Seaboard RISE 2: Your questions answered

[@pshimmons]

It’s always nice when creators and companies respond to their users questions and comments! Great video guys! I think this answered a bunch of questions for people which were really bugging them! Keep on being awesome!

[@WeAreROLI]

Thanks for your support! 🙌

[@electropunkzero]

The RISE 2 has been my primary instrument for months now. I absolutely love it and can't go back to anything else.

[@Zimer100]

Even though absolutely everything looked shady when the Rise 2 opened up for preorders, I pulled the trigger and ordered one because I believe and support innovation. I wish you guys the best, keep up the good work!

[@erichaberman3812]

Exactly the same reaction from me. Sure hope we get our orders...

[@timnijs1278]

wait, did you get one? xd

[@erichaberman3812]

@@timnijs1278 For me, not yet. I did get an email recently that my order is still on schedule for arrival early Dec. So that's promising! ☺️

[@pipizondersnuif1335]

@@erichaberman3812 didnt receive any updates but received my seaboard waay sooner then expected. batch 9 just yesterday

[@erichaberman3812]

@@pipizondersnuif1335 Congratulations! I got mine (batch7) just a week or so ago. I'm blown away at how versatile this instrument is! Exceeds expectations. Hope you are enjoying yours too!

[@Philojira]

Bought the Seaboard RISE 49 shortly after it was launched (through Sweetwater, then shipped to Zambia). Loved it. Experimented and played with it. It died on me (within warranty). I 'called' it in. Got initial support for a remote firmware reset. When that didn't solve my issue, the Customer Service guy suggested i send it in. Then came C_*id and the lockdowns and i couldn't send it in. After things 'returned to normal' I tried to pick up the conversation with Roli Customer Service. No response - for many months now, to any of my follow-up emails. @Roli, y'all talk a good game but your customer service (especially for non-US customers perhaps?) leaves quite a lot to be desired. Hope you won't leave a single one of the purchasers of the RISE 2 hanging if they have technical issues.

[@WeAreROLI]

Hey there, sorry to hear about your experience. What is your ticket number? We can see what went wrong and chase Support for you.

[@Philojira]

@@WeAreROLI I appreciate your response. My ticket number is #87972.

[@rendermanpro]

I like more Equator1 than Equator2... and one of the reason, that I need to be online all the time, there is kind of no permanent license on PC, so if company out of business E2 will be just trashed, or in case of internet outage, or license fail and need to be reinstalled.... It's like your software rely on someone and you do not own software that you paid for. In case of no constant internet connection for "installer" permanently sitting in the system tray - you are stuck.

[@RealGrover]

Yes, I hate the ROLI Connect software and ROLI’s protection method with a passion! I had an occasion where it didn’t allow me to use Equator2 on a gig, because it decided that the 4 weeks offline grace period had ended on exactly that day and it wanted to phone home - but it turned out that ROLI had some problem with their authentification on precisely that weekend, thankyouverymuch. I never had something like this happen with any software ever, and will never forgive them doing this to me.

[@WeAreROLI]

Hi there! In the previous version of ROLI Connect, there was a bug that required some users to be online to use Equator2. But we fixed this in the latest version of ROLI Connect (1.1.2). Now you don't have to be online the whole time to use Equator2. You just need to go online with ROLI Connect once every 4 weeks to authorize Equator2. Sorry if this can be annoying at times, but we have do this to prevent piracy of our software. If you're still encountering authorisation issues, contact Support, and we'll fix the problem. Hope that helps!

[@WeAreROLI]

@@RealGrover Hi Frank, so sorry to hear you had that experience and your gig was disrupted. We're currently exploring ways to improve our authorization technology, to avoid the situation you describe here, while still protecting our software from piracy. In the meantime, please get in touch directly with us on Facebook or Instagram and we will add a free soundpack to your account as a way of apology - and we hope the gig was still a great one!

[@rendermanpro]

@@WeAreROLI thanks for follow up!

[@c0deless3]

@@WeAreROLI Wow, I wanted to pre-order a seaboard rise 2 but if the authorization is this stern with an internet connection then I probably shouldn't. I live in a rural area so internet is sometimes just gone for no particular reason, I don't want to not be able to use a product I paid for just because authorization demands it. Unfortunate.

