I'm quite happy with the current group of arrangers. I could easily use any of the top or middle line from any of the companies.
It comes down to features and ease of use. They all sound good.
I've always preferred Ketron drums. Korgs are good but can't really sound quite as good as the audio drums of course.
No problem with Roland drums, but their arrangers leave out some invaluable features such as simple break/fill. How can they not incorporate that, when it has been a feature of ALL other brands since their inception?
I do prefer everything built in: great harmonizer, text and lyrics display, large color touch screen, multitude of styles available and great sounds. I prefer joystick, but wheels are o.k. if they are properly located. User-assignable buttons or sliders are great. Ability to use a multi-switch foot pedal is essential.
Other people may have different priorities, but I'm thinking whatever those priorities may be, they are pretty much available these days.
They type music I play (and the vast majority of arranger players play) calls for great emulations of traditional instruments ranging from pianos to brass to woodwinds, organs, guitars, even vocal sounds, etc. Few of us are interested in creating or using synth-type exotic sounds, although there are a lot built in to modern arrangers. Other than auditioning them, I've never found a use for one in reality, because I don't play the type of music that calls for them. I think the market for a hybrid keyboard would be very limited, but then there may be a NEW market that could be created that would bring younger people to the fold.
Rarely a week goes by that I don't have a musician ask about my keyboard, remarking that they didn't know such technology even existed.
Sorry for rambling. Can't wait for the SD7 to arrive!
Maybe it will keep me alive a little longer! My boat is 16 years old, my Expedition is 8 years old, my golf clubs are several years old, crap even my young wife is getting older, but the TOOLS of my trade WILL be current and the best available to suit my needs!

It`s surprising that the price has depreciated this fast. I heard live performances where this keyboard is used in both arranger mode and for solo tones in a band. Truly amazing rhythms and tones. Perhaps Roland should have put a touch screen OS instead of the current one on Bk-9.

And ofcourse, keyboard manufacturers want us to buy both(their WS and arrangers) but as mentioned earlier, its no rocket science but just a strategy they adopt to mint money. Things like budget, market segmentation, economies of scale, return on investment are all business concepts that prevents such crossovers. It`s cutting a lot of corners when business interferes too much with art.

If the manufacturers really stood for their taglines or vision, none of them would be in the business anymore

Having a single keyboard with features of both would actually help any of the manufacturers atleast till the time others start to do the same thing. It should be great for the players too to switch to different modes when they want too. For manufacturers it would be far more easier to expand and incorporate things via software rather than spend on hardware; which I believe will be the direction they will be taking.

Let`s hope Roland continues to come up with good arrangers like they have done in the past

Since we're always trying to bring 'young people' into the arranger market, we have to assume that most of us agree that it's and 'ol' folks' machine. But here's the thing. Most seniors haven't figured out their smartphones yet, despite their having been on the market for at least ten years (Boo is still using the last known flip phone ). And if you think that's bad, wait until we all switch over to the SmartWatch. Most seniors will have a nervous breakdown just trying to figure out what time it is . A few car manufacturers produced cars with automatic transmissions that could be manually shifted, but how popular are they and how many of the people that you know personally, have one. Not even the Swiss like the Swiss Army knife (only Boy Scouts.....and they grow out of it as soon as they mature).

But hey, maybe some visionary company (Technics, General Music, Silvertone (Sears)), will build the Super SynthArrangerWorkstation. Donny and DonM will buy one; Russ will buy one but probably won't open the box for a couple of years .

chas

That's pretty much it for me...my older Tyros4 will keep me going for many years and I don't see replacing it unless there are eventual hardware parts that wear out and are no longer available.

However, I can understand your interest in the SD-7, especially since you Have used Ketron in the past...having a new set of styles and sounds sometimes is refreshing..."a change is as good as a rest", so to speak.

I personally don't see the need for anything additional other than what my present TOTL arranger gives me...I'm still exploring and coming up with some new things...now it's stacking up to three of the Tyros4's synth and pad voices, changing their panning, filtering, and effects and using them in soundtracks for a buddy who is doing voice over CD's. Some of these combinations rival what we were getting in the studio using several midi'd synths, both analog and digital.

There's lots of life in the old beast yet.

Sadly, Don, there those who have purchased high end arrangers who will never fully appreciate the power and versatility of these instruments. Their loss, I suppose.

Ian

Chas, as I said, I would have no interest or need for a synth-type arranger. I'm happy with the current stuff.
Happy with my house, wife, kids and boat, but that's not to say I wouldn't ever try to improve them.
Except my wife of course, who is perfect.

ME !!!
2003 BMW 325ci ragtop ... I use the 'manual' shift whenever I am on local roads. which is about 40% of the time ...
Cleaned it up yesterday, and been 'scootin' around most of the day ...

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but chas asked ...

That doesn't count. You don't know yourself personally .

chas

I use the 4-speed autobox in my Honda Accord manually as well, especially in the winter whereas I can have the transmission start in 2nd gear on ice by selecting "2".

I also like shifting between D4 and D3 when I'm on curvy roads to utilize engine braking.

They wouldn't have put these positions on the selector quadrant if'n they didn't want people to use them...mmmm?

Of course, Tony, we arranger players are very progressive and adventurous, are we not?

Ian

Sit down with a MOXF its under €1000 and offers younger players so much more then an arranger... The arps in these workstations make up for the lack of styles, with pattern mode and audio loops, it offers as much or maybe even more fun at the same sound quallity of a tyros....

Same goes for Motif XF or Korg Kronos ( with Karma) i dont think you will ever make these younger people enthousiastic for arrangers, because their workstations allready come close to arrangers.

Arps work extremely well with Dance and Electronica and that's what younger players seem to gravitate towards...I doubt if many are interested in most of the genres found on an PA3X, Audya or a Tyros.

I thought Karma was pretty cool...very expressive and not as repetitive as the styles found in arrangers.

I wonder if they could develop it to suit what arranger players would want...i.e...more traditional type genres?

Ian