ROLI Dashboard allows you to set up your Seaboard 2, Seaboard M, Piano M, and legacy BLOCKS (Lightpad Block, Live, Loop, and Control Blocks) with various applications. The software is free and included with all ROLI hardware, and can be downloaded from ROLI Connect.
For guides on using Seaboards and BLOCKS with specific applications, see Compatible synths, DAWs, and instruments.
Using BLOCKS with ROLI Dashboard
Connect your Blocks
Connect your first Block via Bluetooth (MacOS only) or USB. Subsequent Blocks can be connected by DNA – simply snap them to the first Block to magnetically connect. With your Blocks connected and turned on, ROLI Dashboard should automatically open the BLOCKS tab, or you may click the BLOCKS tab yourself.
Your Blocks must be updated to the latest firmware to be used with ROLI Dashboard. Make sure you have updated each of your Blocks individually via NOISE or ROLI Dashboard following the instructions here.
Visualizer represents your BLOCKS setup
The visualizer shows your BLOCKS setup and the current state of each Block. Seaboard and Lightpad Blocks display your touches, while Control Blocks display the state of their buttons.
Click on a Block to highlight it. Mouse over the Block to see its firmware version and other information in the bottom left corner, and click "Update" to update its firmware.
Apps and Presets determine the Block's behavior
Load an app (Lightpad) or preset (Seaboard and Control Blocks) to determine the Block's behavior. You can further edit the app or preset's parameters by clicking 'Edit'.
Note, ROLI Studio Player will take over whatever app is on the Lightpad Block. To disable this, turn off Hardware Control in Studio Player, or click the X on Lightpad in the Assign your Hardware window.
Presets
The Preset section determines how a Block sends MIDI by allowing you to select a MIDI mode and the MIDI channels to use. Several presets are included with ROLI Dashboard, and you can also save your own presets.
Seaboard BLOCK presets
MPE
When a Seaboard is transmitting MIDI according to MPE, it will use a range of channels:
- One channel (usually Channel 1) is used for global messages – data such as preset changes and pedal positions are transmitted on this channel to apply to all notes equally. The global channel is set by the "MPE Zone." When the MPE Zone is the Lower Zone, Channel 1 is used for global messages. When the MPE Zone is Upper Zone is, Channel 16 is used for global messages.
- Note information is sent on channels with the range set by No. of MIDI Channel, by default 2–16.
- Multi Channel
In Multi Channel, the Seaboard transmits data over multiple channels of MIDI. This setting makes it compatible with non-MPE multi-timbral synths. - Piano
The Piano preset will allow the Seaboard Block to behave like a conventional MIDI keyboard by turning off the Glide, Slide, Press, and Lift dimensions of touch. The Seaboard transmits all MIDI data on a single MIDI channel only, making it compatible with mono-timbral synths. - Single Channel
In Single Channel, the Seaboard transmits all MIDI data on a single MIDI channel only. This makes it compatible with mono-timbral synths. Pitch bend, channel pressure, or Slide (MIDI CC 74) messages will apply to all notes equally.
Saving Presets
To save custom settings as a mode, go to Save As..., enter the name of your mode, and click "Create Preset."
Seaboard BLOCK Settings
- MIDI Settings
- MIDI Start Channel and MIDI End Channel – determine the channels that will send MIDI data for the notes you are playing. This range determines the expressive polyphony of your Block. For full MPE compatibility these will be set to 2–16.
Use MPE – turns MPE on or off. When MPE is on, the global channel is set to 1. Global messages – like from a sustain pedal – are sent on the global channel, while note information is sent on channels with the range set by MIDI Start Channel and MIDI End Channel.
Pitch Bend Range – allows you to match the pitch bend range of the software or hardware instrument your Block is controlling. By default the Pitch Bend Range is 48 to match the default pitch bend range of MPE synthesizers like Equator and Strobe2.
- Pitch
- Octave
- Transposition (in semitones)
- Play Mode
- Slide CC – the MIDI CC on which the Slide dimension of touch is sent (74 by default)
- Slide Mode – Absolute, Relative Unipolar, Relative Bipolar (Relative Bipolar by default)
- Piano Mode on/off – turns off Glide, Slide, Press, and Lift
- Glide Rate – how quickly notes glide from one to the next when Glide Lock is enabled (see below)
- Glide Lock Enable – also known as portamento, this will allow notes to automatically glide from one to the next. Note: this will make your Block respond monophonically, so that it will only play one note at a time
- Hide Mode on/off – hides notes not in the selected scale
- Chord – allows you to play a chord with each single note played:
- Off
- Octave
- Fifth
- Major triad
- Minor triad
- Sus4
- Sus2
- Dominant 7th
- Major 7th
- Minor 7th
- Major triad add 9
- Minor triad add 9
- Diminished triad
- Augmented triad
- Glide Tracking Mode
- Slide Tracking Mode
- Pressure Tracking Mode
- Sensitivity
- Adjust the sensitivity curves for Strike, Glide, Slide, Press, and Lift.
