Control Your DAW with ROLI’s BLOCKS Dashboard

ROLI has released a beta version of its BLOCKS Dashboard application, allowing owners of its BLOCKS controllers to now interact with desktop music software…

The Dashboard means that the Lightpad, Live and Loop BLOCKS can all be used as open-ended MIDI control surfaces that users can configure any way they please. For example, ROLI tell us that, “The LED-illuminated Lightpad Block…can become a bank of faders controlling a program’s effects – or a 2×2 or 4×4 drum pad controlling drums in a software synthesizer.”

Dashboard currently supports the following software:

• Apple: Logic Pro, GarageBand
• Ableton: Live
• Native Instruments: Kontakt, Massive
• Steinberg: Cubase
• Bitwig: Studio
• ROLI: Equator
• Spectrasonics: Omnisphere
• FXpansion: Strobe2, Synth Squad
• SampleModeling: Swam
• Cycling ’74: Max MSP

Minimum system requirements:
Mac OS X 10.10.5 – 10.11.6
Windows 10 and above*
Minimum RAM: 4GB
Processor: 2.5GHz Intel Core i5 or faster

*It should be noted that the BLOCKS Dashboard beta works with devices running Windows 10 and above. However, it does not currently support firmware updates via Windows due to technical limitations outside of ROLI’s control. If you plan on using BLOCKS Dashboard beta on a Windows device you’ll need to update BLOCKS via a Mac OS X device prior to using BLOCKS Dashboard with your PC.

Pricing and availability:
The BLOCKS Dashboard app is free to download to all BLOCKS owners. If you’ve yet to take the plunge or wish to learn more head to ROLI’s website here.

See how it works with Ableton Live in the video below.