Roland are at the forefront of digital piano innovation. Their FP range spans from entry-level to studio-grade, and the FP10 is their most compact piano yet. So how does it compare to one of their most popular products, the FP30? We compare specs and sounds to point you in the right direction...
The FP30 has long been among Roland’s bestselling pianos. Its combination of intuitive, useful features, authentic feel and an affordable price tag made it particularly popular among beginner players.
With the release of the FP10, it became apparent that Roland were keen to continue tapping into the beginner market. But their similar price points left many people wondering; what sets the FP10 apart from the FP30?
| FP10 | FP30 | |
| Keyboard | 88 keys (PHA-4 Standard Keyboard: with Escapement and Ivory Feel) | 88 keys (PHA-4 Standard Keyboard: with Escapement and Ivory Feel) |
| Touch sensitivity | Key Touch: 5 types, fixed touch | Key Touch: 5 types, fixed touch |
| Keyboard modes | Whole, dual, twin piano | Whole, dual, split, twin piano |
| Sound engine | SuperNATURAL Piano Sound | SuperNATURAL Piano Sound |
| Polyphony | Max. 96 voices | Max. 128 voices |
| Onboard piano sounds | 4 | 6 |
| Onboard electric piano sounds | 2 | 7 |
| Other onboard sounds | 9 | 22 |
| Effects | Ambience, brilliance, piano string resonance, piano damper resonance, piano key off resonance | Ambience, brilliance, piano string resonance, piano damper resonance, piano key off resonance |
| Bluetooth | V4.0, MIDI compatible | V4.0, MIDI compatible |
| Onboard songs | 32 in total | 30 in total |
| Speakers | 2x12cm | 2x12cm |
| Dimensions | 128cm (w) x 26cm (d) x 14cm (h) | 130cm (w) x 28cm (d) x 15cm (h) |
The FP10 is, quite simply, Roland’s most compact digital piano. The industry has seen a wave of innovation in recent years, with a number of manufacturers gunning for smaller form factors. Measuring in at 128cm long, 26cm deep and 14cm high, the FP10 is among the leaders of the charge.
As well as streamlining the size, Roland have streamlined the onboard features to offer an even more attractive price point than their other compact offerings. When we say streamlined, we don’t necessarily mean cutting corners; check out the table above. You’ll see that they’ve shrunk the polyphony to 96 voices, and the FP-10 has 15 onboard sounds compared to the FP-30s 35. Because of this, the FP-10 costs almost 20% less than the rest of the range. Despite this, the FP10 actually has more onboard songs than the FP30, making it an excellent tool for learning the piano.
Before the FP10 came along, the FP30 was Roland’s entry-level digital piano. The new release has left many people wondering what advantages the FP30 has. A quick look at the specs tells you that it comes with enough bells and whistles to suit both beginners and professionals alike – a rarity, particularly in the digital piano arena.
While not quite as slim and compact as the FP10, the FP30 is still a fairly portable piano. Its key selling points are in relation to its features. First up, as mentioned earlier, it has more onboard sounds to play with. This includes an expanded piano library, organ selection and range of orchestral tones. In addition, 128-voice polyphony ensures an even richer tonal texture, making the FP30 a deceptively powerful choice for recording and performance.
We’ve discussed the differences, but it’s worth noting the common ground between these two pianos. As you may have noticed in the spec comparisons above, they share quite a lot. Most notably, the PHA-4 Standard keybed is one Roland’s proudest innovations, offering a brilliantly authentic and responsive feel. You’ll seldom find this sort of action on a piano of this size/price.
Secondly, while there are differences between polyphony and number of onboard sounds, they all come from the same place: Roland’s SuperNatural sound engine. As the name suggests, this sampling engine is designed to provide seamless, realistic dynamics to your sounds – it’s used on everything from their entry-level pianos to their flagship V-Drums kits.
If we stripped it right down to the basics, we’d say that the FP30 is a compact, affordable piano solution that packs enough of a punch to be used for professional performance and recording. On the other side, the FP10 is more portable and affordable still – combine this with its simple feature set, and you’ve got the perfect piano for beginners.
So the FP30 is an affordable jack-of-all-trades with surprisingly premium features, while the FP10 is a brilliant learning piano that still provides that coveted Roland feel.
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