I've always said people too often get caught up in the hype and waste all that money on the "next best thing" thinking it's going to make them sound better and they've barely scratched the surface of the keyboard they already have.

So many of you guys have arranger power-houses under your fingers and don't even realize it.., or you do but are too stubborn to explore your keyboard beyond the power button and the presets. So much can be done with today's arrangers. Even the lower end such as the PSR-S700.

YOU are the one who makes the arranger sing.., the board doesn't play you..., YOU play it! Spend more time practicing your own chops and exploring your keyboards features, learning new things, and you just may save yourself a crap load of money down the line.

I often find that the players here don't actually outgrow their arrangers. Rather due to their unwillingness to explore their current board.., they just get bored playing their same routine with the same presets after while. Then drop all that money on a new model to play the same routine on it.., yet not outgrowing that board either. Then repeat the same process over and over.

[This message has been edited by squeak_D (edited 04-09-2009).]

Agreed Squeak....again the proof is in the pudding & the listeners ears. Many players are convinced & think it sounds great until they make someone else listen.
meanwhile we extended our thoughts to the Roland reps & all you can do is wait & see down the road in models to come in the future. Meanwhile keep practicing & improving

Sure, oh GREAT PATIENT ONE. You've had more keyboards in the past year than most people have in a lifetime. Not as many as I've had, but a lot!
Playing in mostly the same place all the time, 5 nights a week, I need new stuff to keep me from getting bored. Of course I COULD learn some new songs, . . . naw.
Actually I learned several new-to-me songs this week: Crazy Love & Tupelo Honey by Van Morrison, Home by M. Buble and Blake Shelton, Take My Hand by Wayne Toups (Cajun).
DonM

I think the keyboard companies for the most part know that a good majority of arranger players like to trade up when the next "big thing" surfaces. And because of that reliable "phenomenon" the manufacturers have decided to give their new arranger models just enough *bling* to barely whet one's appetite or one's whistle from the previous model's features; yet they know that a majority of keyboardists will take the bait anyway, so they keep repeating the cycle. Like Yamaha has done with the Tyros line, Korg with the Pa line, Roland with the the G arranger line, add infinitum.

If more arranger keyboardists would bite the bullet and hold off (unless there is truly a good reason to upgrade) I think the manufacturers would then be compelled to give each successive totl arranger model more than just a "cosmetic" face lift, etc., from that of what the previous model had.

Sure, they would have to charge a little more for each successive model they come out with but it would sure be worth it for the consumer because he or she would be getting much more for his or her dollar in the process. As it stands now someone may have a Tyros2 and if, perchance, you happen to trade up to a Tyros3 you're NOT really getting much more for your money and some might even say the T3 was actually a step backward, at least as far as the Drums go anyway. Yet, for whatever reason, people still go gaga at the mention of a new model coming out and in many cases will buy it sight unseen. I think part of the problem is people think they "have to have" the latest greatest, and to show the world that they're on the cutting edge of keyboard technology and they have the best "out there". Or at least to show their fellow keyboardists of that fact anyway. Which is okay I suppose, but the fact that they're just upgrading for upgrading's sake alone is unfortunate in a way because their dollars are not truly being utilized optimally in my opinion. If you have money to burn like Fran and Donny then it won't matter to their ultra deep pockets anyway. But manufacturers like Yammie, Korg, Roland, Ketron, etc. see this "mysterious" affliction that most arranger keyboardists seem to have and they then continue to give us these silly, microscopic, itsy-bitsy, incremental upgrades with each successive new model they happen to dish out, and to a seemingly giddy and blubbering awestruck audience just waiting in the wings for the next one to be announced. Never mind that the new model is basically just like the old model, only more expensive, right?

All the best,
Mike

Gawd Fran,

How do you play left hand bass with no fingers

Oh, by the way.. since I DON'T have an arranger at present, I am keenly interested in what Roland has up their sleeve with this new totl unit. Will Roland finally forsake the "G" moniker and give it a fresh name and look instead? My guess is they will although I wouldn't bet the farm on it.

Roland got a lot right with the G70, like physical drawbars for the organs, a nice solid key bed action, a fairly decent AC Grand, and although it's a bit on the heavy side I think its successor will weigh even less than its now obviously quite obsolescent and bulkier big brother the G70. If it does come in weighing more than the G70 it will detract from overall sales in my opinion. Hopefully Roland will bump up the polyphony and give it an onboard Sampler as well. And as long as I'm at it bring back the chord sequencer (with shouts of hallelujah in the background ), provide it with a better VH, give it more inputs and outputs and a lo-Z (XLR) Mic input would be nice too. USB 2.0 will definitely be on board though and most likely the DAC's will have been bumped up to 24 bits as well. Also, Black may gone and we might see something entirely "new" in the way of a different color scheme. Something bold, something fresh, something exhilarating - along with a bold fresh new design.

I expect it to show up at Winter NAMM '10 or at the latest Frankfurt Musikmesse '10. I am also currently in the process of saving my pennies and look forward to seeing this new beast from Roland and company. They most likely have already made a sale by way of me, if it indeed has 76 keys, a respectable light weight, and has fullfilled the majority of my other criteria. Of course how it sounds will ultimately be the most important determining factor but I still wouldn't settle for just a 61 key version. And right under how it sounds will be the price tag out the door. If they charge an arm and a leg like Ketron has done with the Audya they will unfortunately pay a bigger price in the end in loss of overall sales in my opinion. Which would be a pity really. But if they come in at a very competitive price point then most likely it's gonna sell like hot-cakes. All things considered that is.

All the best,
Mike

Mike looks like you took out the Crystal Ball again eh? or drank too many Red Bulls?

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 04-10-2009).]

Don ... Blake Shelton does a nice job on 'Home', but I'm betting your version will be great ... how about putting it on your web site ...
t.

Lol! You make it sound as if hundreds of users are discussing feature enhancements there, instead of the two or three people that post a message once a month in that forum :-)

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Happy owner of a Roland E-80 V2