Roland FP-90X FAQ | Get To Know The Roland FP-90X | Digital Piano FAQ

 

 The FP-90X is the follow-up to the Roland FP90 and the flagship portable piano of Roland’s beloved FPX series and is without question one of the most powerful and capable all-in-one portable digital pianos currently on the market.

Continuing our series on the top FAQ for popular pianos, we ran the Google analytics to find out the top 10 Roland FP-90X FAQ. 

Whether you’re new to exploring the FP-90X or deciding whether or not to pull the trigger, our hope is that having these questions answered all in one place will be helpful. Check out our full digital piano review of the FP-90X for a more in-depth look at the overall performance of the FP-90X.

Let’s get started!

 

Top 10 Roland FP-90X FAQ

FAQ #1: How Much Does the FP-90X Cost?

Up first in our Roland FP-90X FAQ - the price.

In Canada, The FP-90X currently runs for $3,499.99 for the slab on its own (includes DP-10 damper pedal), and up to just under $4,200 if adding the KSC-90 wooden designer keyboard stand and KPD-90 3-pedal board. The floating 3-pedal unit RPU-3 is an option as well, as is the more portable KS-20X stand. In the United States, you can currently find the FP-90X for around $2,500 for the slab, or around $3,200 for the entire bundle.

This does make the FP-90X more expensive than its main competitors, namely the Kawai ES-920 and Yamaha P-515, but the FP-90X justifies its heftier price tag with its more advanced key action, piano sound engine and speaker system (more on this under question 2).

 

FAQ #2: Is the FP-90X Worth the Money?

This is a great question because there are a number of very capable slab digital pianos that cost a lot less than the FP-90X, such as the Kawai ES-920 and Yamaha P-515 mentioned above, as well as Roland’s own FP-60X is quite a bit less. Here’s exactly why for some people, the FP-90X is absolutely worth the extra money.

First of all, Roland’s PHA50 action has a longer pivot length than the actions in the instruments mentioned above meaning it offers a deeper sense of control, plus it also offers a wood/plastic hybrid key construction for durability, a triple sensor, escapement and nicely textured keytops. Even if you’re a classical pianist, you’ll feel at home with this action.

The second reason is the PureAcoustic Piano Modeling sound engine, which is currently Roland’s most advanced sound engine and the same one they use in their top-of-the-line LX series home digital upright pianos. The FP-90X is the only portable Roland digital piano to feature this remarkable sound engine, which also happens to deliver limitless polyphony on acoustic piano tones and offers extensive editing capabilities like damper resonance, string resonance, and soundboard type.

Finally, there’s the speaker system. The FP-90X is equipped with a 4-speaker system with two mains and two tweeters for clarity, boasting a robust 60 watts of power that easily outguns its competitors. For gigs, you can actually fill a medium-sized with the FP-90X without the need for an external amp.

We should also mention the mic input, as well as the tactile equalizer with sliders as additional great value adds.

 

FAQ #3: When Were the FP-90 and FP-90X Released?

The original FP-90 came out in the fall/winter of 2016, and the newly updated FP-90X first hit North American store shelves during the winter of 2021.

Roland tends to average 4-year product cycles with their models, whereas some are updated faster, and in the case of the FP-90X, there was closer to a 5-year FP-90 run before its release.

 

FAQ #4: What are the Weight/Dimensions of the Roland FP-90X?

This is actually a really important question, especially if you’re thinking about the FP-90X has a portable, gigging stage piano. The overall unboxed dimensions of the FP-90X are a width of 5.2”, depth of 15.3” and height of 5.4”.

 

FAQ #5: What are the Differences Between the FP-90 and FP-90X?

This is a pretty important question for folks who might already have an FP90 and are wondering if the FP90X is worth the upgrade, or for people who might still have an opportunity on an FP90 so they have to choose between the two.