[@Ada-Turner]

Please do not abandon the Seaboard Blocks! Please bring these innovations to Blocks 2!!! It is extremely disheartening that Seaboard Blocks is being abandoned. I have read nothing but good reviews about it, an I really wanted to get myself one, but both the original release, and the "Studio" package that came out in 2019, are sold out everywhere. When I saw the announcement for RISE 2, I was really excited that Blocks 2 might be next, but this video has completely and explicitly dashed all my hopes. Now, my only option is to buy one secondhand, of unknown quality, and price-hiked up because they can get away with it since it is officially a legacy product now. Tell me, I really want to know, if the Blocks sized keyboard is so unpopular among these artists you interviewed, why is it sold out and impossible to get, and why does every review praise it, with links to buy it that lead nowhere or to "PRODUCT NOT AVAILABLE" pages?

[@WeAreROLI]

Hi Ada, sorry to hear you can't get your hands on a Seaboard Block. We know that many people love the Seaboard Block, but unfortunately we don't have any immediate plans to make a smaller Seaboard in the future. The various challenges posed by the pandemic and global supply chain crises has meant we've had to focus on just one new Seaboard for now. We chose the 49 key version because our own surveys of customers suggested it was the most popular and consistently highly rated of our range - plus with an octave range most musicians were most keen to experience. We still think that the Seaboard Block is a great instrument and production tool, so we'll never rule out producing one again. But it's definitely not on the near horizon for now.

[@kalkydra]

@@WeAreROLI :(

[@majasobiech6913]

@@WeAreROLI As far as I know there was 25 version of rise so maybe it might be first before block version...

[@ProdDJD]

I bought a used seaboard block and the silicone board was lifting up on the edges, but at least it was fixable with some super glue and it works just fine. it also came with an extreme amount of fine metal shavings all over it for some reason and since it has magnetic sections it was hell to get all the shavings off... And this was 1 of ~5 seaboard blocks that were being sold at all at the time, others were way more expensive (mine was about $330 after negotiations, most people wouldn't accept offers of even $350 and were selling for $400-$500...) And don't even get me started about the other rarer models, they're even more expensive now 😵 however, I 100% understand the position ROLI is in right now. I know that choosing to produce the wrong product can lead to the ultimate death of the company, and they need to get on their feet before they can do anything else, cause trust me they're not gonna just let themselves go bankrupt again I think what ROLI is trying to say is "no guarantees, but maybe if/when we're stable, *then* we can make other models." For now, let them generate the most profit possible. They don't have as much as we think to even produce 1 model...

[@ProdDJD]

Oh and I barely get to use it cause my DAW still doesn't support MPE yet 🥲 waiting patiently though, maybe they'll include it as a surprise in this new big update

[@panayotistountas2702]

Well done for this amazing piece of hardware! As a Seaboard Blocks owner I am fascinated from this amazing technology and I am already saving money to buy Seaboard 2. However one of my biggest conserns from the first gen already was the lack of orchestral sounds. As a professional sound designer I can create freaking expressive sounds with old software like Massive 1 (and its amazing routing with double comb filters) not to mention the latest soft synths using some basic CC, velocity and aftertouch. What I can't create though is the subtle nuances of orchestral sounds like violin or oboe. Yes there are a lot of these sounds in Equator 2 (and Orchestral Ensembles from ROLI) but they are not realistic enough. SWAM seems like the obvious choise but again (at least with seaboard blocks) didnt have the best integration. A lot of clicks pops and some clunky feeling forced me to use them with external CC controllers. So the question is are you planning to focus in more realistic and authentic orchestral instruments? I would like to see a detailed 5D cello for instance with the highest possible level of integration even if it costs a lot of money. Thanks again for providing us with this amazing technology!

[@WeAreROLI]

Hi Panayotis! We still find SWAM are the best fully realistic acoustic MPE sounds out there and usually do work amazingly well with the Seaboard - but they do require a little bit of set up. Perhaps your settings were not quite right? As for our own sounds, the Orchestral Ensembles pack was very popular and we'd love to create more sounds in that vein in the future. There are none like that on the immediate horizon - sampling acoustic instruments to a highly detailed level as we did with Orchestral Ensembles and Colours of India requires a lot more effort and resources for our small team - but we'll definitely consider it, as we know these kinds of sounds are often some of our most popular. Thanks for your question!

