Hi all

I have been "lurking" these pages for quite some time now, finding a lot of information and good spirited people. This is my first post, and I really wish the topic would sound different.

My name is Kim Brandt, I live in Denmark, I'm a journalist and a musician in my spare time.

I have had Roland gear for ages - the last keyboard was a G-1000, that I bought in 1998. I have waited and waited patiently for the next "Super-keyboard" to appear, and I truly thought it was going to be the G-70.

I recieved my unit on December 17th and have been playing, investigating, trying out styles, sounds and effects since.

I have spend more than 40+ hours with it, and here's the bottom line:

Tomorrow the G-70 is going back to the store and I'm bying a Tyros instead. I'll tell you why:

Overall, in my opinion, the sound is too "gritty", the bass is not defined but boomy and annoying, many samples are not fine-tuned (some even sound like they are not in tune!) the balance between styles and lead-sounds are completely off, the one-touch settings is a joke. Most 95 percent of the suggested settings in Music Assist is of little or no help, as the programmers apparently were tone-deaf or in a hurry.

Granted, a lot of these settings can be adjusted to taste, but even after programming for many hours I was not able to find anything truly satisfying. I never once had a WOW-feeling. And believe me, I REALLY wanted to, being a Roland fan for many years.

The good parts are, in my opinion:
Great keys, great feel - the unit is solid as a rock. The new touch-screen and navigating system work like a charm, very easy for G-1000/VA-7/76 users to find your way and the data storage facility and USB-port work great.

However, my audience could care less about keys and operating system. They want good sounds and a solid perfomance.

I'm sad to say, that I don't think the G-70 can deliever. At least not without a lot more patience and struggle that I'm willing
to put in. Believe me, I really, really wanted this keyboard to be my next partner for the years to come.

On december 30th a had a chance to get my hands on a Tyros. Within a few hours I was blown away by the sound and transparency from this little keyboard. The styles have all the nuances and musicallity that Roland just don't have.

Granted, it takes some time to get used to the smaller and fewer keys - and some sounds seem a little thin and whimsy in the higher notes, but overall - it makes me want to play all the time: Every single style has something to offer. The inspiration just seem to be pouring out from every crack of this keyboard. In short: It blows away the G-70, and for that reason I'm saying goodbye to Roland and hello to Yamaha.

Important note: The above is based solely on my opinion and ears (also my wife and kids, who even said they liked the piano sound better on the Tyros). Other folk may very well feel different or want something else than me.

Best wishes for the new year,

Kim Brandt
Denmark