http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Preluded

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=55310976

I wonder if Roland is getting out of the arranger business all together. The Prelude wasn't out that long.

I was thinking the same when Roland ended the collaboration with MidiSpot.
Too bad, but most probably a fact.

Another thought...you know Roland usually closed out a model before they release the new model...

As an example the G1000 was a closed out model with a dealer incentive to purchase them (under $1,000)...

The rumors are out there...the Prelude wasn't all that successful, and neither was the GW-8, if you believe the music dealers.

Not surprising...I played the GW-8 and it was disappointing overall.

Ian

"Not surprising...I played the GW-8 and it was disappointing overall."

It was especailly disapointing for me- it has all the styles I need but they sound toy like to me.

[This message has been edited by montunoman (edited 10-25-2010).]

I certainly hope so ....Roland is NOT counted out yet..

Well, they closed out more than one model this time, G-70, G-80 and now perhaps
Prelude is out as well....... A kind of bad sign, isn't it?

The situation with Roland is right across their entire keyboard range, in my view.

The problems started with the Fantom G really, maybe even earlier. The market was expecting something pretty big, and Roland delivered a real dud!!

They lost a large slice of whatever work-station market share they had to Yamaha after that debacle. Not that the Fantom was a dog, it was just it was mostly only re-hashed older Fantom technology with some new PC type operations.

Same can be said for the Sonic Cell. I guess the only bright light was the new Juno series which were, and as far as I can see from forums, still are, quite popular.

As the dollars dried up from their Pro keyboard markets, I think this equated to less $'s going into more R+D for the arranger division, already suffering BIG-TIME following terrible sales of the G70 and then E80.

Roland tried to recover a bit with the release of the cheap GW7, then 8 and the Preludes in an attempt, in my view, to generate some much needed cash flow into these divisions.

Again they fell flat as these keyboards, really, offered not much new to what had gone before. Certainly not enough to entice back those buyers leaving Roland in droves.

I think Yamaha placed their product at both the perfect price-point, AND the perfect marketing time to take advantage of the weak Roland position, and they (Yamaha) have been proven to be correct in this market assessment.

Personally I believe, there will be no further "serious" Roland arranger as we know it.

I even doubt if there will be anything but cheap alternatives to the Casio lines.

Until Roland gets its Pro Keyboard, and by that I mean Work Station, market share back with something really, REALLY special, then it's dismal times ahead.

However, I also believe the Cakewalk/Sonar, Edirol, Boss, and all the audio hardware divisions of Roland are doing quite well and will continue to do so.

Just my thoughts, for what its worth

Dennis

I've been a synth nut since the mid 70's...even helped Bob Easton with creating his sound set for his "360 Systems" digital sampling keyboard (back in the early 80's).
After following the posts here for many years and demoing so many incredible keyboards I am completely perplexed by Roland's philosophy. Maybe someone can explain it to me because I just don't get it. They build this beautiful...incredible sounding keyboard, the G-70. They follow it up with the E series arrangers which appear to utilize the same wonderful sound set used in the G-70. I remember hearing the G-70 for the first time and being blown away by the sounds. Even though I never got a chance to play the G-70...I did get to play the E-80. Again...knocked out by the sound. Next to the E-80 sat a Prelude. The Prelude is not even in the same league from a sound set stand point. What baffles me is why Roland has chosen to not move this incredible sound set developed for the G-70/E series down through their GW-8 and Prelude series. Yamaha, Korg, and Ketron seemed to have found a way to maintain the quality of sounds from the top models to their lower end models. Maybe they've sacrificed in certain areas...but the quality of sound seems to be in the same ballpark. It seems to me that Roland would have had greater success if they would have maintained consistency from the top models down through the lower end. The other companies have done it. I've had a Tyros...an PSR-S900...and now have the PSR-S710. The quality of sound is consistent. If the Prelude sounded as good as the E-80 next to it...I think it would have given Yamaha a considerable amount of competition. Why is Roland hoarding this wonderful sound set? Seems crazy to me. Anyway...I've ranted long enough. By the way...the E-80 I did the comparison with is still available at Brent's Music in Fort Myers, FL. Just ask for Jim in keyboards and tell him Mitch sent you. I know he's anxious to sell it. If I had the money I'd buy it myself.
800-936-7625.