I bought the RD-700 in 2001 and I am still using it until today! Super great product! I learned piano with the RD-700! Super quality keybed! Don't sell it keep it and use it as a main keyboard controller. If you play piano .... don't look any further! Even today the RD-700 Series models remain a regular fixture on global stages, chosen by countless players for their intuitive live operation, expressive sounds and highly playable keyboards.
I've had the RD-700SX since 2001 and still use it as my main keyboard and midi controller. It's a WONDERFUL keyboard and the action is the truest to a real piano as I was able to find back then and as a pianist, that was important to me. Loved the video!
Hi Jeffy Hope this view helps: I would play the RD-700 for 12 weeks consecutively, also record as many sessions as possible, then sample my favorite sounds and single layers into a software-sampler and resell the instrument. On discord someone suggested to use MIDI-pad-controllers for drums, light weighted keys for strings, pads and organs, and weighted keys for all kinds of piano's. Since I own one of each, and even if some have better features then the other, I tend to follow that suggestion. Whatever you choose I wish you all the best with this fantastic 'beast' of a keyboard! Cheers, Mark
Still playing my RD-700 from 2004. Best instrument I've ever owned. I have no problem humping it to a gig, where I set it up on a 2-tier with my Nord Electro 73 on top. When I finally decide to retire it for a new stage piano, it'll likely be with the RD-2000 or what replaces it. Suggestions on what to do with it? Play the damn thing!
You're thinkin' the same thing I am, Vins. The RD-2000 looks like the best replacement. Roland's left-right tone bender looks weird and a little cheesy until you see it with a bunch of other Roland digital pianos. 😁
I got one of these about twenty years ago. The reason my wife and I picked it out was because it felt more like a "real" [acoustic] piano (like my wife's Kawai KG1C) than anything else we checked out. You're right. It's heavy. I have a carry case for it and it feels like a hundred pounds when it's in the case. Because of that, I use my Casio Privia for gigs. Roland put all their money into the piano sound and action. The other sounds are fine albeit not "great." Their backbeats (rhythm accompaniment, drums, etc) are okay. My biggest complaint is the backbeat timing doesn't line up with a metronome at the speed Roland shows in their rhythms if I compare them. I asked them about this and their reply was to wave their hands and blow smoke. Try it. Play one of the builtin rhythms and see if it is at the speed in beats per minute you think it is. I like it a lot, though. I mostly practice on it and rarely use the bells and whistles. Recently, I cleaned the key switches because it wasn't playing correctly on all keys. According to what you paid for it, you have a fine instrument for your money. 🙂🎹
I have the RD700sx since it was new. The thing that pushed me into buying it was its action. I am debating donating it to my church as bought a Roland Fantom 8 a year ago. The one thing that makes me hesitant about giving it to my church is the stories ive heard from others that have donated equipment. Children were allowed to handle things and ultimately destroyed equipment. 😕
I have a rd700sx since 2004 and thing is built like a tank and still happy with it. Sometimes funny to play with internal effects like cutoff and resonance. It nevertheless is a stagepiano and it does what keyboardplayers basically need. But I bet for a 100% you have been playing on some gig and by accident hit the rhythm/song button, haven't you??😂
I bought, used, the Fantom G8 and new, the V-Combo VR-700. The former is 65lbs, the latter 38Ibs. Both introduced in 2010. The G8’s weighted “Ivory Feel” keybed is unchallenged by anything I’ve tried in shops since. But it’s a monster to consider taking out to gigs or church, much as I would love too. I’m classical pianist for my own playing pleasure. So keeping it home midi’d up to the SuperNatural sounds provided by my FA-07 is perfect. Hammond organ sounds are not its strength however - for that the VR-700 is peerless with absolutely magnificent key bed for that purpose. But it is also a major operation lugging that around at 38Ibs plus case!! There is no one piece of kit to replicate those primary qualities. Like with your RD-700, there are certainly compromises that even the most modern gear cannot resolve, particularly when piano action is a prerequisite…
I got that when it first came out. Used on the road with Korg on top. I now use as controller with Logic. Good feel and quieter than most in conjunction with vocals. Real wood with red felt is better than any controller.
I had the RD-700sx. I thought the action was really well made. I didn't care for the sound, that much, though. I do think the one you have would make a great practice keyboard for a young student. Certainly, much better than a Casio, or any of the other low priced instruments out there that have crappy actions (and that includes most Nord keyboards with those horrible Fatar actions). It's really great, these days, that keyboardists don't have to haul around such heavy instruments to get a good feeling, quality action. From the RD-700sx I went to a Korg Kronos, but now I have a Yamaha CP-88, and I absolutely love it. Pretty amazing to have solid wooden keys in a keyboard that weights around 40 pounds (and isn't plastic). Yamaha called in designers from their motorcycle division to engineer the case for strength and rigidity at a light weight. No more HUGE pieces of heavy MDF.
