ROLI Studio Player v1.0.0 released

We're pleased to announce the public release of ROLI Studio Player v1.0.0 for MacOS 10.13+ and Windows 10.


ROLI Studio Player is the central plug-in for ROLI sounds, allowing you to explore and tweak sounds from ROLI and FXpansion's flagship synths Equator, Strobe2 and Cypher2, and provides direct hardware integration for the Lightpad Block and Live Block, allowing you to get hands-on with modulation within ROLI Studio Player. ROLI Studio Player features macro controls, Smart Chords, a multi-layered Arpeggiator and Audio Effects, allowing you to customise and modulate sounds in ways that were not previously possible.


You'll need to ensure you've installed the latest version of ROLI Connect to download and authorise ROLI Studio Player, where you'll find the installer in the Apps tab once you've logged in:


If you encounter any issues with ROLI Studio Player, pleased let our support team know by creating a new support ticket, or raise it in the Issues forum. If you want to discuss the features in ROLI Studio Player with other creators or share your ideas on how ROLI Studio Player could be improved, head over to the Feature Requests forum, or if you have any questions, you can ask them here.


While the beta forum is no longer available, we've collated your valuable feedback and are working on new features and improvements that we'll introduce in future updates. We'd like to sincerely thank everyone who contributed in sharing their thoughts, ideas and issues with the previous beta versions of ROLI Studio Player; it wouldn't be where it is today without your input!


You can find more detailed information about hardware integration below, as well as a list of features, fixes and known issues at the bottom of the page. Check out our handy Getting Started guide too, which explains each control within each area of ROLI Studio Player.






Lightpad Block Integration

 

One or more connected Lightpad Blocks running the latest BLOCKS firmware can now be dedicated to controlling the individual modules within ROLI Studio Player:

  • Macro faders and XY pad
  • Smart Chords module
  • Arpeggiator
  • Audio Effects

Equivalent controls for each module will be displayed on the Lightpad Block surface, allowing you to adjust parameters for each module directly from your Lightpad Block(s). Depending on the module you're controlling, it's also possible to navigate through the various modes of the module with buttons displayed on the Lightpad Block surface.

 

To assign a module (e.g. the Macros) to a specific Lightpad Block, simply click the icon in the top-right corner of the module (see below) and select the Block.


Alternatively you can assign a specific Lightpad Block to a module using the assignment button at the top of the ROLI Studio Player window, which will allow you to drag & drop your desired Block to a specific module (such as the Audio Effects).


Additionally, you can also use the mode button on the side of the Lightpad Block to cycle through each module. With ROLI Studio Player as a standalone application, a note grid is assigned to the Lightpad Block by default, which will also assume this behaviour if the current module mapping is removed.



Live Block Integration


Each button on a Live Block connected via DNA can be used to control the following, using the Mode button to change the behaviour:

  • Volume
  • Scale
  • Preset selection
  • Preset favouriting
  • Arpeggiator enabling/disabling
  • Smart Chord enabling/disabling



Seaboard Block and Seaboard RISE


Any Seaboard device connected to ROLI Studio Player can be used to trigger notes, and the Macro & XY controls on the Seaboard RISE can be used to modulate the Macro & XY parameters in ROLI Studio Player. Lightpad Blocks and Live Blocks connected via DNA to a Seaboard Block can be used to control ROLI Studio Player as explained above.



DAW Integration


We've aimed to make the experience as smooth as possible when using ROLI Studio Player as a plugin within your DAW of choice. As such, we've added features that allow different module assignments and configurations to be made between multiple instances of ROLI Studio Player within a single DAW projec.


For instance, with a setup of two Lightpad Blocks, you can use them to control the Macro and Arpeggiator modules in the first instance of ROLI Studio Player, but also assign them to control the Smart Chords and Audio Effects of the second instance. 


You also have the option to choose between two different behaviours for each connected Light Block. You can choose from either of the following:

  • Set a Lightpad Block to update to whichever instance of ROLI Studio Player is brought into focus
  • Dedicate a specific Lightpad Block to a certain instance of ROLI Studio Player by clicking the lock symbol. Locked Lightpad Blocks can be released from any other instance of ROLI Studio Player in your DAW by clicking the lock symbol again. 


For instance, the right-most Lightpad Block in the image below is 'locked' to the Smart Chords module:




ROLI Studio Player v1.0.0 features:

  • Windows 10 and macOS 10.13+ support (64-bit)
  • Compatible as a standalone, AU and VST plug-in
  • Sound library comprising of selected Equator, Strobe2 and Cypher2 presets
  • Macro fader and XY control for each preset
  • Smart Chords - generate entire chord progressions from single notes
  • Multi-layer Arpeggiator for easily creating complex and evolving sequences
  • Audio Effects to add further modulation to your sounds
  • Support for Seaboard RISE, Lightpad Block, Seaboard Block and Live Block
  • Lightpad Block assignment and control of Macros, Arpeggiator, Smart Chords and Audio FX
  • Live Block control of various parameters and areas of ROLI Studio Player
  • Support for user presets with dedicated browser filtering
  • Configurable behaviour for each connected Lightpad Block to either:
    • Update controls to the instance of ROLI Studio Player in focus
    • Lock to a specific instance of ROLI Studio Player
  • Prompt to switch to single-channel mode when launched in Ableton Live
  • Output MIDI data from the Smart Chords and Multi-layer Arpeggiator (VST only)


