Roli Seaboard Rise 25

Allmänt

With the introduction of the Seaboard Rise USB keyboard, Roli wrote music history. Unlikely though it may seem, this device resembles a hybrid between a piano and a violin. The Seaboard features keys that can be played like a piano, keyboard or synthesizer, but it's also possible to control the instrument by sliding your hands across the keyboard, as if you're operating a large ribbon controller. Horizontal glides, for instance, create an astonishing portamento effect, while vertical slides control factors like loudness. Remarkable as it sounds, this keyboard offers the same expressive possibilities as a violin.

Characteristics of the Roli Seaboard Rise

The Rise offers 25 keywaves, as Roli calls them. The internal contact strips are covered by a silicone layer, which indeed makes them look like waves. Of course these keys feature both velocity sensitivity and aftertouch, characteristics Roli calls Strike and Press respectively. Lift is another interesting parameter, which refers to the speed at which a pressed key is released. We've already mentioned the horizontal Glides and the vertical Slides. Together, all of these parameters provide you with plenty of ways of expressing yourself musically - more than any other master keyboard possibly could.

Equator

If you know a thing or two about sound synthesis and MIDI controllers, no doubt you'll wonder how - and whether - all of this actually works. The answer to that is Equator, the software that comes with the Seaboard. With this comprehensive virtual synthesizer, you're able to use the Rise's expressive options to their full extent. The software differs from standard virtual instruments - the Seaboard isn't a standard sort of instrument, after all - and offers wavetable oscillators, sample playback and FM synthesis, complemented by two LFOs, extensive routing and elaborate filters (including comb filters). That's a pretty impressive package, to say the least, but the instrument's true power lies in its performance. Instead of reading about it, you should really experience the sound and feel of the Roli Seaboard Rise for yourself. It's like nothing you've heard or felt before!

• Obs: Equator programvara är speciellt designad för Seaboard och stöder dess unika egenskaper. Om du kombinerar Seaboard med annan programvara fungerar den som en vanlig USB/MIDI keyboard, utan dessa uttrycksmöjligheter.