ROLI Piano - User Manual


TABLE OF CONTENTS



Introduction

You’re about to discover a new way to explore music with ROLI Piano.

Learning piano? ROLI Piano’s glowing keys guide you step by step, helping you build strong habits from day one. The ROLI Learn app is packed with songs, lessons, exercises, and games, giving instant, intuitive feedback on notes, rhythm, and technique; you’ll play as you learn, and learn as you play.

Creating your own music? ROLI Piano is also a state-of-the-art MIDI keyboard with expressive keys that respond to 4 Dimensions of Touch — including per-key pitch bend and polyphonic aftertouch — letting you shape sound with subtle, natural gestures. It integrates seamlessly with DAWs like ROLI Studio, Logic Pro, and GarageBand, making playing, performing, and producing more intuitive and inspiring than ever.

In this manual, you’ll learn how to use ROLI Piano, whether you’re taking your first steps on the keyboard, exploring your favorite songs, or making your own music in the studio.

Happy exploring,

Team ROLI

Please note: ROLI Piano may display flashing lights and patterns which may pose a risk to individuals with photosensitive epilepsy.


Meet ROLI Piano

ROLI Piano is a unique keyboard instrument with advanced features including fully illuminated RGB keys, touch sensitivity, and expressive capabilities. 

For learners: Whether you’re just starting out or returning to the piano after a break, ROLI Piano and the ROLI Learn app guide you every step of the way. The illuminated keys help you find your notes as you play, while each lesson builds your confidence and skill. With thousands of songs and exercises to choose from, you can progress at your own pace and as far as you like.

For creators: ROLI Piano, and the included desktop software, are powerful tools for music makers who want to bring new dimensions of expression, new sounds, and a spectacular new look to their playing and producing.

Features:

  • 49 fully illuminated RGB keys

  • Full-size keys

  • Full plunge depth

  • MIDI out

  • Pedal support (compatible with sustain and expression pedals)

  • Bluetooth connectivity

  • Lightweight, compact, portable design

  • 6 Hour battery life

  • USB-C connectivity

  • Octave-shift capability

  • Multiple color modes


Getting started

Unboxing

Unbox your ROLI Piano carefully. Check the contents to make sure that nothing is lost or damaged. We recommend saving all packing materials, just in case.

Inside the box

  • ROLI Piano

  • ROLI Studio software

  • ROLI Dashboard software

  • 2 x USB-C to USB-C cable 2M

  • Power block (multi-region, 30 W)

  • MIDI-Out port adapter (3.5mm TRS to MIDI DIN)

  • Sustain pedal dongle (3.5mm to 6.3mm)

  • Quick Start Guide

  • Two-Year Full Warranty

Charging ROLI Piano

Before you do anything else, charge your ROLI Piano. We recommend you use the USB-C cable included with your ROLI Piano and plug it into the provided 30W USB-C charger. This ensures the fastest and most reliable charging. While some computers with USB-C ports can provide enough power to charge the ROLI Piano, others may charge it slowly or be incapable of charging it at all.

With your ROLI Piano turned off, simply plug it into the 30W USB-C charger to begin charging. When ROLI Piano starts charging, the power button will illuminate for a few seconds to indicate the current level of charge:

  • Red: Less than 20% charge 

  • Yellow: Between 20% 

  • Green: Greater than 88%

To display the charge level of your ROLI Piano without plugging it in, you can simply turn it on and look at the LED color of the power button indicator light. You can also check the exact charge level by looking in ROLI Dashboard.

Learning how to play? Download the ROLI Learn app

ROLI Piano connects to the ROLI Learn app, which requires an active subscription.

Account and subscription: Visit the ROLI start page where you’ll be guided through the setup process. This includes everything from account creation to subscription purchase and activation.

Supported mobile devices: The ROLI Learn app works with mobile and tablet devices. Check the FAQs page for a full list of supported Android and iOS devices. Download the ROLI Learn App from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

If used with Airwave, the supported mobile devices for the full system can be found here.

