ROLI seaboard block / Lightpad block / options for MPE

[macmuse]

Am interested in the Seaboard block or lightpad block. According to the videos they both do all the 5 functions (slide etc) but because of the layout differences, I am wondering for those of you using them, would you regret not getting one over the other in terms of usability if you just want the MPE ability for leads? (I wouldn’t be using either to replace my keyboard controller for piano-like playing.)

Does the Lightblock have to interface with iOS every time for its settings, whereas the keyboard does not?

And on that subject, do you know of iOS MPE apps that can actually interface with a DAW, instead of these hardware devices? The Roli 5D would be great if it were actually functional that way instead of inside iOS only.

[Tj Shredder]

I have the first Block, which is too hard to play compared to my lovely LinnStrument. Back when I got it, the Seaboard block did not exist. Today I would prefer the Seaboard over the Block most likely. But none of them can hold up to a LinnStrument in terms of playability.
The 5D app can be controlled by Midi, Noise not anymore, it only reacts to a Block... (shame on Roli for crippling it...)

[macmuse]

Thank you very much for your reply. I see the first block is going pretty cheap on ebay, which I thought would be nice to try out and see if I will really use this stuff, but your reply confirms other bits and pieces I've read where it was hard to play.

When you say the 5D app can be controlled by MIDI, it can't connect to a desktop computer (USB or Bluetooth) and send MIDI to a DAW though, right? Or can it be used as a remote controlling device, i.e. with Logic, Bitwig or another MPE-capable DAW?

What makes the Linn so much nicer, BTW? Just wish it wasn't so much $.

[Jax Pok]

I have the Roli block Seaboard and the light block and control blocks. I use them with Ableton Live on windows 10. Midi is sent thought USB cable the Seaboard and pad can be updated using the USB cable but the control blocks require midi over blutooth which I cant get to work. The Lightpad block uses the blocks dashboard software to change profiles and settings which get stored in the lightpad block.

[SteveElbows]

I've got seaboard block, original lightpad blocks, updated lightpad M blocks.

Cannot recommend the original lightpad block, the M has a much better feel.

I would always recommend the seaboard block over the lightpad for people who can play the keyboard already. The Lightpad M is good if you arent well-versed in which notes belong in a particular sale, for example.

I've seen people complain that the velocity calibration is not consistent across the entire surface of the lightpad. eg grid positions around the edges of the physical device respond differently to ones located more centrally in the device. I'm not a good enough player to really confirm this properly but it seems very plausible.

As for MPE midi in DAWs etc, as others have already said, these devices do show up as standard midi in/out devices when hooked up with usb cable. You can even switch off the MPE-specific bits if, for example, you want to play mono leads with a far wider range of software/hardware instruments that dont support MPE. Bluetooth midi has some issues on Windows, although can still be made to work to an extent if you have the right hardware & version of windows & free bluetooth->normal midi bridging app off the windows store (forgot name of it). Bluetooth is fine on macOS.

[Tj Shredder]

What makes the Linn so much nicer, BTW? Just wish it wasn't so much $.

You should touch it! It is also much nicer than a Seaboard, though I do understand those coming from a keyboard background to prefer those...
On a Seaboard you have a very soft surface. That makes it almost impossible to play sounds with a hard attack like pianos or percussion, in case you have assigned the aftertouch as well to some expression. You could make decent finger drumming on a LinnStrument and still have perfect control over aftertouch and also the y-axis. The pitch range of a LinnStrument is naturally way bigger. On the Seaboard you would always have to move to the top or the bottom to create slides, which forces you to move the assigned y-axis parameter as well to full or zero...
Pulling out the money for a LinnStrument was worth every penny I spent. I was dreaming in the past always about getting a Continuum, but that was way out of reach. I think the LinnStrument is also compared to that a much better expressive controller...

[Astralp]

I've just got a seaboard block last week and I love it, it's such a new experience, so I thought I'd add my experience with it to this thread.

