Hi
my first decent arranger was the technics kn800 back in roughly 1988. I did have a funny little Yamaha a couple of years or so earlier, but it was more of a toy.

Diki, I started out with the RA800. Was looking for a drum machine that I could control/trigger different parts. Saw the RA800 in a Roland flyer went to my local music store and I played around with the RA90 or 95 and was hooked. Especially when I discovered all it could do.


Joe

MY first was the technics kn1000 ... I liked the sounds, but the ease of the operating system is what sold me on it ... unfortunately is was the model BEFORE they started reading GM files ...

Hi Duane
Gosh, I remember those, really takes me back, I so wanted one. On the teenie bit of money I was earning those days, couldn't afford one. Had to settle for a chord organ instead. haahaa.

I was more into Hammond's but this was my first decent arranger:

Farfisa DK250

Mine was a yamaha pss 780 ...it had mini keys and drum pads with 100 styles with intro's and endings...also it was true FM like a dx7...the sounds were very thin but for the time it was fun...never used it to gig with.

Steve

mox8,psr s910, pa50sd, microarranger, psr s2000 and cx3

PSR 520

I brought a few of those really cheep for friends - it had incredible on board speaker system for such a small unit.

My first arranger KB was a Tyros 2. Before that, I was playing a Roland digital piano and I’d play along to midi file tracks that I created on a Korg N364. I was putting in an insane amount of time creating these tracks and was getting frustrated on following the same arrangement all each time I played a song. The arranger KB has lead me into playing styles I never dreamed I’d be covering and sounds I would have never thought of using. While I fully understand why many players view an arranger keyboard as sort of crutch, I have actually grown musically or least discovered new musical territories. I think it’s safe to say I’m totally hooked on arranger keyboards

Played an Electone Yamaha (sounded like an arranger to me), starting in 1976. Had three different ones. Had an Auto Orchestra
and a small Casio ($200.00-37 miniature keys-white). Lined out of the Casio and into the jack at the bottom of the Yamaha.

Still have the last Electone, Auto Orchestra and the Casio!


Russ (packrat) Lay