Connect your ROLI Piano: When it’s charged, go ahead and connect your ROLI PIANO to the ROLI Learn App. Launch the app. Follow instructions to sign in with your existing account and connect your ROLI PIANO to the app.

Connect ROLI Piano to the ROLI Learn app

You’ll need to connect the keyboard to the app to start playing.

Your first connection to the app: When you switch the keyboard on, it will automatically enter Bluetooth pairing mode. This is indicated by the keys pulsing blue. Next, open the ROLI Learn app, which will take you through the steps to connect the ROLI Piano via Bluetooth. After pairing, the keys will animate in a rainbow display.

Please note that your ROLI Piano does not connect to your mobile device in the same way as your Bluetooth speaker. ROLI Piano uses MIDI Over Bluetooth, which requires you to pair with a MIDI Bluetooth-enabled app like the ROLI Learn app.

If you are using your ROLI Piano with a ROLI Airwave, follow the on-screen instructions in the ROLI Learn app to connect to both instruments.

Reconnecting to the ROLI Learn App: In following sessions, the app will remember your ROLI Piano and automatically connect via Bluetooth when the instrument is turned on. If you’d like to disconnect your ROLI Piano you can tap on the device center icon in the top right corner of the Home screen.

If you have lost connection, the Device Center dialogue box will pop up on the ROLI Learn app, assisting you with re-connection.

Using a cable connection: You may instead choose to connect your ROLI Piano to the ROLI Learn App using a cable connection.

Making your own music? Download ROLI Connect to get started.

Your ROLI Piano comes complete with desktop music production software like ROLI Studio. Just visit the ROLI Start page to download and install the ROLI Connect application. Log into ROLI Connect to download and install all your other software.

Minimum System Requirements:

ROLI hardware and software are compatible with macOS and Windows.

Typically, our products work seamlessly with operating systems and DAWs released within the last six to eight years. However, when testing new products and software updates, we prioritize newer OS versions over older OS versions.

Similarly, ROLI hardware and software are compatible with both Apple Silicon and Intel CPUs, but we prioritize testing on Apple Silicon.

Always back up your work before installing any new software or updates. To avoid any potential disruptions or compatibility issues, we strongly advise against updating your software or operating system in the middle of a critical project.

Register your keyboard

You can register your new hardware through ROLI Connect.

Controls and functions

Power/Mode Button: Located on the top left of the keyboard. Its functions are:

  • On/Off: Turn the keyboard on by pressing the button once. Turn it off by holding it down for one second.

  • Battery indicator: The button’s LED will blink when ROLI Piano is charging. The current charge status is indicated by its color:

    • Green is full charge

    • Yellow is medium charge

    • Red is low charge (20% or less battery life remaining)

  • Mode selection: (MIDI Controller use only) When using your ROLI Piano as a MIDI controller with your DAW, the power button also lets you cycle between the MIDI modes. See "Features and uses for creators" for more information.

Bluetooth indicator: Located near the Power/Mode button, the Bluetooth button is used to connect the ROLI Piano wirelessly. Pressing it starts Bluetooth pairing mode, indicated by a blue wave animation on the keys. Pressing it again stops Bluetooth advertising. If no connection is made, advertising stops after 60 seconds. If a device is already connected via USB or Bluetooth, pressing this button has no effect until the device is disconnected. 

The indicator light illuminates white when connected to a USB host, and blue when connected to a Bluetooth host.

Octave Shift: Located next to the Power/Mode button. When composing or performing with ROLI Piano, these buttons allow you to move  up and down octaves beyond the four-octave range of the keyboard.

Preset Up/Down buttons: Press > to change to the next preset, and < to change to the previous preset. This functionality is compatible with ROLI Studio Player, ROLI Airwave Player, and any 3rd-party instrument that responds to preset up/down messages as defined in the MIDI specification.

The power button and the octave shift buttons also work together in special combinations to access more advanced features. See the "Features For Creators" section below for more information.

Bluetooth connection indicator

When you turn on ROLI Piano without a wired USB connection, it will start pairing with Bluetooth. The Bluetooth pairing process is indicated by the keys pulsing blue. Once the connection is established, the keys will flash according to the selected mode.

