Kawai CA99 vs Casio GP 510 | Hybrid Digital Piano Review & Comparison

 

The high-end digital piano market is more popular than ever. The level of musicality these pianos are now capable of combined with the convenience and inherent advantages of a digital instrument have made Hybrid digital pianos are a legit option for folks who would have previously only considered an acoustic piano, whether you’re a beginner or experienced pianist.

Today, we’ll be comparing two of the most popular hybrid digital pianos currently available, the Kawai CA99 vs Casio GP 510. The GP510 is the flagship model of the Celviano line and the big brother to the Casio GP 310, while the CA99 is the top model of the CA series and big brother to the CA79.

We’ll be discussing the differences in action, tone and features, and giving our thoughts on which one might be better for you, based on your needs and musical preferences.

Both of these pianos are probably known for their key actions most of all, so we’re going to start there and spend more time discussing action than we normally do.

 

Kawai CA99 vs Casio GP 510 - Hybrid Digital Piano Action

Casio’s 88 Wooden Key Natural Grand Hammer Action Keyboard Designed by C. Bechstein

If there's a centerpiece to the Celviano Grand Hybrid GP-510, it is the action. The big thing that catches people's eye is the fact that this action was designed in collaboration with German piano maker C. Bechstein.

C. Bechstein is known for building some of the most accurate and finely-regulated actions available anywhere in the world. They're fanatical with their tolerance and attention to detail.

And what’s interesting here is that they’ve gone for an action that greatly resembles a true grand piano action with full-length wooden keys. It's not on the same level as a Kawai NOVUS 10 or Yamaha Avant Grand which both feature genuine acoustic grand piano actions, but both of these instruments cost substantially more than the GP-510 or CA99.

 

Improvements Over the Previous Generation Action

One of the things that we thought needed some tweaking with the previous version of this action found in the GP-500 was some additional regulation at the factory - the touch felt a little bit loose which was a shame since the concept was clearly so great.

We’re happy to report that this new version really does feel like an acoustic piano. Casio has done a really great job of creating the right weight and getting a great repetition speed. The key bed has nice cushioning and everything in general feels quite authentic.

Real Hammers

A very cool feature of this action is the fact that it actually uses real hammers, and the cabinet is designed in such a way that you can actually prop open the top lid the see the hammers in action.

 

Textured Keytops

The white keys feature a polished plastic that is different than the exaggerated key texture most of their other digital piano actions have. This one actually provides a little bit more grip than we prefer, though that should get better with time as the natural oils from the player’s skin get worked in.

 

Casio GP 510 Action Wrap-Up

This Casio Grand Hybrid is offering a super authentic action overall with very believable dynamic weight. We think that for the price point, this has got to be one of the top two or three actions available, and some folks will definitely find the touch response superior to the CA99.

 

Kawai’s Grand Feel III Action

The Kawai CA99 digital piano is an instrument that we have reviewed in quite a few contexts on its own in comparison to a few others on our YouTube channel, so we’ve talked a lot about the Kawai Grand Feel III action (GFIII), which is also featured in the Kawai CA79.

This is the first time we’ve done a head-to-head with the CA99 vs the GP-510 and of course, the action is the biggest point of comparison. The GP-510’s action boasts a unique touch that for certain types of playing actually feels more natural than the GFIII, which may sound surprising given how much we love the GFIII here at Merriam Music and the fact that many people consider it the top action the class.

 

Extended Length Key-Sticks

The Grand Feel III action actually uses the same key stick length as what you are going to get on an upright piano as opposed to a grand piano. Even though it's called Grand Feel III, the dynamic and the static resistance actually feels closer to what you might find on a Kawai K200 or K300 upright versus what you'll get on a Kawai grand.

Now, it does still deliver a fantastic playing experience, and the longer keysticks offer the player a ton of control.

