# Anyone use a ROLI for string instruments?



## jmvideo (Feb 23, 2018)

I just saw this demo, and was blown away:


He made the Blakus (which in my opinion is pretty mediocre) sound amazing using a ROLI 25.

Im wondering how hard it would be to set up the ROLI to respond to string and guitar VIs like this?


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## HeliaVox (Feb 23, 2018)

I'm not sure about this specific sample library, but there are a multitude of documents on the ROLI support page telling you how to interface MPE with your already existing gear.
I'm scouring these documents before I get the Seaboard


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## jmvideo (Feb 23, 2018)

That's good to know... I'll check them out!


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## gamma-ut (Feb 24, 2018)

I tend to prefer a Linnstrument for string lines - it feels a bit more natural to play and you can do things like string-per-row, so it behaves like a MIDI-guitar pickup. But the Seaboard works pretty well for doing controlled vibrato and is a bit more controllable for pressure. The tricky bit is the pitchbend in Kontakt, particularly with a heavily scripted instrument with loads of groups, to make it work naturally. You wind up fighting the script when doing slides or it just sounds wrong. Plus you have the fun of editing lots of different sample groups. Somebody asked in the comments how the player got this set up and he just replied "happy to help" without answering the question. 

I don't have Blakus so can't attempt to replicate this. Compared to a lot of string libraries the pitchbend slides sound a lot better in this demo. These are not entirely realistic but various solo strings I've tried sound obviously synthetic (which is not a huge surprise). It may be that the slide on the keyboard isn't doing what I think it is and the articulations he may be calling up on the XY pad to the left are the key, similar to this video with Vienna: 

TL;DR There is some work involved in getting a Kontakt instrument to play like this.


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