Please excuse the excitement, but this E60 is bringing back everything I loved about my old G70 without the weight & of course a few features. I am getting this baby ready for live stage use & as I do I am more & more remembering how much I miss the way Roland does things. The Makeup & Cover tools are second to none period. 76 Keys with a great feel...being able to tweak & make edits to styles, instruments, & drum kits right down to the velocity of Each individual piece of kit is outstanding & really lets you fine Tailor your style to the way YOU want. The drums & basses are in your face and sound so live it aint funny not that compressed sound I'm so used to hearing with Yamaha. All this is accomplished with the most easiest OS I have ever encountered, In glad I owned a G70 which made this very uncomplicated. Editing & re-voicing SMF songs is wonderful & afterwards UPG's, & Songs AND ALL SAVED INFORMATION including Transpose can all be stored on the Music Assistant then just scroll and search for any of your songs or link a song to a style, set it up any way You want for your needs.. The scat voices are unmatched also. But overall & I'm not just saying this, Roland products really have the LIVE Player in mind with practical easy to use on-board features for "live gigging".......like SFM markers, 2 front headphone inputs, V Link, & the "D" Beam to name a few. USB Link interaction that really works without software, comes up as another drive makes transferring files a breeze or use the PCPMCIA Compact Disk card or Floppy drive also.. I know I'll have more to talk about as I go along doing my homework as I get ready for 3 double gigs this Thurs/Fri/Sat.

To Be Continued.............

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------------
Donny

Glad you're happy with the E60. I really liked the E50 the short time I had it. Great sounds and styles for sure.

I can illustrate how much I like the E-60..with a single statement..

"The Roland E-60 is a capable, straight up replacement for the G1000"

Now you people know how fond I am of the G1000...The E-60 has a slightly inferior keybed, compared to the G1000, but the E-60 edges the G1000 with the other features as make up tools, organization, saving media, sounds, and especially the drums..

It also has the better sequencer..

Add the USB interface, large touch screen, and speakers..and 13 pounds lighter...

The G1000 did have the "chord sequencer"..

I'm very glad Fran's e60 has found a good home. Knowing that Donny is going to use it makes it great for me to skim ideas off him. Besides, the e60 is second only to the G70 IMHO. It really is a player's board. Too bad Roland hasn't marketed this winner any better because I think if most of you could demo one you would fell as positively about it as Donny, Fran and I do.

Good luck, Donny.

I am kind of attached to Roland boards, but I will never buy one without trying it out first. Presently there is no way to try a Roland arranger anywhere in Virginia, so I will stay away from them for now!

By the way, does the E60 have individual part EQ's like the E80/G70???


Good luck Donny, am happy for you and jelous at the same time!

Thanks Cass.........it's not an out of the box & go KB, but if you "DIG IN" & utilize its wonderful editing tools & features & do your homework you will be rewarded 10x over.
man the Drums & bass sounds so live & in your face.....!!! I should of done this a long time ago & listened to Fran

Donny, how does the Harmony M fit on the top? Or does it?
I haven't actually seen one "live" only pics, and I have only actually tried the E50.

I am trying this Tyros 2 at the moment, but just something doesn't feel or sound quite right with it. Don't ask me what it is as I have not got a clue, just a feeling when I am playing it, like it doesn't suit me or something like that, yeah I know, weird!!.

As I mentioned in another post I can get an E60 for the same money as the T2, so maybe the T2 can go back and I'll replace it with the E60.

Thanks
Dennis

Dennis....

I keep the Harmony M hooked up in my utility box where I have all my cables harnessed...but on the E60 there is more room on the top right side..might cover the speaker a but but who cares I keep them off anyway.

good luck

Cheers, thanks m8. Sounds okay, I would keep the speakers off too, when using it.

Dennis

Miden your very welcome ....hear some E60 demos here....


http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.aspx?ObjectId=826&ParentId=18

Like Zuki, you finally have found your Holy Grail, Donny.

It's nice to see you settle into something you can keep for some time.

Congratulations and long may your jib draw.

