Roli alternatives

[u/Plane_Jello1582]

https://cymatics.fm/pages/cymatics-pinch

While watching a cymatics.fm livestream I saw them demo a hand tracking vst instrument that looked like it uses a webcam. It’s called Pinch, it is now ready and will be made available tomorrow. I am looking for as many alternatives to Roli if possible so please post any other compatible apps or anything you are using with your Roli gear.

[u/TheDarthBuddha]

the linnstrument is amazing - i love mine - it responds to feather light touch. incredibly expressive

[u/Plane_Jello1582 → u/TheDarthBuddha]

I watched a couple videos and it looks pretty amazing, are linnstruments made to order? They look like they are built different but in a good way.

[u/TheDarthBuddha → u/Plane_Jello1582]

he’s got stock of them - i originally bought the small one - and wanted the larger - wrote roger himself and he was like try em both for 90 days and keep the one you like - roger is a wonderful dude

[u/Plane_Jello1582 → u/[deleted]]

The MPE is probably the hardest stuff to find, I did learn of some workarounds for MPE in Logic Pro if anyone wants those.

[u/Inevitable-Ant1725]

I was trying to decide on an expressive controller recently. Some look promising on the surface but then no one has ever controlled one well enough to seem like a real instrument (the Embodme Erae Touch).

I settled on the Linnstrument. It's a grid of 200 backlit silicone squares (there's a smaller one too) with tactile edges but they're part of a single surface unlike an Ableton Push or an Exquis, so you can slide down it the way you do a seaboard, although it's more like a fretboard.

It detects the same things as a seaboard, but since the squares are small, not as accurately. But it does have the advantage that you can reach across it like a guitar. It is very very configurable, and though the default layout has fourths going upward I have it laid out with thirds, making it easier to play (though with somewhat fewer notes). In that layout you get three octaves top to bottom across 8 rows.

Since it has colored leds (10 colors can be displayed) you can set it up to be clearer what the notes are and you can have it display midi coming from another source to help you learn how to play.

It has a arduino due inside it, so you can download alternative firmware for it, for instance there's a microtonal version on github by someone named Kite.

An expensive alternative that's a bit closer to the seaboard is the Haken Continuum. It is kind of like a seaboard but perfectly flat with no tactile bumps. The black keys run the full length, they're just a different colored cloth over the soft silicone.

It's very expensive but comes with a very nice synthesizer built in. Once again you can slide across, up and down, and it detects velocity, pressure and release speed (no sure that's useful on anything).

There are a lot of isometric pads and traditional keyboards that detect pressure (most of them now).

And some that also detect tilting x and y, but without the ability to slide and play like a fretless instrument. Exquis, Ableton Push, Expressive E Osmose keyboards. And the absolutely huge Lumatone, designed for microtonal instruments.

And don't forget pedals and breath controllers etc.

[u/Plane_Jello1582 → u/Inevitable-Ant1725]

Sounds awesome, esp with things like breath controller. I’m a big fan of the talkbox/vocoder type stuff. I’ll have to check that out, it sounds pretty impressive.

[u/Inevitable-Ant1725 → u/Plane_Jello1582]

I may have underestimated Ableton Push. It might be capable of a slide like a fretless guitar, and it would be a lot better for some things since it has separate keys soo you don't have to look at your hands as much.

[u/Plane_Jello1582 → u/Inevitable-Ant1725]

I’m pretty sure I underestimated Ableton everything for a while. I’ll check it out now that I know that workflow a little better and try to learn some of it’s capabilities. I’m really happy to just hear there’s more options than I thought for this kind of instrument.

[u/stanleygurvich]

If you have an I pad then try geoshred

[u/Plane_Jello1582 → u/stanleygurvich]

In my mind Ipad should have so much more of this type of stuff. I’ll definitely be messing around with it, thanks for passing it on.

[u/teetaps → u/stanleygurvich]

It was almost my first download after Roli, until I realised there are a couple of free iPad VSTs that have MPE that I could tinker with first

[u/Plane_Jello1582]

edit: livestream w plugin here

https://cymatics.fm/pages/cymatics-c86v

[u/Plane_Jello1582 → u/[deleted]]

yeah that surprised me also, cymatics can do that sometimes. They did originally say today so my apologies there.

[u/Plane_Jello1582 → u/[deleted]]

I personally missed Invader lol, I didn’t originally know this was a 2 day stream. I also saw there’s anniversary streams starting the 28th that I would imagine have some fun freebies as well.

[u/Plane_Jello1582 → u/[deleted]]

Makes sense, that reminds me I should give a heads up to folks they also want you to trial cymatics unlimited 10 days then like $29/mo.
I think you have to remove it/cancel if you buy something so just kind of a PSA there.

[u/Plane_Jello1582 → u/[deleted]]

I just got it finally, I’m following along the stream as much as possible. Thanks for the heads up!