Roland GP-3 Digital Grand Piano

A grand piano has the ability to transform a room in a way that no other instrument truly can. While many people would love the aesthetic that a grand piano brings to their living space, for some, owning a grand piano is not a possibility due to space and budgetary constraints. Furthermore, acoustic grand pianos do require annual maintenance, which is not always appealing to some piano buyers. The acclaimed Roland GP series has changed the game.

The GP607 and GP609 have been the flagship models of Roland’s entire line for a number of years now. While they offer the flexibility that comes with being a digital piano, they have sat in a very similar price category to entry-level acoustic grand pianos and have a fairly comparable footprint to petite and baby acoustic grands. The Roland GP-3 is transformative in that it can occupy much smaller spaces and comes in well below the usual price point of acoustic grands. When you combine those aspects with the minimal maintenance required to upkeep the instrument and the convenience of digital features, such as a volume control or headphone output, the GP-3 is an attractive option for those seeking the look and feel of a grand piano in a smaller, more affordable package.

However, the appeal of the Roland GP-3 is not exclusively its looks, size, and cost. The musical experience and features that Roland has packed into this digital instrument are immense. Roland’s trusted PHA-4 Standard Keyboard Action has been combined with the cutting-edge SuperNATURAL tone engine to deliver a tone and touch that will make you forget that you are playing a digital piano. Onboard Bluetooth MIDI and Bluetooth Audio allows you to pair the GP-3 with Roland’s fantastic apps or use the piano as an impressive stereo system, respectively.

For the GP-3, Roland has gone with their trusted PHA-4 Standard Keyboard Action. This fantastic action has been used in various models throughout Roland’s entire digital piano line for very good reasons; it is reliable and provides an authentic touch.

While the PHA-4 action features a plastic key, it is weighted a little heavier than many other plastic key actions, which gives it a feel that is more comparable to an acoustic grand piano. The inclusion of escapement and the ivory feel texture really pushes it over the edge in terms of authenticity. Furthermore, the triple sensor provides excellent detection of fast trills, fast repetitions, and the subtlest of nuances.

From a durability standpoint, the PHA-4 action is widely considered to be one of the most solid and reliable actions in the market. That is ultimately why Roland has trusted it to be used in so many different models in recent years.

The Roland GP-3’s sound is powered by two 11 watt 12 cm speakers, which combine for a total of 22 watts of speaker power. The top facing speaker, which is visible upon lifting the lid of the cabinet, provides immediate sonic feedback to the player, which simulates the experience of playing an acoustic piano. The ability to adjust the lid height to multiple positions also allows the player to change the overall tonal colour.

For the tone engine, Roland has also deployed a trusted favourite by equipping the GP-3 with the SuperNATURAL Piano engine. The core piano sounds, which are generated by a combination of samples and synthesized enhancements, are extremely well balanced across all registers. This makes the Roland GP-3 an excellent choice for players that find the Yamaha sound to be too bright and the Kawai sound to be too warm. Tonally, the SuperNATURAL Piano sounds fit right in the middle of that spectrum.

A total of 15 onboard sounds with a max polyphony of 256 notes gives enough variety and options without being overwhelming. While the limited number of different instrument sounds may not make the GP-3 a viable option for music producers and arrangers, the intention of the instrument is centered around the piano experience it provides. Headphone ports also allow for quiet practice at any time of the day.

The Roland GP-3 covers most of the bases in terms of its connectivity options. It features a DC In jack for the power adapter, a stereo mini headphone jack, a ¼ inch headphone jack, a USB Computer port (USB type-B), a USB Memory port (USB type-A), and Bluetooth MIDI and Audio.

This allows the user to connect the Roland GP-3 to a computer or smart device with ease. While there is no dedicated audio input, Bluetooth Audio allows the user to stream audio from their device through the Roland GP-3’s high-end speaker system. Similarly, the absence of a dedicated audio output can be worked around by using one of the headphone outputs.

 

It should be noted here that Roland uses real polyester for all of the polished finishes on their digital pianos. This expensive process leads to a finish standard and look that is akin to acoustic grand pianos as well as durability. This gorgeous aesthetic will make every Roland GP-3 owner proud to display the piano as the centerpiece in any room.

The adjustable lid position and top facing speaker is also a unique and notable feature of the GP-3. As mentioned previously, adjusting the lid position allows you to change the tonal colour and overall listening experience in a meaningful way, which is similar to how playing an acoustic grand piano at full-stick, half-stick, or with the lid down affects the tone.

