Thanks, Stu, for the great review. I had recently sent Merriam a message asking when the full review was coming and voila! Big fan of your reviews. Have been trying to decide between the FA08 and the RD88 and, after watching your review, I think you’ve made my decision a bit easier (and also saved me a bit of money). Keep up the great reviews.
Hey, which one did you eventually choose? I also can’t decide between these two Roland Fa08 and Roland RD88. I like to make my own music (especially film music) but also record myself singing
I've just ordered an RD88 after doing a lot of research into portable, compact, lightweight and easy to use stage pianos. It certainly offers the best value for money and the features are awesome for the price, not to mention the lovely sounds and great action. The inclusion of pitch bend and modulation wheels, not to mention the fact that that it will actually fit easily in the back of the car sealed the deal with me and I'm really looking forward to receiving it and learning how to use it to its fullest potential. Thanks for the great review and fantastic playing and keep up the great work buddy.
Thanks for tuning in! Stu is an amazing player and we are lucky to have his talents! Congrats on your RD88! It is a wonderful stage piano and I know you will be thrilled with what it has to offer. :)
Thank you again sir!, lol, love your humor! "The number of hours of backbreaking of lugging that RD 2000 through hotel hallways" was just too funny! 😁😄hahahahaha🙏🤗
Agreed - the choice is hard. I always try and remind myself that I'm not trying to buy the best, i'm trying to buy the best FOR ME...which means really thinking about the situations I'll be using it in 90% of the time, and buying the one which fits the best for that situation. And I almost always prioritize action over everything else (but that's a personal preference of mine). Good luck with the shopping!
Merriam Music thanks. I agree. I've always aspired to own a Nord but recently, I've come to think they are overrated and over priced. As a primarily rock/blues/soul player, I've been leaning towards the new Yamaha YC61. I want great organ sounds and drawbars :)
I am Sooooo, over the top Excited that You finally got this (What I have been wanting) RD-88 since Roland released it. Because of the Virus Non if the East Cost Quality music stores either have not been open and or Don't have the RD-88 Either. Can't wait to hear your thoughts about it. Thank You Soooo Much.
My belief is these small slab pianos will sound better and better with each now model that comes out. I have the Roland MKS-20 rack mount piano module which was one of the first decent sounding digital piano voices, but it only has 16 note polyphony, and doesn't sound as good as any of these newer pianos. Remember Yamaha had that portable electric grand piano with short strings, It was a beast to move, and didn't sound very good. I forgot the model number, but it was a big deal for a while. The problem has always been that places like VFW halls could often have a terrible piano.
It does seem as though Roland has a winner here. I wonder how Stu would feel about it compared to the Casio Privia PX s3000? I believe the Casio sells for less, but maybe what ever the Roland costs is well worth it. ruclips.net/video/OvL-zYfKHbE/видео.html www.amazon.com/Casio-Privia-PX-S3000-Digital-Piano/dp/B07N5HYJ6K/ref=sr_1_4?crid=310XCKNK7Q0K8&dchild=1&keywords=casio+px-s3000&qid=1592051388&s=musical-instruments&sprefix=Casio+PX-s300%2Cmi%2C205&sr=1-4 Some of the Casio sounds are very nice. It's a very competitive market. I hope Stu will demonstrate strings being layered under the piano on the RD-88. It's my understanding that the settings can be saved as a "scene."
Internet Privacy Advocate Casio have the problem whereby the lower keys are more heavily weighted than the top line. Black keys also are differently weighted and none of this is by intentional design. See Videos on RUclips.
@@famousatmidnight15 I would say it's very intentional. Casio did it to make the keyboard more compact and light weight. I think we've both seen James take his apart.
Especially for the $$, this board brings a LOT to like about it. It is a (very) lightweight standalone gig or practice board WITH speakers (that you can turn off or on) and it also serves as a great MIDI controller with a very nice weighted keybed that is (once again) lightweight!! You can't go wrong with this board even as just a utility board. BTW it's loaded with >3000 sounds and reeeeeallly nice FX assortment that are editable. Sounds are editable as well.
You are speaking my language. I own the rd2000. Great board, but the weight actually discourages me from “grabbing and going.” It’s been at the church for weeks now because I simply don’t want to bring it home and then have to take it back next week. Been looking hard at this instrument. A downgrade in many ways I suppose (its half the price). Construction quality cant be as good. Action not like the 2000. Layering ability down from 8 to 3. No sliders. But the weight!! If I had this board I would snatch it up every Sunday and bring it back home. And the speakers...you’re now taking about carrying this board to a buddy’s house (under one arm) and plugging in and playing around with acoustic guitars (even bass and electrics at low volume) and not needing to load up the powered speaker rig!
