Roland FP-30X In Depth Review (What They FIXED, and What They DIDN'T!) 

Making unbiased reviews for over 10 years: www.patreon.com/thepianoforever​ Milan Recording Studios: ru-vid.com/show-UCu1L...

Keep doing what you're doing. I always respect and enjoy your honest reviews :)

An unbiased review is a true review. Your review style is exactly what consumers need. Keep up the good work!

I really hate you for consistently tearing apart the pianos I’m just about ready to buy. Thanks for the honest reviews, really appreciate it.

The consumers appreciate your reviews. I started playing back in Oct 2020, when I was researching pianos in this price range, your reviews came up. I ended up purchasing the kawaii es110, love it so far.

The fp30 is what I learned to play piano on. I still have it today and I still love it. My biggest complaint is the speaker quality they rattle a bit and don't sound that great which is why I only use headphones when playing. Another thing is I wish digital piano company's would also include the sound of the damper. To me that is such an important part of getting a authentic sounding piano. As far as recording goes I haven't had any problems recording. Separate left and right outs would be great but it's not a huge deal to me. As far as action goes I like it but it can be a bit slow if you are playing something fast. Other than those things I think it has been an excellent piano and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn piano without spending a whole lot of money especially if you can find a used one.

Thanks James for another great review. I recently purchased the FP-30X and am overall pleased. It was a present to myself, an upgrade from a 50+ year old acoustic piano and it fills my need for a decent practice instrument. I agree with your criticism of the user interface and the user manual. The app is the easiest way to change settings. Keep up the good work.

Your honesty and unabashed, fair candor are welcomed and very refreshing. As an old amateur musician and perpetual student of many decades, I completely get where you are coming from. I have absolutely never been content to merely settle for "not bad" "pretty good" or "good enough" in my practicing, my casual playing, or in my parts in concert performances. That goes double for my instruments and equipment, as well as room acoustics. Keep up your great work! The manufacturers should consider you their prized, extremely valuable asset, as I do! All the best to you!

I would really like a full review about the FP90x

Thanks for your honest reviews, so hard to find non dealer reviews of pianos.

Another excellent comparison video. Your insights into the keyboards are unbiased and honest which is refreshing among so many other reviews. It’s also a delight to listen to your polished and sensitive performances. Keep up the good work.

I just bought this keyboard because of its portability and the reported changes that were made from the previous model, which included its ability to be connected to other sound sources. I am one who actually likes the keyboard action, but the Piano Everyday app crashes a lot. I was hoping that it would help me more in selecting sounds and navigating the interface. But I don't need to change sounds very often when playing and so I can quite often set something up in the app and not have to worry about losing that sound through the duration of my performance. Overall I am pretty satisfied with this keyboard, but yes, there are a few flaws. I don't believe this review would have changed my mind about whether to purchase this keyboard, but I definitely appreciate your honest perspective.

I was literally planning to go out and buy a FP30X tomorrow, thank you!

Yes, we like this type of comparison!

Very excited to watch this fully, seems like this will be an awesome and interesting video! 😁

Always appreciate your thorough review that makes me rethink my purchase

Thanks for doing all these reviews. You do a great honest job.

Commenting for the algorithm !! James you are the coolest !!

Thanks for another awesome review! I had the FP-30 for a while, but could never get onboard with the PHA-4 keybed, for exactly the reasons you stated. I too had often wondered if it was just me, because so many other people seem to love it!

It’s great. I’ve been waiting for your comments for a long time. Those previous dealer videos only talked about the merits, and there were too few pertinent criticisms. Just like the keyboard response you mentioned in the video, a friend of mine who is a professor of music at the university mentioned Roland's keyboard response last month. He felt it was not suitable for fast playing. Thanks again for your unbiased comment.

A deep and honest review. Perfect as always.

This is great. I really appreciate you taking this much time to dive in like you do.

this is the review I've been looking for. Good job.

