🎹 Roland FP-10 ACR: Amazing Sound, Compact Design, Great Price! 🎹

[@Philip---pip267]

I have owned the fp10 for two years, and i got it when i could not play a note. I did extensive research and knew what i wanted from the outset. Graded hammer action, realistic as possible feel, and 88 keys for as cheaply as possible in cass i gave up learning. There is no chance at all of that now, as 2 years on i love the instrument and my learning keeps improving. However, from the start, the only thing that bothsrsd me slightly was the quietness of its speaker output. I had an audio amplifier surplus to requirements and a good pair of large bookshelf speakers. In between i have a 3 channel line mixer, which also caters for a microphone input. When i usd garage band, or the Roland piano app, i connect the fp10 to the pc with usb or Bluetooth, and then the output goes to the amplifier, with the speakers in the piano switched off. The sound is phenominal, all the power you ever need, in a much fuller and richer tone. I can now do everything i ever want, including recording and multi track. So no, i'm afraid i dont need the ACR. !.,

[@MerriamPianos]

We are happy to hear that you have been enjoying your FP10! It is a remarkable piano with some of the best value on the market. And that is great to hear that you've worked out a solution to make up for the low powered speaker system. Thanks for tuning in and sharing! :)

[@robintyson591]

Press volume up AND down buttons at the same time, then press function. You then can scroll through volume from headphones, volume from speakers, or volume from both.

[@MerriamPianos]

Thanks for the tip! That is a very handy feature. :)

[@piotrrusk]

It is in the manual, btw 🙂And yes - it would be very bad if there was no such feature. BTW - it can also be saved so that it is still on when you restart the piano 🙂

[@ds6224]

@@MerriamPianosmight want to edit the video to add a note about this feature as you rated it as a pretty big minus and could affect someone’s buying decision if they don’t see the comment.

[@chrisr5364]

When does it become a available in us ? Haven’t seen it on Roland site..

[@MerriamPianos]

I am not too sure to be honest as we only really get news of releases/availability in Canada.

[@calikokat100]

wow...nice sound...and great action...at a great price !

[@MerriamPianos]

Absolutely! It is an impressive offering from Roland. :)

[@Yash-vq9hl]

I really liked some features of fp30x and initially planned to buy the FP-30X based on your review. Should I get the newer FP-10ACR instead? Price isn’t an issue, just want the one that plays and sounds good. Also, there are no dealers in my city, so I can’t try them and had to rely on online videos.

[@MerriamPianos]

Hi there! The FP30X is still a higher-end model than the FP10 ACR. It has a better speaker system, more built-in sounds/features, and triple pedal compatibility.

[@creativekeyspianostudio6695]

Hi, great content as always. Just wondering why you don't review Korg instruments. Is there a specific reason? I've been playing since I was 6 (I am 44 now) and had Yamaha, Roland, Kawai digital pianos. Now I am planning to buy a second piano, a digital upright. I really want to try Korg G1 Air, but I barely found any good reviews. Since I never owned any Korg product I am very curious how they feel and sound in real life. Do you have any experience with Korg and the RH3 keybed? Thank you, Tom

[@MerriamPianos]

Hi Tom, Brent from Merriam Music here! We are not currently Korg dealers, so it is a bit trickier to review/compare their piano models. With that said, we were Korg dealers in the past. We have since shuffled our digital piano offering around in favour of what other digital piano manufacturers are offering musically. :)

[@creativekeyspianostudio6695]

@@MerriamPianos Hi Brent, I see your point, thanks very much.

[@milest9754]

Have you reviewed the Roland FRP Nuvola from Costco?

[@MerriamPianos]

We do not have access to that specific model (it is a Costco exclusive), but if the opportunity presents, we will tackle a review I'm sure.

[@milest9754]

@ I have a Nuvola getting shipped tomorrow, but I’m not entirely sure if it will live up to the 30x since there aren’t really any reviews out there on it aside from Reddit, so I might end up returning it for the 30x. In that case I would be willing to let you to take it off my hands instead to do a review on it, if that’s something you wanted to do

[@stefonmatthew6253]

what i really want to hear is how soft it can play. What does it sound like at the different dynamic ranges.

