Roli Equator Virtual Synthesizer $179 9.6 UX/Design 9.0/10 Sound Library 10.0/10 Features 10.0/10 Stability 10.0/10 Price 9.0/10 Pros 5D Touch in an innovation MIDI Polyphonuic Expression is a game changer Sound Presets are of impeccable quality Crisp, Modern User Interface Cons None Roli Adding Dimension to Sound The Roli Equator is an interesting virtual instrument.Read More.
I've been a musician for the past 20 years, but I've been an electronic musician for a lot less than that. I use Apple's Logic Pro and a variety of software synthesizers to record songs these days, but coming from an electric guitar, I've missed the natural expressiveness that comes from playing a traditional instrument—particularly a stringed one.
Yes, you can create amazing expressive sounds with software, but there's just something about having that direct connection from your fingers to the amp or speakers that can't be replicated.
Or at least, it couldn't be replicated in the past. Now ROLI's Songmaker Kit promises a wider range of expression than you'd typically get with a MIDI controller, and it works marvelously with many of Logic Pro's built-in synthesizers, like the famed Alchemy.
I've been tinkering with these new kits this summer, but this won't be a full Ars review per se (this isn't Guitar World for better or worse). We won't be benchmarking the instrument's responsiveness or anything like that, but think about it like this: I'm a curious musician who went all-digital for practical reasons a few years ago, and I went into test-driving this device hoping I could get the best of both my musical past and my musical future from it.
And generally, I found the Songmaker Kit to be a respectable middle ground—provided you put some time in to configure your software instruments. This new kit still is not a guitar despite all the YouTube videos of musicians shredding Jimi Hendrix riffs on this stuff. But it's hard not to see ROLI's latest offering as a natural next step for electronic music.
Seeking more expression
ROLI Songmaker Kit
(Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.)
In my early 20s, I was a professional musician—I played electric guitar in blues, rock, and roots music bands. In my late 20s, I’d moved on to unrelated but comparatively more stable work in digital media and journalism, but I occasionally still moonlighted as a DJ.
In one of my first tech-writing jobs—at Engadget—I bonded with the then-editor-in-chief and also the then-managing editor over how we were all musicians—more specifically, musicians interested in the production side of things. We talked about that in our work IRC chat room at least as often as we talked about tech.
In fact, music production in Logic was what originally drew me away from Windows PCs to the Mac platform about a decade ago. To me, tech and creative applications like this are inextricably linked now. And those creative applications are why I've lived primarily in the Apple ecosystem for several years.
Yet, for most of my early years as a musician, I was an analog purist. I was the sort of guitarist who refused to play on a solid state amp, because, well, who are we kidding: if you don't get that natural, subtle tube distortion with a Fender Twin or Vox AC-30 turned up to about 7, you’re not really playing guitar, amirite?
I still feel that way about guitar, to be honest. But as the years went on, I played less guitar and spent more time with synthesizers, turntables, MIDI controllers, and software like Logic Pro X.
I didn't even own a guitar for a long time, though I just recently bought a Fender Stratocaster again. Blame it mostly on living in dense, thin-walled apartment buildings in Chicago, New York, and LA. But Logic has a permanent spot in my Mac's dock, nevertheless.
I missed playing guitar primarily because there are so many dimensions of expression in any stringed instrument, but especially electric guitar, when compared to your typical MIDI controller. There are the subtleties of how you pluck with the pick, where you pluck it in relation to the currently active pickups, with or without an attempt to also trigger harmonics. There's vibrato, bending on the strings, a whammy bar, bending the guitar neck, a wah-wah pedal, managing and manipulating feedback, and numerous settings on both the guitar itself and the amp—not to mention the limitless possibilities granted by pedals and other tech both digital and analog.
Using MPE MIDI, ROLI's kit promises that level of expression in a keyboard-styled MIDI controller. With a little configuration, that turns out to be mostly true.
