I'm just curious, but how many regular posters here have NEVER played any of the latest Roland's?

E50/60/80 and G70

They are so hard to find, I have a suspicion more of us than we know have never had the opportunity.

So 'fess up. After nearly four years of the G70 being out, who has STILL never played one?

Diki........additionally you should ask Who has bought one and didn't give it a chance also?

Diki...now you know WHY I play a 10 year old keyboard!

Even that lead I got on the G-70 location is becoming difficult. It will probably go through eventually (the dealer "should be getting them in"), but it's not going smoothly.

I'm getting quite disgusted with Roland these last few years with their marketing strategies...or should I say LACK OF marketing strategies. Then I get more dismayed after I call RolandUS Product Support and am told the exact opposite of the GW-8 capabilities.

I finally located a GW-8 to try. It seems Sam Ash managed to have just one in stock!. Guitar Center will not carry it at all...I get the impression they don't want to handle any arranger over $25!

Anyhow, the SA salesman confirmed what you guys said....it DOES do all those things...pre-sets/performance patches and all, so I'll go and look at that for now until the G-70 comes in. You have the right idea...buy one for short gigs and store it in your backpack and take out your mega-arranger on Holidays only!

It's been about two years now since I played the SD5 and the G-70 version 1 (around the same time). Loved them both, but I couldn't get to try the SD5 a 2nd time and I didn't like the G-70 V1 enough to buy it. Not crazy about the Tyros...I don't like the sound of the drums....and many of the instruments. BUT...this Tyros 3 sounds promising. I liked the rhythm track on Scott's recent recording...and he used the "breaks/fills" well.

Not really a Korg person, but I’m open to listening to the new series.

Donnie...what gives? I though you were a Yammie man through and through!

Lucky

Lucky....nahhh, I use them for what they are, but after a while that compressed Yammy sound & lack of features drives me nuts & makes me yearn for that In Your Face REAL Live band sound

In fairness, it depends where you are.

In Europe in general, and the UK in particular, it is easy to find a dealer with an E-80 on demo. There are two within walking distance of my apartment.

E50
E600
VA7
VA76
E-09
G70

Gave up on all of them

I tried a G70 a few months ago at a Samash. I spent about two hours on going through the styles that would suit me the most and I really didn't like it. I wouldn't have bought one anyway because of the weight.

I had a EM2000 about 8 years ago and G70 reminded if it. I found it to still have that core older sound of Roland (whiny base lines), which made me sell the EM2000 in the first place.

Zuki please elaborate so that others may learn from your experiences.

Well that says it all.

I mostly went through the latin styles within the two hours that I spent with the board. I didn't like the way they sounded and I feel if you have to edit the factory styles to make them sound good, then why bother buying the keyboard.

But I will say that I really want to demo the Roland Gw-8. I heard a demo of a guy playing the Cumbia on youtube and it sounded good & authentic. It sounded like the cumbia on the Ketron X1.

I owned a G70 for about 5 months, I liked it as I did the Psr3000, Tyros2, Korg Pa800 and Korg Pa2xPro. imho, they are all terrific. I like them and hate 'em all at the same time. If my money tree in the backyard hadn't died I would have kept all but the PSR3000.

A couple of things I enjoyed most about the G70, the latin style and the best keybed in the arranger world. I recorded an MP3 of the "Shadow of Your Smile" on the G70, I've yet to own arranger that has the wonderful piano and sax that G70 produced. Nothing has come close, but I haven't demoed the Tyros3 yet, so maybe that could change?? For me buying and selling arrangers is half the fun. At this point I don't have any real allegiance to any brand.

Steve, with all these units so close in technology now the Gap is closing on the mine is better then yours routine.........I think its time people put More effort into improving their chops & letting each player make their Unit sound great because they made it sound that way through their playing ability & knowledge & NOT by the keyboard itself as is perceive day after day when you read these posts. The keyboard means squat if YOU the player doesn't have the talent to do so.

Hi Steve,

You will love the T3's SA2 Saxes, the Breathy Sax and Jazz Sax are incredible.

The "Shadow of Your Smile" would also sound really cool with the new SA2 Clarinets.


Ian

Ian one sound does not make an arranger

Tried the G-70 for about an hour, it sounded OK (not incredible or fantastic), some of the styles were very good, some were not. The key feel, to my deteriorating fingers, felt stiff and spongy. (I like the lighter touch keys.) Then I picked up the keyboard a few inches from the stand and gently sat it back down, then left. It's much too heavy for this old man, even if would have been the best sounding keyboard in the world, which IMO, it was OK at best. I'm confident that seasoned users can tune the keyboard to really sound good, especially for niteclub and wedding work. For me, I'll stick with the lighter boards and lighter touch.

Gary

Of course not Donny...that's why I named at least three.

Actually, the T3 is awesome...organs, guitars(especially the Single Coil), Saxes...you name it, it great, and in my opinion, is the new standard for arrangers.

You obviously haven't played one.

I'm glad you found your niche with the E-60...it obviously suits your needs better than a Yamaha...that's cool...I'm sure they aren't losing any sleep over it.