Ian

OK, where can I find an E 60?

Joe

------------------
Songman55
Joe Ayala

Joe between SZ dealers AJ, Frankieve, George Kaye, I'm sure you can dig one up for sure.

Donny....I didn't know you bought an E-60? I didn't even know you were a Roland afficianado?

So there's another keyboard I can throw into the equation of "what to buy!"

My instinct tells me that if I had them all laid out in front of me (G-70/E-50/E-60/SD5/Tyros3/Korg PA series) I would go for the Roland. Mostly because, IMHO, they've been top dog on the arranger market for probably 25 of the last 30 years I've been buying them. Good dance styles, and......I love their trumpets!

But.......I'm not buying anything this time around until I've auditioned them all.

Lucky

I"ve just listened to those demos again. Is the piano sound really representative of what it sounds like live? Or can it be tweaked to sound as good as, say a PSR2000 or even a $300 YPG235 as far as that goes? The demos I hear makes the piano sound kind of tinky to me. Some of the guitars I've heard on line sound kind of lacking quality also. This is not meant as a cut but rather an observation.
http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA/List/MediaList/0,,CNTID%25253D5014662%252526CTID%25253D205200,00.html

I never spent much time on the G70, but the online stuff makes the piano sound pretty good. I am assuming the piano on the E50/60 is noticibly different?

I've learned to be wary of online demos. I'm thinking from who I see liking the E50/60 that it must sound pretty good or can be made to sound more the way an individual would want it to sound.

I learned my lesson with the KN2600. Fantastic sounding online demo. In person that kb really sucked IMHO.

E50/60 has no eq whatsoever, except for the MFX effects, and that one is only for keyboard sounds (upper and lower), not styles.

The sounds are great, the styles even better; for a live player it's a wonderful keyboard (also for studio in fact) but i hate not having the roland's previous "orchestrator". the sounds samples are not exactly like E80, quality wise, but they are ok. I like them better than yamaha's anyway. drums are very good. unfortunatelly, there is no user sound area, any sound you tweak has to be saved as UPG.

the keybed is great indeed. i like it very much, it's better than many other more expensive keyboards.

the OS and features are quite easy to understand, but i wish there were more of them. i would've loved an assignable slider at least.

just as donny said, it's not exactly a ready-to-play-right-out-of-the-box keyboard, you can use it also like that, but it's very nice that you can tweak a style with ease beyond recognition, for example. or you can create styles from midi files with no additional software. or you can use the style composer. or cover function. alot of great tools, no question about that.

There are a lot of pianos in an E60... more than a G70, in fact.

They DO have the G70's 'GrandX' main piano in there, labeled 'Classic Piano' but the voice programming is too dark. You need to open out the filter a bit before it sounds more like the G70.

All you Yamaha guys are so addicted to those thin sparkly ones that possibly the Roland demos emphasize that type, who knows..? But better ones are in there.

And also, I'd like to say 'Congratulations'... It only took you guys nearly three years to discover this gem...

Now I guess all you'll do is bitch about it not being a G70!

Listen, if Donny gushing about it is enough to convince a few of you to actually bother to TRY the damn thing, so be it. At least there MIGHT be an upside to this. But remember him gushing about the PA800? Or the PSR 3k? Or everything else he has at the time...

It won't last. It never has...

Thank you Diki for the kudos....as you know even through the hard times with all these other so called great arrangers......aside from the weight of the G70 which only due to my very hectic in & out gig schedule I always stated I loved its sound quality & features...I also had to endure day after day of grueling reconfirmation of these facts by my Buddy Fran
Which are honestly so true......another factor that brought me over the top is as a singer first....the new TC Helicon harmony M unit allows me to play a KB without a vocal processor now & still have Superior Vocals & harmony, couple that with the E60 & I'm in heaven. We'll talk more at the jam OK?



------------------
------------
Donny

What, about your new T3?

I'm only kidding, but you HAVE sort of set this up yourself, haven't you?

