I was set on purchasing the roland 60x or 90x until I went to the shop. The 60x lost its appeal straight away due to the major sound difference compared to the 90x however, once I heard the yamaha p515, there was no comparison sound wise. The yamaha also has wooden keys and feels more like acoustic than the roland. I've watched hours of videos trying to decide what I want but, you really, really need to go into the shop and hear and play them in person. I'm glad I didn't just buy online. My daughter and I spent a few hours playing in the shop and we both kept coming back to the Yamaha due to the feel of the keys and the better grand piano sound.
Seriously? I'm staggered. As a classical musician of 40 years I can honestly say that the 2 signature sounds on the Yamaha completely wipe the floor with ANYTHING the Roland FP90-x has to offer. The Roland sounds thin, fake, synthetic and uninspiring.
@@njdenney69 honestly I have to agree a bit here, I own a FP90X and while I love it, Im still not quite happy with it, something about it's tone sounds "fake".
The emotion comes out more on the Roland. You get a true representation of the notes in runs with the correct falloff which effects the emotion that is being portrayed by the pianist. I love it.
If you tweek the P515 Bosendoerfer.. lengthen string resonance sympathetic etc.. an up the harmonics and adjust touch. It blows away the Roland. Not even close. I use Pianoteq Steinway B modified with some aging ...(with a beautiful curve for the 515 action) primarily.. but switch to the internal Bosie now and then. Roland should just switch to a pianoteq model for their internal piano default snd they would rule.
The Roland clearly has more range, but in the 2nd octave, that becomes a slight problem where you get to see all the warts of the individual strings. Beyond that it really helps improve the clarity of the instrument and you can tweak any problematic keys. The Yamaha has a more compressed sound that allows it to mask any potential flaws in the sound and is very smooth through the whole range, but you can clearly hear the dynamic range isn’t anywhere near as large as the Roland. For the record I own the P515 and I’m happy with it, but I’m sure I would be just as happy with the FP-90X.
Decay on fp30 in upper register is muuuuch longer and sound natural, comparing to for ex kawai mp7se. On kawai the highedt octage its like 2,3 sec decay...
@@evadahlgren6389 The default setting on the ambiance is set pretty low for the FP-90. When you start it up its like at 2 out of 10. That would probably help with the short delay you were mentioning.
Best explanation yet of decay and looping vs modelling , aside from the comparison of the two keyboards. Thank you . And yes, I like one much more based on sound
I'm a Roland fanboy and I came here rooting for Roland but I really liked the Yamaha sound. So much so that I'm feeling conflicted. The Roland sounds nice and crisp but the Yamaha sounds more immersive to me.
Yes, digital pianos should all have a mic input, but I would feel let down by a mic facility which requires me to remix the piano's EQ just to get a satisfactory tone while singing. There's something unprofessional about using a 1/4" jack input and having no dedicated EQ. I'll hang on to my separate mixers.
I've always been partial to Roland synths, but the Yamaha sounds good too. I play Pianoteq voices driven by a Casio PX_150. I decided on the Yamaha DGX-670 because I like the auto accompaniment automation. If cost and weight were no object I would go for the Roland FP90x. I think their modeled voices sound great. This was an excellent comparison,
Having dabbled in looping samples in stuff like impulse tracker, it sounds like the yamaha has increasingly more noticeable "beating" in the sound as it fades out, whereas the roland doesn't really change pitch as it fades out. Its not super obvious, but its also not that hard to pick out. I'm sure thats a side effect of looping, its probably doing some kind of pingpong loop so it doesn't pop at the loop but creates that subtle warble. To awfully translate it to text: Its like the difference between RRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr and RRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrRrrrrRrrrRrrrrrrrr.
The Yamaha does seem to have the more accurate piano sound, but the Roland just has a more pleasing sound, with that crisp bottom end and nice clarity across over-all, They're both worth having, but I'd go with the FP first.
The Rolland isn't realistic because it's like sticking your head inside a 9ft grand and closing the lid it's not a friendly experience. This is based on my in store experience after playing real grand pianos but gonna give it another try.
If you watch this video with high quality headphones, you can hear every time he lets off of the sustain pedal on the Roland!! absolutely amazing. I’ve always loved Roland’s tone. Only Kawai can compete IMO, but Roland has the better action.
ohh im so glad, I ordered the FP90X and am waiting for about 5 months now. It will be my first higher end digital piano. Only had a 200$ one from Yamaha before.
Первая же композиция - в качественных дорогих наушниках, хотя и с дешёвого планшета, даёт мне ощущение, что Ямаха звучит сладенько, немного приторно, соответственно, а Роланд достойно раскрывает эмоциональный посыл того, что я слышу в этом произведении. Остальные композиции в электронных обработках меня мало волнуют по причине их искусственности. Роланд - только он!
