Roland have a history of designing innovative electronic pianos both for stage and home. With its long keyboard and touch sensitivity the EP-50 also makes an excellent control keyboard for a MIDI system.

The piano sound is fundamental to all styles of contemporary music from rock and roll to avant gard. Yet there are comparatively few completely portable electronic pianos designed for the touring musician. The new EP-50 is made to meet this need.

In specification, it is fairly simple. The priority has been to provide the most authentic sounding piano voices possible (plus one harpsichord) and ensure that the piano feels right to play — as a percussive instrument it is very important to have an effective touch response system.

Pianos One, Two and Three offer a choice of sounds and using the Chorus effect the power and resonance of a Grand can be achieved. Like the HP-60 the EP-5 has on-board monitors for practise as well as the standard headphone socket. A very useful function is the transpose button which allows the player to play in any key while fingering in the key of his choice.

MIDI Control

Roland are often asked what is the ideal keyboard to control a MIDI system. Naturally, the first answer is the MKB-1000, the MKB-300 or the Axis, since these have no sound circuitry of their own but are specifically designed as MIDI controllers. However, the EP-50 because of its long keyboard will also make a very useful MIDI 'master'. It's touch sensitive and so can get the best out of sensitive MIDI modules and units such as the Guitar Synthesizer or digital percussion module. There are MIDI In, MIDI Out and MIDI Thru jacks. The MIDI channel can be assigned and MIDI programme change information can be sent by pressing the MIDI switch and a specific key.

These dual functions of the EP-50, a MIDI controller and a piano, make it an exceptionally versatile choice for the keyboard player. It is convenient to use at home as well as on stage, has selectable output levels for use with any kind of amplification or mixing desk, and even has stereo inputs for patching rhythm machines etc. through the internal amplification system. A definite step forward from the standard, hopelessly out of tune beer-stained concert venue upright...