New Roland FP-X Series Digital Pianos | Roland FP-30X, FP-60X, FP-90X, F701, & RP701

2021 has been a big year for Roland with 5, count em' 5, new Roland digital pianos hitting the market, each one an update to a popular previous model.

In this article, we'll take a quick glance at each of the 5 models and briefly cover exactly what was approved with each model.

 

Roland FP-X Series - Overview

As one of the top players in the home digital piano market, pretty much every model Roland offers has been a huge seller. Updates on existing models are usually staggered so that new models come out one or two at a time, but in this case, Roland decided to update 5 models simultaneously.

With the exception of the entry-level FP-10, the entire FP series has been upgraded with the FP-30 is now the FP-30X, the FP-60 is now the FP-60X, the FP-90 is now the FP-90X, while home digital piano F140r has been upgraded to the F701, and the RP501 is now the RP701.

Let's take a look at each instrument to see exactly what was improved over the previous generation's model.

 

Roland FP-30X Digital Piano

When we first saw the spec sheets, we couldn't wait to get our hands on the FP-30X. Two critical updates that people have been begging for are present here; an increase to the polyphony, which in this case means an increase to the complexity of the piano sound and dedicated line outputs.

The polyphony has literally been doubled from 128 notes to 256, courtesy of the new BMC chip, and this is quite indicative of the extra processing power that the FP-30X is working with.

The twin quarter-inch outputs are a very significant add as they are totally separate from the headphone jack. This means the FP-30X is finally going to become a true gigging piano, which is great because the original FP-30 was always right on the cusp of being a killer gigging piano. The FP-30 was undoubtedly an excellent instrument, but adding the twin line outputs brings it to a whole new level.

Rounding out the improvements are 21 additional onboard sounds including improved piano tones, and the addition of Bluetooth audio connectivity. The FP-30 had Bluetooth MIDI for connection to music apps like Garageband, but the Audio functionality is a very welcome addition as it allows you to use the FP-30X to stream music directly from the onboard speakers.

The FP-30X again comes standard with a damper pedal, but you can upgrade to the three-pedal unit KPD 70 and KSC 70 matching optional stand.

Early feedback on the FP-30X has pretty much been unanimous - this is a class-leading instrument in the portable piano category that delivers incredible value.

 

Roland FP-60X Digital Piano

The FP-60X isn't the same 'Home Run' of an improvement that the FP-30X in the sense that the improvements are not as significant as those found on the FP-30X. That said, Roland didn't simply roll back the FP-60 and alter the name, there are several improvements that need to be noted.

To start, the total onboard sounds have been expanded to a large trove of 358 sounds, including a great selection of electric pianos, strings, synths, and more, all courtesy of the trusty SuperNATURAL Piano sound engine.

They've also improved the stereo speaker design and combined with the BMC chip, the FP-60X is undoubtedly delivering higher fidelity sound than what the FP-60 was capable of.

A couple of other things to mention; they've added the My Stage feature, added a mic input, and added 22 additional internal songs.

The FP-60X brings back the PHA4 Standard Keyboard action with escapement and ivory feel, so the improvements are pretty much all sound-related, which of course, isn't a bad thing.

 

Roland FP-90X Digital Piano

The FP-90X has a fairly short list of upgrades, but the main upgrade is very substantial - the FP-90X utilizes the brand new PureAcoustic Piano Modeling Engine, which can otherwise only be found in the top two LX-700 series flagship home digital pianos.

This is the latest in piano technology with one of the most sophisticated sound engines available in any digital piano, offering limitless polyphony while on acoustic piano tones, and delivering seriously high-level authenticity. The new ambience effects are particularly noteworthy, and getting in and customizing the sound with the Piano Designer app is tons of fun.

Otherwise, they've also expanded the total amount of onboard tones, added a second headphone input, and made the FP-90X compatible with the new Piano Everyday app.

The PHA-50 hybrid wood hammer action with escapement makes a return and maintains its place as one of the best actions available in a portable digital piano with phenomenal playability.

The class-leading onboard speaker system (twin subs and twin dome tweeters) and powerful amplifiers return as well. The FP-90X makes a strong case for being the best all-in-one stage piano available.

 

Roland F701 Digital Piano

Roland's F140r was an absolute force in the ultra-competitive mid-range home digital piano market, so like the FP-30X, this is an incredibly important instrument for Roland to get right with the new generation. Fortunately, they did just that.

Let's start with the appearance. The F701 retains the spirit of the F140r as a modern, highly compact instrument, but they have made the cabinet more robust and durable. The user interface has also been improved and is much easier to operate.