Thanks for the review. Two great instruments. BIG price difference. The FP-90× bass notes sound more electronic to me, like an electric bass, but the treble area is awesome. Yamaha sounds more natural all around. You have to wonder if Yamaha will come out with a p700 series now. (Note the p515 also has eq, but through the LED screen). Question is when will either one of these be available for purchase.
I played the P-515 for years on live gigs with Macbook and software Piano, but need to use the 5-pin MIDI output with an special very fast Midi- interface cable. USB- Port is too slow, as in almost every keyboard. But now I found the FP90X as absolute killer machine if you play sotware pianos (ALL piano sounds on the market inside digital pianos are not good enough for me, too limited) The PHA-50 plays in another world, the transport of MIDI- Information is the best you can get on this planet. With the P-515 it's almost not possible to use the upper dynamic range at 122 to 127, too hard to reach.
The Yamaha P515 is so superior to any keyboards on the market. My comment is based on the CFX and Bosendorfer which is soooo natural sounding. I'm a classically trained musician and for the price is so generous for what you get. This action criticism I can never understand, it feels very natural to a grand. Enjoyed your review but not enough to want to change keyboards.
Objectively, the action is heavy- 88g static weight for middle C ((too heavy for me and it is higher than any acoustic piano I tested). Sound (or model used) does not matter much too me since I can use any piano modelling (I prefer Pianoteq to any sampled models). The bottom line is that Roland FP-90X is better and more modern.
Honestly, I've been reading and watching reviews like crazy and everyone says the action is heavy. Finally found a store that has one in stock that I can try, and I was blown away by the action! It felt great, and not at all too heavy. This coming from someone whose primary practice instrument is a DGX 670, which is often criticized for being too light.
I’ve had my Yamaha P-515 since October 2020. It’s fantastic. The CFX grand and the Bosendorfer for me can’t get any better. Plus I love its organ tutti (pipe organ). I study classical piano and it fits the bill perfectly for my needs.
I can't decide between them. The P15 sounds more like a real piano to me, but the Roland has a great sound too. The Roland has a much better e-piano sound!
When I hear the Roland there is a beautiful clarity and the bass notes sound uncolored. The Yamaha seems to have different tone like bass or loudness was added. I definitely like the sound of the Roland better.
You should do a comparison between the Roland FP-90X and the Viscount Physis K4 EX. You have to add a soundboard to the Viscount. But then you would be comparing two pianos that use Physical Modeling.
Torn between the Kawai ES 920 and the Yamaha P515. I like the Grand piano sounds in these two models better then the Roland, but I also want good, usable Rhodes, Wurly and B3 sounds, too. Also playable Rhythm tracks and pad sounds. There are no dealers that have either model to demo near me.
Nothing is perfect. On the Kawai, there are better pianos I'd say, but unbelievably poor synth sounds and pipe organs. I like pipe organs and the P-515 excels in them, but its action is a no-go for me.
The Yamaha has like a dampened sound compared to the Roland. I liked the Yamaha better than the older FP 90, but the updated FP 90x with Pure Acoustic modeling is a nice improvement. I would go with the Roland. In addition you have the ability on the Roland to adjust each note to be a little brighter or softer. I found this very helpful as the 2nd C above middle C and above can be a little too punchy for my taste. So with the character control for each key, I got every note two octaves above middle C and reduce them from center to down 1 notch. Its perfect now for my taste
Another thought - Yamaha has a slightly better U.S. warranty (3yrs parts and 3yrs labor) vs Roland (3yrs parts and 2yrs labor). But I decided to embrace the new technology and went with the FP90x anyway. As of this post date Kraft Music and GuitarCenter have them in stock. Music stores tell me the p515 won't be available again until June (or later). Although it seems the p515 is due for a replacement in the next 12 months anyway since it came out back in 2018.
Never have liked the Roland sound … they have done a good jobs on the higher octaves but the low octaves sounds like the reverb is turned up and sounds fake.
Sorry, in my ears there's far too much reverb on the sounds to detect any subtleties. In short, I see Yamaha's asset beside price is its Bösendorfer sound, Roland's assets are action and versatility. My winner by comparison in real life has been the quite dated Hi-XL engine. It offers still convincing sounds which support musical playing and came to me built in a Kawai ES920.
Can you comment on the decay of the Hi-XL engine? I understand that the length of the sample before it loops the decay is far longer than other Kawai sample engines, but how noticeable is the looping effect?
@@Biozene Honestly, I never compared the older or cropped Kawai engines with a HI-XL. Decay phase is about 14 seconds when played with default values for the action in forte with volume at 60%. For me, a sample loop is not noticeable, maybe it is covered too well in the small modulation during decay.
