I lead a worship team at the church I attend and use a solo guitar for musical backup. I would like to add 'the band' found in a good quality arranger keyboard. I don‘t want to lay out the dollars necessary to purchase one of the high end keyboards mentioned at the beginning of this thread. (Too many features I won‘t be using, since I don‘t play piano.) Can anyone recommend a great sounding arranger keyboard (that can record user styles) which will ‘wow’ the congregation on Sunday morning without significantly increasing my consumer debt?

I recommend the Yamaha PSR-S900...great sounds, easy to use, and it will do the user style thingy.

Ian

Thanks for your input Ian. I already own a Yamaha DGX300 that I purchased 2 years ago. I personally don’t like the guitar sounds that come out of this keyboard. I tried out a PSR900 at a local Guitar Center and felt that it has the same problem. I’m looking for something that sounds, well… authentic. Do I have to pay the big bucks to get the great sounds, or can I get by with something less expensive? Any more suggestions?




[This message has been edited by polarshift (edited 09-17-2007).]

You might try the Roland E-50...it has excellent sounds and will do the user style as well.

Ian

Authentic...?!!

Sorry, but do you mean the guitar voices you PLAY, or the guitar voices that the arranger plays? And, do you mean acoustic or electric?

Not that it matters a whole lot... IMO, the Yamaha's have possibly the most authentic sounding guitars in any arranger at the moment, particularly the guitars played by the arranger. Those Mega guitars, though close to impossible to play well from the keyboard, work SO well in styles.

I've got some problems with the S900 overall (keybed and drum sound, primarily), but I'll be the first to admit the guitars pretty much rule!

The Tyros 2 works wonderfully for me.
How about a used one?

I just saw one for $1500 on eBay.

Graham

Wow - are you saying that a minister can't play in a bar? Can my choice of profession determine my spirituality? Does my presence in a bar somehow make me unqualified to praise the Lord with song in His house?
I'm sure you did not mean to start awar here, but that one comment really set off something in me.
I'm not a huge fan of bars, and I hate abuse of any substance, but simply playing in a bar does not dismiss anyone's right to be in, or play in a house of worship.

The Lord, Himself made wine for his friends. Drinking is not bad. Drinking too much is bad.

Thank you Dave for this discussion.
I myself prefer the old traditional Hymns.
I go to church to worship and to learn not to be entertained.
I think that sometimes some music can be a distraction to this purpose.

By the way Dave do you have any styles that
would go with the traditional hymns.

Cousin Ken



[This message has been edited by Caragabal (edited 09-17-2007).]

Music absolutely enhances worship. It is a gift from God that we can also use to praise Him.

I can accept that one style has more meaning to some people over another, but to undervalue its importance would be a huge mistake.

I use a large variety of styles in playing hymns, Easy or 8 Beat Ballads (often in 2/2 time), Slow and Medium Worship, 6/8 Ballad and Worship, Guitar Sernade, even English Waltz. I try to keep as close as possible to the harmonies created by the hymn writers, changing chords as often as the original music dictates it.

Graham

To be more specific, what I meant was the guitar sounds that emanate from the "Style"('back up band) section of the keyboard. The voices (right hand sounds)are pretty decent.