At first, The Seaboard has everything a traditional keyboard. But looking more closely, we realize that with its surface of contact in silicone, this instrument is not really like the others.
On a classic piano, each key has a specified height. The Seaboard, meanwhile, is not limited by ratings or even by keys. Under his silicone keyboard, the device embeds a series of pressure sensors that allow expression of sound that a traditional keyboard would not allow.
Using the touch surface of the keyboard, the user can, of course, generate notes but also change the stamp. The pitch, like the vibrato can be controlled by pressure or movement of fingers on the keyboard of a much more organic way than a conventional Aftertouch. The interface also has a ribbon controller allowing close glissando of those that one might find on instruments like the Ondes Martenot or guitar.
In addition to being a MIDI controller, which allows connecting two electronic devices together, the Seaboard integrates a digital sound synthesis engine specially developed by Roli, the company responsible for the project. In recent years, the world of music controllers is undergoing a revolution, as illustrated by the Seaboard or other slightly crazy projects like BI1brainterface that can control a synthesizer by a modular helmet that analyzes the brain waves.