[@joecaplin1865]

I really wish seaboard still had the ability to load sounds into the instrument itself. I never gig with mine, as it means taking a laptop and another charger and setting it all up on stage. It really takes away from that seamless nature of turning it on and playing with pre set sounds. The seaboard grand had this feature, but a much poorer surface. I hope you bring it back at some point; it would make me buy one again.

[@IamERAMOS]

I pre-ordered mine...all that's left is to wait until the new year. Man I wish they would surprise me and send it early. :x

[@BenRushan]

Thanks for all the additional info guys! Would really like to get my hands on one of the new Rise 2‘s, especially testing the new Keywave 2 and compare it to my first generation Rise 49. However, I‘m still highly satisfied with mine so I guess I‘ll wait for an opportunity to upgrade in the future ✌️

[@WeAreROLI]

Glad to hear you're still enjoying your RISE Ben!

[@seventfour9247]

I actually have a lot of respect for your choice of questions. Some of those definitely weren’t the most fun to answer I bet.

[@WeAreROLI]

Thanks 🙏. It's even less fun for us to have those questions go un answered, though. We feel really good about where the Seaboard is and where we are as a company, and are happy to address people's questions.

[@3v3hzn]

would be so awesome if i randomly received one of these in the mail from someone.

[@YuriMocellin]

Do you ship tô Brazil or Paraguay?

[@darkcognitive]

Just ordered one. I've always loved doing guitar solos on my synth but always hated the limitations of the pitch bend. After seeing other videos of people shredding guitar leads on the original Seaboard, I just had to bite the bullet and order one. Roll on the end of March!!. While i wait, does anyone have any good recommendations for some guitar lead patches / VST's etc? Does Equator 2 come with electric guitar leads? I've also seen someone do some slap bass which sounded epic. Any recommendations would be appreciated!

[@fneeee]

Looking forward to my first Roli hardware experience via Rise 2 preorder. Curious about a few things... any roadmap items on the software side of things, either by Roli itself, Fxpansion, or other partners that can be shared? Also, curious about support for pedals? Finally, is there some crowdsourced or otherwise comprehensive list of MPE compatible software? I know Roli already shares information about DAW compatibility and makes mention of certain other instruments, etc. Thanks. Lots of questions. Excited for the experience.

[@WeAreROLI]

Hey there, Thanks for your preorder, message and questions. We are always working on improvements to our software especially Equator2, Dashboard & Connect. There is a new release of Equator2 due soon so keep an eye out for it. You have access to Equator2 already with your preorder. Have you checked it out? We will also be releasing some updates to our ecosystem when RISE 2 ships. We can't give details just yet but make sure you are signed up for updates to be the first to know. We have this list of compatible MPE software: support.roli.com/support/solutions/articles/36000037202-compatible-synths-daws-and-instruments Remember Equator2 and ROLI Studio are compatible with standard MIDI devices too so if you have a compatible device, why not check it out.

[@fneeee]

@@WeAreROLI awesome. Thanks for answering these!

[@TGREAT1]

*Start with the micro's and end with Marco's .. Eventually it all comes down to what you've been through in the past.. Piano skills and emotional changes in man go hand in hand! Peace!*

[@WeAreROLI]

☮

[@RealGrover]

As of Dashboard, by 5D visualisers, does this mean moving dots on the curves to indicate what is currently sent, like in Equator2? If so,that would be great to have for Blocks as well! Are you planning on updating Dashboard for Blocks at all anymore or are they feature frozen from now onwards? Also, currently the curves are pretty limited. Especially for Strike I am missing a way to just raise the left point, so that I could set a minimum velocity to be sent to an instrument. I find myself doing that (via MIDI processing) regularly when playing “conventional” instrument plugins with my Blocks and have requested such a feature ever since getting my first Block many years ago.

[@WeAreROLI]

Hi Frank! Yes in the upcoming version of Dashboard you can move the dots up and down, for example, to set minimum velocity just like you requested! But Dashboard for Blocks is feature-frozen for the time being, as we focus on RISE 2.

