I got my BK-7M on Friday and I can tell you that this module
sounds very good. The userstyles I have for my G70 are played
without a problem and sometimes they sound even better than in
my G70. The One Touch Settings which I made for these user-
styles on the G70 are good on the BK-7M.

I havn't received my BK7m yet, hopefully sometime this week!

Judging from these comments from the Roland V accordion forum, the BK7 is not doing to well.

"I've got it at home now and first impressions are that the sounds are nowhere near as "realistic" as those on the FR7."

"Nevertheless the majority of sounds sound like those when you open a birthday card that plays music..."

"I might buy it.. maybe for $200 bucks... but you got to be stoned at a rave to enjoy the cheap sounds that come out of this box."

"Thanks for the review. You just saved me $800 as I will cancel my order on Monday."

"What do you want for $800?"

Don P

That's too bad. The VP-7 Vocal Harmonizer and now this apparently.

Maybe that's why the demo guy at a recent Roland gathering put it in a corner to collect dust?? He wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole and apparently now we know why. Oh well, next in line please! Hopefully Roland will get their act together soon and start dishing out lower-end (mid-range) products that are not only reasonably priced... they also sound good too. Is that too much to ask? I really don't think so myself but apparently Roland does I guess. Pity.

Roland's redemption may come in the form of its new Jupiter-80 keyboard being released at Musikmesse. 76 keys and while it's considered a "Synth" it also has many many acoustic instruments in it as well.

Roland could have made an outstanding arranger module costing twice as much as a BK-7m and would have still been way ahead of the game as far as beating the competition in an otherwise ultra-high priced arranger module market that Ketron and company dishes out. $2,000 for a superb Roland arranger module vs. $4,000-$5,000 for the ultra expensive Ketron arranger module(s) whose innards could be plated in 24K gold for all we know considering their astronomical prices. They say gold conducts better than copper. But instead, Roland seems to have already given up on this their media/customer panned $800 BK-7m, where even Roland's own demonstrator left it in a corner refusing to allow the public to hear it firsthand... and now we know why. I guess he didn't want to risk being laughed off the stage. And to think I was actually considering getting one too. Boy am I glad I waited.

Hey Fran, if worse comes to worst you (and others) could always ship it back and get your money back. I had high hopes for it too but I try to hold off from purchasing any product sight unseen. Too risky in most cases if you ask me. Case in point... well, you know.

All the best,
Mike

I would base my decisions on buying or not buying products on facts...not opinions..

You guys ignore the very positive opinions and only accept the downers..

My opinion of overall negative..about Yamaha sounds in the PSR..didn't stop people from buying one..

PA800 owners that swear the harmonizer in the Korg is the best..in fact it is on par with the Yamaha harmonizer..My opinion won't persuade anyone to pass over it

My point..wait and draw your own opinion..after you try it..

I recall how some folks say the G70, E80..didn't cut it...fact..they still have better sounds overall ...

Fact or fiction...decide for yourself...

BTW: I am passing over the BK-7m....not because of opinions..and I don't doubt it sounds good (the Roland line all sound good)....I am passing for the reason it interested me in the beginning...I wanted it to read lyrics and chords from the USB drive content (not just the internal as on the Prelude)..I want this data shown on the screen...

Apparently "fact" according to folks with hands on experience...will not show on internal screen...

There are altogether too many hands on reports of the BK-7m comparing it favorably (to the point of 'indistinguishable' from a G70/E80) to Roland's last TOTL arrangers that I'm not that impressed with a bunch of naysayer posts with no history of experience.

What were these guys expecting for under a grand (I'd like to know where they are getting that $800 figure from)..? Personally, if it sounds the SAME as an E80/G70, well, we've ALL heard very good demos of what those can sound like in good hands. And we've all heard how bad they can sound in the wrong ones (just like any other arranger!)

You CAN buy one for $850 or less. $999. is MAP.
DonM

First youtube video of the BK 7m has arrrived

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d55tlN4HmXQ

I think I'm going to be sick. Bring on the musical greeting card.

chas

It should be against the law to show a musical instrument or sound demo using just a camcorder mic to pick up the sound.
It should be a law that ALL camcorders have line inputs.
You could video the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and make them sound bad.
While we're making laws, it should be illegal to make presumptions based on second or third hand hearsay.
Be patient. The real sound will emerge soon enough.
I have enough faith in Roland that I have ordered a BK-7M.

DonM

Don....I'm curious. You always seem to be upgrading and improving on your equipment and I see you as a "player." Is there a reason you're not going with the Ketron arranger module (aside from the cost)?