Yeah, I have sold my G70 and I have ordered a Casio Privia PX 560.
Looking forward to " getting my teeth" into the 560. I want to play a bit more live keyboards and not totally rely on an arranger to do all the work, it's not good for my playing. The 560 has good drum patterns as well split bass, it also has rhythm patterns that can be edited,it also has great sounds.
Will keep you posted.

Frank

Both are hard to compare...

The 560 is a stage piano, with added arranger capabilities.. however, it shines mostly as a stage piano

The G70 remains one of the best arrangers ever made.. tough its getting a little dated, i doubt the styles of the 560 are anything like the G70...

But keyboard sounds (paino, ep, organ, strings, synths) of the 560 are very good, as well as the drums...


I hope you enjoy your new Casio... i really like the touch and the keyfeel..

Congrats with new gear, but you'll miss the G70 and regret you sold it.
At least I did, and still do....

I think Fran is cringing ........personally I would have kept the G70 and just added the Privia to see if you enjoy it,... just having both makes sense also. Good luck with it.

The main reason I sold the G70 was because of it's sheer weight.
I do some work in club with a drummer and have to shift/slide the G70 down 2 stairsways and then when the gig is over, when all customers are gone I cut a lonely figure trying to hawk it back up the stairs into my my car.Another reason is, I've gotten older and also common sense has kicked in. Another reason is I've grown tired of playing the same predictable styles and I feel very stale musically.
I know how good the G70 is but it is very outdated and the Privia and the likes are the "new kids on the block" with lots of capabilities,and.. and... it weighs 26 pounds or there abouts. I love to play music, as all my Synthzone colleagues do, I dont have to play for money to have enjoyment. I expect to be be winding down with gigs but intend to play at home and maybe do recording and things.
My 560 is not due for a week or two, looking forward to exploring all the goodies inside.
I'm happy that I made the correct decision on the G70.

Frank

take a hard look at the Roland EA7....sounds great, lightweight if weight is an issue with G70, and gives you all the Roland arranger goodies your used to great for gigging Fran Loves his ...

Donny I think he's going for the Piano feel of the Privia wit some simple backing. More real playing less arranger. The EA7 has those small keys. I don't know what roland was thinking with that. How much more cojuld it cost to put in real full size keys, even if their not weighted ?

who knows what they are thinking Bill?....some people prefer not having heavy style keys I'm one of them,....just a players preference, Ive only played the EA7 once for short time maybe But Fran could chime in and give details?.....
god speed to whatever his musical endeavors are just create and enjoy....

have a wonderful day ....

"More real playing less arranger"


Bill

You got it in one.

Having played live with a midi file 15 years ago on a gig., I felt in my soul, heart,whatever, that I was committing some kind of crime. It just didn't feel right. It's almost the same feeling playing an arranger.I embraced the arranger for commercial reasons mainly..MONEY, I've missed playing with live musicians a awful lot. Yes I intend to play oneman gigs with Privia but I hope to play with real musicians if get the chance, using split keyboard with LH bass.
We'll see how things work out.
Frank

Bill, folks are exaggerating the key size on the EA7..
They are 3/8 " shorter than your BK9...
In fact you owned A VR09... same keybed..
All the lower line Roland boards are using this bed..
Juno/s DS. even fa06..All the controllers too

The EA7 is very playable... I rather play it than the Korg PA300/600 or Casio light touch models ... even Yamaha psr line..

No they are not my cup of tea, but get a bad rap from folks that never played one..


Frank I also agree...you are going to miss the G70 bigtime... I know you have the BK7m.. My bet ...you will use the BK more..

The Casio 560m has a nice touch screen, features , a nice keyfeel and a decent piano sound.. As for splits and layers and LH bass.. the G70 is among the best... Perfect for playing in bands..
Most of the time I play mine with LH bass , piano and color sound.... with just drums..NO ARRANGER..

