For years, Roland has been producing stage digital pianos and synthesizers at the highest level. The company makes gear that’s used and loved by professional musicians on stage and in the studio.
In the past few years, Roland has taken a renewed interest in the entry-level market as well. The company has packed quite a lot into their two newest entry-level keyboard instruments, the Roland GO:KEYS and GO:PIANO.
This piece is an in-depth Roland GO:KEYS review. First, we’ll cover all the significant features and specifications. Then we’ll share our thoughts on who this instrument is for (and who might be happier with another choice).
Other articles in this series include a full review of the Roland GO:PIANO, the brand’s entry-level digital piano, and a comparison of the two entry-level devices in the Roland keyboard family.
Instrument Type: Digital Keyboard
Right off the bat, it’s essential to understand that Roland GO:KEYS is a digital keyboard — not a digital piano.
Digital pianos prioritize a lifelike piano sound and feel above all else, while digital keyboards don’t. Keyboards like the GO:KEYS are sometimes called arranging keyboards. That’s because this kind of digital keyboard’s main job is to be a versatile music creation instrument.
There are over 500 pro-quality instrument and synth sounds on the GO:KEYS, and you have a greater degree of control over those sounds than you would with a digital piano thanks to the performance pads. (Don’t worry if some of this jargon isn’t clear yet — we’ll talk about these aspects more later on.)
There’s also an impressive Loop Mix feature, which allows anyone to start making interesting loops as a foundation for a song— even if you don’t know chord theory yet.
If you want to create arranged or orchestrated tracks with multiple layers and looping, an arranging keyboard like the Roland GO:KEYS is the place to start.
There are only two trade-offs that we can see for choosing this instrument over a digital piano. First, the Roland GO:KEYS is only available in a 61-key model, not the full-sized 88 keys. Second, the piano sound itself won’t be as high in quality as on the GO:PIANO.
Onboard Audio and Bluetooth Speakers
Roland GO:KEYS instruments contain onboard speakers that reproduce the sound of what you’re playing. Most players won’t ever hook up their beginning keyboard to an external sound system, so the quality of these onboard speakers is essential. It’s the primary way most players will hear their keyboard.
The Roland GO:KEYS has two speakers, each measuring 12 x 6 cm and powered by a 2.5-watt amplifier. You can spend a lot more money on keyboards with better sound quality, but beginning piano students will be more than satisfied with what’s on offer here.
For perspective, Roland asserts that the speakers have better sound than “most” smart speakers— whatever that’s worth.
These speakers won’t melt the paint off the wall, but you’ll get sufficient volume to be heard well in a quiet, medium-sized room.
Bluetooth Functionality Changes the Game
The speakers on the Roland GO:KEYS are Bluetooth-enabled, which opens up a world of opportunities that most digital keyboards can’t match. By connecting your smartphone or tablet to the speakers on your GO:KEYS, you can play any audio imaginable through the onboard speakers.
With Bluetooth connectivity, you can play a popular song from YouTube or your favorite streaming service and layer your own creativity over the top. You can also stream online instructional content (think piano lessons or arranging tutorials) through the speakers while watching it on your device and playing the keyboard — in real time.
As far as we’ve found, only a Roland keyboard like the Roland Go Keys or Go Piano offers this Bluetooth functionality in an entry-level instrument. It’s a compelling reason to choose Roland GO:KEYS over other competitors.
Key Style
Key styles can vary widely on digital keyboards. Some are cheap and flimsy, others are soft and tactile, while most emulate a real piano feel in one capacity or another.
The Roland GO:KEYS takes a middle-of-the-road approach. You’ll find full-sized, box-shaped keys with an ivory feel — all traits that push the feel in a piano-like direction. However, since Roland doesn’t clarify whether these keys are weighted, we have to assume they aren’t.
If you’re pretty sure you want a digital keyboard experience more than a digital piano experience, key weight might not matter to you. These keys are velocity-sensitive, which is more important for MIDI work than the feel.
Still, if you think you’ll be switching between multiple instruments, including real acoustic pianos, the unweighted keys here could be a drawback.
Number of Keys Available
Nearly every modern piano has 88 keys (seven octaves plus three extra low notes). Digital keyboards, on the other hand, are available in many sizes. The most common sizes range from the 25-key micro keyboard up to the full 88-key keyboard.
