I guess I'm the odd ball among the group. Having owned tons of arranger boards, not one has ever left the house for gigs. Reason: I'm a guitarist, who sings as well. I create my own backing tracks on a Tyros 2 (and sometimes BIAB). I add generous overdubs as needed and vocal harmonies. All this is played from an iPod in "live" settings. This approach works well for me. I average 8 to 10 gigs per month and play everything from the 20's through the 70's. My market doesn't require much from the 80's onward---and that's fine with me. Since I'm not a two-fisted player like many on this forum, my primary interest (in new arrangers) is in the styles and the realism of a band. I appreciate all the reviews, comments, and contributions of you with the real keyboard chops. It's helps those of us who play chords and arrange to make decisions on the latest products to assist in our solo efforts.

Well I've never done anything BUT Duo work since turning professional.

I started out as a formally trained drummer (!) in various bands (Original material only)


I'm young(ish) so weight is not an issue for me, but 76 keys is! - and sounds.

Styles I need for Songwriting, Demos and some Old Time Dancing gigs (Waltzes, Quick Steps - older "ballroom styles" in other words).

Sampling is also becoming more of a priority for us - at least for Drum Loops and more up to date Dance sounds.


The Website in my sig shows more about us and where we play in Australia if anyone's interested and explains the range we cover.

Not to start (or continue) anything, but I use 95% SMF's (Painstakingly arranged, tweaked re-written or done completely from scratch using the arranger modes) and 5% (maybe) styles for the aformentioned "Old Time" gigs.

I see nothing wrong with using both - why on earth would there be???

Peace out.



------------------
God I hate signatures.

BUT...

www.chi-chi.com.au

Half the time I'm OMB on VA76 or G1000 or PSR2000, Half the time I'm OMB i don't sing.

the other half, or actually much more than half, I'm in the "studio" making "backing tracks" on my Triton Studio, or/and in NUENDO, sometimes I use VA76 to make a backing tracks, if it's an "emergency" or for someone eho is jusy starting to sing, etc...

oh, also I play piano in church sometimes, and accordion.

[This message has been edited by Vadim (edited 06-17-2007).]

Exactly !

im with you hellboy, i do the same with my midis, even to the point of making sure the "drummer" is only playing instruments and notes that can be played with 2 hands, and not an octopus, as some midis are...further, a percentage of my midis have just drums/bass and perhaps 1 guitar, i play the rest, sometimes just the drums and i play the bassline and keyboards, and a few are also full "production" numbers, they have to be (New York, New York comes to mind!!)...i also agree with zuki that a lot of midis sound like rubbish, but you DO need to tweak them, as donny and fran have suggested...sure it can be the same "sanfransisco" file, but when tweaked fot individual interpretation, it will be different....
dennis

[This message has been edited by miden (edited 06-17-2007).]

I don't use an arranger anymore since years.
Actually since I started playing in a rockband I used the arranger a couple of years for piano/organ/strings, but switched to a Roland 760 since approx three years now and never looked back to the arranger which is collecting dust.
For composing I mainly use a Kurzweil K 2600
and real instruments.
Fred

About half the time I go solo. The rest is divided between playing in a duet or in a band. I use the Tyros 2 with all three, but I also use softsynths for the band work and sometimes for solo guitar emulation ala "Real Guitar".

I don't use very many midi files but I also have no problem using them if I feel the need to. As time has passed I've gotten more comfortable singing and playing solo, and I'd say I probably do "unplugged" versions of songs as much ( and sometimes more ) as 50% of the time, depending on the type of venue.

On the very simple stuff where I can... I sometimes use my guitars w/o backing, and on the more difficult pieces I use either the T2 voices ( solo piano or guitar sounds ) or Real Guitar, along with minimum of arranger backing ( often none at all ). I love the types of venues that I can do mostly acoustic stuff... I feel a much closer connection to the audience when I play "unplugged".. just me and the instrument, and by the responses I usually get I've come realize that this connection works for me, actually makes me feel more comfortable ( it used to scare the heck outta me goin' "nekkid" ), and therefore more entertaining.. occasional flubs and all... humor has also become a great ally for me.

AJ

Strictly home player, for me and myself...nobody would pay to hear me play, and I am not humble, I am a realist.

There was one time I played for some friends, (another guy had a guitar) and one time I was playing for my wife, who was doing the ironing and doubled as a singer... LOL

Those two times summarise my "gigs"

The arranger-function of my keyboard is mostly used in my "home studio" where I write new songs. I use the arranger there for a quick "feel" of the song (without having to play all the parts first, losing the idea in the process and ending up with no song at all or something completely different than I intended to do )

I never perform as an OMB, but who knows what the future will bring For now, I use the keyboard on stage with a band (thus playing the typical keyboard-parts such as piano's, organs, string"carpets" etc and an occasional solo) and in a homestudio-environment together with a guitar player where we play, have great fun and sometimes even record something

The reason I started using an arranger in the first place was not the arranger-part of the instrument. At that time, arrangers (in the pricerange I could afford) were the only instruments that featured "real life" instruments. I never was and never will be interested in the bleep bloops of the typical "synthesizer". I wanted true piano's, organs, guitars, brass, strings... and found them in the Roland E-15 (1992). The arranger function of that instrument was considered to be "a nice extra" but we never really used it much.

Over the years the arrangers got better and better, and now, being able to alter styles, it becomes a very usable function.

I use my arranger on a OMB gig. I use 80% user styles created and tweaked for my personal style and playing ability and to distinct myself from all the other standard OMBs. That is why changing arrangers every 6 months is not an option for me because I have built up lots of user styles and sequencers that would take a lot of work to transfer to another brand arranger.

In the style part, I usually have 2 drum tracks, a bass and a chord sound. In the left hand, I have piano, organ, strings or what ever assigned for me to play live. In the right, I would have a lead sound for me to play live. Sometimes I would have just drums and bass in the style parts and a full piano in the right (good for ballads).

I use 10% MIDIs or as I call them (Linear sequences). Again tweak to my personal touch.
And then the remaining 10% I use good old drum tracks left hand bass and piano or what ever in the right hand.

Now here is why I really like a full featured arranger. I also use my arranger in a band setting. Its much easier to get to sounds and the ability to tweak sounds and load new samples and sounds gives me a lot of flexibility. And when the band is taking a brake, I
Could play a CD or MP3 during that time.

And of course, as with any instrument, I use my arranger in my studio.