Thing about using the intro one as a break/fill is that if you are not on Variation one, you must push two buttons to activate it.

Yep, but I had no problem with doing the two button thing on the Yamahas...and most time I wanted to return to the Variation I was on at that point, usually "C" or "D" so it was usually one button. The regular fill on the Yamaha is activated by the same button as used for the Main Variation...of course it can be shut off, or by-passed by pressing the Variation button twice in succession quickly.

The other advantage of being able to pre-set the INTRO 1 based stop/fill ahead of time...very useful.

When I did a clinic or demo on an instrument with only factory styles, I often used ENDING 1 as a stop fill, but you had to be careful to hit the Main Variation button again before the ending completed it's cycle...also, didn't work so well on ENDING 1 if it was two or three bars long with a ritardando.

Again. it's all what we individually find useful, which is the beauty of the flexibility of today's arrangers.

Ian

Ian, the thing about the Rolands is that there is only one intro and one ending button. You have to quickly press intro and variation one together to get intro one, unless you are already playng in variation one, which I seldom am when i need a Break/fill.
This was not a problem on BK7m because each could be addressed individually via midi. I could get a Behringer midi foot controller, but that's just more gear to buy and carry.
It's not a deal breaker, but an annoyance.

Don, Yamaha makes a real nice keyboard, PSR-S950, that I KNOW you will enjoy playing. See, I told you to keep it!

Gary

Don maybe the KORG PA900 is a MUCH Better fit ALL AROUND for Your needs? Light, VH, Big display lyrics etc,...just sayin'

No 950 at this point for sure. I'm going to run over and play Deane's PA900.
I still like the BK9 a lot. We'll see.

OH MY!!! the wheels are turning ......bring the BK9 for a trade just sayin'

I understand, Don...I could also assign a footswitch to trigger INTRO 1, but I'm very used to doing it with my fingers via the buttons. We sorta get the movements down like a choreography.

I do remember the Roland arrangers of years ago had a different system where by each variation could have an "advanced" setting with a fill to it or the Original. It wasn't any harder...just different.

I'm too damn lazy to want to use (and learn) another system, especially with having so many years with the Yamaha setup...also I'm not too fussy about using two different ones, especially where one might have a touch screen, and the other doesn't.

I've been doing the Yamaha way of accomplishing things for so long, it's second nature, and I can concentrate more on actually playing the music.

I admire those using several brands of arrangers, but I'm at the point where I want to keep it simple.

It's good to see you are giving the BK-9 a very fair chance...it is a fine instrument.

Ian

My workaround for no Break/Fill is to have the Variation selection on the FC-7, along with the Break. So, you go 'Press Break' on the 'one', count a beat or two, then press the next Variation you want, the fill comes in halfway through, and the next Variation comes up. Simple.

I'd recommend putting the Break on switch 7, well away from the Variation 1-4 at the other end of the FC-7, to stop you accidently hitting it, other than that, it has the advantage over just ONE Break/Fill that you now have SIX (depending on where you are going to, and coming from).

No, it's not perfect, but it's not as hard as some make out.

Personally, if I were you and things like the two button system for Endings bugs you (mind you, the two simultaneous button system for the Chord Sequencer on Korg's drives e equally crazy!), I'd look into a very small, very cheap MIDI button bank, and program the specific Endings to four of the buttons.

But overall, if you can handle having to hit two buttons to do ONE thing on the Korg, you can probably learn to do it on a Roland!

Ipad is not really multi tasking, so you either have text display or vocal harmony...

Unless Roland puts everything in a single app...


But i totally agree, that Roland intended the use of a BK9 with an ipad... This way they kept the instrument atleast €400 cheeper.... Good call i would say, one advise however, if you intend people to use your arranger with an ipad, integrate a stand for it.