I'm sorry, but you react as if there's nothing but using either pre-cooked styles or pre-cooked MIDI-files. What about performing live with a BAND? Or creating your song entirely by yourself, using the arranger as a tool rather than relying on the pre-cooked styles to reach your goal?

I use my arranger keyboard for composing. I use the styles, but only to set up a rough sketch of a song. I will never use a style or a midifile on stage. Does that make me a "real" musician? No, I think I would say it makes me a real composer/creator of music. Not more a "real" musician than the next guy that does use styles or midifiles when he's on stage.

Let's just say we both use different methods to entertain people. I use the arranger to develop songs, to be played live with a live band eventually.


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Roland EXR-5 user - http://www.exr5.tk

"Real musicians play in a real band they don't use cheesy home keyboards." LOL

I'm just kidding,

I think you should use the tool that suits your needs best, If you want to perform solo (and you don't want to lower yourself to midi files and true karaoke), there's no other option than the Arranger keyboard, you can't let a full virtual band play and let it do whatever the player demands on a synth workstation, they just don't have these capabilities, Arranger keyboards and workstations are two different cups of tea, like apples and oranges, However I think if you are really into composing, I think a synth workstation is a much better option, and maybe even better, a combination of an arranger and a synth.
We all have our own ways of creating music, whether its using an arranger, synth workstation, piano, software etc.
There's no need to disrespect each other for our ways of doing things, or to call people "unprofessional" because they choose to use different tools than you do.

Greetz ,
Marcel

Wow! I'm sure glad I'm just an entertainer instad of a real musician. Being a REAL MUSICIAN sounds like it's way beyond my expertise. I would really like to hear some creations posted on this forum by REAL MUSICIANS.

Cheers,

Gary

Ok ok,
What I just wanted to say with this is this When I bought an Arranger keyboard I liked it and stuff. But when I got into searching the internet about famous musicians, most of them use Workstations so I got very disapointed , and I also got sorry that I bought an Arranger because I thought most of the people use Workstations and I thought I was sort of "left behind" , and then there is this one friend of mine that keeps telling me: "why didn`t you buy a Korg Triton a music workstation" and that gets me mad because he puts down my Arranger keuyboard, and it makes me feel sort of.. you know..and by the way starkeeper manssioned those pros that use Arranger keyboards...
I think I should listen more to you guys then those putting down arrangers.
Thanks guys for manssioning those pros that use arranger keyboards, You saved my life, I used to think that pros use musicWorkstations, Thanks guys, I`m happy now with my VA-76. Sorry for starting this war, I surrender


[This message has been edited by Vadim (edited 03-10-2004).]

And by the way, when I was thinking about buying a Workstation, i thought about how do I gonna play live and I disapointed and stuff. and I thought about transfering styles and accompniments into a Workstation whe I will buy it, But now...
You know what? before this I was confused about keyboards and thiught I`m one of the few that uses arranger, But you guys puted me on the right track and I don`t feel sorry for having an Arranger.

I've produced MORE music with my KN3000 and 5000 ARRANGERS than my "WORKSTATION" Korg Triton Studio....

It's not what the keyboard can do, but it's how much you're comfortable with the keyboard.

Although now I can navigate myself slightly better than when I first started, I know I only use probably about 5-10% of the keyboard capacity...knowing that I've plunked down about almost 3000 bux of my hard-earned money.

Most pros here probably (very likely) can produce much better music with "just" a PSR 100 more than our 'workstations'

Gary,

When you get tired of "playing" your keyboard - maybe you could sit around on the computer and just ask for help [donations] from all the other musicians tryng to make a living and working as hard as H__L. Sounds like that might work (NOT !!).

(You're probably not Russian though)

vc

Quite a childish response. Besides, I do agree with Vadim that writing, arranging and performing your own music entirely takes more skills than someone who buys the MIDIfile of "My Way" and plays the melodyline himself.

And I'm NOT saying YOU'RE doing that, I'm saying there is a difference. And there certainly is a difference in skills. It takes a little more to come up with your own compositions instead of playing along with precooked backtracks. Styles or SMF, same thing.

I use my arranger at home, but I will never take it with me on stage. Not because it's useless on stage (it's nonsense that you can't take a "cheesy" homekeyboard with you on stage, like Wazza suggested), but because I don't need it there.

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Roland EXR-5 user - http://www.exr5.tk

Are'nt definitions mixed up here ?
a. musician
b. 'real' musician
c. composer
d. arranger
e. bandmember

Personally I see no difference in needed skills for a (real?) musician that is a band member and a musician using an arranger keyboard : The arranger in fact IS the band !

Only very few musician are good composers.
Not every composer is a good arranger.
Many highly trained/educated musicians cannot play one single note without sheetmusic..... are they 'real' musicians or 'score-player robots'?
Other musicians cannot read one single note but play fantastic music. (Ever heard the Rosenberg Trio ?)

Please do not put lables, depending on what gear/methods we use. We should respect all musicians...... ;-)

DITTO!

Gary