If you are not sure what to do with it and if you decide to sell it, then you might want to try to sell it to younger gigging pianists/keyboardists who prefer the weighted keys and are on a budget and perhaps got bitten by the retro bug, so to say. This might sound a little too specific, but I think these type of musicians might be the ideal customers for this keyboard, especially if they don't mind carrying around that weighty keyboard (younger people don't tend to have back ache, "office syndrome" or whatever that lowerback ache is called when your back muscles gets cramped after too long hours of practicing on the piano chair, I'm just middle aged, but I already had a few times those back muscles cramps, so that's why I suggested younger peopl (with no back pain :))
I have an old Triton SE that's also a Herniatron. I like the action and many sounds are still usable, except the piano (sorry Korg). It's a performance based EDM machine, but IMO belongs in a studio because of the weight. That is unless you have friendly roadies!
Back when I started playing my dream was to own a Roland RD 700..It was the flagship BK then. But it was completely out of my price range..I'm looking to upgrade,and just saw one on eBay for sell..He's asking £550,I thought wow!! I can afford one now lol...Glad I read your review before purchasing.. But all the professional keyboard players had one.. Every church I went to ,you could guarantee,that the Roland RD 700 was on the stage..And I went to a few churches in my time..Thank you for your review,you saved me wasting my money..Now I want the Kawaii Es920..But now this is out of my price range..Quess I just got to accept,I'm never going to own my dream board lol...
Not really. The Fantom synth engine in 2005 in the RD-700 was better at ambient synth, analog, and FM synth sounds, pads, strings and classic Roland. There is ‘Rock Organ’ and a few other over-drive organ presets, but nothing as good as the Roland V-Combo Live series {which starts around $1,500}
Did you end up selling? I'm looking at one locally that I can get what I think is a great deal on. My son just started lesson and wants an 88key to practice on. This seems like it will work for that pretty well. Hope so.
I bought the RD-700 in 2001 and I am still using it until today! Super great product! I learned piano with the RD-700! Super quality keybed! Don't sell it keep it and use it as a main keyboard controller. If you play piano .... don't look any further! Even today the RD-700 Series models remain a regular fixture on global stages, chosen by countless players for their intuitive live operation, expressive sounds and highly playable keyboards.
I have the RD-700SX 15 years ago, and i'm very happy today! Luke from Switzerland
I've had the RD-700SX since 2001 and still use it as my main keyboard and midi controller. It's a WONDERFUL keyboard and the action is the truest to a real piano as I was able to find back then and as a pianist, that was important to me. Loved the video!
The best action I’ve played in a keyboard.
Hi Jeffy
Hope this view helps:
I would play the RD-700 for 12 weeks consecutively, also record as many sessions as possible, then sample my favorite sounds and single layers into a software-sampler and resell the instrument.
On discord someone suggested to use MIDI-pad-controllers for drums, light weighted keys for strings, pads and organs, and weighted keys for all kinds of piano's.
Since I own one of each, and even if some have better features then the other, I tend to follow that suggestion.
Whatever you choose I wish you all the best with this fantastic 'beast' of a keyboard!
Cheers, Mark
Good advice!
Still playing my RD-700 from 2004. Best instrument I've ever owned. I have no problem humping it to a gig, where I set it up on a 2-tier with my Nord Electro 73 on top. When I finally decide to retire it for a new stage piano, it'll likely be with the RD-2000 or what replaces it. Suggestions on what to do with it? Play the damn thing!
You're thinkin' the same thing I am, Vins. The RD-2000 looks like the best replacement. Roland's left-right tone bender looks weird and a little cheesy until you see it with a bunch of other Roland digital pianos. 😁
I got one of these about twenty years ago. The reason my wife and I picked it out was because it felt more like a "real" [acoustic] piano (like my wife's Kawai KG1C) than anything else we checked out. You're right. It's heavy. I have a carry case for it and it feels like a hundred pounds when it's in the case. Because of that, I use my Casio Privia for gigs. Roland put all their money into the piano sound and action. The other sounds are fine albeit not "great." Their backbeats (rhythm accompaniment, drums, etc) are okay. My biggest complaint is the backbeat timing doesn't line up with a metronome at the speed Roland shows in their rhythms if I compare them. I asked them about this and their reply was to wave their hands and blow smoke. Try it. Play one of the builtin rhythms and see if it is at the speed in beats per minute you think it is. I like it a lot, though. I mostly practice on it and rarely use the bells and whistles. Recently, I cleaned the key switches because it wasn't playing correctly on all keys. According to what you paid for it, you have a fine instrument for your money. 🙂🎹
I have the RD700sx since it was new. The thing that pushed me into buying it was its action. I am debating donating it to my church as bought a Roland Fantom 8 a year ago. The one thing that makes me hesitant about giving it to my church is the stories ive heard from others that have donated equipment. Children were allowed to handle things and ultimately destroyed equipment. 😕
I hear ya. The one I just got is in perfect condition.