Like the FP-30X, the polyphony has been doubled to a class-leading 256 notes. There's also a massive list of onboard tones with over 300, also a class-leading spec.

The internal song list has been greatly expanded, and the F701 now incorporates Bluetooth Audio connectivity.

Overall, these improvements represent a sizeable improvement over the F104r.

 

Roland RP701 Digital Piano

The upgrades the RP701 offers over the RP501 are basically the exact same as the F701, which should come as no surprise given that the F140r and RP501 were very similar instruments aside from the cabinetry.

The relationship stays the same here, but the cabinet differences between the F701 and RP701 are now much more dramatic; the RP701 captures the true look and feel of an acoustic upright piano much better than the RP501 did.

Otherwise, we've got all the same upgrades - polyphony increased to 256 notes, more on-board sounds, more internal songs, Bluetooth Audio, and an improved user interface.

The RP701 is a great option for someone looking for the look of an acoustic piano with the functionality of a digital piano, without running into the multiple thousands of dollars.

 

Conclusions

5 new pianos, all with varying degrees of improvement, though all with the exception of the FP-60X represent a fairly significant level of improvement over their previous incarnations.

Don't forget to check out our more in-depth produce pages and reviews on YouTube for a closer look at each piano.

Thanks for reading!

The post New Roland FP-X Series Digital Pianos | Roland FP-30X, FP-60X, FP-90X, F701, & RP701 first appeared on Merriam Pianos

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Roland RD2000 vs Kawai MP11SE Digital Stage Piano Review -SuperNATURAL, Grand Feel, Virtual Technician

Kawai MP11SE vs Roland RD2000 | Introduction

If you've ventured into the world of stage pianos, and are looking at the best the market has to offer, it's pretty much guaranteed that during your piano research you've come across the Roland RD2000 and Kawai MP11SE digital pianos. These are two of the most highly respected stage pianos in the business and are very common with professional musicians both on the stage and in the studio.

Both instruments have noteworthy features that make them equally unique in the space, for very different reasons. Whether it’s the full-length wood keys in the MP11 or the thousands of onboard sounds and Piano Modelling Engine on the top RD series Roland, there are lots to unpack.

In this article, we'll look closely at both instruments, cover the exact differences between the piano actions, sound engines as well as other features, and offer some suggestions as to who each piano will be ideally suited for.

 

MP11SE vs RD2000 | Piano Action Comparison

MP11SE Grand Feel Action

 The Kawai MP11SE uses Kawai’s Grand Feel action, which is oh-so-close to their current Grand Feel Compact action. It uses a triple sensor, an escapement simulator, and of course the full-length wood key that pivots on a mid-point exactly like an acoustic piano.

The action feels robust, extremely responsive, and beautiful to play at any speed, velocity, or genre...it’s really hard to argue that this isn’t the very best action available in a portable product, though Yamaha does offer a fully wooden action in their P515. The only hitch is how one defines portable… at 72 lbs, it’s ½ the weight of a lot of piano players - especially females - to who this is being marketed. I’ve been lugging huge slabs my whole professional life, I’m 5’10” and 180 lbs, and this is back-breaking to try and do myself. So this is either reserved for those with roadies or studio work. You'll also want a substantial keyboard stand for this instrument due to the weight.

Roland RD2000 PHA-50 Keyboard

On the other hand, Roland has deployed their newer hammer-action design, designated the PHA-50 keyboard (Progressive Hammer Action keyboard), on several of their high-end models, including HP and LX series instruments. However, the FP90 and RD2000 are the only two portable models to be equipped with this upgrade. The action feels and behaves differently than the PHA-4 plastic action, both in terms of sensitivity as well as physical feel due to the hybrid keys which are a mix of plastic and wood. Classical players and people using this action for solo work will be far more impressed with its precision and playability, whether in a studio setting or live performance over the PHA-4.

 

Key Texture

It features a beautiful ivory feel and ebony texture on the key surfaces. Along with escapement and accurate triple sensor. Given that I personally own an RD-2000, I can attest to the durability of this hybrid wood action as I have put my RD-2000 through the wringer of all types of professional scenarios and live sets over the past few years.

 

Wrap Up

I think many folks would agree that if your number one priority is touch, then the MP11SE has the Roland RD-2000 beat, as it boasts the most authentic grand piano touch in a stage piano. That being said, the extra 30 lbs of weight on the MP11 can't be ignored, and for many folks, the balance of a much lighter instrument that still has great action will be preferable for many performing keyboardists.

