Roland presents its vision of a digital concert grand piano with the world premiere of the GPX-F1 “Facet” concept

For almost 300 years the piano has enriched our lives, playing a central role in music and culture. The piano has played a major part in Roland’s history too, and since releasing the first all-electronic piano in 1973, we’ve strived to create the best digital pianos using our state-of-the-art technology. All the while, we’ve refined the sound and touch to satisfy the stage and practice needs of world-class pianists. But we also focus on making pianos that look as good as they sound, with a keen interest in exploring the limitations of traditional piano design. So in 2015, we challenged designers from all over the world to tear up the rule book and visualize the piano of the future. Through the Roland Digital Piano Design Awards, entrants were asked to design their ultimate “Concert Grand Piano” and Jong Chan Kim’s “Facet Grand Piano” was awarded the Grand Prize. But that was just the beginning of a remarkable story.

Over the next few years, Roland’s piano design team would often discuss what it would take to turn the vision into reality, leading to deep late-night discussions about form, function and the future. And so in 2019, a small team of engineers decided to bring the Facet concept to life, by building a fully working model that people can actually play. The GPX-F1 Facet makes its world premiere at CES 2020 in Las Vegas, U.S, and is inspired by three core themes: Design, Connectivity and Evolution. The innovative styling of the Facet incorporates evocative crystal-like polyhedrons and a unique ‘floating’ look. It’s equipped with our latest piano modeling sound engine, keyboard, and speaker system - all fully optimized for this one-of-a-kind piano. The Facet also allows seamless access to digital content, online communications and new visual expressions displayed via the piano lid. And the Facet will continue to evolve as a platform that showcases Roland’s vision for the piano’s future.

What could tomorrow’s piano look like?

The Facet’s striking design is based around an imposing body and frame that seemingly floats above the base unit. The piano’s body, legs, frame, and base unit are influenced by polyhedron shapes that occur in nature and the ‘Facet’ name was inspired by the structure of a crystal. The absence of a soundboard further highlights the elegant geometry of this futuristic grand piano.

Designed for ultimate piano experiences

Although the cabinet introduces a unique aesthetic that challenges current perceptions, it also delivers the ultimate piano sound experience to both player and audience. As well as presenting a unique and exciting profile, the angular construction also helps project the ideal sound elements. We optimized the sounds from our latest PureAcoustic Piano Modeling technology and multispeaker Acoustic Projection System to perfectly match the potential of this piano.

The Superior Expression of Sound

The rich, resonant piano sound comes from powerful speakers housed deep within the base. Due to the absence of a conventional sound board, the cabinet sound flows through the outer frame before reflecting onto the piano’s top board, projecting out towards the audience. An array of flat-panel speakers is located within the frame and the base to recreate the sonic resonance typically created by a piano’s frame. The resonators found in the top board further enhance the depth of the sound. Finally, the nearfield speakers project the sounds most likely to be noticed by the player, including dramatic, dynamic overtones and a recreation of the noise the hammers make as they hit an acoustic piano string. The unique cabinet design helps deliver the ideal piano sound to the player, while also providing the perfect listening experience for the audience regardless of their position in the venue.

When is a piano more than just a piano?

The Facet includes several advanced technologies that enrich the enjoyment of the instrument. The large Android-powered screen is built into the music stand, displaying a variety of musical contents such as digital music scores and online video lessons. Roland’s Zenbeats music creation app can be used for composing and creating musical arrangements. Alexa, Amazon’s cloud-based voice service, is also on hand to control the piano just by using your voice. You can even discover new ways of enjoying the piano, as the Facet generates evocative visuals based on how you play, before projecting them onto the piano’s top board via a video projector housed in the base.

What could the piano become in the future?

The Facet exists as a bold metaphor for Roland’s digital piano vision. This piano has been designed to incorporate future breakthroughs in areas including sound source, keyboard, speaker system, entertainment and educational solutions. While we do not have any plans to release the Facet as a production model, we will continue to refine its design language and technologies to influence future generations of Roland pianos. And as this unique instrument evolves, we move closer to finding the ultimate concert grand - a piano freed from traditional conventions to blend appearance, expression and potential in perfect harmony.