This portable piano from Roland has built-in WiFi and comes with a Duolingo-style music learning app — and my bank account is in treble | Daily Reports Online
- Roland has a new digital piano that has built-in Wi-Fi integration
- It’s also launching a new music-learning app, Piano Sphere, with teaching techniques and real-time feedback
- As well as Wi-Fi, the piano has an upgraded speaker system with more accurate responsiveness
Music company Roland is taking a massive step with its latest project that’s pretty much unprecedented in the world of digital instruments — it’s launching a portable piano with built-in Wi-Fi support.
The $750 (roughly £750/ AU$1,149) FP-40 digital piano was unveiled today (September 1), coming in two finishes (black or white) with Bluetooth Audio/ MIDI and USB-C connectivity. Though this isn’t new for digital instruments — many leading piano manufacturers make the most of Bluetooth — Wi-Fi integration is unheard of.
While that’s essentially the selling point, the FP-40 packs a punch with additional features like Roland’s Piano Reality Sound Engine, a technology that augments the finer details and tone of an acoustic piano. As for the keyboard, Roland uses weighted hammer-action keys, on top of the triple-sensor tech it uses to ensure faster responsiveness when playing notes.
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Just like your smartphone, tablet, or laptop, the FP-40 piano connects to your home Wi-Fi like any other device, and it will receive regular software updates. But there’s a reason why Roland has designed the new sound tool this way — it’s to spotlight its new learning software.
Alongside the launch of its Wi-Fi-powered piano, Roland is launching Piano Sphere, an app developed by Skoove that offers teaching techniques to help you improve your musical craft, whether you’re a casual player or you’re picking up the reins again.
Similar to learning apps like Duolingo, Piano Sphere is packed with ‘personalized guidance, real-time feedback, and a rich library of high-quality content to keep you playing’, as mentioned on the Roland site. In addition to this, you’ll also be getting step-by-step lessons and even custom learning plans based on your current level.
The only thing is that you’ll need a phone or tablet to view a lot of the software’s insights, for example, tracking progress by viewing streaks and reward badges, but outside of that, the piano itself has some handy features.
The FP-40’s flagship Piano Sphere button lights up to give you feedback as you play away, and thanks to Wi-Fi connectivity, the piano automatically records playing history even when the Piano Sphere app isn’t open. On top of that, you won’t need to pay extra for a Piano Sphere subscription.
From the get-go, you’ll have basic access to 100 copyright-free songs spanning everything from classical compositions to pop music bangers. If you feel that you’re ready to take the next step in mastering your skill, there’s an option to upgrade your Piano Sphere experience, which opens the doors to a library of over 1,000 songs and lessons.
Obviously, learning app integration with modern instruments isn’t a new thing — previous models allow you to pair third-party apps via Bluetooth — but the FP-40’s built-in Wi-Fi will result in a much smoother experience. Not only that, it could be a hint at the direction Roland plans to take its future musical innovations.
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