Got my hands on a G70 yesterday

After a long battle I was able to get my hands on a G70.

Out of the box this thing sounded like crap, sounds where washed out, bass overpowering, just a mess,

Checked the Op system, which was 1.05, so I updated to 1.06, and wow it came alive.,

Just to put it simply I would say the G70 is a mix of a Tyros and Pa1xpro,

Sounds and styles are very Roland but with a little more, the operating system is Tyros and better, The individual sounds are very close to the combo of both keyboards but I would have to say the PA1 sounds are the best.

Dear Frankieve;

When you state the Pa1x sounds are the best, are you stating that all of the Korgs sound banks are better , or just particular sets, or just in general?

So if you were to rank realism of sounds/styles the order would be; 1) Pa1x 2) G-70 3) Yamaha?

My interpretations is that Yamaha styles are more "up front/in your face/complex" while Pa1x styles are more small ensemble like like/ realistic but understated, more room for the player to accompany & fill-in. So if I understand your comment about the roland, would it be a cross between the above description?

Other then operating system, is there any category that the Roland acceles at, and betters the other 2 KBs?

Thanks
Regards;
BN

Dear Frankieve;

When you state the Pa1x sounds are the best, are you stating that all of the Korgs sound banks are better , or just particular sets, or just in general?

Well, it seems that the sounds are more like a workstation sound, meaning there seems to be more detail in each sound, if I had to do a studio project or recording session, I would probably use the PA because of the quality of sound, followed very closely by the G70, then the Tyros.

So if you were to rank realism of sounds/styles the order would be; 1) Pa1x 2) G-70 3) Yamaha?

The Korg styles are like you said, very basic sound set, not very layered sounding, allot of room to add or solo over. I still hate how the fills fit in, they are not very smooth when you hit them. the Tyros and G70 fit in great.

My interpretations is that Yamaha styles are more "up front/in your face/complex" while Pa1x styles are more small ensemble like like/ realistic but understated, more room for the player to accompany & fill-in. So if I understand your comment about the roland, would it be a cross between the above description?

Yes the G70 seems to have that basic type feel but also has the ability and are in allot of the styles to have that 20 piece band type sound. The G70 seems to have a very good grasp on the older rock stuff and the Eupropean styles

Other then operating system, is there any category that the Roland acceles at, and betters the other 2 KBs?

The layout is great for easy access of important features, example if you need to adjust anything on the vocals you can reach to the upper right and have everything at your fingertips instead of going into menus to pick stuff out.

The screen is very nice, still getting used to the layout, seems that the Tyros and PA1x have more useful info on the screen.

Midi file playback is great, fast and easy. you can switch between arranger and playback incrdeible fast with no delay. you can use their version of a songbook just like Korgs but with out the delay,

The G70 also has a cool feature with sound selection, if your playing an arrangemnet and you decide to play a sax sound you can hit the sax group and it will have the last sound you had use come up instantly.

Also midi file allows you to have the song start from the first note instead of waiting a measure for info to be transmitted, altough I am curious if it stills uses that info?

It has a chord extractor for getting chords off of midi files.

At first I thought the lack of hard drive would be a pain in the ass but it actually is really cool. I can buy a 1 gig compact flash card for $75 at Sams' club and I'm ready to go, with the ability to change and add from my computer with ease.

I still have allot to learn

later

Frankieve

Thanks for the explaination, it was helpful.

I too initially thought that the lack of HD was a downfall, until I started to research the PC-cards. They range from 32Mb-8Gb in size. They are very reliable in ustorage and are fast in up/down-loading of info.

PS--keep me updated, as I am interested in what you learn & what your further thoughts are of the roland.

Regards;
BN

Frank,
Where do you think the SD1 fits in?
Thanks,
Don

[This message has been edited by DonM (edited 04-15-2005).]

In my opinion, the SD1 is the overall winner in styles, and sounds. But the operating system is very confusing, the layout sucks, especially in dimmly lit situations.

The overall fidelity is a little more on the midrange, but its great in band situations and soloing, Also they have a problem with notes dropping out when using the vocalizer too.

playing a midi file isn't as fast to call up, and the reg system, while still better than yamaha's is still not very user friendly.

I think even though the SD1 is getting a little long in the tooth, it's still among the top 3.