• Roland’s celebrated SuperNATURAL Piano engine
• 88-note PHA-4 Standard Keyboard Action with escapement and ivory feel keytops
• Onboard 22W stereo amplifier and two stereo speakers serve up rich, robust sound
• Two headphone ports allow users to play at any time of the day quietly
• Beautiful grand piano aesthetic in a sleek, low-profile cabinet
• Tripe pedal system with damper (capable of continuous detection), soft (capable of continuous detection), and sostenuto pedals
• Wireless Bluetooth MIDI and Audio connectivity lets users connect to Roland apps and allows the GP-3 to double as a high-quality stereo system
• Dual and split mode functions for duets and self-accompaniment
• Onboard metronome helps you to stay in time
• Twin Piano mode lets teachers and students play side-by-side in the same octave range
• 394 internal songs
• Play standard MIDI files and audio files (WAV: 44.1 kHz, 16-bit linear format, MP3: 44.1 kHz, 64 kbps – 320 kbps, requires USB flash drive) via the USB Memory port
• USB Computer port allows the GP-3 to connected to a computer or device

The Roland GP-3 offers the perfect combination of aesthetics, musical performance, and technology at an attractive price point. The streamlined, low-profile cabinet design offers the grandeur of an acoustic grand piano with a small footprint. This is the perfect instrument for piano players that have dreamed of owning a grand piano, but are limited in terms of space and budget. The flexibility of being a digital piano ensures that you can enjoy the instrument year after year with little-to-no maintenance.

SOUND GENERATOR

Max. Polyphony: 256 voices
Tones: Total 15 Tones

KEYBOARD

Keyboard
88 keys with Escapement and Ivory Feel

PEDAL

Pedal
Damper (capable of continuous detection)
Soft (capable of continuous detection)
Sostenuto

SOUND SYSTEM

Speakers: 12 cm (4-3/4 inches) x 2
Rated Power Output: 11 W x 2

CABINET

Music rest: Fixed angle, with Music holders

Keyboard cover: Slide type

TUNING, VOICING

Key Touch: 5 types, fixed touch

Master Tuning: 415.3–466.2 Hz (adjustable in increments of 0.1 Hz)

Effects: Ambience, Brilliance

INTERNAL SONGS

• Total 394 songs
• Listening: 27 songs
• Ensemble: 30 songs
• Entertainment: 20 songs
• Let’s Sing with DO RE MI: 30 songs
• Lesson: 287 songs (Scale, Hanon, Beyer, Burgmuller, Czerny 100)

DATA PLAYBACK
Playable Software
Standard MIDI Files (Format 0, 1)
Audio File (WAV: 44.1 kHz, 16-bit linear format, MP3: 44.1 kHz, 64 kbps – 320 kbps, requires USB flash drive)

RECORDER
Recordable Software
Standard MIDI Files (Format 0, 1 parts, Approx. 70,000 notes memory)

BLUETOOTH
Bluetooth
Bluetooth Ver 4.2
Profile: A2DP (Audio), GATT (MIDI over Bluetooth Low Energy)
CODEC: SBC (Supports SCMS-T content protection)

COMPATIBLE ANDROID / IOS APPS (ROLAND)
Compatible Android / iOS Apps (Roland)
Roland Piano App

CONVENIENT FUNCTIONS

• Convenient Functions
• Metronome (adjustable Tempo/Beat/Volume)
• Dual
• TwinPiano
• Transpose (in semitones)
• Speaker volume and Headphones volume automatically select function
• Speaker Auto Mute
  Auto Off

Connectors
DC In jack
USB Computer port: USB B type (supports USB MIDI/AUDIO)
USB Memory port: USB A type
Phones jack x 2: Stereo miniature phone type, Stereo 1/4-inch phone type

Power Supply

AC adaptor
Power Consumption: 10 W (when using the included AC adaptor)
* Approximate power consumption when playing the piano at medium volume: 4 W

Accessories

• Owner’s Manual
• Leaflet “Leaflet Stand Assembly”
• Leaflet “USING THE UNIT SAFELY”
• AC adaptor
• Power cord
• Headphone hook
• Option (sold separately)
• Headphones

SIZE AND WEIGHT

Width
1,394 mm
54-15/16 inches

Depth
698 mm
27-1/2inches

Height (Top opened):
1,214 mm
47-13/16 inches

Height Top closed (with music rest):
1,010 mm
39-13/16 inches

Weight
57.3 kg/126 lbs 6 oz