Roli is no stranger to quirky musical instruments. After all, it pioneered the idea of a “squishy” MIDI controller. The company’s latest device, however, might be its strangest. The Roli Airwave is an AI-infused piano teaching gadget that also functions as a digital theremin. Yes, the same high-pitched theremin that has appeared on hit records like The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” and Erykah Badu’s “Incense.”
The Airwave is basically a tall stand with a camera on top. This camera points down to track the player’s finger movements on the connected MIDI keyboard. The movements are tracked in real time and sent to a tablet, which then displays visuals to teach users how to play a song correctly and how to fix any mistakes they might be making. It will even try to correct poor playing posture.
Airwave uses machine intelligence and computer vision to track the player’s hands and offer advice on where those hands should be placed. This system involves some machine learning when analyzing live footage to come up with accurate teaching methods.
The associated app also integrates with ChatGPT, allowing for natural language queries. For example, users can ask relevant questions about a song being learned or general-use queries about music theory. Such as how busy a player’s hands will be in the middle of a piano tutorial, these questions can be asked by voice instead of typing into a virtual keyboard. It won’t be better than interacting with a real piano teacher, but it will be much easier than looking for a needle in a haystack of YouTube videos.
“Basically, when you practice, 100 percent of your time, you’re now going to practice correctly,” Roli’s CEO, Roland Lamb, told Wired. “So you’ll develop good habits over time.”
The Airwave isn’t just for students. The device is also being marketed as an outlet for experimental music-making. There are five inputs that adjust various parameters through hand movements. That means players can use it to radically change the sound of the instrument being played.
“By raising their hands, creators can turn a piano into a full orchestra, just as a conductor does, or transform mellow synth pads into sizzling leads with a tilt of the wrist,” Roli wrote in a press release.
Now on to the caveats, and there are a few. This is a great technology, no doubt about that. However, there is a significant barrier to entry. First, the Airwave will cost $300 when it’s released in February. The device can’t be used on its own. It requires a pre-existing Roli keyboard, like the $1,400 Seaboard Rise 2 or the much cheaper Lumi (now called the Piano M). Also, to access the learning tools, users will need to bring their own tablet. There are apps for both Android and Apple devices, but only newer iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab models will be supported.
Finally, budding piano players will need to pay $15 per month to access the Roli Learn music education subscription service. If money isn’t an issue, this sounds like a great new way to learn piano.
Roli says the Airwave is the first release in its Music Intelligence (MI) platform. The company writes that “the Roli MI Platform will be the foundation for a roadmap of future intelligent products, starting with the Airwave.” Preorders for the Airwave are available now.