ROLI Seaboard Rise 25 Review
A futuristic musical instrument with yet unknown performance possibilities is ready to shape the live performance of music in our days.
I always loved the idea of reinventing musical instruments to enhance their possibilities and shape their appearance. Especially when digital technology refines the way we express our artistic needs.
The Seabord adds unique perspectives and expression features to the performance spectrum of the usual midi keyboard. Its a powerful performance workstation with touch-sensitive keys, and additional modulation pads for full control of the sound.
The hype around the ROLI Seaboard motivated me to join the movement and experience the „Future of the keyboard“ myself.
I chose the RISE 25 because I wanted studio performance possibilities as well as the flexibility to go outside and jam with my friends.
Performance and flexibility
The main performance benefits come from ROLIS 5D Touch system.
Strike, Press, Glide, Slide and Lift.
A strike corresponds to the MIDI message of note-on and velocity.
A lift to a note-off (release).
The pressure of your finger holding the key changes the aftertouch and if you glide horizontally while holding the key you modulate the pitch bend. Its also possible to slide vertically along the keys. This information is transmitted as MIDI CC 74.
The represented MIDI data can be used to control VST Instruments like Serum by Xfer Records or Omnisphere by Spectrasonics in a very complex and versatile way.
The setup of the Seaboard as a MIDI Controller can be a bit tricky.
Here is a quick and detailed video by Danny J Lewis on how to handle the MIDI data properly:
The RISE 25 comes with a software bundle containing three powerful programs:
Equator, with a focus on synthesizer sounds.
Strobe2 gives you an amazingly detailed analog modeling engine.
And last but not least, a desktop sound player called Cypher2.
Both Equator and Strobe2 are extremely powerful workstations with full VST support.
There is a well-made video with a quick overview of the Seaboard as well as Equator and Strobe2 explained by Jordan Rudess. I recommend looking at it if you want to know more about the features of the software:
Endless possibilities
When I first played the RISE 25 I instantly entered a musical trance by pressing the high sensitive silicone keys while listening to the complex expression of the sound. But you have to get used to the feeling of the Seaboard. It's really soft!!
One of the most impressive features is definitely the quality of the sound: the onboard presets have more to offer than you would think.
The Seaboard contains a huge sound bank covering keys, strings, organs, synths, bass, loops, drums, pads and many more. All of them sound amazingly detailed and realistic. Especially the 5D factory sounds! You can also create and save your own presets.
Here is a quick video on the different presets by Tiko Lasola:
PROS AND CONS
The development of ROLIS original masterpiece the Seaboard GRAND (out of production) to the current RISE and BLOCK models shows that ROLI really cares about the quality of their products.
They enhanced the design, the functionality, and idea of the Seabord very well. Here a quick list of pros and cons:
On the plus side:
+ the RISE 25 is very well made and comes elegantly packet.
+ the Seaboard, in general, is a high-quality product with sophisticated possibilities and if you practice really hard you may become one of the first professional Seaboard players in the World.
+ the detail of the presets and the overall sound quality is impressive
+ the software (Equator and Strobe2) gives you full control of the sound design
+ Affordable Price
On the down side:
- you have to get used to the feeling of the soft keys
- the Midi setup can be a bit difficult and you need some time to adjust to the softness of the keyboard but basically, anyone can get some amusing results on the Seaboard instantly.
- sadly there is no travel bag available for the Rise 25. ROLI only designed one for the Rise 49 which is sold separately on their online store.
In summary, I can highly recommend the ROLI Seaboard RISE 25 to everyone who is looking for a futuristic "all-round" instrument which can be used as a MIDI controller as well.
If you are not sure which model of the Seaboard is the right one for you, then check out this video. Sanjay C compares the Seaboard RISE between the Seaboard BLOCK: