nadroj Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 I'm liking the MFX knob they've added, as well as the rest of the updated UI. Looks much sleeker than the 700. A possible upgrade then. Exciting. Hammond SKX Mainstage 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
area51recording Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 .....I know, right? this is an inexcusable waste of precious precious bandwidth.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana. Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 .....I know, right? this is an inexcusable waste of precious precious bandwidth.... Thanks for contributing to it with your comment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allan_evett Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 That piano sound IS distinctly, ahem, 'retro'. I think EJ would probably like it. And now we have upright pianos as well. Will be interesting to hear those. Between the ep's in the CP Series (especially The CP4), and these new, RD uprights the competition is nibbling a bit at Nord, it would seem. At 47 lb. the RD-800 is a slight improvement, weight-wise; at least Roland has the weight down near that of the RD-300NX now . Still a long 'board though. Might've been a good idea to revisit the above-the-keyboard pitch/mod wheels - as found on the A-90, and skip that paddle. Sound-wise, I'll need to hear more than a talked-through, quickie demo of some piano sounds. A more comprehensive, pro demo - when available - will help a lot. Sounds like a cool, new flagship piano on 'paper', though. Lots o' tweakability, plus the usual inclusion of a very serviceable synth engine. Looks good, as well. 'Someday, we'll look back on these days and laugh; likely a maniacal laugh from our padded cells, but a laugh nonetheless' - Mr. Boffo. We need a barfing cat emoticon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana. Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Between the ep's in the CP Series (especially The CP4), and these new, RD uprights the competition is nibbling a bit at Nord, it would seem. I can assure you Nord isn't breaking a sweat, least of all about these new uprights. In that area, Nord is untouchable. Roland's Frankenstein approach to pianos is the new Triple Strike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orangefunk Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 It would be great if Nord could come out with something that improves the transitions in velocity response. In terms of pure sound though they for me are unbeatable atm. Lets hope for a Stage 3 next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allan_evett Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Between the ep's in the CP Series (especially The CP4), and these new, RD uprights the competition is nibbling a bit at Nord, it would seem. I can assure you Nord isn't breaking a sweat, least of all about these new uprights. In that area, Nord is untouchable. Very true about the uprights - especially with Roland's history of pianos sounding rather clean and modern. And there is no upright in the CP4; wish Yamaha would get on the ball with that. But the ep's in the CP4 - especially the Rhodes tones - are quite competitive with those in the Stage 2. Though that new, Nord 'amped Wurli' is very impressive. 'Someday, we'll look back on these days and laugh; likely a maniacal laugh from our padded cells, but a laugh nonetheless' - Mr. Boffo. We need a barfing cat emoticon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana. Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Very true about the uprights - especially with Roland's history of pianos sounding rather clean and modern. And there is no upright in the CP4; wish Yamaha would get on the ball with that. But the ep's in the CP4 - especially the Rhodes tones - are quite competitive with those in the Stage 2. Though that new, Nord 'amped Wurli' is very impressive. Considering Yamaha makes uprights, I'm mystified as to why they've never sampled their U series. Seems like a no-brainer. Regarding the Rhodes sounds in the CP4, I find them to be a very different flavor than Nord's Rhodes -- more complementary than competitive -- so a comparison of the two is more about preference. I would give Nord the edge on vibe though; and it's worth noting Yamaha doesn't offer a Sparkle Top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
area51recording Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 .....I know, right? this is an inexcusable waste of precious precious bandwidth.... Thanks for contributing to it with your comment. No problem at all my man.....happy to help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adan Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 I really like the action and dynamic response on the 700X, so will be interesting to see if this is an improvement. But first impressions are that the RD800 is very weak competition for the CP4. Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro Home: Vintage Vibe 64 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brettymike Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Sometimes the SuperNATURAL® cannot be seen. Just found this , thanks for the laugh chief! . Brett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Very true about the uprights - especially with Roland's history of pianos sounding rather clean and modern. And there is no upright in the CP4; wish Yamaha would get on the ball with that. But the ep's in the CP4 - especially the Rhodes tones - are quite competitive with those in the Stage 2. Though that new, Nord 'amped Wurli' is very impressive. Considering Yamaha makes uprights, I'm mystified as to why they've never sampled their U series. Seems like a no-brainer. Regarding the Rhodes sounds in the CP4, I find them to be a very different flavor than Nord's Rhodes -- more complementary than competitive -- so a comparison of the two is more about preference. I would give Nord the edge on vibe though; and it's worth noting Yamaha doesn't offer a Sparkle Top. Either the YUS-5 or U-3. They have nice tone. I preferred the older Kawai but they softened the action on the new Kawai because they were losing sales to Yamaha because of it. They all play about the same now. "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bif_ Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Rd700nx is not that old. Roland years are like dog years. The way they bring out/re-package old technology, their new stuff becomes obsolete pretty fast. Kurzweil Forte, Yamaha Motif ES7, Muse Receptor 2 Pro Max, Neo Ventilator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mal7 Posted January 15, 2014 Author Share Posted January 15, 2014 I was hoping for a much lighter and shorter version of the 700 (Similar to Nord or CP4) Looks like I'll be keeping my rd700GX and using the 76 note stage 2 for hard to load gigs I still prefer the Roland action and interface to the Nord though. Hopefully a Nord stage 3 in a few days Roland RD700GX with Supernatural piano expansion, Nord Stage 2, Hammond SK1, Receptor VIP running Ivory Steinway 11, Galaxy Vintage D, Lounge Lizard and Scarbee Rhodes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nadroj Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 For anyone who's not seen, there are a couple of demo vids on Keyboard mag's first look article. http://www.keyboardmag.com/article/roland-fa-08-and-rd-800-first-look/153803 Hammond SKX Mainstage 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kawai James Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Supposedly has V-Piano technology on board. Well, I believe the key phrase here is derived from, which could mean anything really. I preferred the older Kawai but they softened the action on the new Kawai because they were losing sales to Yamaha because of it. They all play about the same now. CEB, are you referring to Kawai's acoustic or digital actions? Either way, I wonder what you're basing this claim on. Anyway, I rather like the look of this new RD - especially the light-up knobs. I preferred the brushed metal finish of the previous generations, though - this new matte finish reminds me of a Korg, somehow... How many upright piano sounds are available I wonder? Cheers, James x Employed by Kawai Japan, however the opinions I express are my own. Nord Electro 3 & occasional rare groove player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Paxton Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Still a long 'board though. Might've been a good idea to revisit the above-the-keyboard pitch/mod wheels - as found on the A-90, and skip that paddle. Yeah, I'm surprised they didn't hype that a bit more: "Now only four inches longer than it needs to be!! (Down from seven on the 700 series!)" Oh, and I loved the guy who was raving about the fact that you can "go in there on the fly" and change elements of the sound in real time. I'm really glad he got to try one of these out since, given his level of excitement at the very concept of real time performance controls, it's apparently the first new digital piano he's played in about 20 years. I'm trying to imagine any advantage this has over the CP4. Weight? Nope. Price? Nope. AP sound quality? Not going by anything we've heard so far. EP sound quality? Based on available data, not even close. Action? No way to know, and Roland's action does have its fans... but if that's all it has going for it, that's a hard sell. With the obvious caveat that you can't tell much from a video, that one did exactly nothing to excite me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Real pianos. I don't feel much difference between a new K-5 and the Yamaha U series. Now the old kawai BLs from the 70s was a firm action where you could really build a foundation and have a ton of control over dynamics .... But I've always been a Kawai and Baldwin guy. "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherScott Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 I'm trying to imagine any advantage this has over the CP4. Weight? Nope. Price? Nope. AP sound quality? Not going by anything we've heard so far. EP sound quality? Based on available data, not even close. Action? No way to know, and Roland's action does have its fans... but if that's all it has going for it, that's a hard sell. The SN piano sound has its fans, too. But feature-wise, one thing that comes to mind is that the Roland has some semblance of a clonewheel engine in it. 