- Use the faders next to each curve to change the sensitivity.
- Fixed Velocity on/off - fix the velocity to a determined value.
- Fixed Velocity Value – determine the velocity value of each Note On message
Lightpad Block Apps
All ROLI Dashboard apps for your Lightpad Block are available in the scrollable list shown at the bottom of the window when your Lightpad Block is selected. After assigning the app of your choice to your Block, click "Edit" to the right of the app name to adjust your Block's parameters and settings.
Ableton Live Control
The Ableton Live Control app lets you play, record and navigate clips in Ableton Live projects using a Lightpad Block, as well as play melodic instruments and trigger samples loaded to a Drum Rack. See this guide for full instructions on using this app with Ableton Live.
BLOCKSvaders
Play our rendition of the arcade classic "Space Invaders."
BreakBLOCKS
Our take on "Brick Breaker." Let's see those high scores!
Control Grid
A fully customizable grid of notes or CCs with or without pressure. By clicking "Edit," you may control:
- The Drum Grid's MIDI Mode settings and what the note bottom-leftmost grid should send;
- The size of the Grid (1x1 to 4x4);
- The minimum value of Strike;
- The response and MIDI message sent by the Slide dimension; and
- The color of each pad on the grid.
Drum Block
The Drum Block app turns your Lightpad Block into a drum pad, with a wide variety of LED layouts and MIDI modes designed for playing percussion.
Fader Block
The Fader Block app lets you use your Lightpad Block to control 4 banks of 4 MIDI CC faders each. You can change the banks by pressing the Mode button on the Lightpad Block. You can edit:
- What MIDI channel the faders send messages on
- What MIDI CC message each fader sends
GarageBand/Logic Control
Use your Lightpad as a controller for GarageBand or Logic. See this article for more details Logic Pro and GarageBand: Accessing the integration features of the Songmaker Kit GarageBand Edition
Mixer Block
The Mixer Block app lets you set your Lightpad Block to have 4 fader and 4 buttons each sending different MIDI CC messages. You can edit:
- What MIDI channel the faders and buttons send messages on;
- The color of the faders and buttons;
- The behavior of the faders and buttons: Toggle, Gate or Trigger; and
- What MIDI CC message each fader sends.
MusicGen
Create up to 4 note emitters by tapping the Lightpad Block's surface. Your emitter's placement and direction determine the chords and rhythms created. To reset, press the Lightpad Block's Mode button.
Note Grid
This app sets your Lightpad Block to a grid of notes, ideal for using your Lightpad as a drum or instrument controller. You may edit the following settings:
- MIDI Settings
- MIDI Start Channel
- MIDI End Channel
- Pitch Bend Range
- MPE on/off
- Pitch
- Octave
- Transposition (in semitones)
- Play Mode
- Slide CC – the MIDI CC on which the Slide dimension of touch is sent (74 by default)
- Slide Mode – Absolute, Relative Unipolar, Relative Bipolar (Relative Bipolar by default)
- Piano Mode on/off – turns off Glide, Slide, and Lift
- Glide Rate – how quickly notes glide from one to the next when Glide Lock is enabled (see below)
- Glide Lock Enable – also known as portamento, this will allow notes to automatically glide from one to the next. Note: this will make your Block respond monophonically, so that it will only play one note at a time
- Mode – the number of pads in each direction. For example, select 4 for a 4x4 drum grid, or 5 for a 5x5 melodic grid. You may also adjust this with the Lightpad's Mode button.
- Scale
- Hide Mode on/off – hides notes not in the selected scale
- Chord
- Glide Tracking Mode
- Slide Tracking Mode
- Pressure Tracking Mode
- Sensitivity
- Adjust the sensitivity curves for Strike, Glide, Slide, Press, and Lift.
- Use the faders next to each curve to change the sensitivity.
- Fixed Velocity on/off - fix the velocity to a determined value.
- Fixed Velocity Value – determine the velocity value of each Note On message
Seaboard 2 Controller
Use the Seaboard 2 Controller app to emulate the Seaboard 2's Touch Faders and XY Touchpad with your Lightpad Block. You can navigate between the different controllers by using the Mode button. This is a great app to use with the Seaboard Block and Equator Player. See this article for more on using BLOCKS with Equator.