 

Triple Sensor Key Detection, Counterweights & Let Off Simulation

A couple of features worth highlighting on the GFIII are the triple sensor, counterweights and let-off. Triple sensor key detection means the GFIII is capable of very accurate MIDI output and a wide range of dynamics. This is as good as it gets before getting into the advanced optical sensor technology found in the NOVUS series.

Counterweights ensure that the weighting of the action is as close to an acoustic piano as possible, and let-off simulates the sensation the player gets when playing a grand piano.

 

Ivory Touch & Ebony Touch Key Surfaces

The GFIII has very nicely textured keytops out of the box on both the black and white keys, which we definitely prefer to the GP510’s action as they provide just the right amount of grip and glide.

 

Kawai CA99 Action Wrap-Up

Kawai’s Concert Artist series digital pianos always feature great action, and the GFIII is no different. We think both actions are going to be satisfying to just about everyone, but if you have a chance to play both the GP510 and CA99, odds are you will prefer one action over the other based on your playing style.

Kawai CA99 vs Casio GP 510 - Hybrid Digital Piano Sound

Shigeru Kawai SK-EX Resonance Modeling Engine with Multi-Channel Sampling

There are many aspects of the tone on the CA99 which are noteworthy and worth exploring. When you fire the CA99 up, it defaulted to ‘Piano Mode’ which features Kawai’s latest SK-EX Rendering engine which complexes with multi-channel 88-key stereo sampling with advanced modeling technology.

This acoustic rendering approach is very similar to what Roland has pioneered in the digital piano space with their SuperNATURAL and V-Piano engines.

The piano tone here is simply stunning - a truly impressive capture of Kawai’s flagship SK-EX concert grand piano.

 

Unlimited Polyphony

When you’re in Piano Mode, you get unlimited polyphony to work with. That means we could play hundreds and hundreds of notes, and the instrument is going to continue to be able to sustain and render, and create those tones without ever running out of memory. And it's one of the first times Kawai has released an instrument that has that type of technology.

 

Harmonic Imaging XL Engine

When out of Piano Mode, Sound Mode engages, and this utilizes Kawai’s Harmonic Imaging XL (HIXL) engine. There are additional acoustic piano patches available with this engine, along with all of the non-piano tones which can be navigated via the LCD touchscreen. It’s very interesting to toggle between both modes to hear the very clear differences.

There seems to be much more detail around the edges of the notes and in the space between the notes with the Rendering engine engaged, though the HIXL is no slouch either.

 

Kawai’s Virtual Technician Feature

With Kawai’s Virtual Technician feature engaged, the user gets access to a whole bunch of editable sound-related parameters beyond things like reverb. string resonance settings and getting into the touch curve, voicing, damper resonance, damper noise, string resonance, undamped string resonance, cabinet resonance, key-off effect, fallback noise, hammer noise, hammer delay, top board, decay time, release time, minimum touch, and more.

Soundboard Speaker System

One of the highlights of the CA99 and the one feature that firmly establishes it as a Hybrid instrument is the real solid spruce soundboard. Even without the soundboard, the 6 speaker system is already impressive with top speakers plus speaker diffusers and 2 dome tweeters, but the magnet-driven soundboard with 360-degree diffuser panels takes things to a whole different level.

Audio company Onkyo has provided the amplifiers and signal processing, and there’s a whopping 135 watts of output power available at your disposal here. With that kind of power being driven through a real soundboard, you can be assured that the CA99 sounds incredible.

There’s also a separate headphone amplifier and their Spatial Headphone Sound feature when playing with headphones which is a really nice bonus.

Casio’s AiR Grand Sound Source

Casio is using the most advanced version of their AiR Sound Source in the GP-510BP, which stands for Acoustic & Intelligent Resonator. This engine also features the most sophisticated version of their Multi-Dimensional Morphing technology which serves to facilitate the smoothest possible transitions across various dynamic levels.

Three core acoustic piano samples make up this engine - the Berlin Grand which is based on a C. Bechstein D282 concert grand, the Hamburg Grand which is based on a Hamburg Steinway Model D concert grand and lastly the Vienna Grand which is based on a Bosendorfer Imperial concert grand.

