Are Roland keyboards worth what they cost? In the following article we will dedicate ourselves to answering this question, providing you with all the information you need to draw your own conclusions.
The company Roland is famous for creating high quality digital pianos that users love. The company was founded in Osaka, Japan, in 1972. Since then they have been dedicated to launching from digital pianos to synthesizers and other types of electronic instruments. They have up to a full line of digital percussion.
In this article we will determine the bad and good things of the 10 best Roland digital keyboards. We hope this information is more than enough to help you make your decision to purchase the Roland digital piano that best suits you.
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Roland JUNO-DS88
Among the things that can be said in favor of this digital piano, is that it has many sounds. It has all the functions and features that the modern musician needs, and its controls are very easy to use. The keys are weighted and give you the feeling that you are playing a real piano, and it gives you many facilities to mix and record your music.
Some of the things we don’t like so much are, that many times its sound leaves much to be desired in terms of similarity to the actual sound of an acoustic piano, and has no option for an arpeggiator.
Roland F-140R-CB
This digital keyboard includes some very good built-in speakers, a stand and a pedal. It brings various different rhythms that you can use when playing, as well 305 ringtones, audiphones with 3D ambience capability, and wireless bluetooth connectivity.
Roland’s F-140R-CB is the traditional digital piano, it is quite small and compact, made for mobility and installation in small places. Its black color makes it very attractive. It is also very light, this is a great advantage.
But this digital piano is not only look and portability, it also presents a very decent sound, with up to 75 different rhythm styles.
The 3D ambient function when using the hearing aids greatly improves the sound quality and gives you an amazing experience.
It emulates the sound of an acoustic piano with excellent quality, and you can connect it to your laptop or tablet. Despite that, it’s not very comfortable to travel with, and they can’t use layered tracks.
Roland RD-2000
This digital piano has 88 keys, has 1100 different tones and seven connectors.
The RD-2000 is a piano specially designed for the stages. It includes a large number of slides, knobs and many features that will make it easier for professional pianists to play. That said, this is not a keyboard recommended for beginner or amateur pianists. However, if you already have a certain level of experience and want to try a stage piano, this may be the right choice for you.
To produce better sound, it features two independent sound engines plus a modern function controller. Customize the sound of your RD-2000 however you want. In addition, you have the option to assign different zones and set layers.
Finally, this digital keyboard has 128 polyphony voices, and many additional sounds. You’ll always have just the sound you want with the RD-2000. Unfortunately, this instrument does not have Bluetooth functionality, so you won’t be able to download music or connect it to your Smartphone.
Roland V-PIANOC
This digital piano comes with 88 keys, CD-ROM editor, USB and MIDI connectivity, four built-in pianos, and a steel stand. It has analog digital outputs, and PHA-III keys that emulate the feeling of ebony in the fingers as if it were an acoustic piano. Choose from 4 different pianos. This instrument is really versatile.
It’s the perfect mix between domestic and stage piano. It is quite customizable and has multiple options to connect it. Unfortunately does not bring Bluetooth support.
Roland A-88
This 88-key digital piano has 2-pedal connectivity, layer functions, multiple knobs and switches, as well as octave and transpose buttons. The keys are equipped with Graded Hammer Action, make you feel like they are real. In addition, the A-88 comes with a MIDI controller. The pedals you can connect to it are for sustain and expression, although these are sold separately. The octave and transpose functionality make playing complicated songs much easier.
However, this is not Roland’s most advanced digital keyboard. It brings features that make the musician’s life more practical, but it could be better. It can be used by beginners, intermediates or advanced.
The controls are easy to use, and very intuitive for beginners. It has full USB and iOS connectivity. And its design is slim and elegant. The bad thing is that it has no stand, pedal or bench. It’s also not very practical for travel.
Roland VR-09 C-Combo Organ
This fabulous Roland digital piano has a built-in looper, sliders and knobs. As well as three blocks of tones, seven simultaneous effects, and one percussion section. This model is especially oriented to its use in scenarios. It has controls to adjust the sound in real time, so you can change the effects and sounds to surprise the audience on stage. You can also select synth effects. This is a Roland piano designed for professionals.
The Organ VR-09 V-Combo Organ comes with different synth sounds and effects. You can use up to seven different sound layers at the same time. You can select and use multiple beats and sounds at the same time, as if you were just a band.