XYZ Pad
This app turns your Lightpad Block into an XYZ Pad sending MIDI CC messages. Click the "Edit" button to change:
- The MIDI CC messages sent by the Lightpad's X, Y and Z axes,
- What MIDI channel the CC messages are sent on, and
- The color of the Lightpad's LEDs.
Songmaker Kit mode
If you have a Songmaker Kit, see Songmaker Kit Mode for details on special Songmaker Kit functionality.
Troubleshooting - BLOCKS
If ROLI Dashboard does not recognize your Blocks
If ROLI Dashboard doesn't seem to be recognizing your Blocks, make sure that:
- If you're connecting via USB the USB cable is firmly connected on both ends and your Blocks are turned on
- The "BLOCKS" tab is selected.
- If you are connecting via Bluetooth (MacOS only) you've followed the steps in this article.
- The ROLI Hardware Driver is running. To reset it, see the steps in this article "Unable to start ROLI Hardware Driver" error
Resetting Blocks
If your Block is behaving unexpectedly or you'd like to restore it to its original settings, simply select it in the visualizer and then go to Device > Reset to default settings. If you continue experiencing unexpected behavior with your Block, see the tips in My BLOCKS are behaving unexpectedly.
Filtering SysEx messages
BLOCKS and ROLI Dashboard communicate with each other by sending MIDI System Exclusive ("SysEx") messages. If you find that these messages get in the way of your MIDI mapping, you may either close ROLI Dashboard or filter out these messages. To filter SysEx messages in Logic, for example, go to File > Project Settings > MIDI > Input Filter and check "System Exclusive."
Using the Seaboard 2
Connect your Seaboard 2
Connect your Seaboard 2 via USB or Bluetooth (Seaboard 2 and MacOS only) and turn it on. With your Seaboard 2 connected and turned on, ROLI Dashboard should automatically open the Seaboard 2 tab, or you may click the tab yourself.
Visualizer represents your Seaboard 2
The visualizer represents your real-time physical interactions with the playing surface and their relation to the 5 Dimensions of Touch.
Each note is represented as a blue circle and white outline.
- The blue circle represents the Strike value.
- The white outlined circle represents the Press value.
- The horizontal position of the note Glide value.
- The vertical position represents the Slide value.
Mouse over the visualizer to see your Seaboard's firmware version and other information, and click "Update" to update its firmware.
Settings and Modes determine the Seaboard's behavior
Preset
The Preset section determines how the Seaboard sends MIDI by allowing you to select a MIDI mode and the MIDI channels to use. Several presets are included with ROLI Dashboard, and you can also save your own presets.
MPE
When a Seaboard is transmitting MIDI according to MPE, it will use a range of channels:- One channel (usually Channel 1) is used for global messages – data such as preset changes and pedal positions are transmitted on this channel to apply to all notes equally. The global channel is set by the "MPE Zone." When the MPE Zone is the Lower Zone, Channel 1 is used for global messages. When the MPE Zone is Upper Zone is, Channel 16 is used for global messages.
- Note information is sent on channels with the range set by No. of MIDI Channel, by default 2–16.
- Multi Channel
In Multi Channel, the Seaboard transmits data over multiple channels of MIDI. This setting makes it compatible with non-MPE multi-timbral synths. - Piano
The Piano preset will allow the Seaboard to behave like a conventional MIDI keyboard by turning off the Glide, Slide, Press, and Lift dimensions of touch. The Seaboard transmits all MIDI data on a single MIDI channel only, making it compatible with mono-timbral synths. - Single Channel
In Single Channel the Seaboard transmits all MIDI data on a single MIDI channel only. This makes it compatible with mono-timbral synths. Pitch bend, channel pressure, or Slide (MIDI CC 74) messages will apply to all notes equally.
Saving Presets
To save custom settings as a mode, go to Save As..., enter the name of your preset, and click "Create Preset."
Settings
- MIDI Settings
- MIDI Start Channel and MIDI End Channel – determine the channels that will send MIDI data for the notes you are playing. This range determines the expressive polyphony of your Seaboard. For full MPE compatibility these will be set to 2–16.
Use MPE – turns MPE on or off. When MPE is on, the global channel is set to 1. Global messages – like from a sustain pedal – are sent on the global channel, while note information is sent on channels with the range set by MIDI Start Channel and MIDI End Channel. Also, when MPE is on Absolute Slide – the absolute value of your finger's position on the keywave's y dimension – is sent, while when MPE is off Relative Slide is used.
Glide and Slide Tracking – If you are using Single Channel mode this controls which note's Glide and Slide information is sent: the note that was Last Played, the Highest note, or the Lowest note. This can also disable Glide and Slide.
