Roland RD 2000 VS Kawai MP7SE
Stage pianos are very capable and they are still portable too. Both the interface and sound quality are all important for this professional grade pianos and there are so many of them to choose from such as Roland RD 2000 Vs Kawai MP7SE. These famous options are equally impressive especially when it comes to the sound designing functions yet coming from different brands they are different as well so let’s see below about what they can offer and which of them will interest you better.
In this comparison, we are going to talk about:
- What are Digital Piano and Keyboard
- What are Roland RD 2000 and Kawai MP7SE
- How are the Design of Roland RD 2000 and Kawai MP7SE
- How are the Keys in Roland RD 2000 and Kawai MP7SE
- How are the Sound Technology in Roland RD 2000 and Kawai MP7SE
- What else Roland RD 2000 and Kawai MP7SE can offer
- Roland RD 2000 Vs Kawai MP7SE
Digital Piano and Keyboard
Instruments that most of us know today are initially acoustic but since they are not as convenient, many of us are choosing the electric or digital variant instead. There are so many electric instruments to consider if you are just new into the hobby or want your kid to learn something but, many of us agree that piano is one of the best. While it is also a pretty common instrument, there are some variants that may get confusing since they look very similar but are in fact different.
Piano that is using electricity to power the system is known as a digital piano but there are also people who call it a keyboard and while a keyboard in general is more identical to those we used on a computer or smart devices, this term is also meant an electric piano. Students don’t usually start with a grand piano unless they have the resources to access it, so digital piano is what most of us were starting with back then. Digital piano, as the name suggests, is a digital version of the instrument.
It is meant to digitize the sound, replicating the grand piano or acoustic piano to make it much more affordable. You will notice that most of them such as Casio PX 770 Vs Yamaha P115 come with weighted keys to resemble the acoustic pianos. This type of instrument is great for people who want to learn playing but don’t want to invest so much on the unit, especially when you are unsure whether to stick with the lesson or make it into a career in the future.
| Roland RD 2000 | Kawai MP7SE | |
|---|---|---|
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| Product Dimensions | 55.6 x 14.5 x 5.6 inches | 60 x 17 x 9 inches |
| Shipping Weight | 47.1 pounds | 49.9 pounds |
| Shop now at Amazon | Check price | Check price |
In general digital pianos are versatile that it is not only useful for students but also professional musicians to compose their songs since the instrument is easier to maintain and convenient to be transported or stored. Keyboard is actually very similar to a digital piano and oftentimes it is difficult to tell which one is which. The main function is different however since it is designed to produce a much wider range of sounds compared to traditional pianos.
They have so many features that makes the instrument ideal for intermediate or experienced and seasoned musicians who are going to develop their own sound or compose their own songs. This instrument is usually lighter as well and typically doesn’t have weighted keys since the main focus is the sound itself. They come with hundreds or thousands of sounds and often have the ability to customize your sound. However, in real life you may find a type of piano that both have weighted keys and sound designing functions.
About Roland RD 2000 and Kawai MP7SE
Just like how we choose the instrument to play, it needs to match with the application as well. The more capable they are the more we need to invest in them and for many of us it can be a challenge. However, for a professional we do think it is wise to balance the capability and budget since we will rely on them. Stage piano is an amazing option for musicians because they offer both playability of good digital piano but also versatile on the sound shaping.
Most companies that make digital pianos or keyboards also made a wide range of pianos for different types of users. Stage pianos are typically expensive since they are mostly used by professional or experienced users and thus, we have to shop wisely. Roland and Kawai are some of the most popular brands of professional-level digital pianos with their huge range of collections and amazing sound engineering to produce beautiful sound that please everyone. Price wise they also vary based on the product ability.
Some of the promising options that you may want to consider are Roland RD 2000 and Kawai MP7SE which are both very capable digital stage pianos. They are continuation of similarly popular pianos in the line and as you may guess, the MP7SE is a new version of the MP7 with some upgrades. RD 2000 is based on the RD 1000 which has been around for quite some time already and being new, it also brings more advanced technology of Roland’s modern sound designing.
