Understanding Press (Aftertouch) on ROLI Piano
Press—also known as aftertouch or pressure—is the pressure you apply to a key after it has been struck and is being held down. It’s a modulation source: what it controls depends on your sound or patch, but common uses include swells, brightness changes, and vibrato intensity.
Adaptive Behaviour
ROLI Piano uses adaptive Press, which adjusts its response based on how you play:
Press—also known as aftertouch or pressure—is the pressure you apply to a key after it has been struck and is being held down. It’s a modulation source: what it controls depends on your sound or patch, but common uses include swells, brightness changes, and vibrato intensity.
Adaptive Behaviour
ROLI Piano uses adaptive Press, which adjusts its response based on how you play:
- Soft or moderate strikes: Press activates naturally as you push deeper into the key
- Fast or hard strikes: Press requires a slight release before it engages
This is intentional—it prevents notes from jumping to maximum pressure during energetic playing.
Activating Press on Fast Notes
If you strike a key quickly and want to add expression:
- Slightly release pressure on the key
- Press deeper again to activate Press
Coming Soon
We’re exploring options to let you switch between adaptive Press and an alternative mode where pressure responds based solely on the pressure applied to the key, regardless of strike velocity.