What’s included in ROLI’s Songmaker Kit
Everything in this package existed before, but the Songmaker Kit is ROLI's first attempt to bundle it all into a one-stop shop. It includes a 24-key Seaboard Block, a Loop Block, and a Lightpad Block (the last of which we've covered before).
The Seaboard Block and Lightpad Block are covered in a malleable rubber-like material (it's actually silicone) that is sensitive to various levels of pressure—one dimension by which you can control the sounds. You can press your fingers down and draw them up or down across the surface to adjust pitch (or whatever else you configure that input to do). Without any of those added dimensions, the Seaboard Block is basically a 24-key keyboard, and the Lightpad Block is like a little drum pad divided into sectors. The Loop Block does exactly what it sounds like: it allows you to manage loops on the fly in your performance. This particular one doesn't do anything that other little loop boxes don't do.
It's probably easier to see and hear this product in action than to read about it, so here's a video from ROLI that, despite heavy editing, gets the point across well.
Not shown in the video: the hours of creating and configuring software synthesizers, both in terms of mapping them to the controller's various methods of input and in terms of the sounds themselves. It also takes plenty of time practicing and fine tuning those inputs to get the most out of your performance. But if you've made electronic music before, you knew that already.
Listing image by Samuel Axon
Having used many synthesizers and keyboards throughout the years, I can honestly say there is nothing like the ROLI Seaboard RISE 49. The first thing that catches my eye is how sleek and thin the Seaboard is. It’s all metal frame makes it incredibly durable for use at home or on the go. The keys 5D touch let me pitch bend, modulate, change resonance, and add depth to each note. Best of all it can control MIDI directly over bluetooth.
At first touch, I knew this was an instrument unlike anything I had experienced before. There is just something so naturally satisfying about sliding from one note to another, then creating vibrato with the movement of my finger. The keywaves responded to my touch almost like a part of my body, and allowed me to express myself in a way that a traditional keyboard would not. From synth leads to pads, basses, and orchestral sounds, the Seaboard Rise provided an unforgettable playing experience.
The ROLI Seaboard has to be one of the most unique pieces of gear out there. Having done live performances for years, I instantly saw how special this controller was. Its soft keyboard allows for so much versatility whether it's in a live performance or creating new ideas. This piece is truly the future of keyboard and MIDI controllers!
Customer Reviews
Fancy midi controller!
The roli seabord rise 49 is a great addition if you already play keyboards.. The expressiveness of playing matters when you play an instrument.. i play real guitars too and saxophones, and the seabord emulate that sound on every instrument... its well built, very solid.. not cheap.... For the price, if theres no $200 cashback im not buying it.. so far its worth the money..
Coolest Thing EVER!
I have dreamed about a device that can do what the Rise can do. Just amazed it came true!
Not your average midi controller
Let me start by saying that the hardware is unlike anything you've jammed on. The spacing of the keys is what you'd expect so it was easy to transition to from the piano. That being said the texture of the keys is maliable and that takes a little getting used to but the modulation possibilities are infinite. The software program is very intuitive so even if you've never created synth sounds with a little research about the fundamentals you'll be engineering sounds in no time!
Unique Contrôller
I immediately liked the concept of the Rise and it proves to be a great step up in manipulating expressive virtual instruments, Haven't had polyphonic aftertouch since my old Yamaha CS80, and that only controlled filter and amplitude. Alfter playing with it for a while: (1) Equinox is a very powerful synth. The presets are impressive, but if you dig into the engine and the sample oscilators you can get excited creating your own unique sounds. Tossing in the FXpansion synth is a bonus, mostly for electronica musicians. (2) Having the 2 free DAW's is great, but one learning curve at a time, for me. So I am still working within the 'non-compatible' Digital Performer. Just set up a template with 10 Equinox midi tracks plus Kontakt and I'm good to go. (3) I'm a big fan of Samplemodeling instruments (Saxes, Clarinet and Violin) Got pretty good expressiveness before with wheels and expression pedal, but with the Roli I can assign 2 more parameters to controller dimension plus the x-y pad for subltler variations on the timbre. You really feel like the instrument responds to your touch. (4) Great for middle eastern/Indian music because of the fluid pitch manipulation. #1 on my wishlist would be more samples of acoustic instruments with different playing articulations. E.g., no trumpet, real purcussion instrumentsetc. which could be cool to hybridize with the synth oscillators. Second on my wishlist would be a bit more informaton in the form of a manual or tutorials. Info on modulation routings is sketchy and it is not clear if/how sample import would occur. It is not a do all controller--still need a good piano action board, bread and butter patches to play in combination with it. Solidly build and a great value.
