In 2009, Roland modified the digital piano {industry} perpetually with the introduction of the V-Piano – Roland’s very first fully-modeled digital piano. On the time, practically each different digital piano for the house or stage used a expertise known as “consultant sampling” (usually often known as “Harmonic Imaging,” “Wave Synthesis” or “Superior Wave Reminiscence” – each piano producer had a most popular identify for it). Put merely, sampling expertise utilized microphones to take brief recordings of acoustic pianos (known as “samples”) for playback in a digital piano. Costlier digital pianos featured 88-note samples (that means the producer took recordings from each word on the acoustic piano) the place inexpensive devices would pattern each 4-5 notes and use computer systems to pitch-shift the notes in-between. Because the expertise (and the required reminiscence) improved, producers added extra samples to the combo in an effort to seize tonal adjustments throughout the piano as keys had been performed with extra pressure, because the pedals had been used and, as extra notes blended collectively in the course of the efficiency. It appeared sampling was the way in which of the long run…
In the course of the 80s and 90s, sampling expertise improved dramatically, however it nonetheless had vital limitations. First, the utmost variety of out there dynamic (or quantity) ranges per key was 128. This may increasingly sound like so much, however keep in mind that an acoustic piano has an limitless vary of dynamics. Digital pianos of the period, as compared, sounded… for lack of a greater phrase… pixelated – simply as this picture with solely 128 colours seems to be pixelated when in comparison with this picture with 1000’s of colours. Secondly, the samples couldn’t be personalized after the very fact – very similar to you may’t flip the violins down on an audio file you got from Apple Music. The recording was set and there have been few choices for many who didn’t love what got here “out of the field.” Lastly, the samples needed to be looped when the keys had been held down longer than the preliminary recording… so most digital pianos of the period had “pixelated sounds” with “stair-step dynamics” and synthetic looping and fading. They only couldn’t come near the emotion, nuance and management of an acoustic piano.
So, in 2013, Roland launched SuperNATURAL Piano expertise – primarily based on the V-Piano sound engine. This mixed conventional sampling and behavioral modeling to create a much more genuine piano sound. Now – as an alternative of computerized looping and synthetic fades – Roland SuperNATURAL Pianos used a modeling algorithm (processed in real-time by the piano’s built-in sound engine) to create a pure, natural maintain and decay. In addition they used modeling to easy the dynamic curve – giving these pianos 16,000 completely different ranges of quantity per key as an alternative of the industry-standard 128. It was an enormous enchancment. …however it nonetheless had some flaws. To start with, the system was nonetheless tied to samples (or small recordings of the piano sound) and, thus, needed to depend on giant quantities of reminiscence to function. This restricted the variety of notes that may very well be performed concurrently (together with overtones or sympathetic resonance – notes that sound in concord with the notes you play on an acoustic piano although they themselves had been by no means straight performed. This additionally made voicing (or bringing the quantity of sure notes – usually melody notes – up over the quantity of different notes performed on the similar time), phrasing (creating emotion between musical passages with adjustments in dynamics very similar to singers do) and pedaling “clunky” on digital pianos. Although the ensuing efficiency was higher than something from the 80s or 90s, SuperNATURAL pianos nonetheless didn’t “behave” like acoustic pianos.
Asbury College’s Roland Piano Lab consists of HP-600 Sequence Roland digital pianos – the primary Roland dwelling pianos to be absolutely modeled.
Then, in 2015, Roland launched its first line of fully-modeled dwelling pianos. These devices used an algorithm processed in real-time by the piano’s sound chip and primarily based on data fed from the important thing sensors to imitate the efficiency of an acoustic piano. Instantly, the devices gained worldwide acclaim for his or her subtlety, nuance and management. They had been additionally extremely customizable so Roland house owners may create a customized sound profile for any and each software. They might compensate for PA methods, room acoustics and even the non-public preferences of every participant within the dwelling, college, church, studio or venue. They might change all the piano’s soundboard sort, resonance depth, brilliance and key contact OR they might modify every particular person word’s tuning, character or quantity. It was a monumental enchancment! …and it attracted much more gamers to the digital piano.
The Roland LX-Sequence digital pianos characteristic Roland’s “PureAcoustic” modeling engine.
A couple of years later, Roland launched it’s PureAcoustic sound chip… which launched a better decision modeling algorithm (providing over 20,000 dynamic ranges per key), Atmosphere modeling (the flexibility to customise the “reverb” or after-echo within the piano’s tone, and haptic suggestions – which launched bodily vibrations within the piano’s keys so the instrument felt much more like an acoustic piano.
…however – as jaw-dropping as this expertise was – it wasn’t excellent. It was restricted by processor and key sensor pace. It couldn’t account for aggressive pedaling or non-linear will increase or decreases in dynamics… and it suffered from restricted speaker positioning choices. Lastly, although the sound chip was digital, Roland’s amplifiers had been analog so the digital sign needed to be downgraded contained in the piano – vastly decreasing the crispness and readability of the piano’s ultimate tone.
That’s why Roland determined to return to “the drafting board” and take a recent take a look at what they launched in 2015. They reimagined their whole piano modeling paradigm so they might make the most of new high-speed processors and sensors, design a totally digital audio circuit and amplification system, and construct cupboards with superb speaker positioning in thoughts. Early within the course of, they realized that this new modeling platform needed to take a holistic method to piano efficiency. Every element wouldn’t solely require particular person redesign, however would require integration into the system as a complete. Thus, Roland engineers had to consider the brand new platform as a single ecosystem – an all-encompassing atmosphere that would come with key focus areas like:
- The Sound Engine
- The Key Motion
- The Audio Circuit
- The Amplifier and Speaker System
- The Pedaling System
- The Cupboard Design and Interface
Lastly, in 2023, Roland launched this new piano ecosystem designed to completely immerse the participant within the sights, sounds and sensations of an acoustic piano efficiency. Pondering of the brand new platform as a kind of digital actuality system for piano gamers, Roland engineers dubbed this new holistic atmosphere: “Piano Actuality” and launched it in three tiers: Piano Actuality Normal – which affords a next-generation method to sampling with modeling enhancement, Piano Actuality Premium – which brings unprecedented definition and expressiveness to the fully-modeled platform, and Piano Actuality Live performance – which units a completely new commonplace for emotion, nuance and management. These three tiers (supplied in Roland’s GP-Sequence Grand Pianos) ship next-generation efficiency in a number of the most fashionable and modern piano cupboards we’ve ever seen. These pianos are on the very pinnacle of digital piano expertise – providing unique options that no different producer can supply – and so they ship a efficiency so unbelievably genuine that you simply gained’t consider you’re taking part in a digital instrument! …however don’t take our phrase for it. See for your self. Try this video for extra on Piano Actuality and the way it’s as soon as once more altering the piano enterprise perpetually…
In fact, in the event you’d like a private introduction to “Piano Actuality” by Roland, we’re pleased to supply this at no cost! Cease in certainly one of our shops or contact us and setup a private video convention. We will take you thru the expertise and reply your questions… however we all the time advocate seeing these pianos in individual. You merely can’t expertise these pianos correctly over the web! We hope to listen to from you quickly!
