ROLI Seaboard RISE Users Manual

Seaboard RISE

Creator Manual

October, 2015

Version 1

Introduction

Hello creator, and welcome to the Creator Manual for the Seaboard RISE. We think of the people who buy and use ROLI’s products as creators rather than customers. Our products are designed to expand the bandwidth of creative expression and thereby empower people as the creators they are. Everyone who buys and uses a Seaboard RISE is investing in this vision of creativity and therefore is also a co-creator of ROLI.

You may already be playing your Seaboard RISE and discovering its creative possibilities. This comprehensive Creator Manual explains all of the details about your Seaboard RISE to ensure that you get the most out of it.

The Seaboard RISE is a multidimensional MIDI controller whose

touch-sensitive interface and Equator software synthesiser open new possibilities for musical expression. While a conventional keyboard offers one dimension of touch to control sound (Strike), the Seaboard RISE offers five dimensions of touch. These can be mapped to a variety of sound parameters. Three Touch F aders and an XY Touchpad add another layer of expressive control, allowing you to tune the touch responsiveness of the keywaves to match your personal taste in real time.

On the next page we have included a short list of terms specific to Seaboard instruments. We will refer to these terms throughout the Creator Manual.

Please note that this is a digital manual updated regularly to reflect software updates and other improvements. Be sure to check for updates on My ROLI. This Manual is current up to Equator v1.2.0, ROLI

Dashboard v3.1.0, and RISE Firmware v1.0.4.

Support and Feedback

We want you to have the best experience possible with your Seaboard, and our Support team is here to help you. If you have any questions, are experiencing any problems, or have any feedback to give us about our products,please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team.

You can contact us through our Support page at www.roli.com/support

or by writing us directly at support@roli.com. We will respond as soon as possible. The resources on the Support page should also help answer many questions.

2Seaboard RISE Creator Manual

Table of Contents

Selected RISE terms 4

1. Getting started 5

1.1 System Requirements 5

1.2 The Seaboard RISE Software Bundle 5

1.3 Register on My ROLI 5

1.4 Installation for Mac and Windows 5

2. Hardware: The Seaboard RISE 25 6

2.2 The Keywave Surface 6

2.4 USB connection 8

2.5 Bluetooth Connection 8

2.6 Mode Selection 9

2.7 Charging the Battery 11

2.8 DC Connection and Charging an External Device 12

2.9 Bootup of the RISE 12

3. Software: ROLI Dashboard and Equator 13

3.1 ROLI Dashboard 13

3.2 Equator for RISE 13

3.3 Software and firmware updates 13

4. Playing the Seaboard RISE 14

4.1 Five Dimensional Touch or 5D Touch 14

5. Working with Other Hardware and Software 16

6. Care and Maintenance 17

7. ROLI Support 18

8. ROLI Glossary 19

Selected RISE terms

Keywave surface: The entire playing surface including all keywaves and ribbons.

The keywave surface corresponds to a keyboard.

Keywave: A wavelike element of the keywave surface that corresponds

to a single key on a standard keyboard. Each of the Five Dimensions of Touch can be accessed on a single keywave.

Equator: ROLI’s custom-built, multidimensional software synthesiser

and sound engine. Equator enables refined control of the expressive capabilities of the keywave surface. Equator and Seaboard instruments work together to provide a seamlessly integrated hardware-software experience.

ROLI Dashboard: An application for modifying and customising the internal set-

tings of the RISE.

Expression Mode: A mode of playing the Seaboard RISE in which three Touch

Faders control the dynamics of the Glide, Slide, and Press

dimensions of touch. Expression Mode lets you modify the touch responsiveness of the Seaboard RISE to suit specific sounds and your individual playing style.

MIDI Mode: A mode of operation in which the Touch Faders can be

assigned to any MIDI CCs for additional customisation of sound.

The five fundamental elements of physical interaction between

The Five Dimensions of Touch (5D Touch):

Touch Fader: A control for adjusting the sensitivity of the keywave surface

a finger and a surface: Strike, Press, Glide, Slide, and Lift.

