How many of you use the onboard effects of your arranger? Which ones do you use and which do you never touch?

My question comes from thinking back to the days when I used a wah-wah pedal with my Farfisa and then later with an electric piano. Back then I also incorporated a chorus pedal and a graphic EQ.

Would we be better off using offboard FX stompboxes like guitar players. Which option is easier? Which is better?

Cass....aside from some EQ boost on the high end on drum tracks I hardly ever use any EFX on my arrangers versus the factory settings, that includes sounds or styles......less is more IMO.
Once you start "FRANKENSTEINING" your sound it never comes out right....I've heard too many acts that really bungle their sound with all the EFX mumbo jumbo....most people have no clue as to HOW TO USE IT correctly if at all...

Main problem with an arranger (or any modern keyboard) is, how do you integrate the sounds that need effecting, and those that don't? Presumably, you are not using your keyboard for one sound at a time...

Once you start running through foot pedals, you have to be very aware of the gain structure, to make sure the foot-pedals are not hotter or softer than they need to be.

Personally, I think it is more important to have some good recordings of stuff run through the pedals, so you can start to try and match the sound using on-board effects and EQ. They are FAR more powerful that people give them credit for... For a start off, just rolling the highs off a lot of your sounds can go a long way towards getting that seventies 'keyboard through a bunch of pedals' sound. By the time you have run through a Bi-Phase, a Mutron and a couple of MXR's, there isn't much left (other than hiss!) over 10kHz...

This week I heard a great band play at one of my local watering holes.. Bunch of guys from Alabama, played for Capricorn back in the day, drummer played on a few Greg Allman things, that sort of bunch. Keyboard player had a Roland RD600. Not exactly state of the art. But he played it through a Fender Bassman rig! Now, I'll be the first to admit, the grand piano sucked. No highs at all. But when he put the Rhodes through it... 70's heaven...! Had an old Mk1 Korg CX-3 through a Motion Sound two piece Leslie, not as good as the real deal. But that Roland through the Bassman... WOW!

Remind yourself from time to time what the real stuff actually sounds like, and you have a FAR better chance of making your arranger's tones match it...

I ask the question because, like Donny, i rarely touch an effects control. How many do I have - 4? 40? I'm sure most or all the patches use some sort of EFX, but do we need pages of editing space for something we rarely use? Just wondering. I hoped to get more responses, but these few probably speak it all.

Well, you might not use them, cassp, but the guys at the factory sure used them to make the presets, so you might be a bit appreciative that they ARE there, even if you don't use them...

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[This message has been edited by cassp (edited 07-29-2008).]