What $900 arrangers CAN record their own styles? I was under the impression that Yamaha needed software...

Plus, you've got to take into consideration that anyone looking to only spend $900 or less isn't probably the power user that WOULD do much with making their own styles. I would be willing to bet that 99% of all GW-8 buyers never have made a user style in their life on anything else... why would they start now?

At least (particularly as it is marketed to WS users, who are probably less computer-phobic than most arranger users) there IS a software route to your own styles... Personally, I would always prefer to be able to record and assemble the parts in a computer, with it's vastly superior editing and display, than have to work under the confines of the tiny displays built-in to our arrangers.

But to dismiss a product in this price range for missing something that even the market leader (especially in this price range) doesn't even have without software support seems shortsighted. It's $500 cheaper than an E50, has twice the polyphony, audio playback capability, and possibly better sounds.

Not too shabby...