I am currently torn between the ES-6 and the FP-7.

I have tried the yamaha P-85, Korg SP-250, Casio PX320 and Roland FP-4 but the ES-6 and FP-7 are the two that I'm down to and I'm getting a little confused.

When I play on one I think I dig it's sound and feel best, then I move to the other and think maybe I like that one better... and so it goes for about another 2 hours, stopping only to go downstairs and have a play on the Nord and MP8 MK2, before coming up to repeat the process.

The action is very different between them the Kawai softer than the Roland. The roland reminds me of my mums piano from childhood, quite a definite almost clunky (in a nice way) action whereas the Kawai seems more subtle. Both feel nice to me.

The piano sounds although different in timbre, seem similar in quality. The other sounds I didn't do a very good job comparing as there is not a like for like menu system between them.

I did notice on some of the organ and voice options on the Roland that the lower keys produced very quiet sounds or not at all compared to the level of sound coming out of the rest of the keys. But then maybe this can happen if someone has set it up a certain way?

I haven't looked at a digital "piece of furniture" as I need something that I can take to gigs, be they acoustic ones, or through a PA and also something I can use as a midi device for music editing in Logic (mac).

Because it's been so long since I've played a piano I have forgotten what feels good/right/familiar or what my style is which I think is why I'm struggling with the indecision because they both seem to have their merit.

I am looking for a keyboard with predominantly great piano and organ sounds and also hopefully the strings and voices won't make your toes curl.

Any advice or experiences with either appreciated.

Many thanks
Angela

use reverse thinking..rule out the ones you DON'T like first
it will make the job easier..if they are too heavy to gig with
they they automatically come off the list.. just my 2 cents

Hi Bob Newbie, thanks for your post.

Yep, done that. Now just down to the last two. The Kawhai ES-6 and the Roland FP-7. It's just those two that I'm struggling between.

I probably confused things by saying I went downstairs to play the Nord and MP8 MK2... but that was just for giggles and to take a break from the serious testing as both out of my league.

I`ve tried both keyboards although not on the same day. Both keys are really good, I don`t think you can go wrong with either of them. I keep saying (like many others) that touch feeling and sound feeling is quite personal - of course, in certain limits. This is the case when there`s no common consensus on which keys are undoubtedly better. I really like ES-6 sound, even more than Roland`s, but the touch is decent for me in both candidates (although each model has nuances that you`ve mentioned). FP-7 is more flexible in adjusting velocity (100 levels vs 4 in ES-6). It also has more sounds on board, not sure if you need them, as well as .WAV playback. Otherwise the keyboards are pretty much similar. So follow your heart or just flip a coin.

Or! what you can do is, instead of flipping a coin is ask your very best friend to say either one or two. you assign each piano to one of the numbers and if he e.g. says 2 then it becomes the Roland, but then once you have bought it you change your mind then you can blame him and your guilt feeling will be all on him. not a coin wchich you used to pay for your unsuccessful piano.

Although both seem pretty much the same. im going to flip a coin now - tails = Kawai, heads = Roland.... its a euro so the head is then the 1 euro thing LETS GO = Heads, Heads, Tails so i would go for...
the one you think is best!

Thank you Max.

Oblacone... What do you currently play, and why did you choose it? I hope you get your Kawai CA18 soon.

I thought I'd read on this forum somewhere that the Roland FP-7 couldn't be used as a midi controller, but I cannot now find the link to clarify this.

Does anyone have any experience using either the Roland FP-7 or Kawai ES-6 as a midi controller?

Many thanks

sproutmonkey,

FP-7 does have a midi out to let you control other MIDI equipment, and you can set this up from the FP-7 menu if needed. You can also do this thru the USB port if by MIDI you meean a computer based set up.

Thierry

well i would believe that the FP-7 is a bit better as a midi controller but thats only because it looks like it has more buttons. the more the better :P choose what? the price of the Kawai ES 6 is cheaper than the Fp-7 so if you're wanting something cheaper than the Kawai is good. even if the Kawai is cheaper it doesnt mean that it's worse. e.g. the Yamaha CLP 370 is SUPER expensive to me but the specs compared to the Kawai CA 71 would be similar and it is way cheaper.. i think.

