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Roland RD-88


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I received my RD88 yesterday and am checking it out over next 30 days. I can agree with MRDLC regarding the action not giving a fast bounce back on quick repetitions of notes (especially the same note). If playing Salsa music, maybe this action won't work. My use and playing for this keyboard is not going to require that and generally I am pleasantly surprised with the action on the RD88 given it's light weight and sleek build. I own a Kurzweil Forte and, IMO that action (TP/40L) WOULD be good for that type of playing.

Kurzweil Forte 7, Mojo 61, Yamaha P-125,

Kronos X61, Nautilus 73

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This sounds a lot like the action I didn't like on the RD-64. The keys go down, it almost felt like you had to wait for them to come back up again. I'm by no means a fast or accomplished pianist for what it's worth. "Mushy" was the word that came to mind when I played it.

 

My old Studiologic controller had a TP/40 of some kind (90s vintage) and I really liked that action for just about anything. Heavy (weight) though.

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I loved the Roland FP-4 action and acoustic piano sound but only because of lack-luster Rhodes I went into the desert on a quest through a Nord Piano3, a Yamaha CP-4 and a Casio PX-S3000 to realize that I should of just kept FP-4. Luckily, I now own a Kawai ES110 and IMO has an even better action than anything I've ever owned since my first weighted action Korg SG-ID.

 

I was excited about the idea of the RD-88. It was light, had built-in speakers and had some big boy functionality. A negative of the Kawai, which lacks DSP effects (except for a few burnt in options.) as well as a some other compromises for an entry level piano but it does have Midi, which makes my recent purchase of used Yamaha Reface CP a winner. The Reface replaces my desire for a Nord interface and own a couch/beach keyboard with impressive sounds.

 

I've been able to calm down my GAS after listening to videos of RD-88 and because I had tried the Roland FP-30 and didn't like action. Now if the RD-88 had the FP-4 action, I certainly would continuing to be gassed.

 

Now if Kawai would take ES110 and utilize more of the ES8 functionality I would consider to upgrade.

AvantGrand N2 | ES520 | Gallien-Krueger MK & MP | https://soundcloud.com/pete36251

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I"m curious as to what amazing features you were expecting would make any difference, given the application?

 

Great features on the RD-88 that were not on the FP are:

 

1. tone selections - Piano and E. Piano sound a lot better on this

2. Ability to EQ tones - EQing Hi Mid and Low -

3. Knobs can change tone quality easily for live performances

4. Mod-Wheel and Pitch Bend (for Organ and other tones)

5. Weight & Length - 7 pounds lighter than FP-4 and a tad shorter (easier for transporting on gigs)

6. USB PORT - can charge ipad while on a gig; import zen-core sounds

7. ZEN-CORE sounds (if i wanted to use the 3000 tones available)

 

But all this to reduce my ability to play well on a gig...not worth it really...

 

If it just needs a breaking in period, then I'd consider keeping it - anyone out there have a FP-30 (or anything with PHA-4 Standard action for a couple of years, I'd like to know if anything has changed with your keyboard action)

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This sounds a lot like the action I didn't like on the RD-64. The keys go down, it almost felt like you had to wait for them to come back up again. I'm by no means a fast or accomplished pianist for what it's worth. "Mushy" was the word that came to mind when I played it.

 

I feel like it is a TAD better than the RD-64 - but similar response when waiting for a key to return. Feels like a chore to play rather than being able to play freely and flowing.

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I think the last quick/light feeling Roland hammer action was the "PHA III Ivory Feel-S" though I guess the mechanism was heavy since I don't think it ever ended up in a board that was under 50 lbs.

 

The funny thing is that the Rolands actually support some pretty quick response even though they feel sluggish. I know, that seems like a contradiction. But here's a video with the Roland A88 (which has the RD-64 action, is a slightly older/lesser version of what should be in the RD88)... at 9:30 he talks abou how it feels more sluggish than the Kawai ES110 and Casio PX5S above it, and at 17:00 he mentions its slow hammer return... and yet at about 18:00 he demonstrates that its ability to do quick repetitions is quite good (and better than the "quicker" feeling Casio). (He shows it again at

)

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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  • 2 weeks later...