USB connection

Use any of the three USB ports to connect ROLI Piano to your computer, iPad, or other device, or to plug in a power supply.

Not all computers provide enough power to charge ROLI Piano. In some cases, you might find that your Piano’s battery drains even when connected to a computer. We recommend you use the provided power supply in order to avoid this issue.

MIDI Out

This port allows you to connect ROLI Piano to hardware instruments with MIDI out.

The following settings are found in ROLI Dashboard:

  • MIDI Port Forwarding: If on, MIDI messages received via USB or Bluetooth, will be forwarded to the MIDI out port.

  • MIDI Port Throttling: This restricts the rate that MIDI messages are sent out via the MIDI port. This can improve compatibility with older hardware.

Pedal port

ROLI Piano works with all sustain pedals and most expression pedals.

Visit our support page to find an up-to-date list of expression pedals that we’ve tested and can confirm work with ROLI Piano.

Looking after your ROLI Piano

Basic care and attention will protect your ROLI Piano and help it stay in optimal condition for years to come. 

Avoid excessive force on the keys, and try to keep the ROLI Piano away from direct sunlight, sharp objects, liquids, and especially oils and detergents – including greasy fingers after eating food.

To clean the key surface, you may use a dry or slightly damp microfibre cloth. Do not use detergents or any chemical cleansing agents, bleaches, or alcohol on the ROLI Piano. Do not spray any cleaning fluids directly on your ROLI Piano; instead, spray water onto a microfiber cloth first. If a cleaning agent is needed, use a microfibre cloth slightly dampened with mild soapy water.

When not in use, it's best to store ROLI Piano horizontally — as in its normal playing position. If you anticipate not using your ROLI Piano for three months or longer, we recommend that you take the following steps:

  • Fully charge ROLI Piano before storing

  • Store it in an environment with low humidity and a temperature between 10-35°C.

  • Store it in a ROLI Piano Soft Case or other suitably protective case.

  • Do not store any items on top of your ROLI Piano.

To protect the health of the lithium polymer battery, we recommend you charge your ROLI Piano at least once every six months.


Features for learning to play piano

Play along with 1,200+ hits: More than 1,200 songs are available, spanning the range from pop to classical to dance music.

Play your way: After you've chosen a song, the next step is choosing how you want to view or "read" your song. Your options range from the video game–style Cascade View to Rainbow View, ColorNote View, and the traditional notation of Classic View.

Learn from real piano teachers: Some of the best resources for learning more about music theory and technique are in the Learn section of the app. Here, you’ll find a structured curriculum of interactive video lessons designed and delivered by our team of experts. 

Develop your playing technique, step by step: Play songs that build your right-hand and left-hand keyboard skills. Learn to play stepwise, in jumps, and by crossing fingers. Then put both hands together to learn two-handed pieces.

Learn the basics of music theory: Get to grips with musical basics, including pitch, dynamics, scales, and rhythm. Use what you've learned to improve every performance and play more complex music.

Dive into games: ROLI Learn’s games reinforce your piano playing skills, helping you master music technique in a fun way. Navigate among the games through the home screen of the ROLI Learn app.


Features for making your own music

Four Dimensions of Touch: ROLI Piano is a full-size, semi-weighted MIDI keyboard with hidden depths of expression. Its MPE capabilities allow you to add new dimensions of musicality to every single note you play.


Light-guided composition: ROLI Piano’s glowing keys can highlight scales, visualize chords and arpeggios, or simply put on a light show every time you perform — in the studio or on stage.


Four-octaves of full-size keys: ROLI Piano’s 49 full-size, semi-weighted keys each feature RGB backlighting, polyphonic pitch bend, and polyphonic aftertouch.


Produce anywhere: Connect your keyboard wirelessly via Bluetooth and create anywhere with up to 6 hours of battery life.


Connect your whole setup: ROLI Piano can output MIDI directly to synthesizers and other hardware via the included TRS adapter. There’s also an input for your sustain pedal.


