Fran,
Nice Job! When I saw this keyboard at NAMM I gave it a "George Kaye" "Best Buy" review. I did find at least one velocity switch guitar when playing the keyboard. It's the one Roland made famous many years ago. I don't recall if there are any others.


------------------
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California

Best buy in this price range?
What this keyboard has that PSR-550 has not?

Bluebird,
That is a good question. I will not be selling my PSR550 to get an EXR-5.
1) 550 can create styles, EXR-5 not.
2) 550 can mix and change voices, EXR-5 not.
3) Wave ROM 8 megs, EXR-5 8 megs.
4) 550 has sweet voices, EXR-5 no.
5) 550 has excellent flute voice, EXR-5 hey, that's not a flute.
I'm waiting for the replacement for the 550.
Starkeeper


[This message has been edited by Starkeeper (edited 02-09-2004).]

Fran: Great in depth review of the EXR-5. Thanks. - Scott

Fran,

If I understand correctly you would rather have a used G-1000, PSR2000 or PSR2100? Couldn't any of these used be purchased for around $800?

btw I heard a guy playing a Roland E-30 I think. He was in a band and didn't use any of the arranger stuff. Was the E-30 any good?
I don't find any of them for sale.

Tom

PSR550 (EXR-5)
219AWM voices 480 XG voices
(510 tones, 542 XG Sounds, 256 GM2 Sounds)

14 drums
(20 drums)

112 preset accompaniments,with 2 variations
(103 in 6 variations using COVERS), so over 600)

(USB connection, 1,5 MB Flash usermemory)

That's what I notice by just comparing the specs of the two.

Let's not make this a "my board is better than yours" thread, shall we? Every board has its + and -.

By the way, I searched the Yamaha websites, let Google look around, but I found not any explanation about this "Sweet" voices that are in Yamahas. What's the "Sweet" in the sounds?


[This message has been edited by Burkels (edited 02-09-2004).]

The Yamaha Sweet voices are the patches that compare to Roland's basic patches.Sweet, Cool and Live are pretty much the only great sounds on the PSR2100..the XG patches[yuk]..

Tom You are correct, I think a G1000, EM2000 in good condition is a better buy..you may find one for $800,but I doubt you would find one like mine for under $1200..
Also, $800 is list ..street price around $700..
The PSR definately has the advantages[features only] over the EXR, but playing the board and hearing it can make the EXR favorable...

For the difference of $500 cost between the two, excluding the Yamaha harmonizer,...the better value is the EXR..

Bluebird,
There are several things the 550 has over the Roland. One is editing styles.. You can edit the preset styles or create your own from scratch with the 550... Plus the 550 has 16 dedicated track buttons on the face panel.. Makes it so much easier to mute tracks on the fly. I also think the 550 has a better display too. One thing I wish the 550 did have is the joystick rather than the wheel. Also the Roland has an internal sequencer. The 550's is direct disk, but it does however offer quite a bit of editing for a disk based sequencer. As far as sounds go, that's really subjective.

Squeak

My friend played a Roland E30 for 5 years as a one man band.... sounded bloody awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think the E30 sounded better than all the other E series that follows because it used the LA sound source.

Rolandfan, you say E30 sounded better than all the other E series that follows because it used the LA sound source.
Which Roland kbs use LA sound source?
Does new EXR-5 use it?