Has to be played to be believed
It isn't very often when a piece of gear utterly changes your capabilities as a musician, this is one of those circumstances. The Seaboard adds a level of expression to synth that seems impossible to accomplish without hours of deliberate automation. And it does so in such a natural manner that someone with passable experience on a piano or keyboard will only take a couple days to adjust to it. Intonation takes some getting used to, but once you do it becomes nearly as natural as a normal keyboard. I say nearly because not having the discrete keys does mean you lose some haptic feedback, and more intricate arpeggiated runs, or chord progressions can be quite a bit more difficult. The keyboard is extremely dark, and in low light conditions it is difficult to see what you are doing. However the all metal design is great, and the playing surface feels otherworldly. Some of the controls are not as responsive as I'd like. The sensitivity on the preset selector especially could be a bit more responsive. I've tested it on two computers so far. The software is easy to install, extremely customizable, and allows a user to set up on as many workstations as they need. And when I say extremely customizable, that is to an intimidating level. You can control whatever you want with the 5D expressions. From switching voices depending on how hard you hit the keys, to altering the EQ, Reverb, Chorus, Distortion... and pretty much any fundamental effect you can conjure up. The presets will hit almost any base you need, but there is a ton of potential for synthesizing effects. On my desktop setup I've noticed no issues whatsoever. However, when I tried my laptop with significantly lower specs, I noticed hiccups, stuttering, and some notes that stopped dead when I used more than three notes at once. Altogether, for studio applications this is perfect. Live applications seem possible but will require more careful planning. I was considering this for around 6 months, and I could not think of a better piece of hardware for the price.
Perfect so far
It arrived tonight. Had it up and running in about an hour. I watched enough tutorials ahead of time, and id you do the same it is pretty easy to hit the ground running. I've been running the Equator app inside Logic and i see no prolems at all. The pads are incredibly intuitive. They're much more sensitive than you would probably imagined. Easily as sensitive an MPC pad, albeit a much different feel. It takes an adjustment to get used to the feel and sensitivity, but the learning curve is nowhere near as bad as I feared. Bottom line. It's everything I've dreamt of and much more. Just do it.
Game Changer
Been watching this keyboard since it was first introduced and it is absolutely a game changer. Being able to have expression per note/finger on a keyboard is absolutely awesome! There is a little learning curve because it is easy to hit a wrong note and if you don't hit the note dead on it can giver you a slightly off pitch note, but after playing on this for a few days i got over that issue pretty quickly (and that issues is the user not the device lol) The feel of the key board is definitely unique from anything you may feel on a musical instrument. It's a stout little beast, not very huge and fits on my desk nicely in front of the mac. It feels solid and i love the fact that it is wireless/blue tooth enabled meaning no ugly cables to get in the way and it is extremely portable. It is easy to clean too. Thinks i would like to note: 1) Make sure your hands are clean and oil free 2) Make sure you set it up properly for the midi channels All in all I love it and i know you'll love it too! The Kids and Wife thought it was the coolest keyboard they have seen in a long time and just love the expressive 5 dimensions of touch. Absolutely Love my new Roli!
Roli Seaboard Rise 49
A little getting used to, but when you do you'll find it the most expressive instrument you're going to play. The software bundle is great and upgradeable. A little pricey but well worth it. The bluetooth capabilities is great, I've used it to perform using my IPhone 6 and buying the extra sound packs. For piano or organ playing stick to regular midi controllers, I use the M-Audio Code 61
Wonderful instrument!
