I thought with the never ending negativity & useless nit picking on arrangers that I would ask this question to see what replies we would get from different players if we can possibly stay on topic...
Feel free to join in....I'm gathering my thoughts so I can honestly post as we speak.

"How Much JOY does an Arranger Keyboard give you when Playing?"

Compared to the joy of playing with a great band or rhythm section..? Not much

Compared to having to sequence from scratch everything you play when working solo or duo..? Great joy

Compared to having to use a Workstation in a live band situation (as long as it is my G70 )..? Ecstasy

Right Donny !

Well having played Hammond's , I would much rather play a good arranger , any day !!

You have much more flexibility with an A/KB , you have styles ( better styles ) , intros / endings+ etc.

The only time I long for a "straight" keyboard is when I get the urge to handle a B3.

Good thread !

Take care,

Gary 

For me, it's the best damned instrument ever! Having played a piano (not very well), guitar, both 6-string and 12-string and a mandolin, plus trying my damnedest to play a bluegrass fiddle and never getting close to mastering it, nothing, absolutely nothing has been as much fun as an arranger keyboard. I also tried playing a sax for a while, but I'll be the first to admit--I was awful.

Cheers,

Gary

------------------
Travlin' Easy

A no brain-er for me..

The arranger (top models) are by far the easiest to use ..arranging or writing songs..

And also the best for performing too..It could be legit play.. piano, and left hand bass... a very good drum machine to use with your "legit" playing..

And when needed ..full arranger that can compete with most bands...even the bands Diki plays with ..

There is also a great arranger workstation keyboard (won't mention Brand and model)..that will do justice to the B3..draw bars and all..

When ever I play the top workstations..I am always glad when I get to play my own arranger...ease of use...sounds..flexibility...Arrangers cover it all...

I guess, for me, playing straight ahead arranger, not SMF's, mp3's, or just using the drum section, I typically get a lot of joy during the first couple of verses... then the repeated nature of all the variations and fills just starts to bug me.

Maybe it's why we like to medley songs so much? If the backing won't change, at least the song and key can... And fixing the problem by creating custom styles as variations on the one we are using seems altogether too much work! I can create an SMF from the main style, and edit into it plenty of variation in less than half the time it takes to edit styles.

But I am amazed that none of the drum machine manufacturers have not glommed onto the arranger concept... four different patterns, seven fills, intro and ending patterns and a way to control it all hands-free on the fly... Combine that with a good LH bass and you have lots more variety, because you are changing what you play, even if the arranger can't!

Well this looks like a very interesting heartfelt exchange of thoughts on this topic...aside from many of the replies above which I agree with myself, I would like to add a few for me.....

Ive been playing arrangers since their inception professionally.....& what I love is the POWER to be able to be the "ORCHESTRATOR" of my own music.....an arranger is a very powerful tool to create music in so many ways....I can use a style, SMF, Multi track Seq, etc etc .. & in whatever way I CHOOSE & play music MY WAY....how it's done is up to the player, how easy or difficult is up to you, resulting in a sound YOUR happy with. If your a Pro or a Beginner the arranger can make you happy either Solo, Band, or whatever & whomever YOU want to play it....every night I get a thrill controlling all the parts & sounds into my own little arrangement of a song & do it DIFFERENT every time with no problem at all at my discretion using all the features at my disposal on board. Im happy playing it...Im happy making a decent living with one....& I am mostly happy making my audiences Glad they came to dance & hear me play an arranger. Ive seen many improvements though the years & if they never make another arranger KB after today I'd be very happy at what we already have to play.......!

"Play Music Every Day!"

Funny you should mention that.......ok, I'll be the first to go OT, despite Donny's admonition. Before I got the C1 and switched to just organ as a performance instrument, I had a DR880 and a Sr16, both of which I traded to Dan01. Now, when I want to record an organ thing in the studio, I have to use a pattern off the PA1x Pro to lay down a drum track. Although the Korg drums themselves are good, I'd like to have the convenience of a small box I can sit right on the C1 and control dynamically while I'm playing. So today I ordered the new SR18, a Zoom RT232, and the new (semi-new) Alesis DM5 Drum Pro kit w/Surge cymbals (the latter is not yet shipping). Of course the kit is for when my or some other drummer happens to stop over or I want a real drummer to lay down a track for me. I won't even attempt to do anything with the kit as I'm too old to learn ANYthing new at this stage. BTW, the Zoom is just for fun and variety, as I don't really expect the samples to be very good at $179.00.

Okay, just to finish on topic. Yes, I sometimes enjoy experimenting with my PA1xPro but rarely ever touch the Tyros2 (which probably has no more than 10 hrs. of total use). Aside from the C1, I probably play around with the VP550 more than anything else. Would I buy another arranger? Yes, if something really exciting came on the scene. Probably not a T3, though, as I'm too soured on the T2.

chas

I think that they are just marvellous. For a limited player like myself I get untold joy playing my Tyros. The auto accomp. and OTS make it all sound so good. I can't imagine a day without a session on the Tyros.

BrisbaneJim

I find it to be quite enjoyable every time I sit down at my T2...I also enjoy working with my quartet a few times a month, but I understand & accept that the days of bands gigging full time are way behind me.

Its a different kind of enjoyment...There's a precision to the t2 that is great, but at the same time the spontaneity of a live band setting is also fun as hell.



------------------
Bill in Dayton