The Jupiter-80 only comes in one flavor... 76 key. The Jupiter-80 can't be Roland's answer to a workstation keyboard because we would also see it in a 61 and 88 key variety also correct? But since we don't have a clue what Roland is doing behind the scenes (chirp chirp) one can only guess what Roland will come up with as far as their next flagship 61, 76, 88 key workstation solution. I say "workstation" with a bit of hesitancy because Roland may in fact kill off the traditional workstation concept and if they do what we'll probably see instead is a 61, 76, 88 key flagship - minus the sequencer, sampler?? and possibly with no expansion capability either, just like the Jupiter-80. Which is hard to fathom how they could call such an instrument a... flagship product... when it may indeed lack three distinct professional characteristics that make a flagship keyboard a true flagship. Those would be an internal Sequencer, Sampler and Expansion capability. At least if you go by previous flagship workstation keyboards produced by Roland and company. The latest... and possibly last??... being the Fantom G needless to say.Otherwise, this new workstation is going to have to cost roughly $5,000 since it would need to be positioned above Jupiter-80 if it's going to be adding a bunch of functionality ... and a "real" workstation needs more than four parts so it may require much more DSP ...
Yammie and Korg still make traditional workstation keyboards i.e. with sampler, sequencer and expansion opportunities e.g. the Motif XF and the new Korg Kronos. So there is still an opportunity for keyboardists to get a full-blown workstation if they want. In fact, Roland hasn't discontinued the Fantom G line as of yet either so a full-blown workstation option is still available through Roland as well obviously. Indeed, Sound on Sound magazines expert review of the Kronos stated a couple months ago that the keyboard that came closest in sound quality with the Kronos was not the Motif XF or some Kurzweil, etc. Rather, it was the Fantom G according to him.
But since the Fantom G has been on the market over 3 1/2 years now and I gotta believe that Roland will release something very soon (perhaps winter NAMM '12??) as a successor to the Fantom G that will have 256 note polyphony and a host of other advanced features and no doubt many superb sounds as well. Will it have a sequencer, sampler and expansion capability? That's the 64,000 dollar question on everyone's mind that has yet to be answered.
Another question mark is will Roland perhaps discontinue all future 61, 76, 88 key (three version) series keyboards altogether? That's another possibility perhaps also. Too bad Roland personnel continue to keep their user base in the dark on things. I guess they feel they don't owe their loyal customers (and/or potential customers) the privilege that Yamaha and Korg users have access to regarding "behind the scene" knowledge of upcoming products. And as such it kind of makes for a dreary experience since many users feel we're being left in the dark - which we obviously are - and consequently enthusiasm starts to wane as a result. Of course it's always cool to have interaction with fellow Fantom G owners here on this forum but the missing element is Roland staff participation. Which I guess we scared them off with our bold topics and questions which they seemed perplexed to interact, answer and/or follow up on. Silly us.
Hopefully though the current lull in excitement will change when winter NAMM '12 rolls around. Don't hold your breath though. ;)
Sorry again for the rather long post. I get on a topic that I'm impassioned about and it's sometimes hard to express my thoughts in a paragraph or two. Thanks for your patience.