All three patches sound fantastic, with the Berlin offering the most clarity and color, the Hamburg delivering the power, and the Vienna coming across as more mellow with a very intimate tone.

 

256-Note Polyphony

The AiR Grand Sound Source features 256 notes of maximum polyphony across its 35 total presets. You might be disappointed seeing this in comparison to the CA99’s limitless polyphony on piano tones, but you really shouldn’t be.

256 notes of polyphony is more than enough for the vast majority of applications, especially for acoustic piano playing which the GP510 is made for.

 

Acoustic Simulator

Casio has their own version of user-editable sound-related parameters, which they refer to as the Acoustic Simulator.

The Acoustic Simulator features String resonance, Damper resonance, Open string resonance, Aliquot resonance, Damper noise, Pedal action noise, Key on action noise, Key off action noise, Hammer response and a Lid simulator.

 

Grand Acoustic System (Speakers)

Casio refers to their speaker set up here as the Grand Acoustic System. They’ve given the speaker system this fancier name to show their intent of specifically configuring the speakers in such a way that they recreate the 360-degree experience of playing a real acoustic grand piano.

The 6-speaker system is then strategically positioned to achieve this overall goal, which they pull off very well. There are 100 watts of total power here which is very good.

 

Sound Wrap-Up

Both pianos bring advanced, high-tech sound engines and speaker setups to the table. At the end of the day, individual preference is simply likely to go to whichever core grand piano patch you happen to prefer, though we could see those in the Worship community prefer the Kawai CA99 due to how fantastic the organ sounds come across thanks to the soundboard speaker system.

 

Additional Features & Connectivity

Functions

Both pianos offer a pretty standard array of functions with things like Layer, Split, Duet, Transpose, Metronome, Drum rhythms etc.

Both pianos also have a variety of built-in songs and music, as well as built-in audio recorders for saving on-board or via a USB flash drive and playback (SMF, WAV files.)

The CA99 has some built-in lesson books from Alfred, as well as repertoire from Chopin and classic works from Bach and others.

The GP510 offers Casio’s much-loved Concert Play feature and Music Library which allows you to play along with a full orchestra.

 

Cabinet

The GP-510 is available in a gorgeous polished black cabinet with brass accents that is set to be a show stopper in any room, especially with the gold Bechstein logo. The lid height is also adjustable. The CA99 is available in a variety of finishes - Premium Rosewood, Satin White, Satin Black as well as Ebony Polish for a premium. Kawai also incorporates their slow-fall fallboard as well.

 

Pedals

Both pianos feature built-in 3 pedal systems (damper, sostenuto and soft pedals) with half-pedal support. In the CA99’s case, it features Kawai’s Grand Feel Pedal System which is weighted exactly the same as a grand piano.

Connectivity

Both the CA99 and GP510 have a pretty similar set of connectivity jacks, with the exception of the fact that the CA99 has both Bluetooth MIDI and Bluetooth Audio, with APTX support.

This is actually a huge add-on, especially Bluetooth Audio, as it allows you to stream music directly from a smart device (iOS, Android) to the CA99, which then plays through the CA99’s fantastic soundboard speaker system.

The GP510 alternatively doesn’t offer any connectivity which is definitely somewhat of a disappointment from Casio considering even some of their inexpensive Privia models feature Bluetooth. That said, the GP510 has a pretty full complement of connectivity otherwise as does the CA99 with L/MONO, R line inputs and outputs, USB Type A and B and MIDI. The Line Out is especially important if you’re considering either piano for some type of institutional setting.

Closing Thoughts

It’s fair to say that we’ve got two highly compelling flagship pianos from two of the world’s leading digital piano manufacturers. Warranty coverage is great on both, as is the overall aesthetic effect each piano possesses.

They’re both designed to offer a similar experience, and both pianos pull this off very well.

The Kawai CA99 may have some extras like the spruce soundboard and Bluetooth connectivity that will be deal breakers for some folks, but at the end of the day as we often say around here, you should really try both and see which combination of touch and tone you prefer, all things being equal otherwise.

