Hi, first of all let me just say i have been a long time lurker here (first time poster) and I must thank you for all the great information this forum provides.

Basically I need a portable(ish) digital piano and have decided that the fp-7 is the best for my needs. However Ive got a couple of questions about its action, and would be very glad if you could help.

I've never had a chance to play the PHA-II action on the fp-7 but have played the PHA-II with Escapement and ivory feel on one of their console pianos and loved it. I'm curious as to how noticable the difference will be on the fp-7's action. I know they are both technically PHA-II actions but how significant are the differences? (given that the fp-7 has been out a lot longer, is it really the same action?). It would be great if someone who has played both could give me their opinion.

Finally, though the fp-7 doesn't have the "ivory feel", does anyone know how the keys compare to the rather slipy very plasticky keys on the previous generation of roland pianos (HP10x)? Have they improved the surface at all?

Thank you very much. Any help would be most appreciated

You should note that the very best keyboard
that Roland offers, the one on the RD-700SX,
does not have either escapement or ivory
feel, which should give you an indication
of the value of these features.

You're apparently taking the PHA-II with
escapement and ivory feel as some kind
of standard and then looking at the PHA-II
without escapement and ivory feel as the
standard with its "heart and soul ripped
out." But that would hardly be the case,
and the FP-7 action should be quite good.

Thank you for your reply...

No, i didn't mean to sound down on the fp-7, im sure the action is still excellent, and would expect the differences to be subtle at best. But I was just interested to hear from someone who had played both as to just how significant the extra bells-and-whistles are in playing.

Also, isn't the RD-700SX the top of the line of the previous generation of Roland actions (namely PHA-I)? It also struck me how almost all of the new roland actions, apart from the FP's and the lowest of the HP series are now including escapement simulation. Especially the RD-700GX. Roland seems to be making a big deal out of both the escapement and the ivory touch, so much so that they see fit to include it in their latest top of the line model.

thank you

If I remember right, the FP-7's action is the same as on several of the consoles. It felt very similar to me when I was shopping for my FP-7 which I ended up buying. compared with the consoles available in my area.

The key feel is good - not identical to real ivory, nor to Yamaha and other maker's acoustic grands with very nice keys, but still good. I would not describe it as slippery, and I always feel, everytime that I play it, that after about .5 seconds I forget that I'm playing on keys that are presumably mostly plastic.

One thing I dont like too much about the FP7 action is the way it bottoms out with quite a hard landing which also has quite a thunk sound so if youre playing quietly you can hear it or if loudly the people downstairs can hear it.This aspect also seems a bit hard on my hands after playing for a while.
Im hoping the PAH II with escapement might have a softer landing.
Anyone know if this is true?

The surface of the FP7 keys is the same polished plastic as on most all other digi pianos.
When it fist came out I remember some one erroniously posted here (on main the FP7 thread) that it had "ivory feel" keys proving that you should allways check out thing first hand.

You're right that the RD-700SX is an older generation, and irrelevant to the discussion as to the desirability of ivory feel and escapement.

I get a chance to sit at an FP-7 a couple times a week. I notice a small difference in feel between that and my DP-990 (PHAII w/escapement), and believe the escapement is not that big a deal.

I have played with the ivory-feel keys on the HP207 and RD-700GX (GX as opposed to SX) at NAMM and Musikmesse. I love the feel. However, they seem to reserve the ivory-feel feature for their top-of-the-line models. For that reason, I considered it a luxury feature that I'll simply have to live without.

You should find the FP-7 action to have the most important aspects of mimicking a real piano. It certainly will not give you the playing satisfaction of an HP207. I feel like the joy of playing the top-of-the-line models is in its complete packaging, and not simply the sum of its features.