Roland XP-80: Good working synth or dinosaur?

[AV Dave]

Hello all:

I'm an experienced keyboardist with more than 25 years of playing under my ample belt. My main rig is a Roland RD-700. Recently, I've decided to add a second unit to my arsenal, one with synth-weighted keys and sounds that cover more of the classic rock stuff that I'm currently playing. (OK, OK, I'll confess....I've been asked to play "Jump" again - lol!)

A good friend of mine, an outstanding musician and working pro, suggested the XP-80, citing a fondness for "vintage" gear, as well as the value realized by not purchasing the latest and greatest technology if one's goals are not to produce the latest and greatest sounds. (Classic synth for classic rock?) Anyway, I wanted to ask around for opinions on the XP-80, as well as spending slightly less on one that I would on, say, a new Roland Juno Gi.

Also, I'm curious about the price points of new equipment. There are a lot of new synths for just under a grand (e.g. the Juno Gi). Can someone please shed some light on the main differences between the synths in the $1k family vs. those in the $2k-$3k? Are the cheaper boards more limited in terms of their sonic palette? For example, if I wanted to create the synth "sweep" at the beginning of Foreigner's "Long Long Way From Home", do the workstation type synths offer this kind of parameter tweaking that the Gi doesn't?

Thanks in advance for your thoughtful responses.

[Synthologist]

Can someone please shed some light on the main differences between the synths in the $1k family vs. those in the $2k-$3k?

Build quality. It's that simple--you get what you pay for.

I've visited pro music stores and tried a few budget keyboards... most wouldn't hold up long for the gigging musician.