Here is a video showcasing the G70 and styles... Listen to detail in drums and bass...

The decade old G70 is on par with current models..

Overall the sound quality of all instruments is evident..

I ran across this video and decided to share it..

Epic instrument, I have bought, sold, used roughly 20 arranger keyboards and synths in the last 18 years and The G70 is hands down my favorite, along with my motif XS. It is pure quality...

It is my main go to keyboard day to day for free piano playing, split arranger playing and also sequencing MIDIs using my computer DAW software (I use Sonar and Logic).

Some of the sounds still blow me away including the Grand X and about 4 or 5 other acoustic piano sounds alone. and thats before going into EPs, Brass, Electric Guitars, basses Woodwind, Drums, synth, world / ethnic instruments, etc

If I was to give it one critique when comparing the G70 to current arrangers my biggest complaint would be the solo acoustic guitar voices and acoustic strumming are not that great.
Honestly theres not much else except features that weren't around back in the day such as USB device connectivity, widescreen bright TFT LED displays and maybe one or two other things but not much else comes to mind..

I am not a gigging musician so the weight doesn't bother me and I understand it would be highly inconvenient carrying it around so I would chose something else (wisely)... a BK9 perhaps?

Another interesting observation from experience is that the G70 is a keyboard that actually sounds WAY better in the flesh than from demos... the expressiveness of the keybed just makes it such a more rewarding and satisfying musical instrument to play.

Of ALL keyboards I would strongly say that one of the largest downfalls of the G70 is the online demo and recorded content that's out there today... Its extremely hard to find proper professionally recorded live demos of a ROLAND rep in HD due the the age of the board... all that really exists is like what Fran has posted along with some camcorder clips of live demos from NAMM music shows at very best...

One other big reason that paints an impression that the G70 is "dated", or "old fashion" is that the styles were programmed 10+ years ago so there are very little content from the G70 that resembles current modern music genres like EDM, trance and other famous pop / rock songs... the styles resemble more towards a live band generic... not a direct copy of a real song with stripped vocals, which is a method currently used to market and sell a lot of modern keyboards.

In saying all this - the tools are there in the G70 to make whatever you want.. its just a matter of how much are you willing to put into it to get the most from it.

I have no doubts that the likes of Peter Bartmans, Martin Harris or other well known quality demonstrators could be very capable of producing a demo of this keyboard and showing how current top end arrangers are actually not that far ahead in a lot of aspects...

I also own a regularly play a PSR S970 which sits above the G70 in the 2 tier keyboard rack. I love the PSR too, it has some great, fun aspects. it is what it is, but to and to me, the PSR is a fun "toy" compared to the G70.

I was so proud of my G70 when I bought it, with the flashing colored lights that looked like an airplane cockpit. Many times I have regretted selling it, but it was a monster to carry around, and quality, all quality.

An Epic instrument..
The best Roland ever made, when you put it in its time frame
Still a good instrument

However, i also remember a lot of criticism when it first released.
Most criticism however watered down after some updates and totally disappeared in the end

Lots of innovations to be found with the G70
Altough not all of them as usefull.

It was the last TOTL arranger from Roland
Also at the same time Roland produced its last TOTL arranger
Roland went a different direction from here.



I dissagree however that the G70 is on par with current model arrangers.

Its getting dated, and PA4x, Genos and SD9 in many many ways are way ahead now of the G70. Soundquallity of the individual sounds and the styles, Functionallity and interface... have improved quite a lot since then with all the other brands.

I think Roland has left the building where it comes to TOTL arrangers. And the EA7 is not aimed at europe, but mostly at south east asia.. Thast a sad conclusion for a company that was once the absolute marketleader.

I disagree,......I would bet in a blind test the average person could hardly tell the difference with a pro playing each...sound wise the G70 certainly can hold its own & that is an amazing feat for an arranger product years older then what we have today,.....and people spending exorbitant amounts of money for close to the same thing.
It's getting out of hand and the manufacturers just love the HYPE Frenzy if you allow yourself to fall into the trap. Just sit back and really think of what your doing & why your doing it?...
Fran knows what hes talking about he always has. The Roland G70 will always be one of the Greatest Arranger KB's that every was and ever will be !!

Hey Bernie - did I sell my G70 to you? I cannot remember, other than it cost me $300 to ship it somewhere to Florida.

I regret I sold my G-70 as well as SD-1 and KN's too.
Came across a BK7-m at "give away price". Midi to Korg MA,
and all that sudden my Roland stuff is playable again.
Almost forgotten how good it sounds.

Btw,
I have a SD3 and a KN2600 in sight as well, so maybe other
old styles and stuff can be for any use again.
Hobbies for a retired guy brings back musical memories..

Hey Bernie - did I sell my G70 to you? I cannot remember, other than it cost me $300 to ship it somewhere to Florida.
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You sure did, and I traded in my Pa800