Roland GW-8 Keyboard Workstation (Used)
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- Product #500168
A contemporary music workstation with intelligent backing-track functionality.
The Roland GW-8 keyboard is the next generation of Roland's GW-series workstations with intelligent backing-track functionality. With its fresh, contemporary sound-set and expressive musical styles from pop to rock, plus authentic ethnic styles and a multi-format USB Memory Player feature, the GW-8 workstaton will bring a world of music to your fingertips.The Roland GW-8 is especially well-suited for one-man-band performances.
Flagship Sound Engine with Easy User Interface
Having Roland's renowned sound technology at its core, the GW-8 rivals its peer workstations with its rich, expressive sound. The GW-8 comes loaded with hundreds of the freshest and most essential sounds culled from Roland's top sound modules. In addition to its authentic sound set, the GW-8 is equipped with many user-friendly control devices, such as the expressive D BEAM and the Analog Modify knob, which instantly adjusts sounds to suit your taste. The GW-8 is perfect for live entertainers who play multiple roles in their performances.
Intelligent Backing Styles
The GW-8 is packed with a huge collection of styles, representing a broad range of music genres, from contemporary rock, pop, dance, jazz, and beyond. The excellent library of contemporary sounds and styles is accompanied by ethnic instrument sounds and authentic regional musical styles. Each backing style has four intros, four main patterns, and four ending progressions for you to craft your own arrangements live.
USB Memory Player Feature
The GW-8 also has one of Roland's most popular features is built into it—the Multi-format Song Player that allows song data to be played directly from USB Flash memory (accepts MP3, WAV, AIFF, and SMF format). It also has a Center Cancel function that minimizes main vocals from pre-recorded songs for karaoke-style performances or music practice.
Style Converter & Playlist Editor
Bundled with each GW-8 is Roland's Style Converter software for PC, which lets you convert your own MIDI data into GW-8 backing styles via commercially available USB Flash memory devices. Also included is the Playlist Editor for customizing the order of songs. Users can easily create a dedicated Playlist for each gig.
Features
- Contemporary music workstation with high-quality 128-voice sound engine derived from Roland's renowned sound-module lineup
- Wide variety of contemporary sounds and intelligent backing styles, plus additional banks of ethnic sounds and styles from around the world
- USB Memory Player feature allows direct playback of MP3, WAV, AIFF, and SMF files from USB key; Center Cancel feature for audio files enables karaoke-style singalong
- Newly designed graphical display, plus Style Select button, Analog Modify knob, and D BEAM
- Style Converter and Playlist Editor software included
- Onboard 16-track sequencer for saving your interactive performances
- 61 keys (with velocity)
- Sound Generator:
- Maximum Polyphony: 128 voices
- Parts: 16 parts + Keyboard part
- Wave Memory: 256MB (16-bit linear equivalent)
- Preset Memory: Performances: 128, Tones: 896 + 256 (GM2) + World, Rhythm Sets: 32 + 9 (GM2) + World
- User Memory: Performances: 128, Favorite Performances: 100, Favorite Tones: 100
- Effects: MFX: Upper and Lower / 78 types, Chorus: 3 types, Reverb: 5 types
- Backing Track:
- Backing type: Style, Song, USB Memory Player
- Tempo (MIDI): 20 to 250
- Style variations: 4 Intro, 4 Main, 4 Ending, 4 Fill In, Sync Start, Stop, One Touch Setting
- Song (16-track Recorder): 16-track, Rec mode (Mix, Replace), Count in, Punch In-Out, Input Quantize
- USB memory player: 999 songs, SMF: format-0/1, Audio file: WAV/AIFF/MP3
- Preset memory: Styles: 130 + World
- User memory: Styles: 100, Songs: 200
- Other:
- Controllers: D BEAM Controller x 1, Pitch Bend/Modulation Lever x 1, Control Knobs x 2
- Display: 240 x 64 dots white graphic LCD
- Connectors: Output jacks (L/MONO, R), Ext Input jack, Headphones jack, MIDI connectors (IN, OUT), Hold Pedal jack, Control Pedal jack, USB connectors: Computer (supports USB MIDI) / Memory (supports USB 2.0 Hi-Speed Flash Memory)
- Accessories:
- Owner's manual
- CD-ROM, (Style Converter 3.0, Playlist Editor)
- AC Adaptor (PSB-1U)
- Music layer pad
- USB memory protector
Order a GW-8 with the protection of our 45-Day Double Satisfaction guarantees.
GW-8 Keyboard Workstation Specifications:
- Operating System:
- Windows: XP Home SP2 or later/Windows XP Professional SP2 or later/Windows Vista (does not work with the 64-bit Edition of Windows Vista)
- Power supply: DC 9 V (AC Adaptor)
- Current draw: 1,000 mA
- Dimensions: 41-3/16"W x 4-1/16"H x 12-9/16"D
- Weight: 13 lbs. 4 oz.
Review Snapshot®
by PowerReviews(based on 2 reviews)
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Pros
- Lightweight
- Portable
- Pre-programmed music
Cons
- Poor Instructions
Best Uses
- Accompaniment
- Concerts
- Live Playing
- Spanish Music
Comments about Roland GW-8 Keyboard Workstation:
I have owned the Roland Gw-8 for over six months now. I use the gw-8 to play at live Mexican Music Performances in styles such as Tierra Caliente, Cumbias, and Grupero. I love this roland keyboard for Grupero music, because it has all of the best Vintage Roland sounds used in the grupero era. This eliminates me from carrying my Roland d-50 and Jv-1000.
The weight of this thing is incredibly light. The "JP pads" sound great when playing in contemporary pop music. The default Latin rhythms are awesome! It has some awesome Mariachi rhythm, and over 14 different type of Cumbia/Sonidero Rythms (a lot from la Sonora Dinamita)!
For people that are into Tuba sound, the Tuba sound does not have that beefy/bassy sound, but the sound sounds great. The Guitarron sound is okay, I just wish it wasn't very scratchy at times. I could spend a lot talking about the great sounds it has, but I would suggest you to check it out for yourself
Now, I have never used a keyboard as a workstation, because I usually use my computer for that deal. I am n00b on this part. With that said these are the features I dislike. I dislike that the Sequencer's User Interface is not user friendly. It has taken me almost 6 months to finally master the 16-track sequencer on this beast! The Roland Manual was not very helpful, and I used a lot of youtube videos to help me on this. Also, with the GW-8 one has the feature of composing your own style. I have not been able to accomplish the style composer. Once again I have checked the manual, and the manual is not user friendly. I wish Roland would not assume we are all Roland professionals, and write their instructions for "inept people" like me. I have heard that Roland is usually not user friendly on their workstations' sequencing and style composers.
If it were not for this workstation's capacity I would rate this 5 stars. I have recommended this workstation to another friend, because the sounds are great and it is a great keyboard to have for live performances! He liked it so much that he bought it after testing mine. If you are a person that wants something jazzy and maybe more focused on English based music, I would not recommend you the GW-8. However if you are a person that is playing versatile Spanish music (Mexico, the Caribbean Islands, Central and South America) I would recommend this keyboard.
Comments about Roland GW-8 Keyboard Workstation:
The best for the buck actually in the arranger market, this is a synthesizer with fully arranger functions, basic sequencer, USB recorder/player, SRX-09 sounds built in, 128 poly and roland E series compatibility styles, works great with Sonar 8, 16 track sequencer and top quality sounds.
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