As a pianist, it’s always important to buy a piano that will offer you the best experience, such as durability, reliability, and excellent sound. Sometimes it can be difficult to find a good piano – especially if you’re on a tight budget. But luckily today, there are plenty of digital pianos from different reputable brands to choose from. Two of these famous brands are Roland and Yamaha. Most people ask are Roland digital pianos better than Yamaha?
The answer to this question is not straightforward to say because both of these brands compete to provide the best musical instruments in the industry. In this post, we’ll go over the basics about these two brands. We’ll look at the benefits they have to offer, as well as the drawdowns involved in the products that they sell.
Roland
Roland is one of the most famous companies known for making superb pianos – both acoustic and digital pianos. The brand is known to be among the first companies to start making digital pianos back in the mid-70s. Even today, Roland continues to produce some of the best digital pianos on the market. Founded on April 18th, 1972 by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka, the Roland Company has managed to stand the test of time by cementing themselves as a reputable and trustworthy brand by producing high-quality musical instruments.
The company has factories in Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, and the United States of America. They have produced plenty of instruments, which have had a lasting impact on music such as the TB-303 Bass Synthesizer, the Juno-106 Synthesizer, and the TR-808 and TR-909 Drum Machines. The company was also instrumental in the development of MIDI, a standardized means of synchronizing electronic instruments manufactured by different companies.
In 2016, Fact, a UK musical publication, wrote that the Roland Company “arguably did more to shape electronic music than any other company in history.” In the 80s, Roland used microprocessors to program drum machines, and this saw the brand significantly producing top-notch musical instruments that were of great help to musicians.
Pros and Cons of Roland Digital Pianos
So, what are some of the benefits and drawdowns involved in Roland pianos? Check them out below.
Pros
- Roland produces digital pianos that have a unique sound engine known as SuperNATURAL, which enables the instrument to sound more like acoustic pianos.
- Roland keyboards have smooth note velocities that offer a better dynamic response and natural sound decay.
- The company offers a 10-year warranty for all their musical instruments.
- Roland also produces accessories to match some of the digital pianos they produce. These accessories include stands, pedals, adapters, headphones, audio jacks, and many others.
- Roland digital pianos have Progressive Hammer Action (PHA), which gives you the feel of an acoustic piano – particularly the more recent incarnation – PHA50.
- Roland offers a wide range of musical instruments ideal for both beginners and advanced pianists. Some good examples are the Roland FP30 and the Roland GP60 digital grand piano.
Cons
- Some buyers have reported the unreliability of some of the pianos produced by Roland.
- Customer support is not always that smooth with the company, as there has been a bit of complaint from buyers.
Yamaha
Yamaha is probably one of the most popular companies in the world. They are not only known for producing musical instruments, but also other products such as generators and motorbikes, among others. The company manufactures both acoustic and digital pianos suitable for beginners, intermediate, and advanced pianists.
Yamaha is a Japanese multinational corporation and conglomerate founded in 1887 by Torakusu Yamaha. The brand produces a wide range of musical instruments such as pianos, keyboard instruments, guitars, basses, amps, drums, brass & woodwinds, strings, marching instruments, music labs, and percussions.
The company has grown to become the world’s largest manufacturer of musical instruments. It’s a leading manufacturer of audio/visual, semiconductors, sporting goods, home appliances, computer-related products, industrial robots, and specialty metals. Yamaha made the first commercially successful digital synthesizer in 1983, which is the Yamaha DX7. In 1966, Yamaha established the Yamaha Music Foundation, to specifically promote music education and the popularization of music.
Pros and Cons of Yamaha Digital Pianos
Similar to Roland, or any other company, Yamaha pianos also come with their own advantages and disadvantages. Let’s check them out below.
Pros
- Yamaha digital pianos produce excellent sounds similar to acoustic pianos. This is all thanks to the Yamaha CFX concert grand piano sound that offers the best playing experience.
- Yamaha digital pianos also sample the Bosendorfer Imperial sound, which adds to the types of sounds you can choose from in their pianos.
- Their digital pianos are compact, portable, and easy to move or store in a small space such as your apartment or playing room.
- The keyboards of Yamaha digital pianos include the Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) action, to make the digital pianos sound authentic.
Cons
- Each Yamaha piano model comes with a slightly different piano sound. Although this is convenient to some pianists, I do tend to think it’s not that ideal.
- Some Yamaha digital pianos are limited in terms of the number of sounds to choose from, while others have plenty of sounds.
ALSO READ: Digital Piano vs Regular Piano – Best Comparison
Are Roland Digital Pianos Better than Yamaha?
The answer is both Yes and No. The reason being, it all depends on the model from either of these two brands you decide to buy. Some Roland digital pianos are better than Yamaha keyboards, while some Yamaha digital pianos are better than Roland pianos. Therefore, depending on your level of expertise – whether a beginner, intermediate or advanced pianist, ensure you check the features a piano has to offer first before buying it.
Unfortunately, some people buy “brands” instead of a high-quality digital piano, which is not always a good idea. It’s important to ensure you’re getting value for your money when buying a digital piano from either Roland or Yamaha.
Final Thoughts
So, are Roland digital pianos better than Yamaha? As you’ve seen, we can’t really conclude that one brand is better than the other. That’s mainly because both tend to offer excellent musical instruments and accessories, and they are also well regarded in the industry. We hope we’ve been able to answer this question properly. But if you have any questions or feedback regarding our post, you can always reach out to us through email.