To be honest i would go for the Roland FP-7 because there are a lot of users here that has it, it is a very good Stage piano and you'll probably be happy about it. the kawai is the same though but not to many has it = less help maybe.

I hope i get my Kawai CA-18 soon too i am aiming to get it 15th mai

Oh and i Play a Kawai RX-2 AT II and a M-Audio Keystation 88es and a Yamaha P140, the P140 is not mine though Im just borrowing, but i love it.

Sproutmonkey, will you be playing a lot at night (in headphones)? I suggest you to compare keyboards in terms of mechanical noise they have. FP-7 keys are kinda loud mechanically (when turning piano off), so this noise alone can be annoying for people around while you are playing in headphones. I haven`t tested ES-6 for this, may be somebody can comment.

Yamaha`s keyboards are generally less noisy than Roland`s or Kurzweill`s.

That's a nice selection of boards Oblacone. Yes, the Kawai costing less is something to bear in mind, although I'm happy to spend a little extra on the right thing. I'll be using it alot and possibly won't get the opportunity to make another purchase for a while.

Initially I even considered a secondhand MP8 MK2 that was selling at a very reasonable price... but portability is a big issue for me on my own and also not having in-built speakers make it less suitable for acoustic gigs.

Thanks for the note on key noise Max as I will be doing a lot of practice at unsociable hours. 6-7am and 9-12pm type thing.

I was very impressed by the bass reflex speakers on the ES6
(youtube recording) how was the action.. easy/hard?

Roland and Kawai feels different in terms of action.
I personally like rolands better, because roland action is more softer, but more important things is, roland action feels softer when you hit the bottom. On kawai its like hitting to a wall.
After playing a kawai for 15 minutes, my fingers felt a little bit tired, but playing a roland a couple of hours is possible without any pain.

So which one is it? will it be the Kawai or will it be the Roland... a decision of a lifetime... no regrets, no money back, no chance to look back! What will happen next!


... i think... that which ever one you pick, you wont regret. But I(a big kawai fan!) think you should go for the Roland because its got a lot of good feedback, and i have never looked at it and still i hear other people say OMG I just love my new roland fp7...so! its up to you! cant you maybe just ask for a trade? or something at least if youre not satisfied with the roland you could maybe sell it for the price of the KAwai! just a though late at night

Decision of a lifetime indeed.

I'll be going into town again this week to have another play on both of them. It's great to have all this feedback from the board to take into consideration when I play them.

Funnily enough, I thought the Kawai had softer action than the Roland, so I was very interested to read kaanengin's post. I'm looking forward to seeing what they feel like when I go back.

And also play around more with the organ, string and chorus sounds. I find it hard to compare these as different piano's have different samples, names and menu setups so it's difficult to do a like for like comparison.

I don't suppose anyone is able to shed some light on why some of Rolands organ/strings/chorus samples were so quiet or didn't seem to make a sound at all on the lower keys? This was not the case on the Kawai.

Well you know the feel of the keys is all up to you, what you like might not be what others like, like some people like marzipan (i dont but my brother does) and i like a heavy touch whilst my brother likes a light touch and then you have the definition of what you like which is odd because it confuses me.. why can someone like the same weight but different piano??? its all lost in space somewhere.

about the roland sound stuff,... i think you should search a bit here in the forums, i think it has been discussed before. i dont know too much about all the flip flop buttons but there iis some split mode thing where you can choose the balance of the sounds... if i am right, this will make one side lower than another.. but i dont know, thats just a unclear flashback.

Hi Oblacone

I guess I'm not experienced enough yet to know what weight I like. I've only just started playing again.

They both feel good and I can sense the difference, but I don't know what I prefer. I'm sure if I had been playing for some time I would have developed a playing style and preference for keys.

Marzipan is fine, but only if it's on christmas cake

Thanks for the info about the split mode thing, that might be the reason. I'll do a search.

I found this YouTube video with the ES6:




Peace.

/Richard

I see FP-7 selling for $1,895.00 at most places. What is the price of the ES-6 in the US. I cannot find it anywhere online.

