I am, primarily, a guitarist. Dabbling in keys and synths has always felt a bit unnatural from a physical standpoint. A keyboard doesn’t respond the way a fretted instrument does. This isn’t surprising, nor is it a bad thing. It’s just not what I’m used to. The better part of a decade into my journey with synthesizers, I still find myself wiggling my fingers as if it’s going to create vibrato, or trying to “bend” one note while keeping the other rooted to create shifting harmonies.
I’ve tried my share of MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) controllers, which can capture some of that nuance. But the Roli Seaboard Rise 2 is the first I’ve played that manages to deliver all of that expressiveness without also being an unmitigated headache in some way. It’s probably my new favorite MIDI controller. But, I still have a hard time recommending it to most people.
The…
