Ha Ha! I suppose it is a Freudian slip...sometimes, especially on the General Arranger Forum, it's "sink or swim", Nigel.

And sometimes it best to think for a few minutes...and then, not take the bait...Ha Ha!

Ian

I guess it comes from all my years as a live band player. I tend to want BOTH hands playing something all the time!

I simply feel that there is potentially more opportunity for a mistake if you have to lift your LH off the chord, press a button, and come back to play another chord. Particularly with song sections where the chords change rapidly (and this is often turnarounds), having AT THE SAME TIME to be made to do some complicated button pushing as well makes the task more difficult than it needs to be. You end up often having to compromise, either in one direction or the other.

We spend a lifetime learning to go seamlessly from one chord or line to another, then we have to unlearn all that to allow our hands to move from the natural playing position to do chores easily accomplished with a footswitch. Whatever floats your boat, by all means. But when a simple solution exists to make life easier, why not take it? Isn't that the whole POINT of an arranger?

That's the wonderful thing about having choice...if you so wish, you can use pedals to change certain parameters, but many, including those of us who have been playing arrangers since they were first introduced, have become accustomed to the finger/hand choreography of moving between switches/buttons/sliders/wheels and simply like (and enjoy) the way things seem to just flow, can't imagine any other way, nor, speaking for myself, would want to change.

One person's "easy way" may not always be good for another, and may even be a drawback rather than a benefit; i.e. some people play while standing, and just find pedals far too much to deal with...fortunately, our arrangers give us that choice.

But, I couldn't possible live without my trusty sustain pedal (an old Roland one, by the way...the one with the rubber heel flap) and my Yamaha FC-7 Volume/Expression pedal...so I draw the line there.

But there appears to be no set "right" or "wrong" way...gee, there are players like Donny (Dr. Quickfinger ) , who do not use ANY pedals whatsoever...so, again, having that freedom of choice, and, being able to use what works best for the player, is still the bottom line.

Ian

Joost that was an incredible impromptu !! Really impressed with your musicality. This is just anotehr example of why an arranger in the right hands is a truly unique instriument and is so flexible. If that was an impromptu what the hell would you do if you could prepare a 30 minute set !!

I totally understand your viewpoint Diki.

It has been my recent experience, Spalding, to see arrangers taking the place of workstations in three professional recording studios.

Today's arrangers, from all manufacturers (including pioneers Yamaha and Casio) certainly have come a long way since the early days of 20 or so voices/sounds and 10 boom ticky ticky styles, evolving into advanced instruments with capacities for thousands of styles (that sound ultra realistic and very impressive), well over 1500 sounds, and are now being used by some of today's top notch players/performers/entertainers.

Eat your heart out, workstation users.

Ian

This boy is the best.
Greetings.