Piano Reviews

“It is ‘almost’ the same piano as the DP990 with the same control panel”

First I started to look at internet and made a shortlist.
Rather fast I liked Roland the most.
After that I analyzed the spec of all types.
And I found your book ” 7 ways” which was very helpful.
I did not have a budget but wanted to use my common sense and would not go straight away for the best/most expensive one.
I use it just private in home.
From paper I choose the DP990F for the price.
Then I did go to a shop to play on it.
I liked it very much but then something happened to me.
Looking around and playing on other types, I fell in love with the ivory feel keys.
I decided not to buy a piano at that moment but would study some more specs.
The DP990RF has ivory keys but is in black polished ebony, which I don’t like.
Then I find the HP 307 the “flag ship” as Roland calls it.
I liked it very much but analyzed if I need all the features just for a piano at home.
I compared it with the HP 305.
Then I compared the specs of the HP305 with the DP990F.
Because in the first place my choice was the DP990F I decided that the HP305 must almost have the same specs as the DP990F. And yes it was.
It is “almost” the same piano with the same control panel.
That means that if I want a DP990F with ivory feel keys, for just 200,00 extra you find it in a HP305.
So, I bought a HP305 which will be delivered this afternoon.

Review by Will, Holland

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call 020 8367 5107

 

“Judging from the other reviews the Roland sound is something you either love or hate”

Having read ukpianos.co.uk site I planned to go to the most convenient shop and choose between some of the Yamaha Clavinovas as they had the best recommendations. However in the shop I was offered the chance to play two Clavinovas and two Rolands. I was surprised to find that I much preferred the Roland sound, which I felt was much more like an acoustic, than the Yamaha Clavinovas which sounded very flat and lifeless. My wife who was there with me was of the same opinion. Judging from the other reviews the Roland sound is something you either love or hate and I really like it.

Having now played it for a week I can give a more complete review. The bass and middle octaves of the piano are very rich and mellow, and to me very like an acoustic although the upper registers are a bit weaker. I do not find the top 5 notes as weak as one of the other reviewers, only the top note is drum-like with no real vibration, but the top octave is not as strong as I would like. Other reviewers have commented on the keyboard being too light but I find this a very positive aspect of the keyboard it is a huge improvement on my acoustic in some of the faster passages. One other negative comment I have seen is that the keyboard is clunky. Perhaps the reviewer is used to playing better pianos than I am because although you can certainly hear the thud of the keys when the sound is off it is a lot less noisy than my acoustic.

Overall I am really pleased with the piano and I would recommend anyone buying a digital piano to try a Roland before making a final decision.

Review by David Joynson, St Albans, Hertfordshire, UK

 

“Impartial, advice with clarity, to support us with our family investment”

5 STARS

At the outset, there were so many things to learn before we could even begin to make a decision about which digital piano would be right for our family.

UK Pianos played such a huge role in helping us to first understand the differences and features each had to offer, and ultimately influenced us with our final decision.

We purchased a Roland HP305 in April and still feel it was ‘the best thing we have ever purchased’. We have no regrets other than we were unable to purchase through UK Pianos as we are located in Canada. We appreciate all the advice and information. Thank you!

Review by Catherine, Canada

“The sound quality is most convincing, but the top 4/5 notes on the keyboard are very feeble – basically one hears a succession of key thumps rather than a musical pitch”

After some 3/4 weeks of using the piano I feel quite confidant of my choice
of this model. The sound quality is most convincing and the touch
sensitivity, which is marginally adjustable, is what I had been hoping to
find. Most of the other parameters provided, though not really essential,
are well thought out and easy to find.

My only reservation in commending the HP307 is that the top 4/5 notes on the
keyboard are very feeble in their purely musical output – basically one
hears a succession of key thumps rather than a musical pitch.
I have written to Roland at Swansea, commenting on this but have, to date,
received no reply.

Thank you for your very helpful hints on the whole digital piano scene.

Review by Carey Humphreys

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call 020 8367 5107

 

“It was the best option within my budget”

Since I live in Brazil, it is difficult to pick a piano by its price, since all things here
that are imported are incredible inflated, and here it lacks of options, so I bought
the Roland HP307 with the “6 Simple Tests You Can Do In The Piano Store Before
Making Your Decision” guide, it was the best option within my budget.

I had also tested the v-piano and found amazing the software used in that piano,
however the v-piano costs R$ 18.000,00 (6.700,00 Pounds)  and the HP307 was
R$ 8.500,00 (3.150,00 Pounds).

I also tried many Kawai pianos and Yamaha pianos, but the Roland had (in my
opinion) the most similar tone to a acoustic piano, and again, the most
considerable price. The cheapest Kawai piano was the mp8ii and costs R$
8.250,00, so you my guest how expensive are the pianos here and how
different it is to choose a digital piano.

Review by Felipe Wetter

 

“The HP-307 has a very dull and booming bass and the tones sound artificial”

After trying Roland pianos: HP-307 and RG-3 I decided that the Roland is not realistic in its sound.

The HP-307 has a very dull and booming bass and the tones sound artificial. Even though it has the new “supernatural” sound.
The RG-3 was a special offer from the store (5900 Euro): they had to get rid of it since its successor RG-3F was coming.

Again I found the action sluggish (but of course it was the “older” PHA-II action. At first sight the sound was impressive:
using many loud chords and the pedal you might get the “woow” feeling. But playing a chromatic scale across the keyboard
revealed many deficiencies. Notes that were too loud, too sharp or just plain ugly. And again the dull bass.

Review by Paul Provoost

 

“It does not feel like or sound like an acoustic piano”

I recently purchased a Roland HP 307 from Harrods ( 2 months old) but I do
not like it as it does not feel like or sound like an acoustic piano.
I now have to try and sell it or part exchange for an acoustic upright.

Review by Kevin Morris

 

“I was immediately irritated by the clunking noise the keys made”

After initially deciding to buy a decent digital piano I opted for the Roland HP307 in polished ebony. It cost me £2900. A digital piano would offer me the oppurtunity to play silently in the evenings and late at night so the idea of buying an acoustic was out of the question. After unpacking the 307 I was very happy it looked great and was easy to use.

HOWEVER! After a few minutes playing I was immediately irritated by the clunking noise the keys made. It was so loud you could hear it through the headphones with the volume all the way up. You could also hear the keys being played all over the house. It completely cancelled out the main reason for buying a digital….silent playing. I did not pick up on this key noise in the shop as I guess the background noise in the shop hid this. But in the house when it was quiet it was so annoying. I then read forums on the internet where many people have mentioned this annoying problem.

It is not anything than can be rectified, it is just the Roland key setup. Anyway I sent it back for a refund and have now purchased a acoustic / silent piano. I was going to buy the Yamaha B2 but instead was lucky to find a Kawai piano second hand for a good price with a silent system fitted. The keys do make a noise when in silent noise but its not as tinny and clunky as the Roland. Plus I now have the real acoustic deal as well. It was a shame really the HP307 was a beautiful looking piano with lots of great features and a realsitic key touch. Make sure you are happy with the clunking noise before you buy one.

Review by Brendan Clifford, Leighton Buzzard, United Kingdom

 

“I find the Roland HP 307 piano very organic and random”

I had a Clavinova CLP 170 that I taught piano on for 8 years. I liked it
very much, when looking, I tried the CLP 380 and found the sound to be the
same  sounding sample sets except with more notes and dynamics sampled. I love
Yamaha, Roland and Korg products as I use them all as synths and electronic
organs  in my recording studio. I feel that the Yamaha was still a little sterile
with regard to the overall interaction of the samples and resonance etc. But
still does sound great of course.

The Roland HP 307 was a shock in tone to start with as it is much mellower and
boomy in sound through its speakers (Steinway sample). After spectrum
analysing  the tonality I found a resonance peak at around 40 – 50hz which  when
attenuated with the inbuilt EQ and together with a 3db shelving boost at 4k
this gave the sound clarity and presence.

I find the Roland HP 307 piano very organic and random when playing like the
many grands and uprights I have played (the good ones). It is not perfect, as I
believe that until the total V-piano technology is used at this price point it
won’t be. The other samples onboard are the best I have heard and are as good
as my Roland Fantom X8 synth.

Review by Paul Lee (ALCM), London

 

“The finish of this model plus the good sound are the real plus’s”

I purchased the ROLAND HP307 PE from Gear4Music .  I managed to get it (after a mix up with another
one I thought I’d ordered) some £300 off their price.

The multiplicity of voices that it has, are perhaps not necessary, but are fun if you look upon them
as free extras. The finish of this model plus the good sound are the real plus’s.

Overall I am very pleased with my purchase

Review by Dennis Fleetham

 

“I found Roland’s feel and sound true to a real grand piano”

Comparing the HP-307 with Yamahas Clavinova series, I found Roland’s feel and sound to much more true to a real grand piano, and alot more satisfying to play.

Piano sound:
While Roland writes that the SuperNatural piano sound is sample based, with some technology borrowed from the physically modelled V-piano, I suspect that much more than they claim are based on physical modelling, and that the SuperNatural technology is merely a semantical twist to cater to a less expensive market segment. For instance, I initially thought that the damper pedal “gasp” at depression was a mere sample played over and over again. But repeated pedal action reveals that the sound is actually slightly different every time, and as a scientist specializing in computational mechanics, I can tell it takes a really advanced model to produce that effect realistically. The damper pedal is also velocity sensitive. Here’s another test you can do: press one key so gently down that it does not produce any sound. Then strike a key an octave above or below that. Try the same with a other inervals as well; you will hear overtones in the depressed key which are very true to life. There’s also a host of customizations to design a piano sound to your taste.

Keys:
The keys feature a nice and dynamic hammer action that the yamaha models lack. The black keys are relatively broad, e.g. compared to Kawai’s keys. I like it, it makes them easier to play. The texture feels very dry, supposedly, it is an ivory imitation. When you stike the keys hard, they will make audible thumps. In my opinion, this is not annoyng as someone else have commented – I think an accoustic piano would produce approximately the same thumps, but you don’t notice them due to the loudness of the strings. The same is the case with the Roland piano, if you turn up the volume to a level comparable with an accoustic piano. Compared to the Yamaha keys, they feel much better; the Yamaha keys sort of spring back at your fingers and give you a qualitatively the same feeling you would get by striking a metal plate with a metal bat.
The only thing i miss is wooden keys. This is however not noticeable unless you look for it.

