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Lightpad Block M

Super Sonic Surface

Make music on a smooth, illuminated surface that fits in the palm of your hand. Play beats. Shape melodies. Control sound just by touching the super-sensitive, surface of a next-generation MIDI controller. The free ROLI PLAY app helps you get started.

  • Your purchase
  • Free shipping (US, EU & UK only)
  • 30-day returns
  • Lifetime support
  • Dispatches in 3 working days
  • Compatibility
  • iOS only app support
  • No Android support
  • Windows 7, 8 and 10
  • Mac OSX 10.10+

Introducing Lightpad M

AT A GLANCE

Super powerful and easy to pick up

  • lightpad-M
    MIDI pad controller
  • 01 Icon 5DTouch
    Touch responsive soft silicon surface
  • 05 Icon WirelessPortable
    Wireless and portable
  • 09 Icon Grids
    LED illumination reconfigures the surface for different notes and scales
  • Mobile icon
    Get started with free iOS apps: the beginner-friendly ROLI PLAY or the powerful NOISE app.
  • 15 Icon SoftwareLaptop
    Desktop software included: Equator Player, Strobe2 Player and Tracktion Waveform 8
  • 04 Icon SoundsSpeaker
    Hundreds of sounds in NOISE and Equator Player
  • 12 Icon PairWithBlocks
    Connects to Seaboard Block and other ROLI BLOCKS

HOW YOU PLAY

Play a song, all on one surface

On one dynamic surface you can play beats, basslines, chords, and melodies — and tie them all together to make amazingly multi-layered songs.

5D TOUCH

Every movement is musical

On the Lightpad Block’s tactile surface, you shape sounds and make music with Five Dimensions of Touch (5D Touch). Expression is right at your fingertips, so you can bring any musical idea to life.

Strike

Strike to sound a note

Glide

Glide your fingers from side to side to bend the pitch, like on a string instrument

Slide

Slide up and down to modulate a sound, for example to add brightness or texture

Press

Press to deepen sounds, like a saxophone player does through breath

Lift

Lift to change a sound’s resonance

SOUNDS

Explore a universe of sounds — it's growing all the time

Lightpad M pairs with desktop and mobile sound engines that include hundreds of high-resolution sounds ranging from strings to drums. They’re all custom-made for MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE) on the Lightpad Block’s unique surface. Explore soundpacks from sound designers and renowned artists like Pharrell, Grimes, and RZA.

SWAM Saxophones by Audio Modeling

Lay down blazing funk solos or mellow jazz vibes with the extraordinarily expressive sounds of SWAM Saxophones. Get riffing on a selection of realistic alto, baritone, soprano and tenor sax instruments, all from the masters at Audio Modeling.

Available for download in the NOISE app now

SOFTWARE

Bundled with a suite of software for any music maker

Pick from a suite of music production programs that pair with your Lightpad Block. The Block’s package of high-powered software includes something for everyone — from mobile to desktop music makers, from casual musicians to pros.

Products

NOISE for iOS

Start making music with NOISE, an app that includes hundreds of sounds. It works wirelessly with Lightpad M, so you can play anywhere you have a connected device. iOS only.

  • Download on the App Store
  • Download From Google Play

Equator Player

Browse 200+ free sounds on a desktop sound player based on Equator, ROLI’s flagship soft synth and sound engine.

Learn more

Ableton Live Lite

Turn the Lightpad Block into a portable controller for Ableton Live, the renowned digital audio workstation (DAW). Through a customized integration you can play instruments and create tracks within Ableton Live — on the surface of one or multiple Lightpads.

Learn more

Strobe2 Player

A desktop sound player version of the acclaimed polysynth from FXpansion with 50 presets and 3 macros to play with.

Tracktion Waveform 8

A cutting-edge Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) that performs seamlessly with the Lightpad’s multidimensional expressive surface, Tracktion Waveform 8 helps you visualize and edit your projects with a range of features that are approachable to learners but also powerful for professionals.

Learn more

ROLI Dashboard

Control music software programs outside the NOISE and Equator environment. Lightpad M becomes a versatile controller for Ableton Live, Logic Pro X, and other plug-ins and programs.

Learn more

Max MSP

Push the limits of musical creativity with Max MSP, an open-ended environment for custom music programming. Three-month trial license with every Lightpad M.

