Now shipping, the Roland BK-7m Backing Module is essentially portable accompaniment unit that provides backup sounds and rhythms in just about any musical style. The BK-7m can connect to any MIDI-compatible instrument, such as a keyboard, digital piano, or digital accordion.

Ideal for street entertainers, one-man bands, and the like, the new backing module offers hundreds of onboard accompaniment styles, high-quality sounds, and an easy-to-use interface.

The BK-7m includes 128-voice polyphony and is equipped with a top-level SSC Sound Engine with over 1,000 sounds and 57 drum kits, some of which include Roland's SuperNatural technology. The unit also includes over 400 accompaniment arrangement styles in 10 different rhythm sections; each accompaniment style has 4 variations that can be accessed with the touch of a button, each assigning the most suitable tones and effects to the real-time parts, depending on the selected musical style.

Arranger, multimedia player -- the BK-7m is both of those things. Backing tracks in SMF, KAR, MP3, and WAV format can be accessed from the USB memory key input, and audio can also be recorded in WAV format to a USB memory key. For easy connectivity to any external MIDI compatible keyboard or controller, the BK-7m includes a MIDI wizard, which lets you plug in your MIDI device and start playing right away. The backing module also includes a composite video output (for karaoke and so forth), which lets the audience or musician follow lyrics and chord symbols on an external display while an SMF or KAR song is being played.

Roland BK-7m features:

• Portable backing module compatible with MIDI-capable pianos, keyboards, accordions, organs
• More than 1,000 tones, plus 57 drum kits, 128-voice polyphony
• Over 400 Music Styles, each with 4 one-touch settings
• Over 900 Music Assistants covering every musical genre
• SMF and audio file playback via onboard USB connector
• Audio recording in WAV format directly to connected USB storage device
• Cover function for SMFs and Music Styles
• Composite Video Out to display Lyrics and / or Chord Symbols on external display

The BK-7m is now shipping for $1,499. To learn more, visit rolandus.com.