If you’re in the market for a new digital keyboard or piano, there are a dozen or more brands to consider, plus multiple categories and types of instruments to wade through. The decision can be a tough one, especially if you’re a beginner that doesn’t yet know the ins and outs of the terminology and brands.
Roland is a well-known and well-respected brand in the keyboard space, arguably best known for its on-stage professional synthesizers and keyboards. The company makes more affordable Roland keyboard models that are better suited for at-home us8e, but for whatever reason, these models have somewhat flown under the radar.
We think it’s time for that to change. Two Roland keyboard instruments, the GO:PIANO and GO:KEYS, are impressive in many ways and should be a top consideration for anyone looking to make an entry-level keyboard purchase.
That said, the two instrument families are quite different, and you need to know which one is right for your situation.
In the sections that follow, we’ll compare and contrast Roland GO:PIANO and Roland GO:KEYS models, helping you decide which family of digital instruments is appropriate for your current needs.
Quick note: There’s so much more to say about both of these Roland keyboard instrument families than we can possibly fit into this comparison review. For deeper reading on each, check out our separate full reviews: our Roland GO:PIANO review and our Roland GO:KEYS review dive even deeper into these instrument families.
Instrument Type
The first thing to know is that the GO:PIANO is a digital piano, while the GO:KEYS is a digital keyboard. That might not sound very significant, but the difference is massive.
Roland GO:PIANO – Digital Piano
Digital pianos focus on replicating the sound and experience of playing a real, acoustic piano. If you’re starting piano lessons for yourself or a child and want to learn how to play an acoustic piano, beginning with a digital piano often makes sense. (You could, of course, buy an acoustic piano outright. But to buy a decent new one is going to run you around $5,000, maybe more.)
Digital pianos sometimes have additional instrument voices, but these tend to be limited. They also tend to stick to keyboard-style sounds, like electric pianos, organs and the like.
Many digital pianos, including this one, can control MIDI applications via a USB connection. However, integrations are limited to note input with velocity, and that’s pretty much it.
To sum it up, the main focus of this instrument type is recreating a lifelike piano experience. Digital enhancements are just the gravy on top.
Check the current prices on Amazon for the Roland GO:PIANO Digital Piano.
Roland GO:KEYS – Digital Keyboard
Digital keyboards, on the other hand, don’t seek to recreate the acoustic piano experience particularly well. Instead, they focus on producing a more comprehensive range of sounds and helping you create and produce music.
If you want to explore a wide range of high-quality sounds or get a much deeper level of control of your MIDI software, you want a digital keyboard instead of a digital piano. GO:KEYS offers over 500 sounds, all with that famous Roland quality.
We’ll explore other exciting controls later on, like looping, mixing, pad controls, chord modes, and more.
If you want to jump right in and start creating fully produced songs with beats, multiple instruments and more, you want a digital keyboard like GO:KEYS, not a digital piano like GO:PIANO. The main focus of this type of digital keyboard is music creation rather than lifelike piano sound and feel— though the sound and feel here are still pretty good.
Check the current prices on Amazon for the Roland GO:KEYS Digital Keyboard.
Key Style
Digital keyboards and pianos both have a wide range of key styles. Some are thin and have a flimsy plastic feel. Others mimic the heavier ivory feel of a real piano, and then there’s the question of weight. Digital keyboards don’t need key weight, whereas real pianos can’t not have it.
If you’re transitioning from a real piano or you want to be able to transition to one later, you’ll want heavier keys (look for the term “hammer action”). If not, it’s really just a preference issue.
In any case, both the GO:KEYS and the GO:PIANO have the same key style. They are “ivory feel” keys with a box shape, similar to the feel and shape of real piano keys. They have velocity measurement, which is crucial for dynamic contrast and MIDI control.
However, the keys don’t appear to be weighted, and they don’t have dynamic touch sensitivity. You can choose between three preset touch levels, but the instrument doesn’t respond quite like a real piano would. If weighted keys and touch sensitivity are important to you, you’ll need to step up to a higher-cost model.
Number of Keys Available
While the number of keys may not mean much at first or seem all that important, it can become a crucial feature down the road. All standard acoustic pianos have 88 keys, from a very low A to a very high C. But production musicians and stage keyboardists rarely need the extreme highs or lows. Most pop, rock and commercial music just doesn’t use the piano or keyboard in that way.
These days, there’s a whole range of keyboard sizes available, from 25-key micro keyboards to full-sized 88-key machines. Here are the most common key setups:
- 25 keys (micro – 2 octaves)
- 32 keys (mini – 2.5 octaves)
- 49 keys (small – 4 octaves)
- 61 keys (medium – 5 octaves)
- 66 keys (5.5 octaves)
- 72 keys (6 octaves)
- 88 keys (full – 7 octaves plus 3 lower notes)
The Roland GO:KEYS is available in a 61-key model, and that’s it. It’s perfect for most beginning keyboard players and may well be enough keys for your entire career if you’re working in popular styles (in other words, playing keys in a band).