BLOCKS works with programs including:

Ableton

  • Live

FXpansion

  • Strobe2

Native Instruments

  • Kontakt
  • Massive

Bitwig

  • Studio

Apple

  • Logic Pro
  • GarageBand

SampleModeling

  • SWAM

Cycling '74

  • MaxMSP

Spectrasonics

  • Omnisphere

INTERFACE

Designed for musical expression

The Lightpad Block is custom-designed to be the most powerful music-making device to fit in a pocket. The sensors underneath the pliable surface are finely calibrated so you can play with precision. Undulating “microkeywaves” provide additional tactile feedback. High-definition colors light up the surface, so you can move quickly between notes, instruments, and scales.

LEARN

Start learning with ROLI PLAY

ROLI PLAY is a custom-made companion app that helps you get started with your Lightpad Block. Learn how musical touch works on the Lightpad's surface and start making songs. Your first few hours with a Lightpad can be a musical headrush, and this free app is there to hold your hand.

EXPAND

Expand your music studio

Lightpad M is one piece of an award-winning music creation system: BLOCKS. Connect to a Seaboard Block, Live Block, Loop Block, Touch Block — or more Lightpad Blocks including the Lightpad M. All Blocks snap together and work together wirelessly. Mix and match, and build your instrument as you grow!

Awards logo

The Verge

Organisation Name
"After a half-hour demo, I made my own beat from scratch, complete with sick flute solo. It's not usually this easy to make something."
Ask Audio awards

Ask.Audio

Organisation Name
"The Lightpad Block M is a supremely powerful... and unique way to perform with your hands."
Huffington post awards

Huffpost

Organisation Name
"Don't be alarmed by its alien appearance. This is one of the most innovative music-making gadgets we've used all year."

COMMUNITY

#ROLICreators

See ROLI in action around the world. Share your Lightpad Block M snaps and follow @we.are.roli #ROLICreators

Compare Lightpad M with Lightpad Block

COMPARE

Compare Lightpad M with Lightpad Block

Lightpad Block M

  1. Spec

  2. Lightpad Block M
  3. Lightpad Block
  1. Dimensions
  2. H21.8 x W94 x D94 (mm)
  3. H20.3 x W94 x D94 (mm)
  1. Surface consistency
  2. Semi-soft, smooth, contoured with undulating microkeywaves
  3. Semi-rigid, smooth, and flat
  1. Silicone layer depth
  2. 5.85mm
  3. 4.35mm
  1. DNA connectors
  2. 8
  3. 8
  1. Battery life
  2. 4 hours
  3. 4 hours
  1. Software bundle
  2. Ableton Live Lite, Equator Player, Strobe2 Player, Tracktion Waveform, 11 NOISE soundpacks (including Bass Quartet by Audio Modeling), BLOCKS Dashboard, Max MSP (three-month license)
  3. Ableton Live Lite, Equator Player, Strobe2 Player, Tracktion Waveform, 10 NOISE soundpacks, BLOCKS Dashboard, Max MSP (three-month license)
  1. Price
  2. $199.95/£189.95/€219.95
  3. $179.95/£169.95/€199.95

Lightpad M

Technical Diagram

Unboxed

  1. Lightpad Block.
  2. 8 NOISE Soundpacks.
  3. Ableton Live Lite.
  4. Equator Player.
  5. Strobe2 Player.
  1. Tracktion Waveform 8.
  2. ROLI Dashboard.
  3. Max MSP License (Three Months).
  4. USB-C to USB-A Cable.
  5. Quick Start Guide.
  6. One Year Full Warranty.

Tech Specs

Dimensions and Weight

Width: 94mm (3.7 inches).
Height: 21.8mm (0.86 inches).
Depth: 94mm (3.7 inches).
Weight: 260g (0.57 pounds).

Battery

4 hour battery life.
2 hour charge time.

Connectivity / Ports

USB-C port (MIDI out and power).
Full MIDI compatibility over USB and Bluetooth LE.
8 DNA connectors.

Bluetooth

15 meter Bluetooth range.
Mac OSX and iOS only.

Compatibility

Desktop Requirements

Mac OSX 10.10+.
Windows 7, 8 and 10.
Intel Dual Core i5 2.5GHz+.
4 GB RAM (8 GB RAM recommended).
2 GB hard drive space.
Internet connection to register/download software.

Mobile & Tablet Requirements

iPhone 6 or newer.
iPad Air 2 or newer.
iPad Mini 4 or newer.
iPad Pro (9.7, 10.5 and 12.9 inches).
iOS 9.0 or above.
Google Pixel or Pixel 2 (Limited support).

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Reviews

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Further Information

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