Roli was one of the first examples of the emergence of MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression). The company has had some problems in the last 10 years, but is still trying to spread the gospel of MPE. Their first product after filing for administration in the UK (sort of bankrupt) and changing their name to Luminary Roli was a redesigned version of their Seaboard Rise. It’s a professional-grade flagship MIDI controller, priced accordingly ($1,399). The new Coastal block M It takes the company’s signature soft, continuous keyboard and puts it in a much more affordable and portable package.
The $349.95 Seaboard Block M features the same 5D Touch technology as its bigger brother. That means that, when paired with the right instrument (and set up correctly), you can play incredibly expressive melodies and chords by sliding your fingers, pressing firmly on the foam-like surface, or tapping it quickly for sustained beats.
While the Seaboard Rise 2 is a 49-key controller, with multiple macro controls and its metal frame screams premium, the Block M has just 24 keys and a stripped-down control set. However, you can connect two Seaboard blocks to create a 48-key modular keyboard.
While Roli doesn’t explicitly say what it’s made of other than "Premium materials… built to withstand the rigors of touring.", it seems safe to assume that Block M is primarily plastic. It also appears to lack "precision frets" of the Rise 2, which made it much easier to navigate the keyboard simply by touch.
At least it’s inherited the dedicated MIDI output jack from the Rise 2. That means you can use it to control a non-DAW setup and bypass the computer entirely. This is becoming much more common in MIDI controllers of any price, but it’s still a welcome development.
Of course, the number of available instruments (hardware or software) that can take full advantage of the MPE controls here is still somewhat limited. The Block M comes included with ROLI Studio and gives you a few options for expressive playing. However, it’s not as powerful as the Equator 2, the company’s flagship soft synth.
Lastly, Roli says you can expect about 10 hours of battery life with Bluetooth enabled. However, you can always connect directly to the device with USB-C to get zero latency and not worry about battery life. The Seaboard Block M is now available for pre-order for $349.95, but is not expected to ship until March 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/roli-is-making-is-squishy-mpe-midi-keyboards-affordable-and-portable-again-160044126.html?src=rss
