Roland's FP series is a long-established line of digital pianos that currently spans five models across various price points, from the no-frills FP-10 to the range-topping FP-90X. Today, the Japanese manufacturer expands the series with a new release: FP-40.
FP-40 is Roland's first piano with built-in Wi-Fi. Why does a piano need Wi-Fi, you ask? Well, the FP-40 is launching alongside Piano Sphere, a free app for iOS and Android that's designed to help you learn the instrument and develop your skills.
Connecting to your piano over your home network (or Bluetooth), Piano Sphere provides real-time feedback on your playing, and is able to create personalized tuition plans based on your skill level and musical preferences. Roland says it's not just a companion app, but a "complete ecosystem" that brings together your piano, lessons, songs, and progress in one place.
Developed in partnership with tuition platform Skoove, Piano Sphere features a library of step-by-step lessons and skill development tools, alongside 100 songs covering everything from classical to pop hits. Users can upgrade the app to access over 1000 more songs and additional courses as they progress, and are encouraged to advance through their learning journey with gamified features such as streaks and reward badges.
The piano records your playing history through Piano Sphere even when the app isn't open, allowing you to take a backwards glance at your development, and thanks to its Wi-Fi connection, FP-40's firmware is automatically updated over your home network – Roland promises that the piano will "continuously evolve" with "new services, feature enhancements, and ecosystem integrations".
There are plenty of digital pianos out there built to help you learn to play or improve your playing, but very few of these feature built-in Wi-Fi – most rely on Bluetooth MIDI for a wireless connection or a wired MIDI or USB connection.
Sitting squarely in the middle of the FP range between the FP-30X and the FP-60X, the FP-40 features Roland's Piano Reality sound engine, introduced in 2024, which is a first for the FP range: the other models in the series have either featured Roland's SuperNATURAL or PureAcoustic engines.
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Roland tells us that Piano Reality combines sampled sounds with modeling tech from its high-end GP Series grand pianos to capture the "depth, detail, and tonal character of an acoustic piano", delivering "smooth response, natural resonance, and rich dynamics". 40 different preset sounds are accessible from the piano, with an additional 265 available through the existing Roland Piano App.
FP-40 also benefits from an upgraded speaker system, arranging its dual speakers (each powered by a dedicated 12W amplifier) in a redesigned internal layout that's said to produce a clearer and more spacious sound with a deeper low-end.
Those are some respectable upgrades, but FP-40 isn't all new: it features the same PHA-4 Standard keyboard that can be found in the FP-10, FP-30X and FP-60X models. This triple-sensor system delivers fully-weighted hammer action and escapement, along with an ivory-style feel applied to its plastic keys, but sits below both the PHA-50 and Hybrid Grand in Roland's lineup of digital piano actions.
The Roland FP-40 is available in both black and white models for $749. Find out more on Roland's website.