The first upgrade is a major speaker enhancement, with the FP-90X receiving a redesigned, upgraded speaker system. Secondly, the FP-90X also receives the new BMC sound chip, which delivers far more complexity to the PureAcoustic Ambience modeling engine and the SuperNATURAL engine.

Both pianos use the PHA-50 keys, so this stays the same, but the 90X includes the new My Stage feature, which offers a whole bunch of very nice Piano Designer presets.

Lastly, Roland has included a built-in USB audio interface, and this will come in very handy for those who need a fine instrument for some studio or production work.

The well-liked LCD screen, music rest and dual headphone jacks return from the FP-90.

FAQ #6: PHA-50 - Which Portable Models Have It?

The PHA50 was until recently Roland’s most advanced action (since usurped by the Hybrid Grand action) and is only found in a couple of models that could be considered portable.

The FP-90X is the only FPX series piano to feature the PHA-50, with the Roland FP-30X and FP-60X featuring the PHA-4.

The RD-2000 and FANTOM-08 are the only other portable options that feature the PHA-50, however, calling the workstation FANTOM-08 portable is using the term ‘portable’ loosely. All three of these pianos are quite heavy, and that’s a result of the wooden componentry in the PHA-50 - there’s really no way to keep the weight down with a wooden action.

 

FAQ #7: How do you Take Apart the Roland FP-90X?

*Disclaimer: Don’t do this! That’s the official answer because if you do take apart your FP-90X, your warranty will be voided should you ever have a warranty claim, and this is clearly articulated in the owner’s manual.

If you’re willing to take the risk, the innards of pretty much every Roland product are very well organized, so if you do open it up by removing the screws on the side, you’ll find that everything is well laid out and easy to service.

 

FAQ #8: How do you Connect the FP-90X to Bluetooth MIDI?

The first step to getting Bluetooth MIDI going on the FP-90X is to make sure Bluetooth is turned on. To do this, press the function button, and Bluetooth is the first option that pops up so toggle that to make sure it’s on.

From there, start the pairing process, and you can do so by holding the Function key, and then you can pull up the Bluetooth menu from your smart device and select the FP-90X.

The Piano Every Day app has recently been replaced by the new simply titled Roland Piano App, which is simply great as it allows you to navigate all the sounds of the instrument like grand piano tones, synths, e pianos etc. as well as control features like the metronome, touch sensitivity and playback while also expanding the specs of the piano to include rhythms and educational features.

 

FAQ #9: How Do You Connect the FP-90X to a Computer?

To connect your FP-90X to a computer, simply plug one end of a USB cable into the FP-90’s USB connector and the other end into your computer. This gives you both a MIDI and Audio connection

FAQ #10: What Digital Pianos Compare Well to the FP-90X?

It’s good to have an idea as to some of the other options you’ll be running into when deciding on an instrument. Surprisingly, there aren’t too many legitimate comparable options to the FP-90X. This is due to the fact that there aren’t too many instances where musicians find themselves in situations where a high-end acoustic grand-focused keyboard with speakers and a premium action are needed.

As a result, the FP-90X falls into a niche category as a portable keyboard capable of a high-end acoustic and electric piano experience, without the full array of synthesizer-like features one would get with a traditional stage piano.

That said, this category is growing, and as we mentioned earlier in this article, the main competitors to the FP-90X are the Yamaha P-515 and Kawai ES-920.

Casio enters this conversation now as well with the recently released PX-S6000 and PX-S7000.

 

Closing Thoughts

Thanks for reading and/or watching! We hope that this top 10 Roland FP-90X FAQ will serve as a helpful reference for you on your piano shopping journey.

The post Roland FP-90X FAQ | Get To Know The Roland FP-90X | Digital Piano FAQ first appeared on Merriam Pianos

2359 Bristol Cir #200, Oakville, ON L6H 6P8

merriammusic.com

(905) 829-2020

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

2359 Bristol Cir #200, Oakville, ON L6H 6P8

merriammusic.com

(905) 829-2020