Works with all major DAWs: ROLI Piano works seamlessly with Ableton Live, Logic Pro, Cubase, Bigwig, and many more. 


Included software for creators

ROLI Piano comes with ROLI Studio, a pair of premium plug-ins that feature hundreds of sounds, effects, and creative tools, all designed to work with ROLI Piano’s expressive features.

ROLI Studio includes:

  • ROLI Studio Player: 300+ acoustic, hybrid acoustic, and synth sounds, plus creative effects and powerful production tools, including Smart Chords and the unique Multi Layered Arpeggiator.

  • ROLI Studio Drums: 200+ percussion sounds, all powered by and MPE drum engine that can bend and warp sounds at the touch of a finger.

You also get ROLI Dashboard, a handy tool for configuring and customizing ROLI Piano to work with your DAWs and third-party software plugins, and ROLI Connect, a one-stop shop for downloading, registering, updating, and authorising ROLI products.

Updating your ROLI Piano firmware

When you use ROLI Piano with ROLI Dashboard, the application automatically checks the firmware running on the keyboard. If a later version is available, you will be prompted to update. This is optional, but it’s advisable to update to receive new features and fix bugs. 

When using the ROLI Learn app, firmware updates automatically happen in the background.

Advanced use of ROLI Piano’s controls

Custom modes: When connected to a DAW, the Power/Mode button allows you to customize the keyboard’s illumination and MPE touch response. There are four default modes, and you can cycle through each by pressing the Power/Mode button. The following is a description of the default setting of all four modes; however, color, pitch bend, and aftertouch are all configurable for each one.

  • ROLI Pro Mode: This mode activates both aftertouch and per-key pitch bend by default*, enabling full expressive control. It also lights up the root note of your chosen scale.

  • User Mode: This activates aftertouch and disables pitch bend by default*, while letting you customize the color of your keys. It illuminates the root note and other notes in default colors. When you play a note, all other keys dim down by 50% to highlight the played note. Force of pressure also changes the color intensity of the key, with maximum color achieved through the firmest pressure.

  • Piano Mode: This mode transforms the keys to black and white, like a classic keyboard with glowing white keys. Pitch bend and aftertouch are turned off by default to simulate a regular keyboard response*.

  • Stage Mode: All keys display the below rainbow pallet at 20% brightness until played, at which point they color-max at 100% brightness. By default, per-key pitch bend is enabled in this mode, but aftertouch is switched off*.

Octave Shift: Pressing the octave shift button once to the right raises the ROLI Piano pitch by an octave. Pressing to the left lowers pitch by an octave. With use of the octave shift feature, one ROLI Piano can reach every MIDI note from C-2 to G-8. Press both octave buttons together to reset the octave to default.

Factory Reset: Press and hold the power/mode button and both octave shift buttons for three seconds to reset the unit to factory settings.

* ROLI Pro Mode, User Mode, and Stage Mode can optionally be set to send MIDI over a single channel. If selected, pitch bend and aftertouch will be applied at a channel level — i.e. for all keys at once — rather than on a per-key/polyphonic basis. We recommend using MPE MIDI mode for full expression with compatible instruments. 

Dashboard Settings

MIDI Settings

MIDI Mode: Configures the way in which your ROLI Piano sends MIDI Data. Depending on your selection here, different channel settings become available directly below.

Pitch Bend Range: Defines how many semitones pitch bend messages represent (typically 48 for MPE). Using a lower value allows for smoother bending as it increases resolution per semitone, however this reduces the maximum bend in semitones possible and therefore must be equal to or greater than the “Key Pitch Bend Amount”. Note that this value must be matched by any instruments you are controlling to avoid unwanted scaling of pitch bends.

Octave: Shift the notes up and down in Octaves, ie C3–B4 or C2–B3 

Transpose: Shift the notes in semitones, i.e. with a Transpose value of 2, the first key on the ROLI Piano will play a D instead of a C.