î¸

 

Just got my RD-88 a couple of days ago (UK). I am very happy with it. Sounds and action fine for me. Action very similar to rd300-nx and better than rd-64 as I recall. Also, definitely better, for me, than modx8 that I tried a few months ago, and didn't purchase, particularly because I found the key texture poor (as a pianist). Can't say much about the repetition rate, as fine for me, but understand others are more concerned. I should say that I have very little experience of top-quality, heavy stage pianos, but gigging for many decades with rd-300 series, yam, nord (fatar), and the better casios recently. Also, dare I say that the action of small acoustic pianos is very different from full-size, or even 7ft, concert grands. Horowitz apparently used to have his piano keys altered to make the action lighter by many grams, so a difficult area.

 

I am a bit disappointed that usb-audio function does not seem as good as on modx series. I don't use a Mac, but it's a bit complex to set up on windows (working now though), and I haven't got it working on iOS, with lightning adapter or with plugkey or ipad pro usb-c direct. USB-MIDI works fine with ios. Not a complaint, as documentation does not indicate "class compliant". Please could someone confirm digital audio not working directly with iOS. Anyway, just another cable to get analog audio out to rd-88 and mix it.

 

Of course no experience of gigging with it yet, and for some time...... but I'm really happy with it as a light stage piano with good action, and easy access to basic live functions. Piano and electric piano sounds more than fine for my gigs, and organs probably OK for me for occasional use (lower walking 80800000 type with split - good to have split function on expression pedal. Hope to go external on the upper but that's where the usb-audio comes in). Bonus that good to be able to carry an 88 key board easily from the sides, due to narrower than others.

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Nonetheless, you could try adjusting the key touch settings. This can help to some degree, as will playing it in a bit.

 

Yup tried all that - right down to super light velocity curve setting. I did a gig simulation last night where I played a whole set of music from what would have been a gig I was going to do before Covid happened.

 

There were many times that I noticed my rhythm in certain passages weren"t as accurate and my playing a little sloppy (I felt slow). It was tiring to play what normally is something more enjoyable to play.

 

I recall having other pianists in the salsa scene comment that my FP-4 was a pleasure to play and I couldn"t agree more. If there is anyone out there who can tell me their keyboard with PHA-4 Standard action loosens up over time (FP-10, FP-30, FP-60 etc) , I"ll consider sticking with it.

 

But is it worthwhile sticking with a keyboard that doesn"t have the same playability as the FP-4?

 

I remember playing many acoustic grand pianos in college. There were brand new pianos that were sluggish and there were pianos that were beautifully broken in with great response. I"m looking for the latter in my DP and FP-4 (PHA ALPHA II action) is as close as it comes.

 

I've never seen a weighted action on a digital piano to loosen up over time, but your fingers will get used to it and it'll feel better. But to be honest, for salsa style of music I'd just buy a digital piano with a great acustic piano sound and light action. Kawai ES-110 might be great for it.

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Nonetheless, you could try adjusting the key touch settings. This can help to some degree, as will playing it in a bit.

 

Yup tried all that - right down to super light velocity curve setting. I did a gig simulation last night where I played a whole set of music from what would have been a gig I was going to do before Covid happened.

 

There were many times that I noticed my rhythm in certain passages weren"t as accurate and my playing a little sloppy (I felt slow). It was tiring to play what normally is something more enjoyable to play.

 

I recall having other pianists in the salsa scene comment that my FP-4 was a pleasure to play and I couldn"t agree more. If there is anyone out there who can tell me their keyboard with PHA-4 Standard action loosens up over time (FP-10, FP-30, FP-60 etc) , I"ll consider sticking with it.

 

But is it worthwhile sticking with a keyboard that doesn"t have the same playability as the FP-4?

 

I remember playing many acoustic grand pianos in college. There were brand new pianos that were sluggish and there were pianos that were beautifully broken in with great response. I"m looking for the latter in my DP and FP-4 (PHA ALPHA II action) is as close as it comes.

