Jim Hendrix’s ‘Little Wing’ On The ROLI Seaboard Rise

If Jimi Hendrix were a young musician today, would he be playing keyboards, instead of guitar? 

That’s the question raised by this video from Musikmesse 2016, the European trade fair for music gear. In the video, MPE master Marco Parisi demonstrates the possibilities of the ROLI Seaboard RISE MIDI controller, by shredding his way through a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s Little WIng.

Check out the face-melting solo about 1:17 into the video and let us know what you think!

37 thoughts on “Jim Hendrix’s ‘Little Wing’ On The ROLI Seaboard Rise”

  2. Very impressive!

    If he’d sing and play this, It would ‘sell’ the performance better than using the Hendrix vocals.

    The big challenge for these new controllers, though, is to showcase playing completely original synth sounds. This video demonstrates it can imitate a guitar well, but I’d love to see a ‘must buy’ synth demonstration.

    1. I agree, that was my thought process. I actually played that video to see how bad it was going to be, and was impressed; both by the rendition of the player and the expression of the Roli. Let down with the vocals, but I guess this was about the demo, and not an ensemble. Jimbo didn’t have much in the vocal department, but he had some swagger – so hard for some to pull off that vibe.

      But, like your good self, I was really left feeling that he should have done something original, or a vicious tear-up of the Star Spangled Banner, give that demo a current political vibe – gyrations and flames aplenty.

    2. Well I look at it a slightly different way.

      This is the first time a guitar sound played on keys live sounds convincing.
      Haven’t seen that before. That’s already a big selling point I think. 🙂

    3. This vid and Jordon Rudesss demo’s got me to order the extra length model.

      I got it for 1199$. The box had been around the block but the machine was flawless. All forget to wipe the rubber pads down when cleaning. So, I thought it may have been to at least one or more people.

      It was light but so dense it was X heavy. Contradiction, yes. I just can’t explain it past that.

      Committing to iOS, as one engineer and inventor said. His company has put most of it’s focus on Apple because that’s where the breakthroughs are coming from in music.

      I switched about eight or nine iPads ago. Short story, the Roli and iPad did not mesh well together. A little early in the game.

      However, the efforts orchestrally made by Ruddess and the guitar progress made by Marco Parisi is astounding.

      I hadn’t looked at equipment for 15 years. Now I found this was, just there. I wanted to be part of it.

      I can see why Marco is closed mouth about his gear. He has accomplished something I never thought anyone except Jan Hammer would get close to.

      What is the box on top of the gear rack?

    1. He uses the Rise to play a NI Kontakt instrument (don’t know which one) which also goes through NI Guitar Rig 5 apparently….
      Think I read that somewhere in youtube comments.
      There are more similar (Electric guitar on Seaboard) video’s on his own youtube channel, where lots of people ask about his sounds, but he rarely answers the comments (or at least not publicly)…

  9. I’ll probably get a seabord when it’s cheaper because i think it extends the way a keyboard player or any other musician can express himself but sorry i won’t get it to hear guitar sounds. I don’t need to listen to a keyboard player sounding like a guitar player and i don’t want to.If i wanna hear a guitar i’ll play mine it’ll sond better even if i’m not as skillfull.Neither i wanna hear a keyboard sounding like a sax or whatever other intrument.I wanna hear the seaboard sounding like something i’ve never heard before.If not what’s the point?…

    1. How cheap you want this to be? The Rise is much cheaper than the Grand, and even more cheaper than the Continuum. You just can’t expect this to be similarly priced to an M-Audio or Behringer piano controller, unless you are a really cheap person.

      1. …Or you’re a rich one.Not anyone can afford a 800Euros 25 keys controller or 1250 for a 49 one.3200 the big one?! More expensive than the last Yamaha Montage 61?C’mon…

        1. one time I was at a clinic for cubase way back when and the guy from steinberg said “the difference between a good musician and a great musician is how much they are willing to spend on their music gear – we could sell our product for cheaper but it would do a disservice to real musicians” as a poor starving musician that really made me mad and stuck with me. Unfortunately that attitude is prevalent an all venues of the musician community.

          1. I don’t see the link between good musicianship and price of instruments.A great musician will still be great or maybe “just” really good with a sh*tty instrument.A bad musician won’t ever be great with a expensive one.
            Some brands like Gibson for instance that sells now average asian products “Made in USA” priced only on the name and history are crooks.You can get way better for less or at least the same price. But as i often say as long as you have morrons to buy their sh*t the price they sell it,they’d be stupid to do not make money with it.

            1. There’s a clear connection between price & quality/capabilities when it comes to inexpensive and mid-range gear. At the high end, though, you get companies catering to wealthy buyers by selling them collectables.

              Unfortunately, the synth market seems to be going the way of the guitar market, with companies making a lot of cheap, non-professional instruments that end up selling like hotcakes.

              1. “There’s a clear connection between price & quality/capabilities when it comes to inexpensive and mid-range gear. ”
                it is probably right for electronic gear.I have to admit i know less about it than guitar stuff.I remember i read an anecdote somewhere about a great and famous guitar player.A famous (don’t remember the name) sound engineer came to an L.A. studio and in the mixing room(Sorry,i don’t speak english fluently and don’t know the name in english,).He was talking to his engineer buddy while a guitar player was playing in an other room but he couln’t see who that was.He thought he sounded really like Eddie Van Halen and he actually was EVH.After EVH stopped and leaved the studio the guy went to see the guitar he played with and was amazed that it was just an average guitar from the studio picked on the wall with even not new strings as they got rusted.
                That’s what i meant when i said a great musician will still be great whatever the gear and a bad one won’t ever great with an expensive one.
                I’m not a great keyboard player.Even if i get a Moog Voyager XL or whatever high end stuff it won’t make me a good one and i don’t think a bad gear will make a good musician bad.
                IMHO,great music has nothing to do with price of intruments.
                There are so many great musicians that started music with sh*tty instruments.

  11. I really, really did not want to like this, (old music/new instrument as mentioned above) but wow. Just wow.
    To say I was blown away is an understatement. Ten out of ten and a gold star.

  12. This is so good! If Parise keeps practicing, and also if he gets paid to do a video of him ‘shredding’ every new MIDI controller that is offered for sale, someday he could dethrone whatisname from Dream Theater, the king of ‘shredding’ new MIDI controllers that have just been offered for sale.

  13. Yeah… no. I think the seaboard is a cool controller, but this demo, like most, fails at capturing the sound/vibe/textures of a guitar. If you were to A/B the this guy’s sterile BS with the original track you’d roll your eyes. Won’t be popular, but it’s true.

  14. okay. people are psyched about this?

    this is just depressing. we’ve got enough guitar wankery in the world, why emulate it with a keyboard?

    1. Chill out, its ok if you can’t play the keyboard, its just a snapshot of this can do. Just needs the right sound generator for guitar, doesn’t exist yet…

    2. Because you can’t play it on guitar, maybe… but you get close enough on a keyboard. If not because of this, I totally agree with you.

  15. Emulating acoustic-based instruments is a great way to show off what these controllers can and cannot yet do. Was a good video.

  17. I normally really hate it when people try to emulate guitars on keyboards, but man – that was actually super impressive.

  19. can’t shit on that performance no matter what instrument it is.

    i really want a new keyboard hope they get things worker better with ableton.
    def interested in the roli

    1. I think Ableton has to make some effort to get their live to work with MPE.
      Bitwig, Logic and Cubase can do it already…., so what’s keeping Ableton?!?

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