Close your eyes and play the Roland DP990 digital piano. Your fingers will experience the feel of a real piano, and your ears will hear the authentic sound of a true grand piano. Roland’s mastery of music technology culminates in features such as the DP990’s PHA II(Progressive Hammer Action II) keyboard, which provides a true piano touch that gets gradually lighter as you travel up the keyboard. If even faithfully the “Escapement” click feel of a grand piano key action.

The Roland DP990 digital piano is sophisticated, stylish, and compact, only 13-9/16 inches in depth. It can fit easily into the tightest of spaces. When the lid is closed, the top becomes a smooth, flat surface. The DP990 is available in two attractive color choices: Satin Black and Medium Cherry, and the lid closes slowly and silently.

The digital piano is a very popular musical instrument; it has its proponents and opponents. On the plus side, it’s very affordable, doesn’t weigh much - compared to an acoustic piano - and it has a good sound and weighted (on most models) keys; some models can connect to a computer. On the con side, the only real argument is that it doesn’t sound EXACTLY like a real piano, and that is true; it doesn’t have a soundboard to amplify the sound into a room, or a large resonant cabinet to aid in that amplification, or all the other parts of an acoustic piano that enhance its acoustic abilities. But overall, the good far out ways the (not so) bad.

The Clavinova digital pianos by Yamaha are some of the best sounding instruments available; they start in price below $2000 and go beyond $10,000! One of our popular models is the CLP230, which is similar to the Yamaha YDP223 digital piano. Both feature a very good weighted action and sound quality, attractive cabinet - would look good in a home, church or business - and can be purchased for under $2000.00. Other popular models include the Yamaha N100, YDP213, YDP323, and the recently introduced YDP-S30.

The digital pianos intended for professional use - on the road every night or in recording studios - are somewhat different. They have professional features, but not a fancy cabinet - it would not stand up to road use.  Popular models include both Yamaha and Roland keyboards -the Yamaha CP300 and CP33, and the Roland RD 700SX, FP7, and FP4 digital pianos.

On the very affordable side are the PX310 and PX110 Casio digital pianos. They also feature a weighted, 88-key action, good sound quality, and are priced at $599.99 and $499.99 respectively. They have been the price and performance leader in this category for a while now, and nothing should change until someone comes out with a “new and improved” version. We’ll just have to wait and see.

This article would not be complete without mention of the Yamaha P70 digital piano, which is available in black (P70) and silver (P70S), and priced at $599.99.  Both models feature an 88-key Graded Hammer Standard keyboard, AWM stereo sampling and 32 note polyphony. The Yamaha P70 series is very popular, and like the Casio mentioned above, is both affordable and practical.

For additional information on digital keyboards, visit the music instrument music store at www.AndysMusicOnline.com.

The newest member of the Roland SP-sampler family breaks ground with innovative features such as Loop Capture, and Super Filter. The SP-555 is fast and powerful, but one thing has been preserved from previous SP models: fun! It’s the ultimate toolkit for DJs, producers, sample-based musicians, or performers who want to take their act to the next level.

For information on Roland products, visit the music instrument music store at www.AndysMusicOnline.com

The Roland VP550 Vocal and Ensemble keyboard is much more than a traditional vocoder or harmonizer, the VP-550 uses Roland’s breakthrough vocal-modeling technology to bring the highest-quality, interactive vocal sounds to a dedicated instrument. The VP-550 is perfect for musicians who can’t accommodate a choir or group of background singers for their gigs or recording sessions. Connect a mic, select a sound, and play. You won’t believe what can come out of this Roland digital keyboard: spectacular classical choirs, soulful gospel choirs, pop and jazz voices, male and female ensembles, vintage vocoder, and lush string/vocal hybrids.

Not specific to one style of music, the VP-550 can be used for a wide variety of musical applications. It’s ideal for musicians who perform alone or in small groups, for example, and who need an interactive, real-time backing chorus. Or, film and TV music composers who are challenged with time and budget can use the VP-550 digital keyboard to generate high-impact choral arrangements on the spot. Churches in need of a choir (or choir enhancer) will love the VP-550. The creative possibilities are vast, as are the time/money savings that this musical keyboard can provide.

For more information on the VP550 or other Roland digital products, visit www.AndysMusicOnline.com.

Equipped with great sounds and intelligent features that can make you sound like a solo concert pianist or an entire ensemble, the new Roland FP-7 digital piano is your ticket to a dynamic and exciting digital keyboard. The intricate details of a real piano have been captured, including hammer and damper noise, and string and key-off resonance. There’s also a full complement of other instruments onboard, so you can sound like a complete ensemble.