Other features:
Full set of GM2 sound, and quite a few of Roland’s own higher quality sounds; e-pianos, strings, organs..
However, only the piano sound features SuperNatural technology.
3-track sequencer
USB connection for midi and wav playback

Review by Dennis Morton

 

“Overall we are quite pleased with the action”

Hi Graham,

We purchased a digital instrument.  We were considering a very lightly used Roland HP 307, that had been purchased new within the past year.  Not sure if it was a “left-over” or not, since I believe the 507’s have been out a bit longer.  This was purchased for use in a church fellowship hall.  Two of our keyboard musicians tested the keyboard action and sound and overall were quite pleased with the action and the quality of the sound.  We have a Yamaha grand piano in our sanctuary, and it is helpful to have an action that feels compatible for our musicians.

For the record, we purchased this instrument for about $2,200, so it was significantly less than what is available in our area in the HP 500 series.

Thanks,

Review by Del Keeney, Mechanicsburg, PA, USA

“I really like the Roland HP503”

I must say I really like the Roland HP503 – nice feel (it didn’t
have the “clickiness” that other Rolands I tried in the past have got)
good sound, great attack, and a good level of functionality.

It’s a bit more that I was initially intending to spend (it was on
sale for £1575, but I’ve seen it a little cheaper online)

Review by Hugo Allen

 

>> For Roland HP503 information, specifications and prices, click here

“Key touch good, piano sound good, other features disappointing”

Reviews on digital pianos costing 2000 – 2500 EUR (year 2012) confirm that in this price range the products from Roland, Kawai and Yamaha are just excellent ones, and everyone to his taste prefers the one or the other product depending on personal feeling of the dynamic key touch and the sound of the principal piano tone. As recommended, I tried to myself compare the pianos in a store, in order to find out what individually would be the best for me. Limited by local scantiness of demonstration equipment here in the province, I havenn´t got the chance to experience any Kawai. So, comparing the Yamaha and the Roland I quickly found my decision: I am the fortunate owner of a Roland HP 505, now. I am perfectly happy with my decision, and enjoy this great digital piano. No doubt about the quality of the keyboard and principal piano sounds.

But I seriously have to criticize some aspects of the HP 505. It is about the additional features besides the key touch and grand piano sounds, the other things for which I also paid for. I am here disappointed. I owned a Technics KN800 entertainer keyboard about 20(!) years ago, and I blindly expected that technology comforts of that time would certainly be included in any today´s digital instrument. I will comment you on the disappointing aspects here.

Let me first summarize how I came to my decision, to emphasize all the good things of the Roland HP 505.

Touch:
As I never played piano before but played electric organ in the past, I followed the recommendations from pianists as published all over in the digital piano internet discussion forums. I think this topic is best summarized by Graham Howard: “The most important thing you need from a digital piano when you’re learning is a realistic touch. A good piano sound and minimum of 4 touch sensitivity levels (pp, mp, mf and f) are also important. Factors such as dimensions, weight, colour and ‘bells and whistles’ shouldn’t really be the deciding factor in your purchase” (taken from his web site: www.ukpianos.co.uk). It is to be pointed out, that this especially applies to people who are learning to play piano.

As I seriously now want to learn playing piano and know that I am biased by my organ experience, I gave highest priority to carefully follow this recommendation. I believe that the plenty pianists around, who commented in the internet that the keyboards of this price range of digital pianos (> 1700 EUR) would come pretty close to a keyboard feeling of an acoustic piano can’t be wrong all together, and therefore I was right away searching in this price range. I could clearly feel on the Roland keyboard of a HP 503 the extra weight of the keys and necessary extra force for the key strokes (in comparison to an organ keyboard), and most important: for me it felt very well balanced, while the Yamaha keyboard of a CLP 430 behaved somehow imprecise as if some wiggly springs below the keys would slightly impact the up and down movement of the keys.

Sound:
I was searching for a peaceful sound, good to play some dolce and warming music, of course still providing also some exhilarant spring season mood. I was not searching for a bright tune valid for jazz and ragtime music, and not in any need of the piano to stand it’s ground in the context of playing with a band or a choir. I personally felt overwhelmed by the Roland sound in respect to my wishes.

Decision Taking:
Touch and sound decided for a Roland HP 503, but the promise to get an even better (the best available) keyboard from Roland with the HP 505, and to get an even better loud speaker system delivered made me spent some more money and finally blindly bought the HP 505. It was delivered within 2 days, and I am REALLY happy with it – as a piano. Its touch and response feel just perfect to me and make me enjoying playing it, and the sound of the piano can’t be distinguished (neither with very high quality headphones nor very high class HiFi-loudspeakers) from the sound of a grand piano recorded on a purchased piano music CD. My digital piano to me appears even warmer and fuller in sound than what’s coming from CD. Wishes fulfilled.

Further Reading:
As there are no comments on a HP505 on Graham Howard’s site, grab some further information from this comments, who in the one or other aspect are also representative for the HP505. I think they express what I myself experience on the 505:
Read the comments from Carey Humphreys, Brendan Clifford and Dennis Morton here: www.ukpianos.co.uk/roland-hp307-review, and read this two pages to get an impression about which class of keyboard and sound we are speaking about: www.ukpianos.co.uk/roland-hp507 and www.ukpianos.co.uk/roland-rd700gx-review

Donn´t miss to study his site and reviews therein before purchasing your digital piano – to me the most helpful one I found in the internet – especially because descriptions and comments to my own experience really well describe the situation.

