ROLI's revolutionary soft-surface keyboard enables five dimensions of touch expression — creating performance possibilities no conventional keyboard can match.
| Keywaves | 24 (2 octaves) |
| Touch Dimensions | Strike, Press, Glide, Slide, Lift |
| Connection | USB-C + Bluetooth |
| Protocol | MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) |
| Bundle | Equator2 Player + Ableton Live Lite |
| Weight | 500g |
Strike (velocity), Press (polyphonic aftertouch), Glide (pitch bend along key), Slide (vertical axis parameter), Lift (release velocity). Combined with MPE-compatible software, these enable violin-like vibrato, saxophone-like breath control, and guitar-like bends from a keyboard format.
MPE treats each note as an independent MIDI channel, enabling per-note expression data. Compatible software includes Bitwig Studio, Ableton Live 11+, Logic Pro, and many modern synths.
The Seaboard requires real adaptation. Most players need two to four weeks to feel confident. The reward is a genuinely new way of making music.
Curious, experimental producers who want to explore new ways of interacting with sound. Particularly for sound designers, ambient music producers, and anyone who finds conventional keyboards creatively limiting.
The ROLI Seaboard Block M is one of the most genuinely innovative musical instruments of the last decade. Five-dimensional touch enables expressive performances no other controller at this price can match. It requires patience and adaptation but for producers curious about new forms of musical expression, it's a profound and inspiring purchase.