It all depends on what points agravate you the most to drop it in the ranking,

I still love the SD1 and the minute Ketron comes up with thier replacement and hopefully a major op system upgrade, I will be the first in line.

so in overall order of styles
SD1
G70/Tyros
Korg

Single sounds
Korg
G70/SD1
Tyros

Overall operations
G70
Korg/Tyros
SD1

Midi playback
G70
SD1
Korg/Tyros

Vocalizer
G70/Korg
SD1
dead dead last Tyros

Weight
Tyros
SD1
Korg
G70

May be you miss the look and feel.
I would add:

G70 (well built and key feel good with 76 notes)
SD1 (metal look like but plastic)
Tyros (like a toy with 61 keys)

Sorry, I would like to say Korg instead of SD1. Mea Culpa!

As I said on another topic I recently purchased a G70 on Ebay. Ihave not received it yet. I did play it and agree with Frankieve's assesment. Once again the "Better" sound oppinion is just that an oppinion. I really wanted to purchase another SD1!! I missed it while I owned the PA1xpro. Once I had the chance to play the G70 ... I was convinced and I, as a rule, take forever to make up my mind.

I had TWO major issues with the PA1xpro:
Fill In - Only 2 the third can be a break or a 3rd fill (Varies from style to style??)
on many styles the fill in just did not sync up correctly? Hard to explain.

Sound Balance - Going from 1 STS to another Some loud some soft?? Styles also?? Could you adjust them ... Of course but why should you have to!

The first thing I noticed when playing the G70 WAS the balance of sound from one style to another and the single touch settings. The SD1 was also like this.

[This message has been edited by JCkeeys (edited 04-15-2005).]

[This message has been edited by JCkeeys (edited 04-15-2005).]

Dear BBC;

The top portion of the Korg is plastic, but the shell underneath is metal.

Regards;
BN

If anyone wants to listen to some demo tunes of the SD1, go to my stores website http://www.keyboardcity.net/ketron-sd1.htm

The recordings are from 2001. I'm going to do the same songs on the Korg PA1XPro soon .

I haven't tried the G70 yet, but the PA1 series is pretty impressive. I still like my SD1, but since Ketron hasn't had anything new, for me it's getting a little dull. I find the PA1X to have a nice contemporary sound and much better organ,guitar,synth and enthic sounds. I also like the vocal processor on the new PA1.

Hey Frank, does the g70 have a vocal harmony thing ?

Dan O'

Hey Dano,

Yes it does, by the way, need a case,

Completely agree, wish the Ketron would come out with a new board.

Yes the PA1xpro does have some great sounds, but it's still alittle rough around the edges, but I think it's still great

Thanks Frank,
I absolutely LOVE the way my SD1 sounds. I am becoming pretty familiar with the OS now. Can't wait until they build a new one!
DonM

Frankie....If you would like, send me the exact size you want and I can have a heavy duty double padded personalized case made for you for $65.00 delivered...having one made for DON M it should be finished next week...let me know and I'll send photos...
Tony

with wheels?

Frankie.....I'm trying to post some photos for you to see but am having a problem with my photo server....I will e-mail you the photos....these are soft gig bags..(no wheels)...

Frankieve (and the rest of you):

Thanks for your informative posts and opinions. I am still plodding along with a PSR-2000 and trying to decide my next acquisition. Ain't technology great!

Rice

Dear Frankieve;

I notice in your post (listed below), and am interested in your assesment of the Vocal harmonizer (VH) units in the Pa1x & G-70. I see that you have ranked them approximately equal. Can you expand on that a little (i.e. sound quality, authenticity/naturalness of sound and harmony parts, ease of use, fexibility). How long did you asses each unit? I am a little concerned about the G-70s sound quality due to its rca output. Secondly, the G-70s VH is a carry over of their Discover 5 technology vs. outsourcing to a specialty company like Korg did with TC-works in their Pa1x. Comments are appreciated.

PS--if Ketron comes out with a new board they had better fix the ergonomics.(i.e. larger buttons, with on/off light features/ larger color screen, better lay-out, OS system revamp, Customer support!!!!! with Q & A/workshops/upgrades in a timley manor, actually responding to clients, just to name a few)

Thanks
Regards;
BN

Vocalizer
G70/Korg
SD1
dead dead last Tyros