I have never got it clear just how many fills,intros,endings,and variations are on these boards. I only see one fill button and one variation button,but I suspect that there are more selected from the screen?
Also,are there any simple endings or intros? Is there a "Break"function? While I'm asking, what are the differences between VA5 and VA7 besides variphrase?Thanks for the info guys, I'm STILL searching for an arranger!
Bill

Bill,
the VA series have 4 different size variations. That means that for the button called original there are 4 variations and for the button called advanced there are 4 variations. There are different intros and endings depending on which one of the 4 variations you are using. Did I say this well you VA users out there?
As to the difference between the two, the VA7 has a zip drive and a floppy drive where the VA5 only has a floppy drive. To get the whole 533 extra style library, you have to get the VA7 because they only give you about 60 extra styles on the two floppy disks that come with the VA5. The other valuable thing which you can do with the zip is to load hundred of songs on the zip which can be recalled and played immediately while another song is playing. There is also a Ribbon controller on the VA7 which is another way to get modulation, pitch bend, etc. besides the mod wheel and the pitch bend wheel. Also, now that all my VA7's come with version 2 software, you get 4 voices which can be split or layered compared to just 2 upper and 1 lower on the VA5 so you can have 4 voices layered over the whole keyboard on the VA7 and only 2 on the VA5. The variphrase is another difference and now on Ver.2 you can have a variphrase voice play as a lower voice sound so that as you play styles on the left hand you can add real voice phrases with the style. You couldn't do this on the original version of the VA7.
Those are the only differences except to say that at my current selling price, the VA7 is a very good value keyboard.
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene

Bill,
re. the fill button: yes, it is true that the VA 7 has only one button, but it works this way: if you press it once it will play a fill and go from one mode to another (basic to advanced and viceversa), while if you press it twice it will play a fill and stay in the same mode (basic or advanced).
Greetings
Andrea

Thanks George and Andrea,you guys are great---so one last thing! Are any of the intros simple count -ins and are any of the endings just a fill-and-hit?any break type fills? I guess that i'm wanting Yamaha operation without Yamaha sound!

VA7 intros and endings are rather complex; I too wish there was the possibility to choose between "normal" and "simple" intros or endings. I remember that with the Pro E Roland came out with a card with some "basic" styles with just a count-in as an intro. With the VA7 all you can do is program the keyboard to play a one- or two-beat intro with just a click and then go straight into the basic pattern without any intro, but that's all. With the endings the situation is even worse and you haven't the possibility to press the fade-out button either. Same for the break-button. To me this is one of the biggest drawbacks of the VA7 and hope that Roland finds a fix with the next OS.