[@MerriamPianos]

The PHA4 action is excellent at executing all dynamics and rendering a player's performance nuances quite faithfully. :)

[@Hedgehogsinthemist123]

I first bought an FP10 which is fine for beginners but you have to play through headphones, otherwise there is no sound. I then bought a 60X which was great but, again, a really poor sound, but I rigged it to an amp. I then upgraded to a 90X which is a completely different instrument. It has the PHA50 action. I love it.

[@MerriamPianos]

Happy to hear that you are happy with your FP90X! It is an awesome model with a very impressive speaker system. :)

[@Zoco101]

@@Hedgehogsinthemist123 There are very few portable pianos with onboard speakers which do them full justice. Portability kind of prevents this. The FP-90X is probably a good exception, if you can carry it around enough to call it portable. Another solution is adding discreet satellite speakers, but which ones are suitable? It's a minefield, and manufacturers say nothing, or offer a few generic gigging options which are really overkill, and eyesores in a domestic setting. It would be nice if Roland/Yamaha said "this is how you should augment the speakers for xxx model in your home".

[@Hedgehogsinthemist123]

@ I once owned a Yamaha PF85. The sound was amazing. Never had to rig it up to an amp. It was a great piano. I decided to sell it before it packed up, but it’s probably still working today.

[@Zoco101]

@@Hedgehogsinthemist123 Sounds a bit ruthless if that was your only reason for selling it. My first dp was a PF85 too. After several years I gave it to a needy family, this after buying a P80, and before emigrating. Several kids did serious piano study on it for years, so I hope yours lasted for the new owner too. Maybe Yamaha invented the portable piano concept with models like this one and then the P series. Have to say that I didn't really like the PF85 so much (each player has different tastes) but there was little choice back then. It didn't even have a graded action, but several "stage piano" models don't either, even today, while virtually all "portable pianos" do nowadays.

[@074Nacho]

Hi, the FP10 ACR is not listed on Roland's website. Where is it sold? Can it be purchased in Spain?

[@MerriamPianos]

The FP10 ACR is an exclusive model to select regions and dealers. I don't believe it is available in Spain at this time.

[@MattJ-n8n]

With this upgraded tone engine, I hear top Roland pianos, from about decade ago, especially HP series. Combining this with proper music stand (not this cheap looking one with holes), and piano cabinet - makes a really good option opposite to FP30x. Would be absolut banger, if they made triple pedal unit possible within this setup.

[@MerriamPianos]

For sure! The higher polyphony and upgraded piano tone makes a meaningful difference. A triple pedal system for the FP10 would really push the offering over the edge. :)

[@jamesa375]

is this a general replacement of the FP 10?i read it will only be available in certain markets and specific retailers.

[@MerriamPianos]

I don't believe it is a general replacement as not all dealers have access to the ACR version.

[@Zoco101]

Does anyone know what ACR means?

[@MerriamPianos]

I am not entirely sure to be honest as Roland has not specified that in any of the literature.

[@TheManWhoSoldHisSoul]

No way, I didnt'n know about that, I just bought the fp-10!

[@MerriamPianos]

Thanks for tuning in! The FP10 ACR is not available from all dealers.

[@Philip---pip267]

Connect it up to a hi fi system using the aux input and a suitable cable?

[@chrisr5364]

@@MerriamPianosoh, just the big dealers like you guys?

[@bobg4657]

Still waiting for an FP10 vs Kawai ES60 comparison video.

[@kaleimaile]

Kawai will beat Roland any time. It’s about the action feel when you play the piano.

[@MerriamPianos]

Thanks for the suggestion! I'll pass it along to the production crew on your behalf. :)

[@fjonisch]

On my FP-10 I can switch the loudspeaker on and off when the headphones is plugged in. The reference manual page 8.

[@MerriamPianos]

Thanks so much! We appreciate you sharing. :)

[@Zoco101]

This is very confusing. On another channel someone made the same claim about on/off speaker switching, then admitted they were talking about another Roland model. Some other users have been unable to find this in the FP-30 manual. So what's going on? OK, I found it. Yes, on page 8 of the reference manual, and not the owner's manual, which only has 6 pages. Seems it can be done, but that it does "change the character" of the onboard speakers too.