Same feeling towards PHA-4 action. Every time when I read stuff online, people just religiously commenting that PHA-4 action is one of the best. I always feel something weird about that action, and you explained it perfectly! The key feels great on the way down, but not so great on the way up.

Thank you, JPS, this was seventy minutes I really benefited from, and enjoyed enormously. Considering you were careful to include matters that Roland hasn't improved, you nevertheless made me want the FP-30X, where previously I had hoped the humble FP-10 would suffice. I suppose the imperfect action doesn't dent Roland's sales, because as far as beginners like me can see, other manufacturers employ a lighter action which won't encourage a playing style that transfers easily to acoustic pianos (I realise Roland hasn't entirely mastered it, either). I don't have space for an acoustic so the most affordable accurate simulation will be my choice, whatever other shortcomings the model has. If, in the light of that specific requirement, you'd strongly recommend something else, I think many (like me) would like to know what, and to see you review it. Thumbs up from the U.K! 👍

I am so happy that I found your channel. Your honest reviews are worth a patron pledge.

Always appreciated your honest reviews! So detailed and helpful.

This was a really useful video while I was considering the Fp30X!

My Korg Concert sounds great with the speakers pointed downward. I guess it comes down to what I'm used to. It would make for a funny demonstration to flip the FP-30 upside down and play it via midi, to see if it actually sounds better. ES110 is still king.

Good job :-) Detailed (very! ;-)) and with you being primarily a classical pianist, you have an increased focus and a more competent perspective in your direct comparison with the acoustic piano :-)

I’ve been waiting for you to review this 🙂

Love your reviews! Bought a Yamaha P-515 based on your review. Great work as always.

Hi James, good stuff, We would really like to see the guts of the instruments, especially compared between the price ranges, Please consider more teardown videos like the one you did on the casio. The $400 bracket comparison would be interesting as well.

In depth review as usual :)

Amazing review, I love your honest reviews a lot, they are very helpful!

Thanks. Wanting to buy a digital piano, you are my ultimate authority for reviews.

Thanks for reviewing the FP30X

Keep doing your honest reviews 😎

I’ve watched several reviews you have done. All have been very fair

Best review !! You are a very hardworking person, keep it up 👍🙂

As usual a top review.

Nice review, you always help me out when I want to purchase a keyboard

Great review as always! Maybe do a comparison with what the competition offers in the similar price range? Also, I think some blind tests would be fun to do, even with products from different price ranges!

Nice, keep up the good work.

Thank you, really great review as always!

Always enjoy your reviews James. Appreciate your honesty

First: A great unbiased review (as usual). Regarding the ridge in the musicdesk: My guess is that they have made it to make it stiffer.

Great work buddy. Keep them coming 🙏👍

Appreciate the honest review! I really trust your reviews, thanks!

Excellent! We need these objective reviews. Keep up the good work!

Love the honest reviews, always entertaining

You are the best honest keyboard reviewer!

Hi James, It has been a min since i've viewed one of your vid's. Very Enjoyable, The little ditty after the outtro, Caught me off guard! Hahaha 😀👍👍✌

Thank you so much! Love

Always love the honesty and thorough reviews.

Thanks for the review!

Love your reviews. Nice to see honest unbiased reviews.

Love the review😀

Thank you for the reslly honest review ♥️

Appreciate your reviews!

Could you do one on the Korg D1? Love the videos and thinking about getting one

I've been following your channel for a while now. Even though I have a keyboard already (Yamaha P45 I just wish it had direct line output other than that its perfect for what I need) I love watching your reviews of all sorts of keyboards, real pianos, and other things like the performances (Im at UF for piano rn). Keep up the amazing content!!!

I use the app evert time I play the piano. Like it.

