NEW: Roli Seaboard Block

ROLI has just launched Seaboard Block, a uniquely versatile controller that brings next-generation expressive music technology into the mainstream

Priced at under £300, the Roli Seaboard Block is by far the most affordable model of a must-have music-making tool for the contemporary musician. Fitting easily in a backpack and connecting to ROLI’s free mobile app NOISE, it is the most accessible Seaboard ever made. “A portable Seaboard is literally genius,” said Grimes, a producer and global superstar who uses ROLI BLOCKS in her own production and sound design. “I’m so glad this device entered my life.”

Seaboard Block is also the newest Block in ROLI’s modular BLOCKS system, which launched worldwide in November 2016. Individual Blocks, each of which provide unique functions, can be connected together to build an expandable, customisable instrument for people of all musical backgrounds. Connecting to other Blocks — including other Seaboard Blocks — this 24-keywave super-powered keyboard is now at the centre of the world’s first mobile music studio.

Roland Lamb, founder and CEO of ROLI and inventor of the Seaboard and the BLOCKS family, said: “Music making will only begin to thrive in the digital age when electronic instruments are truly intuitive and can be played as expressively as any acoustic instrument. Seaboard Block is the culmination and convergence of our work at ROLI to create new instruments that are deeply emotive and easy to play. It is one of the most simultaneously accessible and expressive digital instruments ever made, and I can't wait to hear what people create with it.”

A wireless MIDI controller, Seaboard Block comes with a suite of music software and a diverse collection of interactive, expressive sounds. Equator Player is a new sound player for BLOCKS designed for anyone making music with a desktop computer. NOISE, the free app that pairs wirelessly with BLOCKS, is a mobile sound engine for making music on the go. NOISE makes Seaboard Block a portable musical sketchpad that can be taken anywhere.

NOISE and Equator Player both include over 100 expressive sounds from synths to strings. Alongside the launch of Seaboard Block, ROLI also releases six new soundpacks ranging from Vintage Electronic to Cinematica. Free with every Seaboard Block, the soundpacks put even more sounds at the fingertips of Seaboard Block creators. BLOCKS Dashboard extends the workflow possibilities even further by allowing creators to customise their setup with popular digital audio workstations and plugins like Ableton Live, Logic Pro, and Omnisphere.

ROLI Seaboard Block is expected to ship late June 2017, so keep your eyes and ears here for further updates.

• Multi-award- winning Seaboard interface
• 5D Touch Technology: Strike, Press, Glide, Slide, Lift
• 24 keywaves, two-octave playing surface
• Over 200 included sounds
• Wireless and portable
• Software bundle: NOISE, Equator Player, BLOCKS Dashboard

• Connects to other Roli Blocks

• Connectivity: USB-C port (MIDI out and power), Full MIDI compatibility over USB and Bluetooth LE

• 8 BLOCKS DNA connectors
• Power Source: Battery Power
• Height: 24.7 mm ( 0.97 inches)
• Length: 282 mm (11.10 inches)
• Width: 141 mm / (5.55 inches)
• Weight: 710 g (1.55 pounds)