ROLI's 'BLOCKS' Lego-Style Music Creation System Now Available at Apple Stores Worldwide

[MacRumors]

ROLI today introduced a fun new music creation system called BLOCKS, which is scalable, modular, and designed to give people a simple, visual way to create music. Each square-shaped Block has a different function, and multiple blocks can snap together so users can build the music system that's best for them in terms of skill, price, and musical style.

ROLI is announcing three Blocks today, all of which will be available for purchase at Apple retail stores around the world. The Lightpad Block, a 5x5 grid that lights up, supports pressure-based multi-touch gestures, allowing people to use the colored surface for creating music through presses, glides, and other simple hand movements.

Varying pressure on the block changes the intensity of the sound, multiple fingers can be used at once, and multiple Lightpads can be linked together for a bigger surface to work with.

The Live Block and Loop Block both work alongside the Lightpad Block, which is the main block, offering controls to make it easier to perform and produce music in real time with physical playback and record buttons. All three of the Blocks are controlled via Bluetooth through NOISE, a new app that's available from Apple's App Store.

Roland Lamb, founder and CEO of ROLI, and inventor of BLOCKS, said, "Many areas of life have been transformed by the digital. Music, though, remains a universal language that everyone understands, but only a few can speak. BLOCKS will change that, and enable people around the world to experience the joy of music-making for the first time."

ROLI Lightpad Blocks are priced at $179.95 each, while the Live and the Loop are priced at $79.95. BLOCKS are available at Roli.com starting today and should soon be available from Apple's online store and in Apple retail locations.

Article Link: ROLI's 'BLOCKS' Lego-Style Music Creation System Now Available at Apple Stores Worldwide

 

[Uni Grad]

Roli Poli Oli!

Now everyone can call themselves a musician by tapping and swiping a few times mindlessly.

/s

 

[jdillings]

Calling that music is being very charitable

 

[needfx]

wouldn't mind if I received a couple as a gift tho

 

[Giantscruz]

Calling that music is being very charitable

Not quite as charitable as your self given right to define what is and isn't music.

 

[needfx]

Not quite as charitable as your self given right to define what is and isn't music.

in all fairness, it barely makes the cut

 

[MLMcMillion]

Roli Poli Oli!

Now everyone can call themselves a musician by tapping and swiping a few times mindlessly!

Why are you so angry?

 

[Uni Grad]

Why are you so angry?

So, what's holding you back? Go make a popular album and show me how mindless this really is.

I'm sorry if I came of as angry or pretentious.

It was only sarcasm people.

 

[archagon]

If this sort of thing strikes your fancy, I'm working on a streamlined step sequencer for iMessage with a similar focus on collaboration and playfulness. Here's a sneak peak video I posted a few days ago. ETA a few weeks. Hope this isn't too shilly — seemed on topic! (Especially if you don't want to spend $180 to mess around making music with your friends. Though this does look pretty neat.)

 

[Pakaku]

Roli Poli Oli!

Now everyone can call themselves a musician by tapping and swiping a few times mindlessly!

So, what's holding you back? Go make a popular album and show me how mindless this really is.

 

[pat500000]

The only difference between these consumers and him is that he's using his head to make some dope music.

 

[dixido]

So what dongle(s) do I need to connect this to the new MBP?

 

[michaelsviews]

in all fairness, it barely makes the cut

why

 

[uwdude]

It seems like you could make similar music with an app right on your phone. Cute though. Probably won't become big, but something new to try if you have extra cash.

 

[Mactendo]

Fantastic thing, that's innovative.

Check out their other products, it's FANTASTIC!
GRAND

I wish some genius like that worked on Apple products now instead of Ive and Cook.

 

[wesk702]

ROLI today introduced a fun new music creation system called BLOCKS, which is scalable, modular, and designed to give people a simple, visual way to create music. Each square-shaped Block has a different function, and multiple blocks can snap together so users can build the music system that's best for them in terms of skill, price, and musical style.

ROLI is announcing three Blocks today, all of which will be available for purchase at Apple retail stores around the world. The Lightpad Block, a 5x5 grid that lights up, supports pressure-based multi-touch gestures, allowing people to use the colored surface for creating music through presses, glides, and other simple hand movements.

Varying pressure on the block changes the intensity of the sound, multiple fingers can be used at once, and multiple Lightpads can be linked together for a bigger surface to work with.

The Live Block and Loop Block both work alongside the Lightpad Block, which is the main block, offering controls to make it easier to perform and produce music in real time with physical playback and record buttons. All three of the Blocks are controlled via Bluetooth through NOISE, a new app that's available from Apple's App Store.

ROLI Lightpad Blocks are priced at $179.95 each, while the Live and the Loop are priced at $79.95. BLOCKS are available at Roli.com starting today and should soon be available from Apple's online store and in Apple retail locations.

Article Link: ROLI's 'BLOCKS' Lego-Style Music Creation System Now Available at Apple Stores Worldwide

Call me old school and of a totally different era with wax and the most tech thing I use is Serato, but if I walk into any event and there's a "DJ" mixing with the touchbar and "performing" with this Roli, I just may kill somebody.

 

[XmasRights]

So what dongle(s) do I need to connect this to the new MBP?

BLOCKS use USB-C for charging, so you won't need any dongles at all.

 

[Keane16]

BLOCKS use USB-C for charging, so you won't need any dongles at all.

Plus Full MIDI compatibility over Bluetooth.

The transition to USB-C may be sticky, and no doubt we'll hear and see dongle, adaptor and cable jokes for a few years now (that's why I'm glad Apple just rips off the band aid and offers nothing legacy - should help speed things up), but I can't wait until everything supports it. Will make life so much easier having one connection type for power, data, audio and video.

Not to mention wireless options will continue to mature too.

 

[RightMACatU]

I'm sorry if I came of as angry or pretentious.

It was only sarcasm people.

Until a an official sarcasm font is made available you can always use: /s

 

[whyamihere]

If this sort of thing strikes your fancy, I'm working on a streamlined step sequencer for iMessage with a similar focus on collaboration and playfulness. Here's a sneak peak video I posted a few days ago. ETA a few weeks. Hope this isn't too shilly — seemed on topic! (Especially if you don't want to spend $180 to mess around making music with your friends. Though this does look pretty neat.)

Your app looks like fun! If you still need any beta users, feel free to message me a code.