Log in
Log in

or
Create an account

or
< All Roland RD-500 reviews
Add this product to
  • My former gear
  • My current gear
  • My wishlist
Roland RD-500
Images
1/58
Roland RD-500

Digital Piano from Roland belonging to the RD series

Alkyos Alkyos
Published on 11/05/06 at 00:24
88 weighted keys, like a piano
32 non-editable sounds, 2 effects, independent non-editable Chorus and Reverb.
Super-precise low, mid, high mini equalizers.
64-note polyphony
MIDI In, Out and Thru
Stereo headphone output, mono (L) and stereo (L+R) output, everything on jacks.
Possibility to connect a volume, damper and sustain pedal.
No built-in speakers.

UTILIZATION

The keyboard of this piano is one of the best I know.
Roland remains the master in the subject. After having tested many others, this is the most faithful to a piano.
It is very simple to configure and use, which makes it even more enjoyable.
The user manual is clear and simple, as always with Roland.
Midi is very simple and the latency is almost 0ms.

SOUNDS

The sounds are a bit poor, this keyboard was conceived for live, the piano, Rhodes and organ sounds are ultra-faithful and unmatched up to this day.
As for the pads, violin and bass sounds, or the only drum kit available, they are just accessories, you will need a rack synth for your home studio.
The built-in chorus and reverb are very discreet and effective.
The velocity and aftertouch are perfect. Using it as a master keyboard, you can render very realistically the sounds of old rack synths.
Roland was intelligent enough not to include built-in speakers (like Yamaha and other brands), which reproduce sound very poorly and only do a disservice to the quality of the product.

OVERALL OPINION

I've used it since it came out in 1995, 11 years ago.
It has never broken down and yet I have never had a flight case, I've played lots of gigs with it, often transporting it under questionable conditions, and it has never left me stranded, the hammer action of the keys has not diminished in the slightest.
It cost $2200 back then and its current price of around $750 is quite fair.
If I had to, I would buy this piano again without hesitation.
If you are looking for a solid master synth, with an unbeatable keyboard for live or your home studio, don't think it twice, it will be a very good deal.
Its only drawback is the weight, but a weighted keyboard of this quality requires a heavy mechanism, so it ends up being just a minor detail.