As an award-winning Roland piano dealer, we’re always excited to hear about Roland’s next-gen pianos – especially when they come packed with exciting new technology. Roland’s goal has always been to faithfully reproduce and enhance the acoustic piano experience in a reliable, maintenance-free cabinet. This new technology, dubbed “Piano Reality” due to its virtual-reality-like performance, is a completely new design concept. Instead of building new piano models from the bones of previous generations, Roland decided to design these pianos from scratch. This would allow them to take advantage of technological breakthroughs in chip design, modeling software and speaker technologies that weren’t available when the previous generation of Roland pianos were conceived. If you’d like a “deep dive” into Roland’s “Piano Reality” development process, check out our “Roland’s Road to Piano Reality” blog. In this article, we’re going to highlight each of the Roland’s next-gen pianos and briefly discuss how they compare. For more information on each specific piano, click the model numbers or watch the videos below.
Next-Gen Pianos: Roland Grands
Roland GP-9 Digital Baby Grand Piano
At the top of Roland’s new “Piano Reality” lineup is the GP-9. This luxurious baby grand piano offers an enhanced cabinet with casters, touch-panel interface, two-piece lid and tail bevel. It also delivers Roland’s top-of-the-line Piano Reality Concert sound engine, Piano Reality Concert Key Action (complete with harmonic vibrations in the keys themselves), a fully modeled pedaling system, digital audio circuit and a stunning 7.1 channel surround sound system built-in. For those who value their musical privacy, the Roland GP-9 offers a truly breathtaking Piano Reality 3D Headphones experience. Finally, the Roland GP-9 is compatible with all of the latest Bluetooth MIDI and AUDIO apps for endless hours of fun, limitless updateability and a fully customizable user experience. This is an obvious 10/10 for players who want the very best sound and touch – especially if you customize the piano sound to match your space using the FREE Roland Piano App.
Piano Stats At a Glance
- Piano Reality Concert Sound Engine
- Piano Reality Concert Key Action with Haptic Feedback
- Piano Reality Concert Pedal Modeling
- Piano Reality Projection Sound System (7.1 Channel)
- Near-field Speakers: 4
- MIDI + AUDIO Recording (.wav and .mp3)
- Registration Memory: 36 Presets with Reg Pedal Shift
- AUDIO Outputs: ¼” L/Mono and R
- AUDIO Inputs: Stereo Mini
- App: Roland Piano App with Piano Designer
Roland GP-6 Digital Mini Grand Piano
The Roland GP-6 brings most of the GP-9’s premium features into a smaller cabinet that can fit in any space. Powered by Roland’s Piano Reality Premium sound engine, Piano Reality Premium Key Action, fully modeled pedal system and a rich 5.1 channel surround sound system built-in. The GP-6 also offers Roland’s new touch-panel interface and Piano Reality 3D Headphones experience for private practice. The Roland GP-6 is also compatible with all of the latest Bluetooth MIDI and AUDIO apps for endless hours of fun, limitless updateability and a fully customizable user experience. This is a truly premium digital piano experience for players with limited space. It is also fully compatible with the FREE Roland Piano App.
Piano Stats At a Glance
- Piano Reality Premium Sound Engine (no digital audio circuit)
- Piano Reality Premium Key Action (shorter keys, no haptic feedback)
- Piano Reality Premium Pedal Modeling
- Piano Reality Projection Sound System (5.1 Channel)
- Near-field Speakers: 2
- MIDI + AUDIO Recording (.wav and .mp3)
- Registration Memory: 36 Presets with Reg Pedal Shift
- AUDIO Outputs: ¼” L/Mono and R
- AUDIO Inputs: Stereo Mini
- App: Roland Piano App with Piano Designer
Roland GP-3 Digital Micro Grand Piano
At the very entry-level of Roland’s “Piano Reality” lineup, the Roland GP-3 offers an attractive and compact instrument for beginners with limited space. The only piano in the next-gen pianos Roland recently released to not offer a fully-modeled piano sound, the GP-3 offers the Piano Reality Standard sound engine (which mixes sampling and modeling), Piano Reality Standard Key Action, Progressive damper pedal system and two-speaker stereo sound system. Though there is no touch-panel interface on the Roland GP-3, it does offer Roland’s Piano Reality 3D Headphones experience and is fully compatible with all of the latest Bluetooth MIDI and AUDIO apps. We recommend only using this piano with the FREE Roland Piano App as it adds a large number of sounds and features to this otherwise limited instrument.