[@RealGrover]

@@WeAreROLI great news about the movable min/max dots! But it’s sad to see Blocks on the back burner for the foreseeable future. I love my little Blocks armada. Actually I think you should have considered to build at least one DNA connector into the Rise 2, I constantly use a Lightpad to tweak settings of the Seaboard Blocks which I would normally need to open Dashboard for. Like MPE vs Single Channel mode, Pitchbend Range, Slide Mode, Glide Lock and its Rate, and more. I will thoroughly miss this convenience with Rise 2. More so, because the Rise’s touch faders don’t include Strike and Lift curve settings. Littlefoot in connection with Lightpad is my favourite Blocks feature which makes the system so awesome and gives the little Seaboard Blocks an advantage in terms of accessibility and speed even over the Rise. It would have been a wise move to integrate Rise into the system, IMHO. Anyway, I’m looking forward to the day my Rise 2 arrives!

[@George-nx8zu]

Does this thing have a portable case? And will there be a Black Friday sale on this? I'm interested in picking up my first Roli midi controller this year

[@haraldspeckmann5673]

I'm playing a seaboard 49 and missing Saxophone-Sounds so much. These are the only sounds I miss. Please give us userers some of them!!

[@WeAreROLI]

Thanks Harald, we'll bear that in mind as we look to create future soundpacks! Acoustic-based packs that require meticulous sampling are more difficult for our relatively small team though. In the meantime we suggest SWAM Saxophone as the most realistic MPE Sax sounds out there, which work fantastically with Seaboard RISE

[@CharlesEDarko]

What do I do with my old Seaboard, can I exchange it for the two? Is it more sensible?

[@WeAreROLI]

Hi there, we don't have an exchange program but we do offer existing customers discount. Reach out to the team at roli.com/support if you don't subscribe to our emails.

[@CharlesEDarko]

@@WeAreROLI Is it more sensible to touch? What are the differences?

[@AMPProf]

We need... A Keytar, Stick, and An Accordion! A Seaboard sytem in a compact backpack stick size

[@AMPProf]

The stick would be a direct competitor which is good

[@ChonkTek]

What I want to know is how we deal with power issues (or dead batteries) when these fail. I have a Rise 49 here that won't charge at all, nor will it turn on with externally connected DC power. I'm looking all over the web right now for disassembly videos so I can find the problem. I would not buy a Rise 2 until we can be assured the first version can even be serviced. If none of the first ones can be serviced, that kills the used market, and that would affect Rise 2 sales. I'm a repair technician and have seen this happen a lot.

[@stevhard]

Can I play the Seaboard Rise 2 without plugging into a mac or pc? Can i "download" sounds like flute or cello from the Roli Studio and store them on the Rise 2? I guess i just dont want to have to power up my mac just to play. Also, this may be a silly question but can we use headphones with it?

[@RadekPilich]

I am (lazy and) curious - are there any "dawless" hardware sequences that can record the MPE messages?

[@WeAreROLI]

Yes there are Radek! Worth doing some research if that's what you'd like to do with the Seaboard

[@RadekPilich]

oh no, please tell me know what out there 😄

[@robst247]

Does the RISE 2 transmit MPE Configuration Messages (MCM)?

[@djz2308]

What's the lightest note-on your velocity sensors can register? From the sample playing, I can't tell if there's much range of control over the dynamics on key-press. There's clearly a lot of dynamic sensitivity after the initial attack.

[@jp99301]

It's a bummer to see Roli having business problems, hope they work those out and are able to continue, the Seaboard is such an awesome product. I'm sad that they dropped the smaller version of the Seaboard Rise for V2, I have a Block, but would really like to get a full-size one. The 49 key is a little bit big for my space and pricey.

[@WeAreROLI]

Hey Justin, thanks for your concern but we have successfully passed through our restructure in September 2021 and are now on track to bring Seaboard back to the market. Unfortunately we won't be making any other Seaboard so RISE 2 would be the only way to get your hand on Seaboard in the future. We have introduced a split-payment service to create smaller payments for our creators. Check it out on roli.com.

[@jp99301]

@@WeAreROLI Glad to hear you guys are back on track and thanks for the info about the Rise. I guess I'll just have to wait and jump in on the bigger Rise 2 when it's the right fit then. In the meantime I love the Seaboard Block and equator 2 as an introduction to the platform and MPE in general. Thanks for making awesome, innovative stuff!

[@Hyruleearth]

Hi roli. Do you have any updates regarding bringing the keyboard to Australia? I’d love to buy one here.

