Yeah,...you are Awesome, I love the way you review stuff, your review on the Studio Logic Sledge and the Axiom Air helped me make a Purchase on BOTH those items, now I am considering the Roli 49, and I value your opinions the highest. There are lots of people who do reviews on stuff, but I like the way you THINK, you think the same way I do about Evaluating stuff. You break things down really well, I just wanna say THANKS man for all you do! :)
I was happily surprised when I saw a demo unit of this at a local music shop. It's a really fascinating instrument, almost like a "fretless" keyboard! Wish I had the money right now to get one.
Amazing review, one of the best I've seen on the Rise. Actually answered a few questions I was having about the nuances of the keyboard. I demoed a VERY beat up one at the guitar center in Boston, and it was a lot more difficult than I had imagined, and I'm a seasoned keyboardist (maybe BECAUSE I'm a seasoned keyboardist), but with practice I think I could get up to the speed and and precision I can with standard keyboards. I'm about to pull the trigger in the next few days on a 49.
This makes me think, it would be so cool if it had the ability to attach a guitar strap, so one could play with this like Herbie Hancock in the 80's. The rebirth of the keytar - the SEAtar ?
As ever, a pleasure to watch Sonic lab. Definitely a try before you buy for me but looks like a cool way to express sound through a keyboard! ! Thanks Nick.
out of curiosity I bought a Seabord Block and was really expecting a cool toy to experiment with. After some weeks, I am in love with the little thing and its amazing possibilities. It came with Equator full which is a really impressive, powerful synth and Noise, which is an amazing (yet limited) tool to work new ideas. Now I want a Rise 49.
When playing some of the techniques Nick demonstrated there, it is essential for anyone playing this for any period of time to work on keeping the hand relaxed and not be 'grabbing' with the fingers that are staying stable. Stressing your hand out like that, if you are not working on being relaxed in the hand (and wrist as well) , could cause some issues.
+petercalandra thanks will try that. The problem with that for me is if you exert pressure then your fingers are quite firm ñ the surface. I expect with more time your technique would improve
I ordered this on May 1, 2021, thinking I was going to get the 4-octave keyboard shown in the video. Then when it came today, June 12, I was so disappointed that it was only a little plastic thing about 10 by 5 inches, with two octaves of keys. All I got is this thing: LUMI Keys Studio Edition | ROLI | ROLI Back it goes. Phooey!
Those wanting to attach this to hardware: to really make full use of the Seaboard, Soundplane or Linnstrument at this point you need MPE compatibility. There is basically no hardware and very little software that does this. Roger Linn has a list of MPE compatible hw and sw on his site: www.rogerlinndesign.com/ls-mpe-synths.html
Great review! I was able to get it to work with my modular set up using USB to the computer (running Ableton) and then a midi sport to the modular (Pittsburg Modular Midi3).
It is. I have mine working perfectly with a pair of Moog Mother 32s. There's something special about this incredibly organic feel controlling analog signals
curious to know if our current libraries can adapt to the pitch bend or the portamentos with seaboard. if i can use orcestral libraries like spitfire ones with seaboard to get actual glides etc, shall be wonderful. Any thoughts on that?
The sound design is god tier. The drawback if any is it won't connect with an actual midi port or trs cable jacks. I love portability, enough to go to gigs with just a ROLI and surface pro with Ableton.. and I really like the design.. I just can't vibe yet with the seamless portion that draws back on network peripherals and emphasizes less on externally plugged in devices.
needs to add some physical controls as well as the multi dimensional keys...a few sliders/rotary and patch change controls on the keyboard....plus a REAL midi port to hook it up to hardware synths...lastly the price is too rich for me right now as well....37 key with the above amendments for under £400 and i might get one.
the three sliders on the right can act as midi CC sliders and there's a X/Y pad too. regarding midi din connectivity, no point in doing that since aprox 99% of midi hardware will not recognise MPE or equivalent control.
