How many folks here still own or play a G70? Did Roland ever replace it? For the right price I thought I might find a used one and give it a try. What is the situation with 3rd party styles? I got rid of my Korg PAX1 because of the limited style support.

Hammer

Hi Hammer
Not the most popular of Roland keyboards worldwide, but those that have them tend to hang onto them as they are a cracking live sounding board, (Make sure it has or update to OS2 or above to really hear it sing) so it is seldom that they come on the used market. (There almost as rare as a Wersi when it comes to used instruments, with their owners just as tenacious)
Styles from the E series can be used, and there are plenty of 3rd party styles available. (Until Wersi introduced the OAA, (Using its own styles NOT the Yamaha style play capability) the Roland styles were always my favourite out of all the manufactures)
Hope this helps

Bill

Hi Hammer
I just traded my PA-800 for a G70. I found the Korg to be good in many ways, but the G70 is more suited to my needs in many areas, including styles. There has been no replacement I know of, since you can't really call the E-80 a replacement, having the same engine.

Fran and Diki are the two prominent members, and am sure they will chime in.

Bernie

While OS2 was a major upgrade that made the G70 fairly good, OS3 fine tuned the styles and tones to make it great. It is fairly easy however, to download OS3 if you get one with OS2.

Bernie

It's a very live sounding, very heavy, very much a "player's" keyboard - there's none of the karaoke features, mp3 playback, any of that stuff - with by far the best sounding piano (IMO) in any arranger, some very live sounding drums, a great B3 sim and a nice easy to operate OS.

If you want to edit, create or assemble your own styles, it's on-board tools are about the best, it's SMF playback is probably as good as it gets (it's Roland, after all!) and the SMF editing tools are again by far the easiest and best in the business.

It's built like a tank, weighs like one , has what a large number here admit is possibly the best feeling plastic semi-weighted action on the planet (never played better, myself), a very easy to use color touch-screen, and just about any sound you need...

Some people love them, some hate them. I think, primarily, that most of the 'haters' are those coming from Yamaha's, which have an utterly different 'sound', an utterly different OS, and different general direction, IMO. But if a 'live' sounding, rather than 'CD-like' keyboard is what you are after, this one should be high on your list.

Now, here's the stuff that most owners won't tell you..! No multi-pads, no audio recording, did I say heavy? No synchronized SMF and style playback (but who uses that much?), no break/fill (but a break), and here's the real difference... In all honesty, the guitars on it are not quite as good as Yamaha and Korg. They are good enough, but nowhere near as realistic as Yamaha's Mega guitars. If really good guitars in the style are your MAIN priority (more than a good piano or good drums), then possibly a T2 or S900 might work better, if you can work with a 61.

So... no it's not perfect (don't let anyone tell you anything is that!), but it has a sound all it's own (plenty of factory and user demos out there to listen - go to Roland-arranger.com for a large collection) and, if you find it suits you, trust me, you won't be getting rid of yours for a while!

I do a combination of solo, duo and full live band playing, and I have to admit that the G70 is by far the best thing I've ever played that covers all the bases. Good enough for a solo, maybe not the best, but very close, and punchy and ballsy enough to not get buried in a live band situation. Easy to operate on stage, and with FantomX and VK-1 quality sounds that need no apologizing for in a 'real band' situation.

3rd party styles abound. Admittedly, perhaps not as many as Yamaha, but still FAR in excess of Korg. Plus a few good commercial style makers, notably MidiSpot, with styles that rival the factory ones. Plus, as I pointed out at the start, of all the arrangers out there, this one is the easiest to edit, create and re-assemble your own styles. Making it easy only encourages you to try, and that's half the battle!

Only you can decide for yourself if the G70 suits you, but there is enough online for at least a decent impression about the sound. I have a feeling that, because there is no replacement model for it (yet), it ought to hold it's used value for quite a while, so you shouldn't take a bath on it if you buy used, and decide it isn't for you.

Best of luck...

AMEN!!!

Ian just wondering if you could elaborate a bit more in your demo of teh G70/E80...I wasnt aware that you finaly got the chance to play one?.....

Ian Wrote:...." I have to agree with you, Snazzy....touch screens are not my choice either...as good as Roland and Korg allegedly make them, they still provide an extremely poor interface compared to the screens on the Yamahas.

I played a G70 for about a week, as a friend left it with me whilst on vacation...other than a great piano sound, and a nice feeling keybed, it was substandard to the Tyros1/2 in every other way, especially the OS.

The touch screen was a real pain...no feedback at all...and you need a tactual response to make things go smoothly, especially whilst in the midst of playing

The E-80 I tried at the local music store was no better...in fact my inexpensive S900 has a better sound than the E-80 and the G70 when played through the same sound system...those exclusive to Yamaha SA and Mega voices are in a class by themselves...AND the OS is much more intuitive."
Ian

Yep...I mentioned this in a previous post on SZ a few months ago.