[@WeAreROLI]

Unfortunately, no, sorry! We are hoping to be able to expand the regions in which we can sell our products as soon as we can, but don't have anything immediate to share with you.

[@DeclannShieldsFilms]

@@WeAreROLI second this! I'd love to buy one in Australia but unfortunately no shipping option currently!

[@Giogiogio4]

No clue why they don't just make normal weighted keys that also have those features. The biggest issue with the rise is the ability to play it because it's much easier to make mistakes vs a piano.

[@electropunkzero]

A couple counter points. One, you can easily toggle the note bend on and off so it functions like a traditional piano and not play out of tune from accidental bends. It is just a tap of the keyboard. Two, I don't consider it an "issue" rather than the absolutely unique feature of the instrument. It is not a piano, it is a fretless keyboard. You must accept and embrace this as a totally different kind of instrument, though you can still toggle off that bend when playing piano instruments.

[@chicagobob]

How about a trade up program.

[@ajilful]

Absolutely needed.

[@khuongduybui]

If I'd like to perform with this, what do I need to produce the sound output?

[@amongusapple5872]

Hi Roli, I have a special repuest. I am 14 years old and I play the piano for 5 years. I currently am living in Jordan, Aqaba and I am asking a special request to please ship the seaboard rise 2 in Jordan. I really want one and it will be useful for my hobby. Thank you for listening!

[@WeAreROLI]

Hi there, so sorry but we cannot currently ship to Jordan at all. Have you tried a forwarder from the US?

[@amongusapple5872]

@@WeAreROLI I tried, is it possible to give it in a music store in jordan?

[@IceLocus]

I'm on the fence. I have the original Rise 49 and Equator2. The frets seem interesting. So regarding the MIDI out, can I connect this directly to an external synth without the need of a computer with the dashboard?

[@WeAreROLI]

Hey there, yes you can!

[@timrichmond5226]

Once more I cannot justify the price... Need to drop it by £250 and sell at £850

[@MarcoPolux]

It's good that Roli is back 👍 👍 👍

[@AMPProf]

I WANT A STICK.. with keys Sized short..that would be the keytar. 1 strip of key.. 1 slider etc.. Open rounded bed so you can choose how you want to play

[@DavidDuMusic]

How many batches of the Rise 2 will you guys be creating?

[@WeAreROLI]

That's open ended and depends on how many more pre-orders we get before we before we begin fulfilling orders in November. As soon as we have fulfilled all pre-orders that folks have placed, we will transition to regular availability.

[@d.ensemble576]

I got my delivery of seaboard rise 2 finally. Was very excited. But I have been playing and it looks like there are some problems with it. Some keys will randomly not play. Put a ticket up on the Support but no one is responding. Probably be returning it if no one gets back to my problem...

[@danemiller4852]

I feared this might happen. Seems to be the same issue from the original release of the first Rise 49

[@d.ensemble576]

@@danemiller4852 I see. But should mention Roli said it’s a software patch that needs to be updated. Waiting on it now

[@danemiller4852]

So I have a seaboard rise 1 because it easily and seemlessly plug and plays on my DAW bitwig... does the seaboard rise 2 also have a script for Bitwig?

[@Hexxedtone]

Rolli, can I use the seaboard rise 2 to drums as if it's a drum pad mpe ?

[@WeAreROLI]

Yes you can! It's super fun too. Unfortunately, I don't think we have any videos of that, though.

[@Hexxedtone]

@@WeAreROLI wow! Thanks for getting back to me. I hope I can still order one around November. It looks really nice!

[@danrobertbrown]

Amazing. I really want to upgrade for those frets. Nice job, guys.

[@mavidkucoin8357]

I have a Seaboard Rise.I don't have access to the update and full version Equator 2. Should i buy it from the site? I don't have access to the full version of Equator2 on the site, I can only buy the update

[@WeAreROLI]

Hi Mavid, yes that's right, as an existing RISE owner you qualify for the discounted upgrade price. The upgrade is still the full version of EQ2, just cheaper as you are a ROLI creator! So go ahead and buy it if you want to try it out!

[@Margarita-wn4do]

Is there going to be a 25 key versions?

[@hankfowler8194]

Does this play like a piano in that you can play loud and soft with the pressure you exert on the keys ?

