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Hello all, I am looking for a digital piano. My teacher mentioned the Roland FP-90, but there is not a lot to find about this model on the forums

What would you like to know about it?

A lot has been said.

A lot indeed, use search. But things like the key action and the sound quality are very difficult to describe and the opinions are very subjective. So better spend some time in a piano store testing it and the competition (like Kawai ES920, Yamaha P515 etc).

If the keyboard action can match an aucoustic upright? We need to invest into a digital, because we annoy the other peploe in the house with our repetitive practice sessions :-), but have always played an acoustic one.
Is it so that the sounds produced by this piano are not just recorded samples, but each tone is regenerated from scratch each time a key is pressed.

..a lot has also been said about aliens, but I ask, have you seen one yet?


Best to leave that myth called the FP-90 alone and look elsewhere. If anything, wait for the FP-99.

I guess that what I’m trying to say is that the FP-90 is grossly overpriced and cannot hold up to say, something from Yamaha?



P.S.

I am trying to choose my words carefully, for some, ‘round here, are very sensitive and do not like it spicy!

Action-wise the FP90 is the best you can get IMO unless you spend an awful lot more money.

For a bit more money you could have a kawai ca49 but it iclude also pedal unit and basement. The key action of that kawai look really interesting but you have few tones.

I thought about linking to some of the old topics comparing the FP-90 to other models like Kawai ES8 and what was it again...

...ah now I remember: Yamaha P-515

(Which some people seem to like very much.)

The Kawai ES920 is a new model that comes highly acclaimed for key action and sound.

I have one on order.

You know, I’ve heard about some people liking the P-515 to the extent of biased obsession.

Personally, I like to keep an open mind about these things and try my best to be objective, impartial, and neutral.

Good for you!

You could easily get on with the FP-90, or a comparable Kawai... or Yamaha. It depends on your personal taste (ie which keys you prefer and which sound you prefer).

I had the FP-90 for 18 months. The speakers were a let down (all portable pianos have size/weight limitations, therefore it’s often the speakers that let them down). I bought an upright style digital piano as soon as I had the space. If you intend to use headphones only, it may not matter to you.

If you don’t necessarily need your digital piano to be portable, there are models available with the same action & sound engine... but you get better speakers, three pedals included, and a nice lid that covers the keys. You also get a good seating position (knee room, pedals in the right place, and a music rest that’s usually higher up) out of the box.

Also consider comparable models from other manufacturers.

The best bit is shopping around... looking and different models... trying them out.

I've read that on most digital pianos, the action is half the price.
Since Roland built the PHA50 as the best action at the time not only in top models, but also in the FP90, that could explain its slightly higher price.

Unfortunately, it is not quite correct - you can still get a dramatically different results when using headphones, not only through speakers, it is not only about the sound engine, quality will depend on quality of internal components which will be analogue, such as an amplifier. And portable models, which cost less, use cheaper details.

FP-90 is a good value as a portable though, in my opinion, but I do not think it would match older LX models with the same engine, even through headphones.

So if one were considering the FP-90 + Furniture Stand + Triple Pedal Board, that money could be better spent on a home piano (depending on the model, if portability isn’t a deciding factor). 👍

> if portability isn’t a deciding factor

Plus the portability of a 24kg slab is debatable
Furniture PHA50 Rolands do sound better, and there are notable differences between them...

Yup. The size (and paranoia about fragility) makes anything like that rather awkward to move.

Cases make them even longer, and add more weight.

I’d say transportable, but not portable.