ROLI unveils the future of the piano at NAMM, with launch of flagship ROLI Piano and Piano AI Assistant

These innovative new products combine with ROLI Airwave to create a complete, intelligent system for music learning and creation.

LONDON, Jan. 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hot on the heels of the successful launch of ROLI Airwave in Oct 2024, ROLI is launching its new flagship keyboard for learners and creators alike: ROLI Piano. A larger keyboard – with all the smarts of Piano M – has long been the number one request from customers, and today ROLI is delivering on that, while also integrating powerful new AI functionality with its Piano AI Assistant.

ROLI Piano delivers a 49-key expressive keyboard complete with full-sized, full-plunge depth keys that feel and sound phenomenal. These larger keys feature ROLI’s unique, patented BrightKey technology that light up to show you which notes to play. They also offer enhanced per-key pitch bend and polyphonic aftertouch capabilities for a more expressive playing experience. This groundbreaking combination establishes it as the most advanced and versatile keyboard on the market.

Also launching today is ROLI’s Piano AI Assistant, the first step in using generative AI to make learning to play easier, more intuitive and more fun than ever before. Piano AI will help you get started, teach you music history and theory, and give useful prompts on new things to learn. An exciting roadmap of future updates is planned for 2025.

“In a few years time, it will seem antiquated that a piano or keyboard can’t help guide you, can’t see your hands and respond to them in many ways, and can’t have a conversation to help you. Today, we’re unveiling the new ROLI Piano System that will help usher in this big shift,” said Roland Lamb, Founder and CEO of ROLI.

When you combine ROLI Piano, the Piano AI Assistant, and Airwave – ROLI’s computer vision innovation – you get the most intelligent and intuitive system for musical learning and creation ever made: The ROLI Piano System.

The new ROLI Piano System will be on full display for demos at the NAMM Conference in Anaheim, CA from January 23rd – 26th. ROLI Piano is available for pre-order on January 23rd, 2025, shipping in May, 2025, and for a special early bird price of $399 (down from $599). The Piano AI Assistant will be available for immediate use in the ROLI Learn App over the next few days. The ROLI Piano System is available for pre-order at ROLI.com/campaign/just-play.

ROLI Piano System for Learners:
When your piano is this smart, playing is easy

Learning to play piano is hard. People don’t know where to start: they struggle to read music, and the piano or keyboard does little to help them learn. It can be hard to stay motivated and to stick to regular practice sessions. And, for those who choose weekly private lessons, it’s a serious financial commitment.

With the ROLI Piano System, learners can advance at their own pace with a fun and engaging, AI-empowered program designed to ensure they master the correct technique and core skills from the start. This is all possible thanks to ROLI Airwave’s infrared cameras that track 27 points in each hand at 90 frames per second, to give precise real-time feedback and practice tips. This helps learners progress more quickly, as they tackle personalised lessons tailored to their skill-level and are able to master proper hand positioning, finger placement, and technique.

Daily practice is key to building music skills and making good progress. The ROLI Piano System is designed to keep learners engaged and motivated with popular songs, fun games and exercises, as well as rewards for completing practice streaks.

Learners can also speak to the piano, asking it questions about music history, chords, scales, melodies and popular and classic tracks. It’s like having an encyclopedia of music at your fingertips.

“Learning piano is often difficult, with many unsure where to start or how to improve. The ROLI Piano System transforms the experience with AI-powered real-time feedback and dynamic coaching. Learners develop proper techniques faster and stay inspired, while the system’s interactive features make music learning engaging, fun and rewarding,” said Oli Snoddy, Chief Marketing Officer at ROLI.

ROLI Piano System for Creators:
Your music, without limits

For music creators, the new ROLI Piano System unlocks a world of intuitive musical expression, making it a standout centerpiece for any studio.

With ROLI Piano, bending notes is as simple as a glide to one side, and vibrato works with a wiggle of the finger. Each of ROLI Piano’s 49 full-size keys also feature polyphonic aftertouch and respond to four Dimensions of Touch for expressive control of MPE sounds.

The light-up keys also help musicians get out of their comfort zone and explore new musical ideas — all 49 of ROLI Piano’s keys glow to show scales, chords, arpeggios, and more. Think of it as a trusted, on-demand assistant in the studio.

When paired with ROLI Airwave, the expressive possibilities become endless — now musicians can play the keyboard and the air above it.

Players simply raise their hands as a conductor would to shape sounds like never before using five intuitive gestures called Dimensions of Air: Air Raise; Air Glide; Air Tilt, Air Flex and Air Slide.

Airwave does this through ROLI Vision technology, mapping each hand gesture to finely tuned parameters. This enables musicians to craft complex, multi-layered sounds by raising, gliding, and tilting their hands above the keys. For even greater expressive control, a sustain pedal can be added.

The included ROLI Studio software also features hundreds of expertly designed presets that transform the ROLI Piano into any instrument you can imagine. From classical piano to cutting-edge synths, drums, guitars, strings, wind instruments, and beyond.

ROLI Piano connects to computers or tablets via USB-C, or wirelessly with Bluetooth. It works with all major DAWs and a rapidly growing number of software instruments. There’s also a MIDI output for hooking up other hardware.

“ROLI Piano represents a thrilling opportunity for all musicians to experience expressive creation tools at their fingertips,” said Sophie Solomon, Chief Content Officer at ROLI.“Combined with ROLI Airwave, it offers an unparalleled level of control delivering rich textured sounds through intuitive gestures. The quality and sophistication of the presets on offer is quite unique and extremely inspiring for performers and composers alike.”

The ROLI Piano System is available for pre-order at ROLI.com/campaign/just-play.

About ROLI
ROLI is a human-centric music technology company, with a mission to ‘free the music’. ROLI has established itself as a leading innovator in music technology, with pioneering breakthroughs including Seaboard, BLOCKS, Piano M, Airwave, and a pivotal role in establishing MPE. See ROLI.com for more information.

Pricing and Specifications

Price:

ROLI Piano: $599/€599/£499 with $399/€399/£319 introductory offer price
ROLI Piano & ROLI Airwave bundle: $948/€948/£798 with $648/€648/£548 introductory offer price

Dimensions & Weight: