Its quite rare these days to filter out an extraordinary digital piano which delivers more than the price band of the instrument itself.
Some may say my expectation are not realistic at all. But even If you have a little experience you know these types of instruments exist, its just a matter of refined view.
One of such extra ordinary digital piano less than the price it deserves is definitely Roland FP 90 Digital Piano.
However, the price is still high when compared with regular instruments but from a Melophile musician perspective the quality and feel is Amazing.
If you are in search of a professional portable digital piano with high quality sounds and on board speakers then this review may be something which will definitely sort out things for you.
Roland FP 90 is really a remarkable digital piano, designed specifically with wooden and molded materials, which delivers the closest feel to that of an Acoustic Piano.
Mic Input, Digital effects, richer sound with 4 speakers with smart phone connectivity is all the features a pianist need to enhance the playing experience.
Roland has given us a lots of Top Notch keyboards like Roland GO:Keys, Roland FP 30 & FP 10, GO:Piano , RD 2000, RD 800 and lots of other.
Roland FP 90 is loaded with tons of combinational features but hold your horses tight as FP-90 is not for entry level players, its for the symphony masters who knowns what they are doing, with that said, lets start the detailed review.
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Roland FP 90 Features In Detail
Design :
The minimal look of the FP-90 looks modern and well designed.
I’m elated with Roland’s efforts into making the instrument look eccentric and even diviner in musical way.
Housed in a sleek matte-finished case, the Roland FP-90 is a truly versatile instrument. The only limitation one can point out is that the keyboard is quite bulky and hefty.
It is available in two finishes: black and white.
The control panel is made up of 25 buttons and 8 sliders.
The disc shaped buttons are slightly alveolar and pleasingly and gets illuminated along the contour which looks genuinely nice and distinctive.
The small LCD not only adds on to the look but also shows tone name, time signature, tempo and keyboard transposition etc.
Keyboard , Keys and Keyboard Actions :
The keyboard on the Roland FP-90, has an authentic grand piano touch from the PHA- 50 which stands for (progressive hammer action) with the skate bit keyboard which combines wood and molded materials for a great feel and lasting durability.
Recommended Reading : Roland FP 30 Digital Piano Worth Your Money
Each key has beautiful wooden sides which gives them a familiar rigid mass that feels you just right to play.
The PHA-50 has 88 keys with hybrid structure and simulation on the key tops. The keys are very responsive and to my taste have just the upright weight.
The key action very accurately responds to the way you play, summoning the most precise details of your performance.
The escapement feature replicates a slight clicking sensation found in a grand piano.
The Roland FP-90, the flagship of the FP line has the ability to finely adjust touch sensitivity within the 1-100 range. You can also layer or split the keyboard. Overall, I would say the PHA-50 is one of the most pragmatic and gratifying key actions I ever encountered.
Sound Of Roland FP 90 :
A lot of discussion can be done when it comes to the sound of the Roland FP-90.
At the heart of the instrument is Roland’s proprietary, supernatural piano modeling technology, which puts the FP-90 aside from other digital pianos.
The FP-90 also comes with a really nice selection of electric pianos , strings, organs and synth sounds giving new sound options to play nearly any style of music.
It’s easy to adjust the sound balances on-the-fly and once you’ve found or combined your favorite sounds you can then store them into one of 30 user registrations for a quick free call.
Also if you sing there’s a MIC input on the back of the keyboard and it has dedicated vocal effects like compression doubling and reverb that let you get a great vocal sound without any extra gear.
The FP-90 is equipped with on board speakers that are powerful enough to be used as primary amplification and on small venues. (Below is a video demonstrating this)
With the EQ you can easily adjust the sound to fit the venue you’re playing on the FP-90.
You can use Bluetooth to enhance the way you perform in practice.
With built-in Bluetooth wireless support you are able to stream your personal music through the pianos powerful internal speakers.
You are also able to download Roland’s free piano partner 2 app on your phone or tablet.
This provides access to rhythm accompaniments and genres including pop and jazz and blues.
They can even follow the chords you play and it all happens wirelessly via Bluetooth technology.
Effects :
There are diverse sound effects, you can apply to enhance the sound or make it more unique.
You can adjust the ambience using the “Ambience” button, which in turn adds reverb to the sound and make it more realistic.
Further, you can use the headphones 3D ambience effect, which adjusts the sound quality and spacing to provide more immersive listening experience while using headphones.
The equalizer permits you to modify the sound color by reducing certain frequencies.
Speakers :
The on board speakers are a plus point of the Roland FP-90.
The sound system consists of 4 speakers ( 25W+25W*2) and other two are (5W +5W) tweeters designed to accurately reproduce high range frequencies.
The total output power is 60W, which is a typical. The speakers deliver a powerful and rich sound that is loud enough.
This makes FP-90 a very versatile instrument. Nevertheless, the piano did not fail to impress me with its bold sound quality.
Modes :
The FP-90 has two modes that enables a user to use two distinct tones simultaneously.
Dual Mode - Allows two instrument sounds to be layered on top of each other, fabricating a richer and more complex tone.
Split mode - Usually used to divide the keyboard into two parts and play an individual tone in each of them.
The split point can also be adjusted.
A genuinely functional feature that very few digital pianos have is "part sliders".
They entitle you to change the volume balance between the layered tone right as you play, which assists in achieving some amazing and striking effects.
Recording and Playback :
The Roland FP 90 can record your performances in both MIDI and Audio format.
You can even record to USB memory and WAV format and share with others.
The MIDI recorder allows you to record up to ten 1-track songs and store them in internal memory .
The FP-90 will save your MIDI recordings in SMF format.
Roland FP 90 Alternate
The Best Alternative Of Roland FP 90 is Yamaha YDP 164 The Price are a bit lower so don't forget to check it.
My Experience With Roland FP 90 Digital Piano
I can describe my experience in only one word "Fabulous". FP 90 is truly a remarkable keyboard and offers a life changing experience. It is one of the best digital keyboard that I ever played.
So here is a quick look at all of the features and their use.
Also Check : One Of The Best Entry Level Keyboard - Roland FP 10
As a reviewer my primary task is to look for pain point the points which may hinder the overall experience but FP 90 has given a hard time finding it. But here is still couple of them.
Limitations
- There is lack of duo (twin) mode
- Optional accessories are quite expensive
- You won’t be able to record several tracks and play them together as one song
That was a look at the FP-90, a masterstroke from the Roland. The Roland FP-90 has a relatively standard set of features designed for all kinds of music needs and playing situations.
So if you are looking for something which delivers an authentic touch and feel of an acoustic piano than Roland FP 90 is one of the toughest contender that stand tall.
Hope our review of Roland FP 90 helped you in making a better decision.
Till Then,
Keep Playing and Spread Love
