Roland FP-7 Portable Digital Piano
Roland FP-7 Stage/Digital Piano
Roland is a leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of musical instruments including pianos, keyboards and synthesisers, electronic percussion kits, guitar products, digital recording equipment and several other music related accessories. In the following review, we will have a detailed look at Roland’s FP-7 Stage Digital Piano. Continuing with the FP series, the FP-7 and FP4 are the latest in the digital pianos to come from Roland Keyboards. The FP-7 has been released as a result of the success of previous models.
What can you expect in FP-7?
The FP series of digital pianos from Roland has something for everybody from the professional stage performers to the recreational music lovers; as they come complete with a Session Partner, USB connectivity and true to life grand pianos. The FP-7 is a great stage piano that services the needs of the high end stage piano market. Equipped with loads of sounds and features, this piano is simply perfect for solo piano, ensemble and band work. This FP-7 Portable piano keyboard is a great hit in the piano market with its excellent hammer action, making it must have for the pianists seeking the realistic feel for their stage piano performance. In the following review, you will find detailed notes on all the features of this master piece.
Coveting design:
With the slim sleek and portable design, the FP-7 can be practically placed in any environment. Roland has given it a very elegant black finishing, that will simply decorate any room that it is placed in, making it a perfect solution for elegance unit house dwellers or in any house where space is at premium. This sleek package features a black deck with a silver button trim. Although the sparse number of controls gives the piano a “very simple keyboard” like appearance, do not be fooled, because under the skin lies a fairly complex and comprehensive system of controls.
The large LCD display in the keyboard makes operations very easy and interesting too. You will be able to adjust the virtual degree of the grand piano lid and also includes the Duplex Scale system and User micro tuning. Overall, the piano feels very solid and well constructed much like its predecessors, but weighs about 80pounds which unfortunately makes it a little difficult to be grounded.
88-key Multi-sampled Piano Sound Engine:
This Roand FP7 piano keyboard sports a brilliant 88-key multi-sampled piano sound engine of Roland. Each of those 88 keys painstakingly reproduces every key of a concert grand piano. The piano keyboard has 128 voice polyphony ensures that your note sustains fully and naturally regardless of how fast or densely you are playing.
USB interface:
With the USB standard interface included, you can connect the FP-7 Digital Piano to a PC or Mac and make use of it as a source for sequencing or even as a high quality controller. You can also plug in a memory stick and load .WAV and standard MIDI files for an instant playback. This feature enhances the creative repertoire of the artists.
Excellent acoustic features:
The built-in speaker system delivers rich, blasting sound. With such good speakers employed, you will not need any additional speakers or amplifiers to be connected. The vibrant output from these speakers fill fin in both small and large spaces. Roland has also offered two headphone jacks, which will be great for duets and late night practice sessions. The Roland FP-7 MIDI keyboard features a graded hammer key action which is responsive to the lightest touch.
Features:
As we had mentioned in the introduction, the Roland FP-7 Stage Digital Piano comes with heaps of features. They include a set of very powerful built-in speaker box units, intuitive controls, graphic LCD that displays lyrics to give you the fun of sing along and also has the latest AudioKey feature that makes the playback of audio directly from USB memory a very simple task.
The Progressive Hammer Action II Technology:
Roland has employed the PHA II (Progressive Hammer Action II) technology in the FP-7 keyboard. This technology provides a keyboard that responds naturally from pianissimo to fortissimo with a touch that can be adjusted in hundred incremental steps. With the help of this technology, some intricate details of a real piano, like hammer, damper and string noise and off-key resonance, have been captured inside the FP-7. Hence, the player can enjoy an authentic piano playing experience with the sound and touch reacting naturally and dynamically.
Session Partner Technology:
If you are one among those pianists who would love to create instant auto accompaniments, you are in great luck as the FP-7 88-key digital Piano features the Session Partner technology of Roland, which is complete with a variety of music styles. The music styles include a wide selection of rhythm and accompaniment patterns that include ballads, jazz, Latin and 12 new styles. Pianists will be able to choose from a large variety of chord progressions or have the accompaniment follow the left hand. With such a huge collection, the FP-7 fits the bill for any kind of music occasions.
Extraordinary library:
In addition to the grand piano sound, you will also find dozens of other great instrumental sounds built into the FP-7. At the initial start-up, you will find that the sound bank is organised according to the instrument type. The keyboard basically features seven instrument banks which include Piano, Electric piano strings and the usual assortment of instruments complete with two sets of organ sound. A lot of digital effects are also offered, including a four band digital equalizer in order to customise the sounds to your preference.
