Game music is often built from unusual raw materials, and the score for Marathon is a good example. In a behind-the-scenes video shared by Bungie, composer Ryan Lott is shown working with vocal samples, prepared piano and the Expressive E Osmose, as Synthtopia reported. The full soundtrack was slated for streaming release, and it can be found through the official soundtrack link.
What we know
The coverage is brief. It names the three sound sources and confirms that the Osmose is part of the palette, but it does not detail exactly how the instrument was used or which patches or plugins were involved. We will not guess at that. What it does show is that a major commercial game score includes an MPE-capable keyboard alongside very traditional and very organic sources.
The Osmose is a keyboard from Expressive E that senses per-key pressure, slide and pitch movement, letting a player shape each note while it sounds.
Why expressive instruments fit game music
Without speculating about this particular score, there are good general reasons why expressive controllers appeal to composers working in games and film.
Texture over melody. Much modern scoring relies on evolving textures rather than tunes. A pad that breathes, swells and shifts under the fingers sounds alive in a way that a static sample does not.
Performance as editing. Drawing automation curves is precise, but it can feel mechanical. Recording a gesture, a slow pressure swell or a gentle bend, captures a human micro-timing that is difficult to draw.
Blending the real and synthetic. Prepared piano already sits between acoustic and sound design, since objects placed on the strings change the tone. An expressive keyboard can bridge that gap by letting a synthetic or sampled layer respond with the same sensitivity as the acoustic material.
Stems that adapt. Interactive music often depends on layers that fade or filter in response to gameplay. Layers recorded with pressure and slide movement carry natural dynamics that translate well to those systems.
Tips for composers who want to try this approach
If the Marathon video makes you curious about adding an expressive controller to a hybrid scoring setup, a few practical points help:
- Start with one gesture. Map pressure to a single parameter, such as filter cutoff or reverb send, before adding slide and pitch movement.
- Record MPE as MIDI, not audio. That keeps every per-note curve editable afterwards in your DAW. Check that your DAW records on all member channels.
- Layer with acoustic recordings. Blend a recorded prepared piano with a synth that responds to your touch, then balance them so the electronic layer supports rather than masks the acoustic one.
- Edit curves gently. Clean up stray pressure spikes, but leave natural variation intact. That variation is the reason to play expressively in the first place.
A reminder about dates
One caveat from the source: the article's text gives a release date for the game that conflicts with its March 2026 publication date, so check Bungie's official channels for accurate release information rather than relying on that detail.
Takeaway
The Marathon behind-the-scenes video is a small but welcome sign that expressive keyboards are finding a place in large productions. Ryan Lott's combination of vocal samples, prepared piano and the Osmose reflects a broader trend: composers want instruments that respond to the hand, and MPE-capable hardware gives them a way to bring that sensitivity into electronic layers.