Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards buying a stage piano for the best "grand piano sound"

+1

Beno's da man !!!!

Nope but it is another thing it can do that most stages can't.
I can't imagine many people using it as a feature however the RD has a lot of patches and whiles the organs and EP's are not exactly first class the pads, strings and synth patches are excellent.

To me the actions of the 700NX and FP7 feel different, though not a lot. It may have something to do with how they're bedded in different boards. I can also accept the possibility that the seeming difference is all in my head.

The difference between RD (700NX) and FP (7F) action is just the key surface. The actions are mechanically identical. FP has a whiter - and probably more resilient - fake ivory key covering and the key assembly is all one colour. RD has the fake wood colour underneath a slightly more textured fake ivory surface. Any other perceived difference is just to do with the chassis or structure of the slab itself or of course any settings that may be different such as touch curve or offset etc.

Version 2 of the RD700-NX has the same keybed as the FP7-F. The all white keys and more resilient ivory touch have been introduced across both boards due to complaints about the original keybed of the FP7-F and RD700-NX. (Ivory Touch rubbed off for example)

I haven't seen one reference to wearing keys on FP-7F. I owned a very early one and the keys were whiter than other PHA-III keys with a slightly smoother texture too.

I would be surprised if exactly the same keys were now on RD-700NX - surely it still has the wood coloured under structure to the keys?

I've owned both.

Nord Piano 2. It sounds much better live, it's lighter, has free piano and sample libraries, has better string/sympathetic resonance implementation, etc etc etc, need I say more?

Where did get this information? Isn't Version 2 just a software update? Roland doesn't say anything about replacing the keyboard on their website.

One thing that I don't see talked about around here very much is mono-compatibility. If you're shopping for something that you intend to use LIVE on stage you should check to see how it sounds though a single speaker in mono. Not all digital pianos are created equal when it comes to this. Just my $.02

Very good point Mike.

This is one of my criticisms of the Nord piano sounds - they sound fantastic in stereo (especially through headphones), but when summed to mono or just played using one channel, suffer terribly.

I applaud Casio for considering the importance of a piano patch that still sounds good in mono - these intelligent moves will be greatly appreciated by gigging players.

I'm just curious though, can you explain a little more about how the PX-5S will function in mono? Is it using some clever summing algorithms, or are there separate mono versions of the stereo patch?

Cheers,
James
x

Obviously mono compatibility has to do with a lot of things that are done during the sampling process. Mic placement that sounds great in stereo can cause all kinds of phase cancellation problems when summed to mono.

They PX-5S (in its current beta software state) has two Mono grand piano sounds. We tested them at NAMM through the PA when we found them and they sounded great. No dramatic change in tone or character. If I were to guess they've summed them somehow.

On the "synthy" side (Hex Layers) of the PX-5S you can grab each of the four layers of the piano samples, including the left and right side separately. I'll have to try variations between using just the Left or Right vs using Both at the same time and without panning to see if I can figure what they've done.

The Nord Pianos have a mono summing feature. I run stereo at some gigs, but often times I run mono and it sounds good.

Just make sure you advertise it well. No point in having a great piano feature if no one really knows why it is better than the competition. Marketing is important. I hope the PX-5S sells well, it looks like a great piano.

these days I run my boards in stereo...

The Nord pianos are very good, if you loved it you should get it. I actually bought a Stage 2 sight unseen but sent it back as the feel was just too light.

You'll find afficionados for every piano you named though. If the Nord Piano made your heart leap I see no reason not to get one. It's a very respectable instrument.

Just remember to also budget for some high-quality powered monitors, stands, and headphones. That can add another $1000 to the purchase...