Roli Seaboard RISE

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

I can get a Rise 49 for about 865 Euros directly from Thomann.

Thank you, VAT deduction when buying from another EU member state via my registered business!

My heart skipped a beat when I read the first line, and then settled after reading the rest

[EvilDragon]

[Cinebient]

The Rise 25 goes also now for €666 (including 19% vat).
Bad for me since i wanted to sell mine.

[BONES]

I got mine for the equivalent of about 550 euros last year, by a freakish combination of discounts on eBay - a seller had it for about 10% off and eBay were offering 20% off on top of that, for one afternoon only.

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

My Rise 49 has just arrived.

I feel scared to even open the outer box that contains the plastic air-bag protectors that protect the inner box. It might be a few more days before I even see the thing, let alone touch it

It makes me nervous to have spent so much money on a single piece of kit, that I can't really afford. I know that if it works out how I imagined, it will be worth it. However, I can't shake a little nagging glimpse of buyer's remorse (Didn't help that during the wait I read every post in this thread).

Gonna spend the rest of the day cleaning my room, and preparing the space. Then time to watch some more tutorials. But I think I'll wait till the morning to get around to playing it, with a fresh mind, clear brain, and very clean hands (Just in case it needs to go back).

[ChamomileShark]

if it's any comfort I've had mine a few months and I think it's making a huge difference - I've hardly touched my Nektar Panorama 6 - it just feels too clunky.

It will take a while to get used to - remember you can turn down the slide so if your playing like mine is sloppy it won't sound like a sick cow but there is still some vibrato available.

Something I'm realising with Equator - turn off some of the over done effects and perhaps for the complex "new age" sounds if you don't like them turn off some of the samples and oscillators to give you a simpler sound.

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

if it's any comfort I've had mine a few months and I think it's making a huge difference - I've hardly touched my Nektar Panorama 6 - it just feels too clunky.

It will take a while to get used to - remember you can turn down the slide so if your playing like mine is sloppy it won't sound like a sick cow but there is still some vibrato available.

Something I'm realising with Equator - turn off some of the over done effects and perhaps for the complex "new age" sounds if you don't like them turn off some of the samples and oscillators to give you a simpler sound.

Actually, I've been sold on the idea of this tech for a while, and I really know how much difference it could make (I was always one of those players who waggled their fingers while playing to meter out phrasing for passages, and imagining vibrato etc).

I'll get over it, f'sure, but I have to be very careful that this thing remains blemish-free in case I end up with some of the issues that others have reported and it has to be returned.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

I've had the Rise here for a while and the last few weeks with it have been the best. The difference? Using it with Cubase (instead of Studio One) and setting up track templates for it using third party instruments. U-he's Diva and RePro-5 in particular are current Rise favorites, but also Kontakt, and The Legend. The other thing is learning how to play it. I'm a guitar player first, and a keyboard player second and had a hard time adjusting to the Rise. For instance, legato playing half step intervals will trigger a bend. So you have to adjust that element of your playing style. Another? Not resting your fingers on the key waves when you're not actually playing a note. You need to hover your fingers over the keys. Also triggering a strong strike and keeping a key wave pressed without triggering the polyphonic aftertouch. It took me a while to adjust and find the things that work, but I'm quite impressed with it now. So even if you feel some buyer's remorse early on, keep giving it a shot and try different things with it. It may start to click like it did with me. Congrats on the purchase!

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

I've had the Rise here for a while and the last few weeks with it have been the best. The difference? Using it with Cubase (instead of Studio One) and setting up track templates for it using third party instruments. U-he's Diva and RePro-5 in particular are current Rise favorites, but also Kontakt, and The Legend. The other thing is learning how to play it. I'm a guitar player first, and a keyboard player second and had a hard time adjusting to the Rise. For instance, legato playing half step intervals will trigger a bend. So you have to adjust that element of your playing style. Another? Not resting your fingers on the key waves when you're not actually playing a note. You need to hover your fingers over the keys. Also triggering a strong strike and keeping a key wave pressed without triggering the polyphonic aftertouch. It took me a while to adjust and find the things that work, but I'm quite impressed with it now. So even if you feel some buyer's remorse early on, keep giving it a shot and try different things with it. It may start to click like it did with me. Congrats on the purchase!

