I need your help, I own a roland em2000 and I'm looking to purchase a second keyboard. I have heard much about the new roland because it just came out in the states. (I Think) If there are any VA7 owners, here are a couple of questions?
1. Are the styles the same from the G1000/EM2000 style library or complete new styles.
2. Are the voices also simular to other roland or have they improved them.
3. does it still come with the ZIP Drive and the 400+ styles on the ZIP disk.
4. Is this keyboard so different from the G1000/EM2000 that I would have to run out and buy one or am I throwing my money away on a "little better" Roland EM2000.

Thanks for all your help....

MC,
All the styles from the G1000 work in the VA7. There are so many new ones, but you can also play your old ones right from the zip or floppy disk or load them inside in the disk link mode. All the sounds from the G1000 are in this board but there are about 2400 more sounds including about 1100 made just from the roland XV and JV series. There are hundreds of styles on the zip, but you also get the Roland Variphrase VP9000 technology, which now with version 2.0 on the VA7 is really great. The piano sound is really great on this board. Is it so much different? I think so, but there is also the nice part of being totally compatible with what you currently have. Now at a price of $1995.00 it's even better than a few months ago.
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California

That's an incredible price George. I wish I had money for another keyboard. If it had a vocal harmonizer I would buy it as my primary keyboard.

Dear MC,

I have the G1000 and I´ve had the opportunity to try out VA-7 and VA-76.

In my opinion the sounds in the VA-series are clearly - but not very much - better. Even many of the new instruments sounds pretty much the same as the G1000. But there are some that are better. Piano, some of the drumkits, an organ here, an electric piano there, a couple of stringsounds etc.

I also like some of the new controllingpossibilities, like ribbon- and beamcontr. It´s also easier to choose from various soloinstruments during the same performance.

For the same money I would choose VA-76 as nr 1, G1000 nr 2, VA-7 nr 3 and finally EM2000. This is because I very much prefer/dely on 76 keys and I don´t need internal speakers.

This indicates that for me the sonic advantadges of VA-7 isn´t so grate that I would give up the 76 keys in G1000 even for the same money!

I´ve considered to change my G1000 to the VA-76, but like you put it I would just throwing my money away on a "little better" Roland.

Michael

MC I agree with all the above and here is my input to your questions.
Q.1. Are the styles the same from the G1000/EM2000 style library or complete new styles.
A. A lot of the styles are the same but with added new styles, see answer to question 2

Q.2. Are the voices also similar to other Roland or have they improved them.
A. All the voices of the G1000\EM2000 are on the VA models plus a completely new Bank of improved patches. These give even the existing styles a new edge.

Q,3. does it still come with the ZIP Drive and the 400+ styles on the ZIP disk.
A. Yes,

Q.4. Is this keyboard so different from the G1000/EM2000 that I would have to run out and buy one or am I throwing my money away on a "little better" Roland EM2000.
A. Owning an EM2000 myself and playing a friends VA7 every week, I am not personally tempted to pay the extra for the VA7. I have thought about keeping my EM and adding possibly a PSR2000 to it.

Graham UK

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP, Your inputs help me make up my mind a lot easier.

[This message has been edited by mc (edited 11-09-2001).]

to George Kaye,
Hi,
Any news on how to get VA-7 upgraded to Version 2.0 in the US ? Thanks for your input!
Regards,

Claude