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If you have always wanted a grand piano but have never had the require space to house one, Roland has come up with the solution in the shape of the GP-3, an “ultra-compact” model that you can actually fit in your living room.

However, we want to make clear that this is very much a digital instrument, so you are not going to get all the sonic benefits of owning an acoustic grand, but it does have a lid that you can lift up.

In addition, the GP-3 is the tiny grand that Roland says it is. From front to back, it measures less than 70cm. It is also a nice looking piano, coming with a slick gloss black finish.

Under the hood, Roland has used what it calls an “advanced sound engine”, and the 88-note hammer-action keyboard promises an authentic grand piano touch, complete with ivory-like feel. Additionally, there are sustain, soft and sostenuto pedals with support for half-pedal techniques, while the stereo speaker system delivers an immersive sound.

There are some clear benefits to the GP-3 being digital, example – Bluetooth audio/MIDI connectivity and compatibility with the Roland Piano App. Other features include a metronome, recorder and dual headphone jacks, and unlike with an acoustic grand, you will never have to pay for the GP-3 to be maintained.

Roland has not mentioned on the price and release date for the Roland GP-3. In the meantime, check it out on the Roland website.

Donner is back with the DDP-200, another classy-looking digital piano

The slimline wooden instrument promises a great piano tone and authentic keyboard.

Donner is getting on a bit of a roll with its digital piano releases. Having already released the stylish DDP-80 this year, it is back with the slightly more stately DDP-200, another slimline wooden instrument that is designed for the entry-level player.

The company is claiming it has a sampling engine that “perfectly reproduces” the sound of an acoustic grand piano. This is played from a dual-sensor 88-note keyboard that promises to recreate the touch and feel of an acoustic piano, as well.

“The patented Donner Grand Hammer action technology utilises a more accurate dual-sensor key detection system for enhanced playing realism,” said Rui Lin, product manager of Donner’s Keys and Percussion Division. “Unlike common two sensor keyboard actions found in many of today’s digital pianos, the DGH technology developed by Donner makes quick key repetition more reliable.”

Other features include a hanging speaker system that’s designed to produce a 3D sound and reduce the DDP-200’s footprint. There’s also a clamshell lid, a music stand and a 1.3-inch LCD screen.

This is used to display both your currently selected tone – choices include Grand Piano, Stage Piano, AMB Piano, Strings, Slow Strings and Organ – and the five reverb effects. There’s both USB and Bluetooth MIDI connectivity, as well as audio outputs.

The Donner DDP-200 is available now priced at $1,000/£839. Find out more on the Donner website.

Robert Glasper becomes Rhodes ambassador: watch him playing Donny Hathaway’s Valdez in the Country on the new MK8 electric piano

Fresh from signing up James Blake as its first ambassador, Rhodes has now confirmed genre-crossing jazz-centric keyboard player Robert Glasper as its debut US endorsee.

Robert Glasper is a long-time fan of Rhodes pianos, and is currently playing the new MK8  nightly during his month-long ‘Robtober’ residency at famed New York jazz venue The Blue Note.

The 52-show run will feature performances from the likes of Yasiin Bey, Lalah Hathaway, Terrace Martin, Alex Isley and many more.

In celebration of the new partnership, Rhodes has released exclusive footage of Glasper performing Donny Hathaway’s Valdez in the Country at The Blue Note, with Terrace Martin joining him on saxophone.

Written in the ‘60s, Valdez in the Country was first recorded under the name Patty Cake by King Curtis and the Kingpins, with Hathaway including his own version on seminal 1973 album Extension of a Man.

The track has since been covered numerous times, including by George Benson, for his 1977 album, In Flight.

While at Rhodes HQ, the company’s Chief Electronics Engineer Cyril Lance is hard at work finalising the VCA and Bucket Brigade effects for the MK8-FX piano model.

Cyril Lance is a Moog Music alumni and was instrumental in the development of the classic Moogerfooger series of analogue effect pedals (which, incidentally, Moog has just brought back in plugin form). He also worked on the Little Phatty, Moog One, Sub-37, Grandmother, Matriarch and Sirin.

A demo of the MK8-FX is in the works, and should be shared with the world soon.