ROLI, the company that makes a fun music creation system called BLOCKS, today announced the launch of its next-generation Lightpad Block, the Lightpad Block M.
The Lightpad Block M is a light-up square grid that supports pressure-based multi-touch gestures to make music. The Lightpad M can recreate the sounds of drums, cellos, flutes, and hundreds of other instruments with just a touch.
Compared to the previous-generation Lightpad Block, ROLI says the Lightpad M is more sensitive and precise, and it's 50 percent brighter with a deeper, softer silicone top layer that enhances control and a higher contrast display that offers up a wider range of colors.
The silicone of the Lightpad M also includes new tactile microkeywaves for better feedback compared to the flat surface of the first Lightpad Block.
The Lightpad M Block is designed to work with the other components in the ROLI BLOCKS modular system, including the Seaboard Block, the Live Block, the Loop Block, and the Touch Block.
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ROLI's Lightpad M launch is accompanied by a new version of the NOISE app that goes along with the ROLI BLOCKS. According to ROLI, the app adds new sounds and improvements to clip launching, clip editing, and user navigation.
There are also two new Treble Quartet and Bass Quartet soundpacks in the app, offering realistic cello, violin, clarinet, and saxophone sounds. Bass Quartet comes bundled with the Lightpad M.
ROLI is also introducing a NOISE audio unit for GarageBand and integration with Ableton Live Lite.
Lightpad M can be purchased for $199.95 from the ROLI website, and it will soon be available at other retailers, including Apple retail stores.
Top Rated Comments
In order of expressiveness in the NOISE app,
1. iPad- you can slide left to right and up/down, but no pressure.
2. iPhone- you can do the same as on the iPad with two levels of pressure sensitivity when press using 3D Touch.
3. Lightpad block- not sure how many more levels of expression you get, but definitely more than with the phone.
This version (lightpad M) even gets what appears to be the softer more sensitive surface of the Seaboards, so likely even MORE expression.
If only I had the talent to do more with them, than mess around and made silly random noises :(