Sorry, chas... I came in and did that last post after being out in the heat (116ºF heat index yesterday!) playing from 1pm to 10pm... And I realize I seriously misread you! My apologies.

In a way, though, what you posted about getting out never seeing one on a gig "frankly (and this is incredible), I have never seen one used on a gig" really only goes to show how few players understand how good they CAN be... And I suspect the reason the majority of good younger players won't even give them a tryout in the store (if you could actually FIND them in the store!) is those banks and banks of ballroom and retirement home styles (that I don't ever use myself, either!) that would make any younger player run to the WS side of the store as fast as he can!

And he would never get an opportunity to realize he just passed up on a keyboard that for gigging live (unless he IS doing hiphop or strictly modern dance styles) is a far more practical keyboard that most WSs. But the minute he turns on the arpeggiator function on the Triton, or Motif, well, he HAS strayed into arranger country, hasn't he, chas? If playing with loops isn't playing strictly with other musicians, it's no more legit than an arranger...

I think all I've been trying to say is that, as WSs get more and more auto accompaniment features added (whether players choose to use them or not is up to them!), the arranger divisions are losing massive sales and the opportunity to resurrect their slowly dying industry by refusing to try to market an arranger to younger players. Take the best of what an arranger does (intuitive, instant control of arps/styles, and fast and convenient selection of tones and splits, etc.) and graft them onto the WS features that now exist.

Either they are going to do it, or the WS industry will... The MotifXS is harbinger of things to come. If the arranger industry refuses to compete, they will soon be gone like the home organ...

Once again, chas... sorry for the misunderstanding. "Post in haste, repent at leisure"

BTW, although yes, I do a handful of Jimmy Buffett (just another singer/songwriter as far as I am concerned!), we do NO Beach Boys (my falsetto isn't what it used to be!). But we also do tunes by Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, The Temptations, The Drifters, Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Maxi Priest, to name just a few... It isn't all crackers down here!