@@marcusvaldes as of now, no. One of biggest drawbacks for me is the power supply. Those things are a drag. Lose it and you’re done...and they are easy to lose. Rd2000 as you know has regular power cord. Also i like sliders. But the weight is still a temptation!!
Man I've been waiting for this. I'm so happy to hear you like it. I play Piannoteq driven by a Casio PX-150. I do love the Pianoteq sound, but I have been looking for a completely self-contained light weight piano that can be moved to other locations besides my own home. Having to lug the computer for Pianoteq and the auxiliary speakers is a pain. The Casio set to touch sensitivity level 2 is good with Pianoteq, but the PX-150 kind of a noisy keyboard. Is there any chance you can test this with the Pianoteq voices and how it does as a virtual piano controller?
One thing I notice watching the video for a second time, there seems to be quite a bit of key thump. It is particularly noticeable with the strings, which by the way sound lovely to me. They are very similar to the old Roland Super JX-10 which was a digitally controlled analog flag ship produced some 20 years ago. As for the key thump, part of it may be that you at times are a pretty aggressive player. Your touch is not exactly light. Do you notice more key thump on the RD-88 than the RD-2000. I'm noticing just now that there is actually a lot of key thump on this Lenovo lap top I'm using. Maybe it's something I'm overly sensitive about, and it exists with all digital pianos. On a true acoustic, you have a solid wood key bottoming out on a felt washer. It seems to me the plastic box of the RD-88 and probably the PX-150 may be amplifying the key thump noise.
Hi! Brent here! There are several ways to do this. You can use the line outs of the piano into a recording interface to capture the audio or, if you want to experiment with different sounds, you can also record the MIDI data as well.
Hia Brent, thank you very much mate, i will have a go with all those ideas, brilliant. By the way i bought the keyboard after watching you review it. I love it. Thank you, Kev.@@MerriamPianos
Guys I played the rd88 at guitar center today. I'm in USA. I love the keyboard and action is finominal. I am disappointed with speakers as I want to maybe play nursing homes or jewelry stores around Christmas time and use the mic. I was messing around and hit the "key touch" button then I adjusted the "Velocity" from "Real" and incremented it up to 100 to 125. You literally get almost twice the volume out of those speakers its actually very loud but keys are very sensitive. But if you now lower the volume a bit it sounds pretty good with still more volume out of those speakers. My question " what the heck did I do?" It must set the key velocity like your slamming down on them when your really not. But is this a legit way to get more volume out of these speakers. Can you guys try this and let me know. I wonder also if this effects the mic volume as well I really want to get on of these puppies Thanks any advice appreciated. Thanks Mj.
Hi MJ! Brent from Merriam Music here! Thanks for tuning in and sharing your insights! We appreciate it. :) The RD88's speakers are definitely a little underpowered and lacklustre when comparing to at-home models like the FP series. However, the vast majority of stage pianos don't have any onboard speakers, so, from that perspective, the RD88 is quite a convenient all-in option. It does make sense what you did in terms of adjusting the key sensitivity and how it impacted the speaker output. The potential for that volume was probably there on the default setting, but would require really hammering on these keys. It sounds like you've found a good potential workaround!
Hi Piano Gabrielo! To my knowledge neither the Casio nor the Roland are capable of presenting 16 distinct multi-timbral parts, unless during Midi File Playback with GM2 sounds (which isn't really what you're asking). The Roland FA-08 can do that, as can the Fantom series, as can the Yamaha and Korg workstations... Generally speaking that feature is normally a workstation type-of-thing.
@@MerriamPianos Thanks for your response. sorry, perhaps I didn't explained well. I meant if they are capable of playing midi files, with up to 15 parts, I need to keep one channel one for playing me self. I don't need they be capable of recording them. I can do that with a computer. T
Stu, does the RD-88 have after touch? In another video, I noticed the Kuzweil Artis does and my Yamaha KX-88 does too. It's important for string and brass sounds. Not necessarily a deal breaker, but it would be nice to know.
@@famousatmidnight15 You can press on the keys after you play them and the keyboard will respond to that pressure. You can assign this pressure data to any parameter you want. You can create volume swells with strings or adjust the filter on a synth sound, or numerous other possibilities.
Always enjoy your reviews . Would like to hear this baby plugged into monitors. I bought a FP60, but really wanted one of these. Roland was slow shipping these out or they were selling out not sure which,but I couldn’t get my hands on one here in the states. I do like the FP60, but wish it had more sounds and features for the money. Sounds like the FP60’s action is the same a the RD88. Looking forward to your indepth review. Can you import other Roland sounds?
Many pop/rock/electronic players do not use sheet music live. Given the nature of the onboard sounds being offered on the RD88, I believe that is the intended context of use. Naturally, the RD88 is more than versatile for a multitude of uses though. :)
![Chino Pacas - Smith (ft. Junior H & Fuerza Regida) [Video Visualizador Oficial]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/BVK6k56X30Y/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks, Stu, for the great review. I had recently sent Merriam a message asking when the full review was coming and voila! Big fan of your reviews. Have been trying to decide between the FA08 and the RD88 and, after watching your review, I think you’ve made my decision a bit easier (and also saved me a bit of money). Keep up the great reviews.
Hey, which one did you eventually choose? I also can’t decide between these two Roland Fa08 and Roland RD88. I like to make my own music (especially film music) but also record myself singing
I've just ordered an RD88 after doing a lot of research into portable, compact, lightweight and easy to use stage pianos. It certainly offers the best value for money and the features are awesome for the price, not to mention the lovely sounds and great action. The inclusion of pitch bend and modulation wheels, not to mention the fact that that it will actually fit easily in the back of the car sealed the deal with me and I'm really looking forward to receiving it and learning how to use it to its fullest potential. Thanks for the great review and fantastic playing and keep up the great work buddy.
Beautiful playing. Make you want to buy it now. He has a great knowledge of the rd88
Damn! You can play brother. Loved your reviews on this. Just got one on sale today!
Thanks for tuning in! Stu is an amazing player and we are lucky to have his talents! Congrats on your RD88! It is a wonderful stage piano and I know you will be thrilled with what it has to offer. :)
Thank you again sir!, lol, love your humor! "The number of hours of backbreaking of lugging that RD 2000 through hotel hallways" was just too funny! 😁😄hahahahaha🙏🤗
Stu is awesome! Fantastic player. Fantastic educator/reviewer. And one heckuva comedian too! ;)
@@MerriamPianos 👍Gifted!
There's so many great keyboards out these days. It's so hard to decide what to buy.
Agreed - the choice is hard. I always try and remind myself that I'm not trying to buy the best, i'm trying to buy the best FOR ME...which means really thinking about the situations I'll be using it in 90% of the time, and buying the one which fits the best for that situation. And I almost always prioritize action over everything else (but that's a personal preference of mine). Good luck with the shopping!
Merriam Music thanks. I agree. I've always aspired to own a Nord but recently, I've come to think they are overrated and over priced. As a primarily rock/blues/soul player, I've been leaning towards the new Yamaha YC61. I want great organ sounds and drawbars :)
I am Sooooo, over the top Excited that You finally got this (What I have been wanting) RD-88 since Roland released it.
Because of the Virus Non if the East Cost Quality music stores either have not been open and or Don't have the RD-88 Either.
Can't wait to hear your thoughts about it.
Thank You Soooo Much.
I’m buying this piano I love it💚
Sounds great! Seems to sound better than FP30. You think it's cause of the sound engine? Thanks!
My belief is these small slab pianos will sound better and better with each now model that comes out. I have the Roland MKS-20 rack mount piano module which was one of the first decent sounding digital piano voices, but it only has 16 note polyphony, and doesn't sound as good as any of these newer pianos. Remember Yamaha had that portable electric grand piano with short strings, It was a beast to move, and didn't sound very good. I forgot the model number, but it was a big deal for a while. The problem has always been that places like VFW halls could often have a terrible piano.
Which is better...casio px s 3000 or rd 88? they both look great...
Watching your videos for some time, and learned a lot from it. Finally bought the Kawai ES-110.
Whoa!!!! That kind of playing can’t be tough
Great video! This board is just so useful and minimalist, perfect!
It does seem as though Roland has a winner here. I wonder how Stu would feel about it compared to the Casio Privia PX s3000? I believe the Casio sells for less, but maybe what ever the Roland costs is well worth it.
ruclips.net/video/OvL-zYfKHbE/видео.html
www.amazon.com/Casio-Privia-PX-S3000-Digital-Piano/dp/B07N5HYJ6K/ref=sr_1_4?crid=310XCKNK7Q0K8&dchild=1&keywords=casio+px-s3000&qid=1592051388&s=musical-instruments&sprefix=Casio+PX-s300%2Cmi%2C205&sr=1-4
Some of the Casio sounds are very nice. It's a very competitive market. I hope Stu will demonstrate strings being layered under the piano on the RD-88. It's my understanding that the settings can be saved as a "scene."
