Diki,
Nice to see at least you can see the tree from the woods and give credit where credit due
I have a Prelude, and now with OS2 belive me, its not one of the best arrangers in its price range, it is the Best.I do not use the Prelude as a main board but as slave to a PA50.The styles are very good in the main OTB,but with little effort can be made to sound bad or excellent according to ones own taste.In the main the voices are great and realistc,however the editing feture allows a great deal of tweaking and again with a little effort you will arrive at the sound your looking for.
Roland has not done a great deal of promotion on the Prelude which is more exspensive than the GW8 which has reveived a great deal more publisity and many have said its the same board minus speakers,however the Prelude also has lyric display NTA and good MFX controls on both style and voice.You can create a new style from scratch,it has usb computer connection and usb programme load,I say try it before you knock it.I must add I am only a humble home player but over 50 years have owned most Technics,Yamaha,Roland and Korg and know a good buy from a Bad one.
Gilbert.
The Oscar goes to Prelude.

[This message has been edited by gilbert (edited 10-02-2009).]