Gearank High Notes

• 2020.04: Highest Rated 88-Key Digital Piano Under $500

Gearank Performance

The Roland FP10 appeared on our recommended list for Digital Pianos Under $500 from April 2020 until April 2021.

Overview

There's no denying Roland's reputation for musical instrument quality, be it build, sound quality or even playability. The FP piano series has some of their more popular digital pianos, including the FP 30, FP 60.

But among them, the FP-10 is a great example of this with its 88-note hammer action keybed, adjustable touch sensitivity, and the inclusion of Roland's SuperNATURAL piano sound modeling technology.

Sound Engine

The SuperNATURAL sound engine is Roland most recent attempt at making realistic sounding digital models of instruments. The FP 10 comes equipped with this technology.

Keybed

It's not just about getting the sound right, it's also about getting the feel and dynamics as close to an acoustic piano as possible. To get the correct keyboard action and feel, this digital piano is equipped with PHA 4 standard keyboard (Progressive Hammer Action). This means that the weight of the keys are closer to an acoustic piano, with the low notes being heavier than the high notes. It also has good escapement mechanism,

Voices

Tone selection and effects are kept to minimum, with just 10 tones, 4 chorus types and 4 reverb types. The grand piano and acoustic piano sound in particular get a lot of thumbs up.

Connectivity

The limited voicing you can get from this digital piano is contrasted by its wide selection of modern connectivity, including USB and Buetooth. You can even make changes to parameters via a smart phone app. The expression pedal output also supports half pedaling. Note that you'll have to buy the expression pedal separately, and this is a bit of a letdown compared to others in the same price point.

Software

Speaking of app, the Roland FP-10 is compatible with the Roland Piano Partner 2 app, an app that makes it easier to access all the features of the keyboard.

Student Friendly Features

And while this piano is stage and recording worthy, it also comes with student friendly features, one of which is the twin piano mode, which lets the teacher and student play side-by-side in the same octave. And it's relatively more compact compared to acoustic pianos, making it a good fit for most living room setups.

Specifications

• Keys: 88 keys with Ivory and Escapement Feel
• Touch Sensitivity: Adjustable
• Speaker System: 2 x 4.7", 2 x 6W Amp
• Pedal: Sustain Pedal, 1/4" Pedal input
• Presets: 4 Piano tones, 2 Electric piano tones and others
• Effects: 4 x Reverb, 4 x Chorus
• Polyphony: 96 Notes
• Functions: Bluetooth Connectivity, App control, Metronome, Twin Piano Mode
• Audio Output: 1 x 1/4" (dual purpose headphone jack), 1/8" (headphones)
• MIDI I/O: USB (Type A and Type B)
• Power: AC adapter
• Stand: Optional
• Color: White and Black
• Dimensions: 5.5" x 50.5" x 10.1"
• Weight: 27.1 lbs

Demo