Thanks for reading!

The post Kawai CA99 vs Casio GP 510 | Hybrid Digital Piano Review & Comparison first appeared on Merriam Pianos

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Kawai ES110 Digital Piano | 12 FAQs Including Performance Features & Overall Value

 

Continuing our “12 FAQs” series, today we’ll be setting our sights on another immensely successful and well-regarded 88-key weighted action portable digital piano - the Kawai ES110.

The ES110 has been one of Kawai’s best-selling musical instruments since its release in early 2017 and considering everything it has to offer for the price point, most notably its rich piano tone and stereo speaker system, it’s not hard to see why.

We’ve checked Google to find out the 12 most common questions people have about the Kawai ES110, and we’ll be answering them all here. While the answers to these questions are available in different places around the internet, such as specs sheers and digital piano reviews, this article and companion video will save you by putting it all in one place.

 

FAQ #1: How Good is the Kawai ES110?

Kawai ES110 88-Key Digital Piano[/caption] While this is obviously a very general question, it’s also a very important one, especially for folks that aren’t interested in burying themselves in months of research. Rather, they’d simply like to know; is the ES110 a good instrument, and if so, how good?

Simply, the ES110 is very good, especially when you consider the price range and what else is available in the class. The quality of the piano sound and the way it’s paired with the built-in speakers and amplifier is very impressive. In fact, we think the piano tone is without question one of the contenders for the top spot in the class, especially due to its full 88-key piano sampling and synthesis of things like damper resonance, damper noise and fall-back noise.

The ES110 also has a 1/4” line out, which when it came out, was a rarity for the class, though competing models have since added this feature, such as the Yamaha P-125 and Roland FP30-X.

The ES110 was also one of the first pianos in the class to include Bluetooth MIDI at the price point, and its light weight makes it truly portable. Kawai’s great warranty coverage caps everything off.

 

FAQ #2: Is the ES110 Good for Beginners?

The answer here is a resounding “Yes.” There are other pianos that cost that will also work for piano lessons, but the ES110 is going to provide a wonderful piano experience for a beginner that they’ll be able to grow with for several years.

Of course, you can spend as little as $100 on a keyboard, but that’s not going to serve a beginner for long if piano lessons are part of the picture.

The ES110 is going to set a beginner on a great path, especially if eventually learning classical piano is the goal, and the free damper pedal Kawai includes is actually very solid (with some Casio Privia and Korg products, for example, an upgrade over the included pedal is almost essential.)

One other consideration when shopping for a beginner is the potential trade-in and resale value; given the ES110’s success and high praise, it’s certainly an instrument that is going to retain strong resale value on the secondary market, and great trade-in value at a piano dealer.

 

FAQ #3: Does the ES110 Have Weighted Keys?

The to this question is another “Yes.” Kawai uses the Responsive Hammer Compact Action in the ES110, which is a well-regarded key action featuring a dual sensor and textured keytops. The weighting is similar to the average 48” upright piano, or even smaller baby grand piano.

The RHC action also boasts solid repetition speed and response. While Kawai is more known for their actions in their more expensive, super high-quality instruments, the RHC is very solid.

 

FAQ #4: When was the Kawai ES110 Released?

The ES110 was first announced by Kawai at NAMM 2017 in January of that year and first started appearing in North American showrooms by the Springtime.

In the summer of 2022, Kawai announced the replacement to the ES110 in the form of the new ES120, capping off what ended up being more than a 5-year production run for the ES110.

Given that there are still plenty of ES10s sitting in warehouses, expect some great clearance pricing on remaining stock at various dealers until the ES120 has shipped.

 

FAQ #5: How do you Connect an ES110 to a Computer?

It’s actually quite easy to connect the ES110 to a computer. Start by getting your hands on a standard USB cable, and from there, it’s as simple as plugging one end into the ES110 and the other into the computer.