Two days ago y bought a Roland FP 90x for the church and tomorrow I'll send it back. People who have nothing to do with music there asked me to take back my money and buy something else. Before this I played for them in the church for several years a Yamaha CP 300 that is mine and still have at home and I'll never sell it(it's the beast of all times of Yamaha electric pianos) and another Yamaha dgx 660. They all loved it. But they (and I too) hated Roland FP 90x from the first hymn I played. They simply could not sing, but watching me and with their eyes telling me: hey bro, what the fuck is that thing? Get back the Yamaha! And tomorrow I'll get back my money and buy an Yamaha. P-S 500, P515 or DGX 670. One of these. I wanted FP 90x for the tone and volume controllers as Yamaha CP 300 have. But the piano sounds is "mierda", as the Spanish says. Sad that CP 300 is not in sell anymore. I have my own from 2007 and still plays as the first day I bought it. God bless Yamaha!😄
Yamaha introduced virtual acoustic modeling way back in the 1990's as a plugin board for its synthesizers, and stand alone tone generators VL1 and VL 70m for its line of midi wind controllers. For some reason they have not done anything with the technology for many years.
What are you talking about? They've resampled using newer technology, including their newer methods for Binaural sampling, even in just the past few years.
Because the p515 is the flagship of the P series and the fp90x is the flagship of the fp series. Seemed pretty obvious to me. Play them in the shop and you'll soon see the 60x doesn't compare to either.
So which one do you recommend? I currently have a Yamaha P255 which I think is pretty good. Which is the best portable digital piano for a classically trained pianist that wants to use it for church and gigs?
As I may have said before, hang onto the P-255, unless it's really letting you down in some department. Something better will come out eventually. These instruments are not a very big upgrade IMO. Yamaha should have kept making the P-255, as a little brother to the P-515, but maybe they couldn't produce the P-255 any cheaper, or they didn't want to spoil P-515 sales. In that case they should bring out a "P-240" - something to tackle the PX-S3000, the FP-60X and the ES520. The P-125 (next model down from P-515) cannot match those instruments. It would ne nice if Korg stepped back into the ring.
Roland sounds better but they can’t seem to eradicate that unpleasant artificial sound from the tone, this just shouldn’t be there in 2023, at times it doesn’t sound like a piano at all, l but then most of these awful built in samples are sketchy due to low memory sizes, just go listen to garritan cfx on RU-vid and you can actually hear how a digitally sampled grand piano should sound, and yes I know the Roland is modelled, but pianoteq does this much better anyway. These pianos are only worth buying for the actions, the built in tones are fun and enjoyable to play live but for recording like in this video from line out they are absolutely awful, it’s criminal really the digital piano manufacturers still insist on using low megabyte samples when we have been able to create gigabyte highly detailed samples for many years already.
I'd like a comparison with the Korg Nautilus 88. There's a good, "high megabyte" piano there and I believe there are additional expansions purchasable and installable for a few bucks. And insane effect section etc. I know it's a different kind of instrument, but I can imagine getting it. Pricewise, it's not far above the price of FP-90x here.
There is something weird because i actually like sound of Roland more than my beloved p515 ,even if i know it is robot.Well ,maybe we are so used to robots ,they are everywhere.
The keyboard world desperately needs something with the interface (knobs sliders buttons) all pulled forward so you can place a 2nd keyboard close up, BUT also have mod and pitch wheels, and enough knobs and/or sliders to play with parameters.
Don't be scared of saying smaller units than miliseconds when it comes to processing. With clock frequency of 1Ghz = 1 000 000 000 1/s, the time of an operation is 1ns. With 1Mhz the time is 1μs
You are being too nice. There is a clear winner. Everyone who has high quality headphones can hear it. And if you add the action into formula the game is over. Nice comparison tho
@@mfurman Roland FP90x is clearly superior in sound and action for me. Yamaha p515 is however maybe the best instrument for that price (they sell it around 1300eur in EU) on the market. What do you think about them Michael?
@@Adam-rh9my Agree with you word for word. I am currently waiting (paid already) for Roland FP-90X. It has features I do not really need (microphone input and equalizer) but is giving me (in a portable form) everything that more expensive digital pianos may. I tested Roland LX705 and LX706 plus some new Yamaha Clavinova digital pianos. Once again FP-90X!
@@Adam-rh9my RD-2000 has the same action, does not have PureAcoustic Piano Modelling, has tons of (unnecessary for me) features and no speakers. Hard to compare sound (even headphone output is different). I mostly compared Clavinova pianos for action (hard to compare the sound and it was not critical for me). Lower end Clavinova pianos (below CLP-775) were not better for me as far as action is concerned and headphone sound was not better either. CLP-775 is much more expensive and too big and heavy for me. FP-90X is the best balance of price, action quality, features and weight.
