Roland XP-30

I purchased my XP-30 used without a manual, and I've figured out how to do everything I need to on my own. I've heard numerous complaints about the manual, but once you get the hang of the system, it's not too hard to figure stuff out yourself.

As a rule, presets on synths or effects boxes usually suck. The presets on the XP-30 are surprisingly good (no overblown effects and such to cheezy up the sound). For my purposes, I rarely need to make my own patches, because there's such a multitude of presets and a good 80-90% of them are actually good enough to use.

However, I can't give this keyboard a top rating for ease just because the menus, while manageable, could be much easier to navigate (a larger screen would help significantly).

Every time I go digging through menus I turn up another interesting feature that reveals just how deep this synth goes. TO be quite honest, I feel I've barely scratched the surface of what this keyboard is capable of.

The 64-note polyphony has been more than enough for me (although running a complex MIDI through this could theoretically use up all the voices pretty quickly).

Of course, it's got velocity sensitivity and aftertouch which can be assigned to one of many different effects...on some of the synth lead presets, for instance, aftertouch causes the note to quickly bend up a full octave for an expressive squealing sound.

The lack of an on-board sequencer bothered me for a short time until I bought a joystick-to-MIDI cable and sequenced everything through my PC (it's probably easier this way anyhow).

I primarily use this keyboard to build backing tracks for rock songs (generally I use bass, drums, piano, and strings...I always use real guitars, though). For that purpose, this synth's well-rounded sound set works great. I'd imagine it could be used well for electronic music as well, although a good deal of the Techno expansion is wasted on cheesy loops, when I'd have preferred more vintage synths.

There's a bit of tinniness on the high notes (to be expected from wave-based synths), but the low end is wonderfully fat and full.

Although a few instruments (guitar, sax, etc.) still can't live up to the real thing, the majority of the sounds on this keyboard are outstanding, and the sheer number of presets (1,000+) more than makes up for the few lame sounds.

I don't foresee ever using this in a live situation (I don't have a band, and if I did, I'd be playing guitar), but it's definitely sturdy enough to handle live playing.

The furthest I've dealt with Roland was visiting their web page looking for help on getting MIDI connections working. The web page was sorely lacking, but I suppose they'd expect me to own a manual.

My view may be slightly biased because I got this keyboard in great condition for less than half what the local music store was selling it for, but I just absolutely love this synth. I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great entry-level synth. I could go on, but I'll just leave it at that--I'd purchase another one in a heartbeat if something happened to it.

I found this synth relatively easy to get going on. I was a little put off by the manual. It is far too simplistic in the basics sections and overly difficult to understand in other areas. I get the feeling the writers envisioned two types of people buying this synth: Beginners who will never change the presets, and advanced users who know all about synthesis. Unfortunately, I just happen to be in the middle of that equation. Fortunately, I haven't had to venture into the wilds of editing patches much because I've found most of the sounds I wanted in the presets. Editing software is included but I haven't had the time to figure that out either.

I like the keyboard feel a lot. I wish it had separate pitch and modulation wheels but the joystick works fine. The SmartMedia card is pretty cool. I've downloaded Roland's factory patches and have them saved on the memory card for quick uploads at anytime without having to use a computer/sequencer to change the user banks. The 2mb card has room for hundreds of user edited sounds. If you want more sounds you can buy any of the additional expansion cards Roland sells. It is very easy to find the type of sound you want and the keyboard functions are well-layed out and easy to understand. Buttons have a nice feel and light up pretty when accessed. Lots and lots of sounds to choose from! I wish the built-in Techno board was replaceable. But then, I'm sure someone else wishes the Orchestral board was replaceable.

I haven't played a synthesizer in over 15 years and was pretty surprised by the realism of a lot of these sounds. Plenty of pianos to choose from that I like, A lot of strings, solo brass, flutes, and woodwinds are pretty good. I don't care for the saxes, but then I used to play Tenor so I'm probably pretty biased in that area. I think some of the acoustic guitars are great but I haven't found a distortion guitar sound I can use yet (again, I'm just using presets, I'm not editing sounds). I think this synth is tailored to any type of music. There are a lot of sounds I will never use but it has so many, I don't feel short-changed at all. I like the sounds alot!

Seems pretty reliable to me. I use it in a home studio and never tour so ask someone else if it is rugged for touring. I think it would be, assuming you carry it in a sturdy case and don't throw it around. I haven't had any problems and don't expect any so I have to give it a 10.

