Meet the ROLAND FP-E50 the GO:KEYS 5 - 88 Key Version? Or???

[@glennmeader626]

FP-E50 price difference is because of high-quality PHA4 88 weighted key action, vs inexpensive GoKeys synth action. Roland put out FP-E50 to directly compete with DGX-670 - similar feature set.

[@phillc]

Sadly the FP-E50 does not come close enough to the DGX but the funny thing is GO:KEYS does! How strange eh?

[@viniciusmoura9105]

I have the FP-E50. But when Roland launched the Go:Keys 5 I got a little bit jealous, because the Go Keys 5 is in some ways better. The 4 part variations versus 2 on the FP-E50 is something that just can’t be ignored. There is a larger number of chord sequencing possibilities you can do on the Go Keys 5 too, and if I remember it right, the Go Keys 5 comes with more sounds from the factory than the FP-E50. Roland hit a Home Run with this release. That being said, I still love my FP-E50.

[@phillc]

😁👊🙏🙏🙏👍👍😁❤️🎹 Thanks for sharing your awesome perspectives!

[@jjacob25101]

When the FP-E50 came out, it was the perfect alternative to an RD 88 which I thought was a dream come true as an affirdable RD 2000. For all the features and sounds, and it was a steal for $1,000, like the CK61 is. And later, the price went to $900 when the more affordable RD 08 came out. But when the Go:Keys 5 came out, I wuicklybrealized exactly what it is, like you, myself and many others eventually did. Now, I don't have to get the FP-E50 if it comes time for me to get a weighted 88 note keyboard. And now the just cane out with the updated RD 2000 EX and RD 88 EX. But the Go:Keys 5 is sn incredible powerhouse on its own, especially for the price. That can key slmost anyone occupied for a long time, especially with the vast expansion soubd and style library from the Roland Cloud.

[@Elazarko]

please i would love to watch a dedicated video about the key action of the go keys 3/5. Yeah I'm trying to find a store nearby to try it out though a deep dive video would be great! Thank you!

[@phillc]

Great question @elazarkotkes. I will do one more. For now, check this out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4rFl6yHn8eAh6M

[@davesaunders7457]

I'm thinking of getting a 5 as a zen core sound module for my 88 note controller. Gotta check it out. I've got a casio privia PX3 stage piano 12 years old but still amazing action. 256 note polyphony means I can have a 2 key rig with, on average, 128 notes each, or just as a piano synthesiser. The original go keys was excellent. I so regret selling it to one of my students.

[@kosomolsk]

The GoKeys does fix a serious omission in the FP-E50. Try finding out how and where you can activate, much less modify DSP for the E50. As far as I know, you simply can't. And that immediately crashes it's value proposition to less than the DGX, or to Roland's own stage pianos.

[@phillc]

Great insights! Thanks for sharing.

[@akdm82]

The FP-E50 with 88 weighted keys and including the Supernatural engine pianos is just skewed more toward piano players willing to spend a bit more. For me, the Go:Keys 5 better suits me, but to each his/her own

[@phillc]

👍👍👍🙏

[@JoelStephen]

@akdm82 Rightly said. I have been coming from Yamaha portable keyboards for the last few years. Was leaning to Roland to get an 88 keybed and found FP-E50 to be a balance between the piano and arrangement. However, the styles here are just phenomenal. Nothing that you can get from Yamaha keyboards. These styles were so modern and aligned with the recent music productions.

[@DTmaster]

love it❤ make more videos about the go 5....Thomann will deliver my one tomorrow 🎉🎉

[@phillc]

Will do! 😃😃

[@DTmaster]

@@phillc maybe a recording with the presets and the drum tracks (not the backing tracks) The Gokeys has endless options, i also gonna take it with me on my vacation to Turkey 😃 it's just 5kg with my flybag

[@phillc]

@@DTmaster Great idea Roderick! Hope you post some videos when you're jamming and enjoying your keyboard! Cheers!

