Roland RD 2000 vs Yamaha CP88
Digital pianos are convenient both at home and at the stage but different purposes will require different models based on what you need. For professionals who want to compose or perform with their pianos, Roland RD 2000 Vs Yamaha CP88 are two ideal options to go for. These pianos not only sound great but also offer various useful features or functions. If you wonder which of them will be the better choice, do check what they can offer below before deciding to purchase one.
In this article, we are going to give you information about:
- Why Piano is the Most Popular Instrument
- What are Roland RD 2000 and Yamaha CP88
- What Roland RD 2000 and Yamaha CP88 Look Like
- How are the Keys on Roland RD 2000 and Yamaha CP88
- How are the Sound on Roland RD 2000 and Yamaha CP88
- What else Roland RD 2000 and Yamaha CP88 can offer
- Roland RD 2000 Vs Yamaha CP88
Piano the Popular Instrument
Almost every one of us has a favorite song and favorite genre of music to play or listen to most often including the musicians who are well known in the genre. Music itself is art and the color of our days because personally we can’t imagine how dull it is going for a day without listening to a song. It is what makes a desk job more bearable and what brings fun in parties. The same with musical instruments, you can have tons of different sounds and characteristics from them.
Those who love music aren’t always able to play an instrument but, it is well known that being able to play certain instruments or learning them will bring much benefit especially for those starting from a young age. Among those many types of musical instruments, piano is probably the most popular or we are sure it must be at the top three being played or learned in the world. This is not only because of their beautiful sound but also because of the convenient start.
If you are here then it means piano is what you are playing as well. This instrument is very popular and already familiarized from a very young age by parents who want their kids to learn a new skill or have something to fill their free time. They are well-known and widely accepted for reasons as well and while sound is very subjective as our ears may have different preferences, the instrument itself is one of the most ideal for beginners.
Violin and guitar are also among the most popular instruments out there but, not at the same level as piano and one of the reasons is because it is fairly more difficult to start with the two. For example before being able to create a good sound we have to learn on how to hold the instrument properly and place fingers on the note we want to play which often takes quite the time just to master, moreover for small children.
A piano is much simpler to create a sound without much fuss as you only need to press a key and the sound will come out already good, so even children with their small hands can start right after being introduced to the instrument. Another thing is the way this instrument is played allows the player to sing along to the tune just like a guitar, as it doesn’t restrict your head which is why it can be so fun to play alone or even better with friends and family.
| Roland RD 2000 | Roland Fantom 8 | |
|---|---|---|
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| Product Dimensions | 55.6 x 14.5 x 5.6 inches | 61.02 x 22.83 x 10.63 inches |
| Shipping Weight | 47.1 pounds | 59.5 pounds |
| Shop now at Amazon | Check price | Check price |
About Roland RD 2000 and Yamaha CP88
In modern days we are trying to make everything more convenient and this includes musical instruments. Digital or electric pianos are very advanced nowadays that you can skip those with noticeably artificial and unnatural sound since many are much better with newer technology to mimic the real instruments. For beginners, cheap pianos are probably what we often recommend but if you are a professional or experienced player then investing more on the instrument is just logical. The options however, can vary greatly.
Just like everything, digital pianos are available in various different styles and types to match their purpose and among those there are models or variants that are designed or made for professionals or performers and composers. Almost all companies or brands have this type of models in the catalog including Roland and Yamaha. There are other names as well but personally we prefer to stick with well-known brands because they are more reliable in terms of offering the best products.
These companies are trusted with their digital instruments especially keyboard and synthesizers so you can rely on them when it comes to quality but, for those who also want to keep the budget low, the Roland RD 2000 and Yamaha CP88 are two amazing options from their catalog. These are not as popular compared to for example the Nord Stage or Roland’s TR808 but both of them offer what you need from the instrument; on sound and production convenience without a hefty price.
