Roland announces the RD-700GX SuperNATURAL Piano Kit

[Artemiy]

http://www.roland.com/products/en/K-RD700GX1/index.html

Congratulations to RD-700GX users! Now, Roland, please give us this in form of an ARX board

[Beaglemania]

As a proud new owner of an RD-700GX (1 month), I am really looking forward to this! Thanks for the heads up Art!

[mojkarma]

Right now I don't see how the Super Natural Piano Kit functions. Where and how can it be installed?

[javaj_]

It suprised me as well- so it must be an SRX card - and that just opens up a whole new kettle of fish- doesn't it?

[Artemiy]

I guess the SuperNatural playback engine is in the RD already (+with the update) and that board just brings new material for that engine.

[mojkarma]

Rolands Website states that there is a expansion board. Just curious to know where it would be installed. My srx slots are already occupied.
I'm not going to buy this expansion because I'm satisfied with the piano sound but I'd like to know how it's supposed to be installed.

[Artemiy]

The specs say it's both a board and software update.

[deswind]

I am confused. Doesn't the RD700GX only take ARX cards like other G instruments? Does an SRX card work onthe RD700GX?
THANKS.

[Artemiy]

Actually the 700GX only takes SRX boards.

http://www.roland.com/products/en/RD-700GX/specs.html

[KPro81]

I'll tell you what happened. Roland was testing the waters to see how well the RD-700GX was going to sell. Initially they were going to have Supernatural Acoustic Pianos in it. These pianos were already in development when they started making the new updated HP series home digital pianos (check them out on the Roland website, they use sampling and modelling). Yes the 700GX's have the capability of using supernatural technology (hence thats why there is essentially an ARX-02 inside!) Thats why its called the RD-700GX because it corresponds with the technology in the Fantom G. Roland wanted to make sure that the new GX's sold well in order to justify allowing Supernatural technology for the AP sounds. Think of it from Roland's point of view...if they sell poorly at least they didn't include their prized V-Piano technology which is also very very expensive! But if they do sell well, then they have the option of making more money (users already bought the keyboard) by adding a technology booster (OS update+expansion board) and really allow the RD-700GX to compete with its competitors, namely the Yamaha CP-5 that is exactly in the same class. Roland knew exactly what they were doing! And I don't think this is the end either folks! I think they may make another hybrid expansion of SRX expansion and OS update to accomodate the technology. This new RD-700GX expansion has a 1 on the end of the item description code(from their site in Japan its called: K-RD700GX1. Very cool and I am very interested in getting one for my GX!

[mojkarma]

I'm actually following this discussion because I'm technically interessted.
If this Piano Kit is a kind of hybrid expansion, it probably means that you actually get a card with piano samples, while the virtual acoustic processing is done inside the rd700gx.
The question is, how much processing power has the rd700gx. There is already the e. piano supernatural expansion inside the RD. The Piano Kit would be the second. I doubt that there is enough processing power for a third expansion of this kind.
My personal problem with the RD is actually the unecessary and ununderstandable limitation to only 100 setups. With 2 SRX cards I have and with the internal sounds (thousands of sounds), there is no enough room for my user creations and setups for my live gigging purposes, but I'm afraid that this is probably a hardware limit and can't be changed.

[javaj_]

and to add fuel to the fire- look at the contest Roland UK has going. Love is definately flowing for you RD700GX owners.
http://www.roland.co.uk/rd700gxcompetition/

[KPro81]

Thanks for that link javaj. This is all beginning to make sense now. I remember reading an article in Keyboard magazine about the development of SuperNatural Technology from Roland (I have it somewhere, can't remember the issue). Long story short is that the SuperNatural technology is a highly advanced version of Roland's SA synthesis found on the RD-1000 and MKS-20 modules. They said that the major problem with this technology is that it takes a looooong time to keep developing new boards. While the SRX series were simply wave samples, the ARX series are essentially mini synths in their own right. I believe that Roland will obviously keep making new ARX boards for the Fantom G, but they knew they would have trouble supplying new boards rapidly like the SRX series. Therefore that is why I think they still kept a life line open for the SRX series with the RD-700GX. This way they could still profit on the expansion board department and not totally lose money while they develop new ARX cards. I'm very happy to see Roland really supporting the RD-700GX! I guess it was a pretty good investment after all.

[jagannath]

So, just great news!! I wasn't really satisfyed with the piano sound (although it's great), and after having heard about new yamaha's CP1.... now we'll be having the greatest sound machine, with the custom EP settings (try the linedrive effect, chick corea's return to forever like) and this new board I'd feel satisfied with the possibility of acoustic piano variations. When is it going to be on sale in Europe?

[jagannath]

So, just great news!! I wasn't really satisfyed with the piano sound (although it's great), and after having heard about new yamaha's CP1.... now we'll be having the greatest sound machine, with the custom EP settings (try the linedrive effect, chick corea's return to forever like) and this new board I'd feel satisfied with the possibility of acoustic piano variations. When is it going to be on sale in Europe?