Roland V-Combo VR-730 review
The Roland V-Combo VR-730 is a live performance keyboard, so it is geared toward those who are currently performing and those who aspire to someday take their keyboard skills to the stage.
In this article, we will take a look at the Roland V-Combo VR-730’s features and compare this Roland keyboard to three other keyboards before determining which of these keyboards reigns supreme.
And to better help you, please take a moment to view the interactive table below, which allows you to directly compare the Roland V-Combo to other notable digital keyboards on the market.
[
| Photo | Model |
|---|---|
 | Roland RD-88 |
 | Nord Stage 3 |
 | Casio PX5S |
 | Nord Piano 5 |
 | Yamaha YC88 |
 | Nord Grand |
 | Casio PX-560 |
How Much Does the Roland V-Combo VR-730 Cost?
This Roland digital stage piano is currently available for $1,499.99.
How Many Keys Does This Keyboard Have?
The Roland V-Combo VR-730 has 73 keys. While this Roland digital piano does not offer the full 88-key keyboard of an acoustic piano, 73 keys is enough to play tons of songs. Still, if you are mostly looking for something to practice playing the piano on, it would be best to go for a digital piano that offers a full keyboard.
Below, please take a moment to view some of the best selling digital pianos and keyboards online (and see how they compare to the Roland V-Combo VR-730, as well):
| BEST SELLERS |
|---|
| 1) Casio PX-770 |
| 2) Yamaha YDP-145 |
| 3) Roland RP-701 |
| 4) Yamaha YDP-165 |
| 5) Casio PX-870 |
What Is the Roland V-Combo VR-730’s Keyboard Like?
The Roland V-Combo VR-730’s keys were created in the waterfall style. Basically this means that the keys do not have any protruding edges; instead, they are shaped like the keys of the iconic Hammond B3 organ. Waterfall keys lend themselves well to organ-style playing and to glissandos because there are not any sharp edges for players’ hands to get caught on.
Learn more about waterfall keys here.
The keys on this keyboard are also semi-weighted, so they have more weight than non-weighted keys but are way lighter than the hammer action keys that you can find on many digital pianos and all acoustic pianos.
It is certainly possible for you to teach yourself how to play the piano on a semi-weighted keyboard, but it is best to practice on a weighted hammer action keyboard. Practicing on a weighted hammer action keyboard helps you to develop the proper finger technique, which makes the transition to playing on an acoustic piano smoother.
A semi-weighted keyboard like the Roland V-Combo VR-730 is best for those who have already developed the proper technique and who can move from semi-weighted to weighted keyboards with ease.
How Many Sounds Does This Keyboard Come With?
The Roland V-Combo VR-730 comes with an impressive 268 sounds. Although this keyboard offers a variety of sounds, each individual sound is expertly crafted.
The Roland V-Combo VR-730 comes with lots of acoustic piano and electric piano sounds that you can use as you teach yourself how to play the piano or use as the foundation of your sound onstage.
The keyboard’s Virtual Tone Wheel organ engine houses very powerful organ sounds that emulate the sounds of some of the most iconic organs ever created. These organ voices can be used in a variety of genres, like pop, rock, jazz, and gospel.
This Roland digital piano also comes with loads of synth sounds. Roland has made some very recognizable synths over the years, like the Roland Juno. The Roland V-Combo VR-730 comes with sounds from the Roland Juno and Roland Jupiter as well as other vintage synth sounds.
The keyboard also holds more modern-sounding synth sounds. The synth sounds are organized into categories like lead, bass, pad, and strings. These categories make it easy for you to find the sounds that you need quickly, which is especially important in a live setting.
What’s more, the Roland V-Combo VR-730’s sound library can be expanded with sounds from Roland’s Axial website. Check out the Axial site here.
How Many Effects Does the Roland V-Combo VR-730 Come With?
The Roland V-Combo VR-730 comes with the following six effects:
- delay
- reverb
- overdrive
- chorus
- vibrato
- rotary
Delay creates an echo effect by delaying the time in which the keys you press sound out their pitches. Reverb helps you to make your playing sound either more distant or closer by letting you choose room sizes like concert hall or small studio. Overdrive is sort of like a mild distortion, and this effect makes your sound a bit crunchier.Chorus makes it sound like more than one of the same instrument is playing whatever you are playing, which makes it sound like a chorus of instruments is playing together.
Vibrato modulates the pitch of your playing, which can make the notes you play sound richer and stronger. Finally, rotary replicates the spread of sound that is created by a pipe organ; this effect was designed for organ sounds, so it works especially well with the Roland V-Combo VR-730’s organ section.
What Else Should I Know About the Roland V-Combo VR-730?
The Roland V-Combo VR-730 has 128-note polyphony, which should be more than enough to play whatever you need to play while layering multiple effects onto your playing.
