I am considering selling my Prelude (If I get the price I can't refuse).
The problem... I would miss the sounds (over 1,500 of them) many from the SRX expansion boards.. The pianos and EP's are some of the best on any keyboard.

Did you ever put something up on EBAY and hope no one bids

I nearly cried when I had to ship the EA7. Maybe I'll get another one for backup and/or small in and out jobs.

Don I know that feeling.. a few months ago I sold my EA7 to my old band.. If I didn't make a deal with the Prelude it would have been even sadder.

If anyone is interested in my Prelude, I will pull it from EBAY..Make me an offer..

Since I will not be playing senior jobs as before, I don't need it.. Will I miss it , sure.

But I am super content with the G70 for a job here and there.

Think about it and PM me.


https://www.ebay.com/itm/Roland-Prelude-arranger-keyboard/333613870686


https://www.roland.com/us/products/prelude/


I will consider a trade for a Roland FP10 (Must be like new), or a good condition Roland FP30.

Also a trade plus cash for a Roland RD88.

I have a bid so the Prelude will be sold.

Prelude is sold..

Agggghhhhhhh! What will you DO NOW?????????

I know...

I was looking at videos of the G70 and E80 and I don't think Fran is too effusive with his praise of the older Roland arrangers. Amazing what was built into those units. Just a shame what Roland has become with regard to arrangers anyway. Although it is still a good board, their current "TOTL" has no touch screen and no harmony and is marketed to overseas players.

Sweetwater was here..

What is it about that kb that keeps it popping up all over, then disappearing, then popping up again? I'm sure you think Don will take it off your hands when you get tired of it ... this is a funny, funny place. You DO know you can buy tootsie rolls without getting a keyboard, right?

Hey! It is a great arranger. It has been a huge success for Roland overseas. That's where the market for arranger keyboards is the biggest. But it is also a fine option for those of us in the U.S.
It sounds great, has tons of features, is light weight and inexpensive.
I will consider getting another one as backup and for portability, but not right now. I want to spend all my time and effort on the SD7.

Who said touch screen is required for a great arranger? Yamaha didn't have this until the very latest generation, i.e., Genos. I don't think the Audya had a touch screen either. On many Ketron models the vocal harmony is optional.

The two things I wish the E-A7 had that it doesn't, are a 16-track sequencer (to ensure complete MIDI capture and quick editing), and maybe a chord looper- which would bring it near feature parity with the BK-9. I don't personally use the D-Beam or FC-7 (yet), so loss of those features isn't a big deal to me.

It's conceivable, although unlikely after 5 years, that Roland could bring out an E-A9 with these features. I don't mind the "Asia" designation. If making an instrument multi-cultural is what it takes for Roland to achieve its breakeven point, I'm fine with it. They even found a way to adapt the scale keyboard buttons to a "Western" purpose.

I'm afraid Roland's out of the arranger game for good. But if all I can scrounge years from now is an E-A7, that wouldn't be too terrible.

A touch screen is not a necessity, but having one for a while has won me over. It is just so much faster and easier to get around with. I would like to see Roland put out an E-A7 with a touch screen, harmony, at least a basic sequencer and maybe a looper. But I too fear they may be just about done with arrangers. Also, the life cycle of their arrangers seems to have increased. They are still selling the BK5 after 7 or 8 years.

Hey guys, I have the Prelude in my EA7 box... ready to ship out

I really don't need anything but the G70


Ted and Bill, you guys made good points.

Tracy I'm sure if we went to China we wouldn't see new BK-5's still coming off the line. I'm guessing they show it as a current product on their website to help dealers & distributors move unsold inventory. Until their current entry-level EX series surfaced (which IMO are just rebranded Yamaha, Medeli, etc.), it also gave them something at a lower price point. Still hoping...!

I agree Don...
Personally right now after having everything out their
2 or 3x each.....
I am in a self induced dedicated arranger KB holding pattern for now.
Nothing out there excites me at all.
But I will reserve myself to wait for what is to come in an arranger kb down the road hopefully before I buy again.
Meanwhile I have plenty here during this quarantine, etc,
to keep me busy playing musically at home in other ways..

