperform an expensive one with the wrong settings.

The takeaway: price tracks sensing density, layout familiarity, and built-in sound more than "expressiveness" itself. Every rung gives you real per-note control, so buy for how you play, not for the number on the box.