Very good discussion here.
One of the problems I see with arrangers is that when it comes to promoting and advertising the TOTL arrangers they only focus on some of the more traditional styles.

Sure there are some arrangers that are only good for those traditional styles, but there are others like the Korg PA1x pro and the Genesys that are fully capable of doing contemporary and hip sounding styles.

With the sound editing and sample playback on those boards a lot can be accomplished. But they are not advertised or promoted as creative machines for modern songs. They are mostly promoted for traditional styles with traditional sounds.

If it is just style play back that is needed, then a midrange arranger is sufficed. That is why a lot of persons are satisfied with the Yamaha PSR 3000 – 9000 and don’t need the Tyros 2.

But for a TOTL arranger style play back is a given but when you pay all that money for TOTL arranger, IMO, it should help foster creativity and integrate with other musical equipment.


But the manufactures advertise and promote a TOTL arranger the same way that they advertise and promote a midrange arranger. So persons would not se the purpose of a TOTL arranger.

Even when you get a TOTL arranger, some of the modern sounds and features are berried down in the menus (at least that is how it is on the Genesys).

One of the hidden secrets of an arranger is using styles to make beats. If you can think out side of the box and creating music is something one is able to do, I have found that an arranger with the style creation feature is good for making beats. I know I have gotten that response when I am making hiphop beats for people and I use the Genesys.


But manufactures don’t promote and advertise arrangers with that purpose in mind.


They may be doing that purposefully so as to have different markets for different boards. It would not be in the manufacturers best interest to have one keyboard for all.


A workstation could sound like an arranger with just traditional sounds and arps. But the manufacturers don’t promote them as that they use the most hip sounds and arps to promote the workstations.

The reason IMO that TOTL arrangers are very expensive (much more that a comparable workstation) is that they are not as many buyers for arrangers as they are for workstations. It is all about demand and supply. Lots of buyers, lower prices. Few buyers, higher prices.


Whether to make arrangers sounding more like workstations is the chicken and egg situation from the manufacture’s perspective.

Do they create a hip sounding arranger and promote it as such then try to get buyers? Or do they make sure that they have buyers for hip sounding arrangers then create the product?