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Digital Piano Roland FP 30 Full Review. Is it worth it?

Digital Piano Roland FP 30 Full Review. Is it the best?

Today we bring you one of Roland’s most interesting piano keyboards for less than 600 €. A very interesting keyboard that rivals powerful competitors such as the Yamaha P125 digital piano.

You may read a lot of opinions about the Roland FP 30 keyboard and be a bit of a mess. But here I am with this review to solve all your doubts.

This digital piano is the best seller after the Yamaha P45 piano keyboard (they are linked at the end of the article).

It’s available in black and white. If you decide to buy it in white, many times it is even possible to buy it cheaper than in black. The Yamaha P45 is cheaper and it doesn’t make much sense to compare them. If you see Roland in several places like Roland FP 30 BK. The BK simply means that the color of the keyboard is black. The keys don’t change. It’s just that I get a lot of questions about this.

The code of the white keyboard is Roland FP 30 WH which can sometimes be found cheaper than the black model; it also comes with its support in white. It has 88 weighted keys with 5 different sensitivities and a piano sound based on Roland’s Supernatural Engine. It is the sum of the black and white keys and is the number of keys of a normal piano. That’s why they’re also called a piano keyboard.

It has a polyphonic memory of 128 voices, the polyphony is the number of notes that can sound at the same time in the digital piano, not only the keys pressed but those of the accompaniments that sound underneath. It’s not bad polyphony, with it you can play most of the pieces.

First, we give you a preview of where you can find this digital piano at the best price and then read on that you have all the review and we also tell you about its supports and savings pack.

What is the best store to buy the Roland FP 30 piano?

Amazon

  • Free Shipping and possibility of shipping in one day with Amazon Prime
  • Full Guarantee but they are no experts in music equipment
  • A leader in fast shipments
  • A price that change a lot daily
  • The best option in the USA and worldwide

Thomann

  • Free Shipping
  • Full warranty; if you have any problems, they take care of everything
  • 100% reliable payment
  • Leader in trouble-free shipping
  • Usually best price
  • Best Reputation: They are the leading online store in Europe and have the best catalog and information

The reasons that make it a bestseller among others are:

  • It includes a microphone.
  • It has USB MIDI and USB to put a pen drive
  • All other aspects like speaker power, sound, key size, consistency are great for the price it costs.

Sound

It brings 35 high-quality sounds, which is not bad at all. It’s got everything from piano sounds to jazz organ. Many times in the lower quality keyboards the sounds are quite bad but in this case, they have good quality and are not a “toy.” The truth is that the amount of different piano sounds is one of its great attractions and Yamaha has improved the P125 with more sounds to challenge the Roland FP 30. Below you have the comparison.

If you want cheaper Hammer Actions pianos but with a minimum to start with you have to go with Yamaha P45 or Casio CDP 130.

As we have said before it has a polyphony or polyphonic memory of 128 notes. The polyphony is the number of notes that can sound at once through your speakers. This includes if you play on top of an accompaniment, etc. This polyphony is fine.

The sound of the previous video on this piano is great because it’s line recorded and totally debugged. I filmed myself in Madrid the following video of a girl playing in the street and it sounds pretty good being mobile and being outdoors. Use a standard scissors stand and the best selling color of this piano keyboard which is black.

I’m sure you’ll be interested in…

The polyphony is important because on these digital pianos you can do layering, which is to record a track and then play over it. This consumes polyphony as many more notes sound at a time.

See also this piece of video in which you can listen to how the piano types that are there sound (we have put it to start from minute 2).

On the other hand, you can see how to combine a piano sound with an accompaniment of strings plus piano (same video but starts at minute 2:54):

​It has 3 different levels of brightness adjustments. Brightness defines how mellow or metallic the sound of a piano is. Then you have 5 levels of reverberation. This effect simulates if you are playing in rooms with different acoustics such as a church. It is basic in the sounds of digital piano keyboards.

It has quite powerful 11W speakers that can fit for an intermediate-sized room. But if you play outdoors you might need a separate loudspeaker as in the video of the girl playing in the Street.

Hammer Action and velocity sensitivity

A very strong point of this Roland digital piano is its keys. Your Hammer Action keyboard system has 5 sensitivities. Other piano keyboards of the same level have 4 sensitivities or 3. The sensitivity is that the musical note sounds strong or weak depending on the force with which the key is pressed and Hammer Action is the effect that reproduces the “weight” of each key. This aspect of the keys is super important.