 

Roland RD2000 Two Independent Sound Engines

V-Piano Technology Engine

The modeling approach to sound is a relatively recent innovation in piano technology, and essentially refers to real-time control of a particular sound that's not derived from a sample, offering more editable parameters and the tactile response of generating quality ensemble sounds in real-time.

The Roland RD2000 features one of the highest-fidelity wave signals of any digital product on the market, period. The full keyboard polyphony of the V-Piano engine, and 8 full assignable zones for combining internal patches (including software instruments and soft synths) together in different key ranges without even batting an eye, make the RD2000 a dream for keyboardists of all stripes. There's also a scene function, which allows you to save up to 100 different snapshots of the entire keyboard setup for fast on-the-fly recall, and a pitch bend wheel.

 

SuperNATURAL Piano Generator

The stock grand piano sounds are totally acceptable, although the expansion piano options give even more character and depth to the acoustic piano function. The electric piano category has a massive selection, ranging from contemporary sounds to very authentic l MKS-20 sound module recreations of vintage effects as well, such as the classic Boss CE 1 chorus.

The Organ engine has one of the most authentic Hammond B-3 tone engines of any stage piano on the market, along with highly expressive virtual tone wheel organs. Using the 8 slider bars as tone bars, users can set and save as many personalized presets as they wish.

 

Additional Piano Sounds

Beyond the traditional acoustic and classic electric piano sounds, there's a massive selection of additional sounds with synthesizers, leads, clavs, pads, strings, brass, and percussion sounds also preloaded on the instrument, with over 1,100 internal sounds in total, and two wave expansion slots for adding even further sounds.

The Roland RD2000 offers up to 4 simultaneous effects processors to function, as well as a real-time 5-band digital equalizer, 3-band compressor, led indicators, Reverb, Amp simulation, tremolo/amp simulator, modulation wheels, and envelope control.

 

Kawai MP11SE Piano Sounds and Tone Generators

The MP11se is actually arranged a little bit closer to Nord. If you're familiar with that brand of highly popular stage piano synths.

 

Modular Tone Generators

The Kawai MP11SE has organized around three modular tone generators (or at least that’s what the interface leads you to conceptualize this as). The acoustic piano sound includes several presets that have both tonal shaping (EQ, envelope) as well as some Virtual Technician-type effecting so that you as the player have the opportunity to create an entirely customized piano tone.

 

256-Note Polyphony

The total number of sounds on this instrument is pretty low when you compare it to the RD2000, with a total of only 40 onboard sounds. That being said, the quality of all 40 patches is without question very high. While not limitless, there is a robust 256 notes of polyphony available which should be plenty.

 

Wrap Up

It seems obvious that if you're looking for an instrument with a ton of onboard sounds then the Roland RD-2000 is the clear winner here. If you don't mind connecting to an external sound bank or VST however, that advantage is mitigated. It should also be noted that neither instrument is equipped with internal speakers as is common among stage pianos, but both can be played with headphones without the aid of an amp.

 

Other Features

Neither of these boards uses the Bluetooth BLE protocols for wireless midi, but that’s hardly an issue given the number of various ports that both instruments offer and options for connecting to DAWs.

 

Roland's Flexible Audio Outputs

The Roland RD2000 USB Audio/MIDI interface function is definitely a plus, and somewhat puzzling why the Kawai doesn’t include it, especially since the concept of the instrument in the first place was to have it integrated into a larger MIDI-connected setup. That said, it’s easy enough to work around since there are ¼” XLR inputs with independent fader so you can still have integrated mixing going on.

Additional Inclusion

A huge plus on the Kawai side is the inclusion of a triple pedal right out of the box. While this is available for the Roland as the RPU-3 add-on, it comes standard with a single damper pedal.

Conclusion and Overall Impressions

The conclusions between these two are quite clear actually. The Kawai MP11se is far more niche than the Roland, and for the crowd, it’s targeted at, nothing holds a flame. If the weight doesn’t present an issue, and its use is going to be exclusive as a piano or master controller within a multi-device setup, the Kawai has your number. The action is indisputably the best out there, and the quality sounds of the piano and e-piano tones are beautiful, rich, and easy to manipulate.

If your needs are more diverse and include using the instrument in a multi-genre setup, in a studio, on stage, decent portability, rugged durability with plenty of patches (not to mention the acclaimed SuperNATURAL technology), and modern controller features across all sounds, the Roland RD2000 is a far better choice.

That's it for today's piano review! Don't forget to visit Merriam Music for more blogs and articles and check out our Youtube channel for more shootout videos.'

The post Roland RD2000 vs Kawai MP11SE Digital Stage Piano Review -SuperNATURAL, Grand Feel, Virtual Technician first appeared on Merriam Pianos

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