Why buy a Roland FP-10 over a PX-S1000?

[AlenK]

The FP-10 is Roland's latest product at the entry-level end of the home digital-piano market. (The new GO:PIANO88 may also fit that market but it is not as close to the PX-S1000 as the FP-10.) Compared to the PX-S1000 the FP-10 is larger, weighs more, is less attractive (subjective, but likely true for most people), has half the polyphony (although 96 is still more than adequate) and offers three less tones (15 Vs. 18). Street prices when they are released will likely be close. So my question is, why would customers choose the FP-10 over the PX-S1000? Some people undoubtedly will. 

[TheophilusCarter]

Brand name snobbery, most likely ...

[mike71]

 

The answer is imple: PHA-IV. Some people will prefer that type of action and the Roland sound piano.

Besides, I think as suggestested to me, to wait to actually try the new Casio action, before judge it.

 

[sslyutov]

I did not start this thread.

However I was reviewing specs of FP 10 and found it very attractive.

 

1.Silent action. For home piano it is the killer feature.

 

2 Escapment. This feature actually repeats escapment on acoustic piano.

the purpose of the escapement is to return a key to the upper position  faster.

Also experienced  pionists use it as a threshold to get the softest sound.

It feels like the key provides a little bit higher resistance right before hammer hits the strings.

 

3 MIDI2.

 

4 Builtin speakers . Just an observation, when I saw it first time I thought it does not have any.

 

5 weight. Cannot care less. To me the length of the keyboard is more important than its weight.

I just need it fitting in the trunk. Do not want to care it on the back seat. As long as it 88 weight does not play any role.

( may be in Japan it is different)

 

6 MIDI Bluetooth with option to turn pages by pressing a pedal.

 

I cannot say supernatural is better or worst than AiR. They are just different.

 

 

 

[Shad0wfax]

At least in Europe, the Casio CDP-S1000 is slightly more expensive than the FP-10, and in the entry-level range, budget tends to be a key aspect. Also Roland's key action is very good, probably the best in its class. I cannot tell about sound quality or speakers because I haven't tried any of the two. There are though a couple of aspects in which I think the Casio is better: more polyphony, more sounds, and it looks prettier (subjective)

[AlenK]

5 hours ago, sslyutov said:

3 MIDI2.

 

Do you mean GM2 rather than MIDI 2.0?  GM2 is specified for the FP-30 and above models but I don't see that on Roland's web site for the FP-10. Where did you see that?

[sslyutov]

1 hour ago, AlenK said:

 

Do you mean GM2 rather than MIDI 2.0?  GM2 is specified for the FP-30 and above models but I don't see that on Roland's web site for the FP-10. Where did you see that?

You Are right general MIDI 2.

I assume that all FP line has it. however I cannot confirm for now 100% that is true for 10. ( Roland puts the GM2 logo on the back panel.But so far there are no good pictures of it as well as the manual.) 

Let’s assume that there is no GM2 on 10.

Overall GM2 does not give much to regular user. I would not be surprised if S also has general MIDI2. 

 

 

[AlenK]

6 hours ago, sslyutov said:

1.Silent action. For home piano it is the killer feature.

2 Escapment. This feature actually repeats escapment on acoustic piano.

...

4 Builtin speakers .

...

6 MIDI Bluetooth with option to turn pages by pressing a pedal.

 

 

Re 1 and 2, how do we know Casio's new action in the S1000 (and S3000) isn't just as quiet (unlike previous models!) and/or doesn't implement/simulate escapement?

Re 4, both the Casio and Roland have built-in speakers. The ones in the FP-10 are driven by 6W per side while those in the S1000 are 8W per side. Of course, that says nothing about how they actually sound.

Re 6, yes. MIDI over Bluetooth is something the FP-10 has that the S1000 does not. Score one for the FP-10.

[sslyutov]

3 hours ago, AlenK said:

 

Re 1 and 2, how do we know Casio's new action in the S1000 (and S3000) isn't just as quiet (unlike previous models!) and/or doesn't implement/simulate escapement?

Re 4, both the Casio and Roland have built-in speakers. The ones in the FP-10 are driven by 6W per side while those in the S1000 are 8W per side. Of course, that says nothing about how they actually sound.

Re 6, yes. MIDI over Bluetooth is something the FP-10 has that the S1000 does not. Score one for the FP-10.

 

I did not say anything about the noisiness of keys on S models. It is unknown and it is my major hope.

The keyboard on (previous model)PX is super noisy.

 

Escapement - You can build a quiet keyboard but it will be slow. The escapement is the feature which makes keys quick.

It repeats the design of acoustic keys.

I was thinking about escapement usability for some time and finally came to the conclusion that it is a useful feature. 

 

FP also has a progressive(scaled) hammer action.

 

Roland actually claims that RHA-4 keys are virtually silent. My experience tells me that it is actually so.

Casio does not say anything on this subject (besides slimness). Why is it important?

If S aims travel (not home) piano they can say so. In many cases in Japan people has less room at home than in the US I do understand from this point of view slimness is important.

 

Weight - when we talk about home digital piano the weight of it is the least significant factor(It is important for a manufacturer due to the cost of delivery). The stand is a key to success, it has to be very solid.( This is why I make stands for my pianos myself)

 

There is no advantage of one speaker's system over another.  I mentioned sound system because it was not obvious(for me) that 10 has built-in speakers.

 

 

To answer the original question.

I see three factors which may make a customer to choose FP over S.

1) The price ~20% lower

2) The silence of the action.

3) Brand name. (hate to say it) just may. For me, it is not a factor.

 

[Headhunter]

The keys in the new Casio privia pianos are indeed a lot more silent than the keys in older Casio models (see here: https://youtu.be/PCx30-UDuxE?t=270).

 

But I think the main advantage of the Roland FP series above the Casio PX-S series is the fact that Roland has a "real" Bluetooth connection and not only BT Audio like the Casio. Like this with Roland pianos you can use the mobile app (through BT) AND have the piano connected to your DAW on the PC or Mac (through USB Midi). I don't see how I could get this to work with Casio, which is a big bummer for me as I wanted to use the piano as Master keyboard (so USB is occupied), but I also want to control the piano with the app, which is not possible with Casio as the app can only be connected through USB, which is already occupied in my case. Especially the PX-S1000 is uncontrollable without the app.

 

So I guess I'll HAVE to go with the Roland FP-30, although I really like the other features of the PX-S (especially the PX-S3000 is such a great piano), but the described issue just breaks my basic work flow. It' like a smartphone with the fastest CPU and biggest memory and best camera, but without an antenna for making simple phone calls. ☹️

[Joe Muscara]

I think the logic is that if you're using the PX-S as a controller then you're not using the internal sounds and thus you don't need to use the app to control the PX-S.

 

Or, you configure the PX-S with the app, and then switch to sending to your DAW. Are you really going to change the tones or other settings of the PX-S while you're connected to your DAW? If you're only going to change one or two things, you can do that through the keyboard's interface. Everything that's configurable in the app is configurable via the front panel, just less easily. 

[Headhunter]

9 hours ago, Joe Muscara said:

I think the logic is that if you're using the PX-S as a controller then you're not using the internal sounds and thus you don't need to use the app to control the PX-S.

 

Or, you configure the PX-S with the app, and then switch to sending to your DAW. Are you really going to change the tones or other settings of the PX-S while you're connected to your DAW? If you're only going to change one or two things, you can do that through the keyboard's interface. Everything that's configurable in the app is configurable via the front panel, just less easily. 

 

Good point which makes me reconsider. When connected to the DAW I indeed would not change tones so much. Hmmmm...