The new Roland GW-7 looks very interesting. For the price George listed it appears to be a good bargain. I can't help but wonder if it's an updated EXR series board, and if the sequencers are identical. I did notice a good thing on the unit. There appears to be realtime control over sound parameters. I wonder if those changes can be saved to user settings. Anyone

squeak

Squeak, I can answer your question.
Yes, you can save your user tones in 128 user locations. You can also customize drum sets and store them in 16 user locations and you can save 32 user performances.
The GW-7 also has 32 MB of Wave memory. there are 576+256(GM2) tones. 37+9(GM2) drum sets. 101 Performances. The Roland Rep who showed me this keyboard also showed me how they have improved the operation of the 16 track sequencer over the EXR series. Now, you can start by selecting the "all" mode, record whatever you want. And when done, you enter the single mode and with the push of one button, you can select any one of the 16 tracks you wish to record new or overdub on. The keyboard weighs 11.1lbs.
There are two knobs on the keyboard which allow for Analog modification including filter, envelope, mixing volumes and controlling effects.


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George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California

WOW! Now that's impressive Thanks for the info George. That's awsome that it will save user sounds and custom kits, and an improved sequencer with overdub makes it even better. All that for around $700.00 Geez what a great deal. I may have to pick one of these up. When do they come out?

Squeak

They will be available in March.


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George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California

George, you mentioned in your NAMM review that the GW-7 has an arabic drums set. Was it the old E-40 modified one? or was it something you never heard before? also for the middle easter sounds, are they the same ones found in the G-1000/VA-7? or are they totally diffrient sounds?

thanks alot.

If anyone is considering an entry-level synth, like the Roland Juno-D, I'd strongly suggest spending 100.00 more (street) for the soon to be released Roland GW-7. In just comparing the specs, it seems to offer a lot more bang for the buck, and I'm seriously considering it as my travel\vacation instrument. It weighs just over 11 pounds, almost less than a third of the weight of my Fantom-S, and features some great World\Asian sounds (newly sampled and compare very favorably with the Asian\World sounds on my World SRX expansion board...I'm going by the sound demos on the Roland China site), along with all the standard Pop stuff. Even though the polyphony and the fx algorithms are identical for the Juno-D and GW-7, the GW-7 offers more Preset sounds and drum kits, as well as more User memory. You can also dramatically alter\shape the onboard sounds thru the Analog Modify function. The GW-7 has a much bigger display and is able to transfer data back and forth to a computer via USB. It also has an onboard 16 track MIDI recorder\sequencer which the Juno-D does not. The only other instruments I can compare it to are the Casio WK series but they are bigger\heavier, less polyphony, no USB, and just a 6 track sequencer. They are cheaper, offer SmartMedia and\or floppy storage, can play new sampled sounds and synthesize new sounds, have onboard speakers\amplificaion...but the GW-7 appeals more to my own particular needs. I really miss having an arranger keyboard for laying down quick tracks and the GW-7 just may fit the bill! I've downloaded all the audio\video demos and Quick Start manual from the Roland China site, which really helped, even tho' I don't speak any form of Chinese.

Michael

Squeak, that may be a nice new board, however haveyou looked at the Fantom-S? You can find used ones for 800+-50 IMO they arealot better than the GW in every aspect. Just a though

Phil

Fantom-S is a great keyboard (I have one and love it) but it's still not an arranger keyboard.

Michael

Well thats cool to know I should already have mine, however the guy is taking his sweet time, and ironicly got in a wreck, so it will be even longer! The suspense is killing me!

I thought the GW7 was a synth workstation. My bad, i looked it up and its an arranger workstation, but its still not an intelligent one well thats what Roland says .

Phil

[This message has been edited by Pennywizz6 (edited 03-04-2005).]

Pennywizz,
I'm curious..., did you get this board off ebay???? Have your already paid the seller as well. It seems odd that he hasn't gotten the board to you yet.

Squeak