Donny, thanks for your impute. Getting away from Technics after 14 years has been a major move. Before I make a move to a Tyros 3 I will check Roland for the features you mentioned.

John C.

John your very welcome ....good luck to you.

Sorry, guys, but I have never had a DVD to learn from about any of this stuff. Somehow, I haven't turned it into an excuse not to try, and to not teach myself.

Sure, the first few times aren't going to produce much of any quality. Remember piano lessons (if you took them)? You didn't sound that good back then either. But it got better didn't it?

There are a plethora of resources on the web, and plenty of books on how to use MIDI sequencers. Manufacturer websites, third party instruction, software forums, you name it. How much time do you spend at them? Expecting the manufacturers to spoon feed it to you is unrealistic. This is YOUR job, not theirs.

How many of you are so computer phobic, you don't even HAVE a MIDI sequencer? Or a computer based DAW..? From all the enthusiasm that greets utterly lame on board keyboard versions of these, I would say a lot... And yet, here you are, posting on the WWW, on a forum, getting your email, doing your taxes, downloading stuff from YouTube, the iTunes store, whatever...

Put that determination into learning a decent sequencer, RTFM (most of you wouldn't even NEED a DVD if you just did this AS YOU ARE TRYING THINGS OUT), and the whole concept of editing your arranger's MIDI output to get rid of the bloody repetitiveness of it would be a snap.

But refusing to even try because your arranger manufacturer doesn't make a DVD (that you will outgrow in a week) smacks of defeatism.

JUST DO IT! ?

Diki easier said then done....

there are many levels of knowledge here regarding arranger keyboards NO ONE knows it all.....some are experts in playing, others aren't that good of a player at but are technical wizards for the tweaking & editing. To say we dont need instructional DVDs or anything else that can help an individual learn more is silly. Its only a plus....Everyone needs different things regarding their keyboard & uses it as such.
I have been playing arrangers since day one....many have had a Sampler, I have never needed or even know how to use one....so what? Out of all the features you can pick & choose what YOU need for your needs. Self taught, or manuals, taught by someone, or DVDs who cares.....the more we have available the better I say.

carry on

RTFM...

Isn't everything?

Whether you get it done or not depends on how much you want to do it. Want to learn to ride a bicycle? You get on the bicycle, fall off the bicycle, get back on the bicycle, sooner or later you are riding. No-one gives you a DVD.

Want to learn to program your own styles, or edit an arranger SMF? Same system. Yes, you use what is available, but when nothing is available, you teach yourself. Or you don't learn.

It's up to you...