Once again the Bass is great on the ES-6 I just noticing a sparkle in the highs as well.. nice!

ES-6 was slightly above 2K at my nearest KAWAI store couple of months ago; I think it is negotiable. I saw brand new sealed in a box FP-7 with a price tag less than 1,500 in one of the stores (Houston).

I was recently strongly considering the Kawai ES-6. Fell for the higher end Roland RD700SX (got one on closeout pricing). My final 4 were the ES-6, the KAWAI MP5 (essentially the same sounds but more of a midi controller and without speakers), a Casio PX-320, the Roland RD700 series or 300, even tried the FP4 (I know that more than 4 finalists)

My assessment: Kawai ES-6 and MP5 have greater piano touch and the finest sound. Did not - like the bass on the Kawai's. Since I use split often, in this case my voting leaned toward Roland (deep rich acoustic bass). I have had several Roland keyboards, and most recently an FP5. This stuff is rugged. I went with the RD700SX since it had the rugged attribute, better bass, and although the piano sound was not quit as good as Kawai, the action (although different) was comprable
- to me being able to lightly touch the keys and get a delicate sound is big. For many keyboards, you tend to drop into the note when you touch the keys - Not good.

I did specifically try an ES-6 and FP-7. The FP7 is notably more costly, and has a lighter action than the ES-6, and between these two I think the piano sound, and action vote would go to KAWAI - but would need to consider Roland reliability (I have no idea what that might be for KAWAI)
Otherwise, ES-6 and FP-7 both seem to have a lot of similar funcionality.

As a point of interest, for me, if the Roland RD700SX beast gets too heavy to lug around for gigs (55lbs), the CASIO PX-320 would likely at around 30lbs be the gig keyboard (decent piano sound and action - although not considered the most 'rugged' piano).

I wish I could find ES-6 to try out. I did try FP-7 few times and I like it but I think it's overpriced. How much did you see the ES-6 for when you were comparing them?

FWIW, I own and love a Roland FP5. I've played an FP7 (very briefly in a noisy environment), and like it even better. It does weigh more than I would like for transporting (I don't know how it compares to the ES6).

I would check out key noise when using the headphones. Some people object to my practicing with headphones because the keynoise is noticeable. Also, I'd be concerned with the way the keys bottom out. That is, at the end of key travel, how hard do you hit the bottom. Depending on your style, if you play vigorously you could hit the bottom regularly resulting in fatigue or even physical problems (so I'm told).

If finding the ES6 remains a problem, you may try auditioning the EP3. It may be available at Guitar Center. That would give you both an idea how it feels and how it compares to the Roland. The Kawai dealer locater might help you narrow down your choices, as well. http://www.kawaius.com/nav_links/dealer_locator.htm

Ozzman, good point - depending on where the individual is located, it may be easier to find an EP3 for auditioning the key touch.

Note however that, while the ES6 and EP3 share the same keyboard action, the ES6 is the superior instrument in terms of its tone generating hardware.

Kind regards,
James
x

REMEMBER YOU MUUUUST tell us what you got!

I promise to Oblacone.

I've only gone and confused myself a little more though by wondering if I should go without the built in speakers and get the Kawai MP5 instead. Reason being, I'd love the ES-6, if only it had better organs. Wurly, Hammond, Rhodes etc.

But then that opens up a whole can of worms, in that I've opened up the list of possibilites... Roland RD700GX etc. Mind you that would take it up a jump in price. Again.

I have to make a decision soon as my friend will want his board back.

I love the ES-6 touch and piano samples over the FP-7 but it falls short with the organs.

I don't suppose anyone knows of a keyboard with in-built speakers that has great action/piano/organ all in one that I have missed somehow?

I have a little off topic question. When people write about "after-touch" in their reviews... what does that mean?

I KNOW I WONDER ABOUT THE EXCAT SAME THING! after touch.. sound so professional

I have own the FP-7 for over a year now and the only thing I am conscious of is the noise that the keys generate. When I play with my headphones on my wife goes nuts cos she can hear nothing but does hear the keys!

well there isn't too much that can be done is there?