Fans of Roland Chord Intelligence and others missing three fingers on your left hand, rejoice! After seven (7) long years Roland has released a new OS update for the venerable E-A7, it's only current fully-featured arranger.

Don't get too excited. The only thing mentioned in the release notes is a change to the auto power off parameter. Womp, womp. However, it does show that someone at Roland is aware that these boards are sitting in retail inventory around the world. Honestly, I wonder if they released this update after seven years to somehow protect their intellectual property rights. Is there an I.P. attorney in the house!?

So who wants to brush away the cobwebs and be first to risk bricking their machine by installing the 2.02 update! If you do, post here!

I had two of them and sold both, then prices went through the roof I couldn't understand the effects and very hard learning curve, I wish they would not have abandoned the arranger market I always liked the Roland sound.

Maybe a sign (although timid) of a comeback to the market...?

Hi.

Maybe it has something to do with 'powersave' and EU rules?

Similiar update was just released for Genos2 as well.

Roland EA7:
[ Ver.2.02 ] SEP 2024
Change the specification
The default value for Auto Off has been changed to 10 minutes.
* For information on the Auto Off function, please refer to the Owner's Manuals.


Yamaha Genos2:
V1.04 to V1.10 - Sep 12.2024
Changed the default setting value of the Auto Power Off function from 30 min to 15 min.
Removed the function to automatically set the time via wireless LAN.

Rolands owners manuals were always a complicated learning curve
(at least for me).I have the E80 version 2 and a EM 2000 in mint condition and I doubt if I scratched the surface of what`s under the hood on either of them.

I’ve always been a fan of Roland’s effects architecture. To have two insert effects for KBD sounds and three for the style/SMF Parts was very ahead of its time on the BK9.

Sadly, as with so much with Roland’s during its last few years, there was virtually no use of this in the BK9 ROM styles. They used it a BIT on the EA7 styles, and made a slight use of the multiple Drum Track feature also available (so you could mix and match kits, or have perc on one track and drums on the other) but these features AND the synced audio loops feature were completely missing from the BK9’s ROM.

As I’ve said so many times, the BK9 was a decade ahead of its rivals with its basic features, but Roland didn’t make use of them at all, and missed out on some obvious OS additions, like allowing the Performance to call up saved chord sequences and saved graphics (for sheet music or lyrics), and for the want of a nail, the battle was lost.

I really think this late OS change for the EA7 is probably a nod to EU energy saving regulations to keep legal the sale of the remaining stock. But once again, the EA7 was doomed by almost zero use of its new features (the sampler and the multipads).

It just goes to show, putting a successful arranger together is more than slapping some features on it and saying ‘Here you go, do all the work yourself!’. The arranger market lives and dies by its CONTENT.