[@WeAreROLI]

Yes it does. We would call that parameter "Strike," which is the velocity with which your finger strikes the key. The difference here, is that in addition to that one parameter, the Seaboard also responds to "Press" (the depth of your pressure into the surface (also known as aftertouch on some other keyboards)), "Glide"(the movement of your finger left and right along the keys), "Slide" (the movement of your finger up and down the keys), and "Lift" (the speed with which you remove your finger from the keys). Beyond all of that, all of these parameters are also polyphonic. That means that every single movement of your fingers effects the sound you are making independently. This is different, for example, than a pitch wheel or aftertouch on almost any other keyboard, where a modulation effects every note you happen to be playing.

[@hankfowler8194]

@@WeAreROLI Wow, this is a whole new type of instrument. Guitar and keyboard and more in one. Nice work !

[@FrancescoNicolosi900]

Have someone received the batch 1?

[@InoyOfficial]

i would like to preorder it unfortunately u are not shipping to israel

[@RobertButler1]

Can I download an mp3 that last song. That shit slapped!

[@MythixMusic1]

awesome changes! Having had a Grand Stage, Rise 49 and now my last Rise 25, I'd love to swap to this. Need a 25 though.

[@WeAreROLI]

Noted. And thanks for your support over the years!!! We emailed all existing product owners back when we announced the new RISE 2 offering them discounted access to RISE 2. Please let us know (through DM on socials or by reaching out to our Support Team) if you did not receive this.

[@FissileMovie]

You acknowledge the mistriggering issue in seaboard rise 1st generation and confirm that you put additional effort into preventing that problem in seaboard rise 2, which is certainly a good thing. However what should owners of faulty 1st generation seaboards do? Are you considering retroactive software-based fix to this? It may look like a small issue, but it ruins the whole experience and support specialist seemingly ghosted me. What is your response to existing faulty units and whether you are going to do anything about it? Even if it's a hardware issue as a software developer myself I believe there might be software solutions based on some clever touch recognitions heuristics, neural networks, etc. If you are not considering fixing it yourself are there chances that you may open-source OS software of seaboard rise 1st gen? Please let us know if something can be done in this regard. Thanks!

[@WeAreROLI]

Thanks for the Q. First off, Seaboard RISE is covered by a 2 year warranty. So if any issues developed within that timeframe, you are covered. If issues developed past that point, our Support Team will do whatever they can to help you. I'm very sorry to hear that you were ghosted! If you send us a DM on insta or Facebook with your ticket number, we will look into it ASAP. And yes on the second point, we've done a lot of work over the years with firmware to address the issues as best we can.

[@sergeskubenich7732]

if you'd have a version of seaboard where all those great sounds are integrated into the board itself.. I don't like the idea of having a laptop with me on stage. Seamless look.. BUT there's a laptop next too it. Looks sharp and amazing.. BUT there's computer that has to be next to it with a wad of wires. Just my 2 cents. Other than that its sick.

[@ehdyn]

Love Roli.. but this is just way too expensive now. Hopefully they'll do a smaller cheaper version at some point. Have a Seaboard Block that I would never part with..

[@WeAreROLI]

As we mentioned in the video, unfortunately we have no plans to make a smaller one in the immediate future. Nonetheless very happy to hear you love your Seaboard Block!

[@ehdyn]

@@WeAreROLI Yes, I saw that after.. ok no worries I’ll just buy another Block or Two and attach them cause there’s no way I can afford the new one anytime soon. I have all your software and love it as well.. hope you will keep on updating.. some of my absolute favorite synths!

[@seventfour9247]

@@ehdyn remember that you get equator 2 too which is 250 in itself. I mean.. it’s a thousand bucks for a controller. But it opens up a lot of possibilities for you so..

[@whittamps]

Where is batch 9?

[@Andreasonline3]

the material that your using on the keyboard i imagine will degrade is there any support your offering for that ?

[@mouthfocairn]

make more videos !!!

[@TGREAT1]

Asians: 4:17 we don't speak much we seek action to teach multilingual communities.. Haha!

[@johanh8467]

Where’s the innovation in sound … Starts demoing a B3 🙄🙄🙄

[@aimways]

explain these shit Woman what a key board longer is

[@dylandigby1776]

Ratio

[@akramabouraya5467]

Talk too much

[@Orangebritches]

Can somebody get Heen to make an album? Plz?