ROLI has launched new Studio Editions of its award-winning Blocks. The new Studio Edition controllers are equipped with “groundbreaking” sounds and effects, new composition tools, and deeper integration with ROLI software and leading DAWs. Extensive upgrades make the new BLOCKS Studio Editions a versatile MPE-based system for producers who want to create with more expression.

ROLI Studio, used with BLOCKS Studio Editions, give producers:

• More sounds, all in one place. Hundreds of MPE sounds from ROLI’s Equator, Cypher2, and Strobe2 sound engines are now browse-able in a unified desktop plug-in: ROLI Studio Player. The plugin includes audio effects designed for the MPE interfaces of the Seaboard and Lightpad Blocks.
• A game-changing way to play drums. Integrated with the ROLI Studio Drums plugin, the Lightpad Block becomes an advanced pad controller for MPE beat-making. For the first time, producers using desktop software can shape and warp drum sounds and create grooves through gestures on the Lightpad Block surface.
• New songwriting tools. ROLI Studio includes songwriting tools like Smart Chords, which speeds the songwriting process by suggesting chord progressions per note. The Multi-Layered Arpeggiator allows producers to create interactive rhythmic patterns by layering arpeggiator sequences.
• Deeper integration between BLOCKS and ROLI software. ROLI Studio integrates Blocks more deeply with sounds and production tools that were previously spread across multiple synths. Lightpad apps deepen the integration further by programming the Lightpad Block to control features of ROLI Studio.
• Easier DAW integration. ROLI Studio, including ROLI Studio Drums, works as a plugin with all leading DAWs, including Logic Pro X, Ableton Live, and Bitwig, among others.

Beyond the software upgrades now available in ROLI Studio, ROLI has also improved the Seaboard Block and Lightpad Block M. Enhancements including better finger tracking, MPE expression outputs, multi-Block connectivity, and Bluetooth support culminate in Studio Editions that developers tout as the most playable Blocks yet.

The new ROLI Studio Editions of the Lightpad Block, Seaboard Block and Songmaker Kit feature ROLI Studio, a desktop software suite that unlocks the full power of ROLI’s touch-responsive controllers. ROLI Studio includes ROLI Studio Drums, a plugin that lets beatmakers bend drum sounds with “more expressivity than was ever possible before.”

Pricing and Availability. ROLI Studio Editions of the Lightpad Block, Seaboard Block, and Songmaker Kit will be available after October 31 via ROLI.com, Sweetwater, GuitarCenter, and other retailers. The Songmaker Studio Kit will retail for $649.95 (£599.95 VAT incl, €679.95 incl tax); the Seaboard Block will retail for $349.95 (£299.95 VAT incl, €349.95 tax incl); and the Lightpad Block Studio Edition will retail at $199.95 (£199.95 VAT incl, €229.95 tax incl).

In addition to getting the latest Blocks with ROLI Studio software, buyers of the new Studio Editions receive a full license to the Strobe2 synth, worth $79 (£64.00). All current BLOCKS owners can experience the power of ROLI Studio software for free by downloading via ROLI Connect.

ROLI previews the new editions today and through the weekend at the Amsterdam Dance Event October 17—20. At ADE? Visit the Compagnietheater and see the new and improved BLOCKS firsthand.