New Keyboard: Roland RD700

[waelk89]

Hey, I'm an experienced player, I've been playing piano for about 11 years now.
I'm looking to buy a new keyboard, with the peak price being around 2000. My top choice right now is the Roland RD700, which is 2200 at Sam Ash. The main thing I'm looking for is realistic tones and voices. I'm not too big on sampling, so I just want a keyboard that really covers the basics and is good for performance (I accompany choirs, vocal soloists, and a Jazz band).
Does anyone recommend anything else, or know of some other stores that have good keyboards?

Thanks

[Omega Monkey]

I wouldnt buy until you have checked out the Yamaha S90. Those things are freakin sweet.

[-=AnatomiC=-]

You are talking about rd-700sx, right? Well, if I understand your needs correctly, I strongly recommend rd-700sx. It's just great - very very realistic sound, with most powerfull sound engine, with 2 world-class grands with 88-multi sampled sounds, and hammer action. Greate organs and strings.... (218 internal tones). Rd-700sx also provides a great level of realism.
Nice design, (new V-stand is just great), and 12 srx expansion boards (50-500 tones + patches each).
It's a professional tool, so you'll have everything you need to performe on stage or in a band.

In fact, I play piano 12 years and I'm planning to buy me one very soon.

[Asho]

I wouldnt buy until you have checked out the Yamaha S90. Those things are freakin sweet.

Most definently agree with you on that one. I bought an S90ES over a RD-700SX, and im more than satisfied with it.

I bought it for exactly the same reasons as you, realistic voices. The voices are very very realistic, top of the game!

[-=AnatomiC=-]

Sounds of Rd-700sx should be very realistic too.
Roland is specialised on building digital piano's, and with the new technology the are using, (each key is recorden with 4 different forces of impact, and all 88 keys are independently recorded from the best world-class grands, in the best studio, with the best ingeneers) I mean, this just can't get any better.
Rd-700sx is also very user friendly... Many artists use rd series on stage, and the are completly satisfied (I've red some pro-artist reviews) + srx expansion boards just rule...

I would go for Roland.... but I'll take a closer look at s90, and write my opinion later...

[-=AnatomiC=-]

Ok, I've checked different reviews, forums, details on both instruments...
My conclusion: RD's are better "piano's", than s90. RD's are also much easier to use. (rd-700sx is more realistic, hammer action is better, they say)
Ofcourse, s90 has lots of advantages. It's a better "synth", than RD.
It seems, that non-piano sounds are better on s90.
But, if I wanted a synth, I would buy fantom x8.

For me, piano sounds are more important than other sounds. Rd-700sx is a perfect digital piano (my opinion) And it seems, that it has very good organs as well.
And again, if you want to synth sounds, buy a workstation.

So, the big advantages of RD-series: very user friedly interface, stunning piano quality and the action. I would go for rd-700sx. But you will have to see for yourself. One way or another, you will be satisfied and you will regret.

Rd-700sx and s90 are 2 different things, I guess.

[Omega Monkey]

Yamaha's arent any harder to use than Rolands for similar functions. So if a review says one is "easier" its more likely its just not as flexible (which is also the impression I get from reading about the RD compared to the S90). If you are just using presets no keyboard is any harder than any other really. You just push some buttons or spin a dial and thats it. Also, the S90 has dedicated bank and preset buttons right on the front panel, which makes it very easy to get to a specific sound quickly.

As far as the piano sound, you're not going to find anything much better than the S90. Not to mention you can add the PLG-AP card which is basically a dedicated piano engine with its own polyphony and effects, freeing up the S90 engine for layers or whatever). You can also add any of the other PLG cards (up to 3 I think) which include analog modeling, physical modeling, FM, etc... Just this capability alone is enough to put the Yamaha WAY ahead of the RD.

Not to mention, a used S90 will be way cheaper than a new RD.

Find some clips of the S90 and of the PLG cards and see how it sounds for yourself. You wont be missing much (in fact, I dont think you would be gaining things) for the several hundred dollar price difference.

[Asho]

Yamaha doesnt have a progressive action on the S90, but just a nice graded hammer action, which personally i think is much much better than the Rolands. Beside, yamaha have years of experience in making some of the best pianos about.

In terms of sounds, i dont think the Roland is bad at all, its very good, but so is the S90, as are nearly all the sounds on that S90. The S90 has the triple stirke piano sample, and thats something like a 60 megabyte waveform, that is HUGE, and based upon the C700!

The PLG cards offer new features while the SRX cards only offer new sounds, plus its cheaper to have S90 and the cards.