I've been wanting to buy a Roli keyboard for a longtime. The grand is way out of my price range. I was going to get the 25, but then figured I'd appreciate the 4 octaves and the price isn't that different for the 49.I'm glad I did that -- I think the 2-octave keyboard would be too confining. It's a gorgeous and very well-made instrument. Support is excellent. It comes bundled with an mpe-friendly DAW and two excellent soft synths (Equator is made by Roli and is really superlative, and Strobe2 is a third-party synth that is included too, so your sound palette starting out is pretty complete.) The Roli Seaboard takes a bit of getting used to. Keyboard players will appreciate the familiar layout, but the feel is quite different. (I think of it really as a different instrument based on the keyboard, rather than 'a keyboard.') Using the 5-dimensional expression features is very intuitive and you can literally do it the moment you touch the keyboard -- it came surprisingly fast. Obviously more time is needed to develop artistry, but I was happily surprised that you get to satisfying results pretty much immediately, in part thanks to the great sounds that come with it. (Learning to program other synths for it is a big leap from normal '2-dimensional' keyboards -- I look forward to that journey!) I'm very happy I bought this. I have several MIDI instruments for performance -- a wind controller, a Zen Drum, and various control surfaces. The Roli Seaboard Rise 49 is especially exciting because so much expressive control is right there at your fingertips, and I know it will become a central part of my performances now.
Seaboard Roli Rise 49
Perfect. Awesome. Bad*** Cool.
Amazing!
Wow! Seriously one of the most expressive playing experiences for a keyboardist. I had a lot of doubts about this purchase but heard enough good praise to give it a try. I was tired of the mechanical keyboard controllers for controlling organic sounds, not to mention the awful key noise while playing. I had also played a Kieth McMillen K Board with some success but found the sensitivity not consistent. I thought the Seaboard might be a bit better considering it's price point. It was way better! It just feels perfect. The surface is wonderfully tactile, not a pad type feel, but a more squishy responsive feel. Hard to explain, I'll just say it feels high quality and it gives you feedback as you play with lots of give to press more or less or movement to create a vibrato effect or slides. The sensors on it are super accurate and consistent. The whole thing feels like top production quality too in its metal chassis and back lit control buttons. The Equator synth software is super powerful with amazing sounds that respond so well and you now get fXpansion Strobe 2 free which is killer. I was even amazed that playing e pianos and acoustic sounds are great too. There is a few Rhodes patches in the Equater synth and they are super fun to play. I own a real '79 Mark I Rhodes and the synth version was spot on and even more dynamic with the Roli surface. I also want to give big props to Roli customer service. My activation code wasn't working and I gave them a call which was answered by a human being within a couple minutes and they had me up and running within maybe 5 minutes at most. I think the only tricky thing about this is the learning curve for the playing surface. Just the black keys are marked so it takes some muscle memory to learn where every note is. The surface is black so in low lighting it is hard to make out the different raised keys and the spacing is a little wider I think vs a regular piano. But it lends to the magic of the instrument because you take advantage of the bending and sliding capabilities which makes it sound more organic. I only wish they made an affordable 88 key version but honestly I am totally content with just 49 keys. I replaced an 88 key controller btw. Can't wait to setup some orchestral sample libraries in Kontakt to utilize the expressions. Seriously, this one is a winner, don't let the price freak you out. It's worth it.
Just all around great
This thing is great! It's different than a keyboard and it's really up to you if you would completely replace your keyboard with one but one thing is for sure is that once you play it you will see it's a must for any studio. The software is good but the customer support is possibly the best. I'm very happy I purchased this product.
Different
The rubber feels different than I thought - in a great way. This thing is DENSE. Weighs probably twice as much as my Macbook Pro and feels incredibly durable. Very responsive, and very different (again in a great way) from a 'normal' keyboard. It really does allow for a whole new level of playing and expression. The vibrato and portamento alone make this thing amazing. That said, in my opinion a decent portion of the preset sounds on the Equator software are pretty lame. Especially the guitar sounds... definitely not the RISE's strong suit.
