I Don't recall reading about this subject...I remember just a few years ago I purchased the first FantomX 76 Key Synth From Piano and Stuff in Pittsburgh, Pa...I was always kind of a Roland Guy owning the the XP-80 Synth before with the stock "Nice Piano" with the Lots of Reverb,etc. Then adding The "Session" Expanion Board to get The Stereo GrandPiano.

In the 88 Boards I had the Rolland A-90 EX controller with the Piano Exp Bd...Also the RD-150 Stage Piano along the way..(Very Warm,Jazzy)

My point is when I played the New FantomX The Ultimate Grand Piano was Completely Different sounding...It was beautiful but different!...I've known the Salesman(musician) for quite a while. He Told me 2 Possibilies of Piano's being used to sample...Both being rumors...Roland is very secretive!

Well...All those keyboards are Gone, But I have the Roland RD-300gx Stage Piano with The Beautiful Ultimate Grand X Piano My Wife plays...I always bring the high down a bit and the low up a bit on the eq to warm it to my taste.(It has the 3 EQ knobs on the Piano,nice)...

I have a E-60 Roland and a Tyros2 arranger as well...MAYBE some Interesting comments to come after hearing some others!

Have a Great Day ....Harold

You can be sure it wasn't a Yamaha, at least!

I don't think it is a Steinway, to my ears it sounds a BIT like a nice Kawai, but it is hard to really know. Roland have NEVER (AFAIK) acknowledged which piano it was.

But it remains, to my ears, the finest ROM piano available in an arranger (being the one in my G70).

Wasn't it some behemoth Fazioli grand?

Don't worry Fran will have an answer soon

Meanwhile read this...
http://www.roland.com/piano/grand/benefit.html

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 01-06-2009).]

It is well known that Roland samples several different brands of pianos, which results in an inconsistent tone...they always seem to have notes that just don't belong.

They attempt to represent an instrument that doesn't really exist...it's very obvious when you play them...with Yamaha and Kawai digitals, at least you know precisely where the samples came from and the quality of tone doesn't change as dramatically between notes.

Personally, I would feel more confident in a digital piano that came from an actual piano manufacturer.

BTW...it was Technics that made use of Steinway samples.

Ian

Geeez, and the conjecture BS continues....

Well known? Sure, Ian

Roland may pick different pianos for different products (unlike Yamaha, who probably HAVE to sample theirs, no matter that many of their customers MIGHT like a nice Steinway, B'dorfer or Kawai!), but I haven't heard of different pianos being assembled into one. Rumor and innuendo do not a FACT make, Ian...

But you know the strangest thing? Yes, you WOULD think that a piano manufacturer would make the best sampled pianos.... But P.Creek is the proof in the pudding (or lack thereof).

IMO, Yamaha sampled pianos, especially those relegated to the arranger line, are some of the nastiest, brittlest, tinniest, thinnest pianos it has ever been my displeasure to listen to. Which their REAL pianos are NOT.

How do you account for this?

Your hearing is going bad?

Ian

Posted by Diki:
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IMO, Yamaha sampled pianos, especially those relegated to the arranger line, are some of the nastiest, brittlest, tinniest, thinnest pianos it has ever been my displeasure to listen to.
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AMEN TO THAT DIKI!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ha! Roland using multiple pianos in one sample.... That's a load of crap.

You surprise me Diki...being a Roland fan, I thought you were aware they used different pianos.

My buddy, who is a Roland rep, told me this gem....it must be true?

I find their pianos very inconsistant from note to note.

Ian