Very enjoyable demos of features on the Roland EA7 arranger KB (styles & sounds... demo3 @ 3:00)
I learned some kool ideas for my own music..and LOTs of Bang for the Buck too.
I hope Fran will add to this also since he has one too..

Does anyone here on SZ have a EA7 besides Fran?
Would love to hear your thoughts if so...

After playing it for a couple minutes, i realised that the keybed was not for me...
Keep in mind tough that the same goes for the psr s970...

So thats hugely based on a personal dislike for extremely light keybeds.

Many pro player love light weight keys...

Whats with Roland and these mini keys ? Is this only aimed at kids ? A few more dollars for a decent keybed would well be worth it. Not necessarly weighted but at least full size.
Wonder if I can download the Styles to try on my BK9 ?

Fran ? Fran ? Fran ? RIbbitt

Don,

I have been using an EA7 since it first became available. I had a BK9 and liked it a lot, but at least for me it was not easy to use for live playing if I wanted to access different sounds on the fly (more scrolling, compared to T5 and Pa4x). I also had a BK7M module which I enjoyed, but it was not easy to adjust the sounds on the fly and it had to be midied to a keyboard to play the voices. In both cases, I found the Roland styles refreshing to play, probably since I have played Yamaha since the T2 days.

I felt the EA7 was the best of both worlds since it has the ability to easily adjust sound levels of all 4 voices in real time, it plays all the styles from the BK9 and BK7M (and some other Roland arrangers), and dual screens (revised and different from the BK9) made it easy to use buttons to access things quickly. I used to think that touch screens were the answer, but I must say that the EA7 makes things pretty easy and quick to use. I think the Roland engineers really listened when they designed the layout.

Right now I have a Korg Pa4x which I tend to use when I play live solo (though I'm not a pro like many of you guys), and a Tyros 5 which I use as a upper tier connected via midi to an RD2000 on the bottom and pedalboard for home playing. The BK7M is holds up pretty well compared to both of these arrangers, especially if you consider the price.

Here's what I like best about the EA7:
- it's my first choice for practice sessions with a band or when I want to play spur of the moment as an arranger since it is light and sounds great. And it fits nicely in the trunk of a 2 seater sports car if that's important. The speakers are ok for practice, but you really need amplification for the best live sound
- it's true that the keys are shorter, but the keys are firm and for the most part play well. Not as nice as the Tyros or Korg, but not bad either
- the operating system is one of the easiest compared to many other Roland keyboards I have owned.
- it's a good basic "controller" keyboard with decent midi control. I've used it as both a lower and upper manual for the Tyros, and found the action and velocity curve "more hot." IMO it made the T5 piano and some other T5 instruments actually sound better (a different feel than when you adjust the velocity curve of the T5)
- When you play it in full keyboard mode, or hook the EA7 as the upper keyboard to a full midi controller keyboard like the RD 2000, I find it does an excellent job recognizing chords across the keyboard in piano mode, possibly even a but better than the T5 and Pa4x
- I don't use the sampler, but with some of the tools out there (e.g. the multi sampler in Logic) you could sample in the favorite sounds from another keyboard or instrument pretty easily
- one thing that others have found a bit frustrating is that Roland only has a few pads preloaded on the EA7. The Pa4x and Tyros have many great pad sounds right out of the bos, so if you like pads you need to creat them yourself
- the sound bank I think is derived from the G70 and other Roland keyboards, with some additional effects added. One criticism of the EA7 is the lack of supernatural/articulated sounds. You can easily "upgrade" this arranger into the league of T5 and PA4x (assuming you are ok with the keybed) by connecting it via midi to the Integra 7 sound module (they sometimes go on sale for $1k, so it isn't cheap). This gives you the entire sound bank of supernatural sounds, supernatural drums, and it brings the EA7 to an even higher level. Since it is a good midi controller, I sometimes turn off the local control for voice 3 (rarely used on one touch settings) and drums, and turn on those same midi external channels so I can access the supernatural voices and supernatural drums on the Integra. It's pretty easy to do, and it gives quite an impressive "live" performance. Recently my niece visited and thought I was practing with a band....it sounds that good.