[killmaster]

I've had the Rise here for a while and the last few weeks with it have been the best. The difference? Using it with Cubase (instead of Studio One) and setting up track templates for it using third party instruments. U-he's Diva and RePro-5 in particular are current Rise favorites, but also Kontakt, and The Legend. The other thing is learning how to play it. I'm a guitar player first, and a keyboard player second and had a hard time adjusting to the Rise. For instance, legato playing half step intervals will trigger a bend. So you have to adjust that element of your playing style. Another? Not resting your fingers on the key waves when you're not actually playing a note. You need to hover your fingers over the keys. Also triggering a strong strike and keeping a key wave pressed without triggering the polyphonic aftertouch. It took me a while to adjust and find the things that work, but I'm quite impressed with it now. So even if you feel some buyer's remorse early on, keep giving it a shot and try different things with it. It may start to click like it did with me. Congrats on the purchase!

I'd be curious to see how you set up the templates in Cubase to do this for Repro 5?

[K-Bee]

I just realized (by coincidence) that the Seaboard is a great substitute for drumpads. Banging away on the responsive keywaves actually works great

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

I've had the Rise here for a while and the last few weeks with it have been the best.

Y'mean this actually gets better?

I'm three hours in and yet to get to the end of the 'D's in Equator's preset list. So glad it also comes in a standalone app so you can just sit and play.

Cinebient described it as having the look and feel of something fashioned from some alien craft, and I'd have to agree; it looks way ahead of it's (our) time. It actually looks almost as heavy as it is, and everything about it, even before you start playing it, feels like it's worth the price paid.

Then you start to play it...

It's a perfect marriage of form and function, and enough to bring a grown man to tears

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

I just realized (by coincidence) that the Seaboard is a great substitute for drumpads. Banging away on the responsive keywaves actually works great

That was one of my biggest hopes.

I have been finger-drumming for quite a while. Recently, I've been using my Nektar keyboard to finger-drum. Firstly, because it allows easier triggering of the lightest velocities, and secondly, because I no longer want to have a huge set-up with keyboard and my two drum-pad controllers.

The only issue is that I missed the tactile feel of the rubber pads. So, I was really banking on this controller being more responsive without losing that tactile element. While I have yet to play any drum sounds, the percussive patches/instruments in Equator are so much fun to play.

I read a comment by someone (This thread, maybe), that playing the Seaboard was liking playing the strings of the piano directly. And I totally agree - There is no disconnect involved like there is with the travel of a normal key-press.

I'm hoping it works well with some of my more expressive kits

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

I've had the Rise here for a while and the last few weeks with it have been the best. The difference? Using it with Cubase (instead of Studio One) and setting up track templates for it using third party instruments. U-he's Diva and RePro-5 in particular are current Rise favorites, but also Kontakt, and The Legend. The other thing is learning how to play it. I'm a guitar player first, and a keyboard player second and had a hard time adjusting to the Rise. For instance, legato playing half step intervals will trigger a bend. So you have to adjust that element of your playing style. Another? Not resting your fingers on the key waves when you're not actually playing a note. You need to hover your fingers over the keys. Also triggering a strong strike and keeping a key wave pressed without triggering the polyphonic aftertouch. It took me a while to adjust and find the things that work, but I'm quite impressed with it now. So even if you feel some buyer's remorse early on, keep giving it a shot and try different things with it. It may start to click like it did with me. Congrats on the purchase!

I'd be curious to see how you set up the templates in Cubase to do this for Repro 5?

Here are the steps I've followed to get it setup:

1. Roli Dashboard - MPE On, Channels 2-9 (one for each voice of Repro-5 in 8 voice mode)
2. Load up RePro-5 in a new Instrument Track in Cubase
3. Set the instrument track to receive MIDI from "Any" channel in the Inspector
4. Setup the MIDI Input Transformer to convert CC74 to either CC2 (breath) or CC11 (expression) (see below) - make sure you turn on the Module (I hate that Cubase starts with Module 1 disabled) - this converts "slide" to polyphonic breath or expression, both of which RePro-5 supports
5. Open up the Note Expression tab in the Inspector, scroll to the bottom of the parameter list and check the boxes for Pitchbend and Poly-pressure - this will write the data as Note Expression, which is nice
6. Open up RePro-5 and use the Mod Matrix to assign Breath to filter (or whatever you want) and Aftertouch to resonance (or whatever you want) and then...
7. Go to the Tweaks page and set your pitchbend to 24 or 48 (depending on which Seaboard you have)
8. Lock the Pitchbend parameters in the Tweaks page, and maybe even the mod matrix parameters
9. Save this as a Track Template in Cubase

With that, RePro-5 essentially becomes a fully MPE compatible synth and you can even change presets and not lose your MPE assignments due to the U-he parameter Lock functionality. Then you can load up that Track Template for future use and you're all set.

input transformer.jpg

[killmaster]

Thank you FET! All working and template made. Much appreciated!!! Thanks for the Transformer image too.