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. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana. Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Haha. The organ on the RD couldn't be a bigger non-factor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 I really enjoyed dB's demo video! Nice work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allan_evett Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 I really enjoyed dB's demo video! Nice work! That's more of what I wanted to see and hear. Enjoyed the demo, dB ! To update a previous observation: While the SN pianos and ep's have always had a particular, out-of-the-box gloss, tone-wise (at least to my ears), the capability to tweak and customize looks a bit more advanced with this RD. I heard a few sounds in the demo that offered a less shiny, more worn-'n-dated vibe; that's very cool. Will be fun to see how RD-800 owners customize their instruments. I do like the fact that the SN Tonewheel engine makes use of the long-standing, RD slider control for drawbars tweaks. Granted it's a slight juggle having to jump between two sets of sliders, but it's definitely a useable clone engine for jobbing; and with some editing can be made to sound surprisingly competitive. While I can get more greasiness and grit from the Kronos' CX3 (OS 2.1), the edited, JP50 TW Live Sets I've saved have worked very well in particular settings. 'Someday, we'll look back on these days and laugh; likely a maniacal laugh from our padded cells, but a laugh nonetheless' - Mr. Boffo. We need a barfing cat emoticon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
16251 Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 AP sound quality? Doesn't Roland sample Steinway? AvantGrand N2 | ES520 | Gallien-Krueger MK & MP | https://soundcloud.com/pete36251 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tusker Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 I really enjoyed dB's demo video! Nice work! Yeah, great chops and he's so passionate about music. Every time Dave demos a board, I want to buy one but I also learn something about keyboarding. He should do an instructional vid. I was wondering if the "other" sounds in the RD are more PCM than they are in the FA? Or am I imagining things? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundown Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 CP4 is the axe to beat. There's just something about the Rolands that doesn't sit right with me. Sundown Working on: The Jupiter Bluff; Driven Away Main axes: Kawai MP11 and Kurz PC361 DAW Platform: Cubase Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I liked the RD-500. "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Diving Act Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Alas.. I kicked the shit out of my RD500. When I toured with it I used to bust hammers on it frequently.. I don't know if this was a common problem. When I would drop hammers mid set.. I would turn the board off and back on.. Avoid the key for the set.. And would open up the chassis during breaks and crazy glue the hammers weight mechanisms back together. Good to go for next set. I haven't owned another RD since then but I do enjoy the piano sound on the newer models. I liked the RD-500. Jay www.soundcloud.com/high-diving-act www.yournewneighbors.com www.mclovinmusic.com Nord Stage 3 Compact, Korg Krome EX, Novation Summit, Roland RD88 & Edge, Spectrasonic Keyscape Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 That was actually pretty common and was more an issue when they got older. Glue fix never lasted long it was best just to install replacements. "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allan_evett Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 The RD-500's were true workhorses, and I saw my share with the crap kicked out of them. I remember seeing players carting RD-500's and RD-600's around the Nashville bar scene - when I did some playing down there in 1996, 2000, and 2001. Out of roughly a dozen RD-500's, I saw perhaps one that had all of its keys. Most players I met in town could switch keys around on a break - especially if they lost an 'important' one during a set. I had an RD-600 around that time; that was a very cool DP, and I liked the 2-zone MIDI control setup. Did see a couple of those missing keys, but it wasn't as crazy as with the RD-500. Some of those needed a lower partial; I can well relate.. 'Someday, we'll look back on these days and laugh; likely a maniacal laugh from our padded cells, but a laugh nonetheless' - Mr. Boffo. We need a barfing cat emoticon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanL Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 It sounds like the 500 and 600 were pieces of crap if the keys always broke! Live: Korg Kronos 2 88, Nord Electro 5d Nord Lead A1 Toys: Roland FA08, Novation Ultranova, Moog LP, Roland SP-404SX, Roland JX10,Emu MK6 www.bksband.com www.echoesrocks.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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