Like all you guys say, none of these keyboards make you play better, and sound preference differs by player and the amplification system you have. But if I only had this as my sole arranger, I would be quite happy.

There are 2 very good EA7 videos on the web done by Bonners- one is on the voices, and the other is on the styles. Also on the web is an impressive foreign performance by some guy wearing a creepy mask- a bit strange but man he can play well. I think I read on this forum that EA7 has risen to #2 in sales, probably since it gives a good bang for the buck across the globe. It has a great collection of BOTH Western and foreign styles, more so than the stock T5 or standard Pa4x.

I hope that's helpful.

Mike

Mike

This was a nice read !!!

Mike excellent post thank you for all the hands on experienced review of the EA7...it really has so much to offer.

Very well written Mike...

So what they need to do is add the keyboard of the RD/2000 and/or G70 (best keyfeel i ever played) the sounds of the Integra 7 and we would be ready to roll?

When I played Fran's EA7 I remember saying to myself wow all these buttons & sliders are really amazing at what can be done in real time.....the layout is expertly thought outfor the perfroming musician. I must return and spend some more time with it just to see what I missed.....breakfast is on me Fran ;-)

Donny, Ya thinking of getting one?

Hi Steve, at this time I am not in need of another arranger but I am also always interested in trying new things,......I really didn't have enough time to sit with the EA7 last time out but hope try it again at Frans studio soon enough just to have him explain more of all the great features and what can be done using it. I have alot more time now to record songs & my needs have varied for studio needs.

cio

dp

I'd love to try one if I could find one. I so miss my G-70, I am constantly scanning the net for a fourth, weight or not.

ROLAND G70 FOR SALE

Here is my review I wrote for Sweetwater..

BTW: The keys are not as bad as some folks make out.. They are more playable than most in the same price range..

It isn't mini keys like the popular Korg micro arranger


.


Francis Carango
from Levittown, PA
September 3, 2016
Roland E-A7
My first impression of Roland E-A7...

Well, it is small...it is light...looks like a toy..

and a lot of fun to play..

The keys ..yep , like the BK5, although they feel a bit stiffer..
after you play a while , you get use to them,,they are more playable than my
Edirol PC80 controller..

The operating system became second nature after a couple hours,
playing and editing..

All the buttons are rubberized, feel good and perform perfectly..
The sliders are firm and smooth..

This E-A7 is loaded with goodies, just as many features as the
BIG boys..

Coming from a week with the Korg PA4x, I can tell you the E-A7
competes favorably,,

Same features, and they work just as well as the Korg..

Many of the sounds , edge to Roland, drums, strings, E guitars, choir,
scats, EP and Acc piano for starters..

The sound is surprising..I was told they were shorter samples than the BK9 etc..
Others on YouTube state they were as good or better than PA4x and Tyros5..

Styles are plentiful and nicely done,,easy to edit on the fly while
performing..Realtime mixing with the sliders..

The new OS with two displays turned out to be a great idea, they work in
conjunction with each other...and direct tabs on the display border, help navigation..
The six assign buttons for pads, phrases , tones, work great...and are in sync with
styles and songs..

The 3 upper and one lower tones are easy to access and view..volume level via sliders ..
Favorite tones section, also user tones and styles..UPG section that saves all panel settings..

There is no sequencer, but make up tools do the job we normally do in the sequencer..

The playback for SMF,Kar, MP3 and wav..works great, and feature chain play
tempo change and transpose,,Parts mute also covered, as is center cancel..

Search feature works great for any data , song, styles, Upg etc..

Song play is easier and smoother operation than Korg..one button to play.

SMF play sounds best of any board...