I haven't dealt with Roland on any issues. Their website is okay and I did get some free sound patches there. However, they should have their manuals online like Korg does... oh wait, maybe that wouldn't be such a good idea (see above). They get a 10 since the unit is still working and I haven't had any dealings with them.

I considered a cheaper alternative for the longest time (Roland RS-5)but eventually went with the XP-30 because of it's expansion capabilities. The sounds are good if you want realistic sounding instruments. I bought a Korg MS-2000R to fulfill my analog-sounding-dial-manipulating desires. I used to have a Moog Rogue and I just couldn't get that sound out of the Roland. That's not to say it isn't in the unit somewhere, I just couldn't find it. The Korg also gives me on-the-fly sound manipulation that "I" can't get with the Roland (I think the slider controls are a joke, plus they're very limited). Try to envision what type of sound you want before you spend your hard-earned cash. Not all synthesizers sound alike! I'm a for-fun songwriter and the Roland XP-30 synth sounds very good to my ears. I get ideas when I bounce through the presets and since there are a lot of presets, I get a lot of ideas. I wasn't sure about spending double what I budgeted for, but for the number of sounds you get for your money, the XP-30 came out well ahead of everything else. I'm very happy with my purchase.

This thing has so many sounds its not even funny and a great number of them are eminently usable, and often inspiring. There's a reason so many music professionals have jv/xp instruments in their arsenals, and getting this many sounds of this quality for the price of this board is insane. I personally haven't used the manual much, but the good news is, you can often get by without it. The layout of the front panel is pretty intutive, and I have been able to make quick changes to midi settings, fx settings, and minor tweaks to a patch without even cracking the manual ... same goes for using the arpegiator .. all the basic functions are right there at the push of a couple buttons.

Keyboard action is very solid for a synth-type action. I also played an xp-10 before buying xp-30 and found the xp-10 to be very cheap feeling and "clacky" (great word huh?). I would be very surprised if the 30's keyboard was not a higher quality keyboard than used on the 10 ... Built in effects are numerous and useful. Accepts 2 xpansion cards ... I've got the keyboards of the 60's and 70's which is great for B3 sounds, electric pianos, and the like. No on board sequencer, but a good arpegiator.

See above. Of course, not all of the sounds are awe-inspiring, but many are superb. I personally have found many traditional instrument sounds to my liking (keyboards, especially electric ones such as ep's and clav's, guitars, and strings, in particular). Nice pads and synth sounds and excellent synth basses (especially on the included expansion cards). The sounds on the techno expansion card are fun to play with but I can't imagine using many of the loops in an actual song (since people would know you just pushed a key on your roland keyboard .. not very original!). The acoustic pianos, even on the session board, imho, stink, but this is a generalist board, so I don't take off too many points for that. I'd say this board would work well for any type of music. The effects are good. It reacts well to playing, except that I don't like the mod funciton on the roland joystic and had to buy a pedal to do that.

seems solid enought to me, although I've only had mine a few months. I've carted it around a bit though, and had no trouble with it.

I'd absolutely replace this board. It complements my other equipment well (primarily a Yamaha S-80 and emu proteus 2k module) and makes both a good sound source for sequencing/recording with PC and a good second set of keys for playing (along with S-80 which is main axe). Also looked at xp-10 (yuk ... would definitely shell out the extra bucks for the xp-30) and read up on (but didn't play)Kork N5D (this got the nod due to expansion options).

Well, that depends on how experienced you already are with MIDI and synthesizers. Setting it up for multitimbral use with a sequencer was a bit confusing at first, but after hunting throught the manual I finally figured it out. Wading through the menus and editing sounds is a bit hard at first, but once you figure it out, it's all right.

64 note polyphony, 61 note keyboard (pretty good synth-action feel, IMO), aftertouch. The joystick (for pitch bend and modulation) sucks for modulation as it doesn't move very far. It's ok for pitch bends, though. The four sliders are great. You can assign any MIDI controller to them, or use them as individual tone volume sliders. These are great for live playing or when sequencing. The XP-30 makes a great MIDI sequencing synth. You can edit any of the patches while sequencing in performance mode. One great feature is the ability to transmit just about any change made on the synth to your sequencer as sysex data. For example, supppose you want to change an effect midway through the song, just manually change it on the synth at the right time and it's recorded. Or you want to change the filter for a patch before the chorus begins? Just change it at the right time while your sequencer is recording and it's done.
Effects aren't too good or numerous. There is global reverb and chorus, and one extra effect to use. Kind of skimpy.
There are two expansion slots for adding more sounds.