[@NakedSnake-4ofClubs]

i had the fp-e50 for a few days but unfortunately it was broken. the sound was completely muffled and metallic no matter if playing over the speakers or using my sennheiser headphones or line out into my krk rokit monitors plus i wasnt able to get a full tone out of any note even when hammering the keyboard. dunno if it was a faulty board or what the hell was wrong with that thing but i send it back to the shop for a refund. looking at something else to get and while the pha4 action is nice i am looking at a dgx-670 because your videos really convinced me even tho its an older keyboard now. not sure there is anything better in terms of bang for buck in the

[@phillc]

Wow! Thanks for sharing your story. I have been considering doing a comparison and your feedback helps me. DGX 670 is definitely a more dependable and more robust option. I highly recommend it!

[@JoeLinux2000]

Phil sorta of knows how to work his DGX and I can't disagree with anything he says, but I have a DGX-670 and feel it has serious negatives. For one thing, it's as heavy as a military tank, moreover, the user interface is extremely complex and confusing, at least for me. One of the best things about it is the action which many people have criticized, but I happen to think it's a lot better than the PHA4 by a lot. Being a frugal person, I plan to order a Go Keys 3. I think the Go Keys 3 will actually deliver what I was expecting from the DGX in terms of keyboard automation. From what I can see from the videos the user interface seems understandable. Trust me, while Phil is an expert on the DGX, when you ask him a very specific question about how address the user interface, he is uncertain. You are watching a video by one of the top dogs on a DGX who actually doesn't fully understand its interface. In spite of all its negatives it probably is the most keyboard bang if the buck if you can actually figure it out. Phil has shown me some things about it that I was unaware of, and this post is in no way a criticism of his immense talent with these various keyboards. To conclude in my mind, the Roland Go Keys is a Go. I feel it will outsell the DX7.

[@AprilTeniente-eu1mj]

I had RockJam Keyboard but not the Roland version, but they both have 88 black and white keys!!

[@NakedSnake-4ofClubs]

@@JoeLinux2000 thanks for your input. the yamaha certainly seems much more complex in its menus and more like something you set up at home and read 200 pages of manuals and not like a keyboard you just jump on, pick a tune from the arranger and have some fun for half an hour. i played around with the e50 the few days i had it at home and the menus are really simple and streamlined and everything is more or less easily accessible even tho some of the settings were hidden away in menus i didnt find intuitive when looking for them. overall combined with the really decent action i certainly would have kept the roland if not for the god awful sound the unit was producing which is a shame because i browsed through all the voices and there is like a 1000 and they seem wonderful. probably the best 750 euro 88 keys digital piano/arranger/stage/fun combo currently available. however no 16 track midi so if that matters to you then forget about the roland. gonna go with the yamaha for now since i dont plan on lugging the keyboard around anyway but to have it hooked up to my computer and studio monitors.

[@jazzplayer59]

Very nice video... couldn't agree more!

[@phillc]

Thank you Steve! Looking forward to seeing you jamming. I know you're loaded with gear to the teeth! Now the GK with drive to boot! Fun!

[@davidmeo1]

The Roland FP-E50 has the SuperNatural sound engine it adds only 7 piano sounds but those pianos sounds are outstanding .. for a light keyboard on GOKEYs you give up the FP-E50 piano action, but it's the piano sound quality not action that matters .. the piano sound on the Roland GOKEYs 3 or 5 sounds tinny to me at higher notes, GOKEYs piano bass seems ok..

[@phillc]

Very insightful David. Thank you for your time commenting and sharing knowledge.

[@timpullen4941]

The video shows a group of 4 black notes together rather than 3 black notes. What is the extra note called?

[@phillc]

Nicely spotted @timpullen4941! The extra note in that group of four is often referred to as the 'ghost note,' 'phantom note,' Roland "imp note" or simply the 'oops note.' It's a musical equivalent of that extra slice of pizza that somehow appears out of nowhere. 🙃

[@kennykelley8874]

Congratulations on 4k subs

[@phillc]

Thank you so much bro!😀 How are your travels going? Off the road now?

