Thinking of buying a piano - Yamaha CLP320 or Roland RP101

So I've been self-learning for about 5 months now (thanks to Lypur) and I decided to get a real-in-person tutor to take me forward as I didn't have anyone to check my mistakes. Little did I know that I had my scales fingering wrong and had to start again!

So my tutor has a nice electric piano with very real feeling keys compared to my M-Audio 88 keystation and I've decided to bite the bullet and get a 'proper' electric piano. I'm tossing up between the Roland RP-101 and the Yamaha CLP320. I'm leaning toward the roland as every time I hear it on the net it just seems to have a more 'fuller' sound. Does anyone have either of these pianos who can give some advice?

JohnA wrote:So I've been self-learning for about 5 months now (thanks to Lypur) and I decided to get a real-in-person tutor to take me forward as I didn't have anyone to check my mistakes. Little did I know that I had my scales fingering wrong and had to start again!

So my tutor has a nice electric piano with very real feeling keys compared to my M-Audio 88 keystation and I've decided to bite the bullet and get a 'proper' electric piano. I'm tossing up between the Roland RP-101 and the Yamaha CLP320. I'm leaning toward the roland as every time I hear it on the net it just seems to have a more 'fuller' sound. Does anyone have either of these pianos who can give some advice?

Hi.

Well. I Sort of got CLP 320 Older Brother! The 3 only mean that its this years edition with maybe a couple of upgrades! And I got the Yamaha CLP 240.

If you are going for the CLP 320 you will get a deasent piano! And you might get a much better piano in the Rolland, I dont know about Rollands so... But I do know that if you where to go for a CLP 330 or 340 - You would be getting a much better piano than the 320

Even if you where to get a hold of a CLP 230 or 240, you would probably get a less expensive piano, but still better since the changes from last year to this year are Minimal!!!

But yeah, Im Very satisfied with my CLP 240!! But you should go for the one you FEEL you GOT to get
Its all about how satisfied you are when you sit down and play, and then its better to play on the one you really want

Just thought I'd update this thread and let everyone know that I found a great deal on a roland HP204 and it now sits in my home! Plays fantastically and the keys are perfect. I feel like I'm at a real piano.

Nice you know what you need to do now don't you? you need to post a video in the performance section

Admin Andrew wrote:Nice you know what you need to do now don't you? you need to post a video in the performance section

Didn't see this thread before the today's bump, but just as a small interesting fact I do own an rp-101 after having tried a clp320, too they're similar I liked the sound of the Roland more.

But the HPs are better, ofc more expensive, too. You're a lucky guy, make sure it wasn't a waste of money

Hi guys i have to decide between Clp 320 and Roland RP 101...The Ymaha is 300$ cheaper...but i haven t had the opportunity to play on a clp. there isn t any clp in my town. I ve seen the Roland, still a wild cat for my fingertips, lol, but very kind to the salesman...nice sound. Feel like i m going crazy cause i know by heart almost all the features and specifications of the clp series. WHAT SHOULD I BUY? the Roland or the Yamaha. For that i need the advice of an experienced pianist, mabe u guys know better so please share your opinions and help me decide. Thanks a lot.

Hi danaxyzw,

I do not know the Roland Rp 101, but feel that the most important difference (for me) between Roland and Yamaha, is the piano-sound. It is really different. For classical, I prefer Yamaha. The Roland's have a warmer, but less bright sound. Before you decide it would be best to play on a Yamaha as well as a Roland to compare these sounds.

Good luck deciding,

Jis

(I am thinking about purchase of a CLP 370, and therefore played a LOT of piano's last week, also Roland's 207)

In theory i am very well prepaired. i like warm, darker sound, i m not very found of bright piano. The point is that i haven t got the chance to touch any clavinovas. I decided to wait one month extra and buy a clp 330, the keyboard is gh3 supposed to be better, net connection...God knows what for. I have at home a yamaha keyboard psr 313, and it sounds ok, so i ll go for yamaha. I am an amateur, so... What do u think is it possible they put them on sale soon, cause they re old models? clp 330 is 2000$, 320 is 1350$

If you can and want to, wait and pay for the 330, it looks much better on paper indeed.
Other than that I tried both clp320 and rp101 and I chose the Roland (it's worth noting, that I'm a beginner). They are both pretty much in the same class, don't expect one or another to be any "better". No wonder they are close in price. These guys know the market.

hehehe, thanks. i will wait till the end of January (hard to do), then i ll go for clp 330. i strongly hope that the sellers won t let the prices low after i buy the piano BUT at least yamaha clp 330 is what i want. LOL and to think that i haven t even touched one so far... Guys i will keep u posted, and after i buy it a presentation video will be in order.(i ll be like Gollum from lords of the ring "oh, my precious")

danaxyzw wrote:hehehe, thanks. i will wait till the end of January (hard to do), then i ll go for clp 330. i strongly hope that the sellers won t let the prices low after i buy the piano BUT at least yamaha clp 330 is what i want. LOL and to think that i haven t even touched one so far... Guys i will keep u posted, and after i buy it a presentation video will be in order.(i ll be like Gollum from lords of the ring "oh, my precious")

Didnt know Romania had such beautiful Girls?!^^ Might be a Myth then!
Well, about the piano - Good Choice!

