Roland RD2000 Review: I just don't like it

Sorry Roland. I really wanted to like your new digital piano. I bought it. But after four months of usage I have to admit I just don't like it for one simple reason.

[davidgrason]

To be honest, if those piano sounds do not make you happy, then I think that you cannot be made happy. Every piano sound that you have played in this video sounds fantastic to me. In fact, watching your video is actually selling me on getting a Roland RD2000 of my own.

[camobanana]

I actually liked the way this piano sounds. I guess it's just personal preference

[jazzzman]

I did not like the RD-2000 piano sounds until I played them with a band. Surprisingly they really sound good in the mix, bright, crisp and really cut through!

[brianlewis]

I purchased one, sold it and then missed it after trying multiple flagship keyboards, so I bought another one. The Rd2000 can be tweaked to sound virtually any way you prefer. This is such a good board I couldn’t recommend it enough. My belief is that you haven’t fully explored and used all the customizations available. In any event, everyone has their own tastes.

[ericnataf]

Hi again,
I bought the rd 2000 one year ago and have the same feeling about the piano sounds they are not good! meanwhile i purchasad the new GERMAN CLASSIC expantion and it is a game changer !!
I am sure roland will take care all rd 2000 users and will refresh us with new updating, there is not still a better stage piano on the market never forget the importance of the hardwere built and the keybads quality for real pianist, the rd 2000 give us the best chois on this essue,
If anyone discovered somthing new about the rd 2000 please let everybody know!

[redfur]

Hey I just got this Roland, and straight after firing it up was also a bit disappointed. I totally get what you mean by "boxy". It really did sound a bit dull, especially mid-low register. After tweaking it for a bit (EQing things didn't get me the desirable effect) I found the key touch button. Setting touch to 'light' and key touch offset to about -8 made all the difference to me! It brought out the brightness, and it definitely wasn't just that the velocity curve changed (before, no matter how hard I hit the sound remained dull). It started sounding great. I'm honestly not sure why this is set like this by default - the dullness was pretty apparent straight away to me. Anyway, I know this is old, but I just found this and maybe it will be useful to someone.

[TylerCutts]

Sometimes a brighter sound is exactly what you want on stage

[maidpretty]

So, you don't like RD2000 because... you just don't like it... mmkay. I love Roland RD2000, it's key action and it's acoustic piano engines. You got it right, it has two engines: pure physical modelling V-Piano engine (S01-S10) and hybrid SuperNatural multisampling with phys modeling (0001-...). Though S01 Stage isn't my favourite tone, your RD2000 sounds weird. Check out settings, EQ, tweak the sound in Piano Designer, it has got a ton of parameters. It's a great device, I like it way better than Nord. I hear these lamentations from time to time... like "awww, they spoiled it, I liked my RD800 better". No, guys, you're wrong, it's your baby duck syndrome talking.

[Sincity]

I looked at this and the Yamaha modx8 not only did the Roland sound better but the key action felt fantastic completed with a real wood overlay on the keys compared to the plastic feel of the Yamaha I was so impressed I decided to wait and just save up for the phantom which is on whole new level competing with the Yamaha Genos for 2k less

[tedschulte]

Acoustic pianos have the same subtle difference before and after the felt on the hammers is "voiced". I actually do hear the difference between the two pianos sounds you played and I, like you, prefer your old sound. But disagree that the RD2000 is a bad purchase. The very fact that you can upload the old sounds have both sounds in your instrument means it is both the old and the new... all in the same box. How can that be a bad thing?? Honestly, the touch and feel of the Roland is what makes it the best choice...the sound is just electronics and stored samples and you can basically have any sound you want on a keyboard. You can't download touch and feel for the keys.

[RL]

Is there a reason you're tied to stage pianos? How about the Roland A-88 controller and a really good VST like Ivory or Keyscape. Under $1500 and you have the best piano sounds and Roland's great keyboard action.

[Wourghk]

Sounds like an EQ issue. Has Roland made it exceptionally difficult to change such settings with this model?

[photoallergic]

*Listening to chord progressions* Yeah ... like ... horrible. *wiping tear* Can ... can I hear that one part again, where you played all of these piano things?

[davehorne]

I only test pianos using professional headphones. If I can't easily tweak the sound to my liking while wearing headphones, I will certainly not buy the piano.