Compared to most on this forum, I feel spectacularly unimaginative when it comes to gear... I know what I like, and when I find it, I don't try to convince myself that something a bit better MIGHT exist, if only I keep looking for it. For me, the journey isn't about the car... it's about the places you go with it

NO WAY JOSE!!!

I'm done with Yamaha .....yes I said it!!

Done with everything never changes, everything that sounds compressed, everything...Ahhhh, whats the use?
I've moved on...Tyros 1 is finally gone, & I am a happy camper once again with the E60 I have my Roland T shirt on & I am happy making music. I will say this.....I need a studio piece & look forward to Roland's new TOTL arranger or even maybe another G70 just to keep here we'll see.

Carry on


------------------
------------
Donny

We all remember the gushing...rather amusing now that we can look back on it, but remember, Donny was very serious when he gushed.

If he lasts 6 months on it, I will be surprised.

But, it does make for great entertainment, and Donny is a great entertainer...just ask him.

Like you Diki, it takes quite a bit to make me move from something that already does the job admirably (my S900), although I do tend to go in 3 year cycles lately...still not as steadfast as you, but better than most, and certainly better than Donny.

Ian

What you do "while you have the unit" is what really counts.......save the longevity speech for the bedroom

Some other GREAT Roland features for teh "GIGGING" musician are

1- Master Accomp/Keyboard balance knob

2- EASY SETTINGS Arr/Piano/Organ/Guitar instantly change the whole keyboard into one of these sounds.

3- And my one of my favorites, SMF PRE-Chord recognition display which lets you see the next chord in the song while your playing....."Brilliant"

I guess one of the things is that I am so used to these things, it boggles my mind to see them NOT be on other arrangers...

Diki......I hated to give up the G70 because at that time I already knew about all these great Roland features from previous units that I have owned like the G1000 also....all created with teh GIGGING Musician in mind, UNlike many of the others on the market & others that so many players that dont know what is like to be in the trenches day after day/night after night with these units playing their hearts out only wanting to be happy & comfortable do it. These things coupled with the cover/makeup tools are superb in letting "THE PLAYER" Create his own sound in Any way he chooses with ease.
May God bless the Roland E60 Design team
When the Fedex shipping man took the Tyros box from me yesterday a warm happy soothing feeling of relief came over me, then I looked over at Fran in a distance & he winked at me he didn't even have to say "I told you So" But what he did do was instill upon me the need to take the E60 home for a week before I bought it, even though I have played it at his studio many times but only for a short while at a time or like being in a music store & just touching things on a KB and saying it stinks to all your friends and told me to relax and take a DEEP look into its OS & features & ask myself why this unit would make me happy on stage....that my friends was the best piece of advice anyone could give someone.....TIME with the unit is what its all about & I'm so glad I did it his way.
OK back to playing & setting up.

L8tr



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

My kn6000 has 2 out of 3 ... the first 2 ... in fact it has 2 separate sliders - one for master, one for accomp ...

t.

Well Tony Technics had some very kool features too it sux they are gone....
just another thing Yamaha doesn't think is important that players have been screaming for like the lack of 76 keys, or a quality VH!!

I believe the KN6000(and KN7000) had 61 keys...didn't stop anyone from thinking they were the best.

They were wonderful instruments....sad to see them discontinued.

Ian

Ian and dont forget to mention inovative also design wise....I wonder if any of the Technics KEYBOARD R & D Team are working for the other big keyboard manufacturers now?

Today is my 3rd & last day of setting up the E60 having a few days off really helped....now that most UPG's are done & SMF tweaked, today I'll set up totally Stage ready live with my gear in real time to make sure all hookups, VH, are in order and working properly.
Then starting tomorrow 3 days of full doubles in a row Whew! Thats where the fun begins & fine tuning at full performance volume begins, I cant wait.

More to come...........

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

Donny,
I applaud you for all the care and prep you put into your music. I'm sure there are many others here who do the same thing, but I have heard it on your recordings - it really makes a difference.

