This is the most underrated keyboard to date..Many have dismissed this board and will never know what a great musician tool it is..

First some numbers.
96 different vocalizer pre-sets.
63 different covers to change sequences in real time..East access..

Any edits can be done on the fly...sounds, effects, harmony, volumes, instrument changes, transpose, tempo, markers etc.

All panel changes can be saved to 128 user programs, including tone edits, also a SMF song link can be saved to the user program..

You can set up 4 user singer set ups allowing you to set the vocal range of 4 different vocalist..This allows any sequence to be quickly scanned to match the range of the selected singer[user].There is also default male or female selections..

You can set up different indexes/and rename them...This allows you to group SMF's in separate indexes.. For example..."Fran"[my songs/my keys],"Jane Doe"...."Joe Blo" etc..Or you could set indexes for music types.."latin", "Swing', "Wedding", "Polkas" etc...

The Vocal effects are Super...very clear and high quality..Combined with the best vocalizer I have used...gives you an unbeatable combination..

The tones are from the VA series, including the best Scat voices on any instrument..

The lyric read is great and you can save from text to lyrics, with in the keyboard, as the VA-7 version2 does..

The key feel is not as good as the G1000[no one is better than the G], but it is good, it is like the VA-7..

The quality built is very good..housing is sturdy, buttons and controls are solid...

The out puts cover all the bases..Beside the front headphone jack, you have stereo outs[total mix], or you can separate the vocal/harmonizer with effects, with another set of stereo outs..

The pedal assigns are great..Besides the EV5 input for parts expression/volume, you have two more input jacks..one for sustain and the other assignable..for an example, vocalizer on/off..
There is also a talk button that removes effects and lowers the music , so you can talk..

The Roland pitchbend/mod lever can also control effects as fast/slow rotary..

The D- Beam is also assignable to 4 selection groups with many choices..

The markers[a great feature] can be set in real time, allowing you to go back to a bridge/verse/chorus/ or end the song..

One of the best features I like is reading of chords on all sequences, a measure before playing[it also shows the current measure]..making it easy to follow sequences..

There are enough drum patterns[sequences] with markers set for verse w/ fills, verse wo/ fills, and ending, to use as a real time drum machine..while playing left hand bass[w/ride cymbal, my favorite], and right hand piano/strings for examples..You can sequence your own drums[externally as from a G series] and set the markers to use with in the DisCover5..

All in all this is one of the best instruments I know of...very misunderstood..

You guys/gals with the G70, I hope you are using the DisCover features in your G70...With the combination of the VA-76, DisCover5 and VK8.....the G70 has to be the best...


Anyone have any thoughts to add? Or complaints!!!

Fran,
It's nice to have someone of your caliber who explores a product deep enough to exhalt the possibilities that the manufacturer has created. Maybe you should work for Roland
zuki

Maybe I do!!!!

They just don't pay me!!!

When are you going to demo the G70?
Starkeeper

Fran....great review, as usual your expertise on Roland products opens the eyes of many lurkers........Hype/Shmype with others!!! gettin down & dirty with features is where a KB shines for the individual performer who takes the time to learn how to really use them successfully...

Posted By: Dnj
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gettin down & dirty with features is where a KB shines for the individual performer who takes the time to learn how to really use them successfully...
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Well said there. Sounds and basic functions such as sequencing/style recording is all on the surface. Really taming the beast requires the user to dig deeper.

Squeak

Fran:

Thanks for your informative posts. We are fortunate to have folks on the "Zone" who care enough to share with the rest of us.

All my best, RICE

Fran, are you suggesting that the looping/markers feature is also on the D70? If so, you're right... I know how good the VK8 sounds.



[This message has been edited by GlennT (edited 01-13-2006).]

All the discover 5 features are on the G70, plus styles and sequencing on the G70 which the Discover 5 doesn't have.
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California

If that's the case, with Fran's acclaim of the Discovery5, plus and excellent demo posted by Niels, I'm very surprised the G70 hasn't received rave reviews.

Glenn