I think you will find the short comings on the Casio...sounds are inconsistent.. The G70 has 4 intros, 4 endings, 4 variation and six fills.....Not on the Casio..

Not a bad decision going for the Casio 560m but should have held on to the G70......for comparison.

I examined the EA7 closely.. The keys measure 5 3/16" overall.. this is the exposure... but it appears that the keybed is deeper, in fact it could be moved out another 5/16"... giving it the standard 5 1/2 " exposure.. even the case looks like it was designed to accommodate the 5 1/2"..

Someday I will open it and see if the bed and contact board can be moved out a bit..
I think that is why it is so playable.. the action is the same , the exposure is a bit short..

Probably the same as the Jupiter 50..

Fran,....great info on the EA7....lunch soon!

Just want to throw 2 more,cents in. Just came from teaching at the,music store and they have a Privia 700 on the floor. I had a cancelled,lesson so I started,playing around with it . Good keybed and basic Piano for the price,but to be honest the drums left me wanting more. I only played it thru it's,own speakers so I'm sure,it is much better through a good system but I think it may be a disappointment from the G70.
A basic Privia 160 with a,decent Drum Machine may be another way to go.

Ketron arranger module (or a Roland BK7 or Varranger).... thats the answer if you want to add quallity drums and an ocasional arranger style to any stage piano...

I agree. I am thinking of an SD40, nothing close to it.

Bernie, I hope it isn't the case, you are still searching for the "right" keyboard... You own and owned the best.... maybe you should consider why you are still not happy...

If you buy because you enjoy new toys.... good for you..

This always happens when a long period of time is reached and nothing new comes to market or is delayed...people get yancy and itchy for new gear...sometimes they even buy out of frustration which most times ends up with a unhappy player or a quick ebay sale or maybe even a return with a lesson learned scenario ....or the why did I buy or need this thoughts start to flow?,...it can also be an expensive lesson learned also $$$,......oh boy the crazy things we musicians do,..

Good luck in whatever you decide

I wouldn't lose any sleep over this one. In the grand scheme of things, the only difference it will make is in whether or not YOU enjoy what you are hearing. Kinda like the guy that walked into the house of ill repute and flaunted 3 inches. The madam asked "Just who in the Hell to you expect to satisfy with that?" To which he responded "ME!"

Good luck,

Gary

Ha ha, you guys are right. I have the best, and am very happy with all--to a point. I love the challenge of setting up new gear with new technology. In this case, I really prefer the sound of Ketron, and my Audya is great, but I could have new Ketron sounds in a small footprint.

Fran, you keep a keyboard forever like Gary, and that's fine, but I am "HAPPILY" enjoying my life with my toys. To hell with being practical, I spent too many years doing that.

Thanks for asking.

Bernie maybe a Ketron SD40 with a nice controller KB like a Novation, Native Instruments Komplete S61,S88, etc, would be a great setup for you in many ways vs what you already have..

Yes, I have a Novation MK11 61 and an Axiom 61 for use with vArranger and Muse Receptor 2 with Kontakt and complete East West orchestral and B42. I don't use the Receptor much, but do use Composer3 notation from my laptop for playing two handed over midi files. The SD40 could handle the lead and accomp in a compact light rig with one of my controllers, or, if I wanted a bigger setup, I could midi an SD40 to one of my KBs.

I may do nothing, but it is fun to try different combinations.

Good one Gary !!

The Native instruments are more a studio keyboard... if you want something like it better suited for live playing, the akai advance series are great...

Also SD40 with Kronos, Montage, or even Roland Jupiter 80 or FA06 or Nord Stae makes a perfect combo with the sd40..

Quote from Bachus: Also SD40 with Kronos, Montage, or even Roland Jupiter 80 or FA06 or Nord Stae makes a perfect combo with the sd40..

Hmmm----

Right on Bernie!

+1

chas

The Native instruments are more a studio keyboard... if you want something like it better suited for live playing, the akai advance series are great...