Disappointing Aspects of the Roland HP 505:

a) You would expect that there are 10 piano sounds provided? Piano sounds 2 and 3 and 8 are (nice though) variations of sound 1. But sounds 5, 6 and 7 grouped in “Piano-Grand” are unfortunately the concert grand piano sound no 1 layered with strings, pad or choir, and sound no 4 called “Magical”, is described as “a dream like sound” and indeed, it has nothing to do with a piano but sounds like some synthesizer sound. If you then press enough times the “+” button you will finally reach sound no 8, a variation of the sound no 1. This one is described “a grand piano sound notable for its clarity” and is thus perfectly described. Practicing every day for hours, I actually prefer this sound to sound no 1, because it sounds exactly the same beautiful but without the quite noticeable reverb of sound no 1. If I power on the piano I would like to be welcomed with this sound, because practicing is what I do all the day. If I then from time to time want to present myself and just listen to my advances in piano playing, I could still change to the reverberation concert grand. Unfortunately the HP 505 can’t save in the settings which sound should be on by default.

Similar critics on the unfruitful organization of the sound blocks can be applied to all other sound banks as well. There unfortunately is no logics in the grouping of the available sounds. It would be very helpful to group all Piano sounds in a block (uninterrupted from layered and synthesizer sounds), all Pipe and Church Organ sounds in a block, all E-Organ sounds in a block, all brass instruments in a block, etc. . I would like to have a chance to switch between for instance E-Organ sounds by just pressing a button, or only very few times pressing a “+” or “-“ button. But not changing from no 7 to no 32 and back because they are separated so far from each other. Thatn´s just useless to do with the “+” and *-“ buttons. Check and judge yourself on the organization of sounds, it is published on page 54 in the owner´s manual.

b) As listed in the section “troubleshooting” of the ownern´s manual: ”The sound of the higher notes suddenly changes from a certain key: On an acoustic piano, the approximately one and a half octaves of notes at the top of the keyboard will continue sounding regardless of the damper pedal. These notes also have a somewhat different tonal character. The unit faithfully simulate this characteristic of acoustic pianos. On the unit, the range that is unaffected by the damper pedal will change according to the key transpose setting.”

The difference in sustain is so extreme, that I contacted the Roland service because I first thought my digital piano would not work correctly. Now I understand that it is not a failure, but a feature. But I still can’t fully accustom myself to this feature: why is it not possible to provide a parameter in the settings which would let me choose if I want this “classic piano” feature simulated, or if I want a “modern” electronic implementation which overcomes this historical limitation in mechanical damping technique? Instruments can improve and do not have to stay stuck in the past. This is why we play pianoforte today and not anymore fortepiano, or?

c) The high tones of the concert grand piano (sound no 1) sound is clearly dominated by the noise which the hammer mechanics produce on an acoustic piano. I almost can’t hear the sound coming from the piano strings, because the hammering is so loudly simulated. You can call this again a feature, but I do not see the point to suffer it, if it would be so beautiful in a digital piano to hide it and just hear the swinging string harmonics. For sure in the past the engineers tried hard to keep this hammering noise as low as possible, but to a certain extend couldn’t do it better. Now we could! Again: why is it not possible to at least provide a parameter in the settings which would let me choose if I want this or not?

d) There is a “Piano-Early” group of sounds. Unfortunately it is only described to expect “early, mellow, or brilliant” sounds of a fortepiano. Would be nice to know which instrument from which year is simulated. And again (see critics mentioned in (A)): why to group here a sound “Dolcechd”, described as “a dream-like sound that can sound like a pinao or harpsichord”? Finally, we find here also a harpsichord layered with the sound one octave higher ”Hpsd8+4”. Did this really exist in history, or is this just a fantasy variation? Such bad organization of the sound banks really annoys and unnecessarily depreciates the otherwise excellent experience with this digital piano.

e) On my system, also some of the organ sounds change significantly in their sound harmonics, from a certain key on. It is so extreme, that playing a scale from the low to the high tones sounds as if you would change the instrument in between. If the central C is called C4, this then happens on G4 and/or on G5, depending on which sound is selected. Again a feature? For the ear for sure a severe failure!

f) Several parameters can’t be saved in the memory and have to be newly adjusted each time you power on the piano again. This are important functions like the MIDI Local ON/OFF setting, the adjustment of the volume of the audio input, or some HP 50x specific functions like the CPdl Fnc and Oct Shft parameters. Also, the last used sound settings are not memorized after powering off and on the equipment. It would be really comfortable to find already activated in the Piano-Grand/Piano-Early/E.Piano/Strings/Other sound groups the last used sound memorized as before switching the system off. This are features, which usually have been implemented on other electronic instruments already 20 years ago. It is disappointing to still not find such simple things on a brand new and costly > 2000 EUR valued equipment.

g) In times that any mobile device like a cell phone or even a cheap MP3 player comes with an elegant and easy to use display (even touch screen) and menu structure for handling its features, it is disappointing to still have nothing comparable on a brand new hitting the market (2012) over 2000 EUR costly electronic device.

h) The volume controller acts much too heavily between the second and fourth scale points. Around scale point three I find all the volume settings between very quietly practicing and already bothering my neighbors. This range is just the interesting one on a digital home piano. Unfortunately it is extremely hard to fine adjust it in this range. Actually I can’t say how it behaves up to the top of the volume scale, scale points 8 or 10? I did not even check where it reaches the end. Anything louder than 4 will for sure make me see my neighbors quickly, but preventing me from this is the reason to have a digital piano and not an acoustic one. Having in the HP 505 the more powerful speaker system, especially more speakers, is really a win to the HP 503, but precise volume adjustment capability in the lower range should still be a serious focus of a digital home piano.

