Roland E-A7 (opened)

Roland E-A7

Expandable Arranger Keyboard

World sounds and accompaniment styles at the touch of a finger

The E-A7 is a versatile arranger keyboard for all musicians who need professional sounds and authentic accompaniment styles from around the world. Using the E-A7 is quick and intuitive, thanks to its logical panel layout, including two displays; with styles on the left and sounds (over 1500) on the right, with multi-state, easy to access buttons. You can import WAV files and create your own instruments, even sample them directly from the keyboard. Singers will appreciate the microphone input with special vocal effects, and including the keyboard the instrument weighs just 8kg. Wherever you go with your music the E-A7 will be a useful companion.

Main features

- Over 1500 versatile sounds from around the world.

- WAV file import and custom sampling

- Large library of accompaniment styles from Asia, Middle East, Europe and South America

- Powerful arranger engine with direct button control and one-touch options

- 156 special buttons for quick access to frequently used functions

- Logical layout of both displays, with accompaniment styles on the left and sounds on the right

- Microphone input with special vocal effects

- Easy to use and portable, weighing just 8kg

Extensive base of accompaniment styles, including authentic arrangements from around the world

Although the E-A7 is excellent for Western music, it is also suitable for other parts of the world, thanks to a generous range of global accompaniment styles, crafted by experienced musicians from Asia, the Middle East, Europe and South America. It doesn't matter what part of the world you play in - the E-A7 fits anywhere.

Sounds from around the world at the touch of a finger

The E-A7 offers over 1,500 essential sounds, including piano, electric piano, organ, strings, brass and many more. There are also instruments from around the world, including authentic sounds from the vibrant cultures of the Middle East, Indonesia, India, Vietnam and Eastern Europe. Each sound has been developed in collaboration with outstanding musicians, each an expert in his or her musical arena, so that fidelity of style and sound quality are unmatched. And because the sounds are categorized by region, you'll find the perfect sound for your music quickly and easily.

Expand your sound experience by importing WAV samples

The 1500 ready-made sounds in the E-A7 are just the beginning. Most live musicians have amassed a library of tried and tested samples over the years - and now you can use them in E-A7, thanks to WAV import. But you can also use the ready-made sampling function to create your own sounds, including drum passages and even backing vocals. However you need to tweak your sound, including applying effects, it's all ready to go, so just turn up to a gig, try out ideas in soundcheck, and tweak your sound to perfection before the show.

Quick, logical layout of both displays, with accompaniment styles on the left and sounds on the right

Some arranger keyboards offer a lot of features, but this can only make the operator more complicated and difficult to use - which isn't ideal when you're in front of an audience who've come to spend a fabulous night. The E-A7 is logically arranged, so accompaniment styles are on the left and sounds on the right, and each side has its own LCD display indicating key information. And with 156 buttons for quick access to the functions you use most often, you'll spend more time playing and less panicking when you can't find the right button.

All the essentials for a successful show, at the touch of a finger

When you're performing, you need everything to work, which is why the E-A7 offers direct access to most of the common functions essential to your playing. Six phrase pads trigger one-shot audio samples or MIDI phrases whenever you need them. You can define and switch alternative musical tunings, at the touch of a button. There are also six sliders to adjust the volume of different parts, such as drums, bass and accompaniment. Finally, there are seven programmable buttons above the Pitch bend, for your own use, so if anything needs to be done, you can do it straight away without taking your hands off the controller.

Plug in the microphone, adjust the volume and sing

If vocals are an important element of your repertoire, the E-A7 has a microphone input with a dedicated volume control on the main panel; so turn the knob to instantly adjust the vocal volume, without scrolling through menus. You also get a wide range of professional vocal effects to edit your music, with a multitude of editable reverbs and delays to choose from.

Weighs just 8kg: No Pain, All Gain

While it's wonderful to have everything I need with me at a gig, carrying a heavy keyboard is a challenge. The E-A7 makes life easier for traveling musicians, and it does it twice - it supplies everything you need for a great performance, so there are no extra boxes and cables to pack, plus it's easy to carry to and from shows. Concentrating high performance into a compact, 61-key instrument weighing just 8kg means the only problem you may have with the E-A7 is figuring out what to prepare as your next encore. Which is certainly a nice problem to have, isn't it?

A versatile SMF player that also handles WAV/MP3 audio files

The E-A7's built-in player reads standard MIDI files (SMF) as well as WAV or MP3 audio files. An exhaustive list of playback options allows you to repeat passages of a song or skip to another section, and if you're using WAV files, you can minimize any vocals with the Centre Cancel function, which leaves room for your own voice. You can even record your entire performance to a WAV file and save it to a USB drive - a great thing if you want to promo your music for agency meetings.

Flexible User Programs increase control clarity

Because the E-A7 has lots of buttons and sliders, most 'indispensable' tasks are immediately to hand. You can also save various settings simultaneously with the program, including on/off status of key parameters such as Part, Auto Fill and Input EFX. These extraordinary control options mean that you can easily adjust the keyboard settings for each song during the performance. Programs from Roland's BK arranger range are also directly accessible from the USB flash drive.