Roland A-88MKII

The reason to buy it, and the strongest point of agreement. The 88-note PHA-4 Standard action — graded/progressive hammer weighting (heavier low, lighter high), escapement about halfway down the key, ivory-feel keytops and 3-sensor detection with six velocity curves — is repeatedly called among the best playing feel available on any MIDI controller, close to a real acoustic grand and a clear step above typical Fatar-actioned rivals. The nits are small: there's no aftertouch (it transmits release velocity instead), and one reviewer found the keys a shade soft at the very bottom of the travel. For pianists this is the headline feature; for fast synth-style playing it's still capable but obviously heavier than a sprung synth action.

“for piano and general duties the action is excellent: there's little out there that's better”

Robin Bigwood · Sound On Sound

“the piano action is class-leading at this price point”

Computer Music · MusicRadar

“You will not find a better keybed on a MIDI controller in this price range.”

u/wchris63 · r/midi

A capable secondary feature rather than a finger-drumming centerpiece. Eight RGB-illuminated, velocity-sensitive pads sit in the left pod and can be assigned per bank to Note (with touch pressure), CC (momentary or latching) or Program Change, across 16 banks — enough to double as mini drum triggers, keyswitches, or transport/command buttons, and note pads can fire chords of up to four notes. They're a genuine bonus on a piano-focused board; just don't expect the size or MPC-grade feel of a dedicated pad controller.

“it's nice that the eight buttons/pads are velocity sensitive, so can be used as mini drum triggers”

Robin Bigwood · Sound On Sound

“The pads operate in three modes – Program Change, CC and Note – and are arranged as 16 banks”

Computer Music · MusicRadar

“Pad assignment may be set to program change or MIDI CC, as well as MIDI notes, which will prove useful in keyswitching environments.”

Dave Gale · MusicTech

The marquee disagreement, and it tracks a real preference split. The control set itself — eight RGB-lit assignable knobs (standard-travel pots, not endless encoders), two assignable buttons, octave/transpose and velocity-curve keys, plus the pads — is functional and the panel is easy to grasp. But Roland places the entire pod, and a single combined pitch/modulation bender, far to the LEFT of the 88 keys, with no separate mod wheel and no faders. One camp reads that as pleasingly streamlined; the other finds it ergonomically awkward (the bender is remote when soloing high, and the labels are hard to read from a central playing position) and wishes for wheels and faders. Which camp you land in is largely about whether you want a minimalist master keyboard or a hands-on control surface.

A flexible, plug-and-play master keyboard rather than a DAW control surface. It's class-compliant over USB (Windows/macOS/iOS, with an optional Roland Advanced driver), so it just works with no setup — a real plus for anyone who's fought proprietary controller software. Onboard it offers three keyboard zones for splits and layers across DIN and USB destinations, an arpeggiator, chord memory, and eight snapshot memories, with a macOS/Windows control app for deeper mapping. The limit: there's no deep DAW auto-mapping or Mackie/HUI mixer and transport control, so for tight software integration (Native Instruments-style) a proprietary controller does more.

“Its onboard arpeggiator, and chord memory and zoning capabilities make it something of a workhorse, able to perform well on the stage and under the lights or as a studio-bound master controller.”

Dave Gale · MusicTech

“going for the kind of tight software integration (I'm thinking Native Instruments) for which only a proprietary controller will be suitable”

Robin Bigwood · Sound On Sound

A capable configuration app, but no creative bundle. The A-88Mk2 Control app (macOS/Windows) is well regarded for how much it packs in — mapping knob/pad/pedal CCs (including min/max and inverse polarity), per-zone layers and overlaps, pad colours, and full setting backups — and it's the only way to reach some of that depth. What's absent is what rivals such as Arturia and Native Instruments lean on: there's no bundled DAW, synth or sample content, so the value case rests on the hardware, not the box of software.

“cramming a huge amount of functionality into a 300x400 pixel window”

Robin Bigwood · Sound On Sound

“The illuminated pads and pots can be programmed from the MKII's performance controls section or via an intuitive app available for macOS and Windows.”

Dave Gale · MusicTech

A real strength, and increasingly rare at this size. Alongside a class-compliant USB-C port (data plus bus power), it keeps proper 5-pin DIN MIDI In AND Out, so it can drive outboard synths and run as a standalone master keyboard — not just a computer accessory. Three quarter-inch pedal jacks (Damper, FC1, FC2) take switch or expression pedals in any socket, and a DP-10 damper pedal plus both USB-C-to-C and USB-C-to-A cables are in the box. The catches: no CV/gate, and USB bus power works from a computer port but not a USB mains adapter, so hardware-only players need Roland's optional PSB-1U to run it without a computer.

“It has one USBC connector, MIDI in and out.”

Computer Music · MusicRadar

“there's 5-pin DIN MIDI Out and In”

Robin Bigwood · Sound On Sound

“USB powering appears to be restricted to computer ports only, not USB mains adapters.”

Robin Bigwood · Sound On Sound

About as manageable as a weighted 88 gets, which is still a two-hands object. At roughly 16.3 kg it's not unreasonably heavy for a hammer-action board, and Roland made it deliberately shallow (274 mm) and low, with squared edges that sit flush against a desk — reviewers single out the compact footprint. But it's still 1.44 m wide, so it's a fixed desk or stage instrument, not something you sling in a bag; USB bus power at least keeps cabling simple.

“the MKII is relatively shallow and lightweight at just 274mm deep and about 16kg”

Dave Gale · MusicTech

“Being less than 28cm deep it feels quite manageable to lift and lug about, but the design, which has all the controls to the left of the 88-note keyboard, makes it long, at 143cm.”

Robin Bigwood · Sound On Sound

Solid and dependable, in mostly plastic clothing. Reviewers describe a robust product whose casing carries a subtle mottled finish that mimics metal, and a long-term owner reports it staying rugged and reliable after two years of daily use. The one honest caveat comes from a close inspection: the plastic end caps look a touch vulnerable and don't quite sit flush with the body — a minor cosmetic wobble on an otherwise sturdy chassis Roland markets as built to last.

“impressive build quality and assured touch lending itself to live and studio environments”

Dave Gale · MusicTech

“the plastic caps that cover each end, much wider on the left than the right, do look a touch vulnerable, with leading edges that don't quite fit flush with the main body”

Robin Bigwood · Sound On Sound

“Dependable and rugged build quality”

John Mike

The second genuinely contested axis. At around $999 the A-88MKII is priced like a stage piano but makes no sound of its own, and it lacks aftertouch, faders and a mod wheel — so the value verdict depends on what you weigh. One camp says the class-leading keybed, connectivity, build and MIDI 2.0 future-proofing justify the outlay and put it at the top of the 88-key controller list. The other points out that for similar money a digital piano (a Roland FP-series or a Kawai) gives you the same-or-better action PLUS onboard sounds and can still act as a controller — making a keys-only board a hard sell unless you specifically want a pure master keyboard. The middling Amazon owner score fits a product that delights its intended buyer and frustrates those expecting more for the price.