That Fran's an old jokester ... had us all thinking he bought another EA7. HA!

Good point Ted and you may be right.

As much as I wish Roland would bring out a TOTL arranger, I think they are very smart in addressing a huge market with a moderately priced arranger. Just not as much demand for $5000. arrangers.
But they could add a larger touch screen, vocal harmony, and chord sequencer to what they have and come up with a winner that a lot of us would like.
They have ALWAYS failed to address proper break/fills, even on the legendary G70. At least now they have made it so you can use selected intros and endings without multiple button pushes.
I am also very familiar with the G70 and it does have it's weaknesses, as they all do. Of course what is a weakness for me might not bother someone else.
I know the E80 finally added text display, in version two. I don't think the G70 did. And I think none of the Rolands since have had text display, a basic MUST HAVE for me. If the EA7 had it, I would probably still be using it.
I went four days without opening my laptop last week, using SD7!

Don I don't recall the E80 showing text other than the same way the G70 does.. The G70 will import a text file (Intended to sync with a SMF.. ) It will not scroll when you play a style, but a workaround works if you just play live real time parts..


The way I prepare any song I need lyrics for..... If I play it with arranger features, I will midi capture my performance, leaving room for my played parts live, then I add the lyrics via text files. Resave the finished backing titled as my designated song.. Works perfectly for me (over 3,000 songs on board ready to go..)

The EA7 gave me another option, via GNMIDI I entered lyrics again via text files to MP3's and re save them with lyrics.. Plays perfect on EA7.

I just push a button and they pop up, push a foot switch and they change pages! Don't want to jump through hoops to do a simple task. I have a couple thousand text files. Most I never use, but the ones I use most and still need are in Reg. The others are for requests, have to push an extra button or two if they are saved to reg.
I'm pretty sure I remember the V2 upgrade on the E80 adding the ability to use text files but I could be wrong; I've been married three times....

That version 2 E80 was mine before I sold it to you

I remember. I bought it for a dollar and 83 cents, plus $1500 for shipping and handling.
At one of the Arranger Jams I hosted, Bill Pittman (Semilive music) was carrying it out the door to load into my van, and tripped. He fell out the door, dropped the E80 on the concrete, and fell on top of it.
He was laid up for a week, but the E80 didn't have a scratch. It was built like a tank, and weighed about as much.

Don I sold it to you $1,700 shipped.. I purchased it from a guy in Pittsburgh.. I traded him a new Roland Juno Stage even up, but I felt bad and (honestly) kicked in $300 cash..

When I received it , I was concerned the serial number plate was not on it,, instead there was a adhesive fixed inventory number..

Do you recall that?

PS I made a few bucks on you

That's fine, because I used it off and on for a year or so and sold it for $1850, and didn't have to ship it!
I had a couple other arrangers at the same time, as usual. The little E50 was a real workhorse and weighed 19 pounds. Not certain, but I think it had a touch screen too.

Yes it had a touch screen.. you dealt it off to DNJ, I made some deal with Donny and had $100 in it.... sold it for $600..

I love you guys

Me too! I don't recall ever losing money on a deal, unless it was a special favor for somebody.
I used that E50 for a long time, and still could today if there was nothing better.

If the E50/60 had audio ins and a mic input I would never had sold my E-60's


I switched to the E80 because it had that covered, but it took forever to load up MP#'s (over 4 minutes to load my band backing MP3's.. If it crashed I could not tell jokes while it booted.


Now I don't worry.. G70 is stable and I have my android phone to play audio files... even have a program to read CDG. (WinLive mobile.. best $7 purchase.. includes a great soundfont sounds.) Storage space on my phone is 144GB.

If you buy something, make money playing it enough to repay what you initially spent, then later sell it you are never a loser.

My theory is much better... you do not lose a dime till you sell it