Last year Yamaha introduced the CP88 along with CP73 to finally put an upgrade over the predecessor that has been released years before and Yamaha seems to be very confident as well with these keyboards as they pack their newer technologies and specs wise they are indeed powerful. On the other hand RD 2000 is an old model from this brand while sound wise, it is definitely better than many of its competitors yet, do note that it is personal preference just like the unique but unnatural sound of RD 1000.
Roland RD 2000 and Yamaha CP88 Design
Moving further, let’s now check what Roland RD 2000 and Yamaha CP88 are packing and starting with their built, they are not exactly compact but manageable with Roland at 55.5 inches wide, 14.4 inches deep, and 5.5 inches tall compared to 51 inches wide, 14.3 inches deep, and 5.5 inches tall of Yamaha. Most of the material used in both pianos are plastic but the latter shines with its aluminum chassis yet Roland also has a very robust structure to help them last during your travelling gig.
The most important part of these pianos is probably located at the top and yes, this is their control panel. Here you can find tons of buttons, sliders, and knobs including a small screen to help you know how to navigate through the system. The arrangement is a bit different however as you notice Yamaha places the stage section on the left side of the panel but this is great as you can find it easily and in our opinion this can help in application especially for new users. Read also: Yamaha MX61 Vs Korg Kross 2.
Roland RD 2000 and Yamaha CP88 Keyboard
Now let’s talk about the keys of these keyboards and starting with Roland, this RD 2000 is using their PHA 50 Progressive Hammer Action and what makes it unique is the fact that it is a combination of plastic and wood. There is a wooden core below the plastic keys and this can deliver a sense of playing the real acoustic instrument. As for the surface, these keys have ivory-feel texture to give a natural grip and help your finger from slipping.
On the other hand Yamaha seems to bring a similar technology as well for the keys and here they use the Natural Wood Graded Hammer action. The overall feeling of these keys is pretty natural and since it is graded, you can notice the difference in weight of the lower and higher keys. Similar to Roland again, CP88 has this synthetic ebony and ivory key surface to prevent your finger from slipping especially during live performance when players may sweat much.
Roland RD 2000 and Yamaha CP88 Sound
After the keys, we want to mention their sound as well because most people are after how good the Roland RD 2000 and Yamaha CP88 are in terms of its sound engine but, do note that none of them are featured with speakers so you have to plug them into some output. Starting with Yamaha, this variant is pure sample base so there is no modelling here hence we won’t get as many sonic varieties. It however, carries 57 voices.
The most amazing is probably the piano sound because it is sampled from the popular CFX concert grand and as a rather expensive pianos you may notice it carry better clarity and possibly more sample layers to mimic the real instrument. In this side Roland is taking a different approach by utilizing both V-Piano engines with SuperNATURAL modeling technology which is why it can offer more sound shaping options. V-Piano itself is a pure modeling engine while the latter is the hybrid one with multisampling and combination of V-Piano.
As for sound quality, it depends on which engine you pick and for example the SuperNATURAL is best on acoustic piano sound as it is more natural. The two also offer lots of tweak ability but comparing them we think that by using V-Piano, Roland is capable of offering much more possibilities here.
Roland RD 2000 and Yamaha CP88 Features
The last part we want to mention here is their additional features and the most noticeable is probably their split and layering function. In Yamaha it is much simpler as you can activate each section and get the layered sound but it is also limited as Roland can offer 8 layering zones with individual presets and each of them can be tweaked to suit your taste. As for splitting, Yamaha limits it to one point while RD 2000 offers a maximum of 8 zones.
Roland RD 2000 vs Yamaha CP88
These stage pianos are amazing for the price they are offered in and when it comes to sound, they are also amazing even though it can vary depending on your personal taste. We do think their piano sounds are equally beautiful with a slight preference towards Yamaha but when talking about them as a stage piano and to tweak sound, Roland is offering more in the box especially with the modelling engine to give you tons of options to play with.
Conclusion
There is no bad option between the two and you can go amazing with just any of these digital pianos but, personally we will recommend getting Roland RD 2000 especially if you will want to utilize the amazing controls in this piano.