Summary:
If the key touch and feel wouldn’t be so extremely good, and the primary piano sounds wouldn’t be so extremely good, than I could not recommend the HP 505, because all other electronic function is surprisingly not advanced to the state-of-the-art in current electronics. I do not know how Yamaha and Kawai perform in this respect, but from what I saw on the commercials I wouldn’t expect Kawai to be better in this, neither. Maybe Yamaha is?
The HP505 is an excellent digital piano which I really enjoy and would hardly like to exchange for another digital piano – used simply as a piano and not in desire to change any sound within a song or to frequently change sounds from song to song. The high tone´s sound behavior regarding the un-damped sustain and the very loudly implemented hammer noises deserves attention.

Review by Matthew

 

>> For Roland HP505 information, specifications and prices, click here

“I decided for the HP507 because my friend likes hers”

I decided to buy a roland HP507 which has a lot of features and gadgets that are not so essential(according to Graham Howard’s piano buying guide) for a good digital piano BUT I want a piano with the best keyboard and sound one can find on the market today and as my best friend bought a roland HP507 a year ago or so and who is very happy with it (she is a skilled pianist) and I have some money spend,I decided for this one.

Review by Johannes Thiecke, France

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call 020 8367 5107

 

“The whole world seems to love it”

The piano has been delivered two day ago,a Roland HP507-PE.I love it,my wife loves it,my granddaughter loves it,even the neighbours love it…for being so silent.Now one small detail :learn to play it.

Review by Jan Thiecke

 

“I haven’t regretted one split second that I bought this instrument”

Why Roland? I’ve been playing music (rock,jazz,…) for about 35 years now and have been working with Roland products quite a lot. In general I’m really satisfied with those products.Other reason is that a good friend of mine bought a Roland digital piano about a year ago so I already had the occasion to try it out.

Now after one month of being the owner of a HP507 a haven’t regretted one split second that I bought this instrument. It looks fantastic,it sounds for almost 99% like a steinway grand,it feels great. Because I start from zero I found myself a private teacher,someone who is working on his master-degree at the royal conservatory of Brussels,to learn me the basics and also to have an introduction into the classical repertoire by somebody who really knows it well.

Sometimes I go to his place and sometimes he comes to my home so he already had the occasion to play on my piano.Actually it is my teacher who was surprised by the quality of sound and feel of the roland(that it feels and sounds for 99 % like a steinway grand).

At his play he has a yamaha “middle class”,relatively not bad but apparently nothing next to mine.And off course he is used to playing on a real steinway grand at the conservatory so I think that his opnion is quite relevant for evaluation a digital piano.

Well,this is it for the moment,I still have to play and practise for a couple of years for really beeing able to evaluate my instrument but in the meantime I have a lot of fun playing it.

Review by K Johannes Thiecke, France

 

“Well worth the money for the enjoyment it has brought the family”

The Roland HP507 digital piano we purchased was one of the best things we’ve ever done and well worth the money for the enjoyment it has brought the family. My son’s playing has gone from strength to strength since having the piano and he has enjoyed experimenting with the vast range of different sounds. He also worked out how to record his playing before his dad did!

My husband loves having a piano in the house at last and commented on how nice the tone is. He also commented on the lovely touch of the keys, the HP507 is not so removed from those of an upright. He prefers the Pianoforte setting as opposed to the Concert Piano setting, which Alex favours, but there’s a sound for every taste. He has been very impressed at how the quality of digital pianos has improved over the years.

I have always cherished a dream of playing the piano and am also learning to play. Thus, I can say hand on heart that this is a piano suitable for anyone of any age and of any ability. Thank you so much for all your advice and we look forward to many happy years of playing.

Review by Lynne Hallett

 

“It was close, but the Roland HP507 had the edge”

I am an occasional piano player in Hong Kong and own a Roland HP307. I am also a school principal since we all have to earn a living!

For our school, I took 4 – 5 of our best student pianists (grade 8 / Diploma level) to play on Yamaha Clavinova 480 and Roland HP507 in different showrooms, with the view of acquiring several of these for them to practice – we have over a dozen pianists studying music in IB Diploma or Hong Kong Diploma (equivalent to A level), and they all need to practice, record as well as compose, so we must have these digital pianos, simply because of the need to have silence in the school(!) which is achieved by plugging in headphones, and also we need the recording MIDI to USB function, as they must generate exam coursework. Its unusual to have so many music students studying it right up to the top of a secondary school; we are by no means a special music school or anything, just a regular good school. (www.css.edu.hk)

Those students who like the Yamaha commented on the (slightly) better sound in the showroom, and those who like the Roland HP507 commented on the (slightly) better sense of touch. I cannot afford to have two of each, because we could run into logistical problems as soon as one piano is out of action, so I have to take a decision to get 4 of the same. The issue is being settled for me simply because Roland can deliver at the start of this school year and there is a 30 day waiting period for the Yamahas. I would still have probably chosen the Rolands, because touch is more critical than sound.