Press Tracking – If you are using Single Channel mode this controls which note's Press information is sent: the note that was Last Played, the Highest note, or the Lowest note. This can also disable Press.
- Pitch
- Octave
- Transposition (in semitones)
Pitch Bend Range – allows you to match the pitch bend range of the software or hardware instrument your Seaboard is controlling. By default the Pitch Bend Range is 48 to match the default pitch bend range of MPE synthesizers like Equator and Strobe2.
- 5D Touch
Strike
This Touch Fader controls the dynamics of Strike, or the velocity with which a finger makes contact with a keywave.
When the Strike Touch Fader is at its maximum setting you can access the full dynamic range of velocities from MIDI velocity 0 to 127. As you reduce the value of the Touch Fader you will reach the maximum velocity with softer Strikes, and at its minimum setting, you will reach maximum velocity regardless of how firmly or softly you Strike.
Glide
This Touch Fader controls the dynamics of Glide, or left and right movements of the finger on the keywaves or along the ribbons.
When the Glide Touch Fader is at its maximum setting, the keywave surface is maximally sensitive to sideways movements, and even minute movements will bend pitch-like vibrato on a string instrument.
Note: when Glide is at its maximum, the Seaboard 2 will not be able to play adjacent semitones (minor seconds).A lesser setting will auto-correct pitch, pulling notes towards the nearest semitone at a rate controllable by the fader, and at its minimum setting the Seaboard 2 will respond like a standard Piano.
Slide
This Touch Fader controls the dynamics of Slide, or vertical movements up and down a keywave.
When the Touch Fader is at a lower setting, the spectrum of sound available for modulation along the Y axis of a keywave is narrower. This means that you can reach the maximum end of the range of modulation with a shorter movement up or down the keywave. When the Touch Fader is at a higher setting, the sensitivity of the Y axis decreases. This means that your finger must travel a greater distance to reach the maximum end of the range of modulation, and you can access a wider range of intermediate sounds along the vertical path of travel.
Press
This Touch Fader controls the dynamics of Press, or the response of the keywave surface to continuous pressure applied after Strike.
When the Press Touch Fader is at a lower setting, the spectrum of sound available to modulate through pressure is narrower. This means that you can reach the maximum end of the range of modulation through lighter pressure on the keywave surface. When the Press Touch Fader is at a higher setting, the spectrum of sound available through pressure is wider. This means that you will press more firmly to reach the maximum end of the range of modulation, and you will be able to access a wider range of intermediate sounds as you vary pressure on the keywave surface.
Lift
This Touch Fader the dynamics of Lift, which describes the release velocity or speed of liftoff from a keywave.
When the Lift Touch Fader is at its maximum setting you can access the full dynamic range of release velocities. As you reduce the value of the Touch Fader you increase the sensitivity and reduce the range of release velocities.
Control Inputs Seaboard 2
Seaboard 2 Touchfaders and XY Touchpad
In MIDI Mode (when the Seaboard 2's LED is white), you can map MIDI CC messages to the Seaboard 2's Glide, Slide, and Press Touch Faders as well as the X and Y axis of the XY Touchpad.The Seaboard 2 will retain these mappings even after it is powered off. This is useful for setting up with third-party instruments which may only respond to specific CCs.
Pedal
You can assign the pedal to a MIDI CC and pedal type. The Seaboard 2 automatically detects the pedal type when you connect a new switch pedal. Check here for details on assigning the pedal in Equator
Troubleshooting - Seaboard 2
ROLI Dashboard is not recognizing my Seaboard 2
If ROLI Dashboard doesn't seem to be recognizing your Seaboard 2, make sure that:
- If you're connecting via USB the USB cable is firmly connected on both ends and your Seaboard 2 is turned on
- The Seaboard 2 tab is selected.
- If you are connecting via Bluetooth (Seaboard 2 and MacOS only) you've followed the steps in this article.
Resetting your Seaboard 2
If your Seaboard 2 is behaving unexpectedly or you'd like to restore it to its original settings, simply go to Device > Reset to default settings. If you continue experiencing unexpected behavior with your Seaboard 2, see the tips in My Seaboard 2 is behaving unexpectedly.
Dashboard is showing the "Oh no! It looks like the ROLI Hardware Driver is not running" error message
If you see this message, first ensure that you have ROLI Connect v.1.0.18 minimum installed. If you don't, you can download the latest version here. After updating to the latest version, reopen ROLI Dashboard and the issue should be resolved.
If you continue to see this, please see the steps in "Unable to start ROLI Hardware Driver" error for more help.
Using LUMI Keys with Dashboard
Please see our other article Using Piano M with ROLI Dashboard