Comments on: Review: Roli Blocks with Dashboard Beta Control Software

By: Oscar Corpo

Oscar Corpo — Mon, 28 Aug 2017 13:50:00 +0000

Does the Seaboard Block keyboard work with Logic Pro’s sounds? Or the only sounds I can use are the ones by dashboard?

By: GreaterThan Us

GreaterThan Us — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 02:47:00 +0000

I am using my blocks on Windows 10 and on the beta software dashboard it seems to work okay to some extent. There are some caveats that I might want to end up suggesting roli to fix particularly when I select the key drop down in the dashboard that it would keep a note that I request for future use to each program I make. Overall these are cool things that are really portable. The dashboard does show some form of adjusting the velocity and Ben’s and pitches. Maybe the dashboard can include a more intensive approach to sensitivity on the blocks on future updates. I also own a couple C boards. It seems to me that the Seaboard rise is the hot item of roli. It is more close to Plug and Play and connecting them with some MPE plugins like SWAMS and Omnisphere are simply just incredible. It’s just like the real instrument of a violin, saxophone, flute and cello. I like it when you have one instrument like a keyboard that can mimic all these instruments. It’s awesome.

By: CazCoronel

CazCoronel — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 13:03:00 +0000

In reply to Gary Saville. Agreed, I found them really unpleasant to play, you have to press much too hard.

By: Armando

Armando — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 13:47:00 +0000

In reply to Gary Saville. Damn, that is a bummer!

By: DJ Nietzsche

DJ Nietzsche — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 08:51:00 +0000

Jack of all trades, master of none.
It might be a good piece of kit, tech wise, but without decent software it is a non-starter.

i like the look of the DJ mixer in one of the videos, but 4 of them is $700+, so you can get an actual decent mixer for that.

Roli seems to be a company making Patents, which are put into products. In the hope that the tech patents are licensed, because the products they make aren’t going to pay the bills. This is common at many tech companies.

By: Gary Saville

Gary Saville — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 19:44:00 +0000

In reply to Armando. Nope. I've had mine for a while, and really don't like the sensitivity. It hasn't improved despite numerous firmware updates. You have to really slam down on the unit for it to register a touch which hurts the fingers after short sessions. I think it was a design flaw they will need to address in a version 2 hardware, if the cacophony of sensitivity complaints is actually registering with Roli.

By: zendoo

zendoo — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 19:33:00 +0000

I can see using these to play synths and effects. 30ms is too slow IMO for live finger drumming, but it’d be neat to map for instance a feedback knob to the side-to-side motion, or to release velocity.

By: Armando

Armando — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 16:56:00 +0000

wow that was a really in-depth review. As an early adopter I sent them back immediately to Apple. The software was nowhere near where it is now, so that’s a bonus.

My only other complaint was the hardware pads. The rubber felt really stiff, I had sore fingers jamming out on this thing like a Push or MPC. Maybe the rubber just needed to get broken in.

Great write up, nice job!