The overall sound of the T5 moved much more towards the more lively sound of Korg... I blame the new effects section for this...

The new stuff in the T5 however is brilliant, like the SA2 Jazz flute, the organ section, the styles with studio drums, the new trumpet, the ensemble section

theses are OTB comparisons....both can be made to sound different or better with some tweaking as with most arrangers KB's......
my opinions were just about what I heard in the demo here.
The focus should be on "Features" good, bad, need, as we all know most TOTL arrangers sound good these days.

If you do a feature comparisson between T4 and T5... your video only lasts 10 secconds

Feature changes need to be made ..... online consumer questioners should be on their websites so manufacturers can get an average worldwide opinion from players on
WHAT THEY NEED & WANT in future arranger KB's TOTL/MOTL.....

I had a strange thing several years back with my Tyros 3 - I went for nearly a month without turning it on because of being completely occupied with other things at that time, but when I did turn on the T3, I was completely surprised how good it sounded.

I think our minds and ears become immune to what we are hearing if it is the same all the time.

Also this - out of the over 1000 voices now available on these keyboard, how many do you use regularly???

Just asking,

Bill G

Id say I use 10 -20 goto sounds, as Roland termanology
("easy 20" ).... & 30-40 styles tops...
I consider my Arranger KB "MY BAND" on stage with 5-6 players as in a real band you have 5 or 6 players playing their instruments,
& I'm the singer

Everyone needs and wants different things....

Back on topic... T4 versus T5.... i think the T5s real update was its sound, and thats exactly what this comparisson tries to show (or make auditable)

Thats the point to get a world wide consensus of needs......majority rules I say! But will they listen....
I think now most times because $$$$ is all they care about....true that!

It's obvious that we approach the arranger in many different ways.

Donny uses it as his personal band with a certain number of players with him the singer.

Since I play mostly instrumentals, I tend to use the "sky's the limit" approach and use quite a few sounds and styles...it could be a solo guitarist or piano player, full symphony orchestra, jazz trio/quartet, Big Band, rock and roll band, entire composition using synthesizer sounds, country/bluegrass band...it goes on.

Basically, if I can imagine it, the arranger gives me the tools to create it, within the limits of my playing skills, of course.

I am also not a stickler on total authenticity; I just want the music to be pleasant to listen to, and bear repeated listening. So if my guitar emulation or virtual saxophone isn't perfect and won't fool everybody, I'm not too worried, although I will try my best to give the illusion of that particular instrument in context of the music genre I choose to play.

There's really no right or wrong way...it's being able to get the desired result that is important.

Ian

What is an arranger keyboard and why would I want one?


If you want to play songs with full accompaniment on your own, then an arranger keyboard might be ideal for you. These remarkable instruments combine the best features of synthesizers and sequencers, or “auto-accompaniment” (backing instrument sounds). With an arranger keyboard you can quickly select a style and song form, then start playing. The keyboard’s sophisticated electronics will follow your left hand and melody changes with realistic-sounding backing tracks, giving you the sound of an entire ensemble, in the style you want.

What is a style? It’s a combination of backing instrument sounds (like bass, drums, horns, etc.), chord progressions and rhythms that fit specific musical genres such as Rock, Rhythm and Blues, Latin, Country, Jazz, Techno and more. These Auto-Accompaniment styles let you focus on your playing while enjoying a full musical performance. Even entry-level arrangers offer dozens of styles, plus piano sounds and even DJ/techno sounds.

Once thought of primarily as home entertainment systems, arranger keyboards are now powerful, portable units used by many popular songwriters and recording artists. Arranger keyboards range in price from under $100 to $3000 or more. Some models are equipped with a microphone input, a digital mixer, or a screen that displays song lyrics or notation.

Arranger keyboards are available in several key formats. Some have 61 spring-loaded keys (called “synth style”); others come with 76 semi-weighted keys – a balance between organ-style keys and a realistic piano keyboard. Finally, a few have 88 fully weighted piano-style keys, just like a digital piano.