Rather impressively, both the chord generation and arpeggiation are indicated not only in Studio Player’s keyboard display, but also on the LUMI itself, flashing up pink keys for the chords and yellow for the arpeggios, against blue highlights showing the chosen scale. Until and unless everyone buys a LUMI and this effect becomes old hat, it would look pretty impressive on stage. Connection and battery-wise, the mobile music studio can last for up to 10 hours of battery life and comes with 15-meter Bluetooth range so the users can wirelessly connect to devices even if they are slightly far from them. Aspiring electronic musicians can also play around with the ROLI Studio, a software accompanying the MiDi controller, where they can choose from 400 distintinctive sounds and presets for their production. The software also offers Drums which creates its own drum beats with around 15 drum kits, each with 16 distinct and controllable parts. The first port of call from here is ROLI Dashboard, which is the configuration program for all of ROLI’s hardware. The LUMI has a number of global settings involving MPE setup and sensitivity, and its root key and scale: these latter settings are purely to specify how the keys are coloured, with one colour for the root and another for the rest of the scale keys. Each of the four modes, which are selected in sequence by the button on top of the unit, has its own on/off settings for pitch‑bend and pressure, and a choice of five possible colour schemes: two rainbow displays, two scale patterns (one with customised colours) and a conventional piano appearance. It seems a bit odd to have so many modes when, colours apart, there’s very little functional difference between them. If the root key and scale display could differ between modes, that would make a bit more sense. It does take quite a bit of getting used to, especially to get your pressure right, but there is nothing glaring in an "I wish this was this way" kinda way. Playing chords and melodies on the Lightpad is much like playing on the Push, or any other grid-style keyboard, with an important difference: sliding a finger left or right to another pad will pitch-bend the current note by default, and in ‘hide notes’ mode, consecutive pads can be between one and four semitones apart. Sliding a finger up or down modulates the current note but doesn’t change its pitch. (I found this disconcerting since I’m used to doing vertical glissandos across pads on the Push.)

Although Noise is fun, it’s not very deep or intuitive so you’ll definitely want to connect to Equator Player on Mac (a stripped-down version of Roli’s excellent MPE-optimised desktop Equator sound engine) or control your favourite plugins/software apps instead.Advanced customization of keywave response through a firmware upgrade, offering more nuanced MPE control. Strike is like hitting a regular note with different velocities; Press gives you aftertouch; Glide left and right allows glissando changes between notes; Slide up and down lets you assign parameters to how you move your fingers up and down; and finally, Lift Off can change another parameter as you release the note. No, only LUMI Keys is compatible with the LUMI Music App. — I’m a professional musician / influencer and I’d love to make content for you. How can I submit a partnership / collaboration proposal? Chord generation and multiple arpeggiation shown in the Studio Player instrument, exactly as shown on the LUMI itself.

How does MPE do this? When modulating pitch or tone with traditional MIDI, modulation is applied equally to each note being played. But MPE makes it possible to modulate parameters independently across multiple notes, vastly expanding the expressive possibilities! RISE 2: As a more feature-rich and professional-grade instrument, it is positioned at a higher price point. Moving from left to right in the Studio Player interface, next to the preset selector and macro controls, is the ‘Smart Chords’ panel. The chording function works in two stages: first, all played notes are constrained to be within a specific scale on a root note (both selectable — there are 19 scales to choose from). Then, for each note in the scale, you select the chord to build (triad, sus4, sixth and so on). The chords relate to the scale rather than being chromatic, so in C major, the ‘Triad’ chord on B is diminished. There’s an option to add an additional root bass note, and also to generate chord inversions, though there’s no obvious indication of which inversion gets selected, and with inversions enabled you often have to play staccato otherwise it’s rather too easy to get the same note triggered twice, causing voices to cut off. RISE 2: Features 49 Keywave2 keys, designed for detailed expression and control, suitable for both studio and stage environments. It's larger in size, catering to comprehensive play and professional use, and finished in a Platinum Blue metal chassis.ROLI have taken their forward-thinking multitouch technology and applied it to an imaginative modular control system.

Compared to the keyboard‑oriented Studio Player, The three parameter faders are per part, though there’s no accompanying X‑Y control with the two additional parameters. The global effects section is exactly as in Studio Player, across the entire kit. Things get more complicated when we look at the Lightpad’s velocity, pressure and location sensing. Sustained pressure and finger movement warp the basic sounds in different timbral directions, adding a variety of modulation and effects depending on the preset. While drums aren’t known for their sustain, Noise’s drum sounds either contain a continuous sound component, which can be modulated, or come with some kind of internal delay line to add rhythmic or stuttered effects. And the patterns in the groove kits mutate into different forms depending on finger position. I’m reminded very much of my experiments with various models of Korg Kaoss Pad, or of the sounds I’ve heard coming out of a Korg Wavedrum. Press: Press into the keywaves to deepen sounds or simulate the effect of breath on a wind instrument

Seaboard Block key features

Yes – the Octave Switch buttons double as preset switches. Simply hold the Mode button and press the lower or upper Octave Switch button. Yes. Since the launch of the first Seaboard RISE in 2015, the number of music software companies adopting MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) has grown considerably. RISE 2: Tailored for professional musicians and producers who seek advanced control and expressiveness in their instrument. It’s ideal for those needing a full range of features for detailed musical creation. I found Studio Drums to be quite addictive for organic soundscaping, but that setup really requires at least one and ideally two Lightpads, and the LUMI isn’t that good a fit here. Conclusions The ROLI Studio software suite is a comprehensive platform for creative potential, offering inspirational features such as Smart Chords, Multi-Layered Arpeggio, and Macros, all specifically tailored to enhance musical output and production. ROLI Studio Player provides a curated selection of 400 distinctive sounds and presets sourced from ROLI’s powerful sound engines.