Originally posted by Craig_UK:
To the Genesys puts:
if you want to sound like a DJ or a Karaoke machine, then get a Casio or PSR/Tyros 2.
But if you are gigging and want to stay in the music business and want to have an identity as a performer, then you should be prepared to work, tweak and create.
I think you'll get some strong comments back from that statement.
Loads of us on here regardless what type of arrangers we have always tweak our instruments and create our own styles and sounds instead of using the presets. As for sounding like a DJ or Karaoke machine, that comment is pure c**p, unless you just shove a disk in and let it play itself.
Many on SZ have also been in the business for years and even have their own music shops or teach music etc so we already have established identities and certainly put the man hours in when it comes to work.
By the way, what keyboard(s) do you have. With Genesys I'm assuming it's the one by Gem?
Craig:
I can appreciate that some do put in the amount of work and preparation required of a gigging musician, but there are some that just want (and expect to) take a new keyboard out of the box at 7:00pm and start gigging at 7:15pm.
One of the problems is that some audiences do not know what we are doing as arranger players and lump us together with DJs or Karaoke machines. So it doesn’t help if some manufacturer’s styles sound like a CD. Nor does it help when we have all the style tracks playing at the same time but the audience knows and sees only one person.
This is why I talk about individuality. It is about having a sound and style unique to your self. With arrangers it is very possible to do so.
It’s about having an accompaniment but still letting your audience know (by your music and stage presents) that you are in charge and you are not just playing or singing over some factory prerecorded thing.
Just look at the style of some of the seasoned OMB players. UD plays left hand bass sometimes, Scottyee mute some style tracks and plays a piano sound in the left and right hand simultaneously, Fran plays with adjusted midi files … and so on.
That’s the beauty of arrangers they give the player so much performance options and so many ways for a player to express his or her musical individuality; much more than a traditional closed system “workstation”.
The Genesys pro (which I use at the moment), still has the best all in one feature set for an arranger (probably second to the mediastation and Worsy if they are any good). The Genesys has good styles, good sounds,, a full functioning 32 track sequencer, a sampler (not just a sample reader), a sound editor, audio recording, a harmonizer, a CD and MP3 player and many other things. All you carry on a gig is the genesys pro and your sound system.