Hello everybody,

I noticed that keyboard arrangers seem to be quite popular among songwriters in Nashville. It really makes sense that these would be a great tools for songwriters, because it provides a preliminary "look ahead" to how the song might sound like when it is done. Also, arrangers allow the songwriter to efficiently try the song out within different genres to see how the song sounds within each one. I was just wondering which models do they all generally use. Do they go for the top of the line, or are they content with mid-range models with just enough power to put songs together? After all, the songs will be re-recorded in the studio anyway.
http://www.jinxchin.com

[This message has been edited by dongggoi (edited 11-04-2002).]

Jinx, welcome aboard. What a cool website you have! Very slick. As to your post---well, I cannot call myself a "Nashville songwriter" because I am as yet unpublished. However, I do live in Nashville and I purchased an arranger for the sole purpose of recording demos of my songs.Unlike most who post here, I am not a keyboard player, I just let the style parts provide backing for my guitars and vocals. I have zero interest in the solo voices of any keyboard and only look for good drums, bass, and keyboard fills. I purchased a korg is-40 and I'm very pleased with this way of working. It is great to be able to quickly try our a new song with different feels and grooves . For me, the korg I-series is best because of the quality of the style parts.,tho it really lacks in sound quality.I really wanted to buy a pa-80, but korg just lost it on this one. The fills are just a mess. I tried to fall in love with a roland va-7 because of the wonderful sounds, but there are NO simple endings, which for me kills the deal. And Yamaha gets so much right but the drums------have-------no-------life!
Ketron sounds great on the demos, it's just so much money for a product from a company that I've never heard of with no dealers within hundreds of miles------But,when i see my way clear to consider some of my income as "disposable", the Ketron is calling my name! I hope to someday soon be able to post a bit of my work to show how a non-keyboard player can get good use out of an arranger keyboard.
Bill

Hey Bill,

Thanks for visiting my site and your reply. I'd really like to listen to some of your music. Do you write Country music mostly, or do you delve into many other genres as well?

I used to have a Generalmusic SK76 keyboard arranger and it was a cool keyboard, despite its weaknesses in some areas. It had a lot of strengths too. I don't have it with me anymore, and being a songwriter, I suddenly realized that I could use an arranger, just for idea hashing. As you know, the number of arrangers out there is quite astounding, with all the companies trying to outdo the other, and all this is great for us, the consumer, as long as we are able to wade through the waves of features that these products offer.

Jinx,
my guess is that a professional songwriter has a lot of gear to record his songs so, arranger-wise, he would need only a good rhytm section, to lay down the backbone of a song. He will then be able to beef it up with sounds from synths and modules of different brands, depending on his needs. All that said, I think that some of the top arrangers today available can compete in some areas with many dedicated synths, and I think especially of Roland (VA7) and Yamaha (PSR 9000 and 9000 pro), which both have great "bread and butter" sounds, like pads, strings, synth sounds, brass, etc.

BTW, I too think that you have a great website.
Andrea

Jinx,
I have read a few articles where songwriters use the arranger of their choice as a "sketch pad" for their tunes.

So which one was part of your original Q.....the one that inspires YOU.
jam on,
Terry

Jinx:
I think one of those promotional magazines published by Yamaha had an article several issues back on that very topic---i.e., Nashville writers who use Yamaha arrangers.