Roland RD 2000 VS Roland RD 88
Instruments were first made as an acoustic tool that creates sound from the mechanism but since the traditional method is less convenient, we are moving to the digital variant including for professional application like the stage piano. There are plenty of amazing options to go for such as Roland RD 2000 Vs Roland RD 88 with all of their capabilities but just like how different products are made, they are not exactly the same as well and let’s see how they are different below.
In this comparison, we are going to talk about:
- How to Choose for a Digital Piano
- What are Roland RD 2000 and Roland RD 88
- How are the Design of Roland RD 2000 and Roland RD 88
- How are the Keys in Roland RD 2000 and Roland RD 88
- How are the Sound of Roland RD 2000 and Roland RD 88
- What else Roland RD 2000 and Roland RD 88 can offer
- Roland RD 2000 Vs Roland RD 88
Buying a Digital Piano
Piano is undeniably one of the most popular instruments being learned by new players and used in the process of making music as well as in live performances. They are acoustic just like any other classic instruments but since the acoustic pianos are not only expensive but also need maintenance often and not just friendly for everyone, the digital or electric pianos are created to improve the convenience as well as providing options for non-musician to learn and enjoy instruments without actually committing to them.
However, it becomes confusing to choose one because there are so many of them out there and if this is your first buy, the size can be a great spec to tell you which option to go for. The most convenient choice is probably a full-cabinet digital piano since they can stand on their own but they are meant for home use so the dimensions are not as travel friendly. If being travel-friendly is a must then a stage piano with 88-keys will be the most ideal option.
They don’t come with a stand but we can mount them on a keyboard stand which mostly is foldable too for the same convenience. Lastly there is this digital piano that somehow looks like a grand piano and this is great for home use as well as in commercial spots like bars and restaurants. Enough about the form factor, the pianos itself also matters and what you may want to check before buying are their keys and sound quality.
The reason why keys are important is because this is what makes the piano deliver its sounds. It is like a keyboard on the computer where each press triggers a certain action that we can see on the screen or listen to from the speakers. This is where the difference between cheap and high-end pianos will be more noticeable because the expensive options are mimicking the real acoustic one much better than what the cheaper variants can offer, most noticeable on the weight.
| Roland RD 2000 | Roland RD 88 | |
|---|---|---|
  |   |
|
| Product Dimensions | 55.6 x 14.5 x 5.6 inches | 54.33 x 15.75 x 11.42 inches |
| Shipping Weight | 47.1 pounds | 29.8 pounds |
| Shop now at Amazon | Check price | Check price |
In acoustic pianos the keys affect the hammer striking the string to make sound so there is a certain feel on these keys for different notes you play and weighting also allows pianists to control the dynamic of the instrument much better. Sound quality is even more complicated because the keys, internal electricity component, as well as the sound generation are all playing their role in deciding how loud and how clean or accurate your piano will sound which is why it can vary widely across brands and models.
About Roland RD 2000 and Roland RD 88
It can be quite time consuming to get the ideal instrument for your purpose but the choice is all available in the market and if you can’t choose based on the capabilities or qualities, we can shop based on the budget range or brand itself. The professional level range will almost always be more expensive in general compared to beginner alternatives such as Yamaha P125 Vs P45. However, they are not only going to sound better but also coming with more features.
Most companies are making some types or offering a whole range of professional pianos for performers or musicians including Roland. This brand has been around for quite some time and they are also one of the most familiar options for anyone who is looking for a reliable piano whether it is for the professionals or new learners. They are also covering a wide range of price points to match our spending ability since it is easy to find the best pianos but not everyone can spend the cost.
For the professional options, Roland has the RD line which shows an interesting upgrade through RD 2000 back in 2017 and as you may already know, it is the continuation of the quite famous RD 1000 which was already going around since the 80s. It is probably the fanciest RD piano in the line but it is pretty expensive and this is why Roland released the RD 88 to still offer the advantages of stage piano yet, with some compromises to make it more affordable.
In general the RD 88 is almost like the shaved down version of RD 2000 so it is easy to say that between Roland RD 2000 and Roland RD 88, the former will be the more capable choice. However, some people may like the RD 88 instead for the convenience and this is because the piano comes with a speaker already which is rare on those made for stage application. The two also seem to have slightly different control schemes yet, we also agree that overall the RD 2000 feels more premium.
Roland RD 2000 and Roland RD 88 Design
Before getting into what the pianos can offer, first let’s check the outer qualities and as a 88-key setup, they are nowhere near the most compact digital pianos. The RD 2000 is actually slightly wider than its brother at 55.5 inches instead of 50 inches and this is because of the additional space located on your left that is missing on the latter. The RD 2000 is also taller and deeper in comparison but the most noticeable will be weight as it is almost twice as heavy.
The control panel definitely looks less-cramped on the RD 88 but there is also concern regarding how well they are in application in which typical stage pianos usually use more knobs to access the navigation and sound switching, this one uses arrow buttons instead. However the sound collection is separated into categories so it is still easy to get used to and navigate around the features.
Roland RD 2000 and Roland RD 88 Keys
Now for the most important part, let’s take a look at what the Roland RD 2000 and Roland RD 88 can offer starting from the keys which are quite different as well. The former is using PHA-50 hybrid with wooden action or real wood behind each key while the latter is full-plastic called PHA-4. In comparison the feeling is definitely different with how RD 2000 is mimicking the experience of an acoustic piano while combining the convenience of plastic but the two are very good in general.
The RD 88 is not bad at all and compared to many entry-level pianos, Roland did a great job to make the keys feel like ivory. Worry not since it is graded too so we are getting the similar experience of acoustic pianos with different weight on each of the keys. For the lower cost, there are also other Roland pianos with the same keys as RD 88 if your main concern is the keys.
Roland RD 2000 and Roland RD 88 Sound
Now moving to the sound quality of Roland RD 2000 and Roland RD 88. As it has been mentioned above that RD 2000 doesn’t have a speaker meaning we will need to connect it into something to work. On the sound generation, as expected this piano is paired with the V-Piano engine just like the previous in line but, it is also combined with SuperNATURAL hybrid modeling like in Roland’s modern pianos. Overall it is doing an amazing job but some may worry about the V-Piano engine which is purely modeling.
This may concern some but they are working really well and it also gives you more freedom on the sound shaping option compared to when the piano is based on the sampling only such as the RD 88 since yes, the latter is featured with ZEN-Core sound engine instead. It may not satisfy every ear but we do think tweaking the sound a bit will give a much better result.
Roland RD 2000 and Roland RD 88 Features
Lastly we want to mention some of the additional features that you can find on Roland RD 2000 and Roland RD 88. One of them is splitting and layering which is often found on beginner pianos but the RD 2000 is an extreme example of letting you use up to 8 zones with individual presets to tweak. As expected USB Midi is a standard feature on both pianos and they do come with an audio interface to let you connect DAW into the program and performance.
Roland RD 2000 vs Roland RD 88
Both Roland RD 2000 and Roland RD 88 are very similar but as it has been mentioned above, the RD 88 is like a shaved version of the RD 2000 and this can be easily seen from the ability to manipulate sound from the control, sound engineering, and also the keys. The price gap is very noticeable and this makes RD 88 being the friendly option for anyone who can’t spend the budget yet but if asked which will be the better choice RD 2000 is the clear answer.
Conclusion
The choice is all yours because it is difficult to balance the product abilities and the budget we can spend but if you can sacrifice the amount we do think RD 2000 is one of the best choices in the price range for the overall versatility and quality.