I, for one, have never been much of a tweaker. I think the last time I tweaked or programmed was with a Juno 106 and a drum machine. When I hear some of the arranger demos on SZ I often wonder how they achieve some of the things they do. I guess it's all in knowing your machine and tweakin it to your needs and liking.

Cass email me or skype lets talk buddy......
maybe I can offer some help its not that difficult ok?



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

Is there a manual to download for the E60?
Can't seem to find one.

Thanks Fran, I was trying to send it direct, but I think the email got jammed with teh size of it.
Dennis

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

Dennis I did the same..and it was returned..

Fran I think it was a far better idea to post the link though, so good idea.

His email probably doesn't accept attachments that big.

It's what I should have thought of in the first place...DUH!!

Anyway he should be right now

Dennis

i see alot of love for E60 lately...

i was thinking hey when is the new E MOTL coming out, but now i realize that for most of uf (especially US guys) the E50/60 is still unknown and sort of new keyboard.
i think is such a pitty roland does not make easier the contact with these keyboards, i am sure alot of people would just love them and buy them gladly. well, maybe they will make like a new big coming back with the new model, when that comes out.
in the meanwhile, donny, tell us how the gigs are with E60. and, for a change, what don't you like about it?

Today starts 3 days of double gigs so by Sunday I'll have 6 gigs under my belt and a better review for you on the E60......
stay tuned.

I love my e60 too. The only feature I truly miss from the g70 is the harmonizer section; that is such a rich feature. I can live without the drawbars and certainly do without the weight. Having the same keybed might be too much to ask for a MOTL keyboard, but the harmonizer would really make this an all-in-one package.

I don't see the Roland soundset as cutting edge as Yamaha, but it is a warm, pleasant, realistic sound with very few harsh edges. This is a keyboard many could keep for a long time and find contentment with - sorta like Class Act and his 8000. Unless you simply don't like Roland sounds or OS, then this a great arranger/ play alone keyboard.

Cass .......simple, TC HELICON HARMONY M

http://www.voicetonepedals.com/harmonym.html

Really, you say. I have a Vocalist VR but haven't really gotten into it. Would it be worth the switch? Why?

BTW, I'll get around to emailing and skypeing you soon, but right now I'm not ready. Thanks for the offer.

[This message has been edited by cassp (edited 10-23-2008).]

I have had the Roland E 80 for about a year now and just now beginning to realize what a great board it is.
I had a lot of troubel switching from 5 technics boards to 2 Yamaha boards and now to the Roland E 80 but I am getting it and as I do I am becoming convinced this may be the best of the lot.
You name it poke a few buttons and it duz it.
I think the E 80 and I are going to be like Diki and the G 70.
AND FRAN, I never would have bought this board if I hadn't listened to you all these years ranting and raving about your G 70.
Now seeing Donny getting a E 60 just confirms it all for me.
Best to all,
Bebop

And watching him trade it away will cast doubt in your mind again?

I would think by now that anyone that uses Donny's endorsement of their choice as vindication knows they are skating on thin ice...

The "Donny Pesce Keyboard Theme Song" :

Thin Line Between Love And Hate

At least Donny gave me a chance to unload my E-60...


Just kidding..

The E-60 is a super board for the money, and designed to use live...

With very little effort it can be rewarding....even out of the box..it is rewarding..

What are the odds now? When donny dumps Roland and goes back to Yamaha!!!..

I'm sure glad Donny raved about the 800 I've found his assessment spot on.

Kind of like you dumping the E600 on me Yuk.

.........just kidding!

Zuki, you called me and pleaded, to sell it to you..

Zuki....congrats on your new pa2x.....what was your reasoning for getting one vs the PA800?

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 10-23-2008).]

Cass did you watch the demos yet?......besides the great sound the size is perfect for gigging.

Spoken like someone who has never owned a Corvette........The destination is not important it's the journey.....