Thats kind of a very heavy cumbersome package to carry gigging in and out vs just a SD40/midjay pro and 61/76 controller which is more then enough to work with

I don't see how. The SD40 is around 4 pounds in one compact unit. You then choose between a 12 lb controller or 30 lb keyboard.

I was referring to this combo which is huge

Ha ha, okay I see.

I'd buy a dozen G70's if I could. I played one for a couple of hours in the days when you could find a TOTL arranger in any store. The reason I played it so long speaks for itself. That was an incredible sounding machine as I recall. But I'm a "styles" person. Like some men look at bosoms first, I look at styles first. And those styles were noticeably creative and very playable.

I've been playing Roland's for many years. The reason I'm still using my E-300 is because of the styles. Not only the on-board ones are useful, I collected hundreds of them from various sources. Almost every one is a "keeper."

Ketron styles are good, but they play YOU, you don't play them. They come on too strong. Like listening to a vocalist singing on stage where the band in the background is dominant because the sound man is not listening to the mix.

Yamaha styles are good but they sound (to me) too automated, too robotic, too sterile. And, if I'm correct, the Tyros is geared toward the home market, because the machine is so big. And, then, those silly symbols on the screen that represent the sounds. Very unprofessional.

Korg, I think has the worse styles. That doesn't mean they're bad, I just think out of the top machines......Korg has the worse styles. It appears they blew their bankroll on machine design, architecture, strength and durability, operating system, and had a little bit left over to pay some musicians to make styles. What really ticks me off on my PA3x is they advertise 4 variations. But those 4 variations are all the same with only one instrument coming into the background for each (variation). You can't even hear the difference.

Those of you who go back to the days of the birth of the arranger, can remember the styles were basic but full, rich and authentic. I'm still trying to find a decent cha-cha, tango, etc on these new machines. What happened here is with each new wave of arranger models to hit the consumer, they had to make new styles. So they took those wonderful styles they started out with and began modifying to the point where nothing sounds like it's supposed to anymore. Example: waltz vs Strauss waltz. The Strauss waltz is held back slightly in each measure. The Strauss waltz on the machines I've seen are nothing like that. How can you play the Blue Danube properly with a style that sounds like a merry-go-round waltz?

Anyhow, I'm tired of hearing myself talk and being so judgemental.

But before I close, someone mentioned in another post they sold their arranger because they got tired of the same rhythms. That's easily cured by working the fill switches feverishly, on and off, sometimes plying 8-16 measures using just the "fill." And now you have pads, which give you more freedom to change the styles as you go.

Finally, instead of focusing on new arrangers (is there going to be a Tyros 57 or a PA103X, using Novation space stations, etc) I would focus on improving my presentation. People see and hear YOU, the singer, first and the machines second if they even listen to them at all. Your presentation and rapport with the audience, and not your Star Wars gadgetry, is what sells you.

I think the problem with ALL new arrangers is that they are constantly trying to reinvent the wheel with new styles. Dancers want a beat they can follow, and not be distracted, or confused as they dance. Cha Chas, Jitterbugs, Disco ... whatever your flavor - these betas all exist in a predetermined form, and changing them up each year to make a new arranger sound "fresh" just makes it harder to use. Ketron is one of the companies that actually offers a more basic, traditional arrangement in their drum beats, and I wish more manufacturers would follow suit. Roland does, as well. I agree with Mark, that Yamaha is more sterile, and Korg is too busy (at times), but in general - I think ALL the brands have tried too hard to "improve" the beats that have already been proven. I reiterate my affection for the EASY EIGHT that Roland put out, some 30 years ago ... the most versatile dance arsenal on any arranger to this day. Every time I get a new instrument, I tweak the styles to include my Easy 8 patterns, and I'm off to work! I learn the rest as I go along. There are very few songs I cannot cover using just 8 simple drum beats. The rest comes from my heart, and my hands.