The ROLI Blocks Family Gets Bigger With Seaboard Block, Touch Block (+ Free Equator Player)

Today ROLI introduced two new members of the Blocks family, Seaboard Block and Touch Block, plus Equator Player – a new software synth (for Mac OS and Windows) based on the Equator software.

The Seaboard Block is the real surprise here. Honestly I didn’t see this ‘hybrid’ block coming, but it definitely makes sense.

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Seaboard Block is based on the design of the popular Seaboard keyboard controller (featured also in our 2015 Sonic Joy awards).
It’s a two-octave controller with ROLI’s 5D touch technology we’ve already seen in the Seaboard RISE and Seaboard Grand models.
In terms of connectivity, it boasts a USB port (for MIDI out and power supply), full MIDI compatibility via USB and Bluetooth LE, plus 8 BLOCKS DNA connectors.

Seaboard Block can be used with NOISE, Equator Player, BLOCKS Dashboard software and can be expanded connecting additional blocks.

Touch Block is a ‘utility’ block which allows you to control the five touch dimensions of your Lightpad Block or Seaboard Block. Basically, what the Touch Block does with its buttons is setting the sensitivity of the Seaboard and LightpadBlocks towards your finger movements.

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Now, while Touch Block is great news and it brings several benefits (hands-on experience, no menu diving, etc.), I hope this doesn’t mean it will be the only way to adjust the sensitivity of our Blocks.

The information in our possession is not exhaustive, but I’m confident that ROLI will give users a choice, adding some sensitivity options in NOISE, Equator Player and Blocks Dashboard as well.