I have a rd700sx since 2004 and thing is built like a tank and still happy with it. Sometimes funny to play with internal effects like cutoff and resonance. It nevertheless is a stagepiano and it does what keyboardplayers basically need. But I bet for a 100% you have been playing on some gig and by accident hit the rhythm/song button, haven't you??😂
I bought, used, the Fantom G8 and new, the V-Combo VR-700. The former is 65lbs, the latter 38Ibs. Both introduced in 2010. The G8’s weighted “Ivory Feel” keybed is unchallenged by anything I’ve tried in shops since. But it’s a monster to consider taking out to gigs or church, much as I would love too. I’m classical pianist for my own playing pleasure. So keeping it home midi’d up to the SuperNatural sounds provided by my FA-07 is perfect.
Hammond organ sounds are not its strength however - for that the VR-700 is peerless with absolutely magnificent key bed for that purpose. But it is also a major operation lugging that around at 38Ibs plus case!!
There is no one piece of kit to replicate those primary qualities. Like with your RD-700, there are certainly compromises that even the most modern gear cannot resolve, particularly when piano action is a prerequisite…
I got that when it first came out. Used on the road with Korg on top. I now use as controller with Logic. Good feel and quieter than most in conjunction with vocals. Real wood with red felt is better than any controller.
I had the RD-700sx. I thought the action was really well made. I didn't care for the sound, that much, though. I do think the one you have would make a great practice keyboard for a young student. Certainly, much better than a Casio, or any of the other low priced instruments out there that have crappy actions (and that includes most Nord keyboards with those horrible Fatar actions).
It's really great, these days, that keyboardists don't have to haul around such heavy instruments to get a good feeling, quality action. From the RD-700sx I went to a Korg Kronos, but now I have a Yamaha CP-88, and I absolutely love it. Pretty amazing to have solid wooden keys in a keyboard that weights around 40 pounds (and isn't plastic). Yamaha called in designers from their motorcycle division to engineer the case for strength and rigidity at a light weight. No more HUGE pieces of heavy MDF.
The CP-88 is excellent!
If you are not sure what to do with it
and if you decide to sell it,
then you might want to try to sell it to
younger gigging pianists/keyboardists who prefer the weighted keys and are on a budget
and perhaps got bitten by the retro bug, so to say.
This might sound a little too specific,
but I think these type of musicians might be the ideal customers for this keyboard,
especially if they don't mind carrying around that weighty keyboard
(younger people don't tend to have back ache, "office syndrome" or whatever that lowerback ache is called when your back muscles gets cramped after too long hours of practicing on the piano chair, I'm just middle aged, but I already had a few times those back muscles cramps, so that's why I suggested younger peopl (with no back pain :))
Good advice!
I am pretty sure JoJo Herman (Widespread Panic) still plays the RD700. I might too, if I had roadies 😀
I have an old Triton SE that's also a Herniatron. I like the action and many sounds are still usable, except the piano (sorry Korg). It's a performance based EDM machine, but IMO belongs in a studio because of the weight. That is unless you have friendly roadies!
Back when I started playing my dream was to own a Roland RD 700..It was the flagship BK then.
But it was completely out of my price range..I'm looking to upgrade,and just saw one on eBay for sell..He's asking £550,I thought wow!! I can afford one now lol...Glad I read your review before purchasing.. But all the professional keyboard players had one.. Every church I went to ,you could guarantee,that the Roland RD 700 was on the stage..And I went to a few churches in my time..Thank you for your review,you saved me wasting my money..Now I want the Kawaii Es920..But now this is out of my price range..Quess I just got to accept,I'm never going to own my dream board lol...
I have a hard time finding information on this keyboard. Is there an overdriven hammond or something like that? For heavier tones?
Not really. The Fantom synth engine in 2005 in the RD-700 was better at ambient synth, analog, and FM synth sounds, pads, strings and classic Roland. There is ‘Rock Organ’ and a few other over-drive organ presets, but nothing as good as the Roland V-Combo Live series {which starts around $1,500}
I could sell this, (pretty cheap) if somebody is seriouly interested.
Did you end up selling? I'm looking at one locally that I can get what I think is a great deal on. My son just started lesson and wants an 88key to practice on. This seems like it will work for that pretty well. Hope so.
@@RobD-jq7ry Yes! It was just too heavy to take to gigs.