The touch of the keys of a digital piano must resemble the keys of an acoustic piano as much as possible. While it is true that we must be aware of the difference in price. A vertical acoustic with weighted keys can cost about 2500 euros and weighs more than 100 kg. For the price, the Roland is not bad at all

In addition, the touch of the Roland FP 30 digital piano works a lot on the escape effect. This means that you do not have to wait for the key to go up again before you can play the note again. This is important for playing certain complex and fast works. A very accomplished detail in this Roland. It has split and dual-mode.

These features allow you to split the keyboard in two so that one instrument sounds in one half and another in the other. For example, we can combine electric bass and piano on the same keyboard. The dual-mode allows you to divide the piano into two equal pianos for both teachers and students to play at the same time. All digital pianos in this price range carry it.

USB connectivity to computer

Connectivity is also important in a digital piano like this as it is one of the advantages of this type of device. It has a USB MIDI interface that makes it possible to connect it to the computer and compose music with programs like Sibelius. You can also record MIDI tracks in music editing programs such as Cubase or Ableton that can then be exported to the music sheet.

Recording and microphone

A very interesting aspect is that it brings a microphone of a certain quality and the keyboard allows you to record what you play. Which makes it very useful to record a quick demo or to record ideas. And then we can transfer the recordings in Wave and or MIDI to the USB pen drive or to the mobile with Bluetooth. It’s very fast how you work with it.

Sustain pedal

The pedal that comes with it is not the best, to tell you the truth. Although you can buy a standard one in the future for between 20 and 30 €. The sustain pedal serves to maintain the note in time even if you stop pressing the key. As we have said on several occasions, the pedal is a fundamental piece of a digital piano because it allows you to keep the sound even if you release the key making a slur. It is a vital interpretative resource in a piano.

Does it fit all levels?

Let’s see, if you’re starting conservatory you’re good for the first 5 or 7 years without a problem and also to practice later. It has Hammer Action, sensitive keys, and a footswitch.

The advantages of these portable digital pianos are obvious. The normal thing when you study classical is that you study most of the hours in acoustic pianos but this is not always possible.

There are many places where you can study an hour a day or two on a real piano but then at home, the neighbors can kill you. For these digital pianos like the Roland FP 30 are perfect. An elite top conservatory pianist studies with an acoustic piano at that level. But in the middle-level conservatory, the truth is that many people are studying with digital pianos because they are cheaper and more portable.

The thing with this piano is to mix the studio in one and the other and then when you have to rehearse or compose you use the digital piano. With a weight of 14 kg, it can be used in live or rehearsal playing. So we can conclude that it is useful at all levels.

Roland FP 30 vs Yamaha P115 vs Yamaha P125

For price and quality, the greatest competitor of the Roland FP 30 is the Yamaha P115 (now called Yamaha P125 and only differ in the number of different piano sounds). Both are piano keyboards of similar price and quality but there are certain differences that may make you decide between one or the other.

  • The Yamaha P115 gains in polyphonic memory as it has 192 voices compared to the 128 of the Roland FP 30. This makes the sound of the Yamaha more quality. Another thing is that you like Roland nuances like the tone.
  • The Roland FP 30 has more sounds than the Yamaha P115, but already with the Yamaha P125 these changes and now, they are more equal. Well, the Yamaha P125 now has 24 sounds.
  • Both have apps for the mobile and allows recording but the P115 does not have micro or Bluetooth. This usability is better at Roland.
  • Roland’s Hammer Action system has 5 sensitivities and Yamaha’s 4. We like Roland’s Hammer Action a little more and the exhaust effect and feel is better. Synthetic ivory touch comes in handy; if you study a lot as your hands will sweat.
  • Both admit triple pedalboard.
  • The Yamaha P115 is less heavy. A couple of kgs that sometimes you notice a lot if you transport it weekly to tests and similar without a car.
  • The Roland FP 30 has very powerful 11W speakers. If you play live with your piano in restaurants this is a wonder.

The price of both is also similar and although the Roland wins in several things that the Yamaha P115 and P125 have more polyphony makes the competition quite close. Either one is a great choice. The Yamaha P115 comes with a slightly better pedal although it is also basic and is usually a little cheaper than Roland FP 30.

If you find them at the same price stay with the Roland FP 30. Below we tell you in which stores you can find it at the best price. And the truth is that lately the Yamaha FP30 is being sold at very good prices.

If you move around a lot think more about the Yamaha P115, that 2 kg difference in weight is noticeable over time. We also advise you to see our review on the new Yamaha P125.

