MINI REVIEWS
£599.95
Web roli.com
Format Mac/PC, iOS
It’s hard to believe that ROLI have been making their unique touch-controlled hardware and software for over a decade now. In that time they’ve moved in price and size from superexpensive ‘five dimensions of touch’ Seaboard controller keyboards right down to the Block system that uses the same MPE touch system for some different ways to compose and play.
The Songmaker Kit Studio Edition is like a ‘best of’ covering all of the above, including the Seaboard Block keyboard – a much reduced in size version of the original Seaboard – and both the Lightpad and Live Blocks. In truth it’s a bunch of already-present technologies all held together in a neat-ish magnetic ‘Snapcase’. It is, supposedly a package that is more than the sum of its parts – which is just as well, as the bundle price is more than the sum of its parts – because it comes with significant software aimed at making it a ‘complete kit for creators’.
To give you a quick overview of the tech, you can play the Seaboard Block like a keyboard but it comes with extra touch dimensions that let you really twist, strike and slide your notes for some very expressive playing, especially with the bundled Equator synth. The smaller, squareshaped Lightpad Block is for creating more effect and beat-type sounds while the yet smaller Live Block lets you put performances and tunes together with some ease.
The best bit is the software bundle though, which includes ROLI Studio, which unites – with some success – the now too-many strands in the ROLI eco-verse. That alone features both Studio Player Drums to make the most of more than 500 preset sounds and beats. Further titles include three synths and versions of Tracktion and Ableton Live, but much of this is included with the individual elements of this bundle. As we say, those street for less, so really you’re paying for that Snapcase and some cool linkage.