Roland’s FP and RD series of stage pianos are amongst the industry’s most played-upon and highly reviewed products.  Roland pianos are known for their durable construction and their highly usable interfaces, specifically targeting the semi-professional or fully professional musician.  Roland, along with Kawai, have the highest rated actions, and typically feature stereo samples and good editability.

FP Series

FP series is a home/stage piano which has onboard speakers, some well-selected and interesting onboard features such as looping and auto-accompaniment, and good responsive actions.  The instruments can be ordered with matching stands, or they sit equally well on an “X”-type portable stand.  Roland’s product is still made in Japan, a rarity in the industry, and the quality is well-known amongst professional musicians. 

RD Series

The RD series is considered to be the standard professional choice when it comes to stage controllers/pianos.  The RD700 features Roland’s top portable action (including escapement), 4 zone control, a full tone bank, basic recording features, and an XY Joystick.  It also has balanced audio outputs, a favorite feature amongst pro’s.  The RD300 is a stripped-down version, featuring 3 zone control, a smaller tone bank, a different action, and almost a $1000 difference in price.