Roland FP-30X 88 Key Digital Piano

Description

• A superb rich and responsive tone – famous ‘SuperNATURAL’ sound engine
• ***Free online piano lessons with Skoove are included***
• 88-note PHA-4 keyboard – authentic piano touch for amazing expression
• Powerful amplifier and stereo speakers deliver an impressive sound – level: 102 dB
• Headphones connection and quiet keyboard action – quiet practice function
• Portable compact and lightweight body to easily transport around the home, school or band practise
• Built-in Bluetooth wireless connectivity – connects to smartphone or tablet with apps such as Piascore, GarageBand, and much more 
• Roland’s unique ‘Piano Partner 2 app’ makes it easier to select sounds, metronome, enhance performances using rhythm accompaniments
• Dual/split modes
• Wide selection of non-piano sounds like organ, strings, voices, drums, and much more
• Optional matching stand and three-pedal unit 

Roland Fp-30 88 key digital piano review

Today we are going to look at the Roland FP-30 which falls into the category of a ‘Digital Piano’. This is because of the weighted key action and a total of 88 keys – just like a real piano. I’ve always loved the rich tone you get with a Roland. Although to the untrained ear most digital pianos sound the same – as an experienced pianists and product reviewer I can always tell when I’m playing a Roland. The sound, the touch and the feel are unique and the Roland separates itself from all other popular makes. But is that a good thing? Read on to find out!

Sound

If you have owned a digital piano in the past you will have realised how the technology implemented in these amazing instruments has improved. If you go back 15-20 years there was still a very good reason to buy a digital piano. But in all fairness you’d still likely get a better authentic sound from a real acoustic piano. Of course, the debate concerning acoustic vs digital will probably go on for many years, but I can put my neck on the line now and say that digital pianos are the real deal.

There are lots of reasons to buy both, and if you want to know my thoughts on this subject then head over to Should I buy a digital or an acoustic piano? to find out more. So moving on to the sound of the Roland FP-30 Digital Piano I can honestly say I am blown away. You are of course buying this digital piano primarily for it’s piano sound – so let’s start there!

The main grand piano sound is authentic, deep, rich, and has a very pleasing tone. There are also lots of other sounds you can play on this versatile piano, like organ, strings and electric piano – but the true test of a digital piano always comes down to that main ‘grand piano’ sound. Of course, you are never going to replicate the sound from an actual real acoustic grand piano as they can cost as much as a house. But that doesn’t mean to say you wouldn’t be impressed by the efforts of the Roland FP-30 Digital Piano – because I was!

To check out how this piano sounds, including some of the other available sounds and functions – here’s a great demo below!

Touch and feel

After sound, the second most important feature you should review on a digital piano is how it feels to play. The touch and feel of a piano will have a direct affect on your practise and how well you can perform and learn. Having played some very expensive digital and acoustic pianos over the years, I always love how different each model feels. I often compare pianos to cars, because they have all the same parts like the steering wheel and pedals – but no model drives the same as the other!

The Roland FP-30 Digital Piano feels and plays like a Roland – which is a good thing. Roland have always had their own unique sound and feel which I’ve liked from the start. This modern digital piano has a great action, and even an advanced player would enjoy playing difficult classical pieces and have no problems whatsoever. But when most buyers of this piano and digital pianos in general are beginner to intermediate players, there’s more than enough quality to the touch and feel of this piano to suffice for all levels.

Not only does the Roland FP-30 Digital Piano feel great to play, it also has the standard features you’d expect like touch response. So for those of you that are just starting out on your piano adventures, you can rest assured that this piano has the full 88 weighted keys with touch response that you would require and expect if you want a real piano feel and authenticity.

Features

After speaking to many people over the years that own a digital piano, I am always surprised to hear how little they play around with the features available. Obviously it makes sense that the piano sound is used 99% of the time, because that’s what this Roland FP-30 Digital Piano is all about. But there are a ton of features you often find on digital pianos. They are definitely worth exploring to enhance your experience.

This piano has around 35 additional sounds, like organs, strings, electric pianos – and much more. I like nothing better than testing out these features. My favourite is always the electric piano so I can get my Ray Charles on! There are also additional piano sounds, so you don’t just get the standard grand piano sound you’d expect. You will also find softer piano tones as well as a rocky piano sound, which is much brighter and suits the rock ‘n’ roll and blues/boogie woogie style of piano. The softer piano tones are perfectly suited to a softer approach to playing – like ballads.

Another great feature on the Roland FP-30 is the ability to layer two sounds. For example, you can combine the piano and strings to get a fantastic orchestral and ‘movie’ like playing style. You can also split the piano in two and have an organ sound playing in the bottom half, and a piano sound for the top half. You can of course mix this up and choose whatever sounds you like!

Stand-out features

The piano has USB connection so you can plug a USB drive to the piano and play midi files. Or you can connect a PC or laptop directly to the piano to use with programs and apps – recording and experimentation at its best. But the stand out feature for me of this piano is the Bluetooth connectivity. So you can connect the Roland FP-30 to an iPad or smartphone and use amazing apps like Piascore and GarageBand.

Price and summary

The problem with reviewing the price is that they can often change from week to week through sales and promotion. But at the time of writing this review the Roland FP-30 is around £480. This puts the price point around the middle of the range when it comes to buying a digital piano. Sure, you can buy a digital piano for less than that. So depending on your budget I would certainly recommend this piano for both a beginner and advanced player.

Most people that are looking to buy their first digital piano are amazed by how little they have to spend. A brand new acoustic is typically at least £1,500 to get you started. Which is why £480 is an absolute bargain. There are so many benefits to owning a digital piano over an acoustic, and the price is probably the most attractive selling point. You don’t have to tune a digital piano either, which would save you around £100-200 per year. You could buy a digital piano every two years for the cost of tuning alone!

If you are very interested in buying this piano, then I can confidently say that you wouldn’t be disappointed. Take the plunge and never look back!