You can download a free iPad app to customize this digital piano’s organ and synth sounds. Also, you can connect your iPad to the Roland V-Combo VR-730 via Roland Wireless Connect or with a USB cable to control your organ and synth sounds onstage. This feature makes it really easy to access and customize your sounds quickly so that you can perform without difficulty.
This Roland digital piano’s weight is also well-suited to its being transported from gig to gig. The Roland V-Combo VR-730 weighs only 21 pounds, so you can easily lug it around to all of your performances.
Roland VR-09B vs Roland V-Combo VR-730
The Roland VR-09B is currently priced at $999, so it is a bit less expensive than the V-Combo VR-730.
The VR-09B has 61 keys, so its range is a little smaller than that of the V-Combo VR-730. Still, the VR-09B comes with 245 sounds, so its sound offering is pretty comparable to that of the pricier Roland model; also, the Roland VR-09B gives you access to the Roland Axial website, so you can customize your sound library just as you can on the Roland V-Combo VR-730.
If you know that you only need 61 keys for your performances, the Roland VR-09B might be more suitable to your needs than the V-Combo VR-730. Both keyboards are geared toward live performance, so it really just comes down to your sound needs, your key-range needs, and your budget.
Hammond SK1 vs Roland V-Combo VR-730
The Hammond SK1 goes for $1,895, so it’ll set you back quite a bit more than both the Roland V-Combo VR-730 and the Roland VR-09B.
This keyboard is more like a digital organ than a digital piano, and it offers only 61 keys and 61-note polyphony. The Hammond SK1 comes with 100 sounds and most of them are organ sounds. If you know you need more a more varied sound bank, the Hammond SK1 is not the best choice for you. However, if you plan to draw heavily on organ sounds for your performances and songwriting sessions, the Hammond SK1 will definitely prove to be an asset to you.
Nord Electro 6D vs Roland V-Combo VR-730
The Nord Electro 6D is available as a 61-key and a 73-key model. The 61-key model costs $2,199, and the 73-key model costs $2,499, so this Nord keyboard is considerably more expensive than the Roland V-Combo VR-730.
The Nord Electro 6D has 120-note polyphony for its piano sounds and 34-note polyphony for its synth sounds. Like the Roland V-Combo VR-730, the Nord Electro 6D was created with stage performance in mind, so this amount of polyphony will most likely be adequate for your stage performances.
The sounds on the Nord Electro 6D are organized into three sections: an organ, piano, and sample synth section. One of the coolest features of this Nord digital piano is its capability to layer sounds from all three sections together. Many digital pianos only allow you to layer two sounds together; with the Nord Electro 6D however, you can layer three or more sounds to create a really interesting soundscape.
This keyboard comes with 400 sound presets, and you can customize its sound library by deleting sounds and adding new ones from the Nord Piano Library and the Nord Sample Library. Both of these libraries are completely free for Nord owners. Learn more about the Nord libraries here.
Which of These Keyboards Is the Best?
The Roland V-Combo VR-730 is the best of the keyboards listed here, and it earns 4 out of 5 stars. This Roland digital piano comes with lots of sounds, lots of effects, and more than enough polyphony to ensure that your musical creations always sound like you intend them to.
None of the keyboards here offer a full 88-key keyboard, but the Nord Electro 6D and the Roland V-Combo VR-730 come closest with 73 keys. Of course if you’re trying to learn how to play the piano, playing on a full keyboard is your best bet. If that isn’t possible, the 73-key Roland V-Combo VR-730 is a close second.
Although the Roland V-Combo VR-730 is not necessarily the best digital piano to teach yourself how to play the piano on, it is a better option than many of the digital pianos out there, particularly those with 61 keys.
The Roland VR-09B is very comparable to the Roland and is a bit cheaper. The VR-09B only has 61 keys, however, so it is even less suited for beginner piano players. If you are looking for something to use for live performances, both of these Roland models are great options. Still, I would go with the Roland V-Combo VR-730 unless I were absolutely sure that I would not need anything beyond the VR-09B’s 61-key range for my performances.
The Roland V-Combo VR-730 also comes with a few more sounds than the Roland VR-09B does. As such, you have access to a greater variety of sounds as soon as you unbox your digital piano, and you can add more from the Roland Axial website’s library.
This Roland digital piano is also super portable, which is incredibly helpful for solo acts. If there’s no one around to help you carry your equipment, it is important to make your gear set up as easy and painless as possible. The Roland V-Combo VR-730 weighs just 21 pounds, so you don’t have to worry about finding someone in the venue to help you carry your keyboard to the stage.
The Roland V-Combo VR-730 is an incredibly powerful, valuable instrument. This keyboard gives you all of the tools you need to create a commanding stage presence and bring your musical creations to audiences every night. With the Roland V-Combo VR-730 at your fingertips, you can expect a spectacular performance every time.
If you enjoyed this article, please “like us” on Facebook!
