So essentially, the center pin protects the key and adds durability. This pin allows you to align the key laterally and provides strength to ensure that the keys don’t twist or torque to one side or the other when force isn’t applied directly downward. The third key difference is the stabilizing pin, which is the pin right in middle at the top of all of the keys that sits and serves the same function as the balance rail pin does on a real acoustic piano. It’s also arguable that the presence of wood also makes the action as a whole more durable. With the PHA-50 and Hybrid Grand action, the sides of the keys are made from wood, and this goes beyond aesthetics as it better simulates the dynamic feel of a grand piano key. There are obviously some small metal electrical parts, but all of the critical materials here are plastic. The PHA-4 hammer action is an all-plastic action, which means that the top key surface, the sides, and the hammer are all plastic. Now that pivot length is out of the way, we can come to materials. Materials & Construction Roland Hybrid Grand Hammers The PHA-4 has a fairly standard pivot length compared to the average digital piano action available for under $2,500, while the PHA-50 gets a little bit longer, before finally getting to the Hybrid Grand which boasts a pivot length that is on par with what you’ll find in some 6 and 7-foot grand pianos.Īll three of these actions have escapement and use a triple sensor, so while there shouldn’t be a difference in terms of the MIDI accuracy from a sensor standpoint, the player can manipulate the key with more accuracy with a longer pivot length, so the MIDI information will, in theory, be more accurate as the pivot length gets longer. The longer the pivot length, the greater sense of control afforded to the player. The reason that this is such a huge factor here is that distance determines how much motion there is at the front of the key versus the middle of the key, and thus how much of a change in how the action feels depending on how far out or in on the action you happen to be playing. What do we mean when we say pivot length? Pivot length is the distance between the front of the key to the point at where the key is hinged, which serves as the fulcrum. Instead, the biggest difference is actually the pivot length. The biggest single difference between all three of these actions isn’t necessarily what you might expect, such as differences in the materials or hammer design, which also do exist. What really separates these three keyboard actions and what are the characteristics that you can expect when you’re playing on them? Differences – PHA-4, PHA-50, Hybrid Digital Pivot Length The Hybrid Grand is considered one of, if not the top digital piano action available before jumping to the full hybrid category with models like the Kawai NOVUS series or Yamaha Avant Grand series with their full acoustic piano actions. The PHA-4 and PHA-50 have been out for several years now, but are both still considered very relevant in the marketplace and some of the best actions available at various price points. In terms of the hierarchy of these three key action designs, the PHA-4 (PHA stands for Progressive Hammer Action) is found throughout the lower half of Roland’s lineup in terms of pricepoint, the PHA-50 keyboard action is found throughout much of the upper half, while the Hybrid Grand is currently used exclusively in only the top two models of the LX series – the LX706 and LX708. Roland Digital Piano Actions – Background Roland Digital Piano Actions – Background We’re going to cover the exact differences between these three action designs and provide a detailed breakdown of exactly what each action has to offer. These are the three action designs circulating amongst Roland’s FP line, F series, RP series, HP series, GP series and flagship LX series. Roland of course also has some semi-weighted actions that they use in synths and certain keyboards, but for the purposes of this article, we’ll only be focusing on weighted key actions. The Ivory Feel-G is still used in some models, but it’s largely been replaced by the PHA-4. In this article and companion video instead of a digital piano review, we’re going to take a close look at the three most common Roland action designs featured in their 88-key digital pianos with weighted keys, as well as some synthesizers, stage pianos and workstations- the PHA-4 Standard Keyboard, PHA-50 and relatively new Hybrid Grand action. This is the case with other digital piano manufacturers like Kawai, Casio, Korg and Yamaha as well. If you’re diving into the world of Roland digital piano actions, you may have noticed that they have several different configurations going into models throughout their lineupp.
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