Connecting via Bluetooth connectivity is also a possibility, but since it’s an older version of Bluetooth technology present here we’d recommend going with a cable to avoid latency issues- fortunately, there are no latency issues with the connection between the ES110 and Smart Devices like phones or tablets.

 

FAQ #6: How do you Connect the ES110 to Bluetooth MIDI?

The last question dovetails with this next one; how do you connect an ES110 to Bluetooth MIDI? The first step is to press the function button and the B-flat 5 key, which is three B-flats from the top of the keyboard.

This turns the Bluetooth function on, and from there, you can open up the Bluetooth setting on your device, whether that’s an iOS or Android device, and select the ES110.

Kawai’s Sound Museum app is a great app to check out as it allows you to control the ES110 remotely, navigating between sounds like the concert grand piano and other grand piano sounds, to the synthesizers and electric piano tones.

You can also navigate through the drum rhythms, Virtual Technician feature, song recorder, keyboard modes and metronome this way too.

 

FAQ #7: How Much Does the ES110 Weigh?

This is going to be an important consideration for folks seeking maximum portability. The ES110 weighs in at a mere 26.5lbs, making it one of the lightest and most portable 88-key weighted action digital pianos around.

Some of Casio’s PX-S series digital pianos are slightly lighter and slimmer, but we’re talking about less than a 2lb difference here.

 

FAQ #8: How do you connect the Kawai ES110 to an iPad?

The steps are essentially the same here as they were in FAQ # 6 as Apple’s iOS systems are the same on iPhones and iPads.

Please see the answer to FAQ #6 for the step-by-step guide.

 

FAQ #9: What is the difference between the Kawai ES110 and Kawai ES120?

We have a video over on our YouTube channel that breaks this answer down with what we know so far, and we’ll certainly be doing a full product review of the ES120 once it ships.

Head over to that video for a fuller breakdown, but in summary, the ES120 is going to feature an updated user interface, inclusion of the SKEX sample set into the Harmonic Imaging Sound Technology, upgrade from a 14-watt amplifier to a 20-watt amp, improved key cushioning and the addition of Bluetooth Audio.

These are some very nice upgrades sure to make the ES120 appeal to a wide range of customers - beginners, semi-professionals and even professionals.

 

FAQ #10: How does the Kawai ES110 compare to Yamaha?

Kawai and Yamaha are always pitted against one another, so of course, people will want to know how the ES110 compares to the equivalent Yamaha models.

Most industry observers will have a preference between Kawai and Yamaha, and there are very loyal camps on both sides. That said, from a quality standpoint, we’re talking about two companies that are very much neck in neck.

The best Yamaha comparable to the ES110 would be the Yamaha P125. Both pianos have good acoustic piano sound engines with equal 192-note polyphony, and solid actions, though the Yamaha GHS action in the P125 is considered a little bit dated by some measures. That said, the GHS action still has many ardent supporters.

In terms of features and connectivity, their offerings are fairly similar and both notably have line-out jacks. The ES110 has Bluetooth which the P125 does not, but the P125 features a built-in USB audio interface which the ES110 does not.

 

FAQ #11: Can you fit the Kawai ES110 in a car?

Given that the ES110 is billed as a portable piano, it’s pretty important to know whether or not it will fit in an average-sized car. Fortunately, even in the original box, the ES110 will fit in an even small-sized sedan, unlike some stage pianos.

The best wait to go about getting the ES110 into a small sedan in the box is to fold down the front passenger seat and feed the ES110 in the car from the rear, positing it on top of the reclined front passenger seat.

In a more compact carrying case when going to and from gigs or rehearsals, you won’t have a problem at all, assuming you haven’t affixed it to the HML1 stand or triple pedal/pedalboard/pedal unit. The ES110 truly is a very portable instrument.

 

FAQ #12: How do you transpose on the Kawai ES110?