Great video but I'm absolutely STAGGERED at anybody who thinks that the Roland sound comes ANYWHERE CLOSE to the Yamaha. I was taught Piano in the 1970's and have been playing ever since. I bought a Yamaha P515 4 years ago and the only drawback for me was the heavy key action. I thought the Roland would be a far better option in this regard so I trialled it for 2 weeks. Sorry but the Piano sounds on this are truly awful and unrealistic. I did side by side comparisons and couldn't understand what Roland were trying to do with this. It sounds synthetic, thin, unrealistic, fake . . . . there was no comparison. If you don't care about the Piano sounds and just want an unbelievably good key action, then go for the Roland. If, on the other hand you are a proper musician and the piano sounds are EVERYTHING then the Yamaha completely and utterly wipes the floor with the Roland . . . . AND it's two thirds of the price!
Yamaha black keys are tricky, some say. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--t_GBgsFLIc.html Even sounds of Roland mostly "from inside of instrument", dynamics are better for player. But what I really wonder why go for FP-90x when you can get RD-2000 with V-Piano? ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-vVqYZsxoKS0.html
The Roland has close to zero dynamics character change. It's either soft or hard, nothing in between. And do notice we don't get to hear the upper register here. Why? It sounds utterly shitty.
For me its exactly the other way around. I have Yamaha keyboard, and love yamaha since my dx7 lol.. but the roland sounds better in Piano sounds. I guess its all personal.
I absolutely hate the sound out of the Roland. It sounds horrendous. Just my personal taste. For Yamaha's, I've heard the CFX and Imperial samples, and prefer the European sound just a bit more for most pieces: it's nice when there's an option for both.
@@xlokn Personally I think both are sufficient, while the sound engine in the current Clavinovas is already newer and better than the P-515. I also like the upright piano sound in the Roland, which is brilliant. And for playing I often use the Garritan CFX anyway, which is better than all those put together.
Roland has an openness and airy sound whilst the Yamaha sounds more stifled, closed in and lacks life in my opinion. Owning both s Roland FP10 and a Yamaha Genos, MODX and Clavinova, I can confidently say the Roland delivers a more lively, rich and bodied dynamic sound when playing than any Yamaha I have tried. That's not to say I dislike the Yamahas, infact still use the Yamaha piano sound a lot but for solo playing live on a digital piano, Roland is by far more enjoyable.
Far distance from shops and unfortunately this video does really nothing to help making up my mind. Even the playing of the keyboards is boring and no variety in velocity.. Sorry for my poor english.
Wny? WHY?? WHY??!!!......You did not demonstrate the most important sound features that pro pianist need. You played too fast to hear the decays. You talked about decays but did not demonstrate them. We need to hear a single chord played and held with and without full sustain pedal and hear just that chord decays out. Then we need single notes too, and at the very least at 3 different octaves for the chord and single note. Isolated chords and one note is the only way to actually hear the resonance and looping depending on model or sample. You played too fast, we need a minimum of 60bpm with lots of whole notes and tied whole notes, then we need very, VERY slow arpeggio's so we can hear how well the notes blend sustained, finger sustained and pedal sustained. You talked about the pedal but said nothing of half pedaling or possibly they are finally making a sustain with 128 steps of pedaling instead of just full on, and half on. Next important is the adjustability of the sound, besides the 3 band EQ on the Roland and the master EQ on the Yamaha (which you left out too). Sound shaping with lid openings, effects, delay and reverb are so important...nothing from you? We all have our own idea of voicing for our type of music, I need classical voicing but even that is not an accurate sound, I decide through adjusting the sound what my piano will sound like, just as if I am the tuner. As any solo acoustic pianist who care deeply about sound quality will tell you, any digital piano played fast sound good, they all sound about the same. It is incredibly easy for a fast piano piece to sound good on any digital piano. I still play a Yamaha P95 because I have not heard a demo that sounds much better. I live in an apartment and cannot practice on an acoustic, I do ALL my practicing on a digital and need something better than the P95, I cannot play slow pieces on it without notes dropping off because of unnatural short decays. I would like to upgrade, but need good demos to be assured I am not wasting money. Don't have access to music stores with higher level pianos, need good demos.
@@rustic35 2000 miles to get a store that has all the piano's I want to compare, its really complicated when reviews are done for profit instead of providing a value service.
@@WildernessMusic_GentleSerene people have to make money and there's plenty of other videos around. You're never going to get a good reference from RU-vid videos anyway. I went to the shop of Sunday and all the pianos I watched reviews for, sounded completely different in-store. I was set on the fp60x until I went into the store. Then I cheeked to the fp90x until I played and heard the yamaha which, I hadn't even considered. Where do you live that you're 2000 miles from a store? I live in Australia and with our wide open spaces, even I wouldn't have to travel 3200km. If you don't go into a store then, I'm sure you'd be happy with either one. Personally, I don't know if there's that much more or better about the roland to justify the large price difference.