Mostly great sounds. From my limited experience, this is one of the best "meat and potatoes" sample playback synths available. It covers a wide variety of styles, especially due to the built in Session, Orchestral, and Techno cards. I especially appreciated the Orchestral sounds, which while not comparable to good sample CDs, composed a variety of articulations and instruments.

Never had any problems in one and a half years. Unfortunately I am selling it soon for financial reasons.

Never dealt with the company. However, there is a ton of stuff on the internet. More patches, mailing lists, discussion sites, etc.

This is a great synth, especially for the price. I think it is especially good for MIDI sequencing. It doesn't have any exotic or really superb sounds (not unless you do a little tweaking...). It's simply a reliable workhorse that does a little of everything satisfactorily.

PRESETS ARE GREAT! (Given Roland's reputation, I was very surprised.) Why would you even want to modify them? There are occassionally a few sounds i want to change, and the keyboard is simple enough that after reading the manual once, you can do it from memory...

64 polyphony. Keyboard has aftertouch, which is a plus, although sometimes annoying as well.
Effects are alright, haven't edited them that much. Could've been arranged in a more user-friendly fashion. But overall, good.
2 expansion boards, plus session, orchestral, and techno boards already supplied. I don't use the techno board much.. not really into those kinds of sounds. But, with the presets, the session, and orchestral board, you have EVERY REAL SOUND YOU COULD EVER NEED, and five different version of it! seems like a billion different string sounds, tons of great keyboards (harpschicord, WONDERFUL ORGANS), bells, ethnic sounds are awesome, harps, bass, and some choirs.
It's true the piano sounds aren't the best. I write music that's supposed to sound manipulated, so i don't mind putting an effect like chorus or delay on a piano to make it sound better...
I also bought the vocal expansion board for this synth. A great ad on for choirs.

Realistic sounds. Not limited as far as music style goes. I write industrial/gothic/classical so I could use every sound on this keyboard.

This synth is EXCELLENT if you're looking for a wave-based synth to expand your horizons as far as different sounds are concerned. If you want to be able to edit synth sounds or something, buy an analoge style keyboard and don't waste your time with a wave-based synth. I use an ensoniq fizmo and yamaha an1x in addition to this keyboard.

no problems with it. great for a gig because of it's giant sound bank.

Never dealt with them.

Great for the price. I wouldn't pay more than $750 for it used, $950 new. If you're a musician who already has some analog and synthetic sounds under your belt, and you want to expand your sound with real sounding instruments, an xp30 is a great buy. If you want a perfect, all in one synth, buy a Triton or something... I just wanted a bunch of sounds so i bought this one, no regrets.

The presets sound amazing and a great variety of sounds are offered.
Patch editing is relatively easy but for newcomers to the world of technology, forget the manual because it says nothing of interest.

There is 64 polyphony which is normally no-more than required but for some giant orchestral pieces it can be used up. The XP-30 is the best feeling keyboard I have ever played(doesn't give a plasticky feel)
The effects are great, especially in the arpeggio button. It has 3 expansion boards built in (Session,Orchestral,Techno) and there is room for 2 more.It is also compatible with general midi.Unfortunately, there is no on-board sequencer but with an instrument lead connected fron the left mono to the line in on a PC you can sequence using Cubase or other audio software.

All i can say about the instruments is WOW! They are unbelievably realistic and the expansion boards will offer sounds for people interested in all sorts of music. The orchestral board offers amazing strings(especially 001-Warm Violins, 045 String Attack), Brass, woodwind and percussion. This will really suit anyone interested in film music.The Session board contains great stereo sampled pianos and cool saxaphones.Although i am not interested in techno music the board has cool effects.The drum kits offer amazing rock, jazz and techno drums also. There is a great velocity and aftertouch on the keys and instruments.

No problems at all. The solid metal structure will guarantee lifetime use.

Dont know. So far i didnt need any support but from rolands usual dependecy, im sure they are very reliable.

Simply amazing.For #999 there is no better deal for a better quality synth. For anyone interested is buying a synth GET A ROLAND XP-30!
The sounds are very expressive and the ability to edit patches and the amazing quality of every element of this synth makes this a must have for all music composing/performing enthusiasts.