Kawai ES110 Transposition[/caption] The transpose feature is quite easy to use on the ES110. There’s a nice visual demonstration in the owner’s manual, but simply, you press and hold the ‘Piano’ button and press the F-Sharp and G-Sharp just to the right of the ‘Piano’ button to either raise or lower the key.

 

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or experienced pianist, we hope you’ve found this article covering the 12 most common FAQs about the Kawai ES110 helpful.

The ES110 was hugely successful during its production run, and will undoubtedly continue to serve musicians of all stripes even after the release of the new ES120. 

The post Kawai ES110 Digital Piano | 12 FAQs Including Performance Features & Overall Value first appeared on Merriam Pianos

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How To Connect Your Roland Digital Piano to Bluetooth | Piano Partner 2, GarageBand, Bluetooth MIDI

 

Introduction

In this article we are going to solve the the age-old question - how do you get your device connected through Bluetooth to your Roland digital piano? When it comes to mobile devices, whether Android devices or iOS/iPad/Apple devices, we have a lot of people who come into our showroom who want to know the quickest, simplest way to hook up their device to their Roland digital piano. Whether you own a Roland FP-10, 30, 60, 90, the DP603 - virtually the entire Roland lineup has Bluetooth connectivity potential. And if you're not using the Bluetooth connection, you're missing out on a huge part of the experience that the latest digital technology provides.

How to Connect Your Roland Digital Piano to Bluetooth Review Video Transcription

The first thing to keep in mind is that there are two separate Bluetooth functions available on most of the Roland products. The first Bluetooth function is being able to stream Bluetooth audio to the piano, which allows you to use the instrument's speakers as if it was a Bluetooth speaker system. Function number two is having a two way MIDI connection between the device and your piano. Almost all of the Roland 88 note digital pianos have that second function. Only some of them have the Bluetooth Audio function. Make sure that you know which of these functions apply to the instrument that you have at home because there's the potential for frustration if you've got an FP-10 and you're expecting to get Bluetooth Audio working since that function isn't available on the FP10.

For the purposes of this article, we're going to use a Roland FP-90 as our example, because this is a model where both of the Bluetooth functions are available. We'll look at Bluetooth MIDI first because this function applies to almost all of Roland's digital pianos. I have spent many hours figuring out a consistent way that I use to get this connected and while it might not be the only way, I can tell you that this method works pretty much without fail.

Connecting With Bluetooth MIDI

Step One

Let's start with step number one, which is making sure that your Bluetooth radio is activated on your piano. If you're using an FP-60, FP-90 or DP603 for example, or any other model that has a graphic display, it's pretty easy to navigate because the function is right in front of you. In the case of the FP90, if you press the 'Function' button, you can use your left and right cursor keys to scroll through the different function options. Eventually, you'll turn over to the Bluetooth MIDI function, which is function number nine on here. From there you'll press 'Enter, which is again the function key, and you can use your left and right cursor to find all the different settings for the Bluetooth MIDI. The very first setting is Bluetooth MIDI 'on' or 'off' and you can use your plus or minus keys to flip it on or off. Once you've switched it to 'on' you're good to go. From there you can exit back out of that menu and we are now ready to connect the device.

If you are using an FP-10, FP-30, or something from the RP series, it's a little more complex in that there's no visual indicator on the screen for you to see the functions. On the FP-10 for example, you are going to hold the function key, and then press C#7 to turn Bluetooth MIDI on, or D7 to turn it off. The combination of Function button plus specific key will depend on which instrument you have, so you'll want to double check the user manual for that.

Step Two

Once your Bluetooth radio is turned on, grab the mobile device you want to connect the piano to. I'm using an iPhone 10 in this case, but the Roland software will connect with any Android device and any relatively recent Apple iOS device as long as the device itself has a fairly current Bluetooth radio system inside it.

The first thing I'm going to suggest you do, and Roland doesn't necessarily tell you to do this but I've seen this come up so many times while troubleshooting which is why I'm mentioning it here, is to turn your Bluetooth radio on in the settings of your mobile device, and even if the piano is showing up as a nearby device you can connect to, you'll want to select 'forget this device'. This avoids some potential problems down the road.

