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. Its 24 keywaves are smaller – about 80% the size of the RISE's – so the playing experience is a little different (see keywave surface comparison above). 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. 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. of free space required for ROLI Connect, ROLI Dashboard and ROLI Studio. 13GB required for Equator2 installation. 3GB required for Ableton Live Lite installation.

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? Press: Press into the keywaves to deepen sounds or simulate the effect of breath on a wind instrumentYes – the Octave Switch buttons double as preset switches. Simply hold the Mode button and press the lower or upper Octave Switch button. You’ll need some kind of Seaboard if you want to explore all of the sonic performance options that MPE-based instruments offer, and this is the cheapest. If you just want to play regular synths, you can make do with a regular keyboard, but these things do push a boundary in sound well worth exploring. Advanced customization of keywave response through a firmware upgrade, offering more nuanced MPE control. ROLI have taken their forward-thinking multitouch technology and applied it to an imaginative modular control system. ROLI Studio Drums is the perfect MPE beat making companion. This separate plugin within ROLI Studio has 15 drum kits, each with 16 distinct and highly controllable parts.

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. With these dimensions, sounds can be warped, pitched, and moulded in pretty much any way you like; and these sounds come from either the Equator soft synth, which runs as a regular plug-in, the ROLI Noise app (one that runs on iOS via Bluetooth, if you wish) or any compatible soft synth. By ‘compatible’, we mean that it has to respond to these extra dimensions via MIDI, so has to be MPE (Multidimensional Polyphonic Expression) compatible. 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.) 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.

Yes. ROLI reformed as Luminary ROLI in 2021. This restructuring brought new investment and a renewed commitment to create and support the very best MPE instruments and software. We are in a better position than ever to deliver the very best expressive instruments available. 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 Let’s move on to the Studio Drums application. This presents itself as a simpler‑looking cousin of the Studio Player. There’s a selection of preset kits, each containing 16 sounds on a traditional four‑by‑four grid. A generous selection of individual parts is provided, any of which can be swapped onto any of the grid pads. However, for monophonic lines it’s great, although we still hope that Roli will offer wider keywave options in the future for those with wider fingers and to suit players more used to standard size keyboards/layouts.

Despite its compact size, this instrument enables infinite musical discovery, allowing users to play any sound imaginable and express themselves with unprecedented freedom. With 10 hours of wireless battery, they can play and perform on the Seaboard wherever and whenever inspiration strikes. RISE, for the uninitiated, is a keyboard like no other. It features Keywaves, which replace standard keyboard keys. You get 12 per octave as on a regular keyboard and you can even play them like a regular keyboard – but you’d be missing out on a few extra dimensions, because what makes RISE stand out is the way you play it. With ‘Five Dimensions Of Touch’ you can Strike, Glide, Slide, Press and Lift keys, adding several new layers to your playing and performing. RISE 2: Equipped with precision frets for enhanced playability, a unique Semitone Legato setting for microtonal performances, and on-device controls such as XY Touchpad, Touch Faders and preset browsing options. RISE 2 also comes with the powerful Equator2 synth engine and ROLI Studio, providing an infinite range of sounds and creative possibilities. 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.

Depending on your DAW, you may be able to capture the MIDI notes generated from the chording and arpeggiation. Some experimentation revealed that capturing chords and arpeggiator output worked fine, but the MPE expression data caused issues: MPE glide for chords got turned into plain pitch‑bend by Ableton Live and ignored completely by Bitwig Studio.

ROLI Studio Player has over 500 sounds, 300+ of which are specifically designed to work with the Seaboard's 5 dimensions of touch. Durable design that has been refined to withstand the rigours of touring and extended studio sessions.System: OS X 12/13 or higher / Windows 10 (x64) or higher Processing chip: Intel Core, AMD Ryzen, Apple M1 RAM: Minimum 8GB RAM, 16GB RAM is recommended RISE 2: As a more feature-rich and professional-grade instrument, it is positioned at a higher price point.