Piano Stats At a Glance
- Piano Reality Standard Sound Engine (not fully-modeled)
- Piano Reality Standard Key Action (shorter keys, no hybrid wood components)
- Piano Reality Standard Pedaling (not fully-modeled)
- Stereo Sound System
- Near-field Speakers: 0
- MIDI Recording (1-Track)
- Registration Memory: N/A
- AUDIO Outputs: N/A
- AUDIO Inputs: N/A
- App: Roland Piano App (No Piano Designer Feature)
Next-Gen Pianos: Roland Uprights
Roland LX-9 Premium Digital Piano
Delivering a true grand piano experience in a vertical piano footprint, the luxurious Roland LX-9 offers a full-sized 48” cabinet with opening lid, touch-panel interface, and grand-piano-type key cover. Also featuring Roland’s top-of-the-line Piano Reality Concert sound engine, Piano Reality Concert Key Action (complete with harmonic vibrations in the keys), a fully modeled pedaling system, digital audio circuit and a stunning 8-speaker surround sound system onboard. The Roland LX-9 also offers the truly breathtaking Piano Reality 3D Headphones experience. Finally, the LX-9 is compatible with all of the latest Bluetooth MIDI and AUDIO apps for endless hours of fun, limitless updateability and a fully customizable user experience. This is a perfect option for players who want the very best sound and touch, but don’t have room for a baby grand piano. Nothing but the GP-9 beats this piano – especially if you customize the piano sound to match your space using the FREE Roland Piano App.
Piano Stats At a Glance
- Piano Reality Concert Sound Engine
- Piano Reality Concert Key Action with Haptic Feedback
- Piano Reality Concert Pedal Modeling
- Piano Reality Projection Sound System (8 Speaker)
- Near-field Speakers: 4
- MIDI + AUDIO Recording (.wav and .mp3)
- Registration Memory: 36 Presets with Reg Pedal Shift
- AUDIO Outputs: ¼” L/Mono and R
- AUDIO Inputs: Stereo Mini
- App: Roland Piano App with Piano Designer
Roland LX-6 Premium Digital Piano
The Roland LX-6 is a new “sweet spot” for audiophiles who want premium performance features in a more accessible price range. Packed with Roland’s Piano Reality Premium sound engine, Piano Reality Concert Key Action (minus the haptic feedback feature), fully modeled pedal system and an impressive 5.1 channel surround sound system, the Roland LX-6 is an absolute joy to play. The LX-6 also offers Roland’s premium touch-panel interface and Piano Reality 3D Headphones experience. The Roland LX-6 is also compatible with all of the latest Bluetooth MIDI and AUDIO apps for endless hours of fun, limitless updateability and a fully customizable user experience. It’s hard to overstate just how good this piano sounds and feels – especially when compared to other instruments in its price range. It’s a next-gen piano experience – especially when controlled with the FREE Roland Piano App.
Piano Stats At a Glance
- Piano Reality Premium Sound Engine (no digital audio circuit)
- Piano Reality Concert Key Action (longer keys, but no haptic feedback)
- Piano Reality Premium Pedal Modeling
- Piano Reality Projection Sound System (5.1 Channel)
- Near-field Speakers: 2
- MIDI + AUDIO Recording (.wav and .mp3)
- Registration Memory: 36 Presets with Reg Pedal Shift
- AUDIO Outputs: ¼” L/Mono and R
- AUDIO Inputs: Stereo Mini
- App: Roland Piano App with Piano Designer
Roland LX-5 Premium Digital Piano
The Roland LX-5 brings Roland’s core “Piano Reality” features into a compact, stylish and surprisingly affordable furniture cabinet. Despite its relatively low price, the LX-5 still deliver’s Roland’s Piano Reality Premium sound engine, Piano Reality Premium Key Action, fully modeled pedal system and expansive four-speaker surround sound system. It also offers Roland’s premium touch-panel interface and Piano Reality 3D Headphones experience. Compatible with all of the latest Bluetooth MIDI and AUDIO apps, the LX-5 makes playing the piano more fun – and more personal – than ever before. …and – since it offers free updates for life and full Bluetooth compatibility – the LX-5 never faces obsolescence – especially when played with the FREE Roland Piano App.
Piano Stats At a Glance
- Piano Reality Premium Sound Engine (no digital audio circuit)
- Piano Reality Premium Key Action (shorter keys, no haptic feedback)
- Piano Reality Premium Pedal Modeling
- Piano Reality Projection Sound System (4 speakers)
- Near-field Speakers: 2
- MIDI + AUDIO Recording (.wav and .mp3)
- Registration Memory: 36 Presets with Reg Pedal Shift
- AUDIO Outputs: ¼” L/Mono and R
- AUDIO Inputs: Stereo Mini
- App: Roland Piano App with Piano Designer
If you’d like a more in-depth comparison of the new Premium Roland Pianos, watch the video below.
Interested in Roland’s Home Piano line? Explore Roland’s exciting and affordable HP-Series or RP-Series Pianos:
Year after year, Riverton Piano Company is recognized as one of the US’s best Roland piano dealers. Our premium customer service program, including our famous Roland Owner’s Club, is second to none. That, with our guaranteed low price, ensures that you’ll have the best experience and the best value when you purchase Roland’s next-gen pianos from Riverton Piano Company. Contact us today for more information on Roland pianos or chat online with us by clicking the icon at the bottom-right of your screen. We look forward to helping you find the Roland digital piano that’s right for you!
