Not too much buzz yet about the 'Audio Key' function. This strikes me as being functionally similar to the PSR S950's audio multipads... Except you can have seven of them (rather than four) and that they use keys rather than buttons to trigger.

So far, in the OFFICIAL ad copy, there's no mention of whether these are tempo synced and can loop (being able to loop would be a huge improvement over the S950's audio multipad feature). There's an awful lot of conjecture, but I am not coming off the fence until I see the manual (not out yet).

But, if Roland for once got it right, and had them loop and be synced, that's an incredible feature. Finally, the melding of audio loops and MIDI styles (noticed how Roland have mostly quit using 'styles' and are moving to saying 'rhythms' nowadays? LOL Wouldn't want to remind the kids about this being an 'arranger' now, would we?!). The .WAV's do get leaded in per Performance, so that's quite cool.

It's the little stuff flying under the radar that often turns out to be the game changer...

BTW, I know Ketron have been able to do this for a while, but it's new at this price point.

Still no manual Diki I notice....this would help explain all of these issues...

It does seem odd that all the other data is out there but no manual??

Surely they are not trying to hide inadequacies and instead giving "joe public" a highly "spinified" version of the capabilities...

Manual tends to come out when the product ships. Gives them time for last minute revisions, I would imagine.

When DOES this ship, BTW?

TBH, most of the 'spin' I'm seeing is coming from ill-informed 'Joe Public' readers, conjecturing their brains out! I prefer to stick to the official ad copy rather than what some guy told some other guy about what he had heard from another guy who saw it briefly but couldn't play it!

Yep me too - "word" I am getting is shipping could be around the beginning of May out here...

Although, I daresay the release model is now set as you can expect a big show at MM...maybe the manual then.

I don't really pay much attention to ANY promo material - it is all spin...give me the "nuts and bolts" manual, THAT'S where the real data is...as you well know

Well, for once I am hoping the 'spin' ad copy is WORSE than reality!

If that chord looper is simply what it says it is, it is a HUGE blunder by Roland R&D.

And if it is a 'proper' CS, that's a huge blunder by Roland Marketing.

Thing that worries me is, Marketing rarely blunder on the side of UNDER-reporting capabilities! Hyperbole and exaggeration is their usual mode!

Not yet, Donny. I have to put some money into the bank before I can start taking it out again. Still paying for the trip home, which was about $800 for gasoline alone. Add to that the cost of food, overnight stays at various marinas, booze, etc..., and it all adds up to the price of a couple new keyboards. I'm not in a hurry - that's for young people.

Gary

Gary you da man!!!!!