I liked the E-60, but the Roland sound is not a sound I would like to listen to all the time..., I'd use a module like the Sonic Cell, perhaps, but I prefer the more refined(you say compressed) Yamaha sound, although the T3 is definitely a more "live" sounding instrument than the T2 IMO.

Some people like Honda(me), more of a driver's car...some like Toyota...personal taste is always the deciding factor with cars or arrangers.

Yamaha and Roland both make excellent arrangers...it is nice to have choice between two great instrument makers, and as I always say, competition improves the breed.

Ian

Ian, with all these units so close in technology now the Gap is closing on the mine is better then yours routine.........I think its time people put More effort into improving their chops & letting each player make their Unit sound great because they made it sound that way through their playing ability & knowledge & NOT by the keyboard itself as is perceive day after day when you read these posts. The keyboard means squat if YOU the player doesn't have the talent to do so.

How many of you have never even SEEN an E60?

Lots of people posting they HAVE played a G70... not quite what I asked, but whatever...

Who would like to play a Roland, and have never had the opportunity?

"Big, little or short or tall; wish I coulda kept 'em all. MMMMMM I loved 'em everyone!"
One of my favorite songs.
DonM

They had one in my area....kept moving it around from store to store(it was a chain)...eventually sold it...didn't bring in anymore.

I played it quite a bit whilst it was in my neighborhood store....never could warm up to it entirely, but, I am more used to Yamaha's OS and find it more intuitive.

I did like the organs...not as good as the G but still pretty cool....rotary effect was very well done.

I also prefer the Yamaha pitch/mod wheels to the bender lever...never liked it much on my Jupiter 8 either...of course, that's a personal thing...some even like the Korg joystick...I didn't.

The pianos all suffer a bit in the mid range...Yamaha pianos may be brighter and more crisp, but they don't lack mid-range...they sit perfectly in the arranger mix, as they are designed to do.

Why don't you have an E-60,Diki? You could probably get one on the cheap considering they've been out a while.

Wouldn't that be a great addition to your kit...better than a GW8...you wouldn't lose the 76 notes that you prefer, and not much heavier...certainly way more portable than the G70?

I may investigate a Sonic Cell...are the organs as good as the E or G? Rotary effect?

Ian




[This message has been edited by ianmcnll (edited 10-21-2008).]

Portability is still not a factor. I am prepared to make the sacrifice!

As an arranger, the hands free aspect is very important to me. I want to play, not press buttons, and MAYBE play a bit, too! So the G70's FC-7 is important to me. Plus, as a B3 player since way back, a decent Hammond sim is important, too. The non HB (B3 sim) section of the Rolands are good, but not good enough

Finally, I just don't see the point of getting something that is ALMOST identical to something I already have... If I've got enough to spring for an E60, I've got enough to spring for an M50, or a Nord Electro, or something I haven't already got!

Yep, I see your point...I guess that's why I was a bit surprised when you thought you might get a GW8.

BTW...you haven't tried the Sonic Cell?

I know conceptually it would be a nice addition to my Yamaha sound, but I'm kind of concerned the organs and rotary aren't up to at least the G70...I know the G has a problem with having the reverb as pre-rotary(I think that's what you said some time ago) and I wondered if Sonic Cell has the same issue...not a real problem , but good to know going in.

Nord make some great gear too...they have their sound for sure.

Ian

The extraordinarily good acoustic sounds is what I have always liked about Yamaha totl arrangers. I've said this before: that if the T3 had 76 keys (and better Drums) I would already own one. I'm sure there are many others that feel the same way i.e. "if it ONLY had 76 keys (and better Drums)".

If Yamaha only wants to cater to 50% of all arranger players, then that's their choice of course. They may want to reconsider though. I think they will be pleasantly surprised at the response and enthusiasm they will get from a 76 key Tyros4.

Back to Roland. I played the new Roland Stage the other day at GC. It's not an arranger per se but it incorporates some rhythm based stuff and also has an arpeggiator along with a Chord Memory function. It also has 76 keys. If I could sum it up in a few words I'd say the Stage is a Sonic Cell with keys with some other goodies added on. It doesn't have very many preset sounds though. Unless I missed something somewhere, but I don't think I did. Oh,.. it also has USB 2.0 if anybody is curious.

Best,
Mike



[This message has been edited by keybplayer (edited 10-21-2008).]

So you have a Sonic Cell, Mike?

Would you say the organs and rotary are equivalent to the G70 or at least close.

I don't think it has drawbars per se, but I imagine it has more than enough presets.

Having different Eletric pianos and Synth sounds are handy as well...would you also rate these as near or much like the G70.

No need of me buying anything with keys, as I already have a good choice of controllers with my S900 and P85 (I've also got a line on a mint CP-300), so a module would be the most effective way of adding to my personal kit.

T'is a pity you want/need 76 keys, as I know you would love the Tyros3...the SA2 voices are incredible (the Sax is a killer) and new guitars and organs are so much more than even the T2.

Oh well, we can always hope for an interim model with 76 keys, or a T4 with the same.