Have you thought about picking up a used RD300gx? it has the same Pha Alpha II action as the FP4 and IMO a larger better selection of sounds with more editability as well as pitch bend/ mod, dedicated two band EQ knobs, and three zones with sliders.

 

I had a RD300gx until about a year ago and sold it for just $450 mainly because it was too damn long to carry to gigs. I kind of regret selling it now because, like you, in hindsight I enjoyed its light fast hammer action (even though IMO it wasn't very "realistic" by today's standards).

Gigs: Nord 5D 73, Kurz PC4-7 & SP4-7, Hammond SK1, Yamaha MX88 & P121, Numa Compact 2x, Casio CGP700, QSC K12, Yamaha DBR10, JBL515xt(2). Alto TS310(2)

 

 

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Got my RD-88 yesterday.

 

Background --

I've owned a Yamaha CP4, CP73, and currently use either a Kronos 73 (+ Nord Stage 3) or Roland RD2000 (for solo piano) to gig.  I'd be mainly using it for live performing -- main goal is to reduce the weight (replace my bottom boards).  I'm also evaluating using MainStage as a sound source to supplement the RD-88. It would also be nice to be able to use the built-in audio interface versus bringing another piece of gear.

 

RD-88 Pros:

 - Acoustic piano sound (I was actually quite impressed)

 - key feel is lighter weight versus my other weighted boards, which is ok.

 - weight - 30lbs!

 

RD-88 Cons:

 - Electric Pianos not so great (huge step down from RD-2000 and Kronos)

- No knob to quickly go through patches -- have to keep pressing the increase button.

 - Height of the keyboard was surprising (more than 6 inches).   This is probably due to the speakers on the bottom. This required me to make changes to my stand height and space between my top keyboard.

 - Wall wart (why?), Also, it's probably the shortest wall wart cord I've ever seen.

 - Screen is really small

 - MainStage integration is disappointing so far, but I need to spend more time. The screen shows nothing more than the current patch.

 - Audio Interface issues - can't figure out how to control the RD sounds and MainStage together without also having the RD sending its regular sound out the Audio outs.

- The MainStage / Audio Interface documentation is confusing and really not very helpful.

 

I'm hoping I can iron out these last few

Yamaha Montage M6, Nord Stage 4 - 88, Hammond SK-Pro 73, Yamaha YC-73, Mainstage, Yamaha U1 Upright

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I had a RD300gx until about a year ago and sold it for just $450 mainly because it was too damn long to carry to gigs. I kind of regret selling it now because, like you, in hindsight I enjoyed its light fast hammer action (even though IMO it wasn't very "realistic" by today's standards).

 

Luckily I"ve kept my FP-4 so I have no worries if I ever wanted to use it for gigs. I"ve decided to stick with my RD-88. Made a few tweaks and am possibly gonna do some DIY to actually tweak the action to make it lighter. Not gonna mention how I will do it, but I"m gonna try it out once this Covid isolating ends.

 

That being said, I do feel like I"m actually getting used to the feel more now - kind of strengthened my fine motor muscles. But it"s noticeably different now when I go back to the Fp-4 (feels even lighter now and easier to do runs and tumbaos/montunos for salsa).

 

We"ll see.

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@Fleer

But not so good for gigging with sturdy stands. I've used quik-lok WS-550 for 30+ years but I think I'll have problems with rd-88 unless I use a very high seat/cushions. Can anyone recommend a sturdy stand which goes down to less than 60cm (23") - I don't think z stands would work, and I'd prefer not to have to use double X (too much movement), unless someone knows a particularly sturdy one.

Peter

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Can anyone recommend a sturdy stand which goes down to less than 60cm (23") - I don't think z stands would work, and I'd prefer not to have to use double X (too much movement), unless someone knows a particularly sturdy one.

Peter

 

I"ve been using this stand as it gets fairly low and gives the rd-88 a pretty good playing height. Also the rubbers guards/stoppers are adjustable so it keeps the keyboard in place.