Love your review :D

Awesome review!😁

Awesome review, thank you

It would be nice to see a review of the Roland Piano Designer app for the FP30x. Usually sympathetic resonance is one of the strong points of the Super Natural engine as the the resonance level (and other parameters) can be set from the app. The downward firing speakers do no favors for conveying tone changes. However with headphones it is clear to hear complex string and sympathetic resonances with the appropriate settings and sustain.

Love your honest reviews❤️

Such very detailed review !!! 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

I’m getting the 30x for my birthday coming up soon. I’m super excited! What are your thoughts about it versus others in that 900 dollar price range? Love your content and your a great piano player as well👌😬

I just found out about you about a week ago, when searching for videos on the Roland FP-30. I'm a total noob in the piano scene, and I figured from various reviews I've read and watched, that the Roland FP-30 seems like a good entry level piano, what with the progressively weighted keys, supposedly good sound and big speakers. But then I saw your review and I held off, as I heard about the FP-30X. I saw that your FP-30 review was a bit "old", and was hoping maybe I'd get lucky and find a review of the FP-30X uploaded already, but quickly found out that it wasn't the case.... Well, I didn't have to wait for long! Lo and behold, it's christmas morning and the biggest package under the tree has my name on it! Can't wait to see this. I expect you to be as sharp with the criticism as ever.

As always great review.

Very good analysis !!!

*Thank You, great review*

@ThePianoforever, Hi there, I want to buy a digital piano around this price class, what brand do you recommand for a person who wants to learn to play the piano ? I know that roland you a re playing has bluetooth so i can watch a video on my tablet and just can use 1 headphone to hear both the piano and tablet for learing. So that is a real nice feature, but is this FP-30x beginner friendly ? Or do you have another suggestion ? i'm 44 years old dunno if that matters for learning :) I hope you can help me picking the right piano for me. Thanks and i love your video's, watching them for a few years now :)

thanks for this honest review.

Amazing review!

Love all your reviews. Interesting that you don't like the action as every shop I've been in say it is far better than the p125 or es100. I personally like it though i'm not expert enough to say myself which is better (i could honestly not really tell the difference in action with p125). However i do agree on the sound (downward facing), the p125 sounded much brighter "in your face" sort of thing. As for the shortcuts, agreed its a pain but the app is so easy to use i literally never even touch the interface on the fp30x. Keep up the great reviews!

great advice!! Really helpful

Thank you for the great and honest review!

:) great video! Thank you!

Good review!

The way you explain the roland keybed js exactly the character of my old Yamaha P60

I LOVE your videos!!!!! You speak the truth. I bought the Korg SV-2s73 because of your videos on it, and I love it!

Thank you for helping someone who has choice anxiety make the right purchase decisions especially as a beginner myself!

Plugging in the headphone jack on the old model does kill the sound BUT if you pres function with one of the highest f / f# you can override this.

Well done!

Neo: "Where have you been"? Agent Smith: "Retired and busy with Piano reviews now, but before you go to save the world again. Do like, share and subscribe. Thanks Neo".

So glad I watched this.

What happens when ten years from now, I’m playing an FP-30X and the app no longer works on my phone or is no longer available? I’m not excited about a piano that depends on an app.

Thank you for reviewing keyboards for us.

Good review. Well done. I like your classical music plays. Good for asmr. Maybe an idea for new activities?

You can use any headphone jack to send stereo. Get a 1/4" TRS to two 1/4" TS cable for $10. Yes, the output is generally not quite as good as a line out, but it works...and most people would not know the difference. Also, this cable will work just as well on a keyboard with a single line out as compared to a dual line out...of course you can't make an inexpensive keyboard be amazing with a cable. To the average home user, the single cable is actually more convenient.

Great video

Another great review, just wish I could have watched it before I purchased. Nevertheless, at my novice stage it serves me well. However, please do a video critiquing both Roland apps. They seem as poorly made as the manuals!

I like your objectivity

Very useful. Thanks a lot.

Thank you!!!! Lovely video!!!!!

Good review

Great Job James :)