Hello,
Being a Roland arranger user, I will change my old Roland arranger (no disq.), and I have two options:
a) buy a new EXR-5: 700$
b) buy an used Roland (E-86/96...): same price.

Then, I have two questions to may decide about...

First question: Is EXR-5 a better option today? Has EXR-5 better sounds than E-86/96?

Second question: I will buy Roland EMC STYLE works too. I have seen the demo, and seen that when convert a style (ex. Yamaha style) to Roland, EMC ask me to "what" Roland format I want to convert it: E-86, E-500, G series or VA series, but not EXR series.

If I buy an used kb (ex. E-96), no problem: I will select its format to conversion. But if I buy a EXR, WHAT ROLAND FORMAT MUST I SELECT FOR CONVERSION? That is, is EXR-5 more similar (sounds) to E-86, G-600, G-1000, or Va-7?

Perhaps the same question may be done in other terms: What Roland styles (for E-96, E-500. G or VA series) sound better into EXR-5?

The EXR-5 plays all V, G, E and EM-series styles. With its own sounds of course. I leave it to your judgement to decide if that's better than the original keyboards or not. I'd convert to VA-styles in EMC.

Your question about the comparison between sounds of the E86/96 and the EXR-5... Well I know what I like best. It's not up to me to decide for you what sounds best.

I say go for the Roland E86 or E96. I owned a Roland E86 and it is in my opinion FANTASTIC. I loved the E86 sounds.

Have You considered Roland VA-3 or VA-5?
thaey are not that expensive but have same Tones as VA-7/76.(VA-3/5/7/76 have all the sounds from all previous Roland Arrangers.)

Rolandfan said, "I owned a Roland E86 and it is in my opinion FANTASTIC". Yea, but have you demoed the EXR-3/5?
Starkeeper

I havent tried the EXR5. EXR5 looks like EM like to me. E86 was very professional and had lots of cool features like fade in, fade out, transpose up or down by just pressing one button, 241 QUALITY SC55 sound canvass sounds, 2 fill in buttons. If I am correct the E96 has is the same as E86 but has a better screen. E86 also has 3 speakers and dynamic arranger feature.

May very well be, although I think the EM-series look more "toyish" to me than the EXR-5 (but I agree, those buttons could have been a lot smaller). Most important: the EXR-5 doesn't sound like an EM :-)



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Roland EXR-5 user - http://www.exr5.tk

"the EM-series look more "toyish" to me than the EXR-5". I agree. The EM10 & EM20 series had a gaudy blue body with gaudy red and yellow buttons.
"the EXR-5 doesn't sound like an EM". The EXR-5 has superior voices to EM10, EM15, and EM25, but marginally better then EM20, EM30, EM50. Never heard an EM2000.
Starkeeper

The EXR-5 has superior voices to EM10, EM15, and EM25, but marginally better then EM20, EM30, EM50.

Thats a very interesting point Starkeeper makes because the EM15,E25 replaced the EM20 etc and their sounds didnt get better,they got worse....weird huh lol.