This may be slightly off topic, but I was thinking about this. Are we nearing the end of technological advances in keyboarding?

The only thing I can think of that will continue to rise is wave rom, polyphony ect. Ive looked over the past couple years on boards and there have been no major advances that ive found. Am I totally missing something? I cant imagine anything huge coming out in the near future.

Phil

Dear pennywizz;

I was pondering the same thing. I presume that the authenticity & realism of the sounds and styles would continue to improve. Also the styles could become more intelligent in anticipating what the KB player is going to do. Furhter, I suppose the goal is to reach a point where the OMB will sound like a true multi-piece live band. At this point in time manufacturers are still not close to those goals.

But I do agree that the advances with the releases of the new top model arrangers are not that great, and a little disappointing for me. I don't know if manufacturers are holding back , or are not trying hard enough?
I do know that when looking at the quality of sound fonts & vsti etc...that are available, arranger software is behind in current technology, let alone making great adavnces!

Regards;
BN

I have always thought that arrangers and workstations are behind music technology. The manufacturers have allowed computers and computer software to beat them at their own game and now they are playing catch up.

That said however, I think the manufacturers of both arrangers and workstations will incorporate more wave ROM and wave samples. They would allow the user to manipulate waves to use in styles and sequences. Also, I think they would and should try to improve on the style creation tools. One example is for them to give the user a way to define what types of chords the keyboard would recognize.

I just hope they don't put on keyboards technology that is not really needed like a Digital camera or a coffee maker.
Or maybe those things are needed on a keyboard?!LOL

Arrangers are just a small portion of each manufacturer's product line. When you see arranger functions on home digital pianos, organs and discount keyboards you must realize that manufacturers include them for the "fun" aspect of playing and hearing oneself sound like an entire orchestra. This has been around since the 60's and is always used as a selling point with customers. This, I believe is as big a share of their arranger business as pure arrangers - or arrangers for hire.

Arranger features will only advance as the DEMAND (from people like us) increases. The guy with the $12,000 home organ isn't going to make as many demands as we do. With the advent of boards such as the Pa1X Pro, G70 and possibly Tyros II and Kurzweil the power of the arranger is at its technological peak for now. There is no impetus or profit in advancing it further - for now.

Forums such as this need to advance ideas for the future. What about making the creating of styles more intuitive or more a focal point of a new arranger? What if styles were as simple to edit or create as a simple loop recording (ala Roland XP's, Motif and others)or if Korg Karma technology was adapted into the style creation process.

So many of you have been espousing softsynths and arrangers - not completely there yet. That's a possible future. Go back and read the forum archives and see some of the previous ideas thrown out here. We've talked about roll-up keyboards (they got 'em). We've influenced and pre-suggested features now taken for granted. This is a REAL and SERIOUS forum that holds a lot of weight in the music community. It's also a fun place to be.

So, toss out your wildest and best ideas and let's discuss them. Something could happen.

It's my perception that there are more arranger keyboards in the world than any other kind in sum total. They run the gammit from $100 to $16k. And if you compare say a $500 arranger from 1985, 1995 and 2005 you'd see a lot of technical advances.

But the answer to the question is no, we haven't come anywhere near what technology offers. Keyboard technology has not advanced nearly as quickly as computer technology, and it's maddening to see such tiny advances in year-to-year models. I think manufacturers are purposely witholding technology so they don't suddenly make their previous models completely obsolete. The prices haven't followed the computer model either... prices of keyboards have gone up steadily while computers tend to have more features for less cost annually.

That's why I think we'll reach a point where manufacturers will concentrate more on selling Wal-Mart arrangers and low-priced entry-level arranger/keyboard instruments rather than investing the R&D into pro-level models. Meanwhile we'll integrate laptops into our keyboard systems more and more, and I expect to see some more "generic" keyboard shells come out from independent manufacturers that house laptops and provide the audio/midi interface, control surface features, and a desktop program to assign softsynths to the keyboard and midi channels. I'd really like to see something like a 76-note weighted action keyboard built into a travel case with a locking lid and a place to dock a laptop.

I think design-your-own arrangers will never work or make it to market. What makes arrangers attractive is that they have all the controls and software needed to do the job - easily. Modules and software aren't as successful because the immediate, tactile interface is not there. Simplicity is essential. Look how we have moved back to more dials and controls because the multi-page menus were so cumbersome. Pianos and organs were/are popular because most of your time and effort is focused on playing. Drawbars are visual and tactile - virtual drawbars, duh!

Future arrangers will continue to be based on other synth/sound generating technology. The more you pay the more advanced the technology will be. Will an arranger ever be more advanced than a synth/keyboard? Why?

No.
[QUOTE]Orignally posted by The Pro:
Keyboard technology has not advanced nearly as quickly as computer technology, and it's maddening to see such tiny advances in year-to-year models. I think manufacturers are purposely witholding technology
I agree

Cassp said, "Will an arranger ever be more advanced than a synth/keyboard? Why?"
No. It's a marketing decision.
Starkeeper

[This message has been edited by Starkeeper (edited 03-24-2005).]

One trend I see is the migration of arranger concepts into non-arrangers. Last century, only arranger keyboards employed chord recognition (is this right?). Then the Karma and Motif ES keyboards incorporated chord recognition to trigger patterns. Virtual Guitarist and the soon to be released Kontakt 2 use chord recognition to generate patterns. So there may be some blurring between arrangers and other synths.

No!!....but...we are reaching the limit of people that know how, or are willing to learn how to play keyboards anymore......with so many other choices to make music it has literaly made upcoming baby boomers etc ...reluctant to take lessons and learn vs the easy way out and becoming a DJ, K artist, Electronic pc musician, etc. which in turn reduces and slows the progress of the other forms of instruments and that includes Arranger Kb's...less people play = less $$ = less progress..

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 03-24-2005).]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by cassp:
[B]I think design-your-own arrangers will never work or make it to market. What makes arrangers attractive is that they have all the controls and software needed to do the job - easily.


Dear Cassp;

Your too late Cassp, because companies are already making them. They exist. Its the way of the future. Who wants to invest in a 3-4K KB that obsolete in 3 years, and have to spenn 1.5X more on the next KB. Doesn't that make you angry?

With CPU based modular designs, KBs will have the abiltiy to keep up with current technology without have to replace the whole KB. Thus saving the user alot of money during their lives.

Regards;
BN