Roland V-Stage, new stage keyboards with four instrument layers

NAMM 2025: Roland V-Stage is a new stage keyboard lineup with four flexible sound engines (acoustic piano, electric piano, organ, and ZEN-Core synths).

The doors of NAMM 2025 officially open in two days. Many companies are already announcing or releasing new products. In the Synthesizer area, it currently looks like we will see many new large-stage keyboards at NAMM, such as the new Korg Kronos, Viscount Legend One, Nord Piano 6, or Nord Organ 3.

This impression is reinforced by the new Roland release. At NAMM 2025, Roland introduces the V-Stage, a new line of professional stage keyboards. 

Roland V-Stage

With the V-Stage, Roland is entering the stage keyboard market for the first time. Visually, in red and black, you might think: Is Roland now going Nord Stage path? It looks like.

There are two Roland V-Stage versions. The V-Stage 76 features a newly developed 76-note semi-weighted waterfall keyboard for a traditional organ feel and inspiring synth playability. The V-Stage 88 offers an 88-note weighted keyboard with hammer action, escapement, and Ivory Feel keys.

Both have distinct keyboard configurations but do not differ in the engine. Roland says the new V-Stage stage keyboards are driven by four independent sound engines (piano, e-piano, organ, and synth) with the latest behavior and sound technologies.

Each sound engine has a discrete section with a handful of hardware parameters, including organ drawbars, that can be used to edit the sounds. In the middle, a display also gives an overview of the patches, etc.

4 Sound Engines 

The Acoustic Piano section offers V-Piano technology-powered pianos, including two concert grands, an upright piano, and a new felt-treated model with a unique velvety sound.

Every note reveals authentic acoustic detail and rich tonal depth, realized through an exquisitely modeled system of virtual string behaviors, soundboard materials, and hammer construction.

Alongside the acoustic pianos, it hosts a newly developed Electric Piano engine with tine, reed, digital piano, and clavinet instruments. Roland creates these sounds using the latest SuperNATURAL engine advancement.

Tremolo, amp simulator, and curated MFX processing are within easy reach, along with a powerful Sound Lift knob for cutting through dense band mixes.

A powerful organ engine is also part of the sound engine. It has a three-layer console organ powered by the latest generation of Roland’s renowned Virtual Tone Wheel tech, two classic transistor models, and a pipe organ.

Harmonic bars and percussion controls provide an authentic organ experience, complemented by overdrive, vibrato/chorus, and a rotary speaker effect with variable speed, brake control, and mic positioning.

The fourth and last engine is the Synthesizer part. Like many other recent Roland Synthesizers, it uses the ZEN-Core engine with over 400 ready-to-use onboard tones. You can work with two simultaneous parts, each tweakable with fast sound shaping parameters: attack, release, filter, and other controls.

V-STAGE also supports ZEN-Core patch and sound options on Roland Cloud, providing an ever-expanding palette of inspiration. Every Roland V-Stage includes four Modal Expansions: SH-101, JX-8P, Jupiter-8, and Juno-106.  

Effects & Scene Memories

The new Roland V-Stage also offers a powerful multi-FX processor with 93 types (seven reverb types) from the Roland library, a Master section with EQ and compression to fine-tune the overall output for different venues, and a performance-optimized Scene system. 

Using 512 Scene memories and the Scene Chain function, players can save complete keyboard setups and rapidly access them while performing on stage.

Connectivity

V-STAGE offers versatile balanced output connectivity options to cover any playing situation. There’s also an XLR microphone and stereo line input for mixing in an external instrument. Plus, you can find four pedal inputs (three control ins + hold) 

A highlight is the class-compliant USB-C port. In addition to the classic MIDI functionality, the USB-C port also acts as an audio interface. So you can connect it to a Mac/PC or iOS/Android and send audio directly to DAWs, etc., or to camera apps to record jams. Also neat are two USB host ports for external gear. 

Roland V-Stage First Impression

At first glance, it is a solid stage keyboard. Roland wants to compete with the best-selling Nord Stage, and I think they have created an interesting product here. This new lineup is for studio and live players who want quick access to high-quality sounds without delving into programming. 

If you need more sound design freedom, I recommend the Roland Fantom EX, which is in the same price range and gives you all the V-Stage’s missing synthesis and sampling power. 

The Roland V-STAGE is available in the U.S. starting in January at $3499.99/ 3499€/£3,027 (V-STAGE 76) and $3,999.99/3999€/£3,459 (V-STAGE 88).