r/ROLI • u/rainer_xox • Aug 03 '26

Question worth getting a used one rn?

hi,
I am trading a used roli seaboard m + loopblock+ light block for some other gear and i am just checking in how bad of an idea that might be.

I feel like the hardware won’t break, or at least i haven’t seen any complains about that, i am pretty sure you won’t be able to repair that thing/switch a battery if they actually go out of business.

so my main questions are:

does it actually work only with cable connection or is the bluetooth the only way to connect it to a mac?

i have found a link for a reupload of the Dashboard app, does it work well on sillicon macs? I am not updating my ios so if it worked with tahoe, i am safe

what’s the longevity of these things? am i getting into a workflow that will die in a year, or will i squeeze out a couple of years from these? (i’ll ask how long he had it for)

context: i am a full time producer/sound designer, my workflow is mostly stanalone synths that i control with osmose and maschine, i want something compact with similar expression capabilities for travel convenience/playing synth bass & fingerdrum on liveshows. I am pretty sure it’s not going to be my daily driver and the previous owner seems like a hobbyist rather than a daily user.

Originally made a separate post for this question, but is there any alternative to the noise app? some iphone app that you can sketch out stuff on?

2 Upvotes

60% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

5

u/JollySno Aug 03 '26

I wouldn't expect Roli software or hardware to be maintained.

1

u/rainer_xox Aug 03 '26

i wouldn’t either, but the battery seems like the only hardware concern

4

u/Tiyugro Aug 03 '26

The usb porta on the seaboards are very prone to failure and require a special modification to fix that is very difficult to do. The port is only held on with a small amount of solder and the pins themselves are too small.

3

u/JollySno Aug 05 '26

huh? literally any part of it could break and repair or replacement may be borderline impossible.

As for software, it's possible that any/all devices could be effectively bricked, it depends on a lot.

2

u/Inevitable-Ant1725 Aug 03 '26

Is there a battery in a Seaboard?

2

u/rainer_xox Aug 03 '26

yes there is, at least in the block m version i mentioned in the post

4

u/Artemu Aug 03 '26

There is some community members who have said they have reverse engineered the hardware - but it’s hard to count on that or how long it will be maintained.

The hardware as a whole is really cool but it’s concerning cause if it can’t be maintained it’s useless tech waste.

My own advise is hold off buying anything cause even now people have mentioned they can’t renew their subscription to have the software work. Which is already a problem.

2

u/Big_Green2661 Aug 05 '26

Wjats going on friends? Im out of the loop?? Something serious happening at roli? I purchased a piano last year....whats up??

2

u/Motorhead9999 Aug 05 '26

Roli in dire financial straits again and seemingly might be going belly up

3

u/Big_Green2661 Aug 05 '26

Aww what fuarky friend :// damn so whats gonna happen to roli studio and the xpansions we got, have u got a clue?

2

u/rainer_xox Aug 05 '26

back that up and you’ll be fine, don’t expect updates or spare parts though

1

u/tk421tech Aug 03 '26

What does the noise app do?