London (September 1, 2016) - Music technology leader ROLI has acquired FXpansion, the renowned maker of software instruments, as it accelerates development of the musical instruments of the future.
London-based FXpansion adds a vast collection of sounds and effects
to ROLI's growing ecosystem of music creation tools. The Seaboard,
ROLI's touch-responsive instrument that is acclaimed as "the future of
the keyboard," will now be developed alongside FXpansion's virtual
instruments including BFD3, the world's largest collection of acoustic
drum sounds, and Strobe2, the analogue-modelled software synthesizer.
The combined ROLI team will integrate its technologies, as ROLI creates a
new class of digital instruments that are more expressive and versatile
than anything before it.
The Seaboard RISE controller (far right), NOISE app, and Strobe2 software synthesizer.
Deepening
ROLI's capabilities in sound and software, FXpansion products also
extend ROLI's stack of technologies - which is already more diverse than
any other in the music technology space. Beyond the Seaboard ROLI has
developed Equator, the software synthesizer; NOISE, the free app that turns iPhones into musical instruments; Blend, the social platform for music collaboration; and JUCE, the C++ coding framework for audio developers.
Roland
Lamb, founder and CEO of ROLI, said, "We are creating a Connected Music
ecosystem of devices that will change the way people make and enjoy
music. Our leadership in music technology innovation - across both
software and hardware - strengthens with every link we add to ROLI's
toolchain. We're excited to continue pushing the boundaries of musical
expression and technological innovation with FXpansion, which has been
at the forefront of audio software development for the past 15 years."
