Ketron (AJ) definately is listening, because a feature i proposed on the ketron boards (of synthzone) is being added to the sd9 pro as we speak..

Ketron italy may not be communicating directly with us, but they are listening to what we say...

Actually this is how the nord stage works... you can empty it... and add exactly those samples you want from their huge library....

Also in Korg instruments, you can change the factory sounds if you want to.... creting a setup like you want...

However, with arrangers a set up like the Nord this is much harder to archieve, as styles asume certain sounds are available... thats why the high end keyboards all have user sounds and user styles... thats the part where you create your very own car... when you compare that to your fathers car, you can drive around in a different color car, any moment you want...

Most car buyers like arranger players have little imagination, and while it is good to get their opinions so as not to make a big boo boo, (The T5 is a classic case of this) there will be no innovation, just an amalgamation of what is already out there.

Manufactures R & D must come out with new features to move the game forward, and providing they are developed to fruition with musicians, then instruments will move forward. (Hence there will never be a perfect or optimum instrument)

All the requests made for an arranger are already out there, (There is nothing new or forward thinking been added in this discussion) they have just not yet been combined.

In the old days if an instrument didn’t have something, a lot of users designed and built their own, (Most of which manufactures added to their instruments when they saw the potential) obviously, modern technology reduces the chance of current users to design via hardware, due to the specialist equipment needed to build it, however, as most instruments are based around a computer, (And as computers are cheap, and an instrument communication standard is available) then you can build (Code) it into software for whatever feature you want. (If it looks good manufactures will add it to their instruments just like they did in the old days)

The big problem these days, is that everybody moans if a manufacture doesn’t provide something, but very few are prepared to get off their backsides (Butt) and do something about it, hence you will never get what you want.

In life, to get what you want, you must do it yourself, as no one will do it for you, so stop moaning and get doing.

Bill

IN MY OPINION, the better the player, the less the moaning and groaning about (missing) features. People always want to enhance their performances; some do it by trying to improve their playing skills and others, by looking for features on their instrument that will hide their playing deficiencies.....and then there is the pure 'techno-geek' that just plain likes anything with a knob or button on it, but they are usually more interested in the technology than the actual music. Let's face it, the performances we have been most impressed by (say Marco Parisi) has much, MUCH more to do with the player than the instrument. We're most impressed by guys (or gals) that would sound good on a washboard.

On the other hand (and in all fairness), once you enter into the world of electronic instruments, advancements in technology are always going to play a role. Even with the mighty Hammond organ, a 'Jimmy Smith' didn't happen until PERCUSSION (and a Leslie) was added. So yes, there is nothing on this green earth that can't be improved upon in some way, nor should we ever stop pushing the boundaries of technology to do things we could not otherwise do. I just don't think technology should ever be used as a SUBSTITUTE for creativity and craftsmanship. In other words, it should always be about YOU, not your super-duper, feature-laden instrument. JMO.

chas

so in the vein of NOT drifting off the original topic, what would be some of your reasonable improvements for arranger keyboards that we don't have now and WHY?

In reality, added features will not likely increase sales worldwide. Keep in mind that on average, players, both home and pro, use less than 10 pecent of the onboard features. By and large, players, in general, want to turn the keyboard on, touch something with a known song title, which automatically does pretty much everything. Players, both home and pro, really could care less about learning the entire operating system, let alone programming styles and right hand voices. Hell, most folks are totally confused by something as technologically simple as creating a registration. Many years ago, I wrote a very detailed, step by step set of instructions about registrations, but the questions continue to come to my email on a daily basis about that very subject.

The basis of an arranger keyboard is all about styles - the more there are and the more diverse there are, onboard, the happier the consumer. On the PSR Tutorial site, the most requested item is specific styles for specific songs. Fortunately, there are individuals on that site that are very, very adept at creating or modifying styles from scratch that provide thousands upon thousands of Yamaha styles that are very song specific, thus there are lots of happy campers there, particularly on the styles segment of that forum. Ironically, there is usually a great style already in your keyboard that will fit just about any song written and performed. As Chas said, all you need to do is use your mind to make it all come together. All of the other components are already there, at your fingertips.

Gary

Some people just want a car that takes them from a to b, some people want the best car they can afford and then even some more....

Who is the best driver?

All right then,
I'll get it back on topic ...
As Gary said most of us want good styles.
I think we can improve a lot in that department to make them more realistic and less repetitive.
The PSR-8000 had a simple groove feature that added some riffs or something to the style. It was great.
Having some sort of intelligent style engine with groove and other features would it make much more interesting.
Each style then could be used in different ways.
I use the style assembly feature a lot, but that feature could be improved upon to by making it easier to copy and paste whole sections etc.
I think just styles alone could be a topic in it self ...
Eric

ok then why the easy way out shouldn't they improve the way styles can be created, edited, altered, mixed & matched, in an easier understandable way to improve what methods are UNDERUSED by so many now since in fact an arranger kb is style driven in the first place.

Back in the early '90s my technics kn1000 had a 'dynamic arrangement' button that changed the arrangement based on the velocity of the playing ... I don't know why they had to eliminate ​that ...