Roland announced at the Franfurt Musikmesse the FP-80 and FP-50, the next-generation models in their FP series of portable digital pianos. This updated instruments feature SuperNATURAL Piano sounds, 88-note Ivory Feel keyboards, a large selection of onboard rhythm accompaniments with advanced full-keyboard chord recognition and more. The FP-80 Ivory Feel-S Keyboard with escapement features the same progressive hammer action and escapement found in Roland top-line pianos, plus keys that replicate the unique appearance, texture, and moisture absorbing properties of real ivory. The cheaper FP-50 is outfitted with the Ivory Feel-G Keyboard with Escapement, an excellent keyboard that also features a progressive hammer action and an authentic ivory feel.
Roland SuperNATURAL Piano sound engine delivers pro-level acoustic pianos with natural response, wide dynamic range, and seamless variations in tone. Also onboard the FP-80 and FP-50 are a large selection of SuperNATURAL-based classic electric pianos, as well as strings, organs, and other versatile sounds. Dual Play and Split Play functions allow users to easily layer two tones together or split two sounds across the keyboard. At the touch of a button, users can add impressive accompaniment as they play the FP-80 and FP-50. 90 newly created rhythms cover jazz, rock, and other musical styles, and feature backing instruments along with drums for a rich ensemble sound. The accompaniment intelligently follows chords played anywhere on the keyboard to create interactive real-time backing. Via USB memory, users can record their performances and play along with their WAV audio songs.
The Roland FP-80 and FP-50 offer full dynamic sound with built-in stereo speaker systems. Additionally, the FP-80 is equipped with Roland Acoustic Projection technology, which adds an additional speaker pair for an even more impressive sound with extra depth and dimension. The FP-80 has a microphone input with a dedicated harmony effect, allowing vocalists to sing along and enjoy vocal harmonies that automatically follow the chords in the rhythm accompaniment or chords played on the keyboard.
The FP-80 and FP-50 are compatible with Roland Wireless Connect, which provides convenient, cable-free communication with Apple iOS devices via Roland?s optional WNA1100-RL Wireless USB Adapter. Two free Roland apps are available to use with the new FP-series pianos: Air Recorder (for the FP-80) allows players to record and share their performances as audio data on their iPhone or iPad and play along with their favorite songs stored on the devices, while Air Performer (for the FP-50) plays iPhone/iPad songs through the piano for play-along fun and practice. Both the Roland FP-80 and FP-50 are available in black or white. Optional matching stands include the KSC-76 for the FP-80 and KSC-44 for the FP-50.
