For me..I get alot of joy using my arranger for a contemporary worship service... My church doesn't have a drummer, guitar or any other players, so the arranger comes in handy.

I just purchased a hard disk recorder and will start recording again. Using an arranger to put down tracks with as much creativity as possible,is definately something I enjoy.I'm not talking about using one style and recording a song, but using different parts from different styles, matching tempos and laying down something creative. Writing original lyrics, recording vocals and create a complete song.

Just a thought ...

I don't know if Joy is the word. Maybe Fun. I have fun playing my s-900 here at home. If I wanna try a genre of music I don't usually play, it's fun to pull up a style and have a go. Or to play just for the fun of playing. I like to play with the S.A. voices to see how good I can make them sound.

But I don't gig with an arranger; I did once for about a dozen tunes. I would not buy an album of someone who used an arranger. I've never yet heard any music played on an arranger that had me feeling like I'd truly experienced some great music. Music that was impressive because it was an arranger, yes, but not music that was impressive in and of itself. Therefore, playing or listening to arrangers for me is fun, but not quite joyful.

At home, the arranger is a great past time. On the job it's become a necessity. But I find the darn thing so frustrating. I love the sounds and the flexibility, but to use the styles - for me - is a bummer. I can never find the style I want when I need it. I know it's my fault because I haven't invested enough time to really learn the styles (maybe because I don't use them).

I must say that of all the arrangers I've owned, the G70 was a dream machine; I should have kept it. I now have an E60 and that's a good second best, but I haven't spent near as much time with it as I should. The Yamaha PSR 3000 and 2000 gave me little inspiration, but lots of on-the-job satisfaction. My old Korg iX300 was great for the styles I used, but I didn't care for the sample sounds.

Because I'm so lazy at the learning curve, I often find myself playing the same stuff over and over. I used to be a pretty creative guy, but since the band's demise I'm in a music funk.

Why keep them if you SOURED? & never play them, thats not enjoyable please elaborate, Id like to understand this more.....? BTW what made you so soured? Wow its amazing & interesting to read all the "levels of JOY" on the SZ all caused by an arranger KB



[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 07-16-2008).]

From an organ background, chords and an arranger are the perfect marriage, especially the boards that can recognize what you throw them.

When I listen to some of the incredible writers of midi files, I am sure glad I can play chords on top of top notch professionals (very humbling). The audience can then appreciate the overall end product, just like I do.

In my line of work, the people I perform for would break my fingers if I didn't show up again with my arranger. Almost every performance, a crowd stands around wanting to know all about the blue marvel

Common Zuki get that Website going!!!

Glad your in love with blue

OK, where do I start? I think back to the days when I was 20 years old, playing in a band that was playing for a singles club night and one night we came in to play only to find out we had been fired and instead of us they had a guy on a Chordovox with a drum machine. Well, the rest of the guys got really pissed off and left. I stayed and listened to him. He was the first OMB I had ever heard and he was really good. I said to myself, I can do that. I went to the music store where I was working and convinced them to sell me a Lowry organ at cost and a drum maching and the rest is history. After playing many configurations over many years with left hand bass, ect, I played my first arranger and I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I still get that feeling today. I sit down and I have a full orchestra at my command and it's awesome. I do over 300 jobs per year and it never gets old. I can't wait for the next new board to come out. Long live arrangers!!!

Joe

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Songman55
Joe Ayala

I guess I'm on a roll but I have to comment further. I watch the debates here about live band sounds, ect. I have to say that at this point in my life, (I'm 58 years old and I've played in many situations), I don't have the need to hear a 4 or 5 piece band. I played in many of them over the years. When I walk out there today, I like to hear what Frank Sinatra and the other great singers heard, a full orchestra playing clean orchestrations and kicking ass. I live for that and my arranger, my mp3's and midi files and anything else I have give that to me. As a result, I play and sing my ass off and I'm having more fun today than at any other time in my long career.

Ciao,

Joe

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Songman55
Joe Ayala

For me an arranger board gives great flexibility and compact size, however (Room permitting) it does come second to an Organ with the same features.

Bill

Joy? not at all....we are talking bliss here!!!

The qualities that make arrangers appeal to former band playing "real musicians", (the guitarist player is never drunk, the drummer keeps perfect time, the bass player shows up every time etc), in short, the presence of a full orchestra following the player, have made arrangers succesful in making more of the "general population" like myself, take up music as a hobby.

There is a limit in what I personally could manage if I played some chords in a guitar and tried to play a song I like. Using an arranger I sound better, and closer to the song. I have everything. I even can try to play a song in a different style andsee if it works.

Ahh, and for all of that I just have to press power on, select a style, and a roght hand instrument and go....

That is pure bliss.