I bought my XP-30 from a shop in Japan in October 2001. According to the sales person, it had been on display in the shop for about a year (I bought an ex-demo to save money). I don't know the software version, and I don't care.

In my previous experience, Roland always provided better manual compared to Yamaha (the manual for the DX synth was simply incomprehesible), so I was taken aback by poor quality of the manual for the XP. A lot of poeple had already commented on this, and it's not because of the translation. The manual even in the original Japanese text sucks.

However, it's very easy to find the patch from the buttons and the dial on the panel and select the sound you want. I particulary like the way Roland has arranged the patches into categories. To me 90% of the presets sounds great. Some of the pianos are extremely good. I could have done without the Techno patches, but that's because I'm not interested in this style of music (my 7 old son likes the sounds however for fooling around with my gear).

I have not yet gone deep into editing patches, but it doesn't seem that complicated. Despite the badly organised manual, I think I'll be able to get around the controls without totally getting lost. Setting up a performance also isn't as difficult as some people make it out to be. BUT, what I can't really figure out is how the effects are structured in a performance. On this point, the manual is totally useless.

A PC based patch / performance editor would help a lot, but the Japanese model isn't shipped with one (Soundiver or whatever you call it). You can buy a PC connection kit as an option, but I didn't get one because it doesn't seem to work on Windows2000 system (or at least it's not being advertised as supporting the OS).

I bought XP-30 because of its keyboard action. Compared to other synths in the similar price range, XP-30 had the best keyboard (for me). Keyboards on Yamaha and Korg synths felt plasticky and very light weight. XP-30's keyboard is weighted slightly and has a good firm action. I think you can also adjust the action by pushing some buttons. This is a feature which you might find in a more expensive synth, but rare in the price category of XP-30.

64-polyphony is good enough. I use the synth for composing on a PC with SONAR. If I run out of polyphony, I'll just record the MIDI data to audio tracks.

Effects are good, not outstanding for sure, but what do you expect from an onboard unit in this class. The only thing about the effects is, as I mentioned before, I can't figure out how the global effects and EFX actually interact in a performance.

Two expansion slots for SV cards and a slot for Smart Cards are more than sufficient for my purpose. XP-30 has a comprehensive MIDI control capability. The unit can be set to a GM mode, so it can be used as a simple tone module for playing back standard MIDI tracks. It's not equipped with an onboard sequencer, but this is actually a merit.

I'm no great judge of sound quality, but to me, most of the presets sounds wonderful. I'm a complete amateur who enjoys composing instrumental rock music at home, so the variety and quality of sounds available in XP-30 are quite sufficient; however, I'm tempted to fill the open expansion slots with some SV cards to get more variation in synth lead and drum sounds.

I had own quite a number of Roland products, but I have never experienced breakdowns or other serious problems with them. In fact, for getting my new XP-30, I had traded in an alpha-JUNO-2 which I bought nearly 15 years ago. OK, so I was using it in a home environment for my hobby, but it was working just fine until the day I traded it in.

I have not had a chance to deal with the company, as their products never failed on me.

If it is stolen today, I will buy it again, as there is no synth on the market presently that can match the value for money you get out of XP-30.

I own or had own quite a number of studio equipment such as outboard effects, sound modules, guitar processors, etc. I shop very carefully, comparing products from several manufacturers. Most of the time I find myself choosing a Roland / Boss product because their product gives you such a good value for money and at affordable prices.

To be honest, I would like to have gotten a Triton, it's got a good keyboard action, I like the patches that sounds bright, a large LCD display for easy editing, the style that looks expensive, etc.; however, it would have cost me twice what I paid for XP-30, and that would have thrown my wife into fits who may have then thrown me out of the house where I could enjoy my music.

XP-30 is certainly not as glitzy as a Triton, but it has all the features I need from a synth, and very importantly, I can afford it without straining my bank account (and relationship with my wife).

I am very happy with XP-30 and what it can do. I don't mind keeping it for the next 15 years. (I can't afford to loose it so quickly anyways.)