Perhaps I'm less critical than you, but I'm quite happy with my RD2000.

[kennedymuzyamba]

I strongly disagree, i had taken alot of interest and time to get opinions and reviews from professionals, and other people who just dedicate their time and effort to review and explore keyboards. Virtually all of them have been impressed with the RD 2000. I want to think that your review is personal and quiet opinionated. By the way, try to change your speakers, and trust me, your opinion will change. The RD 2000 sound different through different speakers.
This is one of the best keyboard workstations you will find on the market.

[Jacob_Shouse]

I think Roland makes the best digital pianos in the world by far!! I love the RD line!!

[keyboards]

I use the supernatural Concert Grand on my RD2000, I find its much crisper and cuts much better. Not full polyphony on the supernatural sounds, but I’ve never incurred any issues with c.1000 notes of polyphony or whatever it is. The supernatural sound has smooth dynamic shifts too so there’s no dynamic stages, which is just like the V Piano, so again same level of spec just a better sound. Just set up a scene where the concert grand is on the first button. Also try messing with the sound lift options on tone designer, and the tone colour dial (also affected by the mod wheel). Adjusting the key touch also improves clarity.

[MrJFoxProductions]

I get it... You turn on a stage piano, you expect a quality sound that you don't have to work for - that's exactly how I feel about navigating extensive pages of banks just to painstakingly achieve what the rd2000 can simply accomplish.
I currently own an aging rd700, I am excited about the Roland axial extensions - I've noticed all six of them, one of which includes a history of previous RD's including my current 700 - if I was ever spoiled on stereo sampled acoustic pianos, here is my Elixir for that!
Bottom line, I have an insatiable desire for the RD 2000 and its [unlimited polyphonic] potential with the revolutionary V-piano engine. Just thinking about all the scenes I can create; the zones and layers I can allocate, effects and parameters I can explore with each tone and a one-touch recall, the unmatched hammer action... And it's master controller... I'm sold!!

[maynemuzik]

Mr Mangold, this is my dream piano, I live in South Africa, the way my life will change just by getting this piano, maybe you can be generous hahhaa

[williamobrien]

This is exactly why everyone says Piano sounds are a matter of taste... I also own RD2000. Nice playing by the way. I was so intrigued by your opinion that I downloaded the 1.5 update and all 6 EXP libraries. Before I retort, its worth highlighting you are comparing a basic sample playback (not even SuperNatural) to a supposedly Physically Modelled Piano. A difficult comparison to make.
Having forgotten which GX Piano sound you like, I tried them all. I rejected 7GX ExpressiveGrd because it plays as if its COMP and distorted to me...ie intentionally BOOMY to cut through other sounds live. This is listening via Bose QC10 headphones. I thought the GX Grand Piano and GX Clear Grand were superior to the one you like and these are SuperNatural. But none of these 3 is as good as 7NX ConcertGrand which also come with that expansion. Interestingly, the factory presets on the RD2000 include SN007 NX Concert Grand which in my opinion is EXACTLY the same as the latter that comes with the EXP04 above. Similarly, I believe the GX pianos are already in the factory Studio patches to some extent... for example 0034 Studio Grand is midway between 7GX Grand Piano and 7GX Clear Grand. Admittedly I did not find a close or exact match for the 7GX ExpressivGrd in the basic, non SuperNatural presets. The closest perhaps was 0019 St. Piano1. Now back to the physical modelled sounds....
My opinion when I sit down and use any of the MD piano presets is that I am playing a real instrument. Ive heard others describe this sensation as inspiring and hard to leave the board. You want to just keep playing. With the samples however, even my personal favourite NX preset, eventually I grow tired and find it uninspiring. However I agree that the converse can also be true. Eventually the MD pianos seem to lack REAL Character, even if they are inspiring instruments. They simply are not Pianos! For this reason, I found that by combining S10 Aco Grand4, a physically modelled patch, with 0007 NX Concert Grand, a SN hybrid patch, I have arrived at what I consider an unbeatable sound. I mix these in the zone edit section by giving 105 volume to the MD engine and the full 127 volume to the SN engine ti balance them up. The result is a pleasing slightly-detuned effect because although very close (possibly models and samples of the same real piano ROLAND?) the different engines are not lining up perfectly and thus adding bags of character... I then also added extra reverb and delay to the resulting sound and the result is magic!