 

Hercules KS110B EZ-Lok X-Shaped Single Keyboard Stand

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Who demos a stage piano with clear shots of him using mainstage? I also noted it has what looks like speaker grills.
I've been seeing them advertise the RD-88's Mainstage integration (via the built-in interface) a fair amount, so I think the demo performances are all meant to show off the seamless switching between the built-in and outboard sounds. For me, if I'm bringing a laptop to a gig, I don't need your built-in piano sounds, but hey, horses for courses.

Samuel B. Lupowitz

Musician. Songwriter. Food Enthusiast. Bad Pun Aficionado.

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Apparently there's a known bug on the RD-88 (similar issue as on the Fantom) where Mainstage patch changes are unable to be sent (or received) by an external device if the MainStage integration is installed. The only way to make it send patch changes it to completely uninstall the MainStage profile, which of course means the Mainstage integration is essentially useless.

Yamaha Montage M6, Nord Stage 4 - 88, Hammond SK-Pro 73, Yamaha YC-73, Mainstage, Yamaha U1 Upright

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Can anyone recommend a sturdy stand which goes down to less than 60cm (23") - I don't think z stands would work, and I'd prefer not to have to use double X (too much movement), unless someone knows a particularly sturdy one.

Peter

 

I"ve been using this stand as it gets fairly low and gives the rd-88 a pretty good playing height. Also the rubbers guards/stoppers are adjustable so it keeps the keyboard in place.

 

Hercules KS110B EZ-Lok X-Shaped Single Keyboard Stand

 

Thanks. I'll check that one out, and perhaps the double-braced one. I think this might actually be an unforeseen problem for some of us when (hope) we get back to gigging.

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Actually I would recommend this stand because the rubbers are adjustable. The width of the RD-88 Is fairly small. The wider the keyboard stand, the harder it is for the rubber to actually grip the RD-88, unless they have a double braced keyboard stand that is slim at the width and adjustable rubbers guards/grips.
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I just saw something interesting and unexpected in the manual... you can select a low release point. There is a "Key Off Pos" parameter (adjustable per patch):

 

STND (STANDARD) - Note-off will occur at the depth of a conventional piano.

DEEP - Note-off will occur at a deeper position. This is suitable for electric piano sounds

 

The SV1 had a lower than typical release point, I noticed it made clav playing feel more snappy, and while I wasn't conscious of it, maybe it's part of what makes the EPs play so nicely too. I really like the idea of this as a selectable option.

 

Another discovery: The RD-88 contains ALL the tones built into the new Fantom, except for the V-Piano and drum tones. (The RD-88 also contains some of its own tones that are not in the Fantom.)

 

I have not been wild about recent Roland Rhodes samples however, although I can imagine that the RD 2000 has pretty good Rhodes. Hopefully this transfers over to the RD88.

I haven't tried the RD2000, but I agree about Roland sampled Rhodes sounds... I've never really been taken by them, even in their dedicated SRX EP expansions or the SuperNatural implementations on the Jupiter/Integra. But they do say the RD-88 has "newly developed SuperNATURAL pianos and electric pianos" -- and I hear some promising sounds in the demo at

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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The ability to load the SRX-based expansions into the RD88 (and Jupiters) surprised me. I'll be even more surprised if they end up loadable into th AX-Edge, which they've said is going to be updated to support zencore patch exchange compatibility. I wonder how many of the expansions can simultaneously be loaded into each of these models.

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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I believe for the Jupiter X, you can load 2 expansions. They are not free but are $20 each USD, which is pretty reasonable. But... they're old sounds. I moved on from the SRX pianos and EPs about 14 years ago, I recall. I think these are even a step backwards from the SN sounds in the Jupiter 80 and the FA series, to be honest if those are the sounds you are after.

Yamaha U1 Upright, Roland Fantom 8, Nord Stage 4 HA73, Nord Wave 2, Korg Nautilus 73, Viscount Legend Live, Lots of Mainstage/VST Libraries

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