A few things that Donny’s constant and frequent change of arrangers show are that:
1. In a good players hand, any arranger can sound good. It is the player not the board.
2. Once you understand how to use arrangers, changing and learning a new OS to use on a gig is doable.
3. Mid and TOTL arrangers can do the job for most players TOTLs may have a few more features, but generally you can do the basic gigging arranger functions on both.
4. And when you get a review from Donny, you get it from a gigging musician in mind not just a home player. For most if not all of the arrangers he reviews, he actually sets it up and takes it on a gig before trading it. I think this is the best review you can get because you get a real-life application of the arranger. Not just an online demo )which does not tell you much), not just a 2 or 3 hour demo in a store and worst of all not just a review after turning on the keyboard and playing a style. The review you get from Donny is based on how most arranger players would use it after setting it up.

IMO the only reason why Donny changes arrangers )if there is even one) is probably the excitement of having something different at a given time and not that one arranger is better than the other.

Just kidding Fran. I once loved that board, but oh how our ears change I think that's the cause of us dumping boards as time goes - we change too - or at least I do

Ooops - above statement tagged to wrong account

Donny - I wanted a studio board to write and stretch out on (76), while serving as a backup to the 800 road warrior.

I felt like Mr Rogers when the pop up motorized upon powering up

Congrats Zuki on your now KORG Nirvana....please get those demos done asap

Congrats on dropping your E60, Donny. Now get those demos done again!

Diki,

Thank you for Congratulating me on my latest disappointment its so appreciated...
I feel so much better now.
Why the surprise?...Didn't you get the hints in my previous posts?.....
"To be continued" "Stay tuned" "3 double gigs" that I was in the testing mode & as Don M stated until "Stage Tested" nothing is set in stone. But not to worry Diki, this Mp3/SMF playing Lip-Syncing, play it all in "C", never practices, 40 year gigging faker will be just fine!



[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 10-25-2008).]

OK here is the rest of the story......
After attempting to sell it, & having second thoughts all the way, I have decided to Keep the Roland E60. This has to be the hardest decision I've made in a long time with holiday gig season coming up on us very fast but deep in my heart & soul I knew I made the right choice for MY needs.
This arranger has so many great on-board features (many from my old G70) that I missed, for the gigging musician that I can't give up. My indecisiveness sometimes gets the better of me, even at restaurants I have a hard time deciding what to order
So now after intense discussions with Fran about how to approach setting up & addressing my initial mistakes I think I'm on my way to success with some tedious hours of tweaking, using the fantastic unsurpassed makeup tools, I will be able to achieve a Stage Performance Gig ready KB for all my needs. This is not an out of teh box unit but it WILL let you get to where you want to go very proficiently without a doubt with some calm & perseverance for sure. Sorry if I ruffled any feathers in previous posts on this topic.

To be continued.........

Any and all of these keyboards require compromise. If we ever do find one that is really right, it may be really wrong for the next person.
I am very content playing with Midjay and controller, yet I have an E50 if I get an urge to do something different.
The MJ doesn't have that many gimmicks, such as SA voices. To tell the truth, I didn't like a lot of the SA voices because they kept getting in the way of my playing.
But the MJ instruments sound like they are supposed do, including the piano, and the drums and bass are unsurpassed. It will display text files, play MP3s for breaks, handles midi files great, has a WAV and Loop player, with dedicated sliders for mixing all of the above features. It also has the best operating systems of anything I've owned and weighs 9 pounds. You can get your choice of dedicated foot controllers, it has video out, mic out, aux in, WAV recorder and great vocal processing (but only a Vocoder for harmony).
In other words it has most of what suit ME. What suits someone else may be Tyros 3, E60, or Korg. My happiest day was when I was able to sell the PA800. But that was probably also the happiest day for the sucker, I mean person, who bought it.
I'm looking forward to trying the Audya sometime before or shortly after the first of the year.
However, regardless of how great it sounds it won't make me an extra nickel, except for writing it off on my tax return.
DNJ is in the same boat--changing the keyboard won't make him more money, but he wants what will please himself best, while expediting set-up time and bother.
Besides, it fits into my morning routine. I get a cup of coffee, read the comics, check my email and see what kb Donny has today.
Then, if I have time before breakfast, golf or fishing, I read a little gratuitous back-and-forth bashing.
DonM

Don great POST & SO TRUE I just Peed my pants reading this

DonM, very well said and so true. Everyone tastes are different and what might suit one, may not suit another. Even the guy that always posts demo of the Wersi.....

life's full of surprises every single day! and for sure we do not get bored here...

donny, i believe this is great decission you make!

