Roland EP-7 MK II

I owned a Roland EP7 Digital Piano over seven years now. I fell in love with it from the first day I saw it.I enjoyed pptting two sounds togather. I misplace my maanual, but it was helpful when I had it.

Built in effects is easy to use.

Some of the sounds are statics. the strings and eletrical piano are the best in my opinion.

This keyboard is my first piano and I still would'nt change it for aanything.You can set up other instrument with it, but you can also use it alone.

I have never dealt with the company, buI would like to know if you have an extra users manual I would like to have one, I would gladly pay for it. My EP-7 is out of tune, and my book was misplaced.

My EP-7 cost $1200 and at the time when I brought it I thought I was worth the price at that time, and it is still in like new condition.If it was lost or stolen I would buy it again.I have been playing for 15 years.

a no brainer

I use it as a controller and for live performances.The polyphony is fine. I record midi into Cakewalk and playback and thru a Roland SC 55 sound canvas which I like better than the later models. I have recorded 9 LPs with this piano as my controller.

I only use piano 1 and occasionally the vibe sound on live gigs. The piano 1 is great. The vibe sound works played OK used sparingly over a busy Latin rhythm section. The remaining sounds are pretty useless. It responds fine. I play mostly Latin jazz and Caribbean music. I noticed that 3 of the top salsa bands on the Island (Puerto Rico) use this piano played by a top salsa pianist. Reverb is OK. Since I practice on this piano (I have 2 of them) I can get around on it quite well. Still prefer an acoustic for jazz and ballads as the range of dynamics is much more subtle and the acoustic is more forgiving of slips and uncertainties and general sloppiness.

I have 2 of these. I keep one set up in the studio and take the other on gigs. Both have been dropped and were rained on. One recovered and the other I had to open, find the damaged part and call Roland for a replacemnent. Total cost of repair was $27 including shipping.
The best part is that I can carry this piaon upstairs under one arm and my amp in my other hand. I am 81 years old.

I answered this in the last section.

I have been playing piano professionally for 65 years. I chose this piano because it was cheap--I believe Roland made this for kids to practice on. They madie it too good. I play it thru a Barbetta 32 and can cut thru a heavy bass & percussion & guitar sound with it. It definetly helps me make music. When I was playing dance music I used a DX 7 but for jazz & Latin this little axe is far superior.

A better organ sound and a steel drum sound and a bass split would be nice.

But for ensemble playing it is great

Way too simple to use. Plug in, turn on, play. Simple enough.

Gotta give Roland credit, the polyphony is good but the keyboard action stinks. It just isn't weighted at all. There's no sequencer, but the MIDI works. Tone modules work with it.

For starters, the piano sucks. I have also used a Yamaha P-250 and compared to the Yamaha, this EP's piano is fertilizer. Piano 2 is unrecognizable, Electric Piano isn't even DX7 (which is barely acceptable), vibes/organ/strings/choir/harpsichord are all bad. Use a tone module. Completely static in playing.

You can rely on it; a friend has had one for 10 years and it's never broken. Wouldn't use it on a gig though, always use grand pianos for gigs.

Never worked with company.

Don't ever get this, pay the extra dollars and get the top-of-the-line Yamaha Tyros or P-250. Even pay more and get a Yamaha Motif ES 6. They're well worth your money, this isn't.

I'm using the EP-7 (not the Mk II). I'm using it as a standalone keyboard, not controlled or as a controller.

For ease of use as a standalone keyboard, it could not be better. Turn it on, press a patch button, turn off both special effects, and play.

The keyboard action is as bad as it gets. There is no weighting, and no hammer action.

Polyphony is - well, if you're playing a keyboard, it's plenty. I've played a four-hand piece and the polyphony supported it. Now, if you're controlling externally and trying to do many voice at once, you'll run out.

Bear in mind that this is fundamentally a piano, not a synth.

Built in effects are reverb and chorus. Both are on/off, and if you are after a realistic piano, should be left off.

NO expansion possible - the patches are fixed and no add-on cards. As I said, it's a piano, not a synth.

Velocity sensitivity is very good...it's one of the things that separates a digital piano from an inexpensive synth.

The grand piano is the only reasonable patch. It's a sampled grand, with the microphones too close to the hammers. The attack is excellent, but the sustain is a little too "synthesized". But, for the price, you can't complain.

