I think my first arranger was an RA-90 module. At the time, I was primarily sequencing what little non-live band stuff I was doing, and felt like adding a Sound Canvas module to my arsenal. I was also doing a fair bit of drum machine programming (HR-16's, Yamaha RX series, that sort of thing) and was always frustrated by how tough and time consuming programming up decent drums were, or how difficult drum machines made running them on the fly.

Then I saw a friend using a Roland arranger (the one with the short keyboard, I forget the model#) and, while I wasn't that big into the arranger side of things, thought 'Hmmm... there's a drum machine with really USEFUL patterns (you ever listen to the ROM patterns in a drum machine from that era? ) that does two patterns and two fills, and I can run it on the fly with a footswitch! Score!'.

So I got me an RA-90, MIDI-ed it to my monster rig (WAY too many keyboards back then!) and had Sound Canvas sounds for playing live band, but also a preset drum machine that was interactive (nothing else much was, back then), and a happy camper I was...

Well, a bit later, started to use a few arranger things (mostly to rough out sequence work and songwriter demos) and got to like the speed of making roughs, liked the Roland sound, and saw a G800. LOVED the action (same one still in the G1000 and G70) and thought it was getting to close to the point that I could drop all the old Ensoniq samplers and ROMplers and a ton of that older gear, and just use the one keyboard for gigging. Still playing primarily full band, but also a fair amount of duo and the odd solo gig, too. The one piece of gear did it all. Live band (fairly decent for the time), duo sequenced work, some live drum machine and LH bass, but still little full arranger... It didn't last all that long, as I got a great deal on a G1000 when it came out (almost a straight swap) and it had the Zip drive. No waiting, no loading, everything ready to go, and some seriously better Super Canvas sounds (great piano and sax). Two upper sounds for layering or switching between, two lower, and glitchless patch changes (that one is absolutely essential for me). All a growing boy needs for live Everything from full band to a solo... one keyboard!

Used that sucker for about ten years (still had Kurzweils and Tritons, you name it for studio, but I tried doing a live band with a K2500, and it was a PITA to run live unless you had everything set up in advance), then the G70 rumors started. FantomX piano (my favorite!), Roland VK-organ (finally! Drawbars and a real Leslie sim ), TD-series multi-velocity drummer approved drums, and a 128 voice engine that was incredibly snappier than the Sound Canvas one. How could I resist..? Probably a good job I got to play it and fall in love with the sounds before I noticed the Chord Sequencer was missing

Since then, no complaints... OK, well of course there are complaints But nothing that so far makes me want to migrate.

Why an arranger...? Well, for me personally, even for playing in a live band (the majority of my work this year, and still the majority over my career) I find arrangers, and particularly the G70, the easiest to setup and run on the fly. I do a LOT of pickup work, and never know what sounds, splits, layers and all that stuff I am going to need until the bandleader calls the title and the key (if I'm lucky!), so having something that is a snap to configure on the fly is essential. WS's simply are NOT setup that way. Incredible depth of programming, but total PITA's to do anything quickly.

Now add to that live band ease something that does everything from sequences with markers, a drum machine with FOUR patterns and six fills that I can totally run hands free (with an FC-7 pedal), and full arranger, and once again I've got something that I can take to ANY gig, not have a clue what they'll need of me until I get there, and be confident that the G70 will cover it all, and have guys with TOTL WS's going 'What the hell is THAT?! It sounds AMAZING!'

What more could a boy need? [img]http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/biggrin.gif[/img]