NAMM 2020: Roland reveals A-88MKII MIDI Keyboard and concept GPX-F1 Facet Grand Piano

MIDI 2.0-ready controller and concept grand piano are expected to influence future development

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Image: Roland

NAMM 2020: Roland has announced that it will be showing the future-ready GPX-F1 Facet Grand Piano and A-88MKII MIDI Keyboard for NAMM 2020.

GPX-F1 Facet Grand Piano

The striking GPX-F1 (pictured above) sports a futuristic ‘floating’ design along with Roland’s PureAcoustic Piano Modeling software and Acoustic Projection System. Other features include the latest piano sound engine, internet connectivity and dynamic audio-visual effects. An integrated Android-powered screen allows users to access digital scores and online lessons. Users can also use the Roland Zenbeats app to compose and arrange music, along with the option of going hands-free with Google’s Alexa voice service.

The design is based on the winning entry from the Roland Digital Piano Design Awards in 2015. And although there are no plans to put the grand into production, the company says it “expects its design language and technologies to influence the development of digital pianos to come”.

A-88 MkII

Image: Roland

The new A-88MKII is an 88-note MIDI keyboard controller that is MIDI 2.0-ready, making it Roland’s first instrument to support the new MIDI standard. The A-88MKII comes with a wide array of features, such as three user-definable zones, advanced arpeggiators, split and layer functions, and eight assignable pads to control DAW functions, trigger sounds and clips, and more. Users can also personalise the sensitivity of the 88-note Ivory Feel PHA-4 keyboard to suit their preferences.

Other notable features of the A-88MKII include a rigid, wooden construction, Roland’s famous pitch/mod lever and an array of RGB-lit knobs. There’s also a dedicated sustain pedal input, plus two assignable control inputs that support expression pedals or footswitches.

The Roland A-88MKII will be available on March 2020 for $999.99. There are currently no plans to release the GPX-F1 Facet as a production mode. For more music news, click here. More info from Roland here.

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