I'm just curious, but how many regular posters here have NEVER played any of the latest Roland's?

E50/60/80 and G70

They are so hard to find, I have a suspicion more of us than we know have never had the opportunity.

So 'fess up. After nearly four years of the G70 being out, who has STILL never played one?

Diki........additionally you should ask Who has bought one and didn't give it a chance also?

Diki...now you know WHY I play a 10 year old keyboard!

Even that lead I got on the G-70 location is becoming difficult. It will probably go through eventually (the dealer "should be getting them in"), but it's not going smoothly.

I'm getting quite disgusted with Roland these last few years with their marketing strategies...or should I say LACK OF marketing strategies. Then I get more dismayed after I call RolandUS Product Support and am told the exact opposite of the GW-8 capabilities.

I finally located a GW-8 to try. It seems Sam Ash managed to have just one in stock!. Guitar Center will not carry it at all...I get the impression they don't want to handle any arranger over $25!

Anyhow, the SA salesman confirmed what you guys said....it DOES do all those things...pre-sets/performance patches and all, so I'll go and look at that for now until the G-70 comes in. You have the right idea...buy one for short gigs and store it in your backpack and take out your mega-arranger on Holidays only!

It's been about two years now since I played the SD5 and the G-70 version 1 (around the same time). Loved them both, but I couldn't get to try the SD5 a 2nd time and I didn't like the G-70 V1 enough to buy it. Not crazy about the Tyros...I don't like the sound of the drums....and many of the instruments. BUT...this Tyros 3 sounds promising. I liked the rhythm track on Scott's recent recording...and he used the "breaks/fills" well.

Not really a Korg person, but I’m open to listening to the new series.

Donnie...what gives? I though you were a Yammie man through and through!

Lucky

Lucky....nahhh, I use them for what they are, but after a while that compressed Yammy sound & lack of features drives me nuts & makes me yearn for that In Your Face REAL Live band sound

In fairness, it depends where you are.

In Europe in general, and the UK in particular, it is easy to find a dealer with an E-80 on demo. There are two within walking distance of my apartment.

E50
E600
VA7
VA76
E-09
G70

Gave up on all of them

I tried a G70 a few months ago at a Samash. I spent about two hours on going through the styles that would suit me the most and I really didn't like it. I wouldn't have bought one anyway because of the weight.

I had a EM2000 about 8 years ago and G70 reminded if it. I found it to still have that core older sound of Roland (whiny base lines), which made me sell the EM2000 in the first place.

Zuki please elaborate so that others may learn from your experiences.

Well that says it all.

I mostly went through the latin styles within the two hours that I spent with the board. I didn't like the way they sounded and I feel if you have to edit the factory styles to make them sound good, then why bother buying the keyboard.

But I will say that I really want to demo the Roland Gw-8. I heard a demo of a guy playing the Cumbia on youtube and it sounded good & authentic. It sounded like the cumbia on the Ketron X1.