Keyboards

Roland's latest high-end arranger is the company's first for three years, yet it looks strikingly similar to its predecessor. Does it have anything new to offer in an increasingly sophisticated market? Simon Trask arranges some time with the G1000...

Roland have finally released the rackmounting version of their much-vaunted JP8000. And what is this? A mic input? Paul Ward adopts his best Kraftwerk pose for a spot of modern nostalgia.

Prepare to shed a tear in another near-miss tale of a desirable analogue synth swept aside by the rise of digital technology.

Roland have repackaged their techno-centric Groovebox, the MC505, adding a keyboard and removing some of the performance features. The result is the JX305. But have they thrown out the baby with the bathwater? Derek Johnson finds out...

While Roland's A70 in its basic form is a well-equipped but dumb controller, it can metamorphose into a Roland JV-style synth, a General MIDI synth, or a piano at the drop of an expansion board. Paul Ward has a controlling interest....

Roland's Jupiter family yielded one or two shining examples of what an analogue polysynth should be.