Lol i m affraid u re a bit offtopic. About the piano i ve talked to the guys from Roland. I m buying the Roland hpi-6s. Don t think bad of me, but i like some features in the hpi-6s (u can take any pdf music sheet and it helps u play it like the karaoke...) On the 5th of January i m going to see it and if it s love i ll take it home.

danaxyzw wrote:Lol i m affraid u re a bit offtopic. About the piano i ve talked to the guys from Roland. I m buying the Roland hpi-6s. Don t think bad of me, but i like some features in the hpi-6s (u can take any pdf music sheet and it helps u play it like the karaoke...) On the 5th of January i m going to see it and if it s love i ll take it home.

Off topic can be good sometimes! .. Or do you disagree?!

Ah, that sounds like a great feature if it perfected!! I have read about a couple of online functions that are just like that, and when they are bad they confuse you more than they help you, but its probably pretty good

I was kidding.
About the roland hpi, they say it can teach u how to play bolth internal songs and songs u download fron the net (probably midi files). I ll tell u guys more after i see it. It is extremely expensive for me, so it s not an easy choice. If u have the time, take a look on youtube to see a presentation for ROLAND HPi-6s. I think that if it shows u the notes, the finger notation...it might be pritty helpfull. I am tierd of analyzing pianos + and - and comparing prices (this one is 2300E)...CPL320 950E.

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone.

There is a Youtube presentation:



I don't know how useful the teaching features and kids games are, because with a MIDI interface you can connect it to your PC and use one of the many teaching programs on PC. And for cool sound, you could use something like Pianoteq: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzaQ3LH9Oz0 But it looks very classy and keys like a grand piano are good, too.

Very expensive. A pity our swedish friends don't have an up to date 'extended trial' version... (pianoteq i mean, i need to check it, found a 2.3 version )

Thank you Frank!!! I did not know that if the digital piano has midi interface i can learn with the laptop on the piano. I really don t make easy money. For me it s a very big financial effort. I do it from passion. I m not planning a career in playing the piano, i m rather old for that. So please recomand me a good teaching software (one my laptop and the future piano could work together). U guys played a lot of pianos so recomand me a nice decent one! U ve been very helpfull, hope i can return the favour sometime. See u next year in 2010!!!

endre wrote:Very expensive. A pity our swedish friends don't have an up to date 'extended trial' version... (pianoteq i mean, i need to check it, found a 2.3 version )

I think it is a french company. Yes, it is expensive, but it's worth to buy it and only the fraction of a real piano

danaxyzw wrote:Thank you Frank!!! I did not know that if the digital piano has midi interface i can learn with the laptop on the piano. I really don t make easy money. For me it s a very big financial effort. I do it from passion. I m not planning a career in playing the piano, i m rather old for that. So please recomand me a good teaching software (one my laptop and the future piano could work together). U guys played a lot of pianos so recomand me a nice decent one! U ve been very helpfull, hope i can return the favour sometime. See u next year in 2010!!!

Don't forget to buy something like this for connecting it to a PC or laptop: http://tinyurl.com/yk2qkkh

I can't recommend a piano learning software, because I don't have one, but I know that there are many out there. You can try out most for free: http://www.google.com/search?q=midi+piano+learning+software . For me it was better to learn from a piano teacher, because no software can be as intelligent and help you as fast to learn playing a piano as a human

The keyboard is a matter of taste. Maybe you should go to a music shop and try out which you like. But I would recommend one with weighted or half weighted keys. My Yamaha P85 is nice. But I've heard that some professional musicans likes lighter keys, especially for pop music. For classical music I think weighted keys are better.

Happy new year!

Newer keyboards/digital piano's come with an usb port, so you shouldnt really need to buy a usb to midi converter. But you'll probably need to buy the usb cable, they usually dont give you one in teh package for free :'(

I use it to connect to FruityLoops to record compotions and stuff

Yess, i ll buy usb to midi, because neither the roland rp101 nor the clp 320 don t have usb connection. Now i m just surfing for an appropriate teaching software. i wanna try that.

i ve looked and looked but there are few programs that would work on a vista platform. I liked best piano suite premiere, but unfortunately it doesn t worh neither with xp nor vista. If u know programs that let u connect the piani via midi and show how to play various sheets together with finger notation and keyboard show let me know. Thanks! So strange they don t give a demo version!

I don't know such programs, but maybe it's better to buy a program from Amazon with good reviews. There is a category for instruction software:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/musical-instruments/11973771/ref=pd_zg_hrsr_MI_2_5_last

This one looks professional, even with videos of a piano teacher, which is important if you don't want to go to a teacher, because for finger, arm etc. posture:

http://tinyurl.com/yjzsvoy

The video demonstration of the program looks good and I know eMedia, which usually sells good software.

i ve ordered the clp 320. installed emedia piano and keyboard (not working with vista yet only on xp). Tomorrow i m expecting the piano delivery and i ll post a video for u guys asap. see u