Roli Beatmaker Kit, Songmaker Kit, Lightpad Block M User manual

Lightpad Block Creator Manual

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1 Introduction - Lightpad Block

Welcome to the Creator Manual for the Lightpad Block. We think of the people

who buy and use ROLI’s products as creators more than customers. Our

products are designed to extend the joy of music creation to everyone — and

thereby empower people as the creators they are. Everyone who buys and

uses BLOCKS is investing in this vision of creativity and therefore is also a co-

creator of ROLI.

1 Introduction - Lightpad Block

2 Glossary of selected BLOCKS terms

3 Start

3.1 Charge Your Lightpad Block

3.2 What is BLOCKS?

3.3 What’s in the Box?

3.4 System Requirements

3.5 Product Registration and Setup

4 Learn

4.1 Learning How to Play the Lightpad

Block

4.2 Five Dimensions of Touch or 5D Touch

4.3 Playing Techniques

5 Create

5.1 Perform: Instrument View

5.2 Solo Instruments

5.3 Multi Instruments

BLOCKS is the most accessible and versatile music creation system ever made.

It is a modular music studio that lets anyone make music whether they’re a

professional musician or a total beginner. Each individual Block is powerful and

intuitive, offering unique capabilities that let people make music in simple but

far-reaching ways. The Blocks connect together to create customizable kits that

suit any budget, skill level, and musical style. With a click of magnetic

connectors, music-makers can build their own instruments as they go.

You’re starting with the Lightpad Block, the center of the BLOCKS system.You

may already be shaping music on its tactile, glowing surface. This

comprehensive Creator Manual explains the details of your Lightpad Block to

ensure that you get the most out of it.

We have included a short list of terms specific to BLOCKS at the beginning of

this manual. We will refer to these terms throughout this Creator Manual.

Please note that this is a digital manual updated regularly to reflect software

updates and other improvements. This Manual is current up to NOISE v2.1.3.

Support and Feedback

We want you to have the best experience possible with our products and

would love to hear your feedback. Should you have any questions, experience

any problems, or just want to say hello, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

The easiest way to reach us is to send a support inquiry from the NOISE app or

from support.roli.com. We will respond as quickly as possible.

2 Glossary of selected BLOCKS terms

5.3.1 Drum Kits vs Groove Kits

5.4 Produce: Song View

5.5 Playing a Loop

5.6 Creating a New Project

5.7 Recording Loops

6 Share and Discover

6.1 What is NOISE.fm?

6.2 Share

6.3 Discover

7 Lightpad Block Appendix

BLOCKS

A modular music studio built of individual Blocks, each with specific

capabilities, that connect together physically through BLOCKS DNA connectors

and wirelessly through Bluetooth. 

Block(s)

The individual hardware components of the BLOCKS system including the

Lightpad Block, Live Block, Loop Block, Seaboard Block, Touch Block, and

Developer Kit Control Block.

BLOCKS Dashboard

A desktop application for modifying and customising the internal settings of

Blocks, making it easy to use BLOCKS with third-party digital audio

workstations and synthesizers.

BLOCKS DNA Connectors

Six-pin connectors that magnetically connect multiple Blocks and also transmit

power and data between the Blocks. Each Control Block has six DNA

Connectors.

Control Block

Any one of several different Blocks with ten buttons and a row of LEDs,

designed to control NOISE functions. Control Blocks include the Live Block,

Loop Block, Touch Block, and Developer Kit Control Block. Control Blocks can

also send MIDI messages to third-party applications.

Equator Player

Based onEquator– ROLI’s custom-built, multi-dimensional sound engine and

software synthesizer –Equator Playeris a Windows and MacOS app included

with the Lightpad Block and Seaboard Block. Equator Player takes advantage of

the Seaboard Block’s 5 dimensions of touch, maximizing your ability to express

yourself using just the motions of your fingers on your Seaboard Block’s

keywaves and Lightpad Block’s playing surface. It features a simplified user

interface that allows you to easily modify the most important characteristics of

a preset. If you’d like to create your own sounds and have full control

ofEquator you mayupgrade to the full version of Equator.

The Five Dimensions of Touch (5D Touch)

The feature of real-time control and modulation of sound through the basic

movements ofStrike, Press, Glide, Slide, and Lift.

Strike:The velocity and force with which a finger makes contact with

theLightpad surface or keywave surface.

Press:The pressure and continuous touch applied to theLightpad surface

or keywave surfaceafter the initialStrike.

Glide:Horizontal left and right movements onLightpadsurface or keywave

surface

.

Slide:Vertical movements up and down theLightpad surface or keywave

surface.

Lift:The release velocity or speed of liftoff fromLightpad surface or

keywave surface.

Grid

A fixed configuration of pads on the NOISE interface and the Lightpad Block

surface. Possible grid layouts include 2×2, 4×4, and 5×5. In each grid layout,

the number of pads is the same on the X and Y axis. 

Keywave

A wavelike element of the keywave surface of Seaboards that corresponds to a

single key on a standard keyboard. Each of the Five Dimensions of Touch can

be accessed on a single keywave.

Keywave surface

The entire playing Seaboard surface including all keywaves and the ribbons

above and below them. The keywave surface corresponds to a keyboard.

Lightpad Block

A Master Block and the central Block in the BLOCKS system. The Lightpad Block

features an illuminated tactile surface that enables creators to shape sound

through Five Dimensions of Touch: Strike, Glide, Slide, Press, and Lift. When

paired with NOISE it builds sequencing, looping, finger drumming and

expressive control into one intuitive device. It can also be used with BLOCKS

Dashboard to expressively control digital audio workstations and software and

hardware synthesizers.