Roland FP 30 vs Kawai ES110

The other great competitor is the piano keyboard Kawai ES110. Another bestseller. Let’s go with the differences between these two keyboards:

  • The polyphony of the Kawai piano is110 is 192 notes, while that of the Roland Fp30 is 128. The Kawai ES 110 is usually a little more expensive.
  • The Responsive Hammer technology of the Kawai keyboard is 110 provides more sensitivity and better feel than the counterweight and 5-level sensitivity of the Fp 30 on its keys.
  • The Roland Fp30 has a USB input while the Kawai ES110 does not have one. Its MIDI output is DIN type which is an older connector.
  • The Roland FP 30 comes with a microphone and USB flash drive input.
  • The Kawai ES110 has 2 helmet tickets while the Roland Fp30 has only one ticket.
  • The Kawai is110 weighs 12 kg and the Roland Fp30 weighs 14kg.
  • The failure of the Kawai ES110 is that it has 7 W speakers compared to the 11 W of the Roland FP 30. Although with 7 W speakers you can already use it for small restaurants.

Where to buy the Roland FP 30 at the best price?

Today you can get the best prices and conditions by shopping online. But you have to make sure that the store has a good reputation and won’t leave you stranded if you have a problem with shipping or with the warranty.

If you live at Asia or America check Amazon. But If you live at Europe check also Thomann:

We hope you found this article useful. We also recommend our selection with the best piano keyboards to find out more.

If you want to buy the Roland FP 30 second-hand you can get a good offer if the seller shows you the origin of purchase. Either with an email from the store or similar.

Avoid buying the Roland FP 30 keyboard in a place you don’t trust. If you don’t know about pianos and keyboards and you don’t have anyone to accompany you to see if the keys are right, that the speakers don’t fail, that the sound is right … etc.

Roland FP 30 digital piano stand

There are several support possibilities for this piano keyboard. It depends if you are going to leave it in a fixed place to study or you want to move it from one place to another.

Normally if it is for your son and daughter and they are going to study classic the normal thing is not to move it. In this case, the black support with triple pedal can be a success. In addition, with this support, the piano shakes less when pressing hard. It’s a little more comfortable to play. The furniture that includes the triple footswitch is quite attractive and also serves as a decoration of the house.

The triple footswitch is useful for advanced students mainly of classical.

The digital piano has dimensions of 130 x 28.4 x 15cm (width x depth x height) and with a stand in the form of a piece of furniture can weigh about 22 kg. Without the bracket, it’s 14 kg.

It comes at a very good price at Thomann if you buy the black pack of the image, you can consider with the pack a used piano Roland FP 30.

You can also purchase lightweight clamp-type support (you can have any) such as the one in the following savings pack, also in black:

soporte-simple-roland-fp-30

Although I have described you the best possible Roland FP 30 keyboard here we leave you the official link to its manual in English.

For a similar price you have the following pianos and keyboards:

 

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Digital Piano Casio CTK 3200 Full Review (with Vídeo)

CASIO CTK 3200 Keyboard In-Depth Analysis

The Casio CTK 3200 is a “cheap” keyboard for beginners who want to have contact with a keyboard instrument, but it is also a very good option if you want the keyboard to compose music with your computer.

​Note that it is out of print and you should now look at our review of the Casio CTK 3500. There are no significant changes.

Despite being a keyboard for beginners it has several things that make it very popular and a bestseller in the whole world.

I’m sure you’ll be interested in…

If you are thinking of studying piano officially or want to go far with the piano as your primary instrument this should not be your first choice. It’s a good secondary keyboard for those people who want to transport it to rehearsals and already know how to play the piano. But if you don’t know if you want to play the piano and you’re very aware that it’s worth a lot to you for the first 2 years of learning then go ahead.

It has a price well below 100 euros and the truth is that for that price you can not put more benefits. We came to tell you why this keyboard is so popular.

It has 61 keys that are usually good enough for beginners and to play most musical pieces. It also has sustain pedal input to keep the note in time and USB MIDI output so you can use it as a MIDI controller. These things are the really important things on a keyboard for that price and we go on to detail and explain them below.

Bring a power supply for the network, although it can also be powered by batteries.

Sensitive Keyboard

One of the characteristics of a piano is that the keys have sensitivity. So if you press the harder key the musical note will sound louder. The Casio CTK 3200 is sensitive and has two pulsation sensitivities. But you don’t have the Hammer Action keyboard to simulate the weight of real piano keys. Touch is important if you want to study piano at a certain level.

Polyphony and sounds

It has a polyphonic memory of 48 voices. Which is not bad for the price it has although it is far from the 192 that can have the piano keyboards in the range of 600 euros. This is one of the aspects that defines the quality of the piano sound.

It has 400 sounds and 150 styles. Although deep down, a lot of them you won’t use later. They are very good to play but what matters are the sounds of piano and Jazz organ. This keyboard has a piano sound is simply ok.