Strike: The velocity and force with which a finger makes

contact with a keywave.

Press: The pressure and continuous touch applied to the

keywave after the initial Strike.

Glide: Horizontal movements from side to side on

a keywave and along the ribbons.

Slide: Vertical movements up and down a keywave.

Lift: The release velocity or speed of liftoff from

a keywave.

to dimensions of touch.

4Seaboard RISE Creator Manual

1. Getting started

1.1 System Requirements

OS X

• Mac OS 10.8+

• Minimum RAM: 4GB

• Recommended RAM: 8GB

• Processor: 2.5GHz i5 or faster

• Bluetooth connectivity: OS 10.10+

Windows

• Windows 7, 8, or 10

• Minimum RAM: 4GB

• Recommended RAM: 8GB

• Recommended Processor: i5 and equivalent or above

1.2 The Seaboard RISE Software Bundle

Before making music on your Seaboard RISE, you need to download the Seaboard RISE Software Bundle. This software bundle is available on My ROLI. Register with My ROLI to download it. Please follow the instructions below. If you have

already installed the Seaboard RISE Software Bundle you can skip to Section 2.

1.3 Register on My ROLI

Visit my.roli.com and sign up with a username and password

of your choice. When you have signed up and logged in, the website will ask you to register your product. Use your Product Registration Code. The code is printed on the Registration Card. This card is in the box marked Make Music Now, which comes in the package with your RISE. (see Figure 1)

Now that you’ve created an account on My ROLI, you can log in and download the latest RISE Software Bundle. The bundle includes ROLI Dashboard and Equator for RISE. Click either “Down- load Software Bundle for Mac” or “Download Software Bundle for Windows,” depending upon which operating system you use.

1.4 Installation for Mac and Windows

When the download is complete, open the Downloads folder on your computer and double click the installer file(s). Follow the on-screen instructions and choose the location or disk where you want to install the software.

xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx

my.roli.com/register

Figure 1

Pick up your Registration Card and find your registration code. Visit this web page to sign up for My ROLI, your portal for software downloads and product support, with a username and password of your choice. Then register using your registration code.

The install will require approximately 2 GB of disk space.

Mac: After double-clicking the installer, you may see a message that says the installer is from an “unidentified developer.” Don’t worry. The software is safe to install. You can bypass this message by right-clicking the installer from a Finder window and selecting Open.

5Seaboard RISE Creator Manual

Getting started

Windows: After double-clicking the installer, you may see a message to say that Windows has protected your PC by stopping an “unrecognised application” from opening. Don’t worry. The software is safe to install. You can bypass this message by clicking “more info” on the message, then the “run anyway” button.

2. Hardware: The Seaboard RISE 25

2.1 Connections and Specifications

(see Figure 2)

A – 9–12V 2A DC port B – USB type A C – USB type B D – ¼ inch (6.35mm) pedal jack

Connecting the pedal jack

The pedal jack should only be inserted as shown in this image. Take care when inserting the jack, and do not attempt to force

it past the position depicted at right (see Figure 3).

Figure 2

Ports on the Seaboard RISE

2.2 The Keywave Surface

The RISE features a continuous, elastic, silicone surface divid-

ed into 25 keywaves. Following the order of notes on a standard keyboard, the keywaves represent the same pitches and intervals found on a piano. The touch-sensitivity of the key- wave surface allows tactile control of parameters such as pitch, volume, and timbre through simple, intuitive movements. The keywave surface is sensitive even to gentle pressure, and strong force is not required to maximise its expressiveness. While made of durable silicone, the keywave surface should not be pinched, stretched, or pounded.

Figure 3

You can use a sustain or expression pedal by plugging a 1/4 inch connector into the pedal jack on your Seaboard RISE. Please note that part of the 1/4 inch connector will continue to be visible after a secure connection has been established.

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+ 14 hidden pages