Lightpad Surface

The 15×15 LED matrix made up of individual cells (225) and covered with laser-

etched silicone which makes up the surface of the Lightpad Block and enables

users to play multidimensional or 5D Touch performances.

Live Block

A Control Block that provides quick access to music performance functions, so

creators can be more expressive in real time. The Block’s 10 buttons include

controls for switching scales and octaves, playing chords and arpeggios, and

sustaining notes in NOISE.The Live Block can also be used with BLOCKS

Dashboard to transmit MIDI CC messages in order to control digital audio

workstations and software synthesizers.

Loop Block

A Control Block that provides quick access to music production functions so

creators can easily layer sounds into a song in NOISE.The Block’s 10 buttons

include controls for setting a tempo, recording loops, and quantizing loops so

they snap in time with the tempo. The Loop Blockcan also be used with

BLOCKS Dashboard to send MMC messages to control the trasport functions of

digital audio workstations, and it can also transmit MIDI CC messages in order

to control digital audio workstations and software synthesizers.

Master Block

Master Blocks – including the Lightpad Block and Seaboard Block – are the

central Blocks of the BLOCKS system. To use BLOCKS you need at least one

Master Block. Additional Blocks, including Control Blocks, connect via DNA to

the Master Block.

MPE

Multidimensional Polyphonic Expression (MPE) is a protocol for using standard

MIDI messages to communicate with and enable the operation of

multidimensional instruments such as the Seaboard and BLOCKS. MPE enables

independent, per-note control of multiple sound parameters such as pitch and

timbre.

NOISE

A free modular music app that lets anyone create beats, melodies and songs

using simple, easy-to-learn gestures on the touch screens of mobile devices.

The app’s expressive power can be expanded with BLOCKS. It is at the heart of

the BLOCKS system.

Pad

A square that corresponds to a note in the grid layout of the Lightpad Block

and NOISE.

Seaboard Block

The Seaboard Block pairs the powerfully expressive keywave surface of the

Seaboard GRAND and Seaboard RISE with the portability and modularity of

BLOCKS. It is a Master Block and includes 24 keywaves as well as lower and

upper octave switches. Multiple Seaboard Blocks can connect together to

create an extended playing surface.

Touch Block

A Control Block that adjusts the responsiveness of the Seaboard Block’s and

Lightpad Block’s 5D Touch when used with NOISE or desktop applications. The

Touch Block’s 10 buttons control the sensitivity of Strike, Glide, Slide, Press,

and Lift, lock Strike or Glide, or put the Seaboard Block into “piano mode,” by

turning off Glide.The Touch Blockcan also be used with BLOCKS Dashboard to

transmit MIDI CC messages in order to control digital audio workstations and

software synthesizers.

USB-C

The type of USB connector used to connect and charge the Lightpad Block and

Seaboard Block. There is a female connector on the block itself, and a male

connector on the included USB-C-to-USB-A cable.

3 Start

3.1 Charge Your Lightpad Block

You should charge your Lightpad Block as the first step before proceeding.

When connected to a suitable power source, the Lightpad Block can charge

additional Blocks that are connected to its DNA connectors.

Plug the included USB “C” cable into the Lightpad Block and plug the other

end of the cable into a USB 3 charger or a computer with a USB 3 port. The

Lightpad Block requires 5 watts of power to run and charge the battery

efficiently. Adding more Blocks via the DNA connectors will increase the

demand for power so we recommend using a higher output charger such as an

iPad charger (10-12 watts) or a higher output USB 3 charger.

Please note that when charging via a computer that you must use the ROLI

supplied USB cable to connect to the host computer. When using a laptop

computer please make sure that itis plugged into a wall outlet and has its

sleep feature disabled. This configuration will charge one Lightpad Block and

one Live Block or Loop Block, but not all three unless they are powered off.

Note: Please do not use an iPhone charger to charge BLOCKS as it is not a

compatible charger.

3.2 What is BLOCKS?

BLOCKS is a modular music platform that opens new possibilities for musical

expression. BLOCKS starts with the Lightpad Block, a playable surface. Other

Blocks such as the Live Block and Loop Block connect to the Lightpad Block

and allow easier, faster control of music performance and production. The

modular system is powered by NOISE, a free iOS app that functions as the

software engine for the BLOCKS system. NOISE and BLOCKS connect wirelessly

over Bluetooth. 

3.3 What’s in the Box?

Lightpad Block

USB-C cable

Quick start guide

Warranty Information

3.4 System Requirements

NOISE

NOISE, the free iOS app, is the software engine of BLOCKS. It is apowerful

standalone instrument for iPhones and iPads and responds to 3D Touch

technology on newer iOS devices. It also pairs with BLOCKS hardware via MIDI-

over-Bluetooth and becomes the software synthesizer and sound engine for

BLOCKS. NOISE and BLOCKS are integrally connected, and together they make

a modular, mobile music platform.

Visit the Apple App Store and download NOISE on your iPhone or iPad.

iOS Device

NOISE requires iOS 9.0 or higher and can take advantage of Apple’s 3D touch

capabilities on the iPhone 6s or higher and the iPad Pro. 3D Touch capabilities

are not required as the Lightpad Block offers 5D Touch. The following iOS

devices have been tested and are supported.

iPhone 6 or higher

iPhone SE

iPad Mini 4 or higher

iPad Air 2

iPad Pro (9.7 and 12.9 inches)

MIDI-over-Bluetooth

BLOCKS supports MIDI-over-Bluetooth and connects to any compatible MIDI-

over-Bluetooth enabled iOS or OSX device and app. The Lightpad Block must

be in pairing mode to do this.

3.5 Product Registration and Setup

Registering on NOISE.fm makes it possible to store and retrieve your projects

and other NOISE app data in the cloud. You can also easily share data with