“Creative Keyboard” (auto-arranger)
Thanks to the blindfolded Goddess of Luck, I won this keyboard in a raffle at a Mars Music (great store unfortunately no longer in existence) Keyboardist Night years ago. It is comparable to the Casio CTK-601. This is a useful auto-accompaniment keyboard, capable of some respectable sounds and rhythms. It sits at the lower end of the EM-series, but holds its own compared to its bigger brothers and sisters.
Roland EM-10 audio demos
Roland EM-10 specs
Other useful features found in this keyboard include:
- Metronome button
- Transpose button
- Chorus/Reverb on-off button
- Arrangement mixer
- Style Manipulator (a great feature, allows to mute/add parts and exchange parts with other on-board styles, effectively mixing and customizing your own rhythms
- Keyboard velocity on-off button
- One Touch button (automatically recalls preset accompaniment and sound setting suitable for the style chosen)
- “Intel”ligent harmony button (adds harmony to the solo voices, played automatically as you play the melody)
- “Organ” mode (EM-10s’ for “split” section L+R)
- Variation button that allows to recall variations of the standard GM set on board, for many sounds (i.e., pressing preset tone A57 (SyBas101) and then the Variation button, allows to get access to variation sounds “SyBass3” and “SynthBs1”
- Powerful on-board speakers
- Colorful panel scheme.
This keyboard is both GM (General MIDI) and GS (General Standard), and features “Style Morphing” (style manipulator).
Bottom line: an inexpensive keyboard with quality GM sounds, interesting rhythms, and all-around fun to play – perfect for the beginner, intermediate player, or for piano-bar, and entertaining at family parties.
Roland EM-10 photos
Roland EM-10 manual
Roland EM-10 specs
| Year of release | 1999 |
| Polyphony | 24-voice |
| Multitimbrality | Yes, 16 parts |
| Sound generation method | PCM |
| Preset memories | 8 user |
| Music styles | 64 |
| MIDI | in, out |
| Keyboard | 61 keys |
| Sound expansion capabilities | no |
| Sequencer | 2-track |
| Arpeggiator | no |
| Effects | yes: reverb and/or chorus |
| Velocity | yes |
| Display | Yes, backlit |
| Aftertouch | no |
| Options | RH series headphones DP-2, Db-6, or BOSS FS-5U footswitch KS-12 keyboard stand MIDI/Joystick cable |
| Dimensions | 960mm x 380mm x 128mm |
| Weight |
Roland EM-10 factory reset
Power on while holding down the USER PROGRAM/WRITE button
Roland EM-10 links