Yes, arranger keyboards did have rather humble beginnings...I remember seeing the early Casio and Yamaha instruments with all of 10 rhythms and just as many sounds. However, no matter how you look at it, the "FUN" factor was very high, and the instruments really took off in a monstrous growth spurt.

For me, I'm glad to have been able to follow (and be relatively deeply involved in) their journey to the awesome keyboards they are today, and I'm also glad to be using a predominately hardware based instrument with lots of physical buttons and sliders and knobs and no touch screen.

It still makes me smile when I play it.

One thing arrangers have that workstations do not...immediacy.

Ian

The thing is home organs were monstrously expensive back in the day and you needed a room dedicated for that one instrument it was so huge and heavy. Home organs are still available today and have not changed in terms of their looks and functions significantly since back in the day. Whereas arranger keyboards most certainly have. And are much more affordable and takes much less room .

It is true that there is a market for a purely software based instrument with as I've said before, potentially just an iPad some apps and a controller keyboard. How ever the appeal of an arranger keyboard has always been its flexibility Immediacy and the fact that it has designated hardware functions that makes it instantly playable straight out of the box. No latency , software conflicts etc.

The home organ evolved Into the workstation arranger and the workstation arranger is evolving into a highly integrated music production system able to play styles via midi , audio files and record external instruments and able to slot into an external daw where required .

The technology of arranger keyboards are already incorporated into most of today's hi end workstations but a dumbed down version . Time will tell where it goes from there but we are a long way off from the death of arrangers . That's for sure .

It's quite obvious what's happening technologically for all of us. The increase in change will happen faster and faster.
An Arranger KB will be like using a flip phone instead of a smart phone soon. New ways to create music is an exciting thing to look forward to...I hope I'm around to see some of it.

Ian common you are still controlling an "automatic driven computerized" style machine...no way around that,......
right hand playing is a different story,....but the computer is operating around the repetitive chord structure, ...but you knew that right? Now if you record ALL the parts track by track into a sequence & play on top of that and sing that is playing the keyboard my friend.

I really enjoy my arranger keyboard, Donny...I also work hard to individualize my performance, both in the way I create my own styles, and in the way I arrange my music (chord structure etc.).

Playing over a midi file is boring in my opinion...way too repetitive for my liking...I like being able to re-arrange on the fly which is why I prefer to use style backing instead of the whole she-bang being previously recorded (usually by someone else).

But, that's the beauty and versatility of the instrument...you can play either way.

I just like my way better, that's all.

Ian

Boring? I can't agree, a repetitive style yes thats boring for me,...many players don't have the talent to record songs track by track to sequence. Both ways have their strengths,.......but a style many times is too repetitive vs recording bass lines, horn stabs, breaks, fills, etc, the way the player wants it to sound in a song and they are both ok to a point,...... That's why I mix it up and utilize playing styles, smf, mp3, etc, and singing using ALL the tools offered to me to make music for a living...if your gonna sit home in your living room what does it matter then someones personal musical satisfaction right?.

enjoy what ever you play

If you are using boring styles, then you aren't using the style creator feature on your instrument to its full potential.

I can also use the arranger's sequencer to multi-track when recording, and I can also do multi-tracking with the addition of a style.

That's what makes an arranger more versatile to me than a workstation...it's also this same immediacy that lets you get down an idea before you lose it if you are into song writing or doing demo tunes.

But again, the way I use an arranger only has to suit ME, not anyone else.

If you need to use all those tools to do a performance, that's fine...we obviously operate differently Donny. All I need is the arranger itself, whether I'm playing for my own enjoyment, doing studio work or taking the occasional gig. In all cases, I'm playing the instrument.

That's why I said I was so happy with my Tyros4...its the Swiss army knife of keyboards in my opinion.

Ian

Hey guy I am back in after a break I have been working a lot very busy play here in So Cal.

I like this topic I can play a arrang as good as anybody out there I got good skills in that area but since I have been using Midi files in my shows my business has jumped off the map I can now add a different dimension to my shows. Ie guitar playing. More piano and fuller sound. It is much better to the audience to get a bigger production. As large as I want or as small as I want to present . Don't get me wrong there is still a place for arrang playing but 95% of what I do is with files and jump point so I can keep the dance going it also allows me to go out and just sing as well. That is one of my best skills. So I think arrang are still good but the use of midi files are best for me. I just wish there where more avail in yamahamusicsoft site. They have been making a bunch of un usable one of late I am hoping the do more in the area I am used too . Good to be back in the fold Ron Johnson

I'm more of a keyboard player than entertainer/singer/showman so I guess that's why I like the flexibility and the personalisation that using styles brings to my performance.

I can fully understand someone using midi files...they just aren't suited for my way of playing.

I like sitting down at the instrument, picking one of my own styles, and just playing a tune...no fuss, no muss, and it's far more spontaneous than using a midi file...in my opinion, of course.

Again, that's one of the arranger keyboard's major strengths...immediacy.

Good to see you back posting, Ron.

Ian

I like Ian , really enjoy remixing songs and only an arranger is the best tool to experiment and trial different styles and chord professions for songs . And aGain the style creator can allow you to generate very interesting bass lines depending on the chords you are playing .

I just love my arranger !