I've been looking forward to this review. Very good. Circumstances dictate that I'm going to have to watch this one for a while but its on my list for sure. What I need is a Roli Fairey !? :)
mesmerizing! I wonder if there is/will be some kind of support for the Cubase Note Expression stuff now/later? That would make sens and that would make me broke haha! :D
Solid review Nick. Definitely a luxury item that's for sure. Also, does it seem like there is a hardware drought going on right now? Not too much gear to look forward to this year. It's all soft synths, controllers, and eurorack modules. Korg was at the front of the analog resurgence yet they haven't done any affordable eurorack stuff........? Get on that idea Korg!
How is the durability of this unit? The thought of it having a battery that isn’t replacable is kind of what is keeping me from buying it. I’ve had swollen laptop batteries multiple times.
I'm not shure if i've understand that right..... Is the 5d touch compatible to other analog and vst synthesizer or only with that own vst synth from roli? But anyway.. I crushed so hard with this little thing! :D
I view this as useful in two parts: -live performance: this has to be thought of as an instrument in and of itself rather than a typical midi controller. More useful in a band setting, of course, rather than as a solo performer -composing: using this as your iPad midi controller to make music offers a whole new level of easy to access expression for your recording sessions So yeah, it has limitations that make it tricky to be the "every controller" that most controllers aspire to be... But isn't that a GOOD thing? It's nice to see a product that's acting to be extremely good at a specific thing rather than trying to be a Jack of all trades. The price is definitely a turnoff, but that's about the only negative thing I can say about it
Hey Nick another great demonstration/review. I've always been the type of keyboard player that plays guitar/sax solos as well as synth stuff and have never been a traditional type piano player. I really want to go down this route but I agree the price for a controller alone is putting me off. I had a feel of the Seaboard last time I was in the music shop found it a bit freaky although I suppose I'd get used to this. I'd also need to get a Macbook to run the synths at live gigs. Do you think this could be the future of keyboard playing? Do you think this will eventually replace traditional synthesisers?
It would be great if Ableton supported polyphonic aftertouch, but I think it still doesn't. I would love to use the Rise 49 with the ME-80 (CS-80 emulator with fully polyphonic aftertouch capacity) in Ableton but as of today it would only be able to use channel aftertouch.
Hey I'm looking to buy one of this. Can you please tell me if you ran into some issues with it? Do you still play with it? Do you recommend me about this device? Thank you very much!
Brilliant review sir ! Thank you. ROLI should be grateful to you cos they have put out nothing that gives much of a clue to serious customers. But ma brain hurts :D Amazing technology - but I am wondering if t will die from lack of demand - many a synthesizer died from being too complex for the general musician community.
You can use it with hardware if you insert a USB to MIDI interface in between. See my comments above about getting it to work with the iConnectAudio4+ and Blofeld. Also, it doesn't HAVE to be MPE compatible hardware... the Seaboard can be configured to work in several different modes, including single channel with channel aftertouch, which is what most existing synths expect. That won't give you the maximum enjoyment out of the Seaboard, but it will still give you a more expressive playing experience than most standard MIDI controllers.
deastman2 If I was going to get something like this the Haken Continuum seems to offer much more. Its a shame Sonicstate seem to have fallen behind this one instead of that or the Linnstrument.
+Herr Absurd I did a lot of soul searching before choosing the Seaboard, and it was definitely the right choice for me. That said, they're all great- Seaboard, Continuum, Linnstrument, Madrona Soundplane. And all of those developers are taking a friendly, cooperative approach to each other's businesses. The thinking is that the more of these that are out there, the more the demand for more, increased widespread acceptance, support from software developers, etc.
I've had the Roli 25 since Dec. 2015. Having used it, I can tell you that Equator is fantastic, melodic expression is a dream, but chord play is quite frustrating with the squishy surface. Simply put, all your prior piano technique goes away. It's just too easy to hit the wrong note on the spongy hills, and the pitch variation gets old quickly when moving in any non-trivial chord progression. Also ensuring its full expression in Ableton Live works well is a hassle. The newer presets are excellent - and the sampling of strings in particular is stunning.
I am very torn with this seaboard Rise controller. It is a very expensive for a controller and I am always leery when purchasing hardware/software combined equipment. If Roli decides to stop updating their software I end up with a dead $1K controller. This happened to me with my Nord Modular. Nord decided to stop updating the editor software and now my $1.5K unit is a red paperweight. It also looks like you could get a pretty bad case of Carpal Tunnel with this keyboard.
