If you’re looking for an electric piano designed to go live and deliver the best performance, Roland RD 800 digital piano is the right option to consider.
The RD series highly competes with other brands in the market. The series includes tons of features and offers outstanding stage experience.
This Roland RD 800 Review looks at the features, price, benefits and the reasons why you should consider this musical instrument.
Features of the Roland RD 800 Digital Piano
Here are some of the Roland RD 800 characteristics.
Specifications
Over the years, stage pianos have received numerous differences in terms of design. These design differences have been brought about by musicians of different calibers using them.
In recent times, portability has become the main concern in almost every type of piano, especially the stage ones.
Musicians, particularly the frequently out-gigging ones, require pianos that are flexible in transit, but still pianos that bare high standards to satisfy a grand stage performance.
In turn, companies that produce such instruments have had to adjust to the variables to retain a favorable reputation.
Due to that, Roland pianos have had some various shifts in their outlook features, size and weight. The Roland RD 800 keyboard weighs around 471 lbs. (21.7 Kgs), which makes it very portable.
The dimensions include 5-1/8†wide, 14-1/2†deep and 5-7/16†high. The dimensions are advantageous and can be accommodated within any fair size studio, auditorium or church.
Roland RD-800 Digital Piano Design
The RD-800 is not like other stage pianos which tend to be quite heavy and hectic to carry around. Though it is a bit lightweight, the piano has not offloaded standard stage abilities.
The piano still produces the same reliable stage performance. It has a sleek, beautiful design, visibly set to capture someone’s attention. The interface is also very flexible and easy to maneuver.
The interface design enables fast access to functions such as keyboard splint features and voice effects when performing.
To enable progressive damper functionality, the piano has a DP10 Half-Damper Pedal and is accompanied by an attached AC cable together with the Roland RD 800 manual.
The piano also comes with an LCD which has great graphical features. What’s more, you can easily customize according to your preferences. For visibility enhancements, the knobs of the front panel are all featured with LED indicators.
Keyboard
From the design, action, and realism of the Roland RD 800, it can be said that the piano has the most authentic and valid key responsive abilities. The RD 800 keyboard features fully-weighted 88 keys with graded hammer action.
The piano also features the PHA-4 keyboard with advanced touch-detection technology. Roland went further to add the Escapement feature which makes the player have a realistic grand piano feel when playing the RD-800.
Usually, cheap keyboards bring with them keys made of plastic materials which tend to produce annoying clicking sounds.
However, for the RD 800, it is well-engineered with Ebony/Ivory keys, which are some of the best essential materials one can find on a piano.
What this means is that moisture due to temperature maybe tempo is absorbed by these two materials which help to prevent slipping of fingers when playing.
Playing the piano provides users with the feeling of being in charge and the critical action provided by the piano makes it stand out. The RD 800 is recommended for all kinds of players.
ALSO READ: Roland RD-300 NX Review – Features, Benefits & How to Clean
Sound Quality
Roland is very proud of its own proprietary SuperNatural sound feature, which expresses performance sound authentically just like the acoustic piano does. The RD 800 is equipped with the SuperNatural sound feature and this enables it to produce natural sound.
Sampled from Roland’s flagship V-Piano Grand, the RD 800 piano sound gets has both depth and ample sound clarity. The Roland Company are known for their sound balance abilities and have received numerous positive reviews from that from their customers.
Roland RD 800 has many tones to choose from – a total of 1113 and 200 of different live set sounds. It is meant for grand stage performance, the reason why there’s a wide sound variety.
It includes 128 polyphony notes, and due to this, the layering of many different voices at the same time becomes comfortable. There are also other 16 sets and 4 of them can be used in live performances.
Connectivity
The piano has multiple connectivity options, some of which can’t even be found on other piano models within its class. On the rear panel, there are two USB ports, one to either connect a wireless adaptor or a USB memory stick.
The other port is meant for synching the piano with a computer and uses it to transmit MIDI files. Moreover, the piano has WAV recording/song playback, as well as a user memory backup with an optional USB flash memory.
The RD-800 also hosts four pedal inputs: two-foot controllers, Damper and an Ext. There is the inclusion of 2 ¼†inch outputs, another 2 XLR outputs, a headphone jack and 1 mini stereo input for external output which you can use to connect iPads or iPods.
Extra Features of the Roland 800 Digital Piano
Roland designed the RD 800 with many features in surplus. They made sure to have exhausted the piano’s capabilities. The piano features Live Sets that allow the storage of customized prepared setups and tone layers. It also includes 10 buttons from A to J, purposefully for Live Set selection.
There is an available audio recorder that allows the users to record their performances in WAV format to a USB thumb drive, through a WLAN adaptor port on the back panel of the keyboard.
