Roli Unveils Airwave: The Revolutionary AI Piano Teacher and Digital Theremin for Musicians of All Levels

To look back at this article, go to My Profile and then click on View saved stories.

Roli, known for producing unique, compact, and dynamic digital pianos and keyboards, has introduced a novel gadget. This innovative instrument serves dual purposes: it offers instructional guidance to aspiring piano players on their musical journey and allows experienced artists to infuse their tracks with various effects and filters simply through hand gestures and finger movements.

The Roli Airwave is a device standing at 14.5 inches tall, equipped with a camera atop it. This camera is aimed downwards to monitor the finger movements of an individual as they navigate their way across a keyboard placed at its base. These finger movements are instantaneously transmitted to a tablet's screen that is mounted on the stand, which resembles an easel. This feature acts as an instructional aid, demonstrating to the user the correct fingers to use for each key, or providing additional tips for perfecting a song. Leveraging artificial intelligence and computer vision technology, the Airwave precisely tracks the movements of the user's hands, offering recommendations on optimal hand placement.

The price of the system is set at $299, and it is expected to begin distribution in February 2025. Additionally, to use it, you must have a Roli keyboard, priced between $249 and $1,399. For those intending to utilize it for educational purposes, an iPad or a similar tablet is required to provide the visual components from the stand.

Roli, a company famed for its cutting-edge keyboard named the Seaboard, distinguishes itself with a unique piano-style instrument featuring malleable keys. This innovative design allows musicians to manipulate sounds, including pitch and tone, through various finger movements and pressure levels on the keys. The Seaboard gained significant attention when it was featured, albeit briefly, in a scene with Ryan Gosling in the film "La La Land."

To connect the Airwave, it must be attached to a tablet using a USB-C connection, and it is compatible with applications on both Android and iOS devices. However, currently, it only supports iPad 5 and Samsung Galaxy Tabs S1 or later models, with no compatibility for smartphones as of now. The application displays a virtual keyboard and a translucent depiction of your fingers moving above it. For those who subscribe to Roli Learn, which is the company's music education service at a monthly fee of $15, the app leverages the Airwave's camera to provide instructional guidance on playing techniques. This feature recognizes precise finger placements, indicating where to press on the keyboard for playing specific tunes. Additionally, it is capable of detecting your posture and can offer corrections, much like a real-life instructor would.

"Essentially, every moment you spend practicing will now be spent practicing the right way," explains Roland Lamb, CEO of Roli. "This means you'll gradually build positive habits."

The Airwave represents a further development in Roli's ongoing efforts to integrate technology into educational approaches for music. Roli, the company behind this innovation, is also known for creating the Piano M keyboard that features illuminating keys (previously known as Lumi Keys), aimed at those learning music. This keyboard is part of the Roli Learn system, designed to guide learners in playing music. In the Piano M system, the keys light up synchronously with a tune to indicate the correct keys to press. However, this method of simply following instructions to press certain keys hasn't resulted in a high completion rate of lessons among learners.

"Lamb mentions, "I encountered significant challenges with Lumi. Although it's beneficial to acquire knowledge, we realized that individuals were simply not advancing adequately."

Lamb imagines the Airwave as a method that instantly integrates the player's hands into the learning experience.

AI Integration

Naturally, a device launched in 2024 wouldn't be complete without incorporating a hefty dose of artificial intelligence. In addition to the AI-driven computer vision capabilities of the Airwave’s camera, the Roli Learn platform will receive an upgrade with the inclusion of Open AI’s ChatGPT technology. This enhancement will empower piano learners to navigate their lessons using voice commands, enabling them to engage with the educational content and pose queries. By pressing a button on the piano, users can verbally instruct the system to queue up a song they wish to learn next, or to clarify musical concepts such as the distinction between a scale and a chord. For instance, learners can inquire about the components of a C minor chord, and the application will visually display the answer. Furthermore, the system supports more complex inquiries, such as the definition of a Lydian scale or the composer of “Hotel California.” The precision of the responses may fluctuate, reflecting the current variability in chatbot response quality.

