When it comes to digital stage pianos, some features are worth more looking into than others. And like any other instrument, purpose sits right at the top. The Roland RD-700 digital piano is a stage instrument that hosts a bunch of intuitive and stage-ready features.
But just how effective is this keyboard during performances? Well, we’ve spent enough time with it and we can confidently answer that question and many more in this Roland RD-700 review.
Our goal is to adequately inform you of this piano’s capabilities as well as its drawbacks.
Roland RD-700 Digital Piano Overview
At a glance, the Roland RD-700 digital stage piano is a fine-looking instrument that packs wholesome features for the benefit of performance. It features an 88-key Progressive Hammer Action keyboard that delivers the ultimate authenticity in musical expression.
The piano also comes with 64MB of stereo-sampled piano and instrument sounds that are expandable through the high-end SRX-Series Wave Expansion Boards. With such capabilities, the sound quality of this instrument doesn’t fall short of impressing.
Aside from sound, Roland designed the RD-700 with stage performance in mind as it features a straightforward but intuitive control panel. This panel features a new graphic LCD to facilitate function and setting selection regardless of the light you are working with. The front panel also has sliders for editing, knobs, and an arpeggiator, among other intuitive functions.
Considering that this is a stage piano, Roland did a good job at enhancing the RD-700’s expansion capabilities. Let’s now dive into this review for an in-depth understanding of this instrument.
Roland RD-700 Digital Piano Features
Roland RD-700 Specifications
- Keyboard – 88 Keys (Progressive Hammer Action Keyboard)
- 16 Parts
- Maximum Polyphony – 128 notes
- Wave Memory – 64MB (16-bit linear equivalent)
- Expansion Slot – Wave Expansion Board SRX Series: 2 slots
- 468 Built-in Tones
- 100 Setups
- Sound Effects – Multi-Effects: 65 types, Reverb: 4 types, Chorus: 2 types, Equalizer: Digital 3 – band
- 45 Styles Arpeggiator
- Rhythm Pattern – 85 Styles
- Controllers – PART VOLUME slider(X 4), EQUALIZER knobs, Reverb and Chorus knobs, Multi EFFECTS CONTROL knob, and Pitch Bend/Modulation lever
- Backlit Full Graphic LCD (128 x 64 dots)
- Dimensions – (W x D x H), 55.68†x 14.75†x 5.68â€
- Weight – 53lbs / 24.1kg / 3 oz
- Included Accessories – Owner’s Manual, Pedal, Power Cable
ALSO READ: Roland FP-30 Digital Piano Review
Roland RD-700 Digital Piano Design
The design of this instrument can be summed up in the following words – intuitive and stage-friendly. Right off, the Roland RD-700 digital stage piano features a large enough full graphic LCD.
This means you won’t have to worry about changing between settings, functions, and sounds in a semi-dark room. You’ll always be aware of the current settings and function being used on the piano for a more accurate stage performance experience.
Additionally, selecting sounds on this instrument is a one button push application. The same applies to accessing the Roland RD-700 editor thanks to the dedicated knobs for Reverb, Chorus, and Equalizer settings.
You also get four sliders that provide instant level adjustment of the following parts of the piano:
- Upper 1
- Upper 2
- Lower
- And Rhythm
The Roland RD-700 dimensions measure 55.68†in Width, 14.75†in Depth,andabout 5.68†High. The weight of this piano is fairly reasonable for travelling as weighs about 53lbs/24.1kg.
Keyboard
Roland featured the RD-700 with their renowned Progressive Hammer Action Keyboard that has immensely grown popular over the years. And why not, this PHA Standard keyboard action is featured in some of the brand’s high-end digital pianos and the results are admired by many pianists.
Now add 88 full-sized keys to the party and what you get is an authentic complement to the RD-700’s extraordinary piano and instrument sounds.
This new keyboard action by Roland applies the same mechanism used in the Grand piano’s keyboard. Therefore, keys on the lower register of this piano feel heavier compared to the ones on the higher register that have a lighter touch to them.