Sampler improved with update 1.10....samples increased from 512 to 2,048...



I will follow up after a few days...but it looks like a keeper..

BTW: It looked like a toy, but anything but.....this is a very capable keyboard...
ready for the stage, and a light traveler..

Here is my follow up on the E-A7......

When I started thinking about buying an E-A7, I thought it
was primarily a European/Eastern keyboard, thus wasting
control surface space and paging through tones, and styles
I would not need as a USA player...

But Roland handled this nicely, you select the language / country,
and the tones and styles are organized, so the content covers the
language selected...first..

I thought the keyboard scale function would be useless, it doubles
as the phrase/pad controls..

You will be able to play the E-A7 and never know it can be an Eastern
keyboard...for us Western players..

The keys are definately better than the BK5, they have more dept,
resistance, and more playable..

Now about the sounds..
I spent time comparing in detail the E-A7 to Roland's best (G70)..
I believe the sample pcm waves are the same...I guess the digital
converters could be better in the G70 (old argument when we compared
the E60 with the G70)..
The sound of the E-A7 are better than the E50/60...Similar to the E80..

I compared my favorite G70 tones and other common tones with the
E-A7 offerings....they are identical, ..
The E-A7 tones have been changed via multi effects..For example most of the
organs are using a leslie effect controlled by the bender..

The styles are excellent, best to date...and the realtime mixer makes it easy
to get the style to sound ..your way..
I also really like the way the phrase player is in sync with the style..
muting style parts and let the phrase play (pads)..is interesting.
This is also available to use with SMF play...adding 4 markers with the pads
and you can perform in a way to make it your own..

The file utility is great, helps you organize files in your external and
internal storage.
I have over 40,000 files on my 32g micro usb drive, including 2,000
custom /library styles..

Search feature makes it easy to locate a request song..

I also have songs to use in chain play..25 tunes for senior gigs..
about 7 or 8 sets..

Roland is still the only one that reads chords in SMF, without embedding..

The lyric window is great, with a zoom to enlarge words, also
showing the chords, even a measure ahead of the change...makes
playing with a file a breeze..

You have a favorite tone section for immediate selection..the tone incorporates
the Multi effects..
There is also a User tone section and user drum section...
Sampling can also be stored as a user tone or user drums.

EQ is available for every part, song, style and realtime parts..
Compression and EQ is available in the mastering (overall output)...

I really like this keyboard, much better than I anticipated..

The German review that mentioned the E-A7 is a poor man's PA4X.....
wasn't far from the truth...at 1/3 the cost...

After a few days I can get around on it with no "oops"..I did install OS 1.10..

This keyboard can serve as a primary for any gig..

The mic/effects works great with plenty of gain..

There also is a 1/8 inch stereo input for any source .tablet etc.

There are seven assign buttons, and 100 user program locations.
Additional banks can be loaded instantly...so 100 limit is not a factor.

Thanks to Mike Arango, my Sweetwater rep..


As a side note I agree with Mike's comments on his EA7..

Quick! Call the Smithsonian!

That's an awesome review Fran wow a great read!! maybe now more people will take a serious look into the Roland EA7 as it certainly can make music in so many ways at an affordable price for sure...can't wait to dig into it again...

ciao

Sounds absolutely brilliant at such a low price.
Can't understand why Roland don't bring out a new top of range board and really go to town with it.
Love all those buttons, knobs & sliders - made to play live.
Tony

I think Roland tested the market with this one and they will probably be releasing an arranger higher up on the scale based on this first atempt. Because E-A7 is in many ways a first of it's kind in Roland arsenal.

But the keybed... to me, it is close to atrocious. It has virtually zero feedback in playing anything close to piano style. I am amazed how those guys on the YouTube can play piano at all on it. Piano sound itself is rather nice though.

I was considering one just recently and I just could not get over the feel of the keys. And the fact they are so small - but this is secondary. The future could be good if Roland will improve what they did well with this one and change what is wrong.