Changing sensitivities: In ROLI Dashboard, you can adjust the Strike (Velocity), Press (Pressure), and Lift (Note-off Velocity) sensitivities to suit your playing style or the needs of your project.

  • Strike: Adjust the curve to make ROLI Piano more or less sensitive to initial note velocities (how quickly you hit a key)

  • Press: Adjust this curve to increase or decrease ROLI Piano’s response to a given amount of pressure (how hard you press a key)

  • Lift: Adjust the curve to increase or decrease ROLI Piano’s response to release velocities (how fast you lift your finger off a key after playing a note)

Fixed Velocity sets a consistent velocity value (set by the Fixed Velocity Value), independent of how hard you play.

Keybed State 

Active Mode: Select between different lighting modes, each with its own default settings, or customized settings if you have adjusted them in Dashboard.

Scale: Set the scale to be displayed by ROLI Piano’s illumination e.g., Major or Minor

Key: Set the root note for the displayed scale, e.g., C or D#

Pitch Bend Tracking: In Single Channel mode, or when playing a number of notes greater than the MIDI Channel range of the ROLI Piano, this determines which keys’ bend is transmitted as MIDI. Other keys sharing the same channel will be ignored by the Piano, however the synth may apply the bend of the specified key to all active keys on that channel or follow its own tracking rule.

  • Last Note Played

  • Highest Note Played

  • Lowest Note Played

Pressure Tracking: Both Channel Pressure and Poly Aftertouch are MIDI aftertouch messages which respond when pressure is applied to a key after the initial note-on. Some software will not respond to both types of aftertouch, so ROLI Dashboard includes the ability to select one or the other. If your instrument is set to respond to aftertouch but does not seem to respond to key pressure variation, try changing the Pressure Tracking.

As Channel Pressure is common to all keys in a channel it will act as monophonic aftertouch when in single channel mode and will track the max pressure of a channel when in MPE with a greater number of notes than available channels.

Global Key Color: Sets the color of the in-scale notes when in User Color scheme

Root Color: Sets the color of the root notes when in User Color scheme

Brightness: Sets the global maximum brightness of the keys

Mode 1 / Mode 2 / Mode 3 / Mode 4: These columns of checkboxes let you decide which features are active in each mode. Options for each mode include:

  • Color Scheme

  • Enable Pitch Bend (On/Off)

  • Enable Pressure (On/Off)

Color Scheme: Switches between:

  • Pro: Lights up the Scale with a highlighted root note

  • User: Lights up with the configured User Colors

  • Piano: Lights up with black and white keys

  • Stage: Dimmed keys only light up when pressed

  • Rainbow: Sets a color per note

Troubleshooting

Why isn’t my pedal working correctly?

In ROLI Dashboard, check that both Pedal Type and Pedal Model are set correctly.

Why aren’t the keys very bright?

In ROLI Dashboard, check that Brightness is set correctly

Why aren’t the keys lighting up?

Try connecting ROLI Piano directly to your computer using an included USB-C cable, and directly to the included power supply using the other included USB-C cable


Note: when using ROLI Airwave Player, the keys only light up when pressed.


My audio has latency, how can I improve it?

  • Reduce the buffer size in the plug in or DAW that you are using 

  • Connect to the computer using USB, rather than Bluetooth


Factory reset

Press the Power, Octave Up, and Octave Down buttons at the same time to factory reset ROLI Piano.


Appendices

Glossary of terms

BrightKey technology: ROLI's proprietary technology that controls the fully illuminated RGB keys of the ROLI Piano keyboard.

ROLI Learn: The ROLI Learn app is the mobile app companion to ROLI Piano. With a subscription to the app, you can use ROLI Piano to learn songs and work through interactive video lessons, exercises, and more..

ROLI Piano: That's this product! ROLI Piano is the fully illuminated keyboard, distinct from the ROLI Learn app.

MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE): MPE is a protocol that enables deeper musical expression in digital music creation tools. MPE-compliant devices (like the ROLI Seaboard) and software (like Logic Pro X and Ableton Live) enable independent, per-note control of multiple sound parameters such as pitch and timbre. ROLI is a pioneer of MPE, which was adopted as part of the MIDI specification in 2018.

