See, this is what happens when there's no bickering. I don't know about anybody else, but I'm bored.

Fran, why don't you post a tune.

How about; 'Who has made the more important contribution to music in the last half century - Charlie Parker and John Coltrane OR Donny and Marie'.

Are waterfall keys necessary to play a jazz organ 'lick'.

Are 'SA voices' better than good-quality soft-synth voices? (however you answer, I disagree - ok?).

Are arrangers really inferior to synths or workstations?

Are arranger PLAYERS inferior to 'elite' traditional players?

Is OMB the same as Karaoke?

Is Karaoke the same as DJing?

Is DJing cheating? If no, what about if he/she walks away from the turntable while it's playing.

Is Cape Breton really a Yamaha-sponsored leper colony?

Does Diki really exist? Did he really send his only begotten son (Donny) to be ......nevermind.

Can someone, anyone, verify a miracle, so that Capt. Russ can finally get his well-deserved sainthood.

Which is the most important skill for the job of president of the US; basketball or bowling?

Please feel free to add any additional silly sh-t we can use for future bickering.

chas

Chas, you're just too damn bright and creative to ever be seriously pissed off at.


Nice try, though. Again, you're right to point out some of the silliness.


R.

How can you tell if you've gotten a letter from a Cape Bretoner?

There's a tongue stuck to the envelope.

I think, therefore I am.... I think!

Nice try Chas, but the forum is still boring these days.........

And would this be the same tongue usually found in cheek?

I think Diki's over-thinking this whole thing.

chas

Five bucks says Zuki's first name is Su.

chas

In martial arts we call a punch a "zuki".

Better not call him Su.

very similiar when arranger player walks away from "arranger keyboard"

but WHO CARES....

A Workstation or a Digital Piano (both fine instruments by the way ) have their advantages and disadvantages as far as what they're used for and how they are used. A Workstation in all practicality is an all inclusive (all in one box) concept for making music, whether live or in the studio. What is suppose to make a Workstation a true Workstation, in my opinion anyway, is certain features that are considered essential for the professional musician to accomplish his musicianship. First off, the keyboard would normally have more than 61 keys but that is not always the case since Workstations do come in the 61 key flavor as well. Secondly, they should have a "real" micro-editing Sampler as well as at least a 16 track micro-editing Sequencer. Thirdly, it should have expansion capability so as to stave off premature obsolescence. Fourthly, it should have other professional cutting edge features that place it in a class by itself in terms of quality and functionality. With a workstation you are usually playing in the context of a band setting or as possibly a solo act while using backing tracks and/or custom performances set up by the User to call up specific patches (Roland) Combi's (Korg) or Voices (Yamaha) whilst playing. Workstations are also extremely well suited for the Studio where the User is able to create sophisticated and complex musical arrangements and ideas from scratch with all the tools necessary to do so at his fingertips. On a greater scale workstations are incorporating the use of computers to accomplish these objectives, bringing into play an even greater means at the Users disposal to accomplish his or her musical requirements or necessities. So in reality you can and are a one man band of sorts when using a workstation although it is accomplished with different methods.

A Digital Piano follows a similar path, as far as todays Digital Pianos are concerned anyway, but are more geared toward Live performance (on Stage in other words) as opposed to in the Studio. Digital Pianos usually don't have Samplers and usually aren't expandable like a workstation. Their primary purpose is what their name entails, that is, playing "Piano" sounds. Whether that be AC Piano, EP, or Clavinet sounds. Todays Digital Pianos are more sophisticated than their former predecessors in that they usually have many more sounds in other categories such as Organ, Bell, Mallet, Strings, Woodwind, etc. But they are geared toward Pianists and used primarily within a 'live' performance setting.

Arrangers, on the other hand, have many of the capabilities that workstations and digital pianos do (at least the high-end ones anyway) but are also unique unto themselves in several ways. Arrangers are usually always fully midi compatible and therefore midi is an important part of their appeal. Also, they are the epitome of what the term OMB means so far as the user playing the instrument (keyboard) with his arsenal of Band accompaniment weapons, that is; Styles, Multipads, Midi's, Registrations, etc. along with the keyboardists own use of sounds, split points, layering, in conjunction with these functions to make him sound like a whole orchestra or band. The negative with arrangers are their propensity to sound mechanical and/or robotic because the Styles and Multipads are looped based and limit the musicians musical expressiveness to sound natural, flowing, and rhythmical as one could within the context of a "real live band" setting. The key to making arrangers a blessing instead of a curse is in the timing and also the ability to make the instrument sound and play as much as possible just like the real thing i.e. the way a real instrument(s) sounds and plays within a real live band setting. To say the least, it can be rather difficult to pull off but with enough practice and patience it can be done, at least to a degree anyway. Michel Voncken is a good example of expert arranger playing. And also the entertainment factor is a big part of it too. You can be a great arranger player but if you don't entertain the crowd and aren't an "entertainer" so to speak, then that will, needless to say, diminish your effectiveness as an OMB'er as well.

Still bored??

Best,
Mike

[This message has been edited by keybplayer (edited 05-06-2008).]