Intuitive Instruments has released firmware version 2.2.0 for its Exquis controller, a significant update for one of the more affordable entry points into MPE performance. The update pairs new onboard features with a set of free DAW integration scripts, positioning the compact grid controller as a more capable studio hub rather than just a note-input device.
What's New in Firmware 2.2.0
The headline addition is MPE Key Freeze, a feature that captures the current expressive state of held notes or chords — including their pitch bend, pressure, and slide values — and sustains that state indefinitely. That frees up both hands to move to other parts of a performance, trigger additional layers, or reach for effects controls, without losing the exact expressive character of the frozen notes. It's the kind of feature that matters most in live performance and improvisation, where players often need to hold an expressive chord while continuing to shape a track elsewhere.
The update also introduces MIDI Score Display, which lights up Exquis's hexagonal key grid in response to incoming MIDI notes, effectively turning the surface into a playable score. The feature prioritizes active scales, making it easier to see at a glance which notes are in key while following along with a MIDI part or backing track.
New Free Workflow Scripts
Alongside the firmware, Intuitive Instruments has published a free Ableton Live Remote Script for Exquis, giving players clip launching, track control, device parameter tweaking, and scale and tempo setting directly from the controller surface, with visual feedback reflected back onto the keys.
Separately, controller scripting specialist Jürgen Moßgraber has expanded his widely used DrivenByMoss extension to add native Exquis support for both Bitwig Studio and Cockos Reaper, covering clip, track, and device management as well as dedicated expressive performance views. Between the official Ableton script and the DrivenByMoss additions, Exquis now has meaningful two-way integration across three of the DAWs most commonly used by MPE performers.
Why It Matters
Exquis has built a reputation as one of the more accessible ways into MPE, thanks to its isomorphic hex-grid layout and lower price point relative to keybed-style controllers. But accessibility on the hardware side only goes so far if a controller feels like an island inside a DAW session. This update closes a lot of that gap: Key Freeze addresses a real performance limitation, MIDI Score Display lowers the barrier for players still learning scale relationships on a grid layout, and the DAW scripts turn the controller into something closer to a full control surface.
It's also a useful signal about where smaller MPE hardware makers are focusing their development effort in 2026. Rather than chasing new physical form factors, companies like Intuitive Instruments are investing in the software layer that connects a controller to the rest of a producer's rig — DAW scripting, onboard workflow features, and tighter round-trip MIDI feedback. That mirrors a broader trend across the MPE ecosystem, where deeper software integration is increasingly what separates a controller that gets used daily from one that ends up in a drawer.
The firmware 2.2.0 update and all associated DAW scripts are available now as free downloads from Intuitive Instruments, with installation instructions provided for existing Exquis owners.