Got to disagree at least PARTIALLY with you, Ian. Yes, I think that Yamaha and Korg's acoustic guitars in the style section come close to the Audya, have FAR better flexibility and editability, etc. (mind you, I think some of their electric rock and blues guitars have the edge with the Audya) but I'll still give the Audya the edge based on sound alone.

But in the drums and bass, as much as I like my G70, I'm afraid I have to give the nod to the SOUND of the Audya. Hi-hats are better (no more closed, half open, open fixed samples), snare has more variation in strike tone, toms are better, and the percussion... that is to die for compared to a G70..! Bass has a lot more nuance, great round sound (I never liked my G70's bass sound until I got the SRX-07 for it). I think as one of the MOST fervent G70 evangelists here, I can speak pretty much from experience...

BUT.... My reservations about being able to EDIT those styles, change a rock kit to a brush kit with one button, change a steel guitar to a nylon one still stand. I think that one of Ketron's strengths is not necessarily the machine itself, but a lot to do with the quality of their style programmers. Combine great audio drums, percussion, bass and guitar with well crafted and balanced styles, and you have a winner. IF... you are prepared to leave things where they are.

Me, I'm more of a 'tweaker'. Makeup/Cover Tools is the ONE feature feature anyone with ANYTHING other than a Roland (and even the GW8 crowd ought to want it, too) ought to be screaming for at the top of their lungs! Instant revoicing from any genre of instruments to any other, then stupid easy fine tuning from that point onwards. It TRIPLES your style selection, because any style can easily be made to sound completely different with the most minuscule of efforts.

Which is all most arranger users (me included!) generally have time or smarts for

But the SOUND of the Audya has amazing possibilities. We haven't yet got the promised user loop capabilities yet, which will open up a vast area of new sound (can't wait to hear some decent hiphop or techno using those), it has a REAL arpeggiator (something we've been screaming for for years, at least the younger players here ), key triggered loops, and many things no-one is excited about in the least... but are quite revolutionary by arranger standards. It's not as if Live drums and guitars are the ONLY thing the Audya got going for it.

I have to admit, Ian, if it weren't so stupidly bloody expensive, I'd go for one in a flash. Not sure if it could REPLACE my G70, as I tend to love that as much or more for its' live band flexibility rather than as an out and out arranger, but the Audya would possibly end up being my favorite arranger for the live drums... warts and all.