In response - I will steal a post from some guy names Tommy Hillbilly on another forum:


- The question still remains - do you want to use it as a sketch pad or as a
full blown sequencer?

People have debated over features in these two tools for the longest and to
some degree, they are comparing apples and oranges.

The Roland PMA-5 never claimed to be a sequencer. It has always claimed
to be a "Personal Music Assistant" Thus the name PMA. Providing song
backing ideas from many "standard" genres In case you want to add a
melody line on top of a chord progression - or a style mode if you want to
create your own backing. This is what I primarily do.

The QY70 is a full blown sequencer and synthesizer. It is essentially an
"Arranger Keyboard In a Box" They took their QY300 idea and QY700 idea
and miniaturized it to "compete" with Rolands PMA - and it really doesn't.

Yamaha took their QY300 and put it in a keyboard that they call the QS300
- which is my workstation of choice - so I am not knocking the concept in
fact I am saying that it is very awesome. (They layout of the QS300
Workstation is a lot easier to understand than that of the "70" and although
it is my workstation of choice and XG compatible like the QY70 I still chose
the Roland because it helps me personally work through rough spots in
songs that I am writing - a matter of preference)

But don't confuse what the two of them do - they are different creatures -
with different purposes.