"I love the fact that each individual note can be adjusted for pitch, tone, attack & sustain, making it possible to go beyond the often clinical sound of other digital pianos. In addition, there are lots of other quality sounds to play with and combine—it's time to play!"
Mike Lindup
Section 1Performance Powerhouse
The RD-2000 is a dream come true for the performing keyboardist. It features dual sound engines that power our best acoustic and electric pianos ever, plus the finest action we’ve ever put in a stage piano. There’s a massive selection of top-quality ensemble sounds to cover any musical task, as well as two wave expansion slots for adding even more sounds. And with its innovative modern interface, the RD-2000 is the perfect master controller for working with today’s software-based instruments on stage.
Gorgeous Acoustic Pianos Powered by
V-Piano Technology
In a word, the RD-2000’s acoustic piano sounds are magnificent. Incorporating Roland’s very latest piano technologies and long-running V-Piano research, the acoustic voice is incredibly natural, responsive, and richly detailed. The dedicated acoustic engine features full-keyboard polyphony, allowing you to realize authentic piano performances without absolutely no compromises.
Historic Electric Pianos
Via a second SuperNATURAL-based sound engine, the RD-2000 gives you access to a wide range of classic electric pianos from the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s. Included are newly developed recreations of the RD-1000 (the very first RD stage piano) and MKS-20 sound module from the 1980s. Driven by Roland’s milestone SA technology, their unique musical voices are instantly recognizable from that era’s hit records. Vintage effects are also on hand for processing your EPs, including the famous BOSS CE-1 Chorus and Roland SDD-320 Dimension D. Visit our special RD history page for more background on these and other classic instruments and effects, plus sound demos of the recreations found in the RD-2000.
Superb Playability
The PHA-50 progressive hammer-action keyboard with escapement is the ideal platform for playing the RD-2000’s responsive acoustic and electric pianos. This innovative keyboard features hybrid keys constructed of wood and molded materials, combining classic feel with rugged durability. Together with Roland’s advanced sensor mechanism and hammer-action design, the PHA-50 delivers authentic grand piano touch that’s right at home under your fingers.
"Hands down the best feel of any keyboard controller I’ve ever played. No other keyboard even comes close and whenever I randomly ‘sit in’ on a jam session or on another event where they don’t have an RD there, it’s not a fun night for me."
Brian Culbertson
Section 2Designed for the Stage
With its intuitive interface, navigating the RD-2000 during live performances is a breeze. Eight knobs and nine sliders provide instant control for sounds, effects, and more, and the knobs feature LED indicators for precise adjustment with instant visual feedback.
Zones and Scenes
The RD-2000 features eight assignable zones that allow you to map sounds to different key ranges, or create combination sounds with up to eight layers. And with the new Scene function, you can save 100 different snapshots of the entire keyboard setup and recall them with a quick button touch while performing.
Bender and Wheels
Equipped with Roland’s classic pitch/mod lever and two modulation wheels, the RD-2000 provides expressive options for any performance style. The dual wheels are useful for detailed sound adjustment on external synths, and are independently assignable per program.
Powerful Encoder Knobs
The RD-2000’s dynamic encoder knobs bring a new level of control to your live performances. LED indicators show the current knob value at a glance, even on the darkest stages. They also respond to velocity, allowing you to execute precise edits with slow movements and quickly move through tones and parameters with fast movements.
Ensemble Sounds for Every Genre
In addition to its world-class pianos, the versatile RD-2000 includes over 1,100 additional sounds for covering any style of music with just one keyboard. Roland’s SuperNATURAL technology provides highly expressive Virtual Tone Wheel organs, modern and vintage synths, clavinet, orchestral strings, brass, and many other sound types. At Roland’s Axial sound website, you’ll find even more sounds to load into the RD-2000’s two wave expansion slots, including selections from previous RD instruments. And if you’re stepping up from the RD-800, you’ll be pleased to know that all your Live Sets are fully compatible with the RD-2000.
"It's perfect. It's easy to store presets and stack sounds together. Now I have all of my presets on a USB key for when I travel. I always feel bad for my guitar player when I take 12 seconds to be show-ready and he's dealing with all sorts of random troubles."
Sean Scanlon
Section 3Command and Control
The RD-2000 offers the most extensive controller features of any RD piano to date, making it the perfect solution for commanding a large-scale setup. With the ability to seamlessly integrate internal sounds, software-based instruments, hardware sound modules, and more, the RD-2000 is mission control for the most advanced stage shows.
