The question was posed 'best arrager with best piano voice'. Is there anybody who would like to take a crack at an opinion of who has the best band backing up their solo work. I'm not talking about you guys just using a few peices out of the rhythm section or making your own backing. What I would like to know is when you buy the darn thing, take it out of the box, plug it in, pick a rhythm and start playing like you would with a six or eight piece dance band. Think in terms like sitting in with Miller or Dorsey and transfer your mind to think in terms of sitting in with Yammie, Solton, Gem or Technics band or the like. As an old dance band tenor man when I buy a new arrager I want to sit in with the best band in the box (pun) that I can afford. What do you think and and why?

Grandpa Doug

This is quite an objective question and one that has been addressed quite a bit under various topics.
In my opinion, the most elaborate and realistic styles of the keyboards that I have heard are in the Ketrons. Technics are also quite good, though the Ketrons seem to sound more "live".
Yamahas are very useable, and more versatile as far as using one style for various songs. This is because they have always been LESS elaborate and more basic. Yamaha has shown signs of change in some of the recent offerings, including the PSR2000. Some of the styles in it, and in the CVPs, do approach those of the other companies.
Korg PA80 has some really great sounding styles, but are lacking in depth in many genres. I do a lot of Country/Western, in addition to other types, and the PA80 has a few excellent country styles. The PSR2000 has maybe 10 times as many useable C/W Styles. The opposite is true on Blues type styles. The 2000 (also 9000) has a few good ones, but not many.
I have yet to see any of the other brands that could touch Technics in the area of Big Band, Swing, Standards styles. They offer both variety and quality in these areas.
The only way to really tell which keyboard suits you best, is of course to sit down and spend several hours with each one. Not always possible, unfortunately, but that's what we SHOULD do.
DonM

Well said Don.
Only some comments:
If I want to make a litlle demonstration of my performance I go to Ketrons and Techs.
If I have a 5 hours gig,sure,I will go to Yamaha .
Chico www.compumusic.hpg.com.br

My vote is for KETRON . dano

When I first got my yamaha psr9000 ... I downloaded 1,000's of styles from yahoo styles forum for free... and loaded them into the hard-drive... Swing,Country,ect... and imported from other Brands korg,technics so they would play on psr keyboards.

So check the arranger out for easy of use, keyboard feel,vocalizer,sounds,ect... the styles you can import ... it makes it like a new keyboard ...

I imported the psr2000 and cvp209 and technics styles into keyboard ... I can stay current with whatever new styles comes out!

I agree with DONM, best thing is to sit down with these Babies and see which one TURNS YOU ON!

Right now, awaiting Genesys, 7000 and Tyros, this is my opinion:
PSR 9000 (PRO), has the best styles if you want modern rock, country, ballads and blues. If you play a lot of latin and middle Europian styles etc, Ketron SD1 is the winner. Technic's styles I find too pompous and soft, makes an excellent table (taffel) music machine. Roland has a ways to go for most styles, somewhat unfinished for my ears. Korg and GEM, I don't know.
Allright, I'm flat on the deck looking for cover....

Roy-Andrè
Yamaha fav

I was impressed by the styles on the Ketron/Solton X1,but after a year realizing they were to busy for my personal taste. They were the most demonstrative to date, also the SD1. I don't care for the Yamaha styles , I like some but most do not suit me. Strangely, I have noticed a difference in the converted styles from the PSR9000 and PSR2000, same name styles,but the 9000 are better[sounds like different voicing]].I also like the VA series[Roland] styles ,thanks in part to "scat"patches used in some of the styles.After all is said and done , it is still the G1000 with the best of all the other manufacturers styles converted to the Roland format.I don't sacrifice the ability to get around and still have what works for me..

....yawn....... that old 1000 talk again...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...............

Hmmm, your profile reads:

Music, Bible, food and good friends, KN1000,2000,3000,5000 and 6500

...Sounds like you have answered your own question with your track record. I think you are a Technics man no matter what WE say !
Why break the streak now?

Uncle Dave,

Other than my Tec. boards I have a Roland E 70, a Yamaha and a Casio board a digital piano, a number of sax and clarinets, an accordion and a whistle. Also a trumpet I can't play very well. As far as the keyboards go Ruthie suggested to get rid of some of this stuff a few months ago with rather a firm tone in her voice. My sons and two of the grand kids have some of the things now. I have the E 70, the Casio and two KN's left after I sold the rest. A KN1000 and a KN6500. My saxes and clarinets I never will sell. Dave I can understand why you think I'm a Technics man. I just listed the Kn's when I signed on to the Technics Arranger Keyboard Forum earlier this year because I thought it was for only these boards. Dave, who is WE when you say, ‘WE SAY’? I have read your opinion of what you think I am. It is very clear what you had to say. I will only say, I understand what you say when you say what I have said about what I said when I said what kind of boards I said I owned. All I have to say, it is my opinion a man can do a disservice to himself by becoming a man with a one tract mind. A Ford man. A Chevy man. A Yammie man. The Rolands is the best, man. Nothing like a KN, type of mind set man and all such closed mind types. The only thing I never will change my mind about is Ruthie. Her operating system runs good and I never had to upgrade her to this very day. Her layout is good and all the buttons are easy to reach. Never had to take her in for service and she sounds good. Also good solid construction and very durable.

I don’t know why I drift off the subject at hand. Oh yes! Seeking your opinions. I understand everybody likes what they own and each has their own reasons why. I tried to point out my type of background and what I am after in a keyboard. I was hoping some old dance band type of players like me who do not want to fiddle around with the board, but just play with what the manufactures put into it, if they would share their findings. If I could find a store that had all the boards lined up in a row so that a person could go from one to another and test drive them, life would be simple. If I could find most of the different boards within a hundred or two mile radius where I live, that also would do. I live in the Chicago land area. A very large city and suburban area of the country. We have four places that handle Technics. I found one that had a 9000 Pro. One with a 9000. One with a VA7 and the other day one had a PSR2000. These boards have been out for awhile but have just now come into these stores. Technology is going at a very fast pace today. What was great stuff last year somebody today leaves it in the dust. I ran across the PSR2000 the other day and tried it out. I couldn’t believe what I heard. Yamaha never had what suited my type of playing before. I almost bought it. The only thing that held me back was the fact a whole new genera of boards are on the horizon this fall. Thus my query about some of the brands I have not heard. The Ketrons for example. What DonM has evaluated about the styles being very realistic have whetted my appetite to the point of not going for one of the new boards this fall until I can find somebody with one so I can hear the styles. Styles that are alive is what turns me on. Don’s, evaluation is just the type of help I was looking for. Chicko and Dan01 reinforced a good evaluation. Great! Regtta’s comments also had merit and I understand what his thought is but as I said before, I am not interested in altering or adding to the board. I don’t have the time to do all this, run my business, play dances and restaurants and keep Ruthie happy. Just for the record I do not sing. If you don’t believe me just ask Ruthie. I have no intention of telling you Ruthie’s evaluation. Well, maybe I will. A lovesick frog.

Dave I know who and what I am. After all I have lived with myself quite a few years. The three of us are very fond of each other. Me, myself and I understand each other. We talk to each other often even if we don’t see eye to eye all the time. Sometimes I ask myself if I should do this or that. Me says to myself, why not? I agree, and my oh my I ask myself why did I ever made such a bad decision. Me says to myself, I wasn’t thinking! Dave I really would value your opinion on the question at hand as the rest of the musicians have thoughtfully offered. And can WE all say AMEN (So Be It)

Grandpa Doug