NOISE 4+

This could be amazing, as it stands it is -as a FREE APP -but having spent £70+ on soundpacks it’s limitations really need addressing. Here are the key issues;

1) It needs to integrate better with GarageBand, other apps have a small control panel appear to record into GarageBand - to hit record and just play your loops in a song arrangement, then add other instruments within GarageBand would make this an incredibly useful piece of software for me. Failing that the ability to record a ‘performance’ and play it back within Noise would be a start.

2)You can only use the effects during playback, you can’t actually record them in a loop - big oversight and surely a relatively easy fix.

3) Some of the more expensive soundpacks can’t do polyphony- if you fork out a tenner for the strings pack, don’t expect to be able to overdub either.

4)I may want percussion on more than one track - no choice at the minute.

5)Only one time signature! Very irritating.

6)Big one here- I bought the £549 song maker kit and no matter how hard you hit the surface it is much quieter than the touchscreen sounds, equally there is little to no control over volume with the touchscreen- it’s all or nothing. Some of the sounds are quite phenomenal but the complete lack of dynamics within a mix really makes the music suffer.

If these issues were resolved I would gladly pay for the app, perhaps Roli should consider a paid version and a free download.

I love the idea of the ROLI Blocks system and I just love it so much. The only downside is the point where you have to pay to get most of the sound packs. Now, usually I would be ok with this but because I spent a fortune on the ROLI Blocks setup (which I love!) there is no explanation of why we need to pay to get the majority of sounds. Apart from that this app has everything and I have a few requests of what you should add/improve/change:

1) It needs a way of deleting a loop if you don’t like it. This will mean we don’t have to press the undo button until we’ve finally deleted the loop and that will lead us having to start all over again!

2) We should be able to choose how many instrument slots we have for each separate song. The reason this would be a good idea is that after they finish they’re song they won’t have to export it to a more professional software and put more instruments in there.

Overall I think ROLI Noise and ROLI Blocks both have a big future!

Went ahead, like a total muppet, and bought the beat maker kit and a seaboard block. It looks phenomenal, but that’s about where it ends.

The hardware is great when it works but usually doesnt, with lag and delay at the best of times and outright malfunctions at worst. Expect to restart your iPad and reset the blocks numerous times when these issues occur.

Now the app, it’s less than basic, with huge oversights and missing features. They only just put in overdubbing, but you cant edit the notes, or even undo. I will repeat that for you, there’s no undo! Expect to delete perfect loops that took several retries because you hit an accidental note during overdubbing. Lovely!

Their support is terrible. Having read on their website that Cubasis was compatible with the block series, I was anxious to get started, but hit a wall trying to work it out. Their support responded with a third party article about Cubase. Top marks there, surely.

Every day I’ve owned Roli blocks I have regretted the money I spent and time I dedicated to getting it working. When Roli’s main selling point is its portability and ease of use, you’d think that would be the first thing they would figure out, here we are almost a year after release, with shoddy hardware, unfinished software and terrible support.

It astonishes me that they have the audacity to charge £189 for their cheapest product.

0 Stars