Donnie,
Thanks, Claudia is superb...and I have a couple of her CD's..BUT this type of organ music is what killed the organ in the USA.

This: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaMw63ueoVw&feature=related

is the trype of thing that keeps it alive AND for young people too in Japan and I think other places.

Just listen to the instruments.
Lee S.

Ian,
Yep, I understand and you play very, very well...Your arrangments are super. I always enjoy it when you post one or send me one.

But, this is for my home only, no travel, no got to make a living at it..just for fun.
I don't are how much it weighs...I do care how big it is (No Thomas Palace 3's).

If I could find a Stagea used, at a decent price I would just get it. Sell everything else, PA2XPRO, T2, Kurzweil K2600X, EMU soft synthes, etc.

I have been dissappointed with arrangers...and keep hoping one will be announced to satisfy me...not happening.

Lee S.

oh for goodness sake ! Its not the keyboard that fails to impress. If you had this ladies traing and skills you would create astonishing music yourself on any arranger, any organ, any workstation. Period. if you had an instrumnment like this and could not play it like her it would still sound like a bog standard organ.

Hi Leeboy
A number have been imported into the US as well as Europe (Before the downturn in the economy, there was a dealer in Germany that would import them for you) here are a couple of sites which may be able to put you in touch with an owner in your area.
http://www.electone.com/
http://www.electonesociety.com/index.php?ca=home

The main reason that caused the Electronic Organ decline was the organ manufactures themselves, as when they added all the easy play features, users asked why do I need to learn to play an organ when I can just press a button and play along to it, thus the Arranger (Although the name arranger name didn�t come in till later) came about as the Japanese identified a hole in the market. (You can get more T3 in a container then you can Stagea)

The best upgrade for any arranger is a pedal board and expression pedal, as you can then really go to town. (Most pros add a pedal board and Expression pedal at some stage,or at least they do in Europe and the Far East)

Example:
One of the biggest bugbears of arrangers is that you have to be careful what inversions of chords you use otherwise it plays the wrong chords, this means it is very difficult to get a true flow of chords in the left hand, (And if you try playing counter melody with inversions, even the best fall apart) On Bass helps, but it is still a compromise. With pedals connected (Even if you don�t play bass (Worth learning though) you can use the pedals to control where the arranger goes without having to keep adapting your chords to what the arranger wants. (You�re in control, not the arranger)
The other alternative is to sequence everything, but if you want to vary the backing on the fly (For variation) you�re stumped, as the sequence is fixed.

One thing you can�t deny though is that for the home hobby player who just wants to enjoy playing his favourite songs quickly, the easy play of an arranger is the best thing since sliced bread.

Bill


[This message has been edited by abacus (edited 09-04-2010).]

Spalding1968,
Yes, of course to an extent...

How could you play this on a Hammand B3?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9n4DJmj_SQ

Lee S.

Bill,
I see you talk my lauguage with all this.
Don't get me wrong I love the arranger and what you can do with it.

But, I think one of my compplaints is the sound on arangers...it just does not have it in some ways. They try to build them as cheap as possible, so thy skimp on the samples and programming.

IF you play all pretty fast music you will never hear it...but, like me if ballads, movie, orchestral stuff is what you enjoy then you hear all the bad stuff.

Seems like he organ buyers won't put up with that (from history) so they have better sounds.

I have only played Yamaha & Korg arrangers...so don't know of the others...all of the ones I had...have lots of issues with voice quality. Just play and HOLD each note you will hear lots of variation in vibrato, imbre etc at certainspots in the instrumets range. That is just poor workmanship to save money.

I would like to audition a Wersi Pegasus...to see if I like it. Do you know...can you add a lower kbd & pedals (MIDI is ok it does not have to be Wersi)??

Lee S.

Just wondering. Is it worth spending around Us$16,000 plus import taxes for an instrument with 2004 technology that no one here will ever be able to play like the woman in those YouTube videos?(at least never proven yet).

Watch the Stagea official demo video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpxtlCLwWvA&feature=related

Not enviable at all, specially that awful sax at minute 3:42. Nothing your advanced arrangers can't do.

I'm not saying I wouldn't have one at home if I were rich.

Victor

Diki, Donny and several others here have said over and over again, the "new" instrument is not going to magically turn us into much better players.

I pretty well have to have the latest arranger because of my job, but I'd be perfectly happy with a Tyros2, or an S900/S910 for quite some time...years probably.

Playing a Stagea is an abject lesson in discipline, practise, arranging and creativity, and would require quite an investment in time as well as money.

And as stated above, you're getting 2004 technology...alright if you plan on doing the things I stated above, but not so good if you think it will be the magic bullet, and suddenly blow away all arrangers.

Spalding's posts on another thread that show players using the Tyros2, and G-70 to another level, make it clear, at least to me, that it is the talent, creativity and dedication of the player that makes these instruments speak so well.

Ian

You should keep in mind that what you're actually hearing is the arrangement. The voices (registrations) are merely the enhancement. An EZ-play arrangement of the same song with the same voices won't sound as pleasing. That's something many buyers of organs and keyboards don't seem to understand. They wonder why they're not able to get the same sound as the demonstrator or the demo even though they're using identical styles and voices.

Taike

------------------
Bo pen nyang.

Well...very interesting comments ..all valid.
One thing however to remember...2004 technology is not neccessarly a bad thing OFTEN Mfg's change technology to CUT COSTS not to impove the instrument! A great example is tube amps...they went away...and now there back. nHave ou listened to a old tube radio in a while..so warm, beautiful to listen to, they even put good speakers in back then.

The thing I like about Stagea (Maybe Wersi too) is it is a complete package...no MIDI interfacig, no lets see how to attach the lower so it looks good and works correctly, spending days & days setting up registrations etc.

I have had high end organs in the late 80's...I'm here to tell you they are much better to play than you might think. (Ian you know for one).

I would have to buy a used one.

The fact that it is more $$ is a plus too...people won't put up wih quality issues when they spend that kind of $$.
This kind of instrument is not somethng you trade every time Yamaha, Korg, Roland etc. has a new slightly enhanced model ((emmm, maybe that's why they don't import to USA, anymore)

The arranger and an organ are...two different animals for sure. Just not sure I can be satisfied with the PSR type playing anymore.

If T4 is absolutle wonderful, maybe I'll just add my lower and pedals and decide to be satisfied with it.

I appreciate all the insight from all the different points of view.

Thanks,
Lee S.