Roland FP-E50 88-key Arranger Keyboard Demo

Some of those backing tracks were definitely inspired byJohn Shuttleworth.

Only way this could be bettter is if it had polyphonic aftertouch.

Sounds great

noisy keys. Genos2 Rules

Okay, the guitar patches might not be the best...BUT...run them through an effects pedal, and you’re into something.

Did anyone ever told you that you look like Justin Timberlake 😂 with glasses 🎉

how does this compare with the fp 30x? In terms of playing touch/feel and sound? I won't be using other functions too much. I'm debating on purchasing between the FP-E50 and FP-30x.

I had a Nord Elecro 6D for about a month and sent it back due to the serious oversight of not having pitch and mod! I should have been paying more attention when I ordered! This Roland sounds fantastic!

Excluding a few sounds from acoustic and electric pianos, what continues to astound me is the remarkable stagnation in the quality of all the other sounds, which seem to have been stuck in the early 2000s.

How significant companies like Roland, in an era where memory and processors run at unimaginable speeds, still rely on samples from a time when every megabyte cost us $100.

Adding the (hardly revolutionary) Pitch & Mod Wheel is nice, but with guitar sounds at General MIDI level, it doesn't offer much unless used as a controller for serious sound libraries – companies that are hesitant to sell us the same sounds for 20 years with a new packaging.

I torn between getting my daughter the Yamaha DGX-670
Versus
Roland FP-E50 Digital Piano. She just wants to make music at home

The guitars are much better on the Yamaha DGX 670

Is it possible to have a pad that holds without staying on the pedal? I play on a worship team and would love to see if I can just set a pad in a certain key and be able to leave it until I want to change into another key. Great video, thanks!

This one or Yamaha dgx-670???🤔

A POTENTIALLY HUGE ISSUE THAT IS OVERLOOKED IN MOST ONLINE REVIEWS ON THE ROLAND FP-E50 is the fact that MIDI implementation on the FP-E50 is crippled: it sends and receives on one MIDI channel only. So if you have created a dual sound that you love - say a piano-pad combination - and you send it to your DAW, you will only get ONE of those sounds when you play the performance back. That's right, that beloved dual voice that you painstakingly created on the FP-E50 and saved to a "scene" will only be played back through the FP-E50 by the DAW as a SINGLE VOICE. In other words, in this case, you can hear the piano, but not the pad. The FP-E50 can't play dual instruments AND it can't play split keyboard performances back through your DAW. This is a very basic maneuver for anyone using a DAW: record a performance from a piano, make changes on the DAW, play it back on the piano, and then record the perfected performance into audio. Nope. Not gonna do it on this with dual voices or keyboard splits. It also will not record anything to MIDI on the keyboard and export to the DAW. And you won't be able to play multiple FP-E50 instruments on multiple tracks on your instrument (on different MIDI channels) from your DAW. What instrument these days only sends and receives on one MIDI channel each? The FP-E50 is not a multi-timbral instrument with respect to MIDI. The RD-88 is. While the latter does not have a record or accompaniment function it SHOULD (I don't own one) perform these basic MIDI functions with dual sounds, keyboard splits and multiple instruments on multiple MIDI channels as is normally expected. For the home user, the lack of a recorder and accompaniment is easily compensated for by the simple purchase of something like Band-in-a-Box for a hundred bucks. None of the reviews I've seen online has addressed this "disability" and no one in the stores was able to explain this to me in advance (and I really tried to find out). WHAT WAS ROLAND THINKING (??) when they crippled the FP-E50 in this way??? I wish I had purchased the RD-88 or some other piano for my home use to connect to my DAW.

Anyone help me?? New to keyboards in general and have a brand new Roland FP e50 but my piano sounds do NOT sound as vibrant and beautiful as this?! Ahh. Why? I have been looking through all the settings. Tried changing the settings in piano designer. I am at a loss. It sounds like the soft pedal is down if it were a real piano. Probably something simple and I just am so clueless. PLEASE HELP if you have any ideas? Thanks friends 🙌🏼

Thank you Jacob. Very nice playing. You covered some really helpful tips. Can't wait to get mine soon

Hi, can this FpE50 do recording through USB Midi? or can you only do recording via bluetooth Midi?

Are the connections through bluetooth stable for recording?

Thank you

Hi Jacob, do you know if it necesary to download a driver fo windows to set the builtin audio interface?

Although it's fairly easy to make it, keyboard makers should include a preset for the "No Quarter" electric piano sound.
Also, wheels. All digital pianos should have wheels. You should be able to use it as a viable controller. Even if you don't get knobs, at least the wheels should be there.

Can you edit the chord progression?

While I really appreciate your help, rather than a demonstration of what FP-E50 can do, what beginners really need is a beginners tutorial. The manual is impenetrable and might just as well be written in Spanish.

..Seriously debating between this piano and the rd88 for my home studio.
..Most of the time I'll be using it as a grand piano. The rest of the time, mostly using for pads, rhodes, strings, cello, or occasionally a hammond b3.. so the pitch bend wheels are definitely nice.

Can you isolate the drums and play them on the piano, like you would with the guitar sound? For instance, perform a drum solo? Thank you for your time!

