Do we really know that arrangers in Europe are primarily used by amateurs?

From reading this and other forums and by manufacturer�s behavior, it would appear that arrangers in Europe are used substantially by professional musicians (musicians that play in public whether full time or part time).

Most of the arranger sales are in Europe (or at least they start in Europe) and arrangers are increasingly coming with more �professional� features i.e. sampling.

One example how manufacturers probably think that there are more professional arranger players in Europe than in the U.S is the Gem release of the Genesys xp module. Originally, that arranger module was not going to be released in the U.S. Modules are usually for gigging musicians who want a lighter set-up. By not originally wanting to release the Genesys xp module in the U.S it would be safe to assume that they believe that arrangers are used more professionally in other places than the U.S.

While there is a sizable market for the home user, I think that is more so in the U.S rather than in Europe. This is so I think because in the U.S the lower-end arrangers (with low quality sounds and styles) have been mass marketed to the home user. The advance features were not demonstrated a lot.

Also, the �professional� musician in the U.S has always looked down on arrangers. One of the reasons that a keyboard player told me is that if it is easy to use, then it is not a �real� keyboard for �professional� use.
Mark you this was around 5 or 6 years ago when some keyboard players enjoyed the fact that the workstations were very intricate and sometimes archaic and not as user friendly as they are today. They enjoyed the fact that workstations were hard to use because they needed to justify to the live instrument playing musicians (guitarist, saxophone players and so on) that it is not just button pushing, but there is an art to electronic keyboards. So if arrangers were looking too easy to use, they would look down on it.

And the cycle continues between marketing arrangers to everyday gigging musicians and the use of arrangers by everyday gigging musicians; which one comes first in the U.S.


While there is a sizable home market for arrangers in Europe, there is probably a big enough market in Europe for the full or part-time musician.