Roli just announced the Lightpad Block M, a compact and portable touch surface that lets you play sounds and instruments from your iPhone, iPad, or laptop. It connects via Bluetooth to your smart device running the Roli Noise or Equator Player synth / sampler apps. It can also control digital audio workstations (DAWs) and soft synths running on your Mac computer via the Blocks Dashboard app, which serves as a bridge between the DAW and the Lightpad Block M.
As with other Roli Block devices, the Lightpad Block M is modular and can be interfaced with other Roli Blocks such as the Seaboard Block, Live Block, and Loop Block.
We liked the idea of a modular touchscreen for the Blocks series, but thought the original Lightpad Block was a bit unresponsive, or at least not as responsive as touch surfaces these days tend to be. It seems that Roli has fixed that with the Lightpad Block M’s redesigned surface – Roli claims that it’s more precise and sensitive, and a whole light brighter too thanks to new LED lights onboard. Watch out for our review of it soon.
Check out the promo video below.
Promo Video
• The Roli Lightpad Block M is now available for US$199. Check the Roli site for more details.
Do you produce music on-the-go? Would you like to use a touchpad like this? Why or why not? Share your thoughts below.
Joey Santos
