Recently I auditioned a Roland EA7 and used it for a few nights on the job. Here is a link to a folder with three songs I recorded. As usual no editing, all live. The mic was not through the Roland, but through my mixer.
https://app.box.com/s/5n5805i0txsyw962327keewuoxkgw8ch

I'm adding direct links so you don't have to download to listen.
https://app.box.com/s/4x0zyhbyhv6by1bswikob91mwxgx3mz8
https://app.box.com/s/bpw8h9bt3qquvwqsrt83xqydifsc3cuz
https://app.box.com/s/0ess89dftv8ow6tkere8jixqyn2gxrkf

Thanks Don. Always enjoy your playing and singing. The guitars, IMO, haven't improved since the E series plight. Sound tinny and thin, almost like a banjo. Nothing to do with your playing

I agree with Jim. Your vocals sounded really great, and the only instrument sound that sounded anywhere near realistic was the sax. The guitars were just awful.

Gary

As usual, great voice and playing, especially the right hand part. Thanks for sharing

Real nicely done as usual Don some of my all time favorite songs...
the EA7 sounds very "live" indeed especially the guitars & drums without all that heavy dsp as many others use....thanx for sharing!

I'll have the voice and dump the rest !!!

Too bad the voice ain't on the Roland, seriously though I think similarly priced boards such as the PSR 750/770 and the Korgs ( PA600, PA700 ) sound better overall.

Having said that I just wonder that with vocals like yours the folks in the audience actually perceive the big differences in sound quality with the current motl and topl arrangers.

Still there is no accounting for tastes and pricewise this Roland ain't a bad package. I guess that if you are a true Roland believer like Fran for instance this is as good most of the Rolands. And Donny seems to be well pleased with it, so be it.

Regards,
John

John and others the EA7 isn't your OOTB arranger YOU have to make it sound great by digging in and using the great "Makeup tools",....It's all in there for sure, but many don't know how or are too lazy to dig in and do your homework to create the sound your looking for with styles & sounds. Yes it takes a bit of time but the benefits are well worth it.

Bingo! I was cruising right along with my instrument and went headset, wireless. The normal compliments about my playing were in tact, but many were disappointed about my voice. Went back to the EVND 96 and the compliments returned. Singing to my group is paramount. Many just have tin ears..........

Sold the wireless and got a Baby Bottle SL............

The arranger kb is just to back up your vocals which is premier in the performance...most have their eyes on you singing first and foremost. The music can come from anywhere they could care less.

Thanks guys. I pretty much agree. The audience did notice that the sound was different. They didn't say it was better or worse, but different.
In all fairness, I didn't do much to the styles, other than I changed a few drum kits. I thought they were good overall, and there are a lot of choices for the type music I mostly play. I found some good guitars, but not many. Sax, organs and horns are very good.
I absolutely love many of the Roland styles and that was my primary reason for trying the EA7.
I find the lack of decent break/fills extremely irksome I was able to use Intro one on some styles as a break/fill, but you have to time it perfectly. There is a button that says break/fill, but it is only total silence, no riff at all. Using the Break/fills and Fill buttons on the PA4X can make a style feel so much more live. No real drummer plays a song with just the same pattern the entire way. They are usually putting in accents, little riffs, subtle volume changes, etc. and a good bass player follows appropriately.
The two screens are useful but really small. It does not display text files and has no vocal harmonizer. I knew all this ahead of time, and thought it might not matter as much as I thought, but I was wrong; it did matter a lot in real-time use. I don't want to go backwards as far as functions I use.
I wish Korg would redo their style endings to work as well as the Roland or Yamaha. Some of the Korg styles, especially on the short ending, just STOP and the sound cuts off too quickly. I have learned to live with this and to play around them. Nothing is perfect, for sure, and it is one of the few gripes I have about the PA4X.
I also wish that Korg, Ketron and Roland had the ending ritard function that is achieved on Yamaha by quickly pushing the Ending button twice.
While nit-picking, I love the way the Korg leaves the auto-start function on when you end the style. On Yamaha you have to remember to hit the AS button EVERY time you start a style, if you don't save it to Registration, and even then the setting isn't retained if you stop and restart.
Having said all this, I could certainly live with the EA7 if it were necessary, but it isn't; I believe I have the best of all available arrangers FOR ME, in the PA4X. As always, I will remain alert for new developments from all companies. Hope I'm still interested when the PA5X comes out!
As for Genos...if it were $1500. less in price I might try one, but that doesn't mean I'd change necessarily. I wouldn't mind 76 keys at that weight, and I would love to have that Pedal Steel sound. I may consider the PA5X-76 if and when it comes out, but only if it isn't toooooo heavy. Most of the time now, it doesn't matter because I seldom move, but that situation can always change. Ya never know.
Hoping Roland shows something new and great soon, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
Rambling over for now.