Polyphonic per-key pitch bend: A feature enabled by ROLI Piano’s unique key action and sensor design, allowing independent pitch bending on each individual key. By moving fingers laterally in a vibrato-like motion, players can smoothly alter the pitch of one or more notes simultaneously, providing expressive, nuanced control not possible on traditional keyboards.

Polyphonic aftertouch: A feature enabled by ROLI Piano’s advanced key sensing technology, allowing independent pressure sensitivity for each individual key. By varying finger pressure after the initial key strike, players can independently modulate the sound or effect of each note in real-time, achieving nuanced, expressive performances not possible with standard keyboards.

ROLI Connect: A desktop application for managing ROLI products, downloading soundpacks, and accessing software updates.

ROLI Dashboard: A desktop application for modifying and customising the internal settings of ROLI Piano and other ROLI devices.

ROLI Studio: A pair of premium plug-ins included with ROLI Piano that feature hundreds of expressive sounds, effects, and production tools from across the ROLI ecosystem.

USB-C: The type of USB connector used to connect and charge ROLI Piano.

Bluetooth + MIDI over Bluetooth: Bluetooth is the wireless communications protocol that allows your ROLI Piano to connect to your mobile device or your laptop or desktop (if you are a Mac user). ROLI Piano utilizes MIDI Over Bluetooth, a type of Bluetooth that is used for all MIDI-receiving instruments. It does not work in the same way as a Bluetooth speaker. You can only connect to your ROLI Piano via Bluetooth by using an app that is capable of handling MIDI over Bluetooth connections, such as the ROLI Learn App.

FAQs

For an up-to-date list of answers to our most frequently asked questions about ROLI Piano, visit the FAQ page on the ROLI website. 

Specifications

Dimensions + weight

  • Keys: 49 full-spectrum illuminated keys featuring ROLI Brightkey™ technology

  • Key Size: Full-size keys, 162.8 mm octave

  • Plunge Depth: Full plunge depth

  • Dimensions (L x W x D): 700 mm x 200 mm x 45 mm (approx. 27.5" x 8" x 1.8")

  • Weight: Approximately 3.5 kg

Connectivity + ports

  • Bluetooth 5.0

  • USB-C port (for connection and charging)

  • MIDI out (3.5mm TRS)

  • Pedal support (continuous TRS, 3.5mm plug, compatible with sustain and expression pedals)

  • Class-compliant MIDI over USB and Bluetooth

Battery + power

  • 6-hour battery life

  • 3-hour charge time

  • USB Input Voltage: 5V/9V

  • Rechargeable internal battery (6700mAh)

Expressive performance

  • Pressure-responsive keys featuring polyphonic aftertouch

  • Per-key pitch bend

  • Four octaves with octave shift buttons for a full seven octaves

Service and support information

Support

We want you to have the best experience possible with our instruments 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 enquiry from our website. We will respond as soon as possible.

Warranty, returns, and repairs

To return or have your ROLI Piano repaired under warranty you must obtain an RMA (Return Material Authorization) number. If you have ordered from the ROLI website, please complete a request for return here. You will need your original order number on hand for requesting a return. 

If you have ordered from an authorised retailer, then please contact the original store should you need a return. If you need a replacement under warranty or out of warranty, please reach out to our Support Team via the ROLI website. You must have your original purchase receipt when contacting the retailer or ROLI.

Once you have received the RMA number please carefully pack the ROLI Piano and ship the product using the pre-paid return label following the instructions that we have provided.

Once received, we will examine the product for any obvious signs of user abuse or damage as a result of transport. If the product is abused, damaged in transit, or is out of warranty, we will contact you with an estimate of the repair cost. Warranty work and return shipping will be performed free of charge only in supported territories, meaning countries or regions where we officially provide service coverage. Customers outside of supported territories may be responsible for shipping costs and/or additional service fees.

Warranty and repair policies are subject to change.

Please see all of ROLI's most current policies here.