NAMM: Roland's New RD Pianos

US Full of sound with a progressive hammer action 19/01/05

Two new stage heavyweights

Buying Choices

Affilliate Links help support the site

The last time we saw some progressive Hammer action was in the video for 'U Can't Touch This'. But we digress. Here's the story... The Roland RD pianos have always been popular for live work, certainly a lot easier for the crew than the real thing. The sound has been favoured by many well known gigging pianists. The RD-700SX and RD-300SX digital pianos are driven by Roland’s most powerful audio processing engines, enabling high quality sound and expressive performance. With pristine concert grand piano waveforms at their core, the RD-SX is a new breed of stage piano. The flagship RD-700SX contains two complete 88-note individually sampled grand pianos, plus a suite of electric pianos, virtual tonewheel organs, strings, as well as an entire GM2 sound set. In all, there are 474 internal tones and 14 rhythm sets onboard, which can be expanded further by adding two optional Roland SRX boards. Sounds can be processed through the onboard twin multi-effects engines, offering hands-on access to reverb, chorus, multi-band compression, 3-band parametric EQ, and more. The top-grade Progressive Hammer-Action Keyboard, featured on the RD-700SX simulates a real grand by providing a lighter touch in the upper range that gets progressively heavier in the lower range. Combined with a true hammer action, this keyboard delivers an incredibly realistic feel and response. The RD-700SX also has. both 1/4" and XLR outputs, inputs for damper, sostenuto, and soft pedals. Tandem MIDI outs and USB I/O for MIDI controller and data backup/exchange. Standard MIDI Files can be loaded and played on the RD with its built-in MIDI File player. The RD-300SX shares much in common with the RD-700SX. 128-voice polyphony, 88-note individually sampled grand piano waveforms, and hundreds of additional sounds and rhythms — from pop to orchestral. The keyboard is a Compact Progressive Hammer-Action Keyboard. A pitch bend/modulation lever has been included for expressive control. With 78 multi-effects types onboard, plus independent effects such as compression and reverb, the RD-300SX delivers quality sounds and textures that range from smooth and lush to high-impact punch. The RD-300SX has an impressive, heavy-duty metallic appearance, but it’s the lightest 88-note piano in its class. At less than 35 pounds, it’s ultra easy to transport, yet built tough enough for the road. Connect the RD-300SX to computers and other external devices via USB port for one-cable MIDI communication. Standard MIDI in/out ports connectors are provided as well. Pricing and availability TBA

www.rolandus.com

Roland Social