I'm a pro player working solo and already have all the speakers I need and don't want to lug the extra weight. Who knows which arrangers don't have built in speakers?
I've never used an arranger but I want one now.
By the way I hear the Gem SK760 doesn't... but somewhere on this forum I read about it having a bass dropout problem (sometimes).
I knowof the PSR900pro ... no speakers. I've even heard of a module made by Solton that couldbe used (I guess) with a controller keyboard. I don't know what kind of success that would bring.
I almost sprung for a Korg PA80... bnut the speaker thing... I just had to hold off. I just don't see the point of having speakers on a keyboard on a live stage.
Soooooo.... can you help? Thanks for the help.

BossX,
As you have found out, most all of the arrangers have speakers, as they are meant usually for a different crowd.
You can however turn them off like on the PA 80.
My suggestion is to buy an arranger that you like the way it plays the voices and overall how it works and put the speakers last on your list, meaning, it doesn't make sense to by an arranger that has lousy sound patches and is a nightmare to use, just because it doesn't have speakers.
The cool thing about having speakers, is if you want to just fire up and compose a bit or take it to practice or wherever, you don't have to lug your speakers too.
Terry

There are several keyboards without speakers.
Such as i.e. ketron SD1, Yamaha PSR9000 Pro and
if I'm not wrong the Roland VA76.
GJ

I started out with the Yamaha PSR line, but I found I was never using the "styles" or any of the other "special features" of those boards; and I too didn't see the point of the built-in speakers. Frankly, as the built-in speakers go I think the PSR-262 (which you can get for under $200) sounded much better than the speakers on the PSR-550 (which you'll be paying more in the arena of $500 for.)

Where I landed was the Motif6. It doesn't sound like this is the board for you though -- it is about 3 times as heavy as the PSR-550, and you mentioned weight as a factor. I have to agree with the Jocko and say that you should not worry about the speakers -- go for the board that matches your personal critera minus the speaker issue. For me, my priorities were:

1. Key Feel (and effect, souch as after touch),
2. Expandability (memory, sounds, patterns.. you name it - I want to be able to expand on it),
3. Features (sampling, arpeggio...)
4. Sounds
5. Product Support

I got lucky, in that although product support was last on my list the Yamaha Motif6 which matched my other criteria to a T has probably the best support out there.

Honestly though... You'll be doing yourself a favor if you overlook the speakers and re-prioritize a little in what you want and expect. Let us know what you end up going with!

-Shaz

BossX. I too initally felt that built in speakers just added needless weight. I would always shut them off by inserting a 1/4" jack into the headphone socket. After reading comments from others here who said they liked using the internal speakers for stage monitoring purposes, I realized exactly what they were talking about. Without the built in speakers, you cannot really hear (or gage) what the audience is actually hearing. I now find having built in speakers very useful for both solo gig and stage performance venues. - Scott

Mentioned in another thread--the PA80 and PSR2000 are much lighter, even with the speakers, than any of the non-speakers boards that I know about.
DonM

PA80: 30 lbs (13.9kg)
PSR2000: 23 lbs (10.5 kg)

And me, XXXXXXlbs
GJ

That's about XXXX kg's............

Yes, and I suppose that you are priceless, aren't you, Gunnar?

Dreamer, as usual, your perfectly right
GJ

Btw, how much did you say..... ??

At the risk of sliding off-topic. I am 6'5" and pushing 260 lbs. Lately my pants all seem to be shrinking a little. Maybe I should have kept the 9000 because I need the workout from carrying it around. Better yet, if I get TWO PSR2000s I can carry one in each hand.
DonM

I guess I should be thankful that I don't have to lug around my old CP25 anymore..hmmmm... if I even still could..lol

AJ

We should all be thankful that we don't have to lug around a Hammond w/147 Lesile. Now that was heavy!

Tom

Thanks very much for the replies about the weight factor. (Of the keyboards I mean...sheesh can some of you guy's get off on a tangent or what?)
I guess it's not such a factor after all. Yes, It's the sounds, reliabilty, features, ease of use, versatility of the keyboard I'm mostly looking at. I've posted a pointed Q or 2 about using an arranger as a performance keyboard (both solo and with a band).
Sending a separate click out to the drummer is one importand question.
Using the keyboard as a master controller in the studio with my computer software (Cake, Soundforge, Mixtreme and Gigasampler, various modules)is another important question.
Can the PA80 perform as well as say a Motif or an XP-80 in these pointed ways???

yes, GEM SK760 and SK880 do not have speakers. I do not know if this is good or bad.

I can tell you from my experience that sk880 cannot afford to have speakers. It is already 90lb+

I am planning to buy 61-keys keyboard with speakers.


P.S., never ever heard or experienced the bass dropout problem in my sk880.