We also looked at replacing an acoustic baby grand, a 6’1″ Kawai C3 in the school hall. It is too small for the hall but it was all we could afford 6 years ago as a new school; the hall is often damp and the piano has to be moved around often (bad for tuning) and worse of all, it doesn’t get played on very often because the hall is very busy with so many other events going on.

I went last night to a premiere showing of the Roland V grand piano and it seemed to have answered all my prayers. Very rich sound, much better than our Kawai, much cheaper than the equivalent Yamaha N3 (probably better sound as well but I could no do a direct comparison) , never needs tuning and always available for students to practice on once they plug in headphones and draw the stage curtains! While the Yamaha digital grand pianos contain sound sampling from Yamaha’s own range of acoustic grand pianos, the Roland claims to provide sound samplings from Steinway grand pianos. I do not have such a refined ear to be able to tell the difference quite honestly, but it does make sense that Roland has teamed up with Steinway since the two brands do not have overlapping products.

We all gave the thumbs down to the hybrid silent pianos – acoustic uprights with a function added to mute the sound and convert to digital. They may be very convenient for parents with awkward neighbours who complain about piano noise, but they seem to take a little something away from the touch/sensation of playing on an acoustic upright piano – probably the depth/travel of the keys, which is slightly shortened for some technical reason. They offer the player nothing much really in our view, and of course cost more than a purely digital piano or a purely acoustic piano.

Once our students get their hands on the Roland HP507s and the Roland V grand piano, I may have more to reflect on. As far as maintenance and care of these machines are concerned, and the more technical aspects of their performance I will refer your publication to the head of music and her students.

Thanks once again,

Review by Siu Ming, Hong Kong

 

>> For Roland HP507 information, specifications and prices, click here

“The FP4 has a nice, firm key touch”

We looked at Yamaha, Casio Priva & Roland and tried each in London (Chappels & Harrods) & locally at KeySound (Leicester). Yamaha sounded tinny, Casio was good and Roland FP4 very nice. Decided to push the boat out and go for the most expensive.

The FP4 has a nice, firm key touch which seems ideal for 2 young boys just starting to learn piano. In white it can fit in anywhere in the house.

So far after about 3 weeks we’re very pleased with our choice.

Review by Bob

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call 020 8367 5107

 

“The action was not entirely Piano like as it was quite light”

When I tried the Roland FP4 I was so relieved.  The action was not entirely Piano like as it was quite light, but very pleasant to use. The sensitivity for hard to soft was not like a Piano but was still enough for some expression and was fun to use. (I only tried for 10 mins while the Yamaha P155 was being brought in from the warehouse).  I can see why people like Roland keyboards.

Review by John Taylor

 

>> For Roland FP4 information, specifications and prices, click here

“One feature that I’ve used really stands out already, and that’s the ‘Session Partner’.”

Hi Graham,

I got a Roland FP7 through my local Professional Music Technology store  –  I’ve bought a lot of stuff from them in the past and would have felt very disloyal going anywhere else.  I haven’t had a great deal of time to get to know it yet, but one feature that I’ve used really stands out already, and that’s the “Session Partner”.  The way the display shows what chord is playing, what chord is going to come next, and highlights the next chord a beat before the change seems a really well thought-out idea, enabling you to improvise much more securely till you get used to the pattern aurally.

This was one of the pianos you rated.  Thanks very much indeed for all your comments and advice  –  much appreciated.

Review by Stephen Dunstone, UK

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call 020 8367 5107

 

“The FP7 is simpler for those not involved in complicated stage work and recording”

I was able to spend two hours in a Roland Planet where there was a really helpful demonstrator on hand and to compare it with the other options both Roland and Yamaha (and a couple of others). Definitely the FP7 is simpler for those not involved in complicated stage work and recording and who basically want the best portable options on top of feel and sound quality.

It is amazing but I hear that a slightly more updated model is around the corner and that is possibly why they wanted to clear their stock. The internal amps are very good indeed and although I bought an amp for playing at larger venues, I will be surprised if it will be needed for many!

The instruction booklet is very well done for those who are inexperienced or non-technical and well worth working though slowly. The realism of the various sounds is incredible, especially the double base accompaniments.

Review by Paul Hewitt, Edinburgh, Scotland

 

“The keys weren’t as noisy as some”

The main reasons I bought a Roland FP7 were the feel of the keys with the graded hammer action and they weren’t as noisy as some with the volume turned down, a tip I picked up from Graham Howard of ukpianos.co.uk, it has avery good sound and the added advantage of being able to plug in an audio system and play along with my favourite tracks.

I bought an ex demonstration model and managed to get nearly £400 off the retail price.

Another reason for chosing the roland was the size originally I was thinking of getting the Yamaha Arius but the cabinet was too big for my room and the Roland fits perfectly

Review by David Gear, Eastbourne

 

“The feel of the keyboard is the best part of this piano”

It has the so called “escapement” keybed- I know from your article that you
consider this un-necessary and its hardly appropriate to have an escapement
mechanism on a non mechanical piano- but if you press a key very gently you
do feel the slight bump sensation as if the escapement has dis-engaged. It
does add realism to the touch although I’m not sure if its worth the extra
money.