The organ is a church organ, easy to do right. The vibraphone is awful and the electric piano is a very unpleasant artificial sounding thing that might be useful if you're crafting a "bubble gum" sound.

As with most keyboards, the keys are prone to getting dirty. Pay for a cleaning and you're good for a couple of years. Beyond that, Roland's as dependable as any other.

Have never dealt with them.

If you need a decent sounding piano and have a small budget, this is as good as it gets. Until I'm earning enough to afford better, I will continue to use the EP7.

I can pick nits over and over, but again, for the price it's available for, it's a lot of piano.

I happen to have a 9 foot Baldwin in the studio, so for me the EP-7 is purely to make it possible to go on the road. Perfect for me.

This is as straight forward as they come. You want piano, you hit the button marked "Piano". You want strings, you hit the button marked "Strings". I bought this thing used, and it came with no manual, but I was told that it really doesn't do to much in the way of MIDI. This is as straight forward as they come. I like it mainly because it's so light. I've taken it to England twice and had no weight problems.

I played a real piano for 20 some odd years. I have to admit that transfering to this was a piece of cake. I think the fact that they keys at least look like real piano keys (if not the same size or feel) helps. It even has that little felt piece. I think that I'm a canditate for Fraude. I only use this for the one piano sound, and I'm happy with it.

I'm really happy with the piano sound. I own an XP-30 and have only recently needed to use it for it's piano sounds. (My EP is in the shop). Comaparing the two...the XP's piano absoultly SUCK!!!! I feel lost without my EP. There aren't any of the other sound's I'd use. The Organ is a church organ, and the strings are blah and the Vibes...meh. I'd use them if I had to. However, this is strictly used as a piano so the other points really don't matter.

I recently encountered a problem with the fine tuning knob on the back. It's not in a good place. I could hear it detuning while I was playing it. Other then that, it's been banged around a lot and it's held up to all my abuse.

Still waiting for my new tuning pot, but that could be the store that's fixing it.

Well, it wouldn't be the end of the world if it got stolen. Don't get me wrong though, I'm really happy with it. As I said before, the piano sound is really good, and it's stupid light. I'm lazy that way. I'm so use to it's light action keys now that it doesn't really affect my playing either.

This could not be any easier to use. You don't need much tech knonwlege here...if you can play an acoustic piano you can most assuredly play this EP. The sounds are basic: two acoustics, one EP, one Vibe, pretty crapy church organ, and one each strings and choir, which are useful, especially since you can layer any two sounds. The manual is like a first graders' reading book....simple.
The sounds are selected from buttons on the face of the piano.

Polyphone is only 28...but unless you are into heavy midi this is not a problem. The sounds are pristine. You have the option of adding chorus and reverb at will. By adding or taking away the chorus and the reverb you alter the basic sounds of the keyboard and that is a good thing when looking for variety of souns.
It is a basic midi in and out. You can record 4 practice sessions if you like. You can transpose keys and it has a built in metronome.
What I like about this digital piano is that it is basic, easy to use and easy to carry....it must weigh in at around 20-25 lbs.
The main chasis is metal with only the speaker sections and the sides fabricated in plastic. This adds to its solidity and ruggedness....and it imparts a feeling of durability. This piano is no longer being made, I believe the EP 760 must have succeeded it...but that one is all plastic, ugh!!!!

I have owned many keyboards over the years even though I just "double" on piano. I have owned a Fender Rhodes, a Wurlitzer model 120, a Casio CPS-700, several synths and a Roland HP-1000, which weighed a ton.
The sounds on this unit are as comparable to the best. Even though the sounds are not numerous they are believeable....
I love it...I would get another as a back up in a minute...and even if I were to go for a "better" or more versatile model...I would keep this as the PROVERBIAL BACKUP UNIT...
The action is not hammer but has a very good "weight" to it...it is like a fast Rhodes or Wurlitzer EP model in action...which I love...it is both expressive enough (but not as expressive as hammer action)...BUT IT IS FAST.....blues and jazz are facilitated on this keyboard especially for not formally trained players....

I only just got it as a close out floor model in a CT store....but the wty is in effect. I know Roland and they seem to be of quality.
I would use it on a gig with or without backup....

Haven't ever had to seek it....we'll see....

I like this piano. It feels right and sounds right. I wish it had some B3 voices instead of the "Church/Phanthom" voice...but, hey....
If you want something pro sounding, easy to carry and inexpensive...well this is it....