Roli Seaboard Rise 49
First, let me say I am not a keyboardist. Guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin, yeah, piano - um, no. I do know where the notes are though and I know the chords. I'm using it as a midi controller and it's been a wonderful experience so far. No issues with the construction quality at all. As a matter of fact this board is very solidly built and heavy. It makes your typical midi controller feel like a kids toy in your hand. The playing surface (keywaves) feel different and yes, it took me a bit of time to get the hang of but once I got the 'learned behavior' I developed playing Maudio/NI controllers changed to the 'Roli' way of playing.. The software was completely plug n play when loaded. No issues. I typically use Omnisphere and NI Komplete VI, both of which have Seaboard enabled patches that respond to the 5 dimensions of touch that the Roli offers and it's brought new life to my music. The soft synth, Ecuator, is fine though it doesn't have that many patches when compared to other VI's.. All said I'm very happy with this board. No buyers remorse what so ever here. Yes, it's expensive. You get what you pay for applies here.
Everything I wanted it to be
Just got mine last week, and I absolutely love it. Incredibly responsive, intuitive, and just a great feel under the hand. I would also like to commend their customer service; I did have one small hardware issue, and their response was the quickest, most thorough, and most satisfactory of any musical hardware company I've ever dealt with.
They should have sent a Poet...
So I have used quite a few midi keyboards. I have an M-audio Axiom air 61 currently. The Axiom is like most midi controllers, but still unable to do what the ROLI Seaboard Rise can do. When I saw the ROLI, I knew it was different type of virtual instrument expression. However, my first impressions just looking on the webpage... was that it was cheap and not worth the price tag. I pondered that they had cornered the market on a unique product/patents so they were going to gouge us. I have to tell you that is not the case at all. I was shocked how heavy the delivery box was. I wondered if they packed bricks in with it. I started to unveil it from the box. Yes, 'Unveil' cause it seems better than Apple product packaging. Nice enveloped card thanking me for buying their product. The sleek/elegant packaging. No reasons came up to wonder 'why did they box it that way?'. It was a perfectly wrapped present. Then, when I saw the device I was blown away. It was cold to the touch. Unbelievable... this was metal and not plastic. I was wrong. This very is high build quality. I went to pick it up and I couldn't at first. It was that solid. I had to really try to move this thing. No bending/flexing of the product. The striking key material isn't weird to the touch. Yet, weird to describe. Maybe like touching fingertips of your first girlfriend in HS. Firm and soft and the same time. Still easy to glide across. Definitely a type of rubber, but somewhat unique. The software was a breeze although you do have to download a couple things that are about 3gig in total size. I thought I would regret getting the 49 key especially since it is particularly heavy for it's size. But using it with Native Instruments Kontact 5 seems like 49key is a essential. If you don't use midi mapped apps like native instruments 25key is great. I can't wait for native instruments to catch up a lil bit cause the midi notes can only use 12 levels of touch at this point. But Equator can do 48 or more it seems. It did take some setup to get it to work with midi apps. I still don't think Equator works in Pro Tools 12. I heard it is an AAX64 bit issue. Maybe if you were using 32 it might work, but google searches don't seem to have yielded any results. I'll ask ROLI support. However I'm pretty much set with my Komplete collection. The mod functions seem to work great in Equator, but somewhat ineffective so far in other apps, but I'm sure native support will come and manual assignments can be made, but I find that gross. So I haven't bothered much with it. As virtual instruments go, I didn't think drums would be good to. I was very wrong. May be the best tool for virtual drums. Especially Rap/R&B/EDM. Extremely fast triggering compared to many products. Even devices made for such things like Native Instruments Maschine. There seems to be a built-in battery, but haven't got to use it yet. It shows a status when in ROLI Dashboard. I'm sure it would last a long time and certain it adds to the heft of the device. I haven't used the Bluetooth as it isn't supported on my pre 2013 Mac Pro built-in adapter. Nothing, I'm sure, a cheap bluetooth adapter couldn't fix. It worked off a USB hub on my monitor which sometimes can be a problem on other devices. The ROLI apps worked immediately. I will tell you if took some troubleshooting to make Kontact to work, but not exactly sure how I pulled that off. Sorry for my ignorance. I did a lil research before hand to see what kind of support there was for DAWS. I was pleasantly surpised they had videos on many products and a lot of FAQs on how to connect it to most popular software suites. Mine came with a nice soft carrying case. Thank god, cause the Roli Seaboard rise is a tank. I'm more worried about it falling and hurting other things in it's wake more than I am it breaking. This thing on my desk on a solid glass surface is basically unmovable without picking it up. Don't try to push it around. It's not going anywhere. I know I've been singing praises, but this is a new product so do your research and cross your toes and hope this will all workout for your setup and situation. I only had a few cons and realize this is a tldnr, but there is no info about this thing on here so I thought I would try to tackle all I could.
