LOL... nothing wrong with the BK-9. In fact, it's got a few things nothing else does. Admittedly, they are a bit advanced or not in line what most of the more senior players tend to think as good for more 'oldies' music, but it is a very good arranger at the price point.

In fact, right now, the MOTL arranger segment is quite frankly the more interesting than the TOTL, which dwindles yearly.

For starters, street price puts it almost $1500 less than the G70, new, so it definitely fits the MOTL description. It compares in many ways far closer to the E60 than the G70. No speakers (which keeps its weight down to that svelte 20 lbs), but the same no aftertouch, 2UPR/1LWR/MBASS Parts (rather than the 3UPR/2LWR/MBASS on the G70), and lacks the touch screen, although iPad apps return much of the convenience of the touch screen, and no VH (although theres an XLR mike in with phantom and a dedicated vocal reverb - barebones but functional).

But from the G70, it gets a (much improved) Hammond sim, easily one of the best in any keyboard, let alone an arranger, and then a vastly improved soundset, adding Roland's version of SA voices for the first time, the return of the Chord Sequencer (yay!) and the addition of MP3/WAV/AIFF playback of backing tracks, and the ability to put your OWN audio loops up on either the top 7 keys (making it a sort of 61 if you discount the bottom end!) or on the switches on the FC-7 footswitch unit. Oh, and FIVE different Insert Effects (MFX), with two for the KBD Parts and three just for the style/SMF section..! G70 had one (and a kluge where you could use the MFX for the audio ins to effect any Part by patching it in).

All in all, it's quite a unique product in the arranger market, an inexpensive but great feeling 76 (only one of its kind), light weight but quite advanced arranger.

Personally, I think its strengths are its amazingly live sounding drums, easily the best in the business if you don't count audio loop arrangers (and I don't because of you inability to edit those!), its great rock, pop and jazz styles, and the ability to add loops, in tempo and key with what you are doing, which opens the door to a sound FAR closer to modern WS's. Add to that the pick of the SuperNatural (Roland's SA section) litter, which for me the standouts are amazingly playable guitar patches, and an incredibly comprehensive and well balanced sound set, it's a worthy successor to the G70, despite some of the little losses.

You all know how fond of my G70 I have been for the eight years or more I have had and used mine, but purely as an ARRANGER, the BK-9 betters it by quite a huge margin (that's why I bought one!). As a live band keyboard, the G70 still holds a slim lead due to the fabulous action and ease of the touchscreen to set everything up on the fly (no WS can come within a mile of it!), but I have yet to try the iPad apps with it, which may very well sway my decision to use it in that context too.

Yes, no SRX slots, but sometime down the pike (hard to tell with Roland's reorganization recently when it will come out, though) there's an expansion area that will probably allow as much extra sound ROM to be added as a single SRX card, which is all the G70 had (the E80 had two slots), so that's a push, too if you discount the wait or choice.

I am having a blast playing mine, the G70 sits gathering dust until I get a live band gig. I think that's all you really need to know!

NOTHING wrong with the BK-9. It's an excellent new arranger in the MOTL market segment, bringing TOTL performance to that segment with few compromises.