Step Three

Next, get out of the Bluetooth menu, and go into Roland's Piano Partner 2 app (if you haven't done so already, download this free app). Just a heads up, you need to be connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data needs to be on for the Roland Piano Partner 2 app to work.  Once you're in the app, go to the top right corner where it has the settings menu option, and then you'll see three boxes here. Bluetooth MIDI device, connection and initialize app settings. Now, the connection will not list anything so you want to press Bluetooth MIDI device. This is going to pull up all of the devices in the area that you can potentially connect to. You'll see the piano, in this case FP-90, and it will say it's set up for input and output but not connected. Click on that and it will say Bluetooth pairing request, and then click yes to pairing. Now you will see your device is connected. On the piano itself, the little Bluetooth symbol will blink a couple of times which indicates that these two are now ready to talk to each other.

Another useful thing to know is that you can always connect the Piano Partner 2 app to your Roland piano via a hard-wired connection. This connection needs to go from the USB port on the back of your piano (sqaure shaped port), into your USB device.  This will likely require an adaptor, as you'll need to be able to plug a standard USB cable, or USB flash drive into your device.

Step Four

Once the connection is established, Roland Piano Partner 2 detects which model you've connected to, and will download the relevant data so that it offers up all of the different menus settings. This is a really deep app with all kinds of features such as a variety of rhythms you can play along to, and various demo music you can sit back and enjoy. One of my favorite wireless features within the Piano Partner 2 is the ability to wirelessly record MIDI information and play it back as a MIDI track. It's very easy to organize recordings and you have virtually unlimited capacity if you've got a fairly modern smartphone or tablet. One of the most useful applications of that Bluetooth MIDI connection, is being able to use the Piano Partner 2.

Piano Designer

There's another Roland app which should touch on as well which is called Piano Designer. This app is compatible with virtually all of the digital piano models as well and allows you to completely customize the acoustic piano sound of your instrument with parameters like, how open the lid is, cabinet resonance, soundboard type, hammer noise, and many more. You can spend a lot of time tinkering in here to get your ideal piano sound. The Bluetooth MIDI connection also allows you to send MIDI information in and out of popular DA software such as Logic, GarageBand, some educational software, such as Notejoy, Piano Maestro, and things like that.

Connecting With Bluetooth Audio

Now, let's talk about the other type of connection - Bluetooth audio. Again, on the device that has the Bluetooth audio enabled, the FP-90 being the one for this example.

1. You're going to want to go into the menu make sure that Bluetooth Audio is turned on and enabled, just like we did for the Bluetooth MIDI.
2. Now, there is no Roland app specifically for Bluetooth Audio as it works directly through the native Apple iOS software, and so you actually need to go to the iOS Bluetooth app within your normal settings.
3. This is where the FP-90 audio is actually going to show up. Once you're there, you'll simply click on FP-90 on your device and now they'll be paired.
4. That permits us to go into something like iTunes, select a song, and listen to it as it's streamed through the speakers of your piano. This makes for super easy play along.

Summary

So, let's just quickly review. We've got two different types of functions - Bluetooth Audio, which will only work on some models, and Bluetooth MIDI which almost every Roland digital piano is equipped with. If your piano has a visual menu it's quite easy to turn the Bluetooth on, and if not, you'll need to press the function key and another model specific key on the keyboard itself. For connecting the Piano Partner, make sure you're not connecting through the iOS menu, but rather the software itself. This will be the same when connecting to Piano Designer but for the audio function, you will use the menu on your mobile device.

If you're an Android user, a lot of the tips in this article will also apply. However, there's a known issue with Roland's connecting with Android through their two pieces of software, namely the Piano Partner 2 and the Piano Designer, with some of the features not quite working correctly. That's something both companies are working on and can hopefully get resolved soon.

I hope you're able to enjoy your Roland product a little bit more now. Thanks for being here, and have fun connecting your Roland to your mobile device!

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