Excellent!
Let's me hit a note and wiggle my finger, and the note dances. Can't do that with any other keyboard I know of. High-quality, heavy duty build. The software that comes with it works well. Their tech support took about a week to answer my questions, but that's understandable given that they're a small company. I love what I can do with this keyboard. I'm thinking that now I'm going to really be able to play lead electric guitar on my synthesizer.
Roli rocks!
I compose orchestral, progressive rock and this has some pretty cool sounds to play with. This is an awesome controller, very expressive and fun to play. I use it with Reason and there's now an iPhone app that makes it amazingly mobile! Very cool indeed!
A New Level of Expression
This is the keyboard I've been waiting on for years, and at a price point that is affordable. The Seaboard Rise has taken the expression in my recordings and live playing to a new level already. String patches can now be played with manual vibrato and pitch bending. You can emulate breath support with wind instrument VST's. You can play atmospheric pads with total control, and without having to rely on a pitch bender stick or a small ribbon controller. It can all be done with your hands, without removing them from the keyboard bed. That's the beauty of this instrument. Roli has included their Equator software, which is fantastic in its own right. There are great string, wind, pad and guitar sounds that are usable right out of the box. The dashboard app lets you control your MIDI parameters to send to your DAW, and works well for a variety of software titles, including Kontakt and East West Symphonic Gold. But even with a library of VST's, I kept coming back to the Equator software, which is the most expressive way to play this instrument. Finally, customer support from Roli has been amazing. Each email I sent to Roli was responded to within about 12 hours with detailed instructions specific to my situation. I even asked for additional sounds to play with that Roli includes with the 61-key version of the Seaboard, and the files were emailed to me right away. I can't say enough for Roli's support of this instrument. This will not replace the keyboard, but as an expressive instrument in its own right, the keyboard can't replace this either. It has its own vibe, and the potential for the Seaboard Rise is out of this world.
A new era of soundscaping & mangling begins
I forget to breathe and almost pass out while wailing on this thing. It is a totally new instrument, has enormous depth. The sounds it comes with are startlingly good, but once support 'rises' up for this thing I see nothing but absolute bliss on the horizon. Warning though --- It has just a bit of learning curve. I initially sounded like a first year guitar student trying to play Eruption. The dogs howled, the cats groaned, and the chickens laid very rotten, smelly eggs. Then I tweaked down the glide just a enough to suit my playstyle, got a little more used to the keys, and POW! Now I sound just like Eddie. Of course, the few guitar patches they have are just one crazy facet of this thing. The strings and percussion are something else entirely. Totally organic sounding with the 5 dimensions of control! I took half a star off because while this thing is incredible, it has so much more potential and very little support out there right now for it. Yeah, there's ways to tweak some of the big synth packages out there, but that's work -- who wants to do that? Also, the software can be a bit buggy at times and could use some more polish. I am also worried about how it will age --- it's definitely built like a tank, but I worry about the silicone cracking and wearing off as I slap, slip, and slide it. Maybe it should come with a tube of lube. Hmmm, there's an idea!
