Roland has long been a name to reckon with in the stage piano world, and their new V-Stage series, unveiled at NAMM 2025, signals a bold step forward. The V-Stage, featuring both 76- and 88-note models, takes a direct aim at established competitors like Nord, with its red wooden end cheeks reminiscent of Nord’s signature design.
However, Roland faces stiff competition from brands like Nord and Yamaha, with their Stage and CP series dominating the market. So, what does Roland bring to the table? A lot, it turns out, starting with four independent sound engines.
The Acoustic Piano engine, driven by Roland’s V-Piano technology, lays the foundation. This engine offers two concert grands, an upright, and a felt piano, all promising the familiar combination of authenticity, playability, and tonal richness.
The Electric Piano engine is a fresh addition to the V-Stage series, powered by the latest version of Roland’s SuperNatural technology. It includes reed, digital, and Clavinet models, alongside effects like tremolo, an amp simulator, MFX processing, and a notable feature called the Sound Lift Knob. The latter is designed to help performers cut through dense mixes.
Roland’s Virtual Tone Wheel technology shines in the Organ section, with a range of three-layer console organs, two transistor organs, and a pipe organ. With drawbars, percussion controls, overdrive, vibrato/chorus, and rotary speaker emulations, the V-Stage offers a true organ experience, including a brake control and adjustable mic positioning.
The Synthesizer engine is powered by Roland’s Zen-Core technology, delivering over 400 built-in tones. Players can use two parts simultaneously, while the hands-on controls for attack, release, filter, and more provide flexibility and control.
Additionally, the V-Stage is compatible with Roland Cloud, allowing for the expansion of sound libraries. Modal Expansion emulations of legendary Roland synths like the Jupiter-8 and Juno-106 come free with the V-Stage, providing even more options right out of the box.
Ease of use is crucial for stage performers, and Roland has designed the V-Stage to be intuitive, featuring a user-friendly front panel, an LCD screen, and clearly labeled controls. The V-Stage also boasts a robust library of effects, a Master section with EQ and compression, and 512 Scene memories for saving and recalling complete setups. Scenes can be chained together for quick access during performances.
For connectivity, the V-Stage offers XLR mic and stereo line inputs, as well as USB-C for both audio and MIDI interfacing. The V-Stage is available in two models: the 76-note version, with a semi-weighted waterfall keyboard tailored for organ players, and the 88-note version, which features a weighted hammer-action keyboard that’s ideal for pianists.
Pricing for the V-Stage 76 is $3,500/£3,027/€3,499, while the V-Stage 88 is priced at $4,000/£3,459/€3,999.
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