Here’s a video for you to hear what it sounds like.

Connectivity and MIDI

This is one of the strong points of the keyboard. For its low price it has USB MIDI output. So you can use it as a MIDI controller and connect it to your computer. This is basic nowadays because it allows you, for example, to write a score while playing in real time with programs like Sibelius.

In addition to recording with music editing programs such as Cubase, Ableton can record tracks as MIDI, with all the note information stored in the track. So you can then export it to score and transport it to any instrument.

It also comes with a sustain pedal connector. This pedal allows you to keep the note in time even if the key is released. A very important expressive resource in an instrument like the piano. It’s a basic and very good thing to bring it in for its price. The pedal is not included.

It has mini sound jack input to connect for example your mp4 and play on top and headphones output to rehearse in silence.

Portability and speakers

This is a strong feature of the keyboard. It weighs only 3.5 kg, which makes it an extremely portable product as it also works with batteries (includes the mains adapter).

The keyboard has 2 speakers of 2 W. Enough to rehearse in acoustic with other musicians but if you want to play in open spaces or medium sized restaurants you will have to put an extra amplification.

Who is this keyboard perfect for?

Its price makes it very suitable for various purposes:

  • If you already have a piano technique, it will serve as a comfortable keyboard to take you to rehearsals and small performances in restaurants or similar if you have a low budget.
  • It’s ideal as a secondary keyboard to take to rehearsals even if you study with a better one.
  • Great for compositing and using it as a MIDI controller.
  • It has everything you need to get started with the keyboard. So it might be worth it if you just want to try if you like music. Then you’ll sell it easily second-hand.

​It’s not good if you want to study piano at an intermediate or higher level. It’ll be too limited for you.

CASIO CTK 3200 vs Yamaha PSR E353 vs Yamaha PSR E363

The main competitor of the CASIO CTK 3200 is the Yamaha PSR E353 (and its new model the Yamaha PSR E363). Both are bestsellers and quite similar but there are differences between them.

Both support sustain pedals, are MIDI controllers, and have 61 touch-sensitive keys.

The polyphony of the Casio CTK 3200 is superior to that of the Yamaha PSR E353 since the Casio has 48 notes of polyphony and the Yamaha 32. This gives you quite a head start.

The CASIO is lighter than the Yamaha PSR E353, although the Yamaha has a built-in music sheet holder.

The Yamaha PSR E353 wins in that it has DUAL function to split the keyboard into 2 parts and share with the teacher. And the speakers are a little more powerful, 2.5 W each.

Yamaha also comes with a subscription to a powerful interactive piano learning app called Flowkey, which corrects what you play interactively while you play the exercises because it picks up what you play through the microphone.

They both have many different sounds, so we can say that in that both will fulfill any expectation and of course they bring metronome.

The Casio has a wheel that allows you to switch between sounds which is called PITCH BEND.

At the same price we would normally recommend to keep the Casio CTK 3200 for the superior polyphony although if you are learning on your own the free subscription of several months to Flowkey is a pass. That would make us recommend the Yamaha.

If you want you can watch our review of the Yamaha PSR E363 with another video for you to hear how it sounds.

Where to buy the CASIO CTK 3200?

At buscarinstrumentos.com we monitor prices in stores such as Thomann, Woodbrass and Amazon. Although it must be said that keyboards of this range the one that usually has them cheaper is Amazon. To see where to buy it at the best price take a look at the review of its latest model, the Casio CTK 3500. Anyway below you have the link to the Casio CTK 3500

If you want to go to a piano keyboard that suits you to study and with Hammer Action keyboard we advise you to have a look at our review of the Yamaha P-45. But above all don’t miss our ranking with the best digital pianos of the moment.

For a similar price you have the following pianos and keyboards:

We hope you enjoyed this review and found it useful. Thank you for reading it!

 

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Digital Piano Kawai ES100 Full Review. Is it a good choice?

Analysis and opinion of the piano keyboard Kawai ES100

The Kawai brand is gaining importance in Europe and has more and more followers. Although Yamaha is still the leader in keyboard sales, Kawai is making its mark.

​It is important for you to know that there is a new model of this keyboard. The Kawai ES110, don’t hesitate to see our review about this digital piano from Kawai. Also in the review of the Kawai ES110 we compared it with the Kawai ES100.

Today we bring you a very competitive digital piano with a price well below 700 € (899 $). It is an option that allows you to have a piano keyboard for budgets that do not allow a clavinova or an acoustic digital piano.