The Feel is UNREAL!
This synth is unlike anything I've experienced before. The feel of the rubber is really indescribable, you have to get your hands on one if you want to see where the future of music is heading! I also found out by chance that it has some built-in compatibility (mostly the Glide and Press functions) with some other synth softwares like Kontour in Reaktor! Now, that being said, I feel like I should warn about buying this and not having a computer with at least 16 GBs of RAM. I downloaded Equator (the ROLI software) on a spare laptop I have for portability. I could not run the Equator software as a plug-in in Ableton without crashing and in the standalone I was restricted to a 44100 Hz sample rate at 16 samples! (The laptop I was using was a macbook pro with a 2.7 GHz i5 and 8 GB of RAM)
Great but Not 5 Stars
Expressive, fun, easy to use, difficult to master... a really solid unit, love the interface. The presets have some obvious gaps and sometimes the notes hang and continue playing even when no longer touched... about ready to open an RMA over this problem. I do love it and will continue to use it but even if you follow the instructions for interfacing with Ableton Live, that just doesn't work very well at all. I'm probably going to build a second computer just for the Roli and then use 2 input channels on my sound interface in order to record into Ableton. That also presents another problem for licensing some VSTs to another machine...
Great Hardware! Hoping for better connectivity
This is an amazing product. I was mind blown with the sensation of the keyboard, and even though I was afraid it would be too delicate, it feels like it will last quite a long time. The Equator is really fun to explore and very user friendly in my opinion. It works great with VSTs even though it was a bit more elaborated to set up than I thought. As a stand alone instrument, Roli-Equator is simply amazing. Roli's support team was as well very helpful and kind to respond all my questions. That being said I was a little bit disappointed with a few connectivity issues that I was really looking forward to. The MIDI Over Bluetooth is not stable enough to be reliable for live performance. It disconnects every now and then, it got better with time but it's still unreliable. The connectivity with the iPad was quite frustrating. Using a Camera Kit Connector won't do it... you actually need a powered USB hub since the Rise tries to charge its battery with the iPad and this is interpreted as 'Too Much Power Required.' This should've been clearer I believe. The AniMoog, at least, does not recognise the Rise with MIDI Over Bluetooth and turns out it does not support polyphonic pitch bend (glide) nor CC74 (slide) which at the end, when I did get it to connect to Animoog, works as a regular keyboard controller. I did finally get it to connect as a midi controller to the iPad through USB cable and MIDI Over Bluetooth but only through the StudioMux App and the computer. I guess things are going to get better once the Rise becomes more popular (which I'm sure it will) and developers work on better compatibility. Again, by itself it is a beautiful instrument and really widens the possibilities for sound design, and non-keyboard-like instruments interpretation, VSTs.
Great idea, but not easy to use with other VST's
I really had high hopes for being able to use the Roli 49 with all of my instrument plugins. First, let me say that it works GREAT with the Roli plugins... I mean flawlessly and very intuitive to use with them. BUT.... not so much with other plugins, e.g. Cinematic Studio Strings, Chris Hein Solo Cello, Emotional Cello, EWQL, etc. I spent a lot of time and $$ trying to figure it out, e.g. I upgraded to Cubase 10 -- thinking the new MPE support would help. It didn't. In the non-Roli plugins, the setup is NOT intuitive or easy and I couldn't figure out how to set up most of them. And even when I did, the keyboard response was buggy, e.g. slow to respond or I couldn't adjust it easily, etc. I emailed Roli, but didn't get a response for several weeks.... after I had returned the Roli to Sweetwater. Roli's response was sympathetic, but not helpful. My hope is that they (Roli) will develop Youtube instructions on how to successfully map the Rise to VST plugins. I mean I'd still have it if I could have gotten it to work.
ROLI Seaboard Rise 49
Item ID: SeaboardR-4949-note USB Keyboard Controller and Synthesizer, with Polyphonic Aftertouch/Pitch Bend, 1 Pedal Input, and Equator Software Instrument - Mac, PCMore Info...
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