While it doesn't surpass the benefits of a real-life music instructor available to address your queries, it probably beats the time-consuming task of searching for a specific YouTube tutorial that can help you solve a problem while practicing solo.

"Lamb points out that the tradition of piano practice spans approximately 250 years. He emphasizes that during this time, an immense number of individuals have dedicated countless hours to it. Despite this, he believes that at its core, the practice remains inefficient."

An effective instructor is capable of doing more than just responding to queries; they can guide you in the correct manner to execute a musical piece and keep an eye on your hand and body alignment. However, music instruction can come with a high price tag, and it's often hard to align the availability of both teachers and learners. Lamb envisions the Airwave as a solution to bridge the hiatus in traditional learning sessions, catering to students eager to study at their own pace and comfortable with the assistance of a sophisticated AI device.

"Lamb emphasizes that the device lacks intelligence. It's unaware of the user's actions and unable to provide any feedback. By significantly enhancing its basic functionality, Lamb believes that individuals will be able to learn more quickly and effectively."

Auto Filter

In addition to serving as a learning device, Roli is marketing the Airwave as a sophisticated tool that seasoned musicians can utilize in the creation of music.

In a meeting with Lamb, he presented a demonstration revealing the various functions of the Airwave. His fingers danced over the keyboard reminiscent of a person playing a theremin, an instrument known for its unique play style involving the manipulation of unseen electromagnetic fields near two antennas. The Airwave operates on a similar principle. Utilizing infrared cameras to capture every motion of the fingers, it allows users to alter pitch, filter sounds, or adjust oscillators and various effects through specific hand gestures. Roli mentions that the Airwave is capable of recognizing actions such as lifting, sliding, and rotating hands and fingers to alter selected musical parameters. The firm anticipates introducing support for more gestures and even finer motion detection in the future.

The fusion of an AI-driven educational tool with a high-quality musical instrument represents a versatile approach increasingly seen today. Businesses are keen to integrate similar AI-driven enhancements into their offerings, leading to a scenario where services seem designed to cater to everyone's needs simultaneously. Lamb's primary aim is to maintain the human element at the core of music-making, even as AI technologies simplify the process, enabling musicians to easily create tracks by issuing commands like "give me an 808 beat." Lamb's aspiration is for the joy of making music to remain undiminished, with tools like the Airwave empowering individuals to reach musical proficiency they might not have the opportunity to develop otherwise.

Lamb points out, "There's a group of people who are all for having music created for them through technology. On the opposite end, you have individuals who are resistant to the use of technology. We find ourselves somewhere in between. Our belief is that technology, in a strange and seemingly contradictory manner, can enhance our humanity. It allows us to engage deeply in uniquely human activities, such as the creation of music."

Discover More…

Explore Political Insights: Subscribe to our newsletter and tune into our podcast.

A solution from an emergency room physician for America's firearm crisis

Video: Antony Blinken propels American diplomacy into the modern era

Admissions from an Avid Hinge Enthusiast

Gather with us at the Energy Tech Summit happening on October 10th in Berlin.

WIRED PROMOTIONS

Dyson Airwrap Offer: Complimentary $60 Case Plus $40 Bonus Gift

Enjoy Up To An Additional 45% Discount During Our October Sale

Save 15% on a single item using a VistaPrint Promo Code

Half-Price Discount on Selected Items with Newegg Coupon Code

Student Subscription Offer for Peacock at $1.99 Monthly for a Year

Secure the Latest DJI Mini 4 Pro Starting at $759 for a Short Period

Additional Content from WIRED

Evaluations and Tutorials

© 2024 Condé Nast. All rights reserved. Purchases made through our site may generate revenue for WIRED as part of our Affiliate Partnership agreements with retail merchants. Content from this site must not be copied, shared, transmitted, or used in any form without explicit consent from Condé Nast. Advertising Choices

Choose a global website