roli

ROLI is a British technology company that designs music hardware and software to expand expressive control of digital sound. Based in London, it was founded in the early 2010s by Roland Lamb with the aim of redefining how musicians interact with sound through tactile, expressive interfaces. The company has been influential in popularizing multidimensional control and the MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE) approach.

The Seaboard is ROLI’s flagship line of expressive MIDI controllers. It replaces traditional piano keys with a soft, continuous keyboard surface called keywaves, which allow players to bend pitch, apply continuous vibrato, and change timbre using pressure, slide, and position sensing. The Seaboard Grand and Seaboard Rise are among the best-known models, and the devices are designed to work with MPE-compatible software and hardware to offer per-note expression across multiple dimensions.

ROLI also developed BLOCKS, a modular hardware system consisting of magnetic, attachable blocks that connect to a core module to form custom instruments for performance and studio use. The Blocks ecosystem was intended to create flexible, scalable setups and broaden the reach of expressive control beyond traditional keyboards.

In software, ROLI produced Equator, a software synthesizer designed to take advantage of expressive data from their hardware and MPE-capable controllers. Equator and related software tools were part of ROLI’s broader objective to provide integrated hardware-software ecosystems for contemporary music production and performance.

ROLI has contributed to discussions around expressive performance and the adoption of MPE, influencing designers and musicians seeking more tactile, expressive ways to shape electronic sound.