Roland has dicontinued their top model Arrangers some time ago...

Roland allready has dicontinued their topline solosynth the V-synth GT 2.0 in europe and probably soon will in the US. Without having a real replacement for it.

Their Fantom G line hasn't seen an update in a long time and after 3 years there hasn't been a single ARX expansion board released. Seems they have given up on this series to and are only selling them as long as they are in stock.

Roland is only building cheeper units like affordable Juno's and GW arrangers...

Seems Roland will be the next Casio of the hardware keyboard market.

In these dire economic times, it only makes sense to pull back to just the low end of the market, IMO.

Maybe when we see a REAL recovery (you know, one that affects WORKING people as well as retirees!), it's likely we'll see a spike in TOTL innovation and production, but the high end is pretty much a gamble for any company right now. Some already HAVE robust enough low end sales (in particular, Yamaha) to support what must be a less profitable high end division for at least a while, but Roland have wisely (at least, it SEEMS wise!) decided to have a real go at the BOTL market, and if they can come out with some really competitive products, maybe we'll see a re-emergence in the TOTL.

In the meantime, FantomG is still selling pretty well, is being updated nicely, and is still the go to tool for the hiphop and dance and trance crowd when they aren't using VSTi's. But that's the big dog in the room.... At home and in the studio, at least, more and more work is being done on computers, and a much stronger division is appearing between what recordists want, and what live players want. At the WS end of things, Yamaha's MoXS/F is ruling the roost, but on most stages, you'll see Roland's stage piano line as quite prominent if that is being used.

Don't write Roland completely off so soon...

I hope you're right Diki.

Yamaha Tyros2/3 have sold exceptionally well here in my area, as well as across Canada.

Of course, we heavily promote the high end (and midrange) as these flagships also help to sell the lower end arrangers.

The convertible, or sports-model, in the showroom draws in the crowd, but they wind up with a sedan...however, convertibles (and sports-models) are still sold in enough quantities to warrant building them, and the profit margin pays for research and development, as well as promotion.

Roland arrangers were promoted pitifully here in Eastern Canada, and only two were sold that I know of...a G-70 and an E-60, the latter of the two winding up back in the store where it still sits.

Tyros and mid-range PSR are primarily sold to home users, usually advanced players, and most of them between 45 and 70 years of age.

So, it appears, that if interest remains relatively constant, there's at least another 10-20 years available for home arrangers.

I'm sure the product will gradually adapt, as it already has very well, these past few decades...at that point, the younger buyers will buy the next generation arrangers; instruments that will still be based on what we have now, but with considerably more features in keeping with those present times.

Ian

Is there a sale on Crystal Balls again?

What size balls would you like, Sir?

Roland is probably realizing that making long lasting products that persons could like for years is not the way to go.
They are seeing the light and probably taking a page out of Yamaha’s book and they are starting to create products that are lacking so that they can make a new product that addressed issues and lacking features in the previous product. Just like what Yamaha is doing with the Motif XS and XF and what they have been doing with the Tyros and PSR lines.

What is lacking is your understanding of the arranger market.

Roland didn't sell well because of poor marketing, terrible promotion, and incorrect product placement...not because they make poor instruments, which they do not. Their arrangers are (or were) very competitive.

There are many Yamaha arranger players still using PSR-9000/8000/3000/2000/740 that are quite happy with their instrument and it's sound and reliability.

If you want to take a cheap shot at Yamaha, Genny, you better try harder than that...your point has no basis whatsoever.

Ian

If you are going to comment on my point, please understand it first and don’t misquote me.
I never said Roland made poor arrangers. In fact I said the opposite. “Roland is probably realizing that making long lasting products that persons could like for years is not the way to go”.

Yes there may be a few Yamaha players that still use PSR 9000 and other older ones but Yamaha still felt the need to continue with incremental upgrades to arrangers despite that fact. So it is not a significant number of persons that have those older arrangers.

No one is taking a cheap shot at Yamaha, you an I both know Yamaha’s business practices. It may be hard to swallow but it is the way they are able to stay in business. Other keyboard manufacturers had better start to follow if they want to do well.

The days of giving free OS upgrades need to be over. The need to creat a new product with those minor changes so that they could keep people buying and so that they could keep their name in the news as producing new products.

The only page of "Yamaha's book" that Roland should have been reading, is the one regarding proper promotions, better product placement, and improved marketing research and strategy.

If Yamaha's earlier products were so lacking in features, then why are so many people still happily using them?

Whether you like their tactics or not, there's no denying their success, both in the past, and now, in the present.

Ian

If there were no lacking features in the PSR 9000 then there should never have been a T1, T2, T3, and T4.

Yamaha thinks different from you in that they do not think a lot of persons are using their older arranger. If they did they would not be making so many new arrangers.


Look Ian you may not agree with Yamaha’s way of business but that is what has been working for them and other manufacturers should follow if they want to stay in the TOTL arranger business.