Ian Carlos Campbell

Tech

Roli’s Seaboard Rise 2 is a squishy, rubberized keyboard you slide to play

The $1,399 instrument marks the company's return to professional instruments after refocusing on music education subscription services.

The Roli Seaboard Rise 2
Luminary Roli

The Roli Seaboard Rise 2 is Roli’s refined sequel to the original Seaboard and Seaboard Rise.

It’s a soft, rubber-coated keyboard and MIDI controller that offers several unconventional and expressive ways to play, going beyond just striking individual piano keys.

Luminary Roli

The launch version of the Seaboard Rise 2 is a four-octave, 49-key keyboard — essentially a larger version of the original Rise.

It looks a lot like the company’s previous with a few notable differences.

Luminary Roli

The “Keywave 2” play surface has wider keys and frets

Roli says it should make the Seaboard Rise 2 easier to learn if you’re used to traditional keyboards.

Luminary Roli

It comes in a beautiful new “platinum blue” chassis

The new anodized aluminum casing is supposed to offer improved durability. It also includes new USB-C and MIDI ports for easier hookups to other music production hardware.

Luminary Roli

Equator2 and Ableton Live Lite are bundled at no additional cost

Roli’s Equator2 is a MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE) synth designed to work with the company's products. It normally costs $249 on its own.

Luminary Roli

If you’re not familiar with the Seaboard, you might be familiar with Roli’s other product, Lumi, a keyboard focused on teaching piano skills that also moonlights as a music production tool.

Luminary Roli

Roli — now officially called Luminary Roli — originally filed for administration (a bit like declaring bankruptcy in the U.S.) in 2021 and reorganized to focus on Lumi and its music education service following poor pandemic sales.

Luminary Roli

The company tells The Verge that Seaboard Rise 2 was in development before it made its pivot, but now it seems Roli views its professional and enthusiast instruments as a complement to the work it’s doing with Lumi.

Luminary Roli

This might not be the company’s last weird keyboard after all.

Luminary Roli

You can preorder the Roli Seaboard Rise 2 now

It’s available exclusively on Roli’s website for $1,399.

Luminary Roli

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