The keys are nice as they are replica ivory so have a dull surface and from
the side they look like wood- but it is just wood coloured plastic- a Roland
illusion !

The feel of the keyboard is the best part of this piano. It is loaded with
various features I do not really need like auto accompaniments for jamming,
and a vocal harmoniser if you wish to plug in a microphone- again –
irrelevant to myself- so how did the FP7F get on my shortlist?- well it has
the new Roland Supernatural sound- which is the computer modelling to fill
in the gaps between the 4 layer samples. Thats why I tried it out.It may
sound better with external amplification as some pianos sound different when
you can stand back from the sound rather than hear it close up.

After playing it for 2 hours- I just did not think that it sounded good
enough,a very nice piano sound and superb action but it did not give me “The
Thrill” of playing a Grand Piano. So thats why I walked out of the shop
without it.

Review by David Spencer

 

>> For Roland FP7 information, specifications and prices, click here

“It lacks the authentic feel, an experienced pianist would probably turn up their nose at it”

I purchased my Roland F110 piano from Nevada Music in Portsmouth. This was based upon your recommendation, and a few other points listed below. I wanted the white version of the piano, and this store was about the only one left in the uk who had them in stock. Roland have a large back order, and most places were not expecting stock until the end of january / middle of February.

I was eventually comparing the Korg LP350 and the Roland F110 (both in white to match the decor of my house).

The reasons I decided on the Roland are:

Larger range of voices

Higher Polyphony

Line in (I have a Boss 16 track recording unit with drums, guitar and vocal effects built into it, I can plug this directly into the Piano and use the speakers of the piano for everything…much neater)

Some nice features:

3d spatial sound makes the grand piano sound increadible….it lacks depth without it. Unfortunately this cannot be set to default, but as soon as you learn the menu system it’s easy enough to set.

Keyboard split and several tracks for recording is useful.

Bad features:

Although the keyboard is ok, compared to the next model up DP900, it lacks the authentic feel.

Menu system is annoying, its based up pressing several buttons together, a better display on the unit would really simplify things.

Overall:

Great fun piano for learning on.  An experienced pianist would probably turn up their nose at it, but for someone to learn on it great.  Aesthitically I wanted a white piano, so my choices were limited.  If I wanted a black piano, I would strongly recommend spending a little more and going for the DP990 (or whatever the model number is…look it up if you want to post this).  They keyboard on it is fantastic, and has 3 sensitivity levels to get some really clever effects on some voices.

Review by Adrian Barfield

 

“I live in a flat the compact F110 was an ideal option”

Dear Graham,

Thank you for your very helpful book and support you provide on this area.

I am very happy with my Roland F110. The piano is for myself. This piano suits the requirements I had (good touch and sound) and I prefer the sound of a Roland to that of Yamahas – I simply just fell in love with the more crispy tone. As I live in a flat the compact F110 was an ideal option.

Also, unlike some of Yamaha’s digital piano’s in the same price range – it had decent speakers included (2x12W). However, I ended up spending more than I had expected when I started to look into the possible options – I guess I felt that in the long run, the extra amount was worth it in the long run.

Also, for me the look and the feel is also important, so I cannot help the urge to play.

Review by Annette, Copenhagen, Denmark

 

“This piano has given me much joy already in just a few weeks!”

After Graham Howard’s stellar advice, I bought a Roland F110. Here are my two cent’s:

I am simply delighted with my Roland F110! Size was a big concern for me, because I live in a small, crowded appartment. And it may only be a few inches smaller (depth-wise) than most digital pianos, but it really makes a difference. It doesn’t overpower the room, so to speak. I do not have the knowledge or experience to compare it to other digital piano’s. I can really only compare it to the old, upright (acoustic) piano that my family still owns and which is badly in need of tuning… I played as a child, and haven’t played in 30-odd years, so I am no piano expert, digital or otherwise. But in the store I liked the Roland’s sound better than a Yamaha model which was a similar price. I´ve had it for a few weeks now, and I love playing it. The keyboard touch feels real and weighted enough for me. The first day I played around some with the different voices (strings, choir, drums, etc), but now I really only play the regular piano sound. I play with good quality in-ear headphones, to keep my neighbours happy (and my ears burn when I use circum/supra-aural headphones). And the sound quality is good enough for me. This may not be the piano for very experienced players or people who play for an audience, but I play for my personal enjoyment and this piano has given me much joy already in just a few weeks!

Review by Anne Beckers, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

 

“It fits the bill for me”

After some research based on Graham’s Buyer’s Guide, of course, I found a white Roland F-110
at sale price as it had ben on display and has been replaced by the F-120. It fits the bill
for me of being a bit more than just a digital piano with a good number of options and
facilities and yet not overwhelming.

I’m mostly playing classical at the moment but want the option of branching out later.
I also like that it takes up minimal space and is less chunky than some that look just like
new pianos. I was surprised to find that I like the sound better than the Yamaha or Korg
that I was looking at.

Review by Gina Lawrie, Farnham, UK

 

>> For Roland F110 information, specifications and prices, click here

“The sounds are great”

I have always been a fan of Roland. I love the sound of their basic piano sound and the touch on the keyboard. I bought this piano for the worship band at church. It needed to be in a budget around a 1000 pounds.