Personally, I think they should make the next S-series a 76'er.

Ian

Nothing short of a VK-8 comes close to a G70/E80. The organs in Sonic Cell and GW-8 are sampled, and then run through a Leslie sim (they do have the VK Leslie sim, but not too many parameters to adjust, and no distortion, pre Leslie). But the reverb IS post-Leslie. It's a totally different sound chip and architecture...

As I said in my GW-8 review, the problem is that most of the organ sounds already have a slow Leslie sampled into them, so running through a Leslie sim gives it a weird 'phased' sound. There are enough without, though, that if you are as picky as me, you can still dial up a few good ones.

But I feel a real B3 sim needs drawbars. Without them, it's just a preset machine.

One of the primary differences between a Sonic Cell and a GW-8 is that the Sonic Cell allows you to build your own Patches, the GW-8's are all preset. I was kind of hoping that I could create my own splits and layers that could be simply one Tone, as although there are two parts for the keyboard, they are strictly UPR, LWR or layered. You can't have two UPR sounds and no LWR. Just two whole keyboard sounds. There ARE a few patches already layered, some pianos with strings, that sort of thing, but I would have liked to make some myself...

But it's only $895 !

Mind you, the Sonic Cell is even less!

My next adventure is to try and see if I can get the Sonic Cell to work well with my aging KX-5 strap-on keyboard. It's what I prefer to go out and jam on, as it takes up NO room on stage, keeps you mostly to one hand playing (which is great if you are just sitting in with a band, less temptation to overplay!) and is cool as heck!

But it's MIDI is primitive at best...

Only two MIDI channels (1&2), only PC#'s up to 64, no CC00/32's. OTOH, the pitch strip and expression controls are the best of ANYTHING, falling under your hand in a very natural fashion for those that have played guitar or bass...

If I can finagle the S.Cell into using those PC#'s as call-ups for Performances, I can have splits and layers, and great sounds in a portable package (a REALLY portable package!) with far less compromise in sounds than my current MGS-64 Super Canvas, which is the KX-5's current module...

I'll let you know how this works out...

One thing I was curious about was whether it was possible to edit GW-8 patches using the SonicCell patch editor? Or is it simply not able to resave any edits.

thanks for the indepth review.


SonicCell Playlist Editor Version 1.10 (PC) Downloads tab http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.aspx?ObjectId=897&ParentId=20


[This message has been edited by greenkidd (edited 10-21-2008).]

Nope... Patches are ROM only.

Sweetwater has the roland G-70 in stock as well as other roland arrangers.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/G70

Of course I can't promise it's true.

Jerry

Actually, my take would be to use my mega-arranger for everything BUT backpacking on the Holidays!

I am afraid I feel I'm 'cheating' my customers/audience, if I don't give them the best I have available. They certainly have every right to expect that's what they are paying for.

The GW-8 I look at as more of a 'toy' or jamming tool to take out when I'm NOT getting payed!

No surrise there Diki.....if you ever played the Gw7 you'll know what I mean .....but many home players will enjoy it.

I’m starting to wonder about myself. If I had the choice between looking at a color picture of a Roland G-70 or Sarah Palin’s legs, I’d take the G-70!

Can anyone tell me how to post a scanned photo into a posting here? I found the perfect solution for the ultimate arranger experience!

Lucky

Sorry, Donny, but the GW-7 and -8 are TOTALLY different beasts. Whatever you THINK you know about the GW's is wrong unless you have tried a GW-8. It is like the difference between a PSR3k and a T3. Honestly...

Sounds are immensely better, polyphony, effects, OS, just about everything.

It is NOT a toy, way less than some of the low-end Yamaha's. Sonically, it comes close to my G70, better in some areas (basses, especially), and has a very high potential.

If they made this with the Juno Stage's 76, I don't think I would hesitate for an instant...

BTW, my idea of a 'toy' and other's may differ... My current 'toy' is a KX-5 and an MGS-64. Seriously expressive, compact and cool. I just use the term for anything other than the main battleship...

[This message has been edited by Diki (edited 10-22-2008).]

Diki...

Thats good to know, I was hoping there would be a big improvement with teh Gw8 & I'm glad it was YOU that had the opportunity to review first as I respect your opinions... as I will be demoing the Gw8/T3 & Audya in the coming months for no other reason then to satisfy myself & Frans curiosity

Well, that just about covers all the price ranges, there...

For your kind of act, the GW-8 might do it pretty well, using SMF's and MP3's and the like. The arranger section is not bad, but the lack of 'tweakability' might be a problem as I know you like to customize quite a bit.
On the whole though, I don't see it as a viable alternative to the E60 - 61 notes, no Makeup Tools, much simpler navigation and control...

Why don't you just settle down for a while?

Diki.....WHERE is your review of the GW-8? I went to play one today. Spent 3 hours on it.

Donnie....where did you locate an E-60 to buy?

Lucky

http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/Forum37/HTML/018431.html

And where is YOURS, Lucky?

I'd love to read your opinions, see where we agree, where we differ...

http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/Forum37/HTML/018440.html