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Have you tried out the FP30 Speakers?

C'mon guys, read the posts before posting something in response.

@shalomjj - he was talking about the Medeli piano given as an example by JoeT.

And your second question - it's not the subnote, it's the users signature. It is posted as an irony, because there's a ~50 pages long thread on this forum where countless users have asked countless times if the new HP and LX pianos are really modeled. And then some more users have started asking the same thing and questioning it. After having replied to that question many many times, that signature was posted as a jest I believe. But if you haven't been reading around here for a long time, there was no way of knowing.

@login - name one decent (i.e. from a serious manufacturer) digital piano close to that price that has balanced outputs. Could be that I'm not sufficiently informed, but I don't know any.

It costed to me 1,5 Euro to build a "decent" line out in my Roland FP-30.....
I guess it´s just marketing...
Every professional musician expect a decent line out in a instrument. Maybe if they put one , they will sell less FP-50 ... (Just my opinion)
We also need a modell without speakers, we don´t need them really, and makes the piano some kilos heavier.
A lot of years ago I owned a technics P-30. For sure the sound and action were totally improved lasts years, but in design and features, that was exactely what a lot of us really needs.
We don´t need displays, recordings, accompaniament, etc....
Just a light instrument with good action, good piano sound, and proper line out.

Roland: We are waiting for the 88 notes version of RD-64. !!!!

Saludos!

Pablo

The only digital pianos with balanced outputs I know are stage pianos like the Yamaha CP4, CP1 or CP300, or Kawai MP11... they are not in the price range of the FP-30. Even some stage piano (Yamaha CP40, Kawai MP7, Nord Piano) seem to have only unbalanced outputs.

Nobody is going to use a FP-30 as controller with no controller features in the firmware. That was my whole point. Nobody is going to put a flimsy plastic keyboard with an external power brick on stage, which has no zones, no layers, no registrations nor anything.

A display for changing basic settings isn't going to change that, neither is LINE IN/OUT. In fact people with a full studio setup don't even need this, watch the demonstration videos how they get along.

It's only the simple home user who gets into trouble when trying to connect additional speakers, play along something or change a setting.

How would you compare the FP30 to say the FP4 or FP4F? I have the Roland FP4 and didn't get the FP4F and hear it has the sluggish Ivory G. So, this seems like a great piano with the PHA4, escapement, and supernatural sounds. I am hearing mixed opinions though. Will be glad to hear some reviews from those who own it.

You don't need balanced outputs. Headphone jacks or outputs, the appropriate cable as short as possible and one or two DI-boxes.

This is not the cheapest model, but one of these is sufficent for example: http://www.radialeng.com/prod2.php


Peace

I don't need them (just using a 3m output cable). I was just replying to login (now Balanced audio outputs is something it is really missing because...)

Ok!


Peace

What does the DI box do? I'm assuming it amplifies or clears up the signal?

It's to connect the piano to the PA system with an microphone cable. This allows for long cable runs. The signal is phase shifted in two wires 180 degrees appart and then merged at the mixingtable and in the process most of the interference is eliminated, if i remeber correctly.

Often the box also contains a PAD switch to reduce the level of the signal and a ground lift switch to combat ground loops.

There are two types, passive and activ. For digital pianos the passive type is appropriate.


Peace

I don't think "clearing up" the signal is the right expression.

I would say it adapts the signal. But it is true that when ground lifting the signal, the balanced output of the DI is less likely suject to interferences.

See : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DI_unit

Oups, I have not seen the Rille Stark's answer at the beginning of a new page.

It typically converts high impedance, unbalanced signals to low impedance, balanced signals. Basically it allows a low level signal, like that used from a guitar or bass cable (or the unbalanced line out of a DP/keyboard) to plug into mic inputs on a recording or live sound console. It also allows longer cable runs as balanced cables better reject interference and have less signal degradation over considerable distances.

From what I remember. It's been a while since my audio engineering days.

shalomjj,

I answer a few of your questions in the review I wrote for the Piano Buyer, which was published about a month ago. (link is on the left side of the screen)

Right now, we still sell some leftover RD-300NX, plus we have the FA-08 and Juno-DS88...(The FA-08 and Juno both share the same action as the RD-300NX)

You're spoiled for choice.

Jay

Good article! Would you say the FP30 action is one of the better Roland actions? How would it compare to the G Ivory on the FP4F?

This question is for Jay Roland. What is the difference between sampling and modeling on a Roland Piano?

The way we do SuperNatural at Roland is in two ways:

One:

SuperNatural Piano Sampling:

We sample the attack portion of all 88 keys at 4 different levels. We incorporate the modelling to give those 4 levels a seamless transition to 128 dynamic levels. Also, the decay portion is completely modelled. This avoids unnatural looping of the decay portion of the sound that can sometimes happen with samples. Additionally all the resonances (String, Key off, Duplex Scale, Damper etc) are modelled as well. So you can see that the samples make up a very small portion of the overall sound.

Two: SuperNatural Piano Modelling.

There is no sampling involved in the sound creation process at all. Everything described above happens strictly through modelling.

Edit: SuperNatural Piano modelling required the development of a new processor called BMC (Behaviour Modelling Core) that forms the centrepiece of the new HP and LX series. My hope is that it makes its way to more and more pianos in the future, not to mention other Roland Products.

Jay

But shouldn't sampling be more accurate than modelling? It seems that the modelling is what you are creating and the sampling is actually what an instrument makes? I must be missing something on this. My main point of interest is comparing the FP30 to say and LX. Thanks!

It depends.

A sample set is only as good as the recording and sound design work done to it.

A physical model is only as good as the math used to create it and the processor that runs that math.

A sample is a snapshot in time. It can recreate the sound of a piano. Many samples can be created based on recordings of different pianos.

A model can live and change, depending on the input. It can not only create the sound of many acoustic pianos but behave like them as well. Therein lies the main modelling advantage. The human to piano connection is very realistic.

Both can create an end result that is pleasing to some, and grating to others. It is all very subjective. Just like individual piano actions. Some love them, some hate them. 10 players will give 10 different opinions. Such is the nature of the beast.

Jay