I just received my first shipment of the Roland GW-7 Workstation.
First let me give you some of the specifications:
61 keys, no speakers, 11 lbs., 64 voice polyphony, 32MB wave memory, 606 tones +256 GM2, 51 drum kits + 9 GM2, 128 user tone memory, 16 user drum kit memory, 32 performance memory, 47 multi effects, 8 reverbs, 8 chorus, 110 preset styles, 99 user styles ( loaded via USB ), 99 user song memory, 16 track sequencer with 4 modes (ALL, Keyboard, Single, Punch In/Out).

This keyboard looks great. It has a silver case with a brush darker gray section around the buttons which has a very expensive look. It is very easy to use and has a section called "analog modify" knobs which allow you to edit the sounds and then store them. There is also a deeper editing area which can edit more parameters.

The GW-7 sounds great. It has many of the VA7 sounds. The Piano, Sax sounds, Brass, actually everything sounds really good.

The styles are so much better than anything I've heard from Roland except the new G70. More ballads, more latin, not as much Rock, great Jazz and Big band. You cannot make your own styles or edit the presets, but you can load styles from all Roland products into the user memory via USB connection and a computer. This is very handy.

For those needing ethnic styles and sounds this model has lots to offer. There are world styles from the middle east, indi, china, Korea and middle eastern, indian, asia, latin drum sets.

Programmable tunning can be saved to perfomances.

For each style there are two variations a fill in button and inro and ending. Each style can be played back as "drum and bass", Combo, or Full band type. There is a TAP tempo button, syncro start button.

The Roland D Beam controller is built in.

Midi In and Out, USB, Control and Hold jacks on the rear, 1/4" left and right outputs, phone are all on the rear.

So, what do I think? Amazing keyboard for $695.00 MAP. Retail price is $795.00. I would expect this GW-7 to be more expensive given how good in sounds and having a very capable 16 track sequencer. I like this keyboard alot more than the EXR series and I think you will too!

George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California
818-881-5566