I remember when I decided to buy my first synth. There were maybe three or four models available that anyone could consider "pro" quality. But today, you get so much power and performance for your money that it's almost mind-boggling (I'll admit my mind is easily boggled). Here's just one example...

The XV-88 128-Voice Expandable Synthesizer is, according to the manufacturer, Roland's finest performance synthesizer to date, featuring powerful XV-3080 synthesis, an 88-note precision hammer-action keyboard and other expressive features like the infrared light-sensing D-Beam controller. This synth offers a full 128 voices (no more dropped notes in performance), true stereo waveforms per tone, expressive Matrix Control, expandability via new 64MB (in 16-bit linear format) SRX- and popular SR-JV80-Series wave expansion boards, and a host of new studio-quality effects, marking the XV-88 as performance synth of the highest order.

Let's take a look at the XV-88 in detail. First of all, there's the feel of the instrument. You get a full 88-note precision hammer-action keyboard that's modeled after the most popular piano keyboard in the world (like the letter on Superman's cape, it starts with an "S"). When you play the XV-88, it feels like you are playing a $10,000 piano, with silky smooth action that's been maintained by the best piano technician around! Call up a piano preset and you'll feel like you're pounding the keys of a true concert grand. But unlike any grand on the planet, this one comes with full aftertouch capability, an arpeggiator and more!

Roland's new 128-voice synth engine allows for extensive layering and multitimbral applications. Some "pro" synths are still limping around with 64-note polyphony or less. If you've ever played back a sequence or been in the middle of a piano performance and heard those notes dropping out, you know how important this feature is. The Roland XV-88 obtains its 128-Voice polyphony through a single, powerful sound engine, which means even the most complex multitimbral arrangements and layers can be created using just one XV-Series synthesizer.

Besides its excellent polyphony, the Roland XV-88 offers the world's most advanced digital synthesis technology, which translates, first and foremost, into incredibly expressive sound - and it doesn't matter how much polyphony you have if you can't get sounds that inspire you. The XV-88's internal wave memory, on par with many of today's high end samplers, comes with 64MB of ROM sounds standard - or four times that of the best-selling JV-2080. There are 424 new wave-forms, each painstakingly sampled to achieve a level of realism never before possible. These new waves include everything from sonically rich stereo grand pianos to sophisticated sampled guitars capable of reproducing slide and harmonic performances. In addition, there are new expressive Rhodes pianos, rock organs, saxophone, orchestra unisons, and analog synthesizer waves - plus all new drum sets that must be heard to be believed.

In addition to these new waveforms, the XV-88 includes all of the waveforms of the JV-2080, ensuring backward compatibility with all XP/JV-Series synths. Roland even mined the archives to include 112 waveforms from the legendary JD-990. These waveforms are perfect for sound designing and offer a variety of analog waves, attack transients and spectrum loops.

Continuing Roland's commitment to expandability, the XV-88 can use a combination of new quality-intensive SRX-Series 64MB wave expansion boards and any of the current SR-JV80-Series boards. The next generation SRX-Series boards boast more memory than any other expansion card currently available, yielding absolutely stunning sound quality to again put the XV-Series in the running with high-end samplers. And navigating through Patches and bookmarking your favorites for instant recall is a breeze thanks to a Patch Finder button and new Favorite List function. Put simply, Roland's XV-Series synthesizers, combined with SRX-Series expansion boards, are the most powerful instruments in Roland's impressive history.

The new XV-Series also comes with enhanced Roland tonal architecture, and all XV-Series synths can play back two waveforms per Tone. Since a Patch can use up to four Tones, this makes for some incredible four-stage velocity switching or four-zone keyboard splits, each using a stereo waveform within a single Patch. A Lock Legato function even allows precise legato performance of the waveforms. So now, for the first time, even the most delicate expressions can be reproduced at the Patch level without running out of polyphony.

Oh, did I mention all the powerful DSP effects onboard, incorporating independent reverb, chorus, and studio quality multi-effects processors? The lush, ambient reverb algorithms are derived from Roland's top-of-the-line SRV-3030 24-bit Digital Reverb Processor (one of my favorite processors, as a matter of fact). The chorus section produces a rich, thick modulation perfect for fattening up leads and pads. The new M-FX section contains all of the JV-2080's EFX algorithms, plus popular V-Studio effects, RSS, and unique algorithms like 3-D Delay, Slicer, formant filter, Isolator, and a triplet-based Shuffle Delay. Most importantly, all of this massive DSP processing is heard through 24-bit D/A converters, ensuring crystal-clear sound reproduction.

The XV-88 is truly a "Future-Proof" Instrument: Roland's support of expandable synthesis is evidenced by the wealth of SR-JV80-Series expansion boards currently available. With over 15 titles to choose from, no other synth expansion library even comes close. Keeping this in mind, Roland designed the new XV-88 to be compatible with both SR-JV80-Series and the next-generation SRX-Series wave expansion boards. The credit card-sized SRX-Series boards hold an amazing 64MB of wave data-four times that of the SR-JV80-Series boards. Designed with a critical focus on sound quality, the SRX boards provide instant access to its exceptional sounds without hassles or long loading time.

The first two titles in the SRX-Series are the SRX-01 Dynamic Drum Kits and SRX-02 Concert Piano, with many more SRX titles to follow. I'm particularly impressed with the SRX-02 Concert Piano Expander. While other manufacturers would probably have have tried to load up the 64MB of ROM with as many pianos as possible, Roland took the opposite approach: The SRX-02 dedicates its entire 64MB of wave memory to one purpose, which is reproducing the most exquisite stereo-sampled piano sound ever.

Still, it's not enough to be a great synth, so the XV-88 is also Roland's first synthesizer to feature an 88-note precision hammer-action keyboard with velocity and aftertouch sensitivity. Perfect for use as a master keyboard, the XV-88's hammer-action is identical to the acclaimed A-90EX Expandable Controller, invoking the feel of a fine acoustic piano.

Knowing all this (and we haven't even covered everything here - yes, there's lots more we don't have room for), wouldn't you want an XV-88 for yourself? I'll admit I do. Considering that a fully-loaded XV-88 could hold 512MB of waveform data, you would have an incredible amount of music-making potential at your fingertips. So call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer for all the facts, complete information, specs and, oh yes, your special low Sweetwater pricing.