[@kennykelley8874]

@@phillc almost home should be home in the evening! I’m excited to get on the DGX I’ve been studying the manual and the reference manual ready to explore these ideas.

[@phillc]

@@kennykelley8874 Wow! Well done Kenny! Post some videos soon ! :)

[@AustroCanuck_]

Does anybobdy have recommendations for a decent entry level amp for this keyboard?

[@phillc]

I mentioned it in this video and gave you a shout out. It is the Beringer K450 kzbin.info/www/bejne/b6GmZpKAaL2cnNUfeature=shared

[@Elazarko]

Imagine just imagine if the go Keys 3 or 5 had 73 keys ohhhhh that would of made them perfect for me.

[@phillc]

Yeah @elazarkotkes! To be honest, the piano would be the main thing since to play synth and reed/woodwind-like, I prefer the keyboard feel to the piano feel. For real piano feel action stuff, it would be the Motif or DGX I go for!

[@PianoMan-hx3ev]

Hmm...some alien notes on that key bed... 👽

[@phillc]

😂 😅🎉You win 🏆 the observance prize!! Well spotted!! 👍👍👍😜🎹

[@PianoMan-hx3ev]

@@phillc 💯

[@rossbagley9015]

But since the only change from GO:KEYS 3 to 5 is better onboard speakers, isn't the 3 a better deal at $350? Also you can get the 3 in red and blue (my son likes the red).

[@phillc]

Yes Ross. Depending on what one needs. GO KEYS 5 allows direct recording into your Camera or Phone for clean audio while being able to monitor the sound from the speakers (It has a dedicated L and R jack Plus a dedicated headphone jack). Go Keys 5 also has a mic input for those who may sing and perform. GO KEYS 3 does not have this. Also GK5 has a dedicated USB port for Roland Cloud where additional sounds can be downloaded if needed. But I would totally get a GK3 for my kid with that being said. She likes Turquoise madly.

[@drKrollspell]

Great 😀

[@phillc]

🙏🙏🙏

[@rafaelcatarino8372]

They have been doing this for decades… repack, oh it’s new, buy. It’s not.

[@phillc]

Wow. Interesting Rafael! Thanks for weighing in!

[@rafaelcatarino8372]

@@phillc no scientific proof but this go keys sound, to me like the bk3 and bk5, that sounded like the va3 va5 va7, that sounded like the em55, that borrowed sounds from the g1000. Gosh we're going back in time...

[@phillc]

@@rafaelcatarino8372 🤯😀😀😀 💡 unbelievable! Unfortunately I'm not too familiar with Roland sounds from the past. I played the Juno over 30 years ago. Pretty wild stuff!

[@JiggyMcCue]

Was deciding between the E50 and the DGX670 for so long it was driving me crazy. Eventually settled on the E50. Love the supernatural sound more than CFX and the zen core and z-style expansions plus the keyboard action itself which I thought was better than the GHS on the Yamaha. All subjective though and personal preference, you absolutely need to try these in store and see what you prefer. This is coming from someone who owned the very first GO:KEYS with the very cool loop mix function. Really happy with it but every time I see Phill on the DGX I want it even more. Then again, Phill could play on anything and make it sound amazing. Keep up the great playing. Eventually I'll justify owning both of these!

[@phillc]

Hey JM! Thanks for pitching in! It sounds like you went through a lot of research to decide between the E50 and DGX670! I'm glad you're happy with your choice of the E50 - the supernatural sounds and Zen Core features sound really cool, and it's great that you find the keyboard action comfortable. You're absolutely right that trying instruments in person is essential. Preferences for sound and feel can be very subjective. It's interesting that you still have your eye on the DGX670 too, even though you love your E50. That Phill is such a salesman! LOL! There's no harm in hoping to own both someday - maybe you can find a good deal on a used DGX670 down the line. In the meantime, enjoy playing your E50!