Roland SRX-02 Concert Piano Wave Expansion Board

This is simply an expansion card for primary use with the XV-series of Roland Synths. It is however, very easy to install.

Being an expansion module, there aren't really a lot of features. It contains 64mB of piano variations on an acoustic grand piano with 50 patches. As far as features are concerned, there really isn't much more to say than that. However, Roland as made an admirable attempt at recreating one of the more complex acoustic instruments; the acoustic piano. See below.

This category really is the deciding factor with regard to piano expansion boards, and I really feel that Roland has done a very respectable job with its piano sampling on this board. As most keyboard players know, most of the attempts made in recent years to recreate the sound and feel of an acoustic piano has been disappointing at best. The sounds on this board are actually pretty convincing. I would like to see just a little better sustain in the higher register notes. This part of the range normally tends to exhibit less sustain (than the lower register notes) on a real acoustic piano, but not to this extent. Second, I would like to see less "clipping" of the notes with higher velocity (when keys are struck harder) playing. These are both minor points. The SXR-02 is a fine attempt by Roland to recreate the acoustic piano.

I have only owned it for about 6 months, but Roland's products are usually quite reliable.

I've never had to deal with Roland support, so I really can't say.

If lost or stolen, I buy another one in a heartbeat.

This expander board is a must if you are primarily a solo piano player. Just plug it in, and you're off...no hitches whatsoever.

It has just the features that you pay for...many variations on a single piano sample. No EP's, clavs, etc. Only one piano sample, but what a piano !! This is the first electronic piece of gear that I can be happy with just playing for hours by itself.

It is basically variations on just one thing, but it is extremely expressive. Different velocities give realistic tonal variation...very long fadeouts with the unisons beating realistically just as with an acoustic grand...much better than the PC2 or Triton !!

No problems yet...but then again, it's a Roland, so that's no big surprise.

I haven't had a need for it yet. Experience with Roland and Boss, however, has been nothing but the best.

If this board was lost (or the XV-88, for that matter), I'd be totally lost. It is my dream setup...the best sampled piano that I have ever played (and I'm used to a Steinway B). I can play solo Beethoven Sonatas, George Winston pieces, or Jerry Lee Lewis with equal confidence that I'm playing a quality piano, not a synthesizer. I can't give a higher recommendation than that for any any other piece of electronic gear.

Since many years I'm instantly looking for a (in my ears) good pianosound
which I easily (important for me) can carry on stage and transport in my car.

The fact that I play at home a high quality (Hamburg Steinway) grand
makes me lucky but sometimes also unlucky.

Unlucky, because of the arising disappointment when starting to play on
the "digital toys".

Nevertheless I didn't and will not surrender:

Except the MP-9000 (this instrument is not portable IMHO) I tried and
tested intensive every gear (for several days each) out of which a piano
sound should come out. From A-kai to Y-amaha via Alesis, Coackley, Ensoniq,
GEM, Giga, Holy Grail, Korg, Kurzweil, Oberheim, Roland and so on.

Not convincing, but still the best compromise (I refuse to take a PC on
stage) for me was up to now the RD-600 with the suggested tweakings of
Chris Jordan (look at his submissions).

The SRX 02 Concert Grand expansion is not a breakthrough but a (with some
tweakings) remarkable improvement. A second advantage is that I can use
a realy "portable" keyboard together with my XV 5080.

A last statment concerning portable:
I can't understand some manufacturers. Look for example at Yamaha:
Concerning weight they did a rather good job with the P80. But at the same
time they had nothing else to do than to design a chassis with no chance
for transportating the instrument on the backseats of most of all cars.

See what I said at ease of use.
As there are people who give a 10 for sounds that have nearly nothing
to do with a piano (does a PC2 in the middle range sound like a piano
or like a harp with steel'n strings ?), I prefer not to give a rating.

Would buy again.