OVERVIEW
When I first muscled the RD-700GX onto a stand, I spent several minutes checking out something that’s totally new in stage pianos: the Ivory Feel keys (see “Gimme Some Action” on page 75). The GX marries this action with Roland’s most advanced piano sound engine, a new way of dialing in electric piano sounds (see “SuperNatural” on page 75), and a full barrage of non-piano sounds, including the expected General MIDI set. The GX resembles its predecessor, the RD-700SX (reviewed Apr. ’05), with the same built-like-a-tank black anodized chassis and a similar control panel. One improvement is that the four cursor buttons are segments of a circle that surrounds the large main data dial. This makes grabbing these controls on the fly easy and elegant. While the sound selection buttons to the dial’s right are larger than the RD-700SX’s, I did find it a bit easy to hit the wrong one when under the gun at a gig.
SOUNDS
It is hard to overlook the main piano sound in the RD-700GX, aptly named “Expressive Grand.” Under light playing, it’s delicate and muted, becoming bold and brassy with heavy playing. Velocity switching of the samples is undetectable to my ears, whereas I’ve played workstations and older stage pianos that sound like they’re using the same sample at three different volumes. The GX’s decay is long and sounds natural — almost identical to my acoustic upright. On one gig, I had trouble getting “Expressive Grand” to fit in the sonic space that I need to fill in my funk band, but some very quick surfing through the (acoustic) Piano Designer menu and a quick twist of the high-mid EQ knob had me cooking with Crisco. This is one deep sound engine, and the most customizable piano I’ve encountered in hardware.
The “SuperNatural” Electric Piano Designer made it easy to create all the EPs that my band needed. The GX also includes a tonewheel organ simulation with faders doing drawbar control. While not in the same league as today’s best clonewheels, the organ sound was respectable enough to use on any gig where I had only the RD-700GX with me. Playing organ licks on its weighted action is not for the meek, however!
Presets with “GX” in their name are brand new (e.g. “GX Clav” and “FatStringsGX”). All such sounds were very alive and instantly playable, particularly the various GX strings, which run the gamut from slow and lush to shower-scene staccato. Rounding out the set is a wide selection of additional ROMpler-type sounds, including a number of familiar chestnuts from the Roland JV, XV, and SRX catalogs. Basic synth edits are possible, but don’t mistake the RD-700GX, which is primarily a stage piano, for a full-blown subtractive synth.
IN USE
I used the RD-700GX for two rehearsals and three gigs, all within ten days, plus many hours in my home studio. The Roland’s user interface was put to its true test the day it arrived on my doorstep. I had a gig that night with my funk band, and literally two hours to recreate my gig setups on the RD-700GX in time to haul it onstage. We’re talking dozens of layers, splits, and external MIDI zones for songs from the ’60s to the present. The user interface is very friendly in terms of setting up these kinds of complex landscapes and saving them into multitimbral “Setups.” I briefly got hung up on how to save my edits over the factory Setups, but a quick peek into the well-written manual gave me what I needed, and I didn’t need to open it again as downbeat drew ever closer. All in all, I had a great time onstage, with minimal stumbling. MIDI control of two other keyboards from the GX was simple, and I was thrilled to leave my MIDI thru box at home, thanks to the three MIDI outs on the GX itself.
The next night, I had a last-minute call to sit in with a blues band. I dialed in some killer tones by tweaking factory presets using the EQ and Piano Designer features. I had a real blast and felt a very musical connection between the action and the sounds.
I was pleased to discover that the RD-700GX does “tone remain.” That is, you can change patches without silencing the previous sound. Similarly to other keyboards with this feature (notably Kurzweils), you’ll hear an audible “bump” if you change between sounds that have very different effects programmed in. Edit the effects so as to avoid this, and you can secretly pull off something that even the most well-prepared pro sometimes needs to: holding a chord with the sustain pedal while hunting for the next sound you need.
The knobs for EQ, chorus, reverb, and multi-FX aren’t assignable to synth parameters such as filter cutoff or envelope times. The faders are assignable to do this, though my personal preference is knobs for synth settings and faders for mixing parts of a split or layer. Why? EQ tends to be a “set it and forget it” thing, so it’s more flexible to open up those knobs for other things.
CONCLUSIONS
In my opinion, the Ivory Feel keyboard alone is worth the price of the RD-700GX. The only competitor committed to this level of high-end action is the Kawai MP8 II, which has real wooden keys, albeit with a standard-issue glossy surface. While the GX’s action is heavier than much of the competition (and also than other Roland digital pianos), it certainly delivers the concert grand experience. While I wasn’t floored by all the non-piano sounds, all the GX-designated sounds were inspiring, and the SuperNatural electric pianos were killer. Bottom line: The RD-700GX is a superb professional stage piano, with first-class feel and sounds in a roadworthy package.
GIMME SOME ACTION
The RD-700GX’s “Ivory Feel” keyboard has the best feeling key surface I’ve experienced on a digital piano. The action is graded and fairly heavy, so my hands got quite a workout on the first gig. In comparison to the Yamaha S90 on which I’ve been gigging for five years, the GX took more downward force and wouldn’t permit lightning-fast technique on synth or organ sounds. That said, this action is perfect for digging into pianos and EPs. It’s like the difference between playing a small upright piano and a concert grand: More effort is required, but the results are worth it. The GX also simulates escapement: the mechanism whereby hammers in a real piano “escape” from the keys and free-fly towards the strings. I’ve never felt a stage piano do this before the GX. There’s no aftertouch, which is disappointing given the extensive MIDI controller features. Then again, real pianos don’t have aftertouch either.
CLAIM CHECK
Roland Pianos and Organs product manager Chris Halon says, “We designed the RD-700GX to be the go-to axe for keyboardists. This is why we put so much time and effort into creating the most natural-sounding, natural-feeling digital piano possible, while still including a ton of features to make it easily customizable. The SuperNatural Electric Piano sounds are the newest and most advanced ever made. The keys are designed to absorb moisture, ensuring a secure, slip-proof feel, even on the hottest stages where sweaty hands can spell disaster. The RD-700GX’s Piano Designer lets you customize each sound down to the smallest details such as hammer noise, damper resonance, and duplex scale. If there’s only one digital piano you’d ever need, the RD-700GX is it.”
SUPERNATURAL
SuperNatural is Roland’s trademark for letting you customize sounds using an interface that feels more like tweaking a soft synth than changing programs on a keyboard. In the RD-700GX, this takes the form of the Electric Piano Designer mode. You start with a base preset, then adjust mechanical aspects such as bell character and tine-to-pickup distance. Under the hood, the GX instantly decides which samples to play in response to your edits. Modeling (Roland COSM technology) comes in after that, at the effects and amp simulation stage. Some great models of classic EP amps are on hand, including the Fender stereo tremolo cabinets that were essential to the Suitcase Rhodes sound. Though not termed “SuperNatural,” there’s a similar Piano Designer mode in which you can adjust details such as sustain pedal resonance and hammer thump.