Roland GO:KEYS is available in a couple of different models, but both are 61-key keyboards. If you’re mainly interested in playing in a band or using this instrument as an arranging workstation, 61 keys is probably plenty. And if you’re a beginner, you won’t need the extra keys anyway.
If you plan to learn classical music or want to become a virtuosic pianist (think Piano Guys, Billy Joel, Elton John, Ben Folds and so forth), you’ll eventually want a full-sized instrument. Otherwise, 61 keys is likely fine.
Included Sounds and Effects
Digital keyboards are all about the sounds and effects, and the Roland GO:KEYS doesn’t disappoint. There are over 500 sounds here that Roland describes as pro-quality, encompassing all the major instrument families, plus synths, pads, sound effects, drums and more.
We’ve played a lot of keyboards, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find an instrument library this deep or high in quality anywhere near this price point.
Effects are a bit more limited. There are adjustable reverb and a toggle for multi-effect and for chorus. However, you can apply and manipulate effects in real time, thanks to the performance pads on this device. With the performance pads, you can modify pitch, filtering and plenty more.
Adjustable master tuning is available, and transposition of -5/+6 semitones and +/-3 octaves is available at the touch of a button.
Recording Capabilities
The Roland GO:KEYS has similar recording storage to other entry-level digital keyboards. You can create recordings that are stored on your device. There’s room for up to 30,000 total notes, which can be spread out over up to 99 different songs.
Loop Mix Adds Creative Depth
Even if you don’t know much about music, you can start creating and recording complex and interesting pieces of music thanks to the included Loop Mix feature. You can use single keys (rather than complete chords) to trigger predefined loop phrases.
Start with some of these, and then add bass, drums and melody of your own creation.
Maximize Creativity with Up to 16 Parts
Roland GO:KEYS makes it easy to layer your sound with up to 16 parts, eight from the Loop Mix and eight from your playing the keyboard. That’s a lot of layers for an entry-level instrument.
Connections and Power Options
Connections are important if you want to use your digital keyboard as more than a standalone instrument.
The Roland Go Keys has the connections you need as a beginner — and maybe a little more. Here’s what you get:
- 3.5mm (standard) headphones/output jack: quiet listening or audio OUT.
- 3.5mm AUX IN jack: play music from another device without Bluetooth
- Standard quarter-inch pedal jack: for sustain pedal
- DC IN jack
- Micro-B USB port: connect your Roland GO:KEYS to your computer.
Thanks to the USB MIDI connection, you can use your GO:KEYS to control MIDI applications and notation programs, too.
Most of the time, you’ll probably play the Roland GO:KEYS while connected to power. But if you need to jam where there’s no electricity, you can get around four hours of time with standard AA batteries or up to six with Ni-MH batteries.
Who Is the Roland GO:KEYS For? Some Usage Scenarios
Now that you’ve read this Roland GO:KEYS review, you understand what the GO:KEYS does. But there’s still one thing to consider: who should buy it?
Here are the top scenarios where we think the Roland GO:KEYS is the obvious solution.
If You Want to Start Creating Right Away
If you don’t have much or any musical background and want to start creating right away, Roland GO:KEYS is an ideal solution thanks to Loop Mix. Of course, you should begin studying and learning—your experience will be all the more satisfying the more you know. But it’s nice to be able to create truly interesting songs right off the bat, and GO:KEYS allows you to do just that.
If You Want to Play in a Band
If your end goal is to play keys in a band, you don’t need a full piano. In fact, you might be better off with an arranging keyboard like this one so you can start learning all the things band keyboardists sometimes do.
If You Want an Impressive Library of Sounds
The Roland GO:KEYS has an astounding range of instruments and sounds, and they’re all backed with Roland’s legendary quality. For this price, you won’t find a better combination of sounds and sound quality.
If You’re Interested in Electronic Arranging and Producing
If you already know you want to do on-keyboard arranging or electronic production, you need a keyboard that has the necessary inputs and outputs. Roland GO:KEYS is a great starter instrument in that regard. It has impressive onboard functionality and can also integrate with DAW and MIDI software.
Models to Consider
There are just two models to consider in the Roland GO:KEYS family...
The base model Roland GO:KEYS is the best option for most people, containing all the functionality described in this review.
For a little more cash, you can also get an Alexa-enabled version of the Roland GO:KEYS. Turning your keyboard into a smart device is pretty cool, but we’re not particularly sold on the real-world usefulness.
Whichever one you choose, you’ll enjoy years of music-making thanks to the impressive quality and features in the Roland GO:KEYS.