DonM..my routine is almost like your routine..

After breakfast, I check Skype and Synth Zone...to see what keyboard Donny loves in the morning...
I also check after lunch and after dinner to find what the current keyboard statis..(Donny's)..

Don, I know I might have mentioned it before..but why not use the E-50 as the controller?

Adi,.......music in general is so personal to EACH & EVERYONE of us we all think were RIGHT most of the time different likes & dislikes make us all Human....we live & learn everyday till were no longer around.......so enjoy Life its the only one each of us has!

Fran, I've been meaning to try the E50 as a controller, but I'm so comfortable now with the Edirol PCR 800 that I haven't got around to it.
I will eventually though. Thanks,
DonM

I'm willing to consider a trade - my E60 and a little $ for a G70 in excellent shape. Otherwise I'll keep smiling and loving my E-60.

7 gigs under my belt with the E60 so far & 8 more in the next 4 days & little by little I'm making minor tweaks on stage to get the sound I want with success.....
so far, so good & it's all coming together. Big holiday season almost upon us....
gotta be ready! to be continued...

Good luck out there

Today I took two Yamaha Styles that I love & are a MUST for my shows & tried them in the E60 after I converted them, with much disappointment they sounded terrible.....


But, not to worry with intense editing made easy with the Roland "Make Up Tools" I was able to dissect all the style parts & also edit "Every Piece of drum kit separately" to redesign & re-voice the style making it sound as good or better then it was on the Yamaha. This feature is the beauty of the E60/G70.
I'm a happy camper...

to be continued...

never setup a new keyboard using headphones.....in a rush I did that in the wee hours of the night as not to wake my wife in preparation for my gigs when I first received the E60. It sounds great through headphones, BUT, when I finally took it on stage to gig a few days later I really had to wrestle with Part Volume adjustments which I thought were fine......NOT!! So lesson learned when setting up your KB USE YOUR FULL STAGE PA SYSTEM at PERFORMANCE VOLUME! You'll be glad you did. In fact a week later I setup 2 hrs early at my job with no one there and really went through each setup tweaking at stage performance volume & now I'm a happy camper

BBBB would love to hear a few demos of you on teh E60 is you can?

tyros1 styles are easier to edit for E60.
tyros2 are more difficult, as you simply have to cut many sounds/track, as they are not replaceable.
tyros3 might be even worse.


i agree completely on setting for the stage performance. it MUST be done in the same condition, otherwise it turns to be sooo tricky!

glad you're happy now!

I have a friend who loves his Roland E60. It's amazing what these Arranger Keyboards can do in the right hands. We somtimes get together and compare notes.

Two weeks ago I posted my new E60 for sale, Fran slapped me back into reality ....without giving it a real chance & I'm glad I did. I made a commitment to myself to DIG IN to the OS & make this baby MINE. So far I am successfully taking my time style by style, sound by sound, smf by smf and editing each thru my Pa in detail & other then the G70 the Roland E60/E50 is like no other in that department. I have also been happy to report that most of teh Converted styles from older Roland KB's eg: G1000/G800/E series are working out well as is Ketron too. I find that Yamaha & Korg doesn't work as well in conversations with Roland & lord knows I've tried..But no problem there are so many very useful ones to work with & the makeup & Cover tools really let ME be the orchestrator in dissecting each and every sound & EACH & Every Piece of drum kit & fine tune it to perfection simply a thing of beauty for this arranger KB player..so now everything is looking up as I get ready for Holiday season's gigs knowing I'll be ready for all that arises on stage.......

To be continued there is lots more to do.

I'm having a love hate relationship with the E60....but After some serious thought,& discussions with my Roland mentor Fran I've decided to keep the E60. It is no longer available.

Thank You