In comparison, the RD 2000 is much more expensive while MP7SE is noticeably cheaper for a stage piano. However, this price gap translates well too into the instruments ability and one of the most noticeable differences between Roland RD 2000 and Kawai MP7SE is their keys. In this area the RD 2000 is probably more similar to the MP11SE which is around the same price point. If you are the type who only needs a good stage piano, we do think MP7SE is a great choice.
Roland RD 2000 and Kawai MP7SE Design
Before getting into what these pianos can offer, first let’s take a look into the unit. They are very similar in terms of design and being a full 88-key doesn’t make them extremely compact either. Yet, it is still very much convenient to travel with from one gig to another. The MP7SE especially is more travel friendly at 53.6 x 13.3 x 6.7 inches while RD 2000 is slightly bulkier at 55.5 x 14.4 x 5.5 inches. Both pianos are also featured with a small LCD screen in the middle of their control panel.
The control panel is very convenient and you can find every function here. The RD 2000 noticeably looks more packed so it can easily clutter the interface but when you notice, this piano is also coming with more functions and we do like faders here as it makes controlling the functions and sound more convenient. Overall both are ideally designed to be used in live applications but no one will stop you from having them in the home studio as well.
Roland RD 2000 and Kawai MP7SE Keys
One of the most important parts of a piano as an instrument is the keys and as it has been mentioned above, this is what separates Roland RD 2000 and Kawai MP7SE too. Starting from Roland, this piano comes with what they call the PHA-50 which is a hybrid design, meaning the keys combine both plastic and wood at the same touch. The wood is located below the plastic keys and it helps to make the keys vibration feels more realistic; something that most digital pianos are not capable of.
On the other hand MP7SE is using Kawai’s Plastic Key Action or the RHIII which is a short or responsive hammer. This seems to be their latest plastic key action and while it does of course have the cheaper feeling, it is not bad at all or more similar to the typical digital pianos. We love the ivory touch of the key surface that makes it feels better to play but in general we also think it is on the lighter side.
Roland RD 2000 and Kawai MP7SE Sound
Next we want to talk about their sound quality which is probably what most people will love from Roland RD 2000 and Kawai MP7SE as they are amazing. Starting with Roland, this piano is among the best in their collection with a combination of V-Piano engine and SuperNATURAL. The first one is an entire modeling system so it doesn’t use samples and it is great for sound shaping ability while the latter is hybrid that combines sampling and V-piano element to produce a very good sound.
As for the MP7SE, this piano seems to use the sound technology from their higher model CS11 to offer an upgrade in sound realism. It contains 4 distinct samples from grand and upright piano along with some variations to the sound, especially plenty of acoustic piano sound. Using the Virtual Technician feature, this piano has so many editing parameters to design your sound. If desired, we can even use the app from your tablet.
Roland RD 2000 and Kawai MP7SE Features
In addition, both Roland RD 2000 and Kawai MP7SE do come with some basic features that can be helpful in your applications. For example the RD 2000 has an extensive splitting and layering functions that allows you to use up to 8 zones with individual presets to tweak. Similarly, while not giving you as much freedom, the MP7SE also comes with all the basic functions including dual, split, and transpose. None of them have built-in features however so we need to connect an output first.
Roland RD 2000 Vs Kawai MP7SE
Both RD 2000 and Kawai MP7SE are good pianos depending on which seems to provide the amount of freedom that you like best. They are easy to play but in general RD 2000 is going to be the one that gives you the more premium feeling starting from the keys, sound shaping and designing, control or interface, as well as the additional features.
Conclusion
The option is all yours because we do think both pianos are amazing and if you don’t have any issue with the budget, we will highly recommend getting the RD 2000 since this is one of the best in its price range both on the sound and user experience.