Love this keyboard…just purchased it and a pedal from sweetwater…it comes with a pedal, but no quite a real pedal. Great demo…thanks.

Tips for buyers on competition

Yamaha DGX - 670
Pros - 4 style variations/ better style programs/ reads PSR style files with 4 variations ( there are thousands if free styles)
Can write user styles/ more realistic and musical styles that can be used/ can play midi files ( Roland can not)
40 plus Super Articulation sounds ( best nylon/ acoustic guitars / saxes, etc that Roland or Casio can’t touch)
Will read midi files ( including Roland ‘s GS and Yamaha’s XG files). Remember most pro GM files are written in GS format)
Has 16 track sequencer


Cons- heavy/ bulky/ GHS keys ( not as good as Roland) . Not gig worthy ( screaming “amateur keyboard)/ no vocal harmony
/ no modulation wheel/ only headphone out/ no separate LR outs


Korg XE- 20
Light weight( 25 Ibs)/ terrible key touch and response/ PA80 arranger styles/ will read SMF/ Wav/ Mp3 files but poorly designed for live playback. No joystick/ pitch bend/ mod wheel/ PA 80 arranger styles means 2 fills and jumpy fills / no style writing/ has basic sequencer


Roland FP- E50
Pros - great key feel/ individual weights ( key response not as fast as Yamaha’s GHS for fast notes runs due to escapement mechanics for certain patches but great for piano tones
- better piano tones ( than Yamaha or Casio)
- pro looking keyboard on stage ( well designed/ no speakers on top or front)
-individual LR outs
- Vocal harmony
- 37 pounds ( lightest pro feel/looking arranger with build in speakers)
- blue tooth midi and audio
- chord sequencer

Cons- Can’t read or write midi files ( only Wav files) . That means you can’t play pre sequenced general midi files with VH data)
- other sounds ( non super natural tones)are good enough but not great ( especially saxes/ guitars still has Juno Di / Ds quality) . Not super articulation quality
- arranger feature is afterthought and style are poorly written ( limitations start to appear if you are One Man Band / solo performer)
- 2 style variations means 1990 era backing with improved sounds ( you will not be able to load even BK3 styles which has 4 variations)


Overall verdict- There is no competition in the market.great if you need one keyboard that has 88 keys and pro piano sounds and other acceptable sounds with manageable weight that has pitch/ mod wheels . Looks great as well.
For OMB players;You just have to load wav files and play and sing on top while using real time harmony by pressing chords in real time



Unfortunate for Casio. Which is still not considered as “pro” looking/ considered KB on stage ( regardless how they improved with the sounds, etc, the stigma is still there). It may take a decade and multiple endorsements.

Could this be used to gig with built in mic no external amp in a coffee shop, nursing home, book store or say 40 x40 room?

Wich Is better Roland fpE50 or Casio px7000 ?

Trombone with pitch bend...missed opportunity.

I love this thing.

Bonjour, est-ce qu'on peut changer la couleur de l'écran (mode sombre) ? Merci beaucoup

Stuck between this piano or dgx 670, anyone know which one is better?

Could you explain how to use the favourite bottom to create the list of sounds that interests more? Thank you so much

Would you know if you can actually load a .wav file from a USB Stick and play it on a key like a ''sampled' sound? Can you send a sound module via midi to be played like a controller? And if you do splits, can you control the octave range of each side individually and can you save any sound changes to be able to call it up at a later time quickly? Thks! Cheers!

Can we tuned it to 432Hz ?

How is the build quality of this FP-e50? Is the top panel made of plastic or metal? Thanks!

You do really nice demos. Regarding the Roland, I am not so impressed, especially as an arranger. I own the Yamaha DGX-670 which retails for $150 less and it has way more features, especially when arranging (the lack of direct access buttons and the small monochrome screen in particular). Yes, the DGX has less voices, but at 600+ you are starting to get into diminishing returns. And based on your demo, I think that the DXG sound samples are, overall, more realistic.

Best review of the FP-E50. I'm looking for my first keyboard and this looks like the best option. Also considering the FP-60X and RD88. Both great keyboards, I tried the RD88 and found the menu system a bit awkward though.

This “chord sequencer” is the same as the on on Fp-7f (even the concert piano sound is identical) users can’t make a custom chord progressions, therefore is not a sequencer really. Also there’s a drum fill at the end of every progression 😂 oh Roland, I thought it was 2023

Harp?

Can I use the FP-E50 as a midi control for a Roland Integra-7? In essence, can I turn off the sounds of the FP-E50?

I thought this was their answer to the DGX-670 from Yamaha, but it appears to have fewer features, and the guitar sound options do not sound as realistic.

When it comes to guitar patches in a electronic keyboard I just play the guitar...otherwise most other patches are useful...sax is a little iffy

Ciao Jacob
Bellissima macchina
Ma soprattutto grande pianista.
Grazie mille e ciao dall'Italia.

Can I put sounds in performances and change them with the pedal?

Does it have a vocoder on it

I love it.

Number one importance! 37 ilbs!!!!!! I love my KORG Kronos but at 100 ilbs its never leaving my studio! EVER!

Are you able to layer BOTH a Piano and Electric Piano...and then have a volume control for each OR are there only preset sounds of layers??