NAMM 2020: There are few instruments more staid and traditional than the grand piano, but Roland’s GPX-F1 is anything but. Known as the Facet Grand Piano, this new concept keyboard is based on Jon Chan Kim’s winning design from Roland’s 2015 Digital Piano Design Awards.
Despite the fact that it won’t be going on sale - not at the moment, at least - the GPX-F1 is fully functional, having been assembled by a small team in Hamamatsu, Japan. The cabinet and frame are designed to look like they’re floating above the base, and every angle was conceived to optimise sound projection.
There’s plenty of tech inside this thing as well: an Android-powered display for accessing apps and sheet music and hands-free control courtesy of Amazon’s Alexa. Roland’s Zenbeats production app is built in, as is a video projector that can beam images onto the instrument’s top board as you play, and in time with the music.
The GPX-F1 is making its debut at CES 2020, but will be turning heads at the NAMM Show, too, and at further events throughout the year.
Find out more on the Roland website.