The Cakewalk SONAR LE software in FP-7:
Roland has also offered the Cakewalk SONAR LE software that aids you with recording and editing. This software is based on the core features of Cakewalk’s award winning SONAR. The key features include high quality multi-track audio recording up to 24-bit/192 kHz with 32-bit floating point internal processing, high resolution MIDI sequencing with support for virtual instruments, and mixing with professional effects. SONAR LE also makes it easy to create backing tracks with integrated audio looping tools.
Package:
The Roland FP-7 Stage/Digital Piano package includes Owner’s Manual, Audio Key Utility Quick Guide, CD-ROM (Audio Key Utility), Information about SONAR LE, CD-ROM, AC Adaptor, Power Cord, Music Rest, two screws for the Music Rest and DP8 Pedal.
Accessories:
You might also be interested in the Holder DH-1 which is an optional mounting bracket for attaching the commercial CD drives. You will also find the KSC 44 BK Roland Wooden Keyboard stand for FP-7. These two accessories are sold separately and are not included in the package. You will find a sustain pedal in the package.
Warranty:
Roland offers FP-7 three years limited warranty for parts and labour, this is in fact, a very good deal.
Verdict:
The Roland FP-7 Portable Digital Piano Keyboard is equipped with great sounds and intelligent features that can make you sound like a solo concert pianist or an entire ensemble. This piano is your ultimate ticket to dynamic and exciting musical universe. If you feel that the FP-7 seems to be a bit too expensive for you, then the very next option to look for is the FP-4, which is a more affordable and streamlined version of its expensive sibling. This model features the same authentic piano sound and stylish body as FP-7.
Read M-Audio Piano Keyboard Reviews, Casio Piano Keyboard Reviews in this website.
Roland FP-7 Digital Piano - Technical Specification Table
| Manufacturer | Roland |
| Model Name | Roland FP-7 Digital Portable Piano |
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 949 x 1346 x 396 mm |
| Weight | 36.1 Kg |
| Keyboard | 88 keys PHA II keyboard |
| Touch Sensitivity | 100 levels, Off (velocity adjustable) |
| Display | Backlit Graphic LCD 128 x 64 dots |
| Polyphony | 128 voices |
| Tones | 339 tones (include 6 Tone Wheel Organ) + 9 Drums Sets |
| Digital effects | Reverb, Digital Effect (62 types), Sound Control (3 types), 4-band Digital Equalizer |
| Tracks | Three |
| Demo Songs | One |
| Session partner | Rhythm: 80 types x 2 variations, Chord Progression: Automatic or input with keyboard |
| Adjustable volume | Yes |
| Recorder functions | Real-time Recording, Playback |
| Recorder capacity | Approx. 30000 notes |
| Recorder Tempo | Quarter note = 10 to 500 |
| Recorder resolution | 120 ticks per |
| Recording media | To Internal Memory: 28 x MAX. 25 sets To USB Memory: 28 x MAX. 99 sets |
| Pedals | Damper and Sostenuto |
| Computer Interface | Yes |
| Computer Interface Type | USB |
| Playback and Save | Media: USB Memory, Playback file: SMF format (0/1), Audio File ( WAV format, 44.1 kHz, 16 bit linear), Save format: SMF format (0), Registration set |
| Audio Connections | Mix In Jack: Stereo miniature phone type, Headphone Jack x 2: Stereo 1/ 4 inch phone type |
| Speaker Type | 8 cm x 12cm x 2 with Speaker Box |
| MIDI | Yes |
| Connectivity | External Memory Connector Output Jacks (L/Mono, R): 1/4 inch phone type Input Jacks (L/Mono, R): 1/ 4 inch phone type Mix In Jack: Stereo miniature phone type Headphone Jack x 2: Stereo 1/ 4 inch phone type USB (MIDI) Connector MIDI Connectors (In, Out) Pedal Jacks DC In Jack |
| Power | DC 12 V (AC Adaptor) |
| Package | Roland FP-7 Stage Digital Keyboard, Owner’s Manual, Audio Key Utility Quick Guide, CD-ROM (Audio Key Utility), Information about SONAR LE, CD-ROM, AC Adaptor, Power Cord, Music Rest, two screws for the Music Rest and DP8 Pedal |
| Warranty | One year |
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