@AJ Gapsevic You're in luck. I have that whole setup, and just tested it for you. I was able to make it work by connecting the USB host port out of the RISE 49 into the iConnectAudio4+, and then from there using a DIN MIDI cable into the Blofeld. I think it might be possible to do this with a USB-only setup if you used a USB hub, but I didn't have one available to test that.
+AJ Gapsevic No computer involved at all. Be aware, however, that the Blofeld doesn't support note per channel and I don't think it has polyphonic aftertouch, so you won't get the full benefit of a controller like the Seaboard. But it works fine in single channel mode with channel aftertouch, and it's still more expensive than using a conventional MIDI controller.
looks really interesting but I probably wait until someone releases the first analog hardware synth with a roli seaboard since I don't like softsynths that much. I really see this thing being a new way of playing synths in a few years!
This really is innovation. So much that claims to be isn't. This is. Fabulous. In the hands of a master this could be mind blowing.
You should watch musictrackjp's review of it, Ujie is an absolutely amazing keyboard player and he uses this keyboard amazingly well in the review
+MrTrollinglol yeah. I am subscribed to him. Flippin awesome.
Yeah,...you are Awesome, I love the way you review stuff, your review on the Studio Logic Sledge and the Axiom Air helped me make a Purchase on BOTH those items, now I am considering the Roli 49, and I value your opinions the highest. There are lots of people who do reviews on stuff, but I like the way you THINK, you think the same way I do about Evaluating stuff. You break things down really well, I just wanna say THANKS man for all you do! :)
I was happily surprised when I saw a demo unit of this at a local music shop. It's a really fascinating instrument, almost like a "fretless" keyboard! Wish I had the money right now to get one.
thats a very good way of putting it
as a recent owner of a Rise 49 I think this review is 100% on the mark. great job as always soniclab!
how are you finding it a few months on? I'm jealous bro
Amazing review, one of the best I've seen on the Rise. Actually answered a few questions I was having about the nuances of the keyboard. I demoed a VERY beat up one at the guitar center in Boston, and it was a lot more difficult than I had imagined, and I'm a seasoned keyboardist (maybe BECAUSE I'm a seasoned keyboardist), but with practice I think I could get up to the speed and and precision I can with standard keyboards. I'm about to pull the trigger in the next few days on a 49.
Been playing it for a while now, and just love the Seaboard :)
This makes me think, it would be so cool if it had the ability to attach a guitar strap, so one could play with this like Herbie Hancock in the 80's. The rebirth of the keytar - the SEAtar ?
I definitely think Herbie Hancock would love this
And probably is the only person who can afford one.
Tonhüb or put a saxophone strap and it will be a Sea-phone. 😂😂
As ever, a pleasure to watch Sonic lab. Definitely a try before you buy for me but looks like a cool way to express sound through a keyboard! ! Thanks Nick.
out of curiosity I bought a Seabord Block and was really expecting a cool toy to experiment with. After some weeks, I am in love with the little thing and its amazing possibilities. It came with Equator full which is a really impressive, powerful synth and Noise, which is an amazing (yet limited) tool to work new ideas. Now I want a Rise 49.
Best review out there, thank you for all the insights. I cant wait to test it on a memorymoon ME80 vst to try some yamaha cs80 expressive brass sounds
Great review! I ordered a seaboard block, can't wait.
Thanks as always Nick for the excellent in-depth review. Best music tech gear reviews out there!
When playing some of the techniques Nick demonstrated there, it is essential for anyone playing this for any period of time to work on keeping the hand relaxed and not be 'grabbing' with the fingers that are staying stable. Stressing your hand out like that, if you are not working on being relaxed in the hand (and wrist as well) , could cause some issues.
+petercalandra thanks will try that. The problem with that for me is if you exert pressure then your fingers are quite firm ñ the surface. I expect with more time your technique would improve
The trick is arm weight more than pressing down on the fingers and yes it does improve with time. Great review as usual Nick.
I ordered this on May 1, 2021, thinking I was going to get the 4-octave keyboard shown in the video. Then when it came today, June 12, I was so disappointed that it was only a little plastic thing about 10 by 5 inches, with two octaves of keys. All I got is this thing: LUMI Keys Studio Edition | ROLI | ROLI Back it goes. Phooey!
