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Figure 1. Spectral pan view of the file. The stereo image is obviously fairly collapsed.


Figure 2. Waveform view of the file. It's pretty clear that the sound is compressed (and boosted).

Oooh, cool. So they mono'ed it, compressed it, and upped the volume?

I still don't think that both compression and sound focus each deserved a knob. I'm starting to think that this design was driven by their marketing department rather than engineering.

I've always been amused by how many of these "effects" come from artifacts or distortion. A lot of engineers are trying really hard to get rid of them, and another lot are trying to put them back in.

Technically, it's the opposite - it sounds like you are listening to the piano from a long way way, because it sounds very mono. If you stick your head inside the piano, it will sound MORE stereo than normal. (of course, the piano would never sound that clear when listening from such a great distance)

Does it have a standard mono output as well, in addition to the Sound Focus function? (I assume so)

Greg.

There's 2 outputs for speakers on the back: "R" and "L/mono

When you stick your head into the piano, the whole soundboard is resonating and your ears are drowning in the sound. I maybe that's supposed to make it sound "closer" and thus rise up above the rest of the ensemble?

BTW, the Ivory Feel keys seem to have changed, but I'm not sure. I seem to remember that on the HP-207 I tested two years ago the keys felt more like very fine sandpaper or unglazed porcelain, but on the NX they're more like polished wood (which I prefer). Has anyone else noticed that, or am I imagining things?

Yeah to me they do seem a little smoother than on the 700GX

I also believe roland has changed the ivory-feel keys. Might be their answer to that key-wear-issue.
The sound-focus-feature reduces the stereo width and does some compression/eq-ing. There are different sound-focus types you can choose between (mid-boost, enhancer and some "piano types"). I was not able to achieve the same effect by only using eq, compression and reducing the stereowidth manually. What I don't like is, that using sound-focus makes some sounds noisy. This happens to the e-pianos, when speaker-simulation is off, for example.
Btw., you can control the effects with the control sliders, so the missing mfx-knobs don't seem to be a big problem.

I think it's also because the market for used instruments is more lively in the US than in Europe, so stores have to compete with people trading marginally outdated models at eBay and Craigslist. As soon as a new model is introduced, there's quite a bit of market activity in the US, with some people getting the latest model and selling the one they have, which starts a cascade down the market as everyone upgrades to a model which is slightly better/newer than what they had before. That cycle then repeats every half year or so when there's a new iteration released, just as it is with e.g. new Apple laptops or iPods.

I don't quite see the same thing happen in Europe. In the US, I'd have unloaded the P-85 for a good price when the P-95 came out and gotten that instead, but in Germany the market isn't active enough to start that chain reaction of upgrades. Also, I'd say there's a larger percentage of the population in the US playing an instrument as a hobby than in Europe, so the market of potential buyers/sellers is smaller over here, meaning that stores can demand higher prices because there's less competition. And higher prices keep the market small, so it's self-perpetuating.

And lastly tariffs on imported goods from China are probably higher in the EU than in the US.

Martin

If the e-piano uses distortion, this is essentially gain - which raises the noise floor - followed by a clipping circuit. A speaker simulator is a complex low pass filter. If you turn off this filter and then further compress the distorted e-piano with the sound focus feature you've brought the high frequency noise floor even higher. To operate it in this mode you probably need a noise gate somewhere near the end of the effects chain.

That makes sense, dewster. It's no problem anyway, I'm just having fun turning all those knobs of this nice instrument

RD-700NX
ANOTHER TRYOUT RECORDING WITH BRILLIANT GRAND

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOIpp-SL030

Thanks for that, Acabrita - I enjoyed your improvisatory style. I would also love to hear that piece using a mellower tone! (How about it?)

Be interested in a side by side hand's on comparison with KAWAI MP10 and ... V-Piano.

any one?

B. Michels, may I ask where you are based in Belgium?

Perhaps you would like to consider play testing these instruments for yourself at a Kawai/Roland dealer?

Kind regards,
James
x

I am in brussels

B. Michels,

Pianos Maene appear to stock most - if not all - models from the major brands, including both the Kawai MP10 and Roland V-Piano.

http://www.maene.be

Kind regards,
James

According to the manual there are different sound focus effect types you can choose:

Piano Type1
Limits the volume change produced by variations in your playing touch, and also reduces the sense of stereo, allowing your
sound to be more prominent in the band’s overall mix.
This parameter is effective only with respect to SuperNATURAL Piano.

Piano Type2
Reduces the sense of stereo.
This parameter is effective only with respect to SuperNATURAL Piano.

E. Piano Type
Changes the sound from soft to strikingly unique.
This parameter is effective only with respect to certain SuperNATURAL E. Piano tones.

Sound Lift
Limits the volume change produced by variations in your playing touch.

Enhancer
Controls the harmonic content of the upper range, making your sound more prominent.
* This setting has no effect with respect to SuperNATURAL Piano tones.

Mid Boost
Boosts the mid-range frequencies.
* This setting has no effect with respect to SuperNATURAL Piano tones.

All evidence points to this being the one mah115 had turned up to 11 on the sound clip.

Here's a nice video of the RD700NX in action. Great sounding piano. Just as good as my GXF!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m26Mg2zPJBM&feature=related

For any RD700GX owners who haven't upgraded with the K-RD700GX1 SuperNATURAL card yet, this ought to motivate you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSr1onqpEZk&translated=1

Wow, that certainly demonstrates the improvement - night and day in my estimation.