Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Is the Roland RD-800 suitable for me?

TO JAY, from Roland factory:

I use the RD800 as a controlling keyboard for Piano Teq edited Pianos I use on stage. The RD800's action is perfectly matched for it and allows complete dynamic control better than any of the Yamaha keyboards (including the CP4) I have.

I bought the RD800 and the CP4 to figure out which I would use... in the hope I could find something in the box that would cover well. The basic Supernatural Acoustic Grand sound character is very nice, it plays softly well... but the decays are unnaturally short and the factory tech said there is no way of adjusting them on the Supernatural Grand. Do you have any suggestions I could try so I might be able to use the RD800 piano?

KEYBOARD STANDS:

The Onstage WS8550 should be looked at. Z stands that I've used wobble laterally, X stands wobble vertically unless you're seated and have a heavy duty one.

Not all. Kurzweil Forte (and others from Kurzweil) can't, which is a shame.

I wouldn't take Z, X etc. stands. Table type stands are the best solution. For example, K&M 18953.

I have a Z stand which is considerably more stable than the table stand I have with the MP11 on it. The only thing I don't care for is it's a bit awkward for legs, but since mine aren't long it's fine

Why do you want stage piano instead of console one?

The first feedback of its kind I've received. I regret I don't have a way to extend the decay that's immediately available from the front panel.

Jay

Thank you Jay for looking into it. Does the V Piano have the ability to adjust the decay? Just curious.

As a V-Piano owner, yes. Using the "value" dial you can adjust the decay parameters from "-100" to "+100" (with "0" as the default) and perhaps a good example of extended decay can be heard in my recording where I selected a value of "+88" (a very high setting) for the decay:

https://app.box.com/s/yrovy7fjjejsnah2humg

The only other digital (other than V-Piano) that is able to adjust the decay settings would be the Kawai CA95 (which I previously owned for a short period) and I would assume the newer model, CA97. Extending the decay of the samples in the CA95 did not sound nearly as natural as the V-Piano's decay since at higher settings everything becomes stretched too far and ends up sounding like a very long held (flat) tone on an organ.

Yes, the V-Piano allows you to alter the "Decay Time" in its Tone Parameter from -100 to +100 in increments of 1 - should you need it to be that precise .

At 0 (the default setting in most of its 28 preset piano sounds), the decay is similar to that of most digitals, i.e. far less than you'd find when playing any acoustic piano. I have the Decay Time set to between +30 to +45, depending on which customization I'm using.

On the V, of course, there's no looping as the sound is fully modelled, whereas looping becomes more obvious when decay times are increased on sampled DPs that allow you to do so.

Would like to add that my experience with using extended "decay" in the Kawai CA95 was that the sound of the piano tone became unnaturally long and flat (like a held organ tone at one dynamic level that stays at the same volume without gradually becoming softer) and no looping was perceived in this extended decay tone. This is not natural decay to my ears and that is why I prefer the V-Piano since the modeling sounds right when extending the decay parameters.

Is there anyone else with a CA95 or CA97 that has experimented with extending the decay setting to a high number and wants to comment on what they hear?

I got a chance to play with a Korg Kronos II yesterday and what a cinch to increase the decay... but I noticed the same thing that invariably happens... there is a point of diminishing return and it usually comes when the actual attack volume relationship to the volume envelope of what's decaying reaches a certain point... the attack sounds as if it is buried and is no longer pronounced. I had this problem modifying pianos I designed for clients... a point of diminishing return. But fortunately, the desired increase in decay was achievable without the downside.

That is good to hear about the V Piano, I just wish they had put that control on the RD800. Thank you for that information