Roland FP 90

[K88]

Hi everyone

I have a Roland FP 90 and it's great but I need more sounds and more ... well just more! I'm not clever with technology - I'm just a pianist really. Please can someone kind and patient advise me. Do I need to buy a different keyboard or is there some way to improve the capabilities of the one I have? Thank you!

K88

 

[Biggles]

Welcome.

If you have an iPad then that is a route to add more sounds. Connected it up to the FP, turn off local control and use apps like Music Studio to play the full gamut of orchestral sounds. Yes it is technology but at a pretty simple level and certain far less complicated than what you will face on a workstation keyboard.

Your FP has a pha-4 keybed which is very good and getting a workstation with a similar keybed is another matter. As an example the Roland FA08 has their old Ivory feel G keybed it is a very capable keyboard but the menu system would require quite a steep learning curve.

If you watch a few of the videos in the series beliw you will get an idea of what is involved and the capabilities of workstations in general. But do note that whilst this is a Roland the learning curve of Yamaha, Korg, Kurzweil keyboards will be very similar.

Roland - RTV - FA-06/FA-08 Tutorials

FA-06/FA-08 Tutorials

www.roland.com

 

[K88]

Hi Biggles

Thank you for your reply and for suggestions.

I have had an FA08 - sold it about 6 months ago. It was smashing I bought the Roland FP 90 as a stay-at-home replacement - not to be used for gigging. I didn't have the space for both instruments.

I think I will sell my FP90 and get a Fantom 7 or 8. If anyone is interested in buying it from me, please let me know. It's in immaculate condition. I bought it from Bonners last June. It was their elite package (wooden stand, three pedals, matching stool, music stand).

Thanks again Biggles

 

[cpcohen1945]

. . .
Your FP has a pha-4 keybed which is very good and getting a workstation with a similar keybed is another matter. . . .

I think it has a PHA-50 keybed, which (IMHO) is appreciably better than the PHA-4 series. It might be comparable to a PHA-4 Concert -- in any case, it's really nice.

So some kind of "outboard expansion", which would save the FP-90, is a good route to take.
. Charles

 

[K88]

Hi Charles

Thank you for your reply please may I ask what equipment you would specifically recommend? Thanks

K88

 

[cpcohen1945]

If you just want more sounds, I was thinking about something like the Yamaha MX49:

Yamaha MX49 Music Synthesizer - Blue

49-note Synth/Controller with Full-size, Velocity-sensitive Keys, 1000+ MOTIF XS Sounds, VCM FX Engine, and Bundled Software - Blue

www.sweetwater.com

There are 1,000 MOTIF-style sounds on board, with capabilities I don't understand to layer and combine them. It's basically a sample-player, not a fully-programmable synth, and _not_ a workstation. There's no sequencer built in, but there is an arpeggiator. It has limited control over the sounds -- ADSR settings have knobs on the panel. It weighs only 8.5 pounds.

I'm pretty sure you could run a MIDI cable from the FP-90 to the MX49, and play it directly from the FP-90 keyboard.

I don't have one, so I can't give you a first-hand evaluation. There should be lots of YouTube videos, and there's a "Sound on Sound" review here:

Yamaha MX49

Fruit continues to fall from Yamaha's Motif tree and the latest and cheapest example is the MX range...

www.soundonsound.com

. Charles

 

[Biggles]

Checkout a Roland RD2000

Same PHA 50 keybed as your FP90

1100 tones

Downside is much less Polophony.

Or by far the easiest and cheapest option is to plug in your iPad and use any of the hundreds of Apps that are available.