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Roli Blocks are fun for music making but need some fine-tuning
I've played instruments for most of my life, but as I've gotten older I've had less time for jamming with bands. That's led me to consider dabbling in electronic instruments that would let me make my own compositions without needing to wrangle other musicians. Of course, both hardware and software can add up fast. (I've wanted Teenage Engineering's OP-1 for years, but just can't bring myself to drop $850 on it.) That's why Roli's new modular Blocks system caught my eye. The $180 Lightpad controller is both affordable and versatile, distilling a lot of the touch-sensitive technology found in Roli's larger Seaboard into a super-compact gadget. Your iOS device does all the heavy lifting while the Lightpad lets you perform in some unique ways. And, the modular nature of the Blocks system lets you get in at an affordable price while expanding your setup down the line.
Roli Blocks is an affordable, modular way to make electronic music
British music-gear company Roli is mostly known for its attempts at reimagining the piano. The full-size Seaboard and smaller Seaboard Rise may bear similarities to traditional keyboards, but their rubberized, touch-sensitive buttons let you modulate, pitch-bend and slide between notes in a way that's far different from what you can do on a standard keyboard or synthesizer. However, price is a big barrier to entry -- the Seaboard Rise starts at $800, while its full-size counterpart will set you back $2,000 or more. But Roli has been working on a way to bring its unique music-creation tools down to a much lower price point, and it's taking the wraps off those efforts today. Roli Blocks are a set of modular synth controllers that snap together and hook up to your iPhone or iPad via Bluetooth. They're tiny and inexpensive: The main controller, called the Lightpad, is a small square (less than 4 inches to a side) that sells for $179. That's significantly cheaper than Roli's other products. And while you can't play the Lightpad like a keyboard, the short time I spent playing with it and the other Roli Blocks convinced me that it's still a powerful, flexible and fun music-making tool.
LightPad connects your smartphone to an 11-inch screen, expands up to a 60-inch projection
Despite Samsung's best efforts, perhaps you haven't found the perfect balance of pocketable size and capacious screen? Sure, it sounds pretty counterintuitive, but QP Optoelectronics may have exactly what you're looking for with the LightPad, a folio-styled peripheral that combines a keyboard with an 11-inch rear projection screen. The built-in pico projector lights up the screen with a resolution of 854 x 480 in the first generation model, with a future model promising the same display size at a high-definition 1280 x 720 resolution. The built-in projector also flips around to create a 60-inch display, and will play nice with any smartphone that has an available MHL or HDMI port. While that three-part footprint doesn't make it a particularly viable option for airplane viewing, office types may appreciate the two different form factors. We'll be staking a claim to a hands-on when it makes its debut next month at CES 2012. Until then, satisfy yourself with a brief video demo after the break.
