ROLI Airwave and ROLI Piano: Turning Gesture Into Music

Introduction

Eight years ago, the ROLI Seaboard was a breakthrough in expressive music hardware. Today, ROLI is pushing that idea further with two new instruments: the ROLI Piano and the ROLI Airwave. Together, they turn movement, touch, and space itself into music. The Airwave hovers above the keyboard and tracks your hands, while the Piano provides a full-size, expressive playing surface. This combination opens up a new way to perform and produce music, one where your gestures become part of the sound.

What Is the ROLI Airwave?

The Airwave is a compact device that sits above your keyboard. It uses ROLI’s vision system, which relies on infrared cameras, to track your hands at 90 frames per second. It tracks the joints in your hands and turns gestures into MIDI data in real time. This means you can control filters, effects, and synth parameters simply by moving your hands in the air above the keys.

The Airwave works with the ROLI Piano, the Seaboard, or any standard MIDI keyboard. Setup is straightforward: calibrate it once, and you are ready to play. It is not limited to ROLI’s own ecosystem, which makes it a flexible addition to an existing studio setup.

Gestures and Performance

The Airwave introduces several distinct gestures, each mapped to a different type of expression. Air rise adds dynamics, letting you build swells in volume or intensity. Air tilt controls things like filter sweeps or effect blends. Air glide is a left-right hand motion used to morph layers or modulate synth parameters. Air slide is a forward-backward motion, and there are also air flex and air grasp gestures that take a little practice to master.

Once you get the hang of them, the gestures feel natural and instantly enjoyable. The Airwave is not a gimmick. It is a performance instrument that adds a visual and expressive layer to your playing. On stage, it looks impressive and genuinely enhances a live performance.

Software and Integration

The Airwave comes with dedicated software called Airwave Player, which includes presets pre-mapped to the different gestures. These presets sound great out of the box. Beyond that, the Airwave works with MPE-capable virtual instruments, giving you full expressive control. All the motion from your hands is recorded in your DAW, so you can capture a performance in Ableton Live and play it back with all the expression intact.

You can map gestures to filters, reverbs, granular effects, and more. This is not limited to ROLI’s own software. The Airwave plays nicely with other tools. For example, you can map Airwave controls in Serum or Omnisphere 3. In Ableton Live, you simply choose what you want to control, map the MIDI to the ROLI Airwave control app, and assign it to any gesture. The process is quick and intuitive.

The ROLI Piano: A Full-Size MPE Keyboard

For many people, the ROLI Piano may be the best way to get into MPE playing. It is the big brother to ROLI’s smaller Piano M. This version has full-size semi-weighted keys with aftertouch and MPE support. The touch feels really nice, and the lighting is both cool and functional. The illuminated keys act as a guide if you are learning to play.

The Piano is Bluetooth capable, and ROLI has some of the best Bluetooth keyboards in the business. There is no noticeable latency; you connect and play, and it works every time. It has a built-in 6-hour battery, and there are controls on the keyboard for octave shifting and preset navigation. On the back, you will find a MIDI connection and a pedal port.

The Piano is approachable, much more so than the Seaboard. However, if you want to go all-in on expressive playing, the Seaboard offers more types of movements. Just be prepared to spend time learning it. ROLI also makes software like ROLI Studio and Equator 2, their flagship synth, and both work really well with the Piano.

Learning With ROLI Learn

If you are new to playing the piano, there is another side to this setup worth mentioning. The ROLI Piano and Airwave connect to ROLI Learn, an app that helps you learn how to play. The keys light up to guide your playing, and you simply follow the light system. The Airwave tracks your hand position to give basic posture and rhythm feedback.

It is not a replacement for lessons, but it is a really nice companion if you are teaching yourself. The Airwave holds an iPad well, making it a neat form factor for learning.

Buying Advice

The Airwave and Piano are currently sold as a bundle, but you can also buy them separately. If you are new to expressive playing and want a keyboard that is easy to get into, the Piano is a strong choice. If you already have a MIDI keyboard and want to add a new dimension of control, the Airwave is a compelling standalone addition.

For stage performers, the Airwave is a standout. It adds a visual flair and a new level of expressiveness that is hard to match. For studio producers, it offers a hands-on way to shape sound that goes beyond traditional knobs and faders.

Conclusion

ROLI has done something genuinely innovative with the Airwave and Piano. The Airwave is not a gimmick; it is a performance instrument that gives you an extra layer of style and creativity. The Piano is an approachable, full-size MPE keyboard with excellent build quality and connectivity. Together, they make a powerful combination for anyone serious about expressive music making.