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New Roli MIDI Keyboard
Roli recently announced a new MIDI keyboard they call Roli Piano. They are marketing it as an education keyboard, but I think it might be an interesting keyboard for performing live. It has 49 full-size keys with "full plunge depth." As far as I know, all of their previous keyboards either had the "squishy" rubber keys or narrow keys. The Roli Piano supports MPE and polyphonic aftertouch. The keyboard can connect to your iPad via Bluetooth, USB, or 3.5mm TRS MIDI port. It has a built-in rechargeable battery (so between the battery and Bluetooth, you can have a wireless setup).
The keys all can be programmed to light up when played using whatever color scheme you want. The introductory price is $400 USD. Roli hasn't been very supportive of iOS in recent years, but it looks like this new keyboard is intended to be used with an iPad based on all the pictures on their webpage and the videos they posted on Youtube.
Thoughts?
Comments
I think it might be an interesting keyboard that won’t be supported when it breaks.
Funny answer! Yes, Roli has quite a bad reputation as far as I can tell. But the keys light up when you play them!
I had the poor judgment to pre-order the Lumi, of which this is just an extension. It was terrible and I threw it out.
It looks like they are targeting the mass market of kids forced to learn piano… but some will volunteer for adding colors as a metaphor for pitches. I wish they did have a cash cow product so they could continue to make controllers for creators the leverage MPE or MIDI 2 features.
Can you share a bit more about why it was so bad? (and, for contrast, perhaps 1 or 2 MIDI keyboards that you think are good)
That's what keeps me from buying it now. If it worked well and was reliable and serviceable enough, I'd love to buy it!
I can't seem to find a manual though and who knows if the MIDI support is good enough to use it properly with other apps too.
I bought it before I realized that most of the functionality comes with the subscription. Like the scale functions. It's a shame to me cause it could be a great keyboard standalone if it had advanced features through Dashboard for musicians but as is, it's really intended to be part of a learning package.
It was chintzy, despite its heavy little case, and the surface of the keys was terrible. Like unfinished frets. It was also absurdly overpriced for what it actually provided, which was predicated on the use of an app I had no use for.
I'm not much of a keyboardist, so I can't be considered authoritative or reliable, but I do have some opinions from decades of experience.
The best synth keyboards are Yamaha FS keyboards, introduced in the DX7 and iterated over the years to their current version in the Montage. Like Cherry Reds for your synth. Cheap Yamaha keys, though, stink. I actually have an old Motif I cut the keyboard off of.
I also really like the old Roland keys, which are completely different - mushy as hell by comparison - but quick and responsive.
I've had a couple of Novations and they're... ok.
Stay the hell away from Nektar.
I have some "touch" devices like Keith McMillen and Roli, and while they're good at what they do, my playing is so sloppy that I really need more conventional keys to feel.
My current main keyboard is actually an Arturia Keystep... which is ridiculous, of course. Hardly a keyboard at all. But it's inoffensive, actually feels kind of ok, and is appropriate for how I work these days.
Oh. And an Osmose. Which is... fascinating.
Thanks for the great answer. I took piano lessons as a kid and I struggle to play anything that isn't a "traditional" keyboard (no mini keys, squishy keys, etc.). There are so many keyboards with crappy-feeling key action. My two favorite low-cost options right now are the Casio CT-S1 (available with 61 or 73 keys) and the Swissonic Easykey 49 (built like a metal tank, only sold by Thomann Music). I tried an Osmose once and thought it was brilliant, but I couldn't justify the cost based on how I would use it.