[@nursemichelecheng]

I have a headphone amplifier hooked up to my fp -10. It has four ports. I have a both an external speaker (that sounds a bit better than the onboard ones ) and my headphones plugged into two of the four ports . I can control the volume on the headphone amplifier so if I want to use headphones while using the external speaker I could, but usually I just use one or the other. There is a function setting on the fp-10 for both external speakers and headphones so technically I could use the onboard speakers and the external one that is hooked up to the headphone amplifier plugged into the piano as well but not really sure why that would be necessary. I like my set up because I don’t have to keep unplugging to just use the piano speakers or headphones. (Which wouldn’t a problem if the port was on the front lol) I have found it to be a good work around.

[@MerriamPianos]

It is awesome to hear that you've found a nice workaround that allows you total flexibility! Thanks for sharing! :)

[@richard135b7]

I'm confused. I thought the FP-10 was discontinued and no longer available for sale in USA and replaced by the FP- 30X. Now in this video your talking about an upgrade to FP-10?

[@MerriamPianos]

The FP30 was discontinued and replaced with the FP30X. The FP10 is still an active product in the Roland line up. :)

[@richard135b7]

@@MerriamPianos thank you

[@gibon000]

Should I get the FP-10acr, FP-30X, or Yamaha P-225? Sound isn't my priority. I mainly want the best action and playability, and fp30x is cheaper than p255 in my country, although i can afford all three.

[@MerriamPianos]

If you're not concerned about the speaker power and sound but are seeking the best possible action, the FP10/FP10ACR will be the most affordable option. It has the same core action (PHA4) as the FP30X.

[@FirstLast-nr6gf]

If you can, go to a store and try different brands, such as Yamaha, Roland, Casio. Different people prefer different key actions. In my opinion, Roland has very slow, sluggish action. Also some actions are quieter than others.

[@motionkings]

Need more kawai es60 videos

[@MerriamPianos]

Thanks for the suggestion! I will pass it along to the production team. :)

[@amitev]

USB Audio?

[@MerriamPianos]

The FP10 ACR does not include a USB audio interface. That feature is on the FP30X, FP60X, and FP90X models though.

[@chrissun9960]

Add $100 for a pair of monitor speakers, perfect entry level piano.

[@MerriamPianos]

Good tip! Getting a little more speaker power/fidelity certainly helps bringing the FP10 ACR's tone to life. :)

[@edwardebel1847]

As good as your piano playing is, I can’t help think it would be just a little better if you wore a tux and maybe had some candle sticks on the piano…just some thoughts…

[@Biozene]

Not for a piano like this.

[@youngspanion]

Thank you. I bought the FP10-ACR last year. It’s nice to see it reviewed. I bought mine as a package and I thought the ACR stood for ‘Accessories’. Mine came with a bench, a pair of Roland headphones and the stand for the piano. It’s a great instrument. The only thing I wish it had was as a drum machine but that’s where the FP30 comes in.

[@cocovi]

@@youngspanion this FP10-ACR is not even on sale in the US yet and I'm seeing it for the first time in this video. How did you manage to buy it last year? Come on

[@youngspanion]

@ Costco online was selling them.

[@MerriamPianos]

A little bit of aesthetic enhancement never hurt a piano performance. ;)

[@kaleimaile]

Still don’t trust Roland brand when it comes to pianos.

[@phat-n-sweatyslowasseddie9350]

Same

[@MerriamPianos]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion of course. There will always be an element of subjectivity at play when it comes to instrument selection and preference.

[@kaleimaile]

@ , very true.

[@mfurman]

FP-10 ACR is not new - I bought it already in November 2023 (at Costco). It was really not better than FP-10. PHA-4 action was as loud as it usually is (after 3-5 months of intensive playing)

[@MerriamPianos]

While he FP10 ACR has the same PHA4 action as the FP10, it is an improved model. It uses a different chip for the tone engine, which leads to an improved core piano sound and increased polyphony.