Day 73 on our NAMM Countdown: ROLI launches Lego-like music creation system; BLOCKS

 

ROLI, the music technology innovator, today launches BLOCKS, the most accessible and scalable music creation system ever made.

ROLI BLOCKS is a modular music studio that opens up the world of music-making to everyone. Each individual Block offers unique capabilities that enable people to create music in simple but far-reaching ways. The Blocks connect together to create customizable kits that suit any budget, skill level, and musical style. With a click of magnetic connectors, music-makers can now build their own instruments as they go.

Renowned artists including Grimes, Steve Aoki, and RZA are already making music on BLOCKS and creating signature soundpacks for BLOCKS musicians. Grimes — a composer, producer, and global superstar whose sound is redefining pop music — said, “ROLI BLOCKS will democratize music production. It’s so intuitive and versatile. I’m always on the go, and BLOCKS is the most powerful mobile production tool I’ve ever used.”

Three Blocks launch today. The Lightpad Block features a tactile, glowing surface that lets people shape music through presses, glides, and other natural gestures. The Live Block and Loop Block have controls that make it even easier to perform and produce in real time. BLOCKS is powered by NOISE, a free music app for iPhone and iPad that is now available at the App Store. NOISE connects to BLOCKS wirelessly over Bluetooth, becoming the system’s sound engine as well as a standalone app.

Roland Lamb, founder and CEO of ROLI, and inventor of BLOCKS, said, “Many areas of life have been transformed by the digital. Music, though, remains a universal language that everyone understands, but only a few can speak. BLOCKS will change that, and enable people around the world to experience the joy of music-making for the first time.”

The Lightpad Block, Live Block, and Loop Block are exclusively available at ROLI.com, Apple.com, and Apple Stores around the world. With a Lightpad Block retailing at $179 and the Live Block and Loop Block at $79, BLOCKS is extraordinarily affordable as well as powerful.

ROLI celebrates today with an event at the Steel Yard in London. Roland Lamb’s keynote address and the world’s first BLOCKS performance will be live-streamed on ROLI’s Facebook page.

The launch caps an important year for ROLI, which has emerged as a leader in music technology innovation. The award-winning Seaboard RISE, a reinvention of the piano that has redefined the expressive capability of electronic instruments, has been adopted by a range of artists from Stevie Wonder to Meghan Trainor. ROLI acquired FXpansion, a London-based maker of audio software and virtual instruments, in September 2016.

Visit ROLI.com and watch the BLOCKS video to see and hear how this modular music studio will give everyone a musical voice.

• Website: https://roli.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ROLI
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/WeAreROLI

Location & Hours

Anaheim Convention Center
800 West Katella Avenue
Anaheim, CA 92802

*Hall E and Levels 2 & 3 open at 9:30 a.m.

NOTE: NAMM is an industry only event, see if you qualify for NAMM membership at https://www.namm.org/membership

To see if you qualify or to register, you can head over here: https://www.namm.org/thenammshow/2017/badges

The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) is a not-for-profit association with a mission to strengthen the $17 billion music products industry and promote the pleasures and benefits of making music. NAMM’s activities and programs are designed to promote music making to people of all ages. NAMM is comprised of approximately10,300 Member companies located in more than 102 countries.

For more information about NAMM or the proven benefits of making music, interested parties can visit www.namm.org, call 800-767-NAMM (6266) or follow the organization on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.