I was expecting it to be much harder to play than it is and I've got used to it quickly. You can change the sensitivity of each dimension and so toning down glide slightly really helps play it in tune when playing the raised keys. The main problem for me is strike(velocity) which I find hard to control but I guess I'll get used to it, but again you can alter the curve so you don't have to hit it so hard.

I saw a video on youtube before I bought it with someone using one for polyphonic aftertouch in single channel mode as opposed to channel pressure, however this setting isn't there in the Dashboard which I'm disappointed about as it was a feature I was interested in. The setting is shown for the Rise on the website, which makes me think it's been removed for the block seeing as how the video shows it in use. The Dashboard he has open looks nothing like the one I've got. If anyone knows anything about this I'd be interested to know why, I'm hoping it isn't held back to encourage people to get a rise. I'm sure the rise is great, but I really like the footprint of the block and the size of the keys.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGwl0VNzD8Q

For me it's seriously great value though and works really well, already I can't imagine living without it. I'm thinking about getting a second to make 48 keys but I'm not sure how well that works in practice and whether it is a single midi channel and the blocks automatically become one or they are treated as individual instruments. This would make a big difference to the setup because if they are separate you would have to assign different channel ranges to each which would be more of a pain but workable. I suppose the upside of that would be that you could assign them to different instruments though which would be useful too.

EDITED: This was a paragraph moaning about Equator but was completely wrong, I was set straight by Himalaya and learned that I should have read the manual before posting on the internet...

On the iPad, the bluetooth works great, I haven't noticed any issues or latency. you get lots of presets in NOISE including some SWAM libraries which sound very good, however they can't be used outside of Noise and the app itself isn't something I would use to make music. Useful as a real instrument to record as audio though. Apparently you can use the other Noise presets excluding the SWAM in Garageband etc.. but I haven't tried that. It's a shame that none of these presets aren't available in Equator which you would think they would be, I can understand why the SWAM aren't but the rest should be.

So so far I've been using it with the Bitwig synths, Falcon and Synthmaster One which all work pretty well, plus the U-HE synths that support Multi-Channel are great for it but they don't support Slide directly, however you can assign the CC to Modulation Wheel in the Dashboard. None support Release though, but I'm sure over time more synths will start to support the full spec now it is official.

Finally another positive is that you can open the Dashboard without having to shut down the DAW (I wish Arturia would do that) which makes changing settings non disruptive.

[himalaya]

The Modulation assignments are a huge long list you have to scroll through,

I would recommend that you don't use the Modulation List (the Mod Matrix). It's there just in case but you should be using the main Modulation Panel, which does not deal with lists of parameters. You just simply select a modulation source, eg PRESS, and then go to any parameter on the GUI and virtually 'draw' a modulation amount around a dial. As simple as that.
The Mod List panel is there, sure, but it's only meant for those who want to suffer!

no mouse wheel support

The mouse wheel is definitely supported in Equator. It works here and has alway worked!

and worst of all no 'Init' preset which every synth should have

It's there! Click on the top right menu button and select 'NEW'. That's your 'init.

Additionally, In the PLAYLISTS section, you have access to a playlist with 10 additional 'initialised' presets, or 'templates', which allow you an easy start with various pre-configured items. For example, if you want to start with looped envelopes, you can do so easily by selecting the 'init-Looped Envelopes' template. Or if you want a pre-configured FM start, choose one of the FM templates. Easy! It's all there!

[Astralp]

oh wow it's nice to wrong, it's basically the transmod system That changes everything, I saw that Modulation list and my heart sank, I was referring to the mousewheel not working in the list, but that doesn't matter now. Thanks very much for setting me straight, I'm excited about exploring it now and I promise to read the manual.

[macmuse]

Here's a question: once you get the seaboard block, is it a fairly easy setup? Once configured, you don't have to keep assigning things, right? There was a comment I remember from somewhere about re-setting this to that, then going back into the dashboard for something else, etc. that sounded like it was a complicated ordeal.

