Roli Seaboard and Equator 2 are amazing and complex. It is easy to get overwhelmed and frustrated by what is possible. You're going to have to spend a few hundred hours learning how to play it, not unlike a violin. Depending on the instrument that you create, disable the pitch bend on the strike so that you stay in tune. If you need to bend the pitch, enable it in another controller like press or pedal. Equator 2 will make very different sounds on a non MPE keybed that has a different velocity curve. Play around with that too. The more you play it the more you will adapt to the interface. Equator 2 is a good synth. Spend lots of time learning how to create instruments. Drop your own patches into it. Learn how to implement controllers and effects with the example patches. It is easy to use in a DAW and that gives you a even that much more power. I spend more time playing with my Roli equipment than the best that Korg, Roland, and Yamaha synths have to offer. Don't expect to sit down and master this in just a few minutes though. It is a really powerful instrument if you take the time to learn how to use it.
As a guitar player the Seaboard Rise 2 makes so much sense in my brain. Been eyeing one of theses but the old 25 key model just didn't seem like the right move at the time but now that its larger seems like something every producer should have at their desk. Great thorough video, and wish you continued success professionally and on RU-vid.
YES. MPE automation editing needs to be incorporated into more DAWs. It's the one thing that holds me back from playing my Rise more. So far only Bitwig and Ableton have breached this to any useable measure. I prefer using Reaper, but the pitch editing resolution is too low to edit and cumbersome to navigate channel-wise. I've considered switching to Bitwig. Do you know if you can import your own samples into Equator 2 and make your own preset MPE compatible? I will say, I do want to upgrade, but I got my Rise for $750 on sale a few years ago. I would have to sell my old one first and then shell out another $800. I just don't know... Maybe I'll sell my drum set instead. I never play it anyway.
As someone who uses Ableton and Cubase with a Rise 2, using MPE with Cubase Note Expression is by FAR the best way to deal with MPE data. Look up some videos on how it works, I was shocked to see how Logic handles it in this video.
Great vid. Have had my Rise 2 for a couple months. I had a month to try it out or send it back. At first I thought it was too hard to play but I've improved rapidly. I've played keyboards for about 65 years, give or take, so I had to get used to something different. If you approach it as learning a brand new instrument, like a cello for instance, and our patient and willing to put the time in it, you will be well rewarded. I sat down in a music store if you years ago and tried playing the original version for 20 minutes or so and walked away because I thought it was simply too hard to play. Big mistake. This instrument is worth taking the time to learn. It opens up a whole new world. The equator synthesizer is also great fun. I have minimal technical knowledge of software synthesizers but I am learning. The only downside is now I am neglecting my wonderful rolling RD 700 Nx keyboard.
Really excellent review. Thank you! I hope that at some point Roli/Lumi offers a chance to have the new keywave installed on the original Rise 49 as the frets on the keys are one of the main features people talk about with the new Rise 2. I have owned the original for a little over a year now and I love it, but you are correct when you describe how difficult it can be to be accurate. It sounds like the frets really help. Thanks again!
The first time I did see someone playing this instrument. I didn't understand what it was. It was so weird. Thanks for the video. I don't think that it's for me. I will stick with LUMI.
I love my roli gear and software, but I'm wondering if the rise 2 is a good overall replacement for everything midi - Roli's software included - or if you still need a good midi keyboard alt to balance things out because the seaboard has had some issues in the past getting proper support with 3rd parties. Thanks for your review, I loved watching your trailer vids over the past week!
Thanks for the comment! I personally need a conventional keyboard - because I’m a pianist. You can always setup the seaboard in single channel mode and that will work with most libraries. Most of the times is the sound libraries and plugins that aren’t compatible with MPE technology, therefore there can’t be proper communication
Is it possible to use sostenuto while playing? I.e. is there a pedal option for when you are using both hands, or are you limited to using it while playing with one hand only?
Do you feel the RISE 2 with MPE has enough resolution for most expressive gestures? I'm thinking whether I should finally take the plunge or hold out for a MIDI 2.0 version.
they could do the same thing with regular keyboard , I don't really like those silicon keys , semi weighted touch key with glide panel will be the best I think
Wonderful review ! I am tempted.. do you know if this keyboard with sounds other than from Equator 2 ? For example I am subscribed to East West composer cloud, do you think I could use the plug ins I have on the Seaboard ?
Impressive. I'm thinking the learning curve and $1,400 controller price are best avoided by beginners. In fact, beginners who become overwhelmed may become a good 2nd hand source for these.
I just bought Equator2. I was wondering is there any longer and at the same time compact (smaller) controller with same slide functions that would be good for Equator2?
Very nice, I've been looking at these for a while. Currently my entire workflow is just my deluge and my guitar, but I also can play piano pretty competently, and I've been looking at other MIDI keyboards but have never really been all that convinced by them. I just checked and fortunately the deluge does have MPE support, which means I could pair one of these with it pretty easily.
Had the one sold it kind of miss it as I still own all the packs and equator 2 and feel like I'm missing out on utilizing all the patches. Thinking about getting the version too. Would you say go back to a version one mint at half the price or get the version too for essentially double
Wow, thank you for the insight into this new world of sound, as I think it struck me and a few heart strings along the way. Your work is so dynamic and important and inspiring. Yes it is an expensive tool. yet I tend to look at the thousands of instrumental sounds hidden within as well of wisdom in a manner of speaking. Having a Flute to hand or the feelings of a hundred string instruments is far beyond any price tag that I know of. I will gladly watch your film "Making an Epic film score" it will be savored. I will also just say that you were incredible in sharing all those questions we are embarrassed to ask and yet I could understand those issues. If you have a moment, could you answer the question of power usage, i.e. playing outside, just how long have you got if playing at a normal volume? Or is a power bank a simple solution? I understand if you have not tested this. Thank you for playing too, very beautiful and inspiring 🙏✌ Regards Steve
Thankyou, I've learned more with ur video than on many others I've seen on YT. Just love your feedback on the sw side, and I'm wondering if you found any useful tip to edit MPE messages on logic to correct JUST the last note recorded of a sequence...or you advice to use other DAW like Cubase? Again great great video!
My only tip for editing the data in Logic is to first select the note you want to edit in the piano roll and then cmd Y to see the automation parameters. It should give you the ones for that note first .
thanks for the videos. what is your advice for someone that uses something like native instruments machine the primary tool and does not support MPE? I want to record in studio One for instance and then bounce it out and import it into machine so I could make all my composition there. people tell me oh machine is not a daw it's not best for this and that but for the type of music I make I can do 99% of the things inside of it it's just some functionality is not there yet what have you found is the best way to record and bounce out especially a lot of the sounds from roly have long tails on it so recording an 8 bar loop it will extend out to 9 and 10 bars what's your advice?
@@jpdussan Please don't. This felt real and genuine, not like many other "low attention span" videos where they pretty much just go through the main specs list 🙃
The Seaboard Rise 2 is incredible. My only criticism is: MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO PUT, AND RUN THE EQUATOR 2 LIBRARY ON AN EXTERNAL DRIVE. It's fucking ridiculous that you have to put the library on your main drive. Every other software company, and Logic, has this SIMPLE functionality
You are right. I think I might have missed this point in this review. Storing samples externally is necessary and not such a hard thing to do. There is actually a work around to store samples for Equator2 externally but it's kind of a pain to find the instructions online.
@@jpdussan Yes I saw that there is a way--but it took me awhile to figure out how to add the Rise 2 to my studio setup (the Roli Connect and the Dashboard specifically). So I'm not gonna fuck around with moving the library. It works fine and it sounds fantastic!