Nick did the monolithic Seaboard box cause you to beat your co-workers with animal bones?
Actually no, but I guess if they'd put a bone in the box it may have happened..
wait was that a Stanley Kubrick reference? nice!
+sonicstate is this a Boney M reference 😂
Heathcliff Nice one, I thought it was on the moon but they probably moved it since 2001
sonicstate hey what would you recommend between rise 49 and grand 61? (price apart)
bbc needs to get at you to host something. you have class sir.
Yeah, he's very down to earth, not doing some hyped up presentation. Very pleasant to watch, indeed!
Yup I'll be a student I'm down haha
Those wanting to attach this to hardware: to really make full use of the Seaboard, Soundplane or Linnstrument at this point you need MPE compatibility. There is basically no hardware and very little software that does this. Roger Linn has a list of MPE compatible hw and sw on his site:
www.rogerlinndesign.com/ls-mpe-synths.html
Nice demo and cool little tune as well Nick. Cheers!
how well does this work with analog hardware synths?
Great review! I was able to get it to work with my modular set up using USB to the computer (running Ableton) and then a midi sport to the modular (Pittsburg Modular Midi3).
Such a cool bit of kit
Looks like this would be fun to use with the modular world.
It is. I have mine working perfectly with a pair of Moog Mother 32s. There's something special about this incredibly organic feel controlling analog signals
12:25 omg is this available as a single? Love this song
Will you guys do a review of the seaboard block? I'd very much like to watch it! Cheers!
curious to know if our current libraries can adapt to the pitch bend or the portamentos with seaboard. if i can use orcestral libraries like spitfire ones with seaboard to get actual glides etc, shall be wonderful. Any thoughts on that?
The sound design is god tier. The drawback if any is it won't connect with an actual midi port or trs cable jacks. I love portability, enough to go to gigs with just a ROLI and surface pro with Ableton.. and I really like the design.. I just can't vibe yet with the seamless portion that draws back on network peripherals and emphasizes less on externally plugged in devices.
Makes me want to expand more from the guitar... 20 years ago, this would've looked like alien technology
Incredible piece of equipment what will they think of next
needs to add some physical controls as well as the multi dimensional keys...a few sliders/rotary and patch change controls on the keyboard....plus a REAL midi port to hook it up to hardware synths...lastly the price is too rich for me right now as well....37 key with the above amendments for under £400 and i might get one.
the three sliders on the right can act as midi CC sliders and there's a X/Y pad too. regarding midi din connectivity, no point in doing that since aprox 99% of midi hardware will not recognise MPE or equivalent control.
You totally missed the use of the Rolli with Kyma. Would of like to hear that topic covered.
Like this guy ! 👏👏👏 Can't waite for Christmas to buy this toy...
I've been looking forward to this review. Very good. Circumstances dictate that I'm going to have to watch this one for a while but its on my list for sure. What I need is a Roli Fairey !? :)
As I am a FL and Reaper user, does this register as a normal midi device or is it limited in DAW support?
Any chance you get to make a video like this about the Linnstrument? I am currently torn between the ROLI 49 and the Linnstrument.
We are in talks - stay tuned...
Awesome review as always, thanks!
if I take the grand version of it, without the controler in the left side, I can control the same things of the controler on the pc???
mesmerizing! I wonder if there is/will be some kind of support for the Cubase Note Expression stuff now/later? That would make sens and that would make me broke haha! :D
Solid review Nick. Definitely a luxury item that's for sure. Also, does it seem like there is a hardware drought going on right now? Not too much gear to look forward to this year. It's all soft synths, controllers, and eurorack modules. Korg was at the front of the analog resurgence yet they haven't done any affordable eurorack stuff........? Get on that idea Korg!
How is the durability of this unit? The thought of it having a battery that isn’t replacable is kind of what is keeping me from buying it. I’ve had swollen laptop batteries multiple times.
How cool would it be if it had a vocoder
ey thanks man. amazing review^^
I'm not shure if i've understand that right.....
Is the 5d touch compatible to other analog and vst synthesizer or only with that own vst synth from roli?
