ROLI Unveils The Seaboard RISE 49 And Partners With Bitwig

The ROLI Seaboard RISE 25 was featured of our recent Sonic Joy awards in the category Best Innovations. We knew ROLI wouldn’t have stopped there though.

It turns out we were right. ROLI has just announced the Seaboard RISE 49. Featuring a larger playing surface, the RISE 49 expands the family of Seaboard RISE controllers only four months after the launch of the two­-octave RISE 25.

Offering new capabilities for recording, layering, and editing, the RISE 49 comes bundled with Bitwig 8-Track, the digital audio workstation. Bitwig 8­-Track is one of many DAWs compatible with Equator, ROLI’s software synthesizer and sound engine. Bitwig is built for Multidimensional Polyphonic Expression (MPE), an emerging category of music hardware and software that includes the Seaboard RISE.

All Seaboard creators will now receive Bitwig 8­-Track for free, helping them make and record multidimensional music right out of the box.

A Soft Case is included with every RISE 49. Wireless and portable, the Seaboard RISE is designed for making music on the go. The padded Soft Case lets RISE 49 creators carry their instrument conveniently around their home or studio – or on the road.

The RISE 49 becomes even more portable when paired with NOISE, ROLI’s free app. Using MIDI over Bluetooth, NOISE is a mobile sound engine that lets music­-makers work wirelessly with just a RISE and a mobile phone. Now available on iPhone and named an App of the Month , NOISE will soon be available across iOS and Android devices.

Significant updates to Equator, the multidimensional software synthesizer included with every Seaboard RISE, will also benefit RISE 49 creators and further expand Equator’s sonic palette. Over 100 new presets have been added. Startup times are now faster. And creators can now access velocity­-sensitive multi­-samples and tempo sync.

Price and availability
The RISE 49 retails for $1199 (£949, €1299). It is now available for preorder on www.roli.com. It will ship in late February and be available at ROLI’s network of retailers in North America and Europe in the first quarter of 2016.

Hardware Specifications:
● 49 Keywaves
● 834mmx210mmx25mm/4.2kg(32.8inx 8.3 in x 0.9 in / 9.2 lbs)
● Continuous pedal input (1/4″ jack)
● USB 2.0­B port (MIDI out and power)
● USB A port (for charging peripherals)
● 9-12V 2A DC port
● Internal rechargeable battery for up to 8 hours of wireless play
● MIDI compatibility over USB and Bluetooth

System Requirements:
● OS X 10.8+ / Windows 7+ / iOS
● Intel Core i5 2.5GHz or faster
● 4 GB RAM minimum / 8 GB RAM recommended
● 2 GB available disk space for Equator installation