People
Other musicians,...The public in general, just don't comprehend
what an arranger keyboard does? What they can do musically, creatively, etc, ...Why why why? and when does the ignorance change
vs a synth or workstation, or when are they both merged into one cohesive workstation? What is going on here as time goes by?

The really smart people understand ... and they come here to share.

Couple of reasons.
1. Those that do know them think of them as home keyboards for home hobby players as this is how they are advertised, and what they were primarily designed for.
2. All the public see is someone either sitting or standing at a box pressing buttons and keys, and to them it is just a slightly more advanced version of Karaoke, however if you use 2 keyboards (On a stand or by the side) and use them both, it looks professional even though you are using them the same as just a single keyboard. (Looks and choreography is everything to the GP these days)
3. Don't worry about it (the number of professional arranger players is minuscule anyway) as your the one that is making the money.

Bill

I would say it is the same reason younger players ran from the Organ and bought a Arranger keyboard. Size and weight were a factor.

John C.

As always I would add profits come into play for manufacturers. merging an arranger and workstation synth together negates two separate profit incomes and two separate sides that use them individually.
Then there is the "CASIO" thought effect that will never go away in the minds of potential buyers and players as that an arranger is nothing more then a cheap Casio you see in a big box store that sounds like a toy for example your playing on stage with
a TOTL arranger, Genos, Pa4x etc,....
and some lady comes up and says to you ..
"Oh that a nice piano my grandson has one just like it" or
"Hey I saw them in Cosco on sale for $99.00 and I have a
coupon for one.
I think Bill nailed it on arrangers with the HOME KEYBOARD/OLD ORGAN mentality still lingering in the minds of many people. I hope one day it will change...sadly we probably won\t be around to see that.

...except Karaoke doesn't make mistakes like playing the wrong chord or hitting the 'fill' button too early or too late (which begs the question, which one is more 'advanced').



chas

Chas either way........
"WHERE IS ALL THAT MUSIC COMING FROM? THERE IS ONLY ONE PERSON ON THE STAGE?? EXCUSE ME CAN I MAKE A REQUEST?
DOES THAT THING HAVE SWEET CAROLINE INSIDE THERE???

The "mis information" certainly was not helped by the old QVC and HSN spots where a guy came out with a keyboard that played itself... always at Xmas - the keys lit up and you just chased the keys that lit up and voila - you were an instant Liberace... ha ha. Tempo didn't matter either as long as you could follow the lighted keys. Sadly, with those products and video games like "Air Guitar", folks tend to not really think or care about what "might" be required to make the music sound good.

John, and cost....of course you were getting a nice wood cabinet!

They don't relate to arrangers because most bands don't use them...its a piano player at the keyboard, AND most of the time the guitars and drums drown them out (there are , of course exceptions, not many). I live in a 55+ community, we have a nice 1,000 seat theatre here and music entertainment at least twice a month. The groups that come here are mostly tribute bands and are OUTSTANDING...Out of all the bands I hear, the only time you really hear the kbd player is on occasional solos and , of course some on a few songs. Sometimes all night I never hear the kbd player. He's down in the mix somewhere. But a lot of times he is the band leader or music director.

The kbd players are not featured enough IMHO, and that is one reason people don't even know the value they add. They DO understand piano and that's what they hear and see on stage.

Tonight we go see a band called 'Brooklyn Bridge' and they are superb. It will be a treat and tickets were only $26 each.