Features include a large graphic LCD for easy operation, 128 note polyphony, new PHA II Progressive Hammer Action II keyboard, and Roland’s multi-sampled sound engine. These are just a few of the important features in this exciting Roland digital.

The new Roland FP-4 digital piano has the same authentic piano sound and stylish body as the flagship FP-7, but is a more affordable and streamlined version. It’s portable, stylish, and fits in small spaces yet performs like a grand piano. The FP4 sounds and feels like a real piano too, and offers modern features that add musical versatility and enjoyment. The FP4 is available in both black and white finishes.

Winter NAMM 2007 - Edirol introduces three new USB digital keyboards and MIDI keyboard controllers. In addition to providing more physical controls than previous models, the PCR-300/-500/-800 also offer new innovative and intuitive controls. All three models are solidly built, and optimized for both music production and live performance.

The new ultra-sensitive keyboards provide a wider dynamic range under your fingertips, while new aftertouch sensors allow you to play more expressively. Smooth key action, keys shaped for comfortable glissando playing, silent operation, and stable key mounting all contribute to the enhanced playability of these new digital keyboards.

The new PCR series has all the existing controls of the previous range, but adds exciting new features, such as velocity pads — perfect for playing drums and triggering sampler phrases. These precision pads can operate as buttons or velocity pads, and the handy LED indicators identify if they are velocity or fixed-velocity.

The new Crossfader allows you to control two parameters at the same time, and can work as a DAW software control for zooming screen views, as well as for synthesizer filters and DJ gestures. The new longer-throw sliders can control eight track faders and one master fader, or function as organ drawbars.

Dynamic Mapping allows the PCR electronic keyboards to automatically assign its physical controls to the most important parameters in the current window of the software being used. Fifteen user memories are provided for storing your favorite setups. When using software that’s not compatible with Dynamic Mapping, you can manually configure the Control Map settings from the PCR itself or the included PCR Editor Software (Mac or PC).

Winter NAMM 2007 - Roland has announced the new V-Synth GT Synthesizer. Roland’s original V-Synth set a new standard in expressive synthesis and sound design. It won awards and acclaim around the world, as it forever changed the way sounds were created and performed. But just when you thought V-Synth technology had reached its peak, Roland raised the bar even higher with the new flagship V-Synth GT! This unique Roland digital keyboard injects the V-Synth’s famous Elastic Audio Synthesis engine with revolutionary Articulative Phrase Synthesis technology. Its expression and realism is unprecedented, as is its ability to make never-before-heard sounds.

The Roland MP70 digital piano brings incredible expression and playability to an affordable price in an attractive black satin cabinet. The MP70 boasts stunning stereo-sampled piano sounds that capture every nuance of a grand piano – plus an 88-note Compact Progressive Hammer-Action Keyboard.

This Roland digital also has useful practice features like a built-in metronome, 2-track recorder, 66 preset songs, and the new Twin Piano mode that allows the keyboard to be split into two zones (with the same pitch ranges on both zones). This Roland piano is ideal for student-teacher lessons or duets.

The Fantom X8 has Roland’s finest 88-key split stereo-sampled piano, with each note individually sampled at multiple velocities. In addition, the Fantom X8 provides room for four SRX expansion boards, so you can customize the soundsets to your specific needs and stylistic preferences. This Roland synth hits the mark!

The Roland work station Fantom X has been globally heralded as the most powerful-yet-friendly workstation available. The Fantom X8 is the flagship of the Roland keyboard family, offering musicians nearly 1GB of wave memory when fully expanded, and 128-voice performance.

Among the Roland Fantom’s unique features is the color LCD screen and the icon driven user interface. These two features alone make this Roland workstation a powerful and easy to learn keyboard.

The Roland RD 700SX is equipped with the most authentic and expressive multisampled grand sounds to ever adorn a Roland digital piano. The RD700SX represents the pinnacle of digital piano design and performance. It carries on the tradition of previous Roland digital pianos like the RD 300 and RD 150 of years past.

Driven by Roland’s most powerful sound engine, the RD-700SX enables the ultimate in sound and performance with two world-class grand piano waveforms at its core. It features 128-voice polyphonic performance, a Progressive Hammer-Action keyboard, and an expanded sound set (which includes brilliant electric pianos, authentic virtual tonewheel organs, and more). The Roland RD-700SX is an unrivaled new breed of Roland digital piano.