But anyway.. I crushed so hard with this little thing! :D
Batman said he 'loves his roli keyboard' ;-) nice outro ;-)
I view this as useful in two parts:
-live performance: this has to be thought of as an instrument in and of itself rather than a typical midi controller. More useful in a band setting, of course, rather than as a solo performer
-composing: using this as your iPad midi controller to make music offers a whole new level of easy to access expression for your recording sessions
So yeah, it has limitations that make it tricky to be the "every controller" that most controllers aspire to be... But isn't that a GOOD thing? It's nice to see a product that's acting to be extremely good at a specific thing rather than trying to be a Jack of all trades. The price is definitely a turnoff, but that's about the only negative thing I can say about it
That guy who walks around with a keyboard kinda guy, in todays expressive inst world, maybe the next Hendrix? lol thanks for this, time to save up.
20:37 I think the most interesting thing ist the polyphonic expression. So most analog hardware won't make as much sense as using it with software.
Would make a much more inspiring peache of instrument tech if the white line of those keys were RGB, led, animate, etc 🤯❣️
Great review! Thanks.
Hey Nick another great demonstration/review. I've always been the type of keyboard player that plays guitar/sax solos as well as synth stuff and have never been a traditional type piano player. I really want to go down this route but I agree the price for a controller alone is putting me off. I had a feel of the Seaboard last time I was in the music shop found it a bit freaky although I suppose I'd get used to this. I'd also need to get a Macbook to run the synths at live gigs. Do you think this could be the future of keyboard playing? Do you think this will eventually replace traditional synthesisers?
Can I connect the Rise 49 with Noise app ?
Excellent review!
Crickey. Just got to the iPad segment. 😍😍
Thanks to introduce this instrument 🇰🇷
Is it okay to run on Logic pro?
Can I play on a ROLI Seabord 25 fine if I know how to play piano?
Cuz I'm planning to get a ROLI Seabord 25
Sort of, it is a different playing experience, and requires some technique adjustment
Can this be used with Roland integra 7
Very cool. I'm waiting for it to integrate smoother with other synths/daws before I get one. Seems to be a bit clunky with Ableton
It would be great if Ableton supported polyphonic aftertouch, but I think it still doesn't. I would love to use the Rise 49 with the ME-80 (CS-80 emulator with fully polyphonic aftertouch capacity) in Ableton but as of today it would only be able to use channel aftertouch.
+David Lee Yeah it's unfortunate they don't currently support it. I imagine it will happen in Live 10 though. Would be a welcome addition
+MrSNEAKFREAK96 +1, I hope they add it soon.
Great overview!
Hey I'm looking to buy one of this. Can you please tell me if you ran into some issues with it? Do you still play with it? Do you recommend me about this device? Thank you very much!
Brilliant review sir ! Thank you. ROLI should be grateful to you cos they have put out nothing that gives much of a clue to serious customers.
But ma brain hurts :D
Amazing technology - but I am wondering if t will die from lack of demand - many a synthesizer died from being too complex for the general musician community.
doesn't Bluetooth have a delay making it not suitable for musical applications?
The fact its basically for software renders it useless to me. Surely they could adapt it so it can be attached to hardware synths?
The hardware would have to be MPE compatible, which is 0 hardware at this point. Modal at least does voice per channel, not sure about DSI.
You can use it with hardware if you insert a USB to MIDI interface in between. See my comments above about getting it to work with the iConnectAudio4+ and Blofeld. Also, it doesn't HAVE to be MPE compatible hardware... the Seaboard can be configured to work in several different modes, including single channel with channel aftertouch, which is what most existing synths expect. That won't give you the maximum enjoyment out of the Seaboard, but it will still give you a more expressive playing experience than most standard MIDI controllers.
deastman2 If I was going to get something like this the Haken Continuum seems to offer much more. Its a shame Sonicstate seem to have fallen behind this one instead of that or the Linnstrument.
+Herr Absurd I did a lot of soul searching before choosing the Seaboard, and it was definitely the right choice for me. That said, they're all great- Seaboard, Continuum, Linnstrument, Madrona Soundplane. And all of those developers are taking a friendly, cooperative approach to each other's businesses. The thinking is that the more of these that are out there, the more the demand for more, increased widespread acceptance, support from software developers, etc.