The Roland GO:PIANO comes in two sizes: a 61-key model and a full-sized 88-key model. The 88-key model doesn’t cost much more than the 61-key. So unless space is a constraint, we recommend going with the 88-key model. Even if you don’t think you’ll need the extra keys now, things could change later. Better to buy one instrument now than have to buy a second one later, right?
Sounds and Effects
The Roland GO:PIANO features a total of 40 tones: 10 pianos, seven electric pianos, seven organs, and 16 others, including drums and SFX. As far as effects, there are toggles for multi-effects and chorus, and adjustable reverb. Damper resonance is always on for piano tones.
The Roland GO:KEYS, on the other hand, features a whopping 554 pro-quality tones, covering every instrument family, plus a healthy dose of synths, pads and SFX. Similar to the GO:PIANO, there are toggles for multi-effects and chorus, and adjustable reverb.
Both instruments offer adjustable master tuning, transposing of up to -5 or +6 semitones, and a +/-3 octave transposition.
Recording Capability
Keyboards in this category generally have some form of onboard recording capability, and that’s the case for both Roland models in this review.
The GO:PIANO and GO:KEYS both save recordings in standard MIDI (format 0) and can store up to 99 songs or 30,000 notes, with an exceedingly wide range of tempos and a resolution of 96 ticks per quarter note.
Connections and Power Options
Both the Roland Go Piano and the Roland Go Keys have identical connections and power options. Here’s what you can plug in:
- 3.5mm headphones/output jack
- 3.5mm AUX IN jack (example: connecting your phone for background music playback)
- Quarter-inch pedal jack
- Micro-B USB port for computer connectivity and MIDI control
- DC IN jack
The Roland GO:PIANO and Roland GO:KEYS both include battery support as well. When you’re playing at home, plug in your keyboard with the included AC adapter. But if you’re out and about (or even outdoors), you can keep the tunes going using AA batteries.
Don’t expect stellar longevity in battery mode, though. Roland estimates you’ll get six hours on rechargeable Ni-MH batteries and just four hours on standard alkaline batteries.
Onboard Speakers
One of the standout features on both the Roland GO:PIANO and the Roland GO:KEYS is the set of included onboard Bluetooth speakers. As you would expect for devices of this type, the speakers will reproduce whatever you play. They will do so at a volume level appropriate for a small to medium room and at a decent sound quality. (These are entry-level devices, after all.)
But that’s not all they can do. In addition to producing normal instrument audio, these speakers can also receive Bluetooth audio from a wide range of sources. This is an unusual and powerful feature. With it, you can stream audio to your device and play along in real time, adding your own melody or layering to the track.
The Bluetooth features here are impressive. You can use a variety of dedicated and third-party music-learning apps, with audio cast to your keyboard itself. With the optional music tray, you can even set an iPad on the rack and watch online educational content as you play. The options for online piano lessons, tutorial videos and even karaoke are nearly endless.
Features Unique to GO:KEYS
As a music creation device, Roland GO:KEYS has a number of features that Roland GO:PIANO lacks. We’ll list this assortment of features in this final section.
Parts
Record tracks with up to 16 parts—eight recorded live off your keyboard and eight from Loop Mix.
Loop Mix
With 22 sets and 1,232 total patterns, use the interactive chord function within Loop Mix to create dynamic musical patterns and loops— no theory required!
Performance Pads
Look at your average Roland keyboard, and you’ll see all sorts of controls and inputs other than the keyboard deck. Here on the Roland Go Keys, you’ll find a 2x5 grid of performance pads. Assign a variety of functions, including pitch bend, modulation, and roll and filter effects.
Roland GO:PIANO vs. GO:KEYS: Which One Should You Get?
So, now that you know the main differences between the Roland GO:KEYS and the Roland GO:PIANO families of instruments, which Roland keyboard should you get?
If you have little or no interest in producing music but just want to learn how to play the piano, the Roland GO:PIANO is right for you. This is especially true if you want a full 88-key keyboard experience, since only the GO:PIANO has an 88-key model.
On the other hand, if you’re more interested in creating interesting sounds, beats and arrangements and less concerned with the full classical piano experience, we recommend the Roland GO:KEYS for you. There are many more features and sounds here to explore.
Whichever you choose, you’ll be getting a solid entry-level Roland keyboard, one that will allow you to make fantastic progress in your piano or keyboard journey.
Check the current prices on Amazon for the Roland GO:PIANO Digital Piano.
Check the current prices on Amazon for the Roland GO:KEYS Digital Keyboard