If you needed more than one configuration, like for synths and another for orchestral instruments, let's say, it can do that where you can quickly switch between them? Or would that not be necessary to need more than one config? Thanks.

Once set up, I don't want to keep fiddling with it, or keep going into dashboard each time I play the thing.

[sprnva]

I posted this (long!) review video in another Seaboard Block thread but it's probably no harm to link it here too.

It answers a lot of the questions people have about these squidgy little things.

[himalaya]

it's basically the transmod system That changes everything,

Yes! It's exactly like that! So if you know the 'FXpansion way' of modulation, you should feel at home.

And for anyone else who isn't familiar with that, the modulation system in Equator is really a child's play. Just stay on that Modulation Panel! Everything is possible from that view. I would say, use the Modulation List view only if you desire a specific mod curve shape between some parameters. That's all. For everything else, use the Mod Panel. And explore the expression curves, they are key to good 5D sounds!

With the expression curves you can split the ribbon to have separate timbres going up and down! Powerful stuff! Or you can limit the continuous pressure and imitate the 'aftertouch' design, if the sound demands it (since there are sounds which do not need this smooth continuous pressure response as provided by the Seaboards and Blocks by default. Expression curves deal with this easily)

[Echoes in the Attic]

Had the seaboard block for a while and it's really nice, however I ended up selling because for a keybaord layout I just found it too small for my fingers, and my fingers aren't that huge. The full sized one would probably suit me better. I plan on getting a linnstrument most likely anyways, so wasn't sure I wanted both yet.

But I think the seaboard and linnstrument have certain qualities that just won't overlap. And the main ones are:
-As someone mentined, it's really nice that you aren't forced to modulate the Y direction in order to do slides on the linnstrument, which you are on the seaboard.
-However, any hard surface like the linnstrument is always going to be much harder to separate aftertouch from velocity, because aftertouch either engages immediately or you have to set a delay. It's tough to have full independant control over these two. I have this issue with the CME keyobard. I really can't have aftertouch sounds if I want velocity control to be independant from that. With the seaboard however it is actually quite easy to play various velocities and also independently determine when you want aftertouch because of the squishiness and depth of the material. So that's a similar advantage in separating expressions like the linnstrument has with Y/pitch.

Obviously there is also the note layout too ,but again each one has it's advantage. Linnstrument isomorphic layout is great, especially for us guitarists! But it is much harder to play certain chords like you would on a keyboard layout.

One thing I'm really curious about is the new sensel morph. They say you can do custom layouts. I'd be interested in a linnstrument grid like layout with that, as it's cool to be able to switch the overlays.

[Echoes in the Attic]

it's basically the transmod system That changes everything,

Yes! It's exactly like that! So if you know the 'FXpansion way' of modulation, you should feel at home.

And for anyone else who isn't familiar with that, the modulation system in Equator is really a child's play. Just stay on that Modulation Panel! Everything is possible from that view. I would say, use the Modulation List view only if you desire a specific mod curve shape between some parameters. That's all. For everything else, use the Mod Panel. And explore the expression curves, they are key to good 5D sounds!

With the expression curves you can split the ribbon to have separate timbres going up and down! Powerful stuff! Or you can limit the continuous pressure and imitate the 'aftertouch' design, if the sound demands it (since there are sounds which do not need this smooth continuous pressure response as provided by the Seaboards and Blocks by default. Expression curves deal with this easily)

Equator is awesome! I desperately hope they add granular synthesis too, it would just be perfect. I'm also very happy that they just released an update with much clearer text on windows!

[himalaya]

-As someone mentined, it's really nice that you aren't forced to modulate the Y direction in order to do slides on the linnstrument, which you are on the seaboard.

Can you clarify what you mean? The 'Y' direction is 'slide'. Did you mean 'glide' by any chance?

STRIKE - velocity
GLIDE - X dimension, pitch bend
SLIDE - Y dimension, CC74
PRESS - Z dimension, pressure
LIFT - velocity note-off