Connect with DAWs and Performance Software
Via the RD-2000’s USB audio/MIDI interface, it’s easy to integrate software instruments with a studio DAW or a laptop running your favorite host software on stage. You can control soft synths with zones along with internal sounds, and route their audio through the RD-2000 to create a powerful hybrid rig. The interface supports 24-bit audio at rates up to 192 kHz, allowing you to access your highest quality sounds.
Flexible Audio Outputs
With its versatile outputs, the RD-2000 is ready to connect with any stage or studio setup. Main stereo outs are provided on XLR and ¼-inch jacks, and there’s also a sub output that allows you to route internal sounds and USB audio independently.
"The piano is the foundation of most of the songs we write in A Great Big World. The richness and fullness of the acoustic piano sound in my mix every night. Both our band and crew have noticed the difference when we started using the RD series more consistently."
A Great Big World
Section 4Built for Professional
Performers
Combining the traditional RD-series appearance with elements of the V-Piano, the RD-2000 embodies both tradition and innovation. It’s designed from the ground up with the working pro in mind, with careful consideration of details regarding the interface workflow, sound organization, and physical layout of connectors, switches, knobs, and sliders.
Light and Durable
While the RD-2000’s feature upgrades are significant, its weight hasn’t changed from the previous RD generation. It’s still easy to transport from gig to gig, and the aluminum body is both handsome and extremely durable.
Extensive Foot Control
The RD-2000’s four pedal inputs can be configured for damper pedals, expression pedals, and more. A DP-10 pedal is included for damper pedal operation. The optional RPU-3 provides a real grand piano pedaling experience, combining three pedals into one compact unit.
Matching Stand
For solid support on stage or in the studio, the optional KS-G8 stand is a perfect match for the RD-2000. It features an open design for a sleek look, plus durable steel piping and rigid bracing to ensure maximum stability. The KS-G8 folds for easy transport, and its height can be adjusted for sitting or standing positions.
As the new RD-2000 takes the stage,
we look back at the
evolution of a modern classic.
The Roland RD Series has serious pedigree. The story of our trailblazing stage piano range goes right back to the original RD-1000, released in 1986, and instantly acclaimed by professional players for the organic acoustic sounds and dynamic expression, made possible by its unique digital synthesis technology. Since then, the RD Series has become the industry-standard, loved and trusted by leading pianists and keyboard players all over the world. Here are some key moments from its journey.
1986 | Roland RD-1000
Armed with revolutionary SA (Structured Adaptive) sound source, the Roland RD-1000 was the stage piano that shook the world. Roland had set the challenge of capturing the tone and expression of classic grand pianos – going far beyond the typical ‘realistic’ piano sound – and to achieve this, we used a unique digital synthesis method specific to piano, rather than conventional sampling technology. The resulting piano sounds were enviably organic and smooth across all key ranges, dynamics and tonal changes. The RD-1000 was a milestone release, establishing the RD brand, helping countless artists to create adventurous music, and originating the concept that flowed into later instruments including the new RD-2000 and the MKS-20 (the sound module version of the RD-1000).
2001 | Roland RD-700 Series
An ambitious update of the RD-600 for the new millennium, the first-generation RD-700 proved such a success that it sparked four further models, including the most recent RD-700NX, with its SuperNATURAL piano sounds and PHA-III Ivory Feel keyboard. Today, the RD-700 Series models remain a regular fixture on global stages, chosen by countless players for their intuitive live operation, expressive sounds and highly playable keyboards.
2014 | Roland RD-800
The RD Series is constantly evolving, and in 2014 we welcomed the RD-800, featuring brand-new acoustic/electric piano sounds, alongside a high-resolution PHA-4 keyboard with the latest touch-detection tech. Highly acclaimed, this SuperNATURAL-driven piano made it possible to fine-tune a sound in close detail, with parameters like mechanical key on/off, key off resonance, damper noise, and more. In addition, by using the new Tone Color feature, modern players could even morph seamlessly between two different electric pianos or tones to create all-new sounds. The good news for fans of this modern classic is that the new RD-2000 is fully compatible with the RD-800 sounds.
1976 | CE-1 Chorus Ensemble
Rewind to 1975, and Roland debuted the Dimensional Space Chorus effect in the iconic JC-120 Jazz Chorus amplifier. The following year, Roland’s newly formed BOSS division unveiled the stereo CE-1 Chorus Ensemble, making it possible for players to achieve the lush, spacious chorus and unique vibrato sounds of the Jazz Chorus with any amp setup. Rich and immersive, this unique effect also perfectly complemented electric piano sounds, leading many keyboard players to use this as a standard effect for their instrument.