With up to 200 possible slots for live sets, this suggests that editing and combinations are widely possible. The RD 800 features over 180 drum patterns and multi-band system compressors.
Benefits of the Roland RD-800 Digital Piano
The piano is designed with different functions, which allow for different sampling of voices and styles during a performance. Some of these functions have more than enough capabilities; hence, the Roland RD 800 users have more features to explore and have fun.
Some of these beneficial functions include:
Layer function – The layer function allows two different sounds to be simultaneously played on one key. Here, one may play the piano and even organs at the same time. This technique helps to make the performance more admirable, and bring in the enjoyment factor at the same time.
Transpose – With a transpose of -6, +5, the Roland RD 800 can be easily harmonized with different musical instruments.
Sound – The sound of the RD 800 is among the best in the market and has been accurately and widely designed with diverse abilities. With a total of 1113 different sounds to choose from and 200 live sets, there is no limitation of grand performance from the piano.
Audio – The piano is designed with playback function which allows WAV files in a USB to be played like audio.
Individual note voicing – This function makes the tuning from -50 to +50, with the level -50 to 0. From -5 to +5, the character may also be adjusted.
Wireless USB – Here, there is a Roland provided Application known as Piano-Partner which enables wireless connection of the piano with smartphones or smart pads. However, the Wireless USB is optional.
Reasons Why You Should Buy the Roland RD 800 Digital Piano
The RD-800 is a good stage piano with wholesome capabilities and different variety of features meant to deliver quality performance.
The company behind the RD 800, Roland, is quite popular among pianists and most musicians from around the globe. The reason being, they produce exceptional digital pianos that provide the best playing experience.
With the introduction of their RD series, Roland has received lots of appreciative and positive gestures due to the diverse versatility that the line came with.
Now with the RD 800, there are many advancements and feature upgrades to look forward to. The sound, keyboard, design, and features that the RD 800 comes with are dedicated to fulfilling the grand stage piano performance.
Who Is the Roland RD 800 Digital Piano For?
The Roland RD 800 mainstage series is a line fully dedicated to providing professional stage performers with the grand stage pianos that have fully loaded features.
Therefore, the RD 800 is a stage built piano meant to activate and bring adequate piano playability for the stage life.
However, it is not very much recommended for beginners players as the RD 800 is too advanced and might pose a challenge to them. Instead, it is best recommended for professional performers.
Buyers Guide
The upgrades from Roland’s instruments have seen an increase in quality and design, and the good thing is that the price has mostly remained the same.
The RD 800 comes with a lot of useful features and a sleek design with grand stage capabilities. It is a top-notch instrument that comes with reliable accessories such as the Damper pedal.
How to clean the Roland RD 800 Digital Piano
Cleaning and maintenance of any musical instrument is a good practice that creates a conducive environment and helps it last longer. You should strive to keep your piano in the best condition so that it can serve you well and for many years.
Here, is how to clean and maintain the Roland RD 800 digital piano:
1. Take a small container or a bowl and in it add a little amount of water.
2. Add 2-3 drops of a light dishwashing liquid in the water to create a solution.
3. Take two dry, soft fiber cloths, and slightly damp one in the solution
4. Use the wet cloth to wipe on top of the keys and their edges.
5. Take the other dry but soft cloth and use it to dry any remaining moisture on the keys.
Some tips for maintaining the RD 800 include:
- Keep it covered to block dust and debris. For this, you can use a piano dust cover.
- Don’t use beverages near the piano as it may spill onto it and cause severe damages.
- Keep the piano away from direct sunlight.
Pros and Cons of Roland RD-800 Digital Piano
Pros
- High-quality design.
- Fully-weighted 88 keys.
- Quality sound provided by Roland’s SuperNatural technology.
- Lightweight and portable.
- Plenty of connectivity options such as the wireless USB feature.
- Tons of sounds to choose from with a total of 1113 different sounds.
- Tuning capabilities which enable customizations for users
Cons
- The only downside to the Roland RD 800 is its high price
How Much Does a Roland RD 800 Weigh?
The Roland RD 800 digital piano weighs approximately 48 pounds, which makes it 10 pounds lighter than its predecessor, the Roland RD-700NX. However, the RD-800 tends to feel substantial and the keyboard is extremely enjoyable to play.
Roland RD-800 Price
The Roland RD-800 costs slightly above $2,000 and comes with plenty of excellent and unique features, as you’ve seen above from the specs. The good thing about this piano is that it’s worth the price due to the flexibility and efficiency that it offers.
Bottom Line
The Roland RD 800 digital piano has exceptional features, from good sound quality, eye-catching design, keyboard authenticity and a variety of connectivity options. The useful features which make it unique and convenient for professional players.