A lot of people start learning piano with much worse keyboards. They’ have not even Hammer Actions and they don’t even have a sustain pedal. Which is a mistake, such a keyboard can be used to compose but not to learn piano.

The Kawai ES100 has the minimum necessary to learn to play the piano in a dignified way and can be worth until you reach a medium-high level. If you are studying classical conservatory the last years of the middle grade and then the higher grade you should go to a higher model. Or at least have many hours of extra study with an acoustic piano.

I’m sure you’ll be interested in…

The Kawai ES 100 Keyboard has 88 sensitive keys with Hammer Action Advanced Hammer Action IV-F. The keys on a piano must be sensitive to touch. So they sound louder depending on how hard you press them. And to give the feeling of weight on the key the keyboard must be Hammer Action. (weighted keys)

Hammer Action on a piano keyboard is vital to feel like you’re playing on an acoustic piano. What is the purpose of these instruments. Although you have to keep in mind that the touch is not exactly the same as that of an acoustic piano. Even if you have a digital piano it is always important that part of the studio you do in some acoustic piano. Ask to be allowed to practice in a shop or cultural centre if you don’t have money.

Polyphony and sounds

Polyphonic memory on a piano keyboard is important. The bigger it is, you will be able to play more and complex songs in your digital piano. This particular model has a pretty good 192-voice polyphony. This is one of the main factors you should keep in mind when comparing piano keyboards.

It has 18 different sounds and some interesting ones similar to a hammond organ. They are resources that can come in handy although for the piano studio what matters is the real piano sound. It’s very acceptable is its price range.

Connectivity and recording

It comes with a MIDI connector, which allows you to do such wonderful things as connecting it to your computer and writing scores while playing with programs like Sibelius.

If you record what you play with music editing programs such as Cubase, Ableton, etc. you can record on MIDI tracks, which as they save the information of the musical notes played then those MIDI tracks can be exported to score.

The Kawai ES100 keyboard allows you to record a track in case you want to play on it later.

Of course it has an input for headphones and a sostenido pedal. The pedal is what makes it possible to keep the note playing over time even if the digital piano key is released. A basic resource for playing the piano. It’s included.

Other important features

Like all pianos in its range the Kawai ES100 brings the following extras that are important:

  • Dual Mode to play with your teacher at the same time.
  • Effects as reverb, etc
  • 2 loudspeakers of 7 W .
  • Power supply.

It’s got a lot more extras than all the keyboards. But listen to us, you have to pay attention to the previous ones and the weight. The Kawai ES100 weighs 12 Kg. It is portable with a piano keyboard backpack with adequate handles but half a kilo heavier than its competing Yamaha keyboards. If you want it for study, it’s not a problem.You don’t have the option to run on batteries.

Video for you to hear how it sounds

Kawai ES100 vs Yamaha P115 vs Yamaha P125

The main competitor of the Kawai ES100 is undoubtedly the Yamaha P115 (although it now has its new version in the Yamaha P125).The Yamaha P115 coincides with the Kawai ES100 is the following aspects.

  • They both have a polyphony of 192 voices.
  • Both have 88 weighted keys, with pedal and feeder.
  • They have a similar weight, the Yamaha P115 a little lighter.
  • Both have various piano and organ sounds, as well as metronome or dual Mode
  • MIDI connection, although that of the Yamaha P115 is USB that for us is more comfortable.

​The Kawai ES100 in our opinion has more nuances in sensitivity than the GHS system of the Yamaha P115. Although many people like the feel of the Yamaha P115 more, the truth is that the Yamaha P115 is more popular in Spain and has more sales.

The quantum of the Yamaha P125 and the Yamaha P115 must be taken into account that it differs in the number of piano sounds. The P125 brings that improvement over the P115 and at the same price so it will always be better option the latest model.

Both have an acceptable grand-piano sound but here it’s a matter of taste. Whichever one you choose is fine as both have been recorded with quality sampling technology.

Don’t hesitate to take a look at our analysis of your rival, our review of the Yamaha P115. And here’s the new review with the Yamaha P125

Where to buy the Kawai ES100?

Right now one of the best possibilities is Amazon and Thomann. Although as the ES100 is already out of print you link the new Kawai ES110

If you live at America or Asia always check Amazon. But If you live at Europe check as well Thomann:

If it’s still too expensive we recommend you take a look at our review of the Yamaha P45.If you just want it to compose you just have 61 keys, MIDI connection and pedal take a look at our guide with cheap keyboards very popular.Of course we recommend our selection of the best portable digital pianos. Where you have everything you need to know about these wonderful instruments.

For a similar price you have the following pianos and keyboards:

 

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