A-80

Though I loved my ex-Yamaha KX88, it wasn't the most featured oriented unit, however this A80 is busy with cool, I'm sorry, extra cool features from back in the day. This unit has been known to be ahead of its time in that regard.

The action is superior to current units out there. All keyboard players always seek the best action known to man and my A80 kicks azz.

Roland, Yamaha and Korg conered the market on reliability.

Roland like [Yamaha], is quite supportive with its manuals and supplement manuals, e.g. ease of usage. Programming is a breeze, the 4 MIDI outs are handy, assignable controllers, zoning, etc., are all simple to navigate.  Roland's R & D guys were smoking something special that day; nothing compares to date ... nothing compares.

Roland's tech support rocks!!

Guys and gals, this has to the best dinosaur next to Yamaha's KX88. I got a smoking deal on this unit, brand new and sealed in the box from a nice lady simply trying to clean out her garage. I paid her asking price of $100.00 for this bad boy.  Yes, I did people!! I owned a Yamaha KX88 and gave it to a great friend of mine hard on his luck. I guess good things do come to those that wait. :-)

There's only one major advantage to the Roland A-80...the action. 88-keys of the most realistic action and feel ever created in a portable (debatable, at 66lbs.) MIDI controller, period. I guess I'm the only one in here who bought their A-80 new, around Christmas 1989 - New Years 1990 (hey, a bit hazy on recalling exactly when, way back then). I bought it for a home MIDI studio, which I did some work with, and shelved it around `94-`96, recently pulling it out of mothballs to rebuild a studio. As a synthesizer or organ controller, the action isn't particularly well suited. It's for playing piano, and it does it well. With the 4 MIDI output channels, each with assignable parameters, it's a way more than capable MIDI controller -- even by today's standards. While the MIDI parameter functions may be more advanced on newer units with today's technology, nothing beats the A-80 for feel and overall action of a ivory-keyed, fully-weighted, grand piano feel and action. The velocity sensitivity is superb, and the aftertouch can be adjusted to easier accessibility with some resistor part replacements. Some claim it can be adjusted in other ways under the keys, but I feel those are temporary fixes as compared to the physical resistor component replacement. In some cases, the "bouncy" effect of a fully-weighted piano key has its advantages, for using it to control certain instrument patches. I've found that it closely emulates through MIDI the finger plucking of instruments like guitar, bass, violin, harp, and even does well for percussion like timpani, or mallet instruments. I now have another 88-key MIDI keyboard with a much lighter touch for playing synth, organ, etc. However, I'm not alone when others state it as well, that the unit plays better than anything ever built before or since. The onboard display is a bit difficult to navigate, unless you really spend some time learning it. It's a small screen (by today's stds.) and quite an extensive tree of functions. You can assign your MIDI channel layering, key ranges, and multiple parameters on the display. However, I feel the display is the area that could use work. Otherwise, it would get a "10". Constructed out of heavy hardwood, metal, ivory, plastic, and electronics, it's a heavy dude. As I mentioned before, at 66 lbs., it's basically built like a tank. That being said, the parts to repair them aren't as easy to find these days. Therefore, A-80s are mostly duly relegated to studios, and not taken so much on the road any more.

While at times I wish it were lighter in weight, I know this is just what makes it play so solidly like a concert grand piano. I can play as hard as I want on this, it feels good, and it can take it. Without the adjustments I mentioned earlier, the aftertouch is difficult to access without force. It's always performed well for me, and I absolutely love the action and feel (just in case you couldn't tell). I would recommend this to anyone who has the desire for the action and feel of a concert grand, but not the room and/or money for it. If it were destroyed, lost or stolen, I would replace it. I would be sentimental for my original baby, but hey, I love the feel of those familiar keys. I'm going to be taking the "old girl" in for a tune-up and repair at Roland's Service Center, so I can report back as to how well that goes. There's a reason people toured with the A-80, like Elton John & Michael McDonald (and many more). For venues where it wasn't possible to have a nice full concert grand, the A-80 remains a worthy second for its action. Buy one now, if and when you can find one. You'll be glad you did.

The BEST keyboard controller of all time. Nothing even comes close. Fatar's latest SL-880Pro is close, but it lacks all the great mother ler capabilities of A-80. This keyboard should be the landmark and reference that every other controller needs to be compared with.

Since this is only a controller, it doesn't product any sound! Expresiveness? This instruments DEFINES the word. The best keyboard action there is.

Build as tank.

Not a very intuitive interface, but the manual does a good job explaining all the features of this superb keyboard controller.

Roland has good overall support. Definitelly a plus.

Given that this model is now quite old, it still holds as the flagship of all midi keyboard controllers. Too bad that Roland compromised the keyboard action in later models.