Roli Seaboard RISE

[Cinebient]

But I also wanted to be able to have the absolute position of my finger (slide) on the key sent... This would allow me to, say, strike the key farther back to achieve a different initial sound (cutoff) than if I strike up front...

I agree. I have a Rise 25 and exchanging it for a 49 I love it so much.

I've been thinking it's a missed trick here. How great would it be to get cutoff by where on the key you played?

I wouldn't always want this but I hope they hear us and can offer a mode or something...

Yes! I want that too. I still have to use iOS apps and a touch screen for this mostly.
I also would like to have a different initial pan depending on where i hit the key if i use the slide for it in Equator but it just jumps after the first move to a certain value. That is not smooth.
The Seaboard is really great but could be a lot more flexible if the dashboard would allow me to set such things.
But i think it happens to work with Dune 2 when i midi learned the filter cutoff to CC74. When i hit the key at the bottom i got an initial low value and above i got an initial open filter.
Not sure why Equator doesn't do this.

[wilcofan]

When i hit the key at the bottom i got an initial low value and above i got an initial open filter.

Well I must eat my words. I thought this was not possible. Two nights ago I was controlling the cutoff depending on where on the key I started the note. (what app was I in??? can't remember)

Awesome!

p.s. returned my rise 25 for a 49 and totally impressed.

[Cinebient]

After some time now with my Seaboard Rise 25 and reading the whole thread again i still think that a touch screen is better for sliding.
I compared it in depth to my iPhone 6S plus and the Noise app with 3d touch.
Indeed is velocity (and velocity release) the only thing which works far better on my Rise. The other dimensions works much better on my iPhone.
It´s a bit dissapointing.
So i´m sure a big tablet with this 3d touch would replace my Seaboard in a heartbeat since i wanted it mainly for those smooth modulations and polyphonic pitch bends/glides.
But especially the glide is not smooth on a Seaboard. Even with 100% on it´s not possible to made slow smooth slides because there is always a stepping between notes. Everything under 60% sound even horrible to my taste.
It seems that the iPhone´s 3d touch doesn´t have this problem and sounds much more smooth when playing the same patches.
I doubt there will be a midi out for the app because they want sell hardware but it´s sad that a little app does it better than an expensive hardware.
So it seems it´s not really a fully continous surface for glides and it always step notes which is not such a problem with faster slides.
It´s a great feel to play on it yeah but it really was a big fault to buy for me in this stage.
Also the software is still not bug free. I finally give up and try to sell it again (it was a replaced one because my first had a hardware fault).
The more i explore my Rise the more things i miss.
I hope they release a better version one day where this works better and absolutly smooth.
Tactile feedback is not everything. The glides beeing the most important part for me i´m not very happy right now.
I don´t think there is anything they could do because it´s seems the nature of the hardware.
Would be nice if Roli gave at least an midi out option in the app for Seaboard owners and importing patches into the app.
Sorry, but the Seaboard rise is not nearly as expressive as 3D touch on a freking smartphone (yes, beside velocity)!!!
The day 3D touch comes for tablets such controllers seems to be obsolete (for me).
Can the soundplane or another MPE midi controller offer absolutely smooth pitch bends?

Edit: And also bluetooth does not work for long. I always have to reconnect the Rise several times or even have to turn it off and on again. Useless.

[plgo]

My brand new Roli Seaboard RISE 49 seems to have hardware problems. C5 key pressure problems and gets stucked playing without end

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz-DC9pVu8Q

[plgo]

I have called to the Roli support phone and they have told me that they have an issue with a complete batch of Roli Seaboard Rise 49. They will inform me when they can send me a new one.
I will keep you posted.

[deastman]

I just wanted to say that I'm still really loving my RISE 49. I've tried playing the NOISE app just using the iPad as a control surface, and while it is better for certain kinds of sweeping slides, it could never replace the RISE for me. Having an actual tactile surface with which to interact is really important, especially when it comes to finding the note centers. Its also just a whole lot more enjoyable to play. IMHO, of course.

[Vintage73]

As much as I LOVE the idea of this controller, I'm just seeing too many issues with it to feel comfortable shelling out $1200 for it.

I'll go with something a little more traditional, for now.

[deastman]

As much as I LOVE the idea of this controller, I'm just seeing too many issues with it to feel comfortable shelling out $1200 for it.

I'll go with something a little more traditional, for now.

That's a very sensible decision. However, I just have to say again that I find this thing absolutely amazing to play, especially for solo instruments like woodwinds, strings, and synth leads.

[Vintage73]

As much as I LOVE the idea of this controller, I'm just seeing too many issues with it to feel comfortable shelling out $1200 for it.