Issues resolved in v1.0.0 from previous public beta version (v0.3.1):

  • Arpeggiator display on a Lightpad Block can’t display triplets
  • Lightpad Block macro controls only go between 3% and 96%
  • Text is truncated on smaller window sizes
  • GUI issues with Note Visualiser
  • Jerky response on Arpeggiator ‘Hits’ Parameter from a Lightpad Block
  • Chord 'Strum' control doesn’t reach far end of Lightpad Block
  • Stepping when moving filter value on effects
  • Effects XY control limits aren’t reachable on Lightpad Block
  • Arp doesn’t trigger all notes of a strummed chord
  • Slide can be unreliable when applied to arpeggiated notes
  • Arp is on by default
  • Irregular Arpeggiator rate with large buffer sizes


New features & Improvements in v1.0.0:

  • RSP now retries authentication on a timer
  • Notes of the Scale are now represented on the Smart Chord module
  • UI tweaksthrough out
  • Two new soundpacks - Cinematica and Chillwave Drifting
  • Toggle Audio Effects on/off with Live Block
  • Welcome screens added for first time users
  • Scroll through which module a Lightpad Block is controlling via its mode button
  • Control Blocks Hardware MIDI Channel range direct from ROLI Studio Player
  • Improved Lightpad Block control for the Arpeggiator
  • Host sync/synth engine disabling moved to advanced settings


Known issues in v1.0.0:

  • Bluetooth connectivity can occasionally prevent hardware integration on Mac
  • Unable to launch ROLI Hardware Driver with specific environments
  • Pitch bend messages sent from a standard MIDI controller are unreliable with MPE presets


Future updates to ROLI Studio Player:

  • Further support for existing and new Equator, Strobe2 and Cypher2 presets
  • Updated GarageBand, Logic and Ableton Live Lightpad scripts

3 people like this

Thank you, ROLI team! I'm very excited!

Great job, great software, keep it comming!!

Great job indeed !

A detail maybe for Windows users:

My public user document directory is on drive D: (not a standard location). The presets were installed on C:, so Studio Player could not find them. This was fixed by moving the installed ROLI directory from C: to D:. To avoid future update problems, could the installation program query the system for the actual location of the Windows user directory ?

Hi Jean-Michel, we'll look into improving the installation process to ensure that the user directory can be successfully located. Thanks for the feedback!

The upgrade is knackered again and this time the fix does not work. Now what?


congrats guys !

very nice but still non mpe sounds, i hope there will be there when i get my lumis :)

and what about the loop block support?


This is quite an amazing instrument, I'm extremely excited by the possibilities of it.

  • Output MIDI data from the Smart Chords and Multi-layer Arpeggiator (VST only)

Does this mean that it is possible to output the midi note data of the smart chords and the multi layer arpeggiator, but not in Logic Pro? Will this feature be implemented in the future?


1 person likes this

Hi Jacques, there is currently no support for the Loop Block in ROLI Studio Player, but if you have any suggestions on how you can see it integrating with ROLI Studio Player, we'd love to hear them!

Hey Jonathan, it is unfortunately a limitation of the current version of Audio Units that restricts us from being able to output MIDI data within Logic. If you're able to run ROLI Studio Player within a DAW that supports VST instantiation, you'll be able to disable the sound engine and use the Smart Chords and Multi-layer Arpeggiator to play other VSTs, or even route the MIDI data out to an external hardware synth via an audio interface.

Yes jonathan its quite easy to do with the iac driver lots of tuts on youtube to this with the midifx arpeggiator in logic and you can get the real midi data on another track
Lawrence ,what should be nice is to get a firmware that mimics the live block for the loop block, maybe just inside rsp it doesnt matter if the physical buttons have wrong icons, just the functionality of the live block but with the loop, i suppose they have a common hardware

Hi Lawrence,


I was using Studio Player a few days ago, went to use it today and couldn't get it to boot. I removed it with the intent to reinstall, but rec'd a message that says, "Unable to Start Roli Hardware Driver" which seems to shut down my attempt to reinstall. Any ideas? My Blocks all run fine in Waveform 10 and Bitwig 3 (Win10 Pro for both): I have Seaboard Block, Lightpad Block M, and Touch Block.


Thanks in advance,


Dan

Thanks Jacques, we'll look into whether it's possible to map these controls to other Control Blocks.

hi there  great job but i have few questions, 

1  can i creat a play list like in equator? more easy for live . i see i can creat a favory list but not a play list 

2 some patch of my equator synth are missing  in the roli connect. can i import all equator sample or strobe or cypher sample?

3 for my strobe 2 synth i have my serial number ok but the roli conect ask to me to reeeden the soft .............. i don't understant why. i don't have this msg for equator or cypher 2 

thank u 

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