Roli Lumi Keys (Now Called "Piano M")

[Constructed Identity]

Am I seriously the only person on KVR who has a Lumi Keys? WTF is wrong with you people?

Obviously no one is buying them to spite you specifically

Bones should start a social media empire as a 'Dis-influencer'

[BONES]

Wtf is wrong with people that think they are the center of the world and everyone must share their opinions?

Or maybe, and I'm going out on a limb here, they just want to keep a thread alive long enough for anyone who might be interested to see it? That said, who among us doesn't have some kind of MIDI controller? Given that, why would this thread not be a perfectly reasonable thing for anyone to be interested in?

[PieBerger]

Am I seriously the only person on KVR who has a Lumi Keys? WTF is wrong with you people?

Wtf is wrong with people that think they are the center of the world and everyone must share their opinions?

[FranklyFlawless]

ROLI has a long history of (prematurely) discontinuing their MPE hardware controllers, along with other various issues. However, I would probably justify demoing a ROLI Seaboard GRAND Limited First Edition if given the opportunity.

[Uncle E]

Do they provide driver support for discontinued models?

[FranklyFlawless]

I do not know nor care about discontinued/orphaned products not affiliated with my workflow, other than simply keeping track of their statuses in my lists of MPE hardware. Currently there are a dozen from ROLI that have the discontinued status in the list of MPE hardware controllers, nearly as much as all of the other manufacturers' discontinued products combined (12 vs. 13 ignoring interfaces, otherwise 12 vs. 15).

[Uncle E]

Well, if anyone else can answer, I'd appreciate it. Their website doesn't provide a clear answer and I'd rather not buy hardware that will quickly stop working.

[BONES]

Do they provide driver support for discontinued models?

Probably, everything seems to run through a unified "Roli Driver". All my Lightpads still work and two of them are the original, non "M" versions.

[Uncle E]

Thanks. Great to know.

[BONES]

My pleasure.

[BONES]

ROLI has a long history of (prematurely) discontinuing their MPE hardware controllers

Firstly, why is that any kind of issue? If you buy one, why would you care if it was discontinued the next day? Moog discontinued the Model D 42 years ago but that doesn't seem to have had much effect on its utility or desirability.

Secondly, I'd dispute that claim anyway. They are still manufacturing and selling the Seaboard Rise and Seaboard Block and the Lightpad went through several iterations, over many years, before it was discontinued. The Control Blocks were quite short-lived but that's likely because they weren't really very useful. Given that the company went through a bankruptcy, I'd say that's a more than reasonable track record. OK, the Seaboard Grand only lasted a few years but that's likely because it was very expensive, offered inferior functionality and nobody bought it. You can't expect a small company to keep manufacturing a product no-one is buying.

[poonna]

One thing is that, discontinued products are still supported in their ROLI Dashboard software. It’s just that they are no longer for sale.

They are also functional without ROLI Dashboard. It’s only needed if I want to reconfigure them.

[FranklyFlawless]

Firstly, why is that any kind of issue? If you buy one, why would you care if it was discontinued the next day?

Money is a finite resource, so I must ration it towards purchasing long-lasting products. In an ideal scenario, I purchase a product only once, not multiple times through planned obsolescence and/or subscriptions. The LinnStrument is an easy example due to its replaceable hardware components and open-source firmware:

• Support - LinnStrument - FAQs

Q: Roger, you're 69 (as of 2024). What if you retire? Will I be able to get parts? Will LinnStrument become unavailable?

A: That's a legitimate question. First, I'm not the type of person to retire because I enjoy what I do too much, and I have enough time to enjoy other life pursuits. Second, I keep my expenses low and don't take investment, so there's no chance of an investor pulling his funding or demanding compromises, as happens sometimes to funded companies.

If I do semi-retire someday, I'd make sure that some company continues to make LinnStruments and LinnStrument replacement parts. If needed, I'll open-source the hardware, just as I open-sourced the software. The most important thing to me is that people are able to continue to get LinnStruments and replacement parts forever.

[Uncle E]

Excellent point. Nowhere near as beautiful as a Seaboard or Osmose, unfortunately.

[BONES]

Money is a finite resource, so I must ration it towards purchasing long-lasting products.

So do your homework and you won't have a problem.

In an ideal scenario, I purchase a product only once, not multiple times through planned obsolescence and/or subscriptions. The LinnStrument is an easy example due to its replaceable hardware components and open-source firmware:

• Support - LinnStrument - FAQs

How is that any different to Roli? Just because they stop making a product doesn't mean they stop fixing them if you need it.

Q: Roger, you're 69 (as of 2024). What if you retire? Will I be able to get parts? Will LinnStrument become unavailable?

A: That's a legitimate question. First, I'm not the type of person to retire because I enjoy what I do too much, and I have enough time to enjoy other life pursuits. Second, I keep my expenses low and don't take investment, so there's no chance of an investor pulling his funding or demanding compromises, as happens sometimes to funded companies.

If I do semi-retire someday, I'd make sure that some company continues to make LinnStruments and LinnStrument replacement parts. If needed, I'll open-source the hardware, just as I open-sourced the software. The most important thing to me is that people are able to continue to get LinnStruments and replacement parts forever.

Better hope he doesn't drop dead of a heart attack before he gets that all organised. Roli have been through a bankruptcy and come out the other side and they aren't wholly reliant on a single person to keep it all up and running. I think they are a much safer bet than any 69 year old going it alone.