I don't have an xg compatble module , the only amaha I have is the A4000s sampler .
Yamaha awm2 engine is indeed verrrygood sounding , 18 filter types , multiple ilters possible ...don't know if the qy has this .
I only need it for seq. duties ..just bought an integra 7 ....I forgot how good the roland PCM engine was .. more options then yammies awm2 ..but the yammies awm2 filters sound more organic.
Adding a QY700 to that sounds like a good setup to me. I have a similar hardware setup cause my QY700 is driving a Yamaha A3000 sampler for if/when I need sampling. I hardly ever use the sampler as a sampler though to be honest, I mainly use it as a mastering and effects processor on one of the send/return feeds of the Yamaha MT8X I have it connected to. The MT8X is tape-based, and even that is controlled by the QY700 using a MIDI sync unit (Yamaha YMC10).
I agree about the Roland gear, don't have a Roland right now, but I do like the filters on some of them. I like the way Roland sample their instruments as well.
The main reason why I opened this thread was to get an of whether or not it would be worth to surrender some of my Renoise abilities to dive into the QY700. Basically, whether or not I'd come out the other end "richer". I don't know the answer to that though.
It's not really possible for me to answer your question without it sounding a bit weird, cause the way I look at things will likely be very different to the way you do. I suppose it comes down to what you want to do and how you want to work with audio and making music. There is no way I'm going to suggest surrendering Renoise in order to dive into a QY700. That would be ridiculous, mainly because it would be pointless to surrender Renoise in order to dive into any peice of hardware, so I'm not exactly sure what you're getting at there.
You're comparing something that changes constantly (Renoise), to something that will never change for as long as you live (QY700). There are advantages and disadvantages to both. On the one hand, it's much easier to knock-out some incredible sounding stuff with Renoise than it would be using a QY700. On the other hand, the QY700 will never change, so you can be sure that no matter how much time you put into it, nothing will go to waste, and your skill in using it can only improve over time. The important thing to remember about a QY700 is that it has the full official Yamaha MIDI spec, and it's attached to a built-in synthesizer. For that reason, the only people who will get the best out of a QY700 are those who understand the official MIDI spec and how it can be used "inventively" to control the built-in synthesizer and make it do all sorts of crazy stuff.
To give you an idea, here's just some examples of projects I gave myself to test and push my abilities with it:
- I've created psychoacoustic synthesis effects of rumbling thunder-claps cause I wanted something different to the built-in thunder.
- I've created the sound of rain falling upon a tent, cause I wanted that relaxing sound it gives.
- I've created the sound of tree leaves rustling in the wind.
- I've created a whole drum set that was meant to be very "80s" like a LinnDrum, and made it sound even more punchy.
- I've created Mellotron-type instruments complete with dropouts, unstready pitch, pops, and filter instability.
- I've created monster-sized supersaws that would put a JP-8000 to shame.
- I've created trance gates even though it doesn't have a trance gate by default.
- I've created psychoacoustic surround sound.
This is possible because they were wise enough to implement certain features which, without them, none of that stuff would be possible. This is why you need to understand MIDI and sound design techniques to get the best from it. In addition to that, you need to remember that Yamaha know what they're doing. There's some incredible sounding waveforms hidden among the XG data of the QY700. And take a wild guess as to which company knows how to sample all that wonderful analogue gear they made back in the 70s and 80s? Take a guess as to who builds the very pianos and other real-world instruments they sampled into this thing? And take a guess as to why it sounds so "dry" on YouTube?
It sounds dry because unlike a lot of the gear out there, the samples in the QY700 were recorded professionally, "dry", as in proper-dry cause that's the proper way to do it. It's much better to have a dry samples you can add effects to than to have wet samples you cannot remove the effect from - see?
I could go on for ages, but there's no point. If a QY700 sounds "shit", I can assure you it's down to the person using it, it's not a limitation of the QY700. Bottom line mate, be prepared to learn MIDI and sound design if you're considering a QY700, cause it's not a toy, it's a totally professional hybrid MIDI/Synthesis tool. If it's something you think you could master then I highly recommend it because it's a unique and powerful piece of kit to those who put the time in. And there's something very liberating about having a device you know inside out. It's nice to be able to switch it on and know that you can make it do whatever the hell you want. Remember, a true master of any device will never blame his/her tool of choice, so I guess the only way to find out is to pick one up and see if you can tame her. I mean what's the worst that can happen?
I think the worst that can happen is you end up like the others selling it on eBay cause you can't get your head around it

BTW, I've not heared any Squarepusher stuff, but if he/she is using a QY700 for all their music, I really look forward to hearing it. I can't right now as I'm trying to make my sim last long enough to look into a better deal, so I've stopped downloading videos and music for the moment. Will definitely look into that though, once I get a new broadband sim 
Edited by Renoised, 28 October 2017 - 17:32.