The e-a7 is the first Roland arranger build in Japan...

And offers a lot of bang for the buck...

Bottom line it sounds great, super light weight, wont break your pocket, tons of features, buttons, sliders, vocal processor,and you can make all kinds of music in so many many ways....that in itself clicks alot of boxes for many players who want to enjoy creating music at this level & beyond,..no wonder they are selling like hot cakes worldwide.

I got cheated..... mine was made in China

I've still got a Roland VS 2480 recording deck...it was light years ahead of its time...although complex to operate.

I sure like sliders on the EA 7, and similar controls. Wish there was a way to try one out.

EA7 seems like a great KB to gig nursing homes with, ...super lightweight, easy transport, sounds terriffic, take it in in & out easily plug in a Mic, hooked it to a Maui5, or Bose Compact speaker and your on your way.

The only thing missing seems the Vocal Harmoniser..
And my personal complaint, the ultra light keybed..

But for the rest, its almost competing with the pa4x in features...
If you like the Roland sound.. this is a very nice instrument..

You can order one from Sweetwater Sound and have the option to return it within 30 days, no questions asked.

For the no compromise player... Yes the best key feel and harmonizer to boot


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_UcHkZynew

Change of pace...after all Donny's ea7 videos

That was FUN !!!
Thanks Fran ...

Fran, thank you – I forgot what excitement and live music is.

Thanks again John C.
PS, I like the part when she lifts the keyboard, great idea.

That kerzweil is bad ass wow!!!

Ketron uses the same fatar action, as does the pa4x ... as in the G70...
Korg pa4x tc Hellicon beats the G70 VH by half a mile as best VH..

Any clue what the no compromise keyboard is, 10 years after the G70?

Kurzweil definately rocks as a can do it all keyboard... still glad i could pick up a pc3x some time ago...

Its been moved to our summer home.. this weekend.. so i dont have to cary keyboards up here every weekend.. the sound engine allows for some real creativity..

And I thought Jerry Lee was good. WOW!

Check your source...Roland always made their own keybeds...from day one..

I would guess in todays world the Korg PA4x76 is the closest to no compromise keyboard..

Personally my G70 and EA7 combination has it covered..

And yes, I prefer the G70 harmonizer to the Korg...Folks that never understood the G70...never got it..They think it is the robot and mouse gimmick sounds...
In fact, vocoder with "my voice", follows your playing perfectly..
Pitch correction works just as well as others..
And smart recognition of chord source puts Roland over the top..

Like I always say, want to prove it, bring your keyboard over here..

[quote=cassp]I'd love to try one if I could find one. I so miss my G-70, I am constantly scanning the net for a fourth, weight or not. [/quote

Hey Cass, we'll have to hook up sometime and get to Sweetwater for a day!

Enjoyed her playing a lot. Fun stuff and all live. I'd like to see how she fills up the rest of the night at her Sheraton gig.

She is totally AWESOME wow!

(Song list) 0:00 Here We Go Again * 5:43 Get It Right * 10:44 Love Sweet Love * 14:50 This Too Shall Pass * 20:49 Shame * 25:49 He's My Baby * 32:23 Together * 37:22 Boogie Woogie (aka Oxford Boogie) * 47:54 Step Up

Wow Thanks for posting that Donny. She is different and entertaining. Don't know any of the songs but who cares it's all great stuff.
Puts the keyboard back up front instead of behind the guitar players.
Great stuff.

uh .... nope.

ROLAND G70 FOR SALE [/quote]

If only it was a version 3 and available to Austalia at agood price ( freight is a killer) even I would be think about it.

The Roland Ea7 may be one great keyboard and it sure sounds good, but although I believe in miracles I get a bit uncomfortable when it is being compared to keyboards at three times the price.

If I can find an Ea7 I will give my opinion. So far the Videos sound great.
John C.