(The audio loop demo starts at 3:34)
OK... I noticed something during the Chord Sequencer demonstration (towards the end of the video at 4:00).
In the middle of the loop, there was a fill, and I noticed the Variation buttons' lights changing, which if the CS was an audio looper (as the Roland information has so far said), you would think would not change. So there is still hope that Roland's marketing got it wrong, and the CS is still a MIDI function, not audio. Yay!
Mind you, I hope they didn't forget, older Roland's with CS's allowed you the choice of recording ONLY the chords, or the chords with the Variation and Fill changes. So far, we've only seen it recording Variations and Fill changes (unless Ralph had an FC-7 tucked away under there and was kicking it himself). But I am encouraged somewhat...
I am also happy to see that Roland understand that audio loops need to LOOP! Yamaha's audio multipad function is simply one shot playback, nowhere near as useful. Mind you, those loops you use on the Roland better be trimmed to perfection, otherwise they will drift off sync if used over more than 16 bars or so! Although the machines are synced together, if it is a proper loop, and not just re-triggering the audio file on the 'one', if the loop is off a tiny hair (you'd be surprised how many commercial libraries have loops that say 120bpm, but are really 119.995bpm or 120.006bpm, etc.!) after a chorus or so, they drift away from each other a tad.
But this feature is quite a game changer, IMO. The icing on the cake would be to be able to put the loop through a filter or MFX, something common in the techno world. Let's hope.
But my main hope is that an update can get the loops off the keyboard (I dread the thought of accidentally triggering them on or off as I play close to the note/loop boundary!) and put the on/off to an FC-7 option. Hard to think why this couldn't be done.
BTW, anyone notice that at 1:30 he does an amazing chord strum with melody one handed on Sweet Georgia Brown? I don't think I've heard anything else pull that off. Interesting. I think we are only just starting to get a peek at some very unique features for the BK9, and my appetite is starting to get whetted!
I have to confess also, the Leslie sim seems FAR better than my G70 (one of my pet peeves).
It just keeps getting better!
_________________________
An arranger is just a tool. What matters is what you build with it..!