I'll go with something a little more traditional, for now.

That's a very sensible decision. However, I just have to say again that I find this thing absolutely amazing to play, especially for solo instruments like woodwinds, strings, and synth leads.

It actually breaks my heart. I was hoping to get one recently, but after thinking about it, I don't know if I can trust the electronics in it for the future (what sort of contacts are there in the keys?).

I truly appreciate that people have purchased them, though. I'm sure it makes orchestral instruments sound phenomenal.

I don't begrudge anyone that decides to purchase this controller.

[deastman]

As much as I LOVE the idea of this controller, I'm just seeing too many issues with it to feel comfortable shelling out $1200 for it.

I'll go with something a little more traditional, for now.

That's a very sensible decision. However, I just have to say again that I find this thing absolutely amazing to play, especially for solo instruments like woodwinds, strings, and synth leads.

It actually breaks my heart. I was hoping to get one recently, but after thinking about it, I don't know if I can trust the electronics in it for the future (what sort of contacts are there in the keys?).

I truly appreciate that people have purchased them, though. I'm sure it makes orchestral instruments sound phenomenal.

I don't begrudge anyone that decides to purchase this controller.

I think it is actually one big long pressure sensitive XY surface. The "keys" are just a layer of silicone rubber molded into the shape of keys and laid on top of the actually pressure sensitive area. You can kind of see this in the Roli Dashboard application, which visualizes the multiple finger presses as deformations on a single large grid area.

[pdxindy]

Sorry, but the Seaboard rise is not nearly as expressive as 3D touch on a freking smartphone (yes, beside velocity)!!!

Let's see someone do this on their phone! (not a chance)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh-hzbG5FzI

[Vintage73]

See? Now you've got me all confused with being all...naked...and articulate...

(Sorry, it's kind of a paraphrase of Malcolm Reynolds on Firefly)

[deastman]

Sorry, but the Seaboard rise is not nearly as expressive as 3D touch on a freking smartphone (yes, beside velocity)!!!

Let's see someone do this on their phone! (not a chance)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh-hzbG5FzI

While I completely agree, I also suspect that Marco Parisi could play an awesome Hendrix rendition using nothing more than an iPhone.

[Cinebient]

Sorry, but the Seaboard rise is not nearly as expressive as 3D touch on a freking smartphone (yes, beside velocity)!!!

Let's see someone do this on their phone! (not a chance)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh-hzbG5FzI

Of course that is another thing. I also said that velocity and the general fun and feel is better with tactile feedback but it´s f.e. nearly impossible to do slower smooth slides on a Seaboard since there is a stepping pitch bend. The 3D touch doesn´t suffer from it.
Also as i say you can´t do such fast modulations on the keywaves, make diagonal slides (X, Y) and change your pressure Z at the same time. The XY pad and sliders on the Seaboard are also not responsive enough for my tastes. Maybe i was hoping that the Seaboard is a bit more touch screen as keyboard but it is more keyboard than touch screen
So both things has pro and contra. Of course a 3D touch giant tablet would be awesome too. It doesn´t change the missing tactile feedback but the visual feedback and versatility would be much better. I learned to play and growed on touch screens so it´s not such a problem for me personally.
I sound maybe a bit to harsh and must say that i still think Roli is a great company and the support is outstanding as well. It get a lot hype from famous artists but that doesn´t mean there is no room for improvement. Especially the software is and was very buggy from the beginning until now.
At the moment it works but i have no more visual feedback via the dashboard since i updated the firmware (which you can´t set back) f.e. Not the world´s end but this are all little pains which shouldn´t be there in a premium device.
I think an improved Seaboard Rise 2 (or whatever) with a bit more sliders, knobs on top i would consider to buy again. Thought about the 4 octave but no way yet.
One thing is indeed amazing...if you set the Seaboard up and control several different synths splitted to different midi channels at the same time and play it like one instrument you get some unbelivable livley sounds!

[pdxindy]

Sorry, but the Seaboard rise is not nearly as expressive as 3D touch on a freking smartphone (yes, beside velocity)!!!

Let's see someone do this on their phone! (not a chance)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh-hzbG5FzI

Of course that is another thing.

I believe you with the bugginess and your general assessment... nevertheless, the Rise is still beautifully expressive.

I don't know how slow a slide you want to do... but in the hour I spent at the shop playing the Rise49, it did not seem to be a problem to do a slide up say an octave... I did notice that it took some practice to get the result I wanted. I expect some learning curve and training in its use.

I've still held off from a purchase, waiting for the reports of bugs to improve...