Hi

I think new PSR-2000 is 1400 $ aproximately. For this price, there aren't Korg, Technics or Solton keyboards. Only Roland's.

So, PSR fights against VA-3 or VA-5. George said Roland has dropped its prices now: so, VA-5 has similar price than PSR-2000, and VA-3 es cheaper (near PSR1000).

But, are Roland kbs a best buy for its price, specially VA-5 with its 48 Mb against Yamaya's 16 Mb? Roland has three times more Mb for voices... is it a terrible difference? And its styles are usually richer than Yamaha.

So, if Roland sounds and styles are better, in what way Yamaha is better? Because vocal harmonizer only?

You sort of nailed it just right. With 48 MB vs 16MB the Roland sounds have many more variations (over 3500). Especially the Concert Grand Piano. Also, you have 128 note polyphony vs 64. Styles become a very personal issue along with touch screen vs buttons and if you need a vocal harmonizer, you have to go with the Yamaha. Keyboard touch, again no comparison. The VA5 feels like a the 9000pro, not the PSR2000, because they use the keyboard of their pro products. This is not the case with the VA3. The VA3 keyboard has a cheap feel to it. The VA3 has not had any price drops so it makes the VA5 look really good at not much more than the VA3. The VA3 has 64 voice polypony, not the great acoustic piano samples, cheaper buttons on the front panel. The chain play mode from disk and the disk link features are great on the VA products. It's really a personal taste issue. I think both the PSR2000 and the VA5 are two really great keyboards.
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California

Hi George. I have sent you a couple emails and have yet to see a response. I sent them to the address in your profile. My address is wk8user@yahoo.com. You probably have a ton of messages to go through and I was just wondering if mine got there.

Vic,
Yes i received your email and I just responded to it.
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene

does anyone know of an online site where I could hear some VA demos?
unlike true keyboard players, I need very complete sounding styles,and I find yamahas to sound very canned and lifeless. are the roland any more lifelike?I thought the pa80 was nice untill I tried the fills and transitions. I'm looking for realistic backing tracks.
Bill E

Yes, I think the same as you: Yamaha styles sound too much canned, mechanic, for my ears. Korg or Technics styles, for example, have something more richness, deep, lenght...

But Roland keyboards have not the same "easy" and "nice" aspect than Yamaha. Korg kbs are too "pro". And Technics aren't in a lot of stores.. And Yamaha has a lot of converted styles on the net.

So, what's the best buy?