The Songmaker Kit – comprising the Seaboard Block, Lightpad Block, and Loop Block – when used with ROLI Dashboard allows you to access Touch Faders, 5D controls and an XY Touchpad like those on a Seaboard RISE. To enter Songmaker Kit mode, first ensure that your Blocks' firmware is up-to-date and you are using the latest version of ROLI Dashboard. In ROLI Dashboard load the Note Grid app onto the Lightpad Block, and connect the Seaboard Block, Lightpad Block, and Loop Blocks together in one of the following four arrangements:


Once in Songmaker Kit mode, your Blocks will have the following additional features.


Lightpad Block controls

The Lightpad Block has three tabs at the bottom that can be used to select RISE-style Touch Faders, 5D sensitivity faders and an XY Touchpad.



The first tab displays three faders that mimic the behavior of the RISE's MIDI Touch Faders. These faders send MIDI CC 107, 109 and 111 respectively, just like the RISE's Touch Faders, and when connected to Equator will automatically control the Macros 1–3.



The second tab displays the 5D sensitivity settings for the connected Seaboard Block that are otherwise adjusted in ROLI Dashboard or from a connected Touch Block. These settings will update within BLOCKS Dashboard when set from the Lightpad Block and vice versa, just like the top row of a Touch Block. Note that these controls do not determine the 5D sensitivity settings for the Lightpad Block itself, only for the attached Seaboard Block.



The third tab displays an XY pad like the RISE's XY Touchpad, with X-axis modulation sending MIDI CC 113 and the Y-axis sending CC 114. When connected to Equator these will automatically control Macros 4–5.


Loop Block controls

In Songmaker Kit mode, the connected Loop Block's buttons can be used for the following functions:




  • Mode – If the mode button on the connected Lightpad Block is obscured due to the setup arrangement, the Mode button on the Loop Block can be used to change the mode of the Lightpad Block from the Songmaker Kit mode to the usual range of 1x1, 2x2, 3x3, 4x4 and 5x5 grids, cycling around to the Songmaker Kit mode again. This functionality applies across all four Songmaker Kit arrangements.
  • Volume – Enabling the Volume button allows for the Channel Volume (MIDI CC 7) value to be set (from 0 to 127) with the Minus and Plus buttons.
  • Click – This button sends a value of 127 on MIDI CC 104 and a value of 0 when released. 
  • Snap – Like the Click button, this is another mappable button that sends a value of 127 on MIDI CC 105 when pressed and a value of 0 when released.
  • Back – Sends a MMC Stop message that will stop transport in any digital audio workstation (DAW) that supports MMC control. For instance, if MMC control input is enabled in Logic or GarageBand, a single press of the Back button will stop the transport, and another press will return the playhead back to the start of the timeline.
  • Play – Sends a MMC Play message that will engage transport in a DAW that supports MMC control. This can also be used to stop the transport similar to the Back button functionality, but it will engage transport from where it was stopped rather than returning the playhead to the start of the timeline.
  • Record – Sends a MMC Record message that will engage recording in a DAW that supports MMC control.
  • Learn – Similar to Click and Snap, this is a button that sends a value of 127 on MIDI CC 117 when pressed and a value of 0 when released.
  • Minus/Plus – Along with the Volume button, these adjust the Channel Volume (MIDI CC 7).


Seaboard Block controls

When connected in Songmaker Kit mode the Seaboard Block behaves normally, while its 5D sensitivity settings can be adjusted with the 5D faders displayed on the connected Lightpad Block.


Other Information

As with the Note Grid app, the Songmaker Kit mode on the Lightpad Block can be changed by loading a different app to the Lightpad Block in ROLI Dashboard. Once this occurs, the Mode button on the connected Control Block will no longer change the mode of the app loaded to the Lightpad Block. To return to Songmaker Kit mode, load the Note Grid app onto the Lightpad Block. 


The Songmaker Kit setup can be connected via USB or Bluetooth on a Mac, and via USB on Windows.