ROLI continues its track record of musical innovation by releasing the LUMI Keys. The LUMI, at first blush, is a piano tool that teaches the user how to read and play music. Its combination of keys and colors checks the accuracy, as you tap along with Ode to Joy, or various other prompts and songs.
It took a moment to get the hang of the process, but once we figured out its method, this was a fun exercise that made you feel ridiculously accomplished. It reminded of us Melodics, only with our keyboard adding an additional layer of reinforcement by lighting up in a corresponding color. Per the friendly demo attendant, this is just a still being refined version of the included software, that there would be more features in upcoming versions of the software but we think it’s pretty great as is.
In reality, the LUMI Keys is also a high functioning controller as well. The action was smooth and felt far less flimsy than it’s price tag. It was also sleek, attractive, had dimension and style, and felt like it had significantly more heft than others in the price point. The fully glowing keyboard was attractive and drew in people from across the room. The unit also works with the rest of the ROLI Blocks system, so you can tack on a sequencer, pad control unit, or a mini Seaboard for just a bill or two more.
If you didn’t back the project with their Kickstarter release, you can still get a keyboard, but you’ll pay more than the release price, but at £229 ($295 at the time of this article), we still think it’s a great deal for its public release next year.
Learn more at https://playlumi.com/ Let us know what you think!
Specs:
Keys:
24 full spectrum illuminated keys featuring ROLI Brightkey™ technology
Key Size:
DS 5.5®, 9.67mm wide high keys, 19.4mm wide low keys
Key Plunge:
10mm, 92% plunge distance of a grand piano
Octave Range:
2 octaves with octave shift buttons for full 7 octaves
Modular Design:
8 DNA connectors for connecting additional LUMI Keys or ROLI BLOCKS
Battery:
Rechargeable Lithium battery (2,300 mAh) for 6 hours of fully illuminated playing. 4-5 hours charge time
Connectivity:
Bluetooth 5.0 and USB-C port (MIDI out and power)
Bluetooth Range:
15 meters (50 feet)
Dimensions:
(L x W x D)
282mm x 141mm x 27mm
(11″ x 5.5″ x 1″)
Expressive Performance:
Pressure responsive keys featuring Polyphonic Aftertouch
Weight:
600g (1.3lbs)
Journalist/blogger since 2009 and music lover since 1980. Bex now travels the world and writes and takes photos of dance events, creates art in various media, sings quietly to her cat in the shower, and occasionally builds something that tends to involve a blowtorch. She can usually be seen hiding behind some sort of camera rig.
