Roli is a fantastic startup that makes fascinating music products. The Seaboard led the way, with a clever approach to the fretboard that allowed players to bend notes like guitar strings. The blocks were even more fascinating: the modular light pads offered innovative control for electronic music producers.
Being a music lover with no discernible skills when it comes to making it, I have especially admired the music of the London based company from afar. Lumi, however, he finds Roli starting to study music, with a small portable keyboard whose keys light up to teach beginners what to play.
Available initially via Kickstarter, the kit is available for pre-order starting today and shipping will begin in November. Lumi Keys 1 is currently available for $ 299, a price that includes a carrying case and access to the Lumi subscription service. This latter piece, of course, is the key to Roli's plans to monetize the kit, going forward, with a $ 10 per month fee. The library now includes more than 100 lessons and 400 songs, with a wide range of artists - "from Beyonce to Beethoven" as the company inserts in its print material.
The Lumi has been refined since the initial release of Kickstarter, with a stronger (and heavier) build and better / more precise key response. Like Blocks, the system is modular - here that specifically means you can link multiple Lumis together and create a longer keyboard. As the company noted early on, the keyboard doubles as a MIDI controller, for those who graduate from learning functionality.
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