Additionally, the keyboard has Ivory feel keys that make it more natural to play on this instrument. Besides that, the material also absorbs moisture and gives you a good grip on the keys to prevent your fingers from slipping while playing.
Sound Quality
Whether you are looking for expressive instruments or acoustic grand piano sounds, the Roland RD-700 stage piano has it. In total, this piano features 468 built-in tones meticulously sampled from Roland’s famous acoustic and electric pianos. The results are simply amazing, and not many keyboards can come close to the RD-700’s sound qualities.
Among the tones include Mellow Pianos that are ideal for solos and ballads, Sympathetic Resonance, and new piano sounds with presence designed to cut through the mix, plus a complete collection of Rhodes sounds.
There are also 50+ onboard rhythm patterns that you can use while practicing or developing some new music ideas. Roland built the RD-700 with professionalism in mind and it’s evident with the piano’s one-touch Piano button that instantly recalls piano sounds, which is good for performances. Also, there is a Piano Edit function on the Roland RD-700 digital piano that facilitates the customization of Nuance, Ambience, and Stereo Width of the piano.
And if that weren’t enough, The RD-700 can even reproduce superb tonewheel organ sounds complete with rotary effects taken from Roland’s acclaimed VK-Series Combo Organs.
Generally, we think Roland did an outstanding job with this piano’s sound quality. It offers more than enough sound capabilities that any musical performer would ask for, and all in a compact size stylish design.
Connectivity
Because it’s a stage digital piano, the Roland RD-700 features impressive connectivity options. They include:
- MIDI ports (MIDI IN, MIDI OUT x 2, MIDI OUT/THRU)
- Balanced XLR Outputs
- USB ports for data storage and audio-play functionality
Extra Features of the Roland RD-700 Stage Piano
SRX Expansion
More than a stage piano, the RD-700 can also act as 16-part multitimbral synthesizer with 64MB of high-quality Roland sounds. Additionally, it has two expansion slots for SRX-Series Wave Expansion Boards that you can use to build a custom sound library according to your musical needs.
100 Setups
These are combinations of layers, zones, effects, and various tone parameters that enhance the quality of the onboard tones.
Benefits of Owning the Roland RD-700 Digital Piano
Stage Ready – If you are looking for a stage-worthy instrument, the Roland RD-700 digital piano can deliver to your expectations. It features a comprehensive yet straightforward interface that can accommodate professionalism on stage.
Thoughtful Design – While most portable and compact digital pianos sacrifice essential features for their size, the Roland RD-700 digital piano doesn’t. The piano is fairly portable and compact enough to fit in small spaces, but still retains high-end playability features.
High-Quality Sounds – As mentioned earlier, this instrument features authentic grand piano sounds among other tones. Additionally, there are vast enhancement features to add expressiveness to these sounds. And best of all, you are getting this at only a quarter of the grand piano’s price.
Why Should You Buy Roland RD-700 Digital Piano?
When choosing a stage piano, a lot goes into thought. But most of all, you need a keyboard that’s capable of providing you with a great keyboard action, authentic and high-quality sounds, as well as the necessary connectivity options.
And from our point of view, the Roland RD-700 digital piano manages to clear such check boxes profoundly. Additionally, this piano is fairly portable, meaning it won’t be a hassle taking it to performances.
Pros
- Great keyboard action
- Powerful sound quality
- Comprehensive sound library
- Multiple onboard sound effects
- SRX Expansion
- Intuitive and straightforward interface
- Comprehensive connectivity features
Cons
- Not beginner friendly
Included Accessories
- Owner’s Manual
- Pedal
- Power Cable
Conclusion
According to us, the Roland RD-700 digital piano stands out respectfully as one of the best stage digital pianos on the market. It isn’t that sophisticated and offers more than enough of what a musical performer would ask for, and at a fair price.
From the sounds, keyboard action, to connectivity options of this instrument, we can highly commend it to professionals who want to add a touch of quality during performances.