I've had the Roli 25 since Dec. 2015. Having used it, I can tell you that Equator is fantastic, melodic expression is a dream, but chord play is quite frustrating with the squishy surface. Simply put, all your prior piano technique goes away. It's just too easy to hit the wrong note on the spongy hills, and the pitch variation gets old quickly when moving in any non-trivial chord progression. Also ensuring its full expression in Ableton Live works well is a hassle. The newer presets are excellent - and the sampling of strings in particular is stunning.
amazing, i love it!
No podcast this week - I'm getting withdrawal - enjoy your hols Nick :)
All I ever wish in life is to own one a ROLI Seaboard (either Grand or Rise).
I'd like to see it playing the animoog
YES! this and an iPad pro with Animoog/model 15 app would be amazing
Will this work with Akai Live?
Great review!!
So do it come with its on vst ?
Yes
Nice, I just got one myself. Do a continuum fingerboard video. They have a cv box you can get with their product. Hi dollar item.
I am very torn with this seaboard Rise controller. It is a very expensive for a controller and I am always leery when purchasing hardware/software combined equipment. If Roli decides to stop updating their software I end up with a dead $1K controller. This happened to me with my Nord Modular. Nord decided to stop updating the editor software and now my $1.5K unit is a red paperweight. It also looks like you could get a pretty bad case of Carpal Tunnel with this keyboard.
Cost ?
Does anyone know if this can be compatible with FL Studio? I'm pretty sure. I can make some sick beats with this.
bummer I was hoping to be able to send the USB out to something like the iConnect and then out via midi to a Blofeld
didn't want to have to put a computer between them
@sonicstate that track you were working on during the review sounds fantastic! please see that through to the end!
@AJ Gapsevic You're in luck. I have that whole setup, and just tested it for you. I was able to make it work by connecting the USB host port out of the RISE 49 into the iConnectAudio4+, and then from there using a DIN MIDI cable into the Blofeld. I think it might be possible to do this with a USB-only setup if you used a USB hub, but I didn't have one available to test that.
+deastman2 Ohhh wow! that is lucky, thank you! and great to hear. so the roli wasn't connected to the computer at all?
+AJ Gapsevic No computer involved at all. Be aware, however, that the Blofeld doesn't support note per channel and I don't think it has polyphonic aftertouch, so you won't get the full benefit of a controller like the Seaboard. But it works fine in single channel mode with channel aftertouch, and it's still more expensive than using a conventional MIDI controller.
finally! I got one!
Imagine someone playing the Fallout 4 theme, on one of these!
Can I buy your used deaboard 49
How about not $1200 alternative?
Seaboard block is worth a look
@@sonicstate I watched multiple videos and dont clear - is it software came with device?
who's the italian chap?
looks really interesting but I probably wait until someone releases the first analog hardware synth with a roli seaboard since I don't like softsynths that much. I really see this thing being a new way of playing synths in a few years!
Max Hasser I control all my analog hardware synths with my seaboards
@12:19 Cool track
Quanto custa ? Aonde comprar ?
I just wish I had the money to buy this for my daughter.
"That guy who walks around with a keyboard kind of guy"
Fantastic!, Thanks!, ;-)
Next the Sputnik Touch Keyboard..
I NEED ONE
funniest thing you can play is regular Piano with full pitch bending enabled :Đ
I would prefer the continuum but it’s just so damn expensive
You clearly meant "hyper-expensive"
this looks like it could be amazing for playing anything but piano funnily enough ahahaha
12:53 camel phat cola finally explained
This is like Alien technology shit.
We are in the future!
If this didnt cost 5 billion dollars I'd probably get it
GODFUCKINGDAMMIT this thing is awesome.
would anyone mind giving me £900? roli pls...
The Haken Continuum is better but too "extreme" for the conservative Mr Batt who gets terrified whenever a new way to do something comes out.
+Herr Absurd it's also quite a lot more expensive I think.
woher willst du das wissen hast du beide und sie ausgiebig miteinander verglichen ?
Innovative but bloody pricy.
Only 10000 USD? haha, pensive. Oh only 1000 USD? go well with that metal rig of an Apple. Ratio pretty decent.
Very sexuall thing by the way.
Now the crappy song you write can have all kinds of subtle crappiness.