After careful considerations and research, we choose this model against the yamaha CP33. I am very pleased with it: it is a full stage digital piano but it is very light and easy to transport. The sounds are great and we were immediately able to use his main functions without reading the manual. It also looks modern and has everything we needed without costing a fortune.

Review by Rachel Lee, London, UK

“Overall, it is a very inspiring instrument and I’m very happy I have it”

The sound is amazing, as I dont have an amplifier yet, I use my Koss
headphones and the sound coming through that is like a real piano, no doubt
with fantastic bass tone colour. The only thing is that if you hold a chord
for a longer time, then the sound later gets unreal, quite chemical.

The touch is very nice as well, its a definite non slippery surface,
which must be nice for people with sweaty hands. I think I need to get used
to it a bit, but great!

What I’m really missing (or maybe it’s there but I haven’t found it yet) is
a simple record button that would give me an immediate control of my
performance. I know I can record through MIDI sequencer (which I don’t have)
or through digital recorder (don’t have either…not yet). My old Roland
digital piano (I think it was HP135) that I bought in 1997 has this button
and somehow automatically I thought that this one would have it too.

I love the fact that I can play MP3 formats from my USB hard drive, play
along with that, slow it down (could have been more than 25% but that will
have to do :-), something I will definitely use for better understanding of
quick solos.

There is plenty of features that I will most probably never use but that is
determined by the type of music I do.

On the downside, I’m missing a simple sheet music stand. I know that it is a
stage piano and you don’t normally use sheet music on the stage, but it is
made for other purposes than just stage performance… like rehearsals, home
study etc. when you need to have music or notes in front of you. It wouldn’t
be that difficult for Roland engineers to make 2 holes at the back where a
simple one bent bar holder can be pushed in for an occasional use.

Overall, it is a very inspiring instrument and I’m very happy I have it
(although I had to spend 600 GBP more on it here in South Africa than in the UK

Review by Hana Rowe, South Africa

 

“I was simply amazed by the keyboard touch”

I purchased a Roland RD-700GXF from J&R Music in NYC. I am delighted. Graham Howard’s positive comments on the 700GX at UKPianos got my interest in the instrument going. From there, a friend of a friend – a student at the The Berkeley School of Music in Boston – let me spend time with his Roland 700GX. I liked the sound (on headphones) right away and was simply amazed by the keyboard touch. I started playing acoustic pianos when I was a child. Decades later, I’ve rarely played anything else. I’ve owned and used everything from barely functioning, cheap spinets to Steinway grands, but never a digital.

Now a combination of space and cost pushed me toward a digital piano. I first heard a Roland at a Jazz club and was struck by the sound quality (I believe it was a Roland V-piano). Yet I assumed that an instrument of that sort
(plus the amplifier, stand, etc) was out of my price range, and that anything much cheaper would sound and feel,
well, cheap. I first looked at the Yamaha and Roland home pianos. However the cost and the size were problems.

Then, based on Graham’s comments, I started looking into the digital stage pianos and found both problems solved. In addition, through musician friends, I was able to pick up the rest of the gear cheaply. I like the fact that the 700GX is “expandable.” Indeed, my RD-700GXF is already “expanded” with the “SuperNatural” piano sounds from Roland. I am slowly learning all of the instrument’s many other possibilities. This will take both time and help. One possibility I enjoy is the “pipe organ” tone. It is rather good. I am regularly drafted to be a “fill-in” church musician. I am an “OK” pianist and very poor organist (never got the pedal board down). Yet having the Roland organ sound helps me to work on fingering and phrasing (though I have to fight the urge to use the damper pedal!

Review by Bob Power, New York

“The keys were OK to start with then I noticed wear on the white keys”

I eventually purchased an RD700GX and have some observations.

The sound quality is first class through the headphones. I am using my
Tyros Amp and don’t find the sound is as good as through the phones so
am still unsure about which amp/speakers I should purchase that will
reproduce the sound quality of the headphones

The keys were OK to start with then I noticed wear on the white keys,
the so called Ivory Feel keys. After 4 months I contacted Roland and
explained the problem. They collected the instrument, replaced the
keys returned it within a week and its been OK since but time will
tell.

Review by David Hoyle

 

“Solution is to move piano to ideal position”

Here is small note for David Hoyle review. I experienced the same sound quality doubt. Problem is not inside Roland (or any other stage digital piano) neither in sound system (good one). Problem is that you are very likely listening sound from your instrument in different position then your speakers are designed to be listened. Put your speakers 1 – 2 metres in front of you to the same height as your head is. Do it during day with volume quite high. (Piano is not silent instrument) You will be amazed with sound improvement

Explanation: Majority of us is using this instrument (or other digital stage pianos) in our houses because we do not have space for bigger instrument, but we would like to have the best possible sound. We have at home decent sound systems which sounds great for our cd/dvd collection and we connect our machine to it. Problem is that we are listening our cds in sofas with sound system in ideal position (triangel) but piano is in corner or next to wall and we are often playing it at evening with volume down Solution is to move piano to ideal position, to buy second set of speakers and put them to ideal position for piano player or finaly, piano player is using headphones and listeners are listening from sofa. Caution – do not forget to switch off your sound system at midnight when you are playing and using your headphones. Neighbours takes it funny only first time.

Review by Daniel Vandansk