Among the things we love most about this digital piano is that it is aimed at professionals and concert pianists. Its LCD screen is good resolution and quite easy to read. The user will have a lot of control over the sound it produces, and also has at their disposal multiple voices of different instruments. Finally, you can save your favorite settings. The bad news is that it can be a little tricky for the newbies. Also, surprisingly, your keys don’t have the Weighted Hammer Action. He doesn’t even have built-in horns.
Roland JUNO-DS61
This 61-key digital piano is excellent for beginners and apprentices as well as synth enthusiasts. This is not a very advanced keyboard. You can import the samples, connecta microphone. You also have three different effects, and a pattern sequencer.
Something highlighting about this keyboard are its synth functions that are quite good, and make this more than just a small keyboard. Includes multiple instrument sounds, including organs, acoustic pianos and others. You can download new sound waves for free from the Roland’s Axial website.
As an extra feature, the 8-track sequencer allows you to record and create loops to build your custom song and exploit your creativity. For a small keyboard, the JUNO DS61 comes with pretty good features.
The JUNO DS61 is compact and lightweight, making it easy to move and travel with. In addition, it works with batteries and does not need extra add-ons to work properly. You can download music to play, and it has unique vocal effects. The bad thing: it has no built-in speakers, it is very small and does not provide all the notes that a normal piano has.
Roland FP-10-BK
This digital piano comes with 88 keys, music rest, AC adapter and a pedal switch. It is another of Roland’s models very suitable for beginners. Its excellent SuperNATURAL audio engine makes it sound very similar to that of an acoustic piano. It has Graded Hammer Action keys that give you a sense of realism when you let your fingers pose on its keys. In addition, this keyboard is quite compact and allows you to place it anywhere. It also has some very decent speakers with which you won’t need to buy others separately.
It has full compatibility with USB and MIDI devices, so you can produce the music you want using your computer. You can easily select extra sounds with the Partner 2 App, as well as set up a metronome and many other features.
The bad thing about this digital piano is that it doesn’t bring very complex features that tend to give it a more professional use, besides, sometimes the sound is something synthetic.
Roland FP-80
Here we have a compact instrument, ideal for the traveling musician. With a simple design and very easy to access, it also presents great sound thanks to its SuperNATURAL audio engine that gives it an acoustic piano feel, and realistic key feel.
There are many other accessories with which this instrument is compatible, such as the DP-10 pedals and the KSC-76 stand, although they are sold separately. With a total of 88 keys, it has 90 different rhythm types and harmony effect.
It has built-in speakers that give a great sound thanks to Acoustic Projection technology. You can also play using hearing aids. The downside is that it may be very big for some users, and it doesn’t come with many additional features.
Roland RP102
This 88-key digital piano features a compact design that fits anywhere. It is also very ideal for beginners and apprentices, and provides a sound that embeds the sound of an acoustic piano very well. With up to 200 built-in songs, you can also connect 3 additional pedals to it. As well as full compatibility with App Partner 2. In addition, the wonderful SuperNATURAL Audio engine guarantees you a powerful and impeccable sound. It also has lessons for beginners. This digital piano is automatically tuned, although you can set the tones. Get a piano of good design and quality at a fairly reasonable price.
The downside of this instrument is that it is not very practical to move it, nor to travel with it.
Most of the keyboards we have described in this list are 88 keys, although they vary in size. A full-size piano is not usually necessary for beginners, however, it is the best way to learn as it prepares the student to take the next step and play an acoustic piano.
Another important feature to take into account is the feel of the keys on the user. Most of Roland’s digital pianos feature hammer action technology to give the feel of an acoustic piano. But not only that, to provide that same feeling, Roland also incorporates fabulous audio engines that produce or sound very powerful and similar to those of a real acoustic instrument.
Although Roland keyboards generally have a very good sound, some of them are not very good at mimicking the sound of an acoustic piano. If your real goal is to play an acoustic piano you should reconsider which keyboard you are about to acquire.
On the other hand, Roland also features digital keyboards that play a rather original and good quality synth sound. If you are a musician looking for these kinds of sounds, Roland puts at your disposal quite versatile instruments.
Finally, another feature that might be important is Bluetooth connectivity. Most Roland keyboards have this feature, which allow you to download your own songs to your digital piano. To increase the number of songs available to play, look for a Roland digital keyboard with Bluetooth functionality.
In conclusion, we can agree that Roland has an incredible reputation when it comes to digital pianos. This company has a fairly long history, which gives them a great experience. When you buy a Roland instrument you know you’re buying durability, quality, and amazing sound.
