ROLI Airwave: Redefining Expressive Control in the Digital Studio

At the heart of Airwave’s innovation is its advanced hand-tracking technology, which interprets six distinct gestures—Raise, Tilt, Glide, Slide, Flex, and Grasp—to control sound parameters in real time. Each gesture is mapped to a unique dimension, allowing for a nuanced interplay between movement and musical expression. The video demonstrates how these dimensions can be activated intuitively: raising the hand for Air Raise, tilting the palm for Air Tilt, and so on, down to the more subtle wrist flex and finger grasp.

This multidimensional approach moves beyond traditional aftertouch or mod wheel paradigms, offering a continuous, spatially aware control surface that responds to the performer’s intent. The system’s ability to distinguish between gestures and assign them to different sound-shaping macros is central to Airwave’s promise of dynamic, gestural music-making.

ROLI’s video methodically walks users through the setup process, emphasizing both hardware and software integration. Hardware connections are flexible: Airwave can attach directly to compatible ROLI keyboards via magnetic USB-C, or connect to any computer for use with third-party controllers. The rear panel’s inclusion of a headphone jack and pedal port hints at a device ready for both studio and stage.

On the software side, installation begins with ROLI Connect, guiding users through account creation, device registration, and the installation of essential apps—Airwave Control, Airwave Player, and ROLI Dashboard. The process is designed to be as frictionless as possible, with clear instructions for both Mac and Windows users (the latter requiring a workaround for MIDI multi-client support via Loop MIDI). Calibration is handled within the Airwave Player, ensuring accurate hand tracking tailored to each user’s setup.

Integration with DAWs is a focal point: Airwave’s six dimensions are transmitted as dedicated MIDI CCs (21–31), allowing for detailed automation and post-recording editing. The video demonstrates how to set up the Airwave Player plugin in Ableton, route MIDI inputs, and record both keyboard and gesture data. This architecture supports a hybrid workflow where expressive performance data can be fine-tuned within the DAW environment.

The video closes with a series of practical tips aimed at optimizing both setup and performance. Key advice includes centering the Airwave on the keyboard, recalibrating after moving the setup, and ensuring the infrared cameras have an unobstructed view of the hands. Users are reminded that the air dimensions are interlinked—raising the hand may also trigger flex, for example—so precise technique is encouraged for intentional control.

ROLI’s emphasis on experimentation and developing personal techniques reinforces Airwave’s role as an instrument for discovery. The guidance to use different hands for separate dimensions, and to explore both subtle and dramatic gestures, encapsulates the device’s ethos: expressive control is limited only by the performer’s imagination.