Internet Privacy Advocate Casio have the problem whereby the lower keys are more heavily weighted than the top line. Black keys also are differently weighted and none of this is by intentional design. See Videos on RUclips.
@@famousatmidnight15 I would say it's very intentional. Casio did it to make the keyboard more compact and light weight. I think we've both seen James take his apart.
Especially for the $$, this board brings a LOT to like about it. It is a (very) lightweight standalone gig or practice board WITH speakers (that you can turn off or on) and it also serves as a great MIDI controller with a very nice weighted keybed that is (once again) lightweight!! You can't go wrong with this board even as just a utility board. BTW it's loaded with >3000 sounds and reeeeeallly nice FX assortment that are editable. Sounds are editable as well.
I had a Yamaha s80 back in the day. Great instrument, very, very heavy…
Very nice! :)
You are speaking my language. I own the rd2000. Great board, but the weight actually discourages me from “grabbing and going.” It’s been at the church for weeks now because I simply don’t want to bring it home and then have to take it back next week. Been looking hard at this instrument. A downgrade in many ways I suppose (its half the price). Construction quality cant be as good. Action not like the 2000. Layering ability down from 8 to 3. No sliders. But the weight!! If I had this board I would snatch it up every Sunday and bring it back home. And the speakers...you’re now taking about carrying this board to a buddy’s house (under one arm) and plugging in and playing around with acoustic guitars (even bass and electrics at low volume) and not needing to load up the powered speaker rig!
My thoughts almost exactly as you. Did you buy it?
@@marcusvaldes as of now, no. One of biggest drawbacks for me is the power supply. Those things are a drag. Lose it and you’re done...and they are easy to lose. Rd2000 as you know has regular power cord. Also i like sliders. But the weight is still a temptation!!
Rd88 has no sliders
Exactly my thoughts. Unlike so many of my previous instruments, this one is compact, lightweight and easily fits in the back of the car.
If You compare Roland FP-10 built in loudspeakers vs this machine, which is better?
Thanks, How does this compare to fp60x ?
Do they target different audiences ?
Hi Stu, please do a comparison between this (RD88) and RD08. I don't see much difference other than reduction in scenes and MSRP. what gives??
Hi! Brent here! Sit tight as we are planning to tackle that comparison! ;)
Man I've been waiting for this. I'm so happy to hear you like it. I play Piannoteq driven by a Casio PX-150. I do love the Pianoteq sound, but I have been looking for a completely self-contained light weight piano that can be moved to other locations besides my own home. Having to lug the computer for Pianoteq and the auxiliary speakers is a pain. The Casio set to touch sensitivity level 2 is good with Pianoteq, but the PX-150 kind of a noisy keyboard. Is there any chance you can test this with the Pianoteq voices and how it does as a virtual piano controller?
One thing I notice watching the video for a second time, there seems to be quite a bit of key thump. It is particularly noticeable with the strings, which by the way sound lovely to me. They are very similar to the old Roland Super JX-10 which was a digitally controlled analog flag ship produced some 20 years ago. As for the key thump, part of it may be that you at times are a pretty aggressive player. Your touch is not exactly light. Do you notice more key thump on the RD-88 than the RD-2000. I'm noticing just now that there is actually a lot of key thump on this Lenovo lap top I'm using. Maybe it's something I'm overly sensitive about, and it exists with all digital pianos. On a true acoustic, you have a solid wood key bottoming out on a felt washer. It seems to me the plastic box of the RD-88 and probably the PX-150 may be amplifying the key thump noise.
Hia mate, ive got one of these i love it. Do you know how i could record a tune and upload it to my computer. Thanks, Kev in the UK.
Hi! Brent here! There are several ways to do this. You can use the line outs of the piano into a recording interface to capture the audio or, if you want to experiment with different sounds, you can also record the MIDI data as well.
Hia Brent, thank you very much mate, i will have a go with all those ideas, brilliant. By the way i bought the keyboard after watching you review it. I love it. Thank you, Kev.@@MerriamPianos
I have been waiting for the full review all day 😅 Got mine ordered, but there's a 5 week wait for delivery 1😪
Yeah, there is HEAVY demand for this piano - not surprisingly....SOOO good. You'll love it when it arrives :) -stu
hi! good day. I would like to ask if RD88 has its own built in recorder?
Guys I played the rd88 at guitar center today. I'm in USA. I love the keyboard and action is finominal.
I am disappointed with speakers as I want to maybe play nursing homes or jewelry stores around Christmas time and use the mic.
I was messing around and hit the "key touch" button then I adjusted the "Velocity" from "Real" and incremented it up to 100 to 125. You literally get almost twice the volume out of those speakers its actually very loud but keys are very sensitive. But if you now lower the volume a bit it sounds pretty good with still more volume out of those speakers.
My question " what the heck did I do?"
It must set the key velocity like your slamming down on them when your really not. But is this a legit way to get more volume out of these speakers. Can you guys try this and let me know. I wonder also if this effects the mic volume as well I really want to get on of these puppies
Thanks any advice appreciated.
Thanks Mj.
Hi MJ! Brent from Merriam Music here! Thanks for tuning in and sharing your insights! We appreciate it. :)
The RD88's speakers are definitely a little underpowered and lacklustre when comparing to at-home models like the FP series. However, the vast majority of stage pianos don't have any onboard speakers, so, from that perspective, the RD88 is quite a convenient all-in option. It does make sense what you did in terms of adjusting the key sensitivity and how it impacted the speaker output. The potential for that volume was probably there on the default setting, but would require really hammering on these keys. It sounds like you've found a good potential workaround!
Thanks for this video. I'm hesitating between this one and the Casio Privia PX S3000. Do you know if the Roland RD 88 can play 16 multitimbral parts?
Hi Piano Gabrielo! To my knowledge neither the Casio nor the Roland are capable of presenting 16 distinct multi-timbral parts, unless during Midi File Playback with GM2 sounds (which isn't really what you're asking). The Roland FA-08 can do that, as can the Fantom series, as can the Yamaha and Korg workstations... Generally speaking that feature is normally a workstation type-of-thing.
@@MerriamPianos Thanks for your response. sorry, perhaps I didn't explained well. I meant if they are capable of playing midi files, with up to 15 parts, I need to keep one channel one for playing me self. I don't need they be capable of recording them. I can do that with a computer. T
What a nice bloke. Great review! Roland - how about an RD73?
Stu, does the RD-88 have after touch? In another video, I noticed the Kuzweil Artis does and my Yamaha KX-88 does too. It's important for string and brass sounds. Not necessarily a deal breaker, but it would be nice to know.
Internet Privacy Advocate what’s ‘'aftertouch”?
It does not have aftertouch
@@famousatmidnight15 You can press on the keys after you play them and the keyboard will respond to that pressure. You can assign this pressure data to any parameter you want. You can create volume swells with strings or adjust the filter on a synth sound, or numerous other possibilities.
50 push-ups and 50 bodyweight squats a day will make carrying the RD 2000 a piece of cake :-)
Haha for sure! It is a bit on the heavier side, but it is a heckuva instrument!
Lol:)
Beautiful instrument indeed.
I would really love a 76 keys model of this…
That would be quite cool! With that said, have you checked out the FANTOM-07 model? It's not the same thing, but has some crossover for sure. :)
Are you using the onboard speakers here?
We are taking direct line outs, but you'll be hearing some of the onboard speakers through my mic.
How much it cost???
It has Midi out 5 pin din yes
Muito bom
Always enjoy your reviews . Would like to hear this baby plugged into monitors. I bought a FP60, but really wanted one of these. Roland was slow shipping these out or they were selling out not sure which,but I couldn’t get my hands on one here in the states. I do like the FP60, but wish it had more sounds and features for the money. Sounds like the FP60’s action is the same a the RD88. Looking forward to your indepth review. Can you import other Roland sounds?
Roland RD88
Is made in China or.
Made in Japan?
Does this piano have after touch sensitivity keys?
I’m enjoying the RD-88 but the owner’s manual could be better.
Do you know if is better than three yamaha mx88
@@abiyahstephens2419 I'm not sure. I sold it and got a Yamaha CP88
LOL they ditched sheet music stand-thinking that you don't need one when you are onstage
Many pop/rock/electronic players do not use sheet music live. Given the nature of the onboard sounds being offered on the RD88, I believe that is the intended context of use. Naturally, the RD88 is more than versatile for a multitude of uses though. :)
Sounds False, artificial and I would'nt have one if you gave it to me for FREE. Utter CRAP!!
Tonal preference is a very subjective matter of course. Not every model is for every player. Thanks for tuning in!