I need advise from the Roland experienced users.
I have a T4, PA 500 and MicroArranger, I want to add the Roland...
I have heard that the newer BK5 has some new awesome styles, and so is the BK7m, so, I wonder, is it possible to add the styles from one to the other one....I plan to use it on some of the Ballroom dances.
I appreciate your input.
Thanks in advance.

Manuel

I don't think anyone here owns the BK5.
Deane

The BK-7m and BK-5 use the same style format and they share the same sound engine, so you can take a BK-7m style and use it on the BK-5 and of course the other way around too. You can download the differing styles at the Roland Arranger User Club:

http://www.roland-arranger.com/smf/index.php?topic=1741.0

PLUS is the price and the package
CON is you get what you pay for.

For the price they are both very good value, but I personally don't find them much of an improvement over the old RA90 or the equivalent E series. But if Roland had put too much R&D time into anything more than design and programming it would have cost three times the amount.

So if your after a new keyboard or module and are on a tight budget I think its probably the best you will get - and I would bet money that it sounds better amplified up than the equivalent Yamaha.

Personally though I would rather buy a second hand Korg PA series or Ketron SD5/SD3.

I would also like to hear some opinions. BK7m midied to a good keyboard or the convenience of the all in one BK5 . I think thats the only difference but maybe some of our expert dealers or those who have played these who could weigh in.
Also in this price range is the Korg PA500 which some are very positive about. Just went to the Guitar Center and Sam Ash and none of these are there for a tryout so what's a guy with cash to spend to do ?????

Bill in NJ

The BK5 gives you increased ability to edit styles, and to create your own "user" styles. The BK-7m has a couple more options for connecting to a MIDI accordion or MIDI guitar. Neither one has a fully-featured on-board sequencer. (Beginning with this generation of product, I believe Roland expects you to use a PC-based software sequencer like Sonar LE.) However on the Roland Arranger forum, Diki expressed doubts about the reliability of transmitting dense arrangements to a PC via MIDI USB. If you really want an on-board sequencer, you might consider a Prelude or GW-8, which are still readily available and otherwise very similar. All of these options are about the same street price. My $.02.

Thank you all, I really appreciate all your opinions and suggestions.

Manuel

Manuel,
I have both in my store.............Let me know if you have any questions.

I'd say BK7m hands down. You can use it with your own keybed (which would be always better choice than the bk5 keybed) and it can plug into anything, single channel, multi channel, even midi guitar or accordion. You can't do that with BK-5, you can't even address the arranger from external midi device so once you have bk-5 you are stuck with its keyboard.
And it got 1.06 firmware finally.

Oscar,
I think you are mistaken about not being able to control the arranger from an external midi keyboard. I have a Yamaha PSRS910 being used as the controller into the BK5 keyboard midi input and it works fine. From the factory the "NTA" parameter in the "midi" section is sent to "off", but when you switch it to "on" you can have the keyboard of the Yamaha play and change chords on the BK5 just like you are playing on the BK5 itself.