I had a G70 for over a week...one with the latest OS and expertly tweaked by the owner who previously owned a G1000.

I like the Yamaha sound...it's that simple...I like smooth and compressed CD quality over the Roland's "live" sound....just my preference.

My friend Danny eventually wanted to sell/trade the G70 for something lighter and with built in speakers.

He was interested in the S900, and also the Korg PA-800...he managed to get to try the latter whilst on a business trip to Toronto(they don't carry Korg arrangers locally) and eventually ended up with the PSR-S900 which he still has and is quite happy with it.

We each "know" what we want to hear...Yamaha has that sound for me.

I really disliked the touch screen...again, just my own preferences...may be the bee's knees for someone else, but the lack of tactile feedback was something I couldn't warm up to.

Not to mention the weight, which was needlessly excessive in my opinion...but they are a few who can live with it because they want/need the things about the instrument that they feel are important for their type of playing and music.

Different strokes...


Ian




[This message has been edited by ianmcnll (edited 07-14-2008).]

Diki, that was a great summary of the G70. All I can say is it is heavy?

Ian,

I find the PA800 touchscreen a very useful, very responsive and an easy to use tool. It works like a charm and is quick in live play. Wouldn't trade it for any other. There are soooo many incredible features on this board

That's cool, buddy...but I really prefer Yamaha's approach...until they can get a touch screen to provide tactile feedback, I hope Yamaha stays with the staus quo.

Ian

Ian thanx for the review it will help people get closer to their choices & decisions by reading these posts.

Keyboards are a lot like mobile phones. If you've been used to Ericsson for the last twenty years, it's hard to switch to Nokia, no matter how much better an individual model might be.

I've played nothing but Roland from the earliest days of the E-20. I went through an E-30, an E-70 and an E-86, which I settled on for years.

I bought a Tyros, played with it for a few months, and sold it. Couldn't get on with it.

Having auditioned all the current crop of arrangers, and with money no object, I've bought an E-80 this week. You can post lists of specs as long as this page about how much better the Tyros 1, 2, 3 or whatever is, but for someone used to Roland - especially live - only a Roland will do.

Just my two cents...


[This message has been edited by Seamaster (edited 07-15-2008).]

Exactly! We all know what WE want to hear when we play an instrument.

In my case, the G70 did not give it to me...the sound of Yamaha is not only what I am used to...but the reason why I play one in the first place.

To each his/her own.

Ian

Hi Seamaster

As you tried all the top Arrangers, what was your impression of the Bohm and Wersi Arrangers, as most uses that hear and play them live, usually quite like them.

Curious

Bill

I did briefly consider the new Wersi Apollo, which - had it actually been available to view anywhere - might have got an audition. But I'm afraid as an ex-Wersi organ player the woeful reliability and support of Wersi products, not to mention the recurrent bankruptcy of the company, pretty much rules them out for me. Sorry and all that.

Hi Seamaster
Your views are understandable, (And have been mentioned by others) as they went into decline in the 90s, (After the 1st Bankruptcy) however with the release of the OAS instruments (And moving from Win 98 to XP) reliability has not been much of a problem, (Mainly the odd software bug and users messing with the Windows installation, (And then complaining bitterly when it stops working correctly)) the new owners are also more progressive then the old ones. (However they could still do better)
I am surprised you were thinking of the Apollo, as that only comes as an organ, not as an arranger, (The Abacus and Ikarus are the arranger models) it also uses OAS Light rather then OAS 7. (My preference)
Anyway enjoy your E80, as like all TOTL boards it is an excellent instrument to use and play.
Regards

Bill

Precisely, Ian. And, in fact, it points out the need to qualify any recommendation with either a 'go listen to one first', or at least an acknowledgment of the TYPE of sound each of us prefers, before we evangelize our own particular choice as a generic 'must-have' for all others...

If you ask me, there's FAR too much 'buy what I have' on this forum, with seldom an explanation as to WHY... or even an earnest try at understanding what the asker actually needs or wants. There is so much choice, and some of it radically different from each other, and so many different needs and tastes, it sometimes seems that it really would be a fluke if what 'I' use really would be what 'you' need

My point was more about what I would call the "operating personality" of the instrument, rather than the sounds.

I think we all accept that ALL the high-end keyboards sound superb these days. But if you're a player used to the way a Roland keyboard "works" (and at its most fundamental level this has hardly changed since the first E's of the late eighties), it doesn't matter how much better the pianos or the guitars are on a Yamaha or Korg are. All that accumulated interaction with the Roland way of of doing things is a very powerful draw to another Roland.

It's certainly why, for all my brief flirtations with other brands over the years, I always end up back with an E.