Well ive had a couple of other keyboards .. an SY35 Yamaha .. a Roland XP10 & the latest one a Korg N5EX . I thought the N5ex was so simular to the NS5r rackmount .. that blew my mind .. but it wasted so much space. The NS5r was very simular .. but the keyboard on the N5EX i thought just had the edge over it. The piano was much fatter sounding.
People have comented about the arp .. but i recon they are a waste of time. They should knock a few quid off if u dont want it & throw it away.So anyhow i sold the Korg & got a XP30. In my opinion the Roland
is better .. its a much more open & clean sound .. the Korg was a bit soft.If u,ve owned a xp10 or SY35 u should find this easy to use.

poly... err .. seems ok.Keyboard action is a little stiff but ok .. the keys across the range are consistant. Well one thing i found is that thank god Roland have put all the sounds in banks in their groups !!! Its more than Korg did on the N5EX. This is one thing that peed me off.I gave up looking for sounds on the Korg & copied them into the user banks. Now its a doddle using the Roland .. especially if u are using a midi set up as i am. I can tell u its arranged more like the Yamaha.The midi is easy to set up .. if u are used to midi .. Midi always is a BIG pain anyway. Why all manufactures use their own way of setting it up ill never know. It isnt std. Getting bank messages to set yuor sounds up are easy.I noticed in some midi files where people use rackmounts with breath controllers & such stuff it plays havoc with your set up. GM is another pain.

Well ive only just got the XP30 so its early days .. but so far there are loads of nice fat bass sounds .. a selection of pianos ( which is wot i really was after ) the pads aint too bad but nothing maches my E-mu for those analoge noises .. oh and the E-mu has brilliant hammond sounds too .. i must say i did notice the organs were a little light .. simular to the ones on the XP10 !! mmm. I dont like brass full stop. The drums are simular to every other drum machine ive ever heard .. but some new pops & farts make them different.Shame u cant shift another kit into another midi chnl like i could on my Yamaha / Korg & Roland XP10 !!!! i cant believe this.
Thank god ive got the Koeg NS5R rack for my drums.

no idea yet

errr ... so far so good

too early to say .. but then .. why does anybody buy a new keyboard ??
Its just a new toy ... well it is aint it ? It looks just like my old keyboard .. but sounds ??? so why did i buy it ??

Preset sounds are OK, but most sound a little flat and dull. If you have hours to spend investigating the simplest tasks, such as splitting the keyboard, more power to you. Otherwise, be prepared to be completely dumbfounded at times. The manual is a joke. Phrases such as PERFORM/COMMON/PERFORM/COMMON appear suddenly without explanation. Don't bother looking for one. I am really frustrated. Forget the 2000 sounds. Without more basic info for the less than experienced user, what's the use. I'd never buy another one. I hope I can find someone to take this off my hands for a reasonable price.

64 note polyphony? More like 16. Any reasonable sound requires too many tones. Effects are mundane. Nothing special. And of course they're not easy to use. Expansion modules are great. More sounds that are hard to manipulate. Midi capapility is standard for a keyboard of its price range. No sequencer. Its a good thing. Because Roland would never give you enough info to be able to use it anyway.

I played a JV-80 before, so I thought I knew what kind of sounds I'd be getting. But these are somehow muted and unexpressive.

Seems dependable.

Just try. You'll see. I'll never buy another Roland as long as I live.

I'd be thrilled if somebody stole it so I could file a claim and go get something I could really use. I used to have a Yamaha, and I could kick myself for switching to Roland.

If you have never used a Roland JV or XP keyboard before, it is a bit confusing. It is not very user-friendly.

This keyboard features a lot of interesting features.
64 tones polyphony, 16 parts multi-timbral (1 for drums).
A batch of different choruses, reverbs, and 40 types of EFX (one insert)
Lot of sounds (over 1600).
Good keyboard keys.
Great controllers.
2 expansions boards (3 built-in included) for SR-JV series.
No sequencer.
Cool Preview Button for every category (Piano, E. Piano, Mallets...)

Every music can be made with it this keyboard. Orchestral, Pop, Techno, Ambiant, Rock...
Orchestral sounds are great, such as flutes, strings, woodwinds, french horns, oboe, sax (for a keyboard, it is great), techno/pads/fx are great.
piano is very great, choirs are great.
Trumpets, Trombones and other solo brass sucks.
Onboard effect is great for electric guitar, other stereo fx...
a lot of sound is responding to the velocity and aftertouch (especially pads...)

Yeah, lightweight, very good for any gigs.

Don't know. Like any other roland stuff i guess.

It is the best quality/price for roland keyboard up to date.