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 FP Series Digital Pianos Overview - Roland FP-10, FP-30, FP-60, & FP-90

Roland FP Series Overview Video Transcription

Hi everybody, my name is Stu Harrison of Merriam Pianos. Today we're are going to do an overview of the Roland FP Series of 88-key digital pianos. We're gonna be looking at every single model of the series, the Roland FP-10, 30, 60, and 90,  outlining the critical differences between them and of course, discussing who Roland has made these instruments for. If you're just starting your shopping process and you've been hearing about the FP series, we hope this is will help you take your research to the next level.

We should point out that we've already done individual review videos for every single one of the models that we're about to look at in this article. If you do want to dive one layer deeper in terms of the detail and the specifications that we're covering, do a quick search on our YouTube channel, of course, you'll find our individual reviews and playing videos for FP-10, 30, 60, and 90, as well as other Roland instruments, from the Roland GO to the Roland RD-2000.

Now, what's been Roland's intention behind the FP series? Easy answer - portability and functionality. These instruments are designed as all in one units for easy transportation, and whether you're talking about the FP-10 or the FP-90, Roland's goal has been to deliver the best playing experience in as portable a package as possible for the price range. The success of the FP series has allowed Roland a prominent role in the highly competitive portable digital piano market.

FP-10

The Roland FP-10 is the first entry in the series and lands well under the $1,000 price range. When it first came out in 2019 it completely took the industry by surprise and threw down the gauntlet for entry level digital pianos - a part of the market traditionally dominated by Casio and Yamaha. This is an instrument equipped with Roland's PHA-4 hammer action, which features a triple sensor, ivory feel keys, textured ebony keys, escapement and an overall feel similar to that of a grand piano. The FP10 uses Roland's SuperNATURAL piano sound engine, which is one of the things that Roland's become so well known for in the electric piano world over the last 10 years. It's got a pretty decent set of speakers, and you can of course use headphones alternatively as well.

What floors me about that FP-10 is that compared to any other instrument that you can find in its price range, it's one of the only ones with a triple sensor, and it's got exactly the same action as you get in the Roland FP-30 as well as the Roland FP-60, as well as home digital pianos such as the Roland RP102,  Roland F-140r and Roland RP501R. Roland is clearly not cheaping out on components as it goes down to this price range. So, if you're looking for the least expensive instrument that you can get that still feels genuinely like an acoustic piano, you should have the FP-10 on your shopping list to check out. It's worth mentioning that while FP10 comes standard as a portable slab piano, like all the FPs, Roland does make a more permanent wooden stand that you can buy with it.

I would definitely recommend that you upgrade the little pedal switch that Roland packs with it up to their DP-10, which makes the FP10 closer to a proper digital stage piano because its capable of half-pedaling. We also need to mention that the FP10 is not compatible with a triple pedal unit, so if that's important to you, the FP10 won't be the right fit. The FP10 is available in a contemporary black finish.

FP-30

Moving up to the next entry in the line brings us to the Roland FP-30, which has a lot of similarities with the FP-10. The FP-30 is a few hundred dollars more, which buys you greater wattage in the speakers, a heavier case as well as the option to ad a triple pedal system to the matching Roland stand. The FP-30 also has more available on-board piano tones, other sounds and features. To boil it down, the FP-10 offers a basic piano sound built around that PHA-4 action,  super easy portability and an overall great experience for the price. The FP-30 offers a little more versatility, with better onboard speakers, the ability to add a triple pedal for classical music and more on-board features.  Both instruments are capable of interacting with the Roland Piano Partner 2 app via Bluetooth connectivity. The FP-30 is available in both black and white finishes

FP-60

Next up is the Roland FP-60. There's a major jump here in terms of the integrated experience meaning the addition of control panels and surfaces that you have to work with on the FP-60, as compared to the 10 and the 30. This FP60 features on-board control over parameters like EQ, and other types of on-board effects processing. There is also a wider range of tones and the speaker system is very high-quality. The FP-60 is close to twice the price of the FP-30, also has Bluetooth connectivity and is a really nice upgrade for people who are going to be using this consistently in a live setting where the extra punch of the speakers will be helpful. The FP-60 is available in both black and white finishes.

FP-90

The Roland FP-90 digital piano, in many ways, sits in its own category or subcategory within the FP series because of how much more you get with the FP-90. You go from the SuperNATURAL tone engine with gradually increasing polyphony that the other three have, to full sound modelling technology with the FP90. This is a really big deal - a sample based digital home piano plays back a recording of a real instrument whereas modelling actually constructs the piano sound from scratch in real time when you hit the key. Not only does modelling give you more parameters to edit in the Piano Designer app, but it also gives you unlimited polyphony as long as you are inside the default piano patch.

The FP-90 also boasts Roland's upgraded PHA-50 action, which is a hybrid wood and plastic action that feels even more like an acoustic grand piano than the PHA4 action. On top of that, the FP-90 features a microphone input, and you still have the EQ connections, a large number of onboard sounds, intelligent accompaniment options and of course, more powerful speakers for better sound quality. There's a substantial increase in the wattage and you've got tweeters and mains as well as a very impressive bass response. Add all of this up and it's clear that the FP-90 is built for pro players who need a portable option that doesn't require an amp to function.

If you're a serious home user and portability isn't a primary concern, you can add Roland's permanent stand and three-pedal system which essentially gives you a top-level home digital piano. The FP-90 is available in both black and white finishes.

We sincerely hope you've enjoyed this article and that its helped you during the research process. Check out our YouTube channel for more in-depth reviews of every FP series digital piano.

The